MSFS 2020 - Last RTW Trip

[blanston12]

Hi Friends, I am trying to do one last RTW adventure in FS2020 before the next sim comes out. Unlike other trips I have done, I am trying to keep this as realistic as possible. The aircraft needs to be something I could plausibly buy and the route should avoid any countries I could not plausibly enter, meaning I need to stay out of any countries the US State department has given a level 4/Do Not Travel status to, which means avoiding Russia at all cost. But to make it more interesting I am going to try to visit a capitol city on each continent.

For aircraft i need something I could plausibly buy (less than the average house price in the SF bay area) and yet still has the range to make the longest overwater stretch, which would be from Japan to Alaska, preferably twin engine. I am using a Beech Baron 58P, which is part of the Black Square Baron Steam Gauge Overhaul, I have seen examples for sale listed for 550k USD.

After working out the route its going to be a distance of 33,754 nm with 63 stops in 32 countries, travelling through United States, Mexico, El Salvador, Panama, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Brazil, Guyana, Barbados, Sint Maarten, Cuba, United States, Canada, Greenland, Iceland, United Kingdom, France, Austria, Greece, Egypt, Jordan, Bahrain, Oman, India, Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia, Australia, Papua New Guinea, Indonesia, Philippines, Taiwan, Japan, United States.

So far I have made it to Cusco Peru, which is the furthest south I will go as part of the South American leg of the trip. Here are a few pics.


Departing Oakland.


Departing Cabo san Lucas, Mexico


Over Mexico


Near San Salvador


Hopefully you can see my co-pilot


Panama City


Over Columbia somewhere


Approaching Machala Ecuador


On approach, Cusco Peru.

I was a little disappointed that MSFS did not have any scenery for Machu Picchu as its one of the most famous points of interest in South America.

I won't bombard you all with as many stories as when I did the story of the 1924 route, maybe each major milestone. Doing a different AC every leg made each flight more interesting as I got to describe each aircraft and the problems I had when using less capable aircraft. The 58P baron is a pretty capable aircraft and should make each leg less dramatic, which if you were doing it realistically would probably what you would want.

[TSR2]

Looking forward to this Joe, i must admit i've done virtually no flying in south america so i might try and get some time in too.

[blanston12]

Here are a few more pics. From Peru I went east over the amazon and up to Georgetown Guyana (formerly British Guyana) and then into the Caribbean, avoiding Venezuela as its on the do not travel list.


Not much to look at over the amazon except the rivers.


The airports are sometimes hard to spot.


North into Guyana


Georgetown


Good by South America


Why is there a forklift on the taxiway, and why won't it move.


Saint Martin


This place looks nice.


This seems like a good place to rest for a bit. So far 7177 nm, about 21% of planned distance.

[blanston12]

Just a few picts from the most recent segment. Departed Saint Martin and headed for Cuba. I ended up flight right over Haiti, which I remembered as I was doing was a country I was not supposed to travel through, fortunately Haitian gangs don't have an anti aircraft capability so I was probably fine. Quick stop in Santiago De Cuba for lunch and a rest and then off to Ft Lauderdale, Florida. The trip up the easter United States and into Canada was uneventful, From Ft Lauderdale it was Hilton Head South Carolina, Washington DC, Bangor Maine and finally Goose Bay Newfoundland. Only real excitement was when I departed Hilton Head South Carolina the turbulence was so bad I had to abort the flight, other than that, cloudy and no mountains to steer around. Hopefully the next segment will be more interesting, that will be Greenland, Iceland and then Scotland.


Departing Saint Martin


Flying out of Cuba


Coming into Miami/Ft Lauderdale


Leaving Ft Lauderdale


Hilton Head


Probably over New York


Coming into Bangor Maine


Final approach, Goose Bay.

[blanston12]

Time to cross the Atlantic, starting at Goose Bay, Narsarsuaq, Reykjavík. Next day off to Wick and finally Biggin Hill london.


Heading out from Goose Bay.


Comming into Narsarsuaq Greenland.


Navigating up the fjords.


Climbing out of Narsarsuaq after a 30 minute break.


Heading down the Fjord to get enough altitude to head over the ice field.


Departing a cloudy Reykjavík at dawn.


On approach Wick, Scotland, best weather of this leg.


Coming in over London.


Arrival at Biggin Hill.

[blanston12]

I made it to Egypt yesterday, leaving Biggin Hill with stops at Le Bourget Paris, Vienna, Athens, Iraklion on Crete and finally HEOC in a town curiously named '6th of October' near Cairo, completing the European leg of this trip. Bit surprised none of my friends from the local flying club stopped by to say hello during my stay in London. Not sure if I will depart Egypt today or tomorrow but will try to do some flyby's of the pyramids and other sites before heading into Jordan and then towards India. So far total distance of 14,717 nm with 29 stops.


Departing Biggin Hill


Heading toward the English Channel.


Crossing into France.


Over Paris


Over Greece.


A little site seeing in Athens.


The coast of Egypt.

[blanston12]

Arrived in Phuket Thailand after travelling through Aqaba Jordan, Bahrain, Muscat, Ahmedabad (India), Nagpur, Bhubaneswar and Port Blair in the Andaman islands. Hit really bad turbulence going into and leaving Aqaba Jordan causing a pretty hard landing when I landed there. I was disappointed going through India as I was hoping to see some sights but it every city I visited was blanketed in fog/haze/smog making it difficult to see anything while around them was clear, even Port Blair was fogged in. Next turn south towards Singapore and Australia, I am debating if I should take an excursion to New Zealand. Past the half way point, 18,834 nm with 37 stops. Here are some pics.


Found the Pyramids in the Haze.


Crossing the red sea.


In the Gulf.


Every Indian city I visited.


Leaving the Andaman islands, head still attached.


On Approach Phuket, finally no fog.


Must be a bug in the scenery, their taxi way seems a little overgrown.

Thanks for watching, comments welcome.

[blanston12]

The journey continues. After Phuket, made a quick stop in Singapore and then a rest in Bali, my pilot got a weeks rest on the beach as I personally was travelling visiting relatives. Then off to Australia. First Broome followed by Ayers Rock, Adelaide, Sydney, Gold Coast and finally Cairns. Only real drama was coming into Cairns as the airport was fogged in and did not have ILS for the runway, so finding my way in was, interesting. Here are a few postcards.


Arriving in Broome


Ayers Rock airport with the rock itself off to the right.


Sydney Harbor


Down down Sydney with the Opera house just behind the aircraft.

Given the lack of comments on this I will try to not spam you all so much, but next off toward the Philippines and Japan. So far 24,110 nm with 45 stops. About 72% the way around. I did decide to skip New Zealand this trip, just too far out of the way.

[Brian Franklin]

That's certainly an odyssey Joe an impressive way to curtail your MSFS2020 (I didn't say end). Looking forward the the rest

[blanston12]

I made it to Nakashibetsu in Northern Japan after stopping through Port Moresby Papua New Guinea, Nabire Indonesia, Davao and Angeles City (near Manila) in the Philippines, Kagoshima and Tokyo Japan. Biggest drama was the flight from Port Moresby to Nabire Indonesia when for reasons unknown the NAV mode on the autopilot kept turning itself off and the aircraft kept drifting off to the right, then when I finally got to Nabire turns out the runway did not have lights, which made landing, interesting. I have started skipping some stops to try to get home sooner (so no stop in Taiwan). Next leg is the big one to Adak Alaska, which is about 1600 nm, by far the longest leg of the journey. But I am travelling tomorrow so my virtual pilot may be hanging out in Japan for a week, but after that its the big flight. If you don't hear from me in a couple weeks we are probably drifting some where in the northern pacific or languishing in a Russian Jail. So far 59 stops and 28,968 nm, about 86% of the planned trip.

Here are a few postcards.


My flight path from Port Moresby to Nabire Indonesia.


Departing Davao, Philippines


Mount Fuji, Japan


Flying over Tokyo


Flying over Tokyo