westerly around the world attempt

[alan CXA651]

LEG 8. PASY/UHPP about 568NM direct , complete , actual 597NM done.
Weather very strong winds at PASY takeoff very scary , as aircraft was trying to stall due to strong crosswind element of about 75deg at 12g21 , during trip i carfully monitored the fuel usage for distance covered , with strong crosswinds enroute of 100knts from n to s , slowly deminishing in strength but changed to a 70/65knts headwind as i started to get about halfway , once i reached the point of no return , i had some res fuel to play with , so confident i could make it , i pushed on , at the detination , at shut down i still had 12 gallons of fuel , time enroute was 06:18 hrs , going by the fuel in the tanks i could have stayed airbourne , for approx another 1.2 hrs , with about 30/40min res fuel .
Also as i approached the coast of russia , i noticed i was heading for a restricted area , so had to do a bit of a diversion around it , this added time and distance , i could have done without , but thats flying for you.
Aircraft landed with no after flight faults recorded , aircraft refuelled ready for its next BIG BIG flight , it will be a long day in the office.
https://www.twitch.tv/cxa651/v/64497039
regards alan.

[alan CXA651]

LEG 9. UHPP/UHSS is going to be one hell of a test for the C172 , JUST OVER 723NM might be to much for it , if this fails , and i expect it to , then i will have to goto AVSIMRUS.COM and download UHSH airport scenery and try to install it , if instructions for install are in russian with no english version then i will be installing blind as it where.
regards alan.

[Piper_EEWL]

Man you are really making progress! I hope the next leg works out. With some tailwind it should be possible!

Happy flying

[zazaboeing]

Nice report Alan!!

I think you're gonna have some trouble with AVGAS up there, even with the Comanche range, this route would be really challenging. I would choose Anadyr then Magadan, and after Magadan, well, with the Comanche you would sweat to get to the very northern islands of Japan.

Good luck!

[alan CXA651]

Hi.
Today has not started to well at all,i have had 2 fatal FSX crashes,ASN giveing thunderstorms and windshear 10 nm nw of UHPP , i could not go direct , due to 2 restricted airspaces , so flt plan is UHPP UB BAPMA UHSS , first attempt got over mountains after take off got just past NDB UB , FSX 3rd fatal crash , started again only for windshear to cause aircraft to loose tomuch alt , and aircraft stuck the mountain , being pitch black outside i cannot see a thing, another attempt ASN corrupted the C172 reason i know its ASN , simple , to make every drop of fuel count i pre warmed the engine , shut it down to refuel , and prop contined to turn , turned ASN of prop stopped , yet another FSX shut down , to get everything set up yet again,my first attempt at this flight was started at 9am gmt time uk.
I am now attempting yet again on this flight and have just gone past NDB UB for the second time today , now my fingers/toes are crossed,rubbing rabbits foot , and holding a saint christopher , do you think i should say 3 hail marys for extra luck.
regards alan.
P.S. according to my VA FSACARS REPPORTING /VA tracker i have another 6:42hrs of flight time left.

[alan CXA651]

Hi.
Todays attempt failed , due to winds to high , and ASN corrupting the C172 and FSX causing fatal crashes of sim,will see if winds and luck are better tomorrow,ideal would be tailwinds,or crosswinds .
regards alan.

[Lewis - A2A]

Hey Alan I watched some of your attempts this morning as I was doing the washing up after breakfast. What are you using for streaming?

Ive tried using shadowplay but it seems to crash my FSX most the time

thanks,
Lewis

[alan CXA651]

Hi Lewis.
I am using TWITCHTV , with the Open Broadcaster Software , installed on my main PC , and set to capture FSX , because of this , and the fact i run FSX in windowed mode , you do not see the VPILOT or FSACARS software i have to use , for online flying, thats why you get funny views as i type any unicom messages in VPILOT , and because i use track IR 5 which moves the view as i move my head , and i have my VAs web tracker and VATSPY and SKYVECTOR running on my laptop to one side of my main PC, the video playback sometimes seems odd.
if any atc is on line , then you would possibly here them and my reply on voice.
This TWITCHTV is a fairly recent introduction to the VA i fly for , which is CXA , short for Canadian Xpress, they where the VA in the same PC PILOT MAY/JUN COPY , that had your A2A interview artical in.
Regards alan.

[Lewis - A2A]

Ahh yes ive just spent the evening getting OBS Studio setup, I think I'm nearly ready to stream

[alan CXA651]

Hi Lewis.
How are you getting on with the streaming set up , it is i agree a bit of an headach setting up,but once done , i find it streams ok.
regards alan.
P.S. as i type this , the little c172 is past the point of no return on the UHPP/UHSS leg 9 of westerly world tour , i think she might make it , but will be on fumes more or less at destination in about 2:56hrs time.

[Lewis - A2A]

Good stuff, fingers crossed on those fumes!

And yes I had some help from a couple people today setting up OBS for capturing and I think I'm just about all set now

cheers,
Lewis

[alan CXA651]

LEG 9. UHPP/UHSS about 724NM direct , complete , actual 723NM done , flight time 07:17hr.
on take off from UHPP thunderstorms for second day running , at this airport , climbed to 5000ft to clear mountains , once clear reduced alt to my assigned 4000ft , it was a close run thing as i knew i was heading towards mountains on my climb out , but due weather i could not see them , so eyes glued to gps , to work a route through , got over the mountains ok then went to my assigned alt winds where reduced at the coast , then ASN started giving headwinds , yet skyvector was showing crosswinds , i suspect asn was not getting the updated weather from nearest station to me , then winds reduced , i then monitored fuel and distance covered like a hawk , at point of no return , i had slightly more than half fuel,so fingers crossed i pressed on , doing calc after calc , on distance to fuel useage , getting ever closer to my destination , it was touch and go as to just what i would have in my tanks on landing , if i landed .sigh of releaf as the coast came into view , then the airport , on finals , i wondered why i was not seeing to well , then on touchdown , i realised , ASN had somehow switched all my external lights off , they where on on take off , and i never switched them off , strange to say the least.
On shut down , i checked my fuel , right tank was 2 gall/left tank was 4 gall , just over 45 min of flt time , that was a close one.
on after flight checks in the hangar , there was no reported faults , engine on the trip used 18% of its oil , aircraft oil/fuel topped up ready for the next leg.
just after i had logged the flight , my internet switched off , then immediately on , connected to my internet provider web site as soon as router booted up , no faults on network showing , run a test that they provide , and showed no faults on my equipment , ie hub ,or the net , fired off an email to them , again , as this has happened 3 times this week,i would have been real pissed off had this happen just before touchdown.
https://www.twitch.tv/cxa651/v/64859026
regards alan.

[Piper_EEWL]

Congratulations on managing the long leg! It sure sounds like one would bite his nails especially over water!

Happy flying

[alan CXA651]

Hi.
Dingy was part of survival gear stowed in aircraft , just in case.
And yes it was the most intense flight i have ever done , i was absolutly shattered at the end of this flight , never done so much fuel usage/to distance to do , in my life , monitoring the winds on skyvector , to what asn was providing , had the winds not dropped , i would never have made it ,although they did start getting high again near destination , it is also a trip you would never undertake in real life , as wikepedia says max range of c172 is 696nm with 30 min res fuel at destination , but i think i have found the sweet spot on this girl , spd about 100knts alt about 4000ft and fuel leaned to 6.2 to 6.4 depending on temp of day/night and also dependant on EGT temp , pre warmed the engine , shut down then topped up the fuel , then started engine and taxi out to rwy , so i could save every drop of fuel i could .
That was the longest leg of the entire world tour , due to MS FSX missing some vital airports out of the sim , the ones i could have done with , no one as yet done , these are UHOO/UHMM , These airports would have ment all legs well within max range for the c172.
Regards alan.

[alan CXA651]

Hi.
Now in Japan ,this flight was uneventful , very stress free , just what i needed , after the last flight.
LEG 10 UHSS/RJCC about 251NM direct , complete , actual 259NM done .
Weather at UHSS was thunders storms windshear alert at 8nm wsw of airport , not long after going over the sea weather calmed down , at japan coast weather was just stronge winds , severe cross winds at RJCC , landing a bit tricky because of this , but made it ok , aircraft afterflight check , revealed no faults , aircraft running smooth , oil/fuel topped up , ready for next leg.
https://www.twitch.tv/cxa651/v/65079676
Regards alan.