Date: 03/19/01
Flight: 999 - 6
Plane: DC3
Time: 5.8 (34.2 to date)
Pilot: BGA030
Remarks:
Nice - Rome (Fiumicino Airport)
Off at 0800 - 0700GMT, climbing to our assigned altitude of 5500" with a heading of 117 deg. for Romes, Fiumicino Airport.
This flight will all over water for 247 miles. Italy here we come! We will be passing Corsica (Napoleon ring a bell?) on our right. Next to come along is Elbe off to the left. How did you do in history? What happened there?
Fiumicino Airport Data:
Elevation 14' NDB 345
RWY 16R 12795' 110.3 Head 162
RWY 34L 12795' 108.9 Head 342
RWY 25 10810' 109.7 Head 250
RWY 16L 12795 108.1 Head 162
This is the shortest flight on the trip so far. Only 57 miles to go, we have been given Rwy 16R for our runway.
This has been a very nostalgic trip so far in that I have been to each of the airfields in Real World, some quite a few times. Lots of memories both good and bad.
Descending to our approach altitude of 2000', turning base and now final have the ILS. Ciao Italia!
Rome - Athens
Off at 1030 - 0930 GMT, climbing to 5500' and course of 110 deg.
We will be heading in a southeast direction diagonally across Italy exiting at the heel of the boot. Most of the bloody battles in Italy during WWII happened in this part of Italy. In fact we crossed the Rapido River 3 times before we finally held. The mountains ahead were a very critical obstacle in our way ( from the other direction of course.) Sorrento is ahead. Most of the villages below will be small and you probably never heard of them. As we get closer to the heel we will be traveling over the poorest part od Italy, little of any industry, mostly small farms and fishing.
Once we cross Italy we will be crossing the Ionian Sea heading to the west coast of Greece near Batra. WE fly across Greece then to Athens. We will be again flying over mountains requiring us to climb again. Athens is one of my non-favorite cities. I have landed here about three times and never have I arrived when restaurant was open and left in the morning before they opened. But I had learned in my early days to be prepared for this, so I always carry a tin of Walkers Shortbread cookies with me. This has more than once kept me from going hungry. I continue this to this day.
SE corner of Italy ahead can Greece be not far off? That airport off to the left is Palese Mac Chie. AS we pass the Italian coast that is Albania off to the left. You can see that our AF have a relatively short distance to fly to Kosovo.
Athens Air[ort data:
Elevation 68' NDB 357
RWY 33R 11483 ILS 110.3 Head 333.
The mountains of Greece are straight ahead all the way to Athens. That is Preveza ahead and slightly further is Aginion. Have to climb to 7500' to clear the mountains.
Ah! we are over the lake so we can descend back to 5500'.
When we are
10 DME turn to 150 deg on our downwind leg and start down to 2000'. Turn
to our base leg of 60 deg, intercept our final and ILS.
Flight 999 Route
(flight overview)