MONDAY MAIL RUN #20: Front Range (Trying tri-planes and triplanes!)

[Storm]

This week we're flying three different airplanes along the Front Range. Ostensibly following part of Contract Air Mail route 12, we'll dip into local history, aviation history and personal history.

Trium avium...

Week 20: Front Range, Cheyenne, WY to Centennial, CO via Fort Collins and Boulder, CO. Leg #1: From Cheyenne to Fort Collins in Luscombe 8 Silvaires. Leg #2: From Fort Collins to Boulder in Ercoupes. Leg #3: From Boulder to Centennial in Fokker Dr.I triplanes. All cruising speeds will be 70-80 knots, making each leg around 30 minutes. All cruising altitudes will around 6,500 feet, as all airfields are above 5,000 feet. Full flight plan details: Leg #1, Leg #2, Leg #3. Airplane details below. IMPORTANT NOTES ON SCENERY Default OK. Highly recommended: FSgenesis US landclass (inexpensive payware). ORBX USERS FTX Global looks great here. But... SWITCH FTX VECTOR OFF! Why? Because it removes an important landmark water feature around Centennial. How? Go to your Scenery Library in-game and uncheck the following four items: ORBX!VECTOR_OBJ ORBX!VECTOR_APT ORBX!VECTOR_CVX ORBX!VECTOR_EXX Then click OK. You can re-check them after the flight. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED FOR FTX GLOBAL USERS Download and install FTX Global Freeware Airports NA Pack 7 (free to FTX Global users). It greatly improves our last stop at Centennial airport. OPTIONAL FOR FTX GLOBAL USERS Download and install FTX Global Freeware Airports NA Pack 4 (free to FTX Global users). It greatly improves Jeffco (Rocky Mountain Metro Airport), which we overfly. AIRPLANES Meanwhile, please download all three aircraft from the Vintage Hangar of my OneDrive so you can get used to flying them (especially the Fokker, which may take some getting used to). LUSCOMBE 8 SILVAIRE Run the main LuscombeX.exe install. Be very careful to check the folder it wants to install to. By default it suggests Program files\Microsoft Games, which is wrong! Change that to Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Games\Microsoft Flight Simulator X. If your installer asks whether you want to create a new directory, you've done this wrong! Then apply Storm's essential mods v2. It's easy to fly! ERCOUPE Run the Ercoupe.exe install. Then apply the Ercoupe retractable patch 1_0. We'll be flying the normal tricycle fixed gear version = any of the first eight variants in the Select Aircraft menu. It's easy to fly! FOKKER Dr.I TRIPLANE Run the setup.exe installer. Then apply Storm's patch 1_0. This is much harder to fly well, so please READ THE SHORT MANUAL! GIVE YOURSELF LOTS OF TIME BEFORE THE FLIGHT TO PRACTICE!

[Storm]

First leg flight plan and maps.
Luscombe 8 Silvaire at 85 mph (75 kts).
KCYS > CO55* > 3V5
* Orbit left-hand then touch and go (see diagram below).

Note: Christman Field is pronounced almost identically to Christmas, except with an 'n' instead of an 's'.

(Please ensure you get the info for all 3 legs!)
Flight plan .PLN file

Flight plan:


Map:


Detail of CO55 touch and go, whatever the wind direction.
Join dead-side for left-hand orbit.
Then join crosswind for left-hand circuit for runway 16.
Screenshot of actual test flight flight-path.


Airport diagrams. (Note FSX bug at 3V5!)

[Storm]

Second leg flight plan and maps.
Ercoupes* at 70kts.
3V5 > 1V5
* Standard version. Any of the first eight in the Select Aircraft menu.
(Please ensure you get the info for all 3 legs!)
Flight plan .PLN file

Flight plan:


Map:


Airport diagrams. (Note FSX bug at 3V5!):

[Storm]

Third leg flight plan and maps.
Fokker Dr.I triplanes at 145 km/h (78 kts).
1V5 > KAPA
(Please ensure you get the info for all 3 legs!)
Flight plan .PLN file

Flight plan:


Map:


Airport diagrams:

[ROBERT DUNN 2]

May I testify that Storm's detailed flight plan, required aircraft and documentation WILL require more time than you may be accustomed to to read, install and familiarize. While I have offered what help I many be able to give in technical assistance, installation and flight marshaling, I believe the complexity of this group flight's requirements will preclude starting from scratch a quarter hour before take off time (as is our custom). If you are familiar with Storm's historic group flight requirements and methodology, you should have no problems being prepared and on the departure runway at the appointed time. If you're new to Storm's way and requirements, please give yourself extra time to prepare. Now would be a good time to start such preparation if you are not already installed, studied and practiced as Storm's excellent but extensive aircraft and flight documentation suggests.

In ADDITION to Storm's FSX Scenery disabling of the four FTX Vector scenenery modules mentioned in Storm's flight plan instructions, I have disabled FTX Vector Airport Elevation Correction for the final destination airport, Centennial, KAPA. I found no other Vector AEC necessary.

[Storm]

Reminder! Please come well prepared and practiced to KCYS in your Luscombe this evening at 9pm ET. We'll be flying three different aircraft tonight, so have them all installed, manuals read and tried out! See you there. :eagerness:

[Prdude62]

HEy Some Pics Of Fokker Triplanes.http://imgbox.com/g/IzTT1ESV8V

[Lazerbolt]

Heres a few snaps from tonights fantastic flight! Thanks again Storm for a great time.

[Storm]

Taken by Doug (Idleline86). A line of Fokkers at Centennial airport after the flight.
Please click on the pic for full size and full clarity.

[Storm]

Thanks guys. Only have Fokker pics myself - I was rather busy to take more pics the rest of the time!
Please click on the pics for full-size and greater clarity.

[Manfredc3]

I see the time for the event('s), but in what timezone are they scheduled? Like I am in Colorado, which is in mountain time (GMT -8hrs)

[Novawing24]

Excellent pics all! Wish I could have made the flight.

Manfreddc3 all times on the main website are posted in US Eastern Time.

Safe Skies!

Novawing24

[Storm]

I see the time for the event('s), but in what timezone are they scheduled? Like I am in Colorado, which is in mountain time (GMT -8hrs)

1. The Upcoming Flights section - top of website front page - always tells you in Eastern Time for the event(s).
2. If you have set your website account settings properly, each thread title will also tell you in your local time.

Example of what it looks like:
A) On the front page:
GOONEY BIRD FLIGHT: Nikolai to Pitka
on Wednesday Aug-06-2014 @ 9:00pm ET

B) At the top of forum thread for that same event:
Thread: GOONEY BIRD FLIGHT: Nikolai to Pitka: August 6th, 2014 07:00 PM - 09:00 PM
(because, like you, I'm on Mountain Time).

To adjust your website account settings:

1. Go to Settings (top-right of page, left of Log Out).
2. Go to General Settings (mid-left-hand margin).
3. Got to Date & Time Options, Time Zone and set your timezone to GMT-7 (which is misleading but at least it's true in winter!).
4. Also set DST Correction Option to Automatically detect DST settings.

[Manfredc3]

Thanks for the feedback. I had the date/time setting already set correctly.

Now, let's hope there are future events that will work with my schedule.