Aerial view of the Rothera research station in Antarctica.
For this flight, you will need the Antarctica X flight simulation software made by Aerosoft.
The maintenance of BAS Twin Otters and their Dash-7 is done in Calgary, Canada, and head to Antarctica during the austral summer, between October and March. So if you want to try a flight simulation with a Twin Otter or a Dash-7 from Chile to Antarctica, pick one of those months as it is more realistic.
Since it would be a bit long to make all the virtual flights from Canada to Antarctica, I chose to do the last three legs to see what the landscape looks like.
A Twin Otter is normally approved for a maximum take-off weight of 12,500 pounds. But with skis weighing 800 pounds and additional fuel required to fly longer legs, BAS (British Antarctic Survey) has arranged to have their Twin Otters approved at 14,000 pounds. Even at this weight, the aircraft could still operate on one engine.
First, the aircraft departs La Florida airport (SCSE) in Chile, after a mandatory fuel stop before its next destination, the El Tepual de Puerto Montt airport (SCTE), also in Chile.
Airborne from La Florida, Chile, after refueling.
This virtual flight with the Twin Otter last about 4:25 hours (696 nm) with a heading of 185 degrees.
In flight towards El Tepual de Puerto Montt, Chile.
For the screen captures, FTX Global, FTX Vector and Pilot’s FS Global 2010 were installed. Orbx has also reworked the original El Tepual de Puerto Montt airport to include some people, aircrafts and new buildings. It makes for a more interesting destination.
Twin Otter on final approach for El Tepual de Puerto Montt, Chile.
Ready for refueling at the El Tepual de Puerto Montt, Chile.
The next flight is from the El Tepual de Puerto Montt airport (SCTE) to Punta Arenas (SCCI), both in Chile.
Twin Otter aircraft airborne and heading to Punta Arenas, Chile.
This flight, made low across the Andes, absolutely requires good weather. You will have to climb to 17,000 feet to make the direct route between the airports.
Twin Otter over the Andes climbing for17,000 feet
There are often spectacular views available to the virtual pilot. Yes, the BAS Twin Otter is flown by only one pilot, but there is always somebody else accompanying him.
Don’t forget to lean the mixture during the climb. Also use some additional oxygen (!!) if you don’t want to start singing and flying in circles after a while. Again, pay attention to the mixture during the descent, considering that you will be losing close to 17,000 feet.
Refueling at Punta Arenas, Chile.
The Punta Arenas airport, straight from FSX, is not an interesting airport to look at. It is a very bare airport, with just a single building and a VOR.
But since the BAS pilot do that mandatory leg just before heading to Antarctica, I chose not to change the route. The general direction for the flight to Punta Arenas was 164 degrees and the duration approximately 4:28 hours. You can obviously accelerate the process once the aircraft is established at its flying altitude.
The last flight is from Punta Arenas, Chile, to Rothera, Antarctica.
Twin Otter aircraft heading for the Rothera airport in Antarctica.
The Twin Otter will take between six and seven hours on an average heading of 162 degrees to cover the distance between Punta Arenas (SCCI) and Rothera (EGAR).
Over the snowy mountains of Chile towards Rothera, Antarctica
Carrying extra fuel on the flight towards Rothera, Antarctica.
The runway at Rothera is made of gravel and is 2953 feet long. That is plenty for the Twin Otter and the DASH-7. Before you make the flight, go into the aerosoft/Antarctica X file in your flight simulator and click on the “LOD 8.5” option (the default is at LOD 4.5). It will give you much better details when you are approaching Antarctica.
The antarctic Rothera research station is in sight
Twin Otter aircraft on final at Rothera, Antarctica.
The Airliner World magazine had an excellent article on the BAS operations in Antarctica in its March 2017 edition. It included plenty of interesting pictures and detailed explanations on what is expected from pilots and personnel working for BAS. I compared the Rothera virtual airport with the real one through the available pictures in Airliner World and was pleasantly surprised with the level of accuracy of the details.
A British Antarctic Survey Twin Otter aircraft is landing on the Rothera runway, Antarctica
The BAS always prepares itself for the worst: “[It] carries parts valued at around $5m, including a replacement engine for each aircraft, spare props and undercarriage components”.
Twin Otter aircraft after a landing on the Rothera runway, Antarctica
“A new development for the Air Unit has been its work with the RAF, using C-130 Hercules transports to airdrop supplies into the field. They fly from Punta Arenas and drop fuel to support our science programmes on the Ronne Ice Shelf. […] It is all part of their training system and the accuracy they drop to is very impressive. They might drop 250 drums, think how many Twin Otter trips that would have been for us (48 or more than 400 flying hours)”.
The main hangar in Rothera, Antarctica.
Aerosoft has made an excellent job in replicating the buildings in Rothera, BAS’s main research station in Antarctica. The biggest hangar can accommodate three Twin Otters and a Dash-7 altogether.
Inside the main hangar at the Rothera research station, Antarctica.
When your flight is over, do not forget to change the settings back to LOD 4.5 for Antarctica in your aerosoft/Antarctica X files.
A virtual DHC-6 Twin Otter enroute for Kokoda after a fire on the right engine while departing Yongai (KGH) in Papua New Guinea PNG (FSX)
Ken Hall and Tim Harris have created a new virtual scenery for flight simulation enthousiasts. It is called “Tapini” and sold by ORBX. Their penultimate creation, AYPY Jackson’s International, allowed the virtual pilot to fly in very demanding virtual airports along the Kokoda Trail in Papua New Guinea. “Tapini” represents a whole new challenge and I have included several screen captures to show you how the different runways look in this new virtual scenery.
“Tapini”, still in Papua New Guinea, allows the virtual pilot to test his skills on seven new runways located in difficult areas of the Owen Stanley Range. Those airports also constitute a serious test for any aircraft, like in the picture above where damages to the right engine were sustained at Yongai.
A virtual Piper Pacer virtuel is about to land on the Ononge (ONB) curved runway in Papua New Guinea PNG (FSX). (It is possible to see the curve starting on the top of the image)
To improve the virtual clouds while flying between the different airports, I used either REX or FSGRW weather engines. The cloud textures and weather effects were improved by one or many of the following products: Cumulus X, PrecipitFX, REX Texture Direct and REX Soft Clouds.
A virtual Dash 7 has just landed in Woitape (WTP) in Papua New Guinea PNG (FSX)
As variety is more fun, and also due to the different challenges created by those runways, the following virtual aircrafts were used: Carenado C-185F, Lionheart Creations PA-18, Virtavia DHC-4, Aerosoft DHC-6 Twin Otter and Milton Shupe DHC-7.
The “Tapini” scenery gives the pilot a choice between the seven following runways:
ASB (Asimba)
A tricky, very short runway near a river.
A DHC-4 Caribou virtual aircraft is on approach for Asimba’s sloped runway (ASB) in Papua New Guinea PNG (FSX)
This is a very interesting runway, best done with a STOL aircraft like the Caribou DHC-4. The inhabitants might have to help you clear out some branches along the runway, considering the size of the aircraft. The runway slopes down on take-off, which helps to build up speed.
A DHC-4 Caribou virtual aircraft is on a stopover at Asimba (ASB) in Papua New Guinea PNG (FSX)
A DHC-4 Caribou virtual aircraft is airborne from Asimba (ASB) in Papua New Guinea PNG (FSX)
FNE (Fane)
A one-way, really challenging 12 degree sloped runway, with unpredictable winds.
A De Havilland DHC-7 virtual aircraft on final for the Fane (FNE) airport’s sloped runway in Papua New Guinea PNG (FSX)
The runway sits on top of a hill. It is an amazing experience to land there. No wonder there are a lot of people watching the arrivals and departures.
If you slow down too quickly with an aircraft as big as the DHC-7 on that sloped runway, the twelve degree angle prevents you from moving forward. You must let the aircraft come down the runway very slowly, using the power to control the descent and the rudder to stay aligned on the runway, then apply take-off power for a few seconds to build just enough momentum to get above the hill.
A De Havilland DHC-7 virtual aircraft just finished taxiing uphill on the Fane (FNE) airport’s sloped runway in Papua New Guinea PNG (FSX)
To turn the aircraft around, it’s a combination of power and reverse thrust until you clear all the obstacles (any humans venturing behind the aircraft will also be cleared during the operation…).
A De Havilland DHC-7 virtual aircraft is airborne from the Fane (FNE) airport’s sloped runway in Papua New Guinea PNG (FSX)
There is a not so friendly man with a rifle watching the airport’s operations. Even the United Nations staff do not stay longer than necessary…
KGH (Yongai)
A very bumpy one-way sloped runway. A real bush aircraft is needed here!
A virtual DHC-6 Twin Otter on approach for the Yongai (KGH) bumpy runway in Papua New Guinea PNG (FSX)
Even with a real bush aircraft, there is a possibility that one of the aircraft’s propellers hits the ground while taxiing on the runway. There are so many deep holes that are hard to see, I can only wish the best of lucks to everyone trying out this airport!
A virtual DHC-6 Twin Otter on the Yongai (KGH) bumpy runway in Papua New Guinea PNG (FSX)
Keep a close watch on the area near the little house at the end of the runway. The DHC-6 was really shaken while turning around for take-off. One of the propellers hit the ground but no problems were detected…until the aircraft was airborne. The fire alarm then went off, just as the aircraft was passing the runway threshold, seconds before flying over a cliff.
A virtual DHC-6 Twin Otter with its right engine on fire is just airborne from the Yongai (KGH) bumpy runway in Papua New Guinea PNG (FSX)
So much for the planned trip… and it was out of the question to return to Yongai on one engine. I had to pull the handle to stop the fire, feather the prop, cut the fuel where it was not needed anymore then head to the Kokoda airport as it was a sure alternative, having a long runway and an elevation that did not require the use of extra power.
KSP (Kosipe)
A relatively short runway that requires good calculations from the pilot, since it is located high in the mountains.
A virtual Cessna C-185F is enroute to the Kosipe (KSP) airport in Papua New Guinea PNG (FSX)
The Cessna C-185F is a very well suited aircraft for that runway. Make sure not to be too heavy on the brakes, as new C-185 propellers are hard to find in Kosipe. You can land in both directions. Ensure that the mixture is set properly as the airport is above 6300 feet.
A virtual Cessna C-185F is rolling after touching down on the Kosipe (KSP) runway in Papua New Guinea PNG (FSX)
A virtual Cessna C-185F is airborne from the Kosipe (KSP) runway in Papua New Guinea PNG (FSX)
ONB (Ononge)
A curved and very bumpy runway! For those who like low flying. Make sure you choose the good aircraft here; there is not much manoeuvering area once on the ground.
A Virtual Piper Pacer on approach for the Ononge (ONB) curved runway in Papua New Guinea PNG (FSX)
Ononge looks really scary when you show up on final for the first time. You wonder if the little trail that you see can really be a runway. For that kind of situation, the little Piper Pacer is an excellent aircraft, approaching slowly and braking on a dime. The runway is curved in the middle so you will need a bit of right rudder to keep the aircraft aligned with the runway.
A Virtual Piper Pacer on the Ononge curved runway in Papua New Guinea PNG (FSX)
I guess all those people with their cargo are waiting for a bigger airplane than mine…
A Virtual Piper Pacer is airborne from the Ononge curved runway in Papua New Guinea PNG (FSX)
TAP (Tapini)
A challenging one-way sloped runway nestled in a tight valley. You can even use an ILS to arrive there!
A virtual DHC-4 Caribou on short final for the Tapini (TAP) sloped runway in Papua New Guinea PNG (FSX)
This is a superbly designed area and airport. I visited it with the DHC-4 Caribou but any other big STOL aircraft would have fitted there. There is enough room to manoeuver. It is not too bumpy. There is an interesting slope: it starts downward and ends upward: this helps to slow down the aircraft after landing.
A virtual DHC-4 Caribou on the ground at the Tapini (TAP) airport in Papua New Guinea PNG (FSX)
A virtual DHC-4 Caribou is airborne from the Tapini (TAP) airport in Papua New Guinea PNG (FSX)
WTP (Woitape)
Looks like a no brainer, but there is no margin of error on this one-way slightly sloped runway. Very precise calculations and settings are required if you want to land there with something else than a small aircraft.
A virtual De Havilland DHC-7 on final approach for the Woitape airport (WTP) virtual airport in Papua New Guinea (FSX)
I found the runway to be very slippery with the De Havilland DHC-7. I must say that there was a good crosswind, as I was flying with real life weather and winds. The DHC-7 behaves like a big boat while decelerating on such a runway.
A virtual De Havilland DHC-7 on the ground with two Twin Otters at the Woitape airport (WTP) in Papua New Guinea (FSX)
The Woitape scenery is gorgeous. It is nice to have all those well designed virtual aircrafts, people and animals on site as this makes the scenery so much more realistic.
A De Havilland Virtual DHC-7 is airborne from the Woitape airport (WTP) in Papua New Guinea (FSX)
I love this new Orbx product. When you fly in such a realistic scenery, the brain does not make much difference between what is real and what is virtual. It really works! And if you use real life weather downloaded from the internet, it’s even better.
I tried the seven airports included in the “Tapini” virtual scenery and they are quite demanding. Yongai was the most challenging airport of them all. I had to do two missed approaches there since I ended up too high on the approach. I eventually got it right, like in real life!
I used the Microsoft flight simulator X (FSX) for all the virtual flights, but other platforms would have worked as well (Dovetail Games FSX Steam edition (FSX: SE) and all versions of P3D). The following products were also installed on my flight simulator: FTX Global, FTX Global Vector and Holgermesh, as well as Pilot’s FS Global 2010.
It is a totally immersive virtual experience and you have to forget everything else when undertaking those challenging virtual flights… if you want to make it “virtually” alive!
For more articles on flight simulation on my web site, click on the following link : Flight simulation
Flying over Toronto downtown shortly before the landing in Toronto Island (CYTZ)
I recently added, in the standard virtual flight section, a flight leaving Parry Sound for Toronto Billy Bishop.Here is an opportunity to learn a bit more about the Great Lakes region in Ontario. The Parry Sound airport, from ORBX, is a first creation by Vlad Maly for this province. The runway length is 4000 feet. Just beside the airport, there is a lake, Robert’s Lake (CRL8), with many cottages, floatplanes and sailboats that are visible when you select the appropriate season. The lake also offers 4000 feet for takeoffs and landings.
The actual flight has been made while the clouds were low enough that the flying altitude forbid the adequate reception of the Toronto Island (Billy Bishop) NDB (257khz) in the first half of the flight. A touch-and-go was made at Toronto International (CYYZ). MyTraffic2013 provided the airport with many AI aircrafts. Once over downtown Toronto, it was now time for Pilot’s FS Global 2010 to automatically install a maximum of buildings, for more realism.
On final for the Toronto Billy Bishop (Toronto Island) airport (CYTZ)
Landing at CYTZ with the CN tower in the background (FSX)
Finally, theToronto Billy Bishop (formerly Toronto Island) was modified by ORBX in order to make it more interesting and alive. You will thus find, on arrival, some staff to take care of the refueling process. Somes vehicules have also been added. Naturally, MyTraffic2013 took charge of AI aircrafts as CYTZ is quite a busy airport and needs some air traffic to enhance the realism.
Time to refuel at Toronto Billy Bishop (CYTZ)
I wish you a good flight, if you wish to try it out. I would suggest though, for a more interesting experience, that you install ORBX FTX Global Vector on your computer, as the Microsoft Flight Simulator (FSX)software does not do a good job when it comes to representing the Great Lakes area. ORBX Open LC for North America further improves the flying experience.
For more articles on flight simulation on my web site, click on the following link : Flight simulation
