#57 Auckland #58 Wellington

Start:  NZKT, 2156; $7651.63 and 45gal

I'm pretty excited about today's destinations. I've always had a fascination for New Zealand, and I'm finally going to see it (if only through the virtual eyes of FSX). Unfortunately, it's raining in Kaitaia this morning, so it's not ideal sightseeing conditions.

I'll start off this morning with 3 Kaitaia Service Center passengers, going straight to Auckland.

Soon after take-off, the rain stops, the skies clear and all is well. New Zealand is so beautiful, it looks great even with FSX default scenery! Since I normally fly for ZCR Aviation (based in Queensland, Australia), perhaps it's time to invest on OrbX Australia....

Nobody ever says no to an aerial tour! I've asked my passengers, and they'd love to get a quick overview of Auckland. So, I cancel my IFR plan, and zip around on my own for a while, before getting back to a normal altitude and course, heading for Auckland International airport.

Identifiable Auckland

End: NZAA, 0900; $9743.23 and 32gal

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Seems a bit odd to me, but there's not a single FSE job going from Auckland to Wellington. Fine, I'll make an intermediate stop then. I've got 3 Air New Zealand passengers (does that make me Air New Zealand?!) going to Rotorua. It's on the way, so I'm fine with that.

Cities, wide open spaces, lakes, mountains; New Zealand's got it all!

End: NZRO, 1023; $11663.07 and 40gal

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I'm back on track now. I've got 1 Air New Zealand passenger and 1 Corporate VIP, both headed (like me) to Wellington. I'll be heading straight south, about as far as you can go and still be on the North Island.

Gorgeous terraced setting of Wellington

End: NZWN, 1304; $13638.57 and 22gal


Total Distance Flown:  26,247 nautical miles
Total v$ Deposited: $120,000

Magical Mystery Tour

Start:  YBBN, 0654; $8215.36 and 45gal

Today I'm going to accomplish the impossible! I am going to fly, in a Cessna 172 SkyHawk, from Australia to New Zealand. If you look at a map, you'll see that this is just about 1,100 nautical miles. If you look up the spec's, you'll see that a Cessna 172 SkyHawk can fly 540 nautical miles on a full tank (650 nm if you're willing to use every last drop and have no safety margin). So, what's the catch?

It turns out that there are two tiny islands between Australia and New Zealand: Lord Howe Island, and Norfolk Island. Using these conveniently placed intermediate stops creates a voyage with three legs, each less than 500 nm.

Because my flight plan is already established and doesn't have any room for adjustment, I'm not sure if I'll be able to find and jobs for this lengthy flight. But, I'll fire up the FSE client and see what there is....

Sadly, I was correct -- no jobs available for any of these flights. So, I'll just experience the magic myself!

Sure am glad I've got GPS! There's a whole lot of water all around me, and it all looks pretty much the same. With the shifting winds, it's pretty tough to tell just where I am and which way to go. But, I keep an eye on my little 295 and make small course adjustments, and after a mere 3 1/2 hours, there's a speck of land ahead!

Land ho!

End: YLHI, 1121; $8062.02 and 54gal

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Just a very quick stop to refuel, and I'm back over the South Pacific again. This is one of my longest days, so I'm not going to be able to enjoy these little islands for more than a quick stretch.

Norfolk Island is one of those "airport in a hole" locations in FSX. Luckily, the hole isn't too deep, so my landing was quite nice, if I do say so myself!

Not much fun in a cross-wind!

Time for another gas-n-go!

End: YSNF, 1715; $7944.37 and 23gal

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As the sun sets slowly in the west,... I've got another 450 mile "hop" to make, so it's time for an IFR flight plan, since most of this one will be in the dark.

I'm a sucker for a good sunset shot.

I've picked up a bit of a tail-wind -- 27kts, but it's at about a 45 degree angle. Still, I'll take what I can get!

After the sun goes down, when your 4,500 feet above the South Pacific Ocean, about a million miles from anywhere, let me tell you, it gets DARK!

End: NZKT, 2156; $7944.37 and 22gal


Total Distance Flown:  25,806 nautical miles
Total v$ Deposited: $120,000

#55 Sydney

Start:  YSCB, 0807; $4749.98 and 50gal

It doesn't get much easier than this. I want to go to Sydney. There's a Politician here at Canberra who wants to go to Sydney. So, off we go!

Looks to be a fabulous Australian morning, so I should get some great shots of Sydney harbor.

The Sydney Opera House

End: YSSY, 1053; $5539.28 and 38gal

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My next job is to take 3 Private Shuttle passengers to Orange. I'm happy to, as I'm headed that way!

End: YORG, 1114; $6612.08 and 29gal

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My final job (but not my final leg) for today is to take 1 WAC YSDU Passenger to YSDU in good ol' Dubbo!

End: YSDU, 1207; $7327.58 and 23gal

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I'm off on my own this time. I want to visit the ZCR Aviation FBO in Coonamble. It's about time for my 100-hour check, and I want it done by someone I trust. It's a short hop, so I'm just going to up and go -- lunch will be awaiting my arrival.

End: YCNM, 1256; $7327.58 and 18gal


Total Distance Flown:  24,024 nautical miles
Total v$ Deposited: $120,000