June 28th MP Flight - Operation Vittles

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ianfisher 101
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June 28th MP Flight - Operation Vittles

Post by ianfisher 101 »

On June 24th 1948 the Soviet Union blocked the Western Allies' railway, road, and canal access to the sectors of Berlin which were under Western control following the end of WWII. Two days later on June 26th the Western Allies organised the Berlin Airlift to carry supplies to the people of West Berlin.

Aircrews from the American, British, French, Canadian, Australian, New Zealand, and South African air forces flew over 200,000 sorties in one year, providing to the West Berliners necessities such as fuel and food, with the original plan being to lift 3,475 tons of supplies daily. By the spring of 1949, that number was often met twofold, with the peak daily delivery totalling 12,941 tons. By this time the airlift was clearly succeeding, delivering more cargo than had previously been transported into the city by rail. The Soviets did not disrupt the airlift for fear this might lead to open conflict, even though they far outnumbered the allies in Germany and especially Berlin.

On 12 May 1949, the USSR lifted the blockade, although for a time the Americans and British continued to supply the city by air anyway because they were worried that the Soviets were simply going to resume the blockade and were only trying to disrupt western supply lines. The Berlin Airlift officially ended on 30 September 1949 after fifteen months. The US Air Force had delivered 1,783,573 tons and the RAF 541,937 tons nearly two-thirds of which was coal, on 278,228 flights to Berlin. The C-47s and C-54s together flew over 92 million miles in the process, almost the distance from Earth to the Sun. At the height of the Airlift, one plane reached West Berlin every thirty seconds. Seventeen American and eight British aircraft crashed during the operation. A total of 101 fatalities were recorded as a result of the operation, including 40 Britons and 31 Americans mostly due to non-flying accidents.

For todays mission the Misfit Squadron has been asked to provide extra cargo lift capacity in our Lockhead Constellations. We will slot in alongside the US Airforce flying their C-47s and C-54s along the Southern Route from Frankfurt/Main to Templehof. So no pax on this trip just fill your hold with Cargo and watch your CG. The light fuel preset will be more than enough for this flight. After take off we fly South to the RID VOR, then the GED VOR, then FUL VOR. From here we enter the Southern Corridor to Berlin. We have been assigned a cruising altitude of exactly 10,000 feet. The corridor is 20 miles wide. If we stray from this we can expect a visit from the Soviet Mig 15's which patrol the skys nearby. From FUL VOR we head to Templehof and the ILS for Rwy 27L. After landing role out to the end of the runway then exit Right, taxi to the gate to off load cargo. Switch off engines 1&2 so crew can off load safely. Here we can have a short break to grab a mug of tea and stretch legs etc.

When fully off loaded we can begin the return leg. Restart engines then taxi on the NE Taxiway to rwy 27R. Do not go to 27L as this is for landings only. After take off head West along the Central corridor to the HLZ VOR, again at 10,000 ft. At this point we are back in West Germany and so the restrictions ease, if you need to go higher or divert for weather then you can do so. Next we head to the WRB VOR then the MTR VOR and the FR NDB. Then to the approach for EDDF, intercept the ILS for 25C at Frankfurt. Obviously runways and approachs are subject to change depending on conditions on the day. We start and finish at the Cargo ramp at EDDF which is to the North of 07C. The flight time is expected to be around 3 hours and we'll be flying in real time so expect an aftger dark landing and real weather.

Meet 1730UTC
Departure 1800UTC
Local time Real (UTC+2)
Weather Real
Network Joinfs
Server Digital ThemePark
Comms A2A Discord


https://skyvector.com/?ll=51.3100992360 ... 0FR%20EDDF




Airports
EDDF Aerosoft Mega Frankfurt v5.
EDDI Templehof P3D Default.
Last edited by ianfisher 101 on 24 Jun 2020, 16:31, edited 2 times in total.
Spitfire : P-51 : L-049 : C172 : C182 : PA-24 : PA-28 : T-6 : P-40 : V35B : J-3 : P-47 : Anson : 504K : Albatros : B377 : HE-219

AMA230
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Re: June 28th MP Flight - Operation Vittles

Post by AMA230 »

ianfisher 101 wrote: 21 Jun 2020, 17:49 ...
... After take off we fly South to the RAD VOR, then the CHA VOR, then FUL VOR. From here we enter the Southern Corridor to Berlin. We have been assigned a cruising altitude of exactly 10,000 feet. The corridor is 20 miles wide. If we stray from this we can expect a visit from the Soviet Mig 15's which patrol the skys nearby. From FUL VOR we head to GOT VOR then to BBI VOR to begin our approach. The nav from the BBI VOR is simple enough.
...
Hi Ian,

thanks for your proposal for a support flight during the Berlin Airlift. Following your route we all might be shot down, because of infringing upon non free flying territory. :shock:

Below please find a section of the DOD flight information publication "L5 - Enroute LOW Altitude EUROPE North Africa And Middle East" effective 9 MAR 1989. This date was short before the peaceful revolution in the German Democratic Republic in Nov 1989 and the reunification of Germany on Oct-3rd 1990. Therefore this chart still shows the three Berlin corridors which had been identified as "free flying territory" for aircrafts of the western allies.
Two VOR's your are listing in your route (GOT VOR as well as BBI VOR) are definitely out of the allowed corridor! :shock:
Image

I created an allowed flight path with user waypoints rebuilt in LittleNavMap, representing a route which refers to the no longer existing waypoints and the Tempelhof TOF VOR. However, this route would request GPS support, which was not available in those early post WWII times.
Image

So my proposal for a safe VOR/NDB based inbound flight to the still existing but closed Tempelhof Airport (EDDI) on the Frankfurt - Berlin corridor would be to use FUL VOR and TGL VOR instead.
One further remark, according to the sectional chart on the outbound course USAF aircraft had not been allowed to fly directly HLZ VOR via waypoint WERRA to FTZ NDB. However, they had to go via waypoint NORTA.

Wish you always happy landings.

Gernot

ianfisher 101
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Re: June 28th MP Flight - Operation Vittles

Post by ianfisher 101 »

Captains

Thanks to some new info from our good friend Gernot there is a slight re-route of our mission on Sunday. GOT and BBI VOR's have been removed to keep us safe in the corridor and there is a slightly wider return as the origional route was not allowed.

Here is the new route.

Ianhttps://skyvector.com/?ll=51.20490447182089,11.362335217057884&chart=301&zoom=5&fpl=N0190A100%20EDDF%20RID%20GED%20FUL%205226N01324E%205229N01327E%205232N01327E%205232N01332E%205229N01332E%205229N01325E%20HLZ%20NORTA%20WRB%20MTR%20FR%20EDDF
Last edited by ianfisher 101 on 24 Jun 2020, 16:27, edited 2 times in total.
Spitfire : P-51 : L-049 : C172 : C182 : PA-24 : PA-28 : T-6 : P-40 : V35B : J-3 : P-47 : Anson : 504K : Albatros : B377 : HE-219

Gypsy Baron
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Re: June 28th MP Flight - Operation Vittles

Post by Gypsy Baron »

After looking over the information supplied by Gernot I created a modified flight plan to allow ample time to slow and descend from 10K to approach altitude to Rwy 27L.

Seeing that the corridors and 20 miles wide and the 'circular safe zone around EDDI has a radius of ~17 NM this allows for enough space to execute the downwind and turn back to final without having to put the Connie in an extreme bank :)

I flew the inbound route today and found it works out just fine.

Here is a JPG made from my Plan-G flight plan that shows the approximate boundry of the safe zone around EDDI and route I flew.

I started my descent at the point where I crossed into the circular zone and turned toward MW and beyond. I descended at 1.5K - 2.0K FPM and made a 'leisurely' turn to final starting about 3 NM prior to reaching the waypoint marking the beginning of the ILS feather for EDDB Rwy 27L.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/51g5l29jhbqehqj/EDDI.jpg?dl=0

Paul

Image

ianfisher 101
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Re: June 28th MP Flight - Operation Vittles

Post by ianfisher 101 »

Hi Paul, Thanks for your input here. Your new plan was more or less the same as I had origionaly planned but after reading Gernots comments I re-did the route staying away from MW NDB and BBI VOR as Gernot says they were outside of the safe zone.

Two VOR's your are listing in your route (GOT VOR as well as BBI VOR) are definitely out of the allowed corridor!

But after studying the plan again it seems there is a 17 mile diameter around Templehof to work in which definitly includes MW and BBI. BBI is only 8.3nm from EDDI so falls within the safe zone. I'd like to hear once again from Gernot on this before reverting back to my origional plan which as it happens is exactly the same as Paul's.
Spitfire : P-51 : L-049 : C172 : C182 : PA-24 : PA-28 : T-6 : P-40 : V35B : J-3 : P-47 : Anson : 504K : Albatros : B377 : HE-219

AMA230
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Re: June 28th MP Flight - Operation Vittles

Post by AMA230 »

Ian, I have to admit, I was not precise in my first comment. You are right, both VOR's you are refering to (GOT and BBI VOR's) are located within the "free flying zone".
But why do they not show up in the chart of the DOD?
I have no information about when these two VOR's have been installed. At least BBI seems to me a new one for the new Berlin Brandenburg Airport which finally should be opened in October 2020.
But let's assume both VOR's had been existing already in 1948. Remember, this was the time of the "cold war". For sure these VOR's are installed on terrain which in 1948 belonged to the area of the German Democratic Republic!
So if they had been existing already in 1948 I guess to fight against the Berlin blockade the Americans wouldn't have liked to rely on their enemy's navigation infrastructure, would they?
Sorry I didn't like to disgrace your effort in preparation of this tour, I just was thinking we should do it as real as possible.

Kind regards
Gernot

ianfisher 101
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Re: June 28th MP Flight - Operation Vittles

Post by ianfisher 101 »

Hi Gernot

Thanks for your comments and help on this. I Guess the VOR's in question just did not exist in 1948 so that's why they are not on the chart, also they would have used the Ground Controlled Approach system instead of ILS but we don't have that so we'll use the modern equalivant.

So with help from Gernot and Paul here is the final flight plan for Operation Vittles.

https://skyvector.com/?ll=51.3100992360 ... 0FR%20EDDF
Last edited by ianfisher 101 on 24 Jun 2020, 16:29, edited 1 time in total.
Spitfire : P-51 : L-049 : C172 : C182 : PA-24 : PA-28 : T-6 : P-40 : V35B : J-3 : P-47 : Anson : 504K : Albatros : B377 : HE-219

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Paughco
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Re: June 28th MP Flight - Operation Vittles

Post by Paughco »

I found this info https://info.graphics/stories/berlin-air-lift/. Pretty good for background, also for details on approach into and departure out of EDDI.

Seeya
ATB
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ratty
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Re: June 28th MP Flight - Operation Vittles

Post by ratty »

Then there's this. Same diagram, heights in feet.

https://nats.aero/blog/2019/09/the-infl ... -years-on/
Image

Gypsy Baron
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Re: June 28th MP Flight - Operation Vittles

Post by Gypsy Baron »

After studying the info supplied by Gernot and Ratty I revised my flight plan to conform to that historical data.

The biggest change was the inbound pattern at EDDI which involves a fly over of NDB PLANTER (DIP) and subsequent
turns and descents for a right hand pattern to Rwy 27L.

Here are the links to JPG's of my plan:

[img]https://www.dropbox.com/s/hdagsrr6 ... n.jpg?dl=0

https://www.dropbox.com/s/hg1iystof7axb ... n.jpg?dl=0

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ratty
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Re: June 28th MP Flight - Operation Vittles

Post by ratty »

I really don't want to muddy the water any further, but I found this graphic, too:

https://weaponsandwarfare.files.wordpre ... raphic.jpg
Image

ianfisher 101
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Re: June 28th MP Flight - Operation Vittles

Post by ianfisher 101 »

Thanks Ratty

That just backs up what we already know but the seperation cross section is interesting. The major issue is that some of the radio nav aids are simply not there today so we are going to have to do some self vectoring using modern aids to fly the same historic route. Templehof does not have any nav aids at all in P3D so we will have to use BBI VOR as a guide but by then we'll be visual anyway.

Ian
Spitfire : P-51 : L-049 : C172 : C182 : PA-24 : PA-28 : T-6 : P-40 : V35B : J-3 : P-47 : Anson : 504K : Albatros : B377 : HE-219

ianfisher 101
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Re: June 28th MP Flight - Operation Vittles

Post by ianfisher 101 »

Hi Paul

DIP does not exsit in P3D so we will have to do some self vectoring using nearby VOR's as a guide, but will be close enough by then to fly that Right Hand pattern visually. The flight plan has been updated to fly the Right Hand approach pattern at EDDI.

Ian
Spitfire : P-51 : L-049 : C172 : C182 : PA-24 : PA-28 : T-6 : P-40 : V35B : J-3 : P-47 : Anson : 504K : Albatros : B377 : HE-219

Gypsy Baron
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Re: June 28th MP Flight - Operation Vittles

Post by Gypsy Baron »

I flew the inbound leg again for about the 4th or 5th time. But this time I used the approach into the right hand pattern.

I was down to 2000' and about 130 knts IAS as I entered. Made all the turns with a bit of overshoot but was on the
altitude marks as I arrived at each turn. Smooth ILS approach with touchdown on the numbers.

I was a bit wide coming into the NDB (PID) but managed to fly the pattern OK after that.

Here are 2 links to JPG's. The first is my track on Plan-G. The 2nd is my Connie on the ramp at EDDI preping to
unload the cargo.

It is going to be interesting with a bevy of Connies working in that relatively confined space :)

https://www.dropbox.com/s/dfjr7cqeg0m52 ... I.jpg?dl=0

https://www.dropbox.com/s/ooptrrpdwbt8u ... p.jpg?dl=0

Paul

Image

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Paughco
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Re: June 28th MP Flight - Operation Vittles

Post by Paughco »

It's been a while since a planned flight has generated so much interest and comments! Lots of factors going on here. I'm looking forward to this one.

Seeya
ATB
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