Bluegrass Airlines

March 2006

 

 

Vintage Fly-In Challenge

 

(This adventure is for use with Flight Simulator 9 (2004) © Microsoft.    Not for real world navigation.)

 

The challenge:   To fly a single engine vintage tail-dragger  from Carl Spatz Field KRDG in Reading PA (now known as Reading Regional) to Drake Field in Fayetteville Arkansas  KFYV.

 

Required stops along the way:  Grimes Field Airport 8n1 at Bethel PA,  Dayton Wright Brothers Airport KMGY  at Miamisburg Ohio, Lee Bottom Flying Field 64I in Hanover Indiana and Dauster Flying Field 1H0 in Creve Couer Missouri.

 

Additional stops for food, fuel and overnight accommodations at the pilots discretion.

 

The good folks at Mid Atlantic Air Museum will provide you with full tanks of fuel.   You will be required to purchase fuel along the way and to top off your tanks upon arrival at Fayetteville.

 

Your mission, if you accept, is to arrive at Drake Field with the lowest fuel cost divided by your aircrafts gross weight.   Fuel prices to be obtained from www.airnav.com/fuel  must be for 100LL and current (no more than 30 days old).

 

Along the way we will be visiting some fantastic Vintage Museums.

 

Mid Atlantic Air Museum   Reading, PA

 

Golden Age Air Museum   Bethel, PA

 

Wright B Flyer Museum  Miamisburg, OH

 

While the Dayton area, we can take a shuttle to visit the USAF museum.

 

United States Air Force Museum  Dayton , OH

 

Lee Bottom Flying Field    Hanover, IN      (Not a museum yet, but a very interesting place.)

 

Historic Aircraft Restoration Museum    Creve Couer, MO

 

Arkansas Air Museum       Fayetteville, AR

 

 

I hope you visit all of the web-sites above, and maybe you might visit one or more of these locations this summer in person.

 

 

The list above is just the tip of the iceberg.   Here are some links to help you find museums and flying events near you.    None of the lists are complete.  If you are looking for something in particular try using

www.google.com

 

flyins.com

 

landings.com

 

Aviation Museums of the World

 

 

I am using Golden Wings 3 along with Bill & Lynn Lyons Waco Classic Bi-plane.

 

Set you calendar for March 20th, 2006 and the snow will disappear.  It is Spring!   I’m flying with “Fair Skies” weather.

 

The first leg is only about 15 n.miles.   Take off from KRDG and turn north.   Turn to intercept the 296 deg radial to RAV VOR 114.60    Grimes Field is on that radial at 16.6 n.m from the DME.

 

Here are some screenshots from FS 9 to help you find the field.

 

 

Taking off from KRDG runway 11

 

 

 

Leaving Reading, intercepting RAV VOR 296 deg radial

 

 

12 miles to go, tracking 296 deg.

 

 

5 mi to go, runway visible at 3x zoom

 

 

 

Over water tank, creek to left, highway to right.  2mi final

 

 

1 Mile final  bearing to BZJ NDB 328.0 is 269 deg

 

The picture below is from Golden Wings 3

 

 

1 mile final, offset to avoid Bethel PA Water Tower

 

 

Here are some screen shots to help you find Lee Bottom Flying Field.

 

 

Lee Bottom Flying Field

Hanover, Indiana

 

 

Approaching Madison IN, descending from 4,500’

 

 

 

Over Madison, follow river south about 8 n. miles 

 

 

Low pass to chase away the deer and alert Rich & Ginger that they have company.

 

 

Turning crosswind

 

 

Downwind

 

 

Ready to turn base

 

 

Final RW 18

 

 

The picture below is from Golden Wings 3

 

 

Final RW 18.

 

 

 

 

The rest of the stops should be easy to find as they are mid-sized local airports with navaids on-site or close by.

 

 

 

 

Bluegrass pilots may report their flight time on the Flight Report page.

 

Everyone should file a report on the special forum topic  "Vintage Fly-In Challenge"

 

Your first report should include your aircrafts name and maximum gross weight.

 

Subsequent reports should include the airport codes for where you took off and where you landed, time in minutes, gallons of fuel purchased (if any), price per gallon, and any comments.

 

Use “Fair Skies” weather scenario.

 

You can fly it earlier or later, but the valid dates for the fuel price are Feb 19 thru March 20th.

 

Here is a schedule:

 

Depart KRDG     March 20th

 

Depart 8N1         March 21st

 

Depart KMGY     March 23rd

 

Depart 64I          March 23rd

 

Depart 1H0         March 25th               

 

You can fly them earlier or later, but the valid dates for the fuel prices are Feb 19th thru March 26th

 

I know that some of you will fly non-stop from 8N1 to KMGR, but I will make an intermediate overnight stop and arrive at KMGY on March 22nd.  Likewise I will arrive at 1H0 on March 24th.

 

The airports listed above are  required, but the route and location of intermediate stops are at the pilots discretion.  

 

It is not necessary to fill your tanks when you fuel.  You may choose to just get enough fuel to get you to the next stop (plus the required VFR safety margin) in order to keep your weight down and perhaps to take advantage of cheaper gas.  You are not reporting the amount of fuel used, just the amount purchased.  At the end of the rally you will be required to fill your tanks.    So, the total amount of fuel purchased will = the amount of fuel used.

 

Rules

 

Aircraft:   Single engine tail-dragger.  

Fuel:         100LL

Fuel is to be calculated from engine startup at parking to engine shutdown at parking.  

 

Time is to be reported using Ftime v3 or from beginning of takeoff roll to touchdown.

 

No twins.  No turboprops