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.....

Rapid Rewards

Rapid Rewards for doing two SWA legs!

This is a flight I did as a passenger in the real world last spring. We are flying the exact same route today as we did in the spring to boot. SWA3167 is a continuation flight from KLAX (Los Angeles) to KLAS (Las Vegas), after originating in KSFO (San Fran).

Just after push back KLAX

Weather at KLAX was wind 260/07kts with clouds still 25'000 broken and a warmer +17C. The runway in use was 24L using the OSHNN3 departure to the DAG VOR.

24L at KLAX

You get a great view of L.A. after you turn left over the Pacific ocean and start to head north east towards Vegas. A little less hazy in the sim today than it was when I flew to Vegas last spring.

Los Angeles below

It was another short hop, only getting up to FL290 before having to start back down again. Weather at KLAS was wind 210/08kts and clouds 25'000 few. A chilly +10C (chilly for Vegas). Using the KEPEC2 arrival on to runway 25L. It brings you down wind of 25L with a great view of the Vegas strip off the left wing.

Down wind with the strip below

You then turn base over Lake Mead and the Hoover Dam for final onto runway 25L and another great view of the McCullough Hills. In real life we were vectored to our base leg much sooner as we did not fly over Lake Mead.

Lake Mead and the Hoover Dam

McCullough Hills Sim (Mega Scenery VegasX)

McCullough Hills Real (I shot this last spring)





The landing was only so so at best as I floated it down the runway with little flare. Not my best but certainly not my worse. Click HERE for a 1080P video of the landing...

Short final 25L KLAS

One hour eleven minutes gate to gate.

You can see my post for the first leg of this flight by clicking HERE

And check out my pictures from Vegas (including some of the Hoover Dam) by clicking below.

Free Bags Fly Here

I have had a love hate with FSX since it was released, more on the hate side. But visually FSX really shines. And with photo real scenery it is a treat to the eyes to say the least. Now with the addition of the PMDG NGX it made things even better. My love for FSX was getting a little more even with the hate but FSX was still such an unstable and finicky platform.

At the gate KSFO

I was getting many g3d.dll errors (as were many other FSX users) and it made flying FSX not much fun. In steps Peter Dowson, he fixed the g3d.dll errors with his FSUIPC.dll software (free to boot). With that fix in hand I decided to mimic some South West Airlines flights in the NGX to one of my favorite places on this earth, California.


Leg one is SWA3167 KSFO (San Francisco) to KLAX (Los Angeles). KSFO weather was wind 010/03kts with clouds 22'000 few and +11C. Using the PORTE3 departure off 28L we flew to the AVE VOR. I gate off a bit late from the gate but figured I could make the lost time up while in the air.

On to the active...

I am using Mega Scenery Earth California and Mega Scenery Southern CaliforniaX for photo scenery. Man did it knock my socks off, from the second I rotated off 28L at KSFO. I had to pinch myself as the combination of the NGX and the photo scenery was totally immersive. The most realistic flight sim session I have had to date! It blew me away.....

Departing KSFO

It was only a short flight down the coast while enjoying the views, smooth air and clear weather. I was at TOD and got the latest weather from KLAX, it was wind 070/03kts and clouds 25'000 few with +13C. Calling for a SADDE6 arrival onto runway 06L.

Short final 06L KLAX

I actually made a nice landing for a change and managed not to bend the jet. I was in awe all the way down the coast at the great visuals MSE provided. One hour and ten minutes block time....

At the gate in T1, KLAX

For the record, I was flying the "Free Bags Fly Here" livery. I seen the real livery while at KLAX last spring....

I shot the real deal at KLAX...

For leg two click HERE