The Outback

I can't get enough of the PMDG NGX. So I figured with the recent release of Alice Springs airport by ORBX it was only fitting that I take the NGX on a trip to the outback.

QFA796 is a morning flight in the 800 by Qantas Airlines, YMML (Melbourne) to YBAS (Alice Springs). YBAS is located in one of the most desolated areas of the world, the outback of Australia. And in typical ORBX fashion they out did themselves with their rendition of it. Combined with the Australia Region DVD I picked up a couple years back it creates some great immersion (that DVD was what got me to start trying FSX).

Pushing Back at YMML

YMML weather was great this morning. Wind 178/14kts with clouds 3'000 few and a warm +20C. Using the KEPPA7 departure off runway 16 I had some great views of a company 747-400 heading to KLAX who was slotted just ahead of me (I recently ported over my FS9 WOAI traffic).

Holding short runway 16

The departure was smooth as silk and took us north west as soon as we pulled the gear in. The two and one half hour ride up to the outback was supposed to be smooth, only some chop forecast as we cross the frontal boundary over the middle of Australia.

Departing YMML on KEPPA7

Not much in terms of sight seeing on the way "out back". As we trekked further north, each mile that passed us seen the landscape below became less and less interesting. It looked like Mars below us with nothing but red sand, dotted by endorheic basins below (saline rift lakes like the Dead Sea). The largest rift we flew over being Lake Eyre. Not only is FS immersing, FS also gives you a great geography lesson, flying in areas you would never investigate otherwise (yes, I had to look it up, I am not that clever on my own folks). Educational and fun....

Lake Eyre below

Arrival weather for YBAS was calling for wind 300/12kts and no clouds. The temperature was a blistering +35C!! I suppose this is why the area looks completely scorched with weather like that. For some reason though active sky had the weather wrong on my arrival setting up a crosswind and only +18C. No arrival is needed at YBAS so I flew the runway 30 VOR approach but instead of passing over the AS VOR I vectored myself in (as they would do in real life I am sure). Auto brake 2 and flaps 30 with a VREF of 144kts for the runway that is just shy of 8'000ft long.

Short final runway 30 YBAS

The landing was not bad even though I floated it a bit, the NGX is really tough to master that last 50 feet. The approach views looked like I was landing on Mars with the red landscape and McDonnell Range hills that separate the town of just under 30'000 from the airfield. What a great back drop. I really flet like I have been there now.

Taxi to the ramp at YBAS

Flying to the outback was a great FS adventure, would be fun to try in a single engine plane too I bet (AOPA had a great story on this last month in their magazine).

As if I did not have enough options already, ORBX also just released their New Zealand South Island scenery. I already picked it up and plan on doing some flights over the Tasman Sea very soon. Then again, I have not flown the MD11 in a very long time either. The choices are endless but the time we have for simming is not.....