Awesome time doing PHNL -> PHKO -> PHTO -> PHNL in the JustFlight F28! I love flying these routes around Honolulu and it was awesome to have this level of staffing!
The cherry on top was the unique VOR 4R approach into Honolulu, where I landed over a departing Air New Zealand heavy!
https://youtu.be/fV75LL7duI0?t=2993&is=qIGIGaYx5S-y2wfJ there is too much to write here, watch the video for the full list. Looking like an outstanding addon!
I have been flying NWA non stop for the past month, and it's a blast hooking up a good flight on VATSIM. But turboprops are my real passion!
1 - Inibuilds F406 in Namibia - even after updates this one still just feels... flat and dimensionless
2 - Black Square TBM 850 over the US Midwest- the new sound pack and breathed life into this already phenomenal addon. Enjoying flying it again
3, 4. NG Simulations EMB-110 en route to Vancouver for the VATSIM event - what fun it was to mix it with the heavy metal, and wow what an underrated addon this MSFS 2024 version is. Sounds are really solid, great features, flies well, has a great EFB and native MSFS 2024 functionality. So happy with this purchase and the variety of routes it opens up
5 - Milviz/Blackbird C310R - this one will always be special to me. First payware addon when I came back into flight sim, and still such a blast to fly.
Great controllers and cool event, fun to have service at smaller airports. I would definitely fly more GA focused events in future!
Link: https://flightsim.to/addon/114042/famous-flyer-10-boeing-707-320c-northwest
Northwest was the original pioneer of the 707 Combi that we see here in flightsim, some great history for the nerds, here: https://northwestairlineshistory.org/aircraft-boeing-707-320/
I'm working on a virtual airline centered around Northwest Airlines that will feature classic and modern aircraft from their fleet, with a historically accurate route network sourced from real archived timetables. If that sounds interesting, I am looking for early test pilots and staff members to start testing and helping grow the airline, please feel free to leave a comment or apply directly here. The airline uses the FlightLinq software, which requires a free account: https://app.flightlinq.com/join/0edd9b9e
I have flown with all the AI ATC programs and they are definitely great, but nothing beats the real tempo and flexibility of working with real controllers. Everyone has been super professional, and getting a full handoff sequence from ground -> tower -> departure -> center or vice versa is incredibly fun and addictive (see attached picture haha).
It's also nice to be able to pick up routes based on staffing availability rather than throwing a dart at the map.
Been hooked on Northwest ops recently and the same old same old BATC was just getting tiring. I figured it was finally time to try VATSIM (despite having a 13 year old account!) Lucked out and got ground, tower, departure, and center control out of DTW in route to STL. Having done PilotEdge in the sim previously and real world experience, it was not my first time working with good live controllers, but definitely my first time in an airliner and most busy I have ever experienced. But I gotta say just about everything was on point, thanks much to the DTW and ZOB crew on tonight @ ~ 180300Z
That added some excitement while descending into my destination!
In the year 2026 it is easier than ever to get access to granular winds aloft data. Many ground courses still show you how to get winds aloft the "old" fashioned way (apologies to anyone here lol) and interpolate. But I know I can also go to aviationweather.gov and get wind barbs every few miles. For PPL, is it fine to just interpolate between your origin and destination? As you get the CPL I understand the ACS for XC flying become more rigorous, is it worth practicing those skills of getting and applying more granular winds aloft to your flight planning now to build better habits?
inb4 use just foreflight
While studying for my license I have been using the sim as a training tool for cross country practice. The sim is an amazing tool for this and much less so for learning seat of the pants flying skills. Live weather with winds aloft are very accurate. The visual fidelity of the sim allows for usage of VFR waypoints for pilotage and dead reckoning. Many addons are of high enough fidelity that the real POH or manual with the addon can be used for realistic GS and fuel burn planning (I especially recommend the JPLogistics 152 for this, but the Bonanza lets me stretch my legs further for more of a challenge dealing with changing weather). Flying over the sometimes featureless Midwest makes for a great challenge with using a mix of visual and radio aids. adding in SayIntentions for comms really rounds out the experience when combined with running the checklists. I have gripes with SI but until BATC VFR matures and proves to be realistic, SI is the best for me with its global coverage. PilotEdge.net is amazing too, but limited coverage.
If you have never tried flying VFR this way it is something you should absolutely try. Try not to cheat by using a moving map or GPS. This video is a great intro on how to fill out a navlog. You can start simple with just using skyvector.com and work up to doing it by hand as well. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ydvev6B7IaY
Took the great Black Square Bonanza on a nice cross country trip across the state of Minnesota - KMIC -> KSUW -> KINL -> KMIC to practice my VFR XC planning skills and get a little radio practice.
Debrief:
KMIC -> KSUW
Departure was uneventful, making sure to remain clear of the Class B and I chose to stay clear of KANE's class D. I did not judge the pattern entry well and was too tight and tried saving it, I should have gone around when I turned base to final and was well off.
KSUW -> KINL
Had to stay around 3,000 to stay clear of clouds while departing. I talked to KDLH tower to go through their Delta successfully. After getting out away from Lake Superior, I was able to climb up to 4,500' and remain well below a developing overcast layer above me. While planning, a convective SIGMET was to the west of my flight path, so I felt reasonably confident I could get into KINL. I had alternates of KEVM and KORB prepared, but I was well ahead of the storms and had no issue getting into KINL. I made a better pattern entry for the shorter runway at KINL with no major problem and parked at the transient parking area. However, I knew getting out would be more challenging with the storms progressing from west to easy to my south, covering my flight path back to KMIC.
KINL -> KMIC
Once I landed I checked the weather again. The convective SIGMENT was over my flight path. I waited out the storms by going grocery shopping lol. The storms had rolled out, I double checked my flight plan, and away I went. I had to dodge one small rain shower but otherwise had an easy flight back to KMIC. I could not keep signal with the VOR's for the entire leg down south, so I used pilotage and dead reckoning and got some good practice computing the actual wind speeds and my ground speed. The sun had set by the time I was passing Mille Lacs, so I knew I would have a night landing going into KMIC. I was able to pick out the airport beacon and follow the highways to find KMIC successfully. I did my calls and got a left base for runway 14. However I was unable to get SayIntentions to get me a landing clearance, so I took it as a chance to practice going around and flying the pattern. I again struggled with the ATC despite verifying the tower was acknowledging me via a radio check. I also got a strange go around instruction to climb to 2,000 and enter a left base. Very weird and distracting. I ended up just flying the pattern and giving myself a landing clearance. Upon landing I taxied to the fuel pumps, shut down, and topped the tanks up. I was not able to start the hot engine right away because I suspect it had vapor locked. I ran the hot engine start procedure and was able to successfully start up and taxi back to the hangar!
Remarks -
BkSq Bonanza is absolutely amazing. Flies by the numbers in the manual which makes planning and successfully executing an XC very rewarding. I was also "rewarded" by needing to run the hot start checklist after fueling up and being unable to start normally. Kudos to BkSq.
There are really great freeware sceneries for Minnesota GA airports (and even MSP) by great creators on flightsim.to, connormar, MNSceneryDesign, and SpidermanMN. I can't recommend supporting them enough.
I was an early adopter of SayIntentions back in early 2024. While it has come a long way in that time, it is also frustrating to encounter so many of the same issues I've felt before. Ping ponging frequencies back and forth between centers, poor readback understanding, questionable terminology at times, and so forth. The new traffic feature does help the frequencies feel busier, but the GA traffic does some absolutely crazy stuff and is very unpredictable.
I am interested in this jet for many reasons, curious how it has been updated and if it continues to be in your rotation or has become a hangar queen?
The only way I was able to comfortably sleep at night and not feel completely cocooned was to use a hiking pole to spread the hammock apart.
I will try spreading the bugnet better next time, but any other advice?
OP is in US
I am planning to, roughly, do PPL -> CPL out of pocket part 61 at a flying club while keeping my day job, and then find * some way * to get to 1,500 and beyond. I am very fortunate to have a pretty steady and well paying desk job, so the idea of giving up the stability for the CFI and or hour building grind is challenging when talking to my wife, but they are open if I can have some type of plan. that said, I know it's challenging to have a concrete plan in the part 61 world. I have read countless stories here of moving where there is work and need some anecdotes to share on what possible pathways there are, good and bad. I know it's impossible to say how exactly you might get to that first "stable" airline job.
Can you please share rough timelines year by year of how you got from 0 to "hero"? I know the market changes and fluctuates significantly, so I am trying to gather anecdotes beyond the 0 - > 250 CFI -> 1500 ATP -> regional picture. Did you move several times? Did you keep working a job while building hours? Did you get stuck in purgatory, or did you get hired right at 1500. again, I understand the market changes, so looking for the good bad and ugly.
E.g
US/Canada/EU based
PPL 2000
CPL CFI 2002 - FI at local field
Pipeline 2003 - moved to Odessa to live with desert oil people, ate saltines and lived off SNAP
Freight dog 2004 - moved to SoCal, worked 7 on 5 off
Regional 2007 - moved in base, reserve, fo, captain
Legacy 2013 - commuting fo
To get in front of other common comments....
Yes, I hold a first class medical and have done a handful of lessons - I do want to do this, intelligently though
Yes I know debt is sin and there is no guaranteed job waiting for you at 250 hours nor 1500
Yes I know there is not a "pilot shortage* and I'm not going to work 7 days a month and make $500k in 5 years time
Yes, I know the regionals are not glamorous, and even the legacies have challenges
I've got a heavy, funky hybrid bike with a front fork suspension, wacky 21 speed that's missing gears. It's been a great way to get on the trails and ride but I feel it is holding me back from doing more
I found a used Las Cruces for $500, but I am concerned it is going to be too much bike for a beginner. I see it is marketed as cyclocross so I expect it to be more squirrelly. Would you recommend one for someone looking for their first "real" bike to ride some roads and gravel?
Bedrooms,kitchen, office are all upstairs. Family room, and most critically, cat food and litter are downstairs. We have a door to the downstairs that has one of those cat latches that leaves a few inches open so the cat can come and go, but the dogs cannot.
This seems to lead to all the cold air looking at the bottom of the house, leaving the top hot and I comfortable, and the AC can't effectively cool the top of the house where the thermostat is.
We can't just shut the door and prevent the cat from coming and going upstairs. What other options do I have to get the top of the house a more reasonable temperature?
For reasons I'd prefer to not get into, I am looking for:
Thank you very much
Talk me out of it
Car is listed for $6500, working on getting the VIN and Carfax report.
2nd owner purchased from a dealer after refurb. Salvage title because "windows were left down during rain in Houston" circa 2019 or 2020. Has claimed no electrical issues in 6 years of buying.
My concern is the "rain" was really a hurricane or tropical storm and it was more like flooding.
I don't NEED a car, so I'm trying not to spend a ton. The problem is I live up north where roads are salted, is it's hard to find cars in my price range that aren't rusted out. Does the fact that gremlins haven't appeared in 6 years bode well for the repairs? I know it's definitely a gamble with any type of salvage title, maybe there is flexibility in the price
