USA TOUR past events | Record

[IAHM-COL]

USA TOUR competition | 17th Leg: Albuquerque - New Mexico | Is it Superman?!: Prototypes, Unmanned, UFOs and Fictional aircrafts | SUN JUL 21st : 17:00-22:00 UTC

SEVENTEENTH TRIP
Departing from Los Angeles Intl., (KLAX): Los Angeles - California
Arriving to Albuquerque Intl. Sunport, (KABQ): Albuquerque - New Mexico

**********************************************************************
Leg Distance: approx 1000 nm (with segments)
Competing Aircraft: Segment dependent, see below
Expected Cruising Speed: 280 KIAS | 600 KIAS | 400 KIAS
Expected Cruising Altitude: 8500 - 16500 feet
Expected Duration (en route): 3h 30 min
**********************************************************************

Flightgear's USA Tour 17th: Is it Superman?!: Prototypes, Unmanned, UFOs and Fictional

Two weeks has passed by since USA tour arrived to Los Angeles Intl Airport in California, bringing the Holywood Business(wo)men

Epic arrival image by OOZVY!, worthy of being seen again:


My last transmission on mumble that day was:

"I will be preparing and presenting soon USA Tour Route 17. It will be very awkward, so I am afraid most of you will not accompany/join. I hope I am mistaken. Charlie, Oscar, Lima""


So. very Awkward,
Well Here it is.


The 17th event of USA tour will happen in 3 segments. Competing players will launch in Los Angeles Intl. airport (KLAX) and travel using one of the segment competing planes to the first stop. There after landing and taxiing to apron, we will change planes to a new plane type able for the second segment, and take off to stop number 2. At stop number 2, we will repeat this procedure for our final arrival to Alburqueque Intl, New Mexico (KABQ).

I had stated a few times in the past, that USA Tour not only will visit every state and territory of USA, one at a time, but also, attempts to explore different aspects of the game. The route 17 will go great lengths to extend the meaning behind "exploring different aspects".

SEGMENT ONE: Is it an airplane?, Military Prototypes.

Warning, entry is unlawful. Procceed if you are out of your mind!.



The Homey Airport is located in the Area 51 (Dreamland), a remote dessert area in the Nevada state, somewhat north of Las Vegas, situated south of groom lake (a salt flat, not a water lake!). There is not clarity upon what programs does the government advances there, but they have (or alledgely have) the Homey Airport, and one of the most known uses of the area is military aviation development.

The site remains top-secret, including photograph is prohibited. Even the existence of the airport is removed from sources such as skyvector, and the FAA doesnt make charts available through airnav.

But aerial shots of the KXTA can be seen in satellite imagery.

and Flightgear aerial imagery


Meaning that the airport does exist, and that it is there to land in FG. And that's exactly what in USA tour we gonna do, first!.

Flightplan, Segment I

We will be flying VFR accross the dessert and the mountains of East California and Nevada (Death Valley and Mojave dessert too )
we will keep the terrain structure as an important VFR guide, but also use a few military and civilian airports for guidance. Some usage of VORs may guide the route

SKYVECTOR: VFR KLAX KXTA at 12500 then descend to 7500 (Palmdale), KIAS 280

Code: Select all

KLAX  Airport   Origin
FIM   VORTAC    112.5   
L70   Airport   Agua Dulce (!?) Follow canyon with a minimun clearance of 11500
KPMD  Airport   Palmdale VORTAC 114.5, head 15degrees
KEDW  Airport   Edwards AFB  Depart 349 deg
Koehn Lake      Terrain, follow red rock canyon via 354, clearance of 6500. Avoid Sierra Nevada peaks to the Northwest with heights of 7800 feet
KIYK  Airport   Inyokern, depart 62 degrees
KNID  Airport   China Lake AFB, depart 55 degrees, clearance of 7500
L72   Airport   Trona, depart 50 degrees, via Death Valley, when funeral peak (6334 feet) is seen, just above death valley, sharp north via 337
L06   Airport   Furnace creek (creepy names all around), depart 003
BTY   VORTAC    BEATTY (Beauty!? does this belong here, at all!?), depart following radial 70, 40 nm will find Aysees Peak (6268 feet), follow the canyon at 016 degrees leaving the mountain range on the right side, maintaining 6500
KXTA  Aiprot    Homey (HOMEi? -- whose?) will be at 325 degrees between the groom lake and the emigrant valley. RWYs are 31/13, and we land VFR (naturally).


Competing Aircraft, Segment I

Competing players will select (AND TEST), and then fly a military prototype model in Flightgear. The list I achieved to compile below. It belongs to any military developed plane for which only plans, or less than 5 prototype planes were built over all.
Note about Malolo1, its an unmanned plane acceptable here.
Note about the KM, it may take off from the Pacific ocean by KLAX.
Note about the Predator Drone: It's acceptable unmanned plane here, if you can find it modelled

• Malolo 1 (R/C): Unmanned
• Paper Airplane: Unmanned
• Convair XFY 1: Prototype
• HS-P-75: Prototype
• Caspian Sea Monster / Korabl Maket: Prototype
• Northrop XB 35 Flying Wing: Prototype
• Bell VMX22: Non Fictional, Acceptable for competing in this USA Tour
• North American X-15: prototype
• USAF X-24B: prototype
• North American Valkyrie: prototype
• Helijah's Hangar Leduc 22: Prototype
• Helijah's Hangar Payen 22 / PA-350 CD: Prototype
• Douglas X 3 Stiletto: Prototype
• Horten H.IX, Gotha Go: Prototype
• Blohm und Voss BV 170: Prototype
• General Atomics MQ-1 Predator Drone: Unmanned. Acceptable in This USA Tour, yet to find it modelled.

SEGMENT TWO: Is it a bird?, UFOs and THE ROSWELL CONSPIRANCY.



Is KROW a bird? NOT, it is an airport!

Clearance to UFOs: "Roswell Tower to UFO, winds are calm, UFO exclusive RWY 14, land AT YOUR OWN RISK!!"

Yes, at KROW there is an unabled RWY 14



It's being 66 years, since an alien UFO alledgely crashed there, and I am almost sure, given rumors I've heard, that the UFOs dont like going to Roswell, New Mexico anymore. To continue with the daring of the USA tour 17th event, we will be departing Area 51's Homey airport in direction to Roswell International Air Center Airport (KROW) using UFOs, and similarly stellar airships.

Flightplan, Segment II
Again we will be flying VFR, and not only that, but also at relatively low altitudes accross some of the most impressive terrain views of the globe, The Grand Canyon.

Similarly as the previous segment, this route will be flown at 10500 feet, and will follow the terrain features and a few reference airports and VORs at about 600 KIAS.
SKYVECTOR

Code: Select all

KXTA  Airport Origin, Homey Airport, depart via 185 degrees climbing at 10500
NV65  Airport Desert Rock (REALLY!?), turn 82 degrees
KINS  Airport Creech AFB  Leave at 65 degrees looking for MMM radial 240
MMM   VORTAC  Mormon Mesa (I swear!) 114.3, depart radial and heading 140 via
1G4   Airport Grand Canyon West. Follow the canyon ridges to the east. Waving.
1Z1   Airport Grand Canyon Bar ten Airstrip seen on the north ridge
KGCN  Airport Grand Canyon, departing at 63 degrees to
T03   Airport Tuba City, departing at 148 degrees thru the painted dessert with the mountain chains at left and right, til
KINW  Airport Winslow-Lindberg Regional, departing at 085 to
P14   Airport  Holbrook Municipal, departing at 112 to
KSJN  Airport  St Johns Industrial air park, departing at 90 degrees above the EL park to intersect
ONM   VORTAC 116.8 Socorro (Im not kidding this is crying for help in spanish!!, poor UFO! :( ), departing radial 180 to
KONM  Airport Socorro Municipal (REALLY!!), 124 degrees to
95E   Airport Stallion AAF, 94 degrees to
F37   Airport Carrizozo Municipal, 110 degrees to
KSRR  Airport Sierra Blanca Regional, 96 degrees to
KROW  Airport Destination. "Landing" VFR


Competing Aircraft, Segment II

The competing players will choose, TEST, and then compete with one the following "planes":

• Space Shuttle: Non Fictional - Acceptable for competing in this USA Tour
• SpaceShip-One: Non Fictional, Prototype
• UFO: Fictional(?) | installed by Default
• Vostok-1: Non Fictional, Acceptable for competing in this USA Tour
• X-Wing (Star Wars): Fictional

SEGMENT THREE : Ok, Ok! Is it Superman?!

The USA tour will finally depart Roswell to arrive its actual 17th destination, Albuquerque, also in the state of New Mexico. Now we will be selecting among fictional aircraft, that also enrich the game environment of FlightGear Flight Simulator

Flightplan, Segment III

The last part of the plan follows an IFR via VOR2VOR, we will be flying at approximately 400 KIAS, making it a bare 30 min trip to our last arrival (we surely tired by then!)
SKYVECTOR

Code: Select all

KROW  Airport Origin
CME   VORTAC  CHISUM (116.1)
CNX   VORTAC  CORONA (115.5)
OTO   VORDME  OTTO   (114.0)
KABQ  Airport Final Destination!


Competing Aircraft, Segment III

The competing players will choose, TEST, and then compete with one the following "planes":

• Bluebird: Fictional
• Carreidas: Fictional
• Ogel: Fictional
• Helija's Olge, Ogel Company: Fictional
• Santa: (I intend no harm) - [s]Non[/s] Fictional(?)
• Starship: Fictional
• Porco Rosso's Macchi-M33: Fictional
• Helijah's Espadon SX-10: Fictional
• Helijah's Rainbow Racer 71: Fictional
• IT'S SUPERMAN!: [s]Non[/s] fictional(?!), Acceptable in This USA Tour, Absolutely. Yet to find it modelled.

The Map


Registration

Pilots that are planning to compete are encouraged to complete this very simple registration form.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dHdwN1BuVmI4bHREbWRPV0VrNG9WeVE6MA

It will allow me to organize the event and provide parking position for competing players on time. Also, I will announce confirmed planes in the original post so we can all prepare by downloading required add-ons on time. Finally, I will send a confirmation email to registered players

Registration is not required, so if you wish, just come by to the event place and time, with a competing plane for join the competition or in any other aircraft to make company to us.

Communications

We will attempt to communicate via mumble this time. Friendly, easy to handle and install, and for those like me that love this: "open source".

Code: Select all

server: mumble-de.cleanvoice.ru
Port: 63453
Room: Flight Room


Feel free to try it out. Flying with voice communication is quite easier than texting. For those unwilling/unable, we will remain answering on FGText while the speed of this fly allow.

Parking Gates

Paking gate for KLAX, and KXTA are now availabe. Notice that the KLAX groundnet is also available via Terrasync.
Parking gate at KROW will not be presented because the airport lacks any apron development in FG. We will launch in Runways instead, to begin the last, third, segment.

• KLAX Groundnet
• KXTA Groundnet
• Full list of Groundnets available by IAHMCOL

To install these groundnet files, simply download and copy in the folders appropriate to your system and installation. You will need to identify and ubicate your $ROOT folder and your $TERRASYNC folder (if using terrasync) respectively. After installing, parking positions will be available thru FGRUN, FGX, and/or command line launcher 'fgfs'.

Code: Select all

copy the files in (i.e):
$FGROOT/Scenery/Airports/K/X/T/KXTA.groundnet.xml ,AND
$TERRASYNC/Airports/K/X/T/KXTA.groundnet.xml


[IAHM-COL]

USA TOUR competition | 16th Leg: Los Angeles, California | The Hollywood Businessmen: Private Charter Jets | SUN JUN 30TH : 17:30-20:15 UTC

SIXTEENTH TRIP
Departing from Boise Air Terminal / Gowen Field. (KBOI): Boise - Idaho
Arriving to Los Angelex Intl., (KLAX): Los Angeles - California

**********************************************************************
Leg Distance: approx 700 nm
Competing Aircraft: Private Charter Jets, see below
Expected Cruising Speed: about 404 KTAS | 330 KIAS | 0.65 Mach
Expected Cruising Altitude: 14500
Expected Duration (en route): 1h40min
**********************************************************************

Flightgear's USA Tour 16th: The Hollywood Businessmen

On June 30th, USA Tour will travel to "El Pueblo de Nuestra Señora la Reina de los Angeles del Río de Porciúncula", Otherwise also know as Los Angeles, in California, and we will be landing in the third busiest airport of USA: KLAX.

Furthermore, Los Angeles is the second most populous City of the United States. California, takes the beat, as the most heavily populated state of the Union. Another mention California takes is being the state with the highest GPD per capita; an inmodest $47000. Inmodest because it would have ranked California as 10th in a world countries list, if it were a country.
A secret: I am not economist, and this numbers all trend to be confusing to me anyways, since the Californians are by far not-the highest gross-earners (Average).

But anyways, with symbols of economic success in key industries such as Movie-making (Hollywood craddle), informatics (apple and the silicon valley), makes California an state with a curious population of over-wealthy, magnates and business(wo)men. Thus, our next USA tour event will topic private charter jets.



Once again, I am inviting all FG community, and my appreciated peer simpilots to join me cruising above the west sierras toward the west coast, starting in Boise, Idaho, and arriving in just short of 2 hours in the amazingly modelled airport KLAX. This airport in FG has really beautiful terminal models, featuring the remodelled airport structures. Here you can see me ready to depart KLAX in one of my multiplayer adventures (oh! that's so much fun!), with the theme building behind




Oh Sure!
And the classic Hollywood Banner is also modelled in Terrasync (for those using it). I've flown some times the area, and never had succeded to spot it, thou.

I hope to see you all there. Oh sure, and don't forget:
I will appreciate your registering beforehand, and be prepared to use Mumble for communication. As I had warned, and will, many times, my buggy FG fails to stablish FGChat.

Here a map of current status of USA Tour

And a picture of our Arrival to KBOI



Flightplan

We will be following a very simple, REAL LIFE Airway route followed daily by several Airlines. The route basically takes J7 Airways until in intersepts SADDE6 arrival in DERBB, and follows the STAR till landing.

CALLSING | Aircraft | KBOI REO J7 FMG REBRG DERBB SADDE6 KLAX | 14500 feet @ 330KIAS
SKYVECTOR

Code: Select all

Waypoint  Type     Freq  Radial   Dist.  ROUTE
KBOI      Airport  DEP                   [J7]
REO     VOR      112.5 217      93nm
FMG     VORTAC   117.9 185     2006.6nm
REBRG     FIX      117.9 163      212.8nm
DERBB     FIX      117.1 129      29nm   [SADDE6]
REYES     FIX      112.5 310      22nm
FIM       VORTAC   112.5 148      --
SYMON     FIX      112.5 148      12nm
SADDE     FIX      113.6 095      19nm
KLAX      AIRPORT  APP


SID, STAR, and ground diagrams

• KBOI SID: Not Available
• KBOI Aerodrome Diagram
• KLAX STAR: SADDE6 Page 1 | Page 2
• KLAX Aerodrome Diagram
  
  Competing Aircrafts
  
  Non-fictional private charter jets listed below will compete for this route of the USA Tour. All Other Aircrafts are welcomed as accompanying pilots for all, or some of our route
  
  
  • British Aerospace Bae-125
  • Cessna Citation
  • Cessna Citation Bravo
  • Cessna Citation X | Installed by Default
  • Dassault Falcon 50
  • Hamburger Flugzeugbau HFB-320 Hansa Jet
  • Honda HA-420 HondaJet

Note: If I had omitted a valid aircraft, please feel free to bring it and make a notice of its validity. Also consider posting it or letting us know that you'll be bringing it, so we can download on time.

Registration

Pilots that are planning to compete are encouraged to complete this very simple registration form.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dGVtYWt6QTNUSjlMN2s2dDhWNl9scXc6MA

It will allow me to organize the event and provide parking position for competing players on time. Also, I will announce confirmed planes in the original post so we can all prepare by downloading required add-ons on time. Finally, I will send a confirmation email to registered players

Registration is not required, so if you wish, just come by to the event place and time, with a competing plane for join the competition or in any other aircraft to make company to us.

Communications

We will attempt to communicate via mumble this time. Friendly, easy to handle and install, and for those like me that love this: "open source".

Code: Select all

server: mumble-de.cleanvoice.ru
Port: 63453
Room: Flight Room


Feel free to try it out. Flying with voice communication is quite easier than texting. For those unwilling/unable, we will remain answering on FGText while the speed of this fly allow.

Parking Gates
Boise Air Terminal /Gowen Field , KBOI Groundnet provides 13 total parking positions located on Terminal. 9 Positions for terminal B and 4 positions on Terminal C.

To install these groundnet files, simply download and copy in the folders appropriate to your system and installation. You will need to identify and ubicate your $ROOT folder and your $TERRASYNC folder (if using terrasync) respectively. After installing, parking positions will be available thru FGRUN, FGX, and/or command line launcher 'fgfs'.

Code: Select all

    copy the files in (i.e):
    $FGROOT/Scenery/Airports/K/B/H/KBHM.groundnet.xml ,AND
    $TERRASYNC/Airports/K/B/H/KBHM.groundnet.xml


[IAHM-COL]

USA tour arrival to KLAX was exceptional

And it did not occurred without a blast! (sorry sa7k )

Well... The arrival to Los Angeles happened to rank very high in the success scale of the USA tour events. For real.
Great participation. Outstanding and very achieved pilots. I felt honored of their company.

As you can see from the pictures above posted, even parallel landings were achieved. Everyone was receiving instructions for the fly out really well, and it worked like a charm.

For the take off we used the parallel runways 26 L/R at KBOI. We performed a departure by pairs, with a circuit at 2500, 3000 and 3500 AGL (thanks to Side for verifying my initial clearances). Pilots on Left went on a left circuit and pilots on Right went on a rigth circuit, creating proper separations, both lateral and vertical. Sa7K began a rather oddissey here. Suffering one of many successive crashes. His FG was misbehaved today. Side similarly, both took off for a second time.

We cruise above the high sierras, direct to Lake Taho, clear skies below, great views. We were rejoiced of great Idaho, Nevada and Californian views. And a very close fly plan following as well!. Also, we overfly the peaks of Yosemite Park. We arrived above Fresno and Bakersfield and approached KLAX via SADDE6 STAR, following charted recomendations, and landed with a bit crosswind 27009K
in RWYs 24/25 L/R In simultaneous.
As it had been pointed above, everyone performed excellent on the landings, and it looked really great.

Most pilots showed up on mumble. As it has been stated before, my FG fails to communicate stably with the chat, and it will lock my controls making control of the plane impossible. Furthermore, pilots are also unable to see most of my messages. Tested today 1 of 5 messages went thru

SCORE SHEET

The current Score sheet can now be seen here


MY SCREENSHOTS

[IAHM-COL]

USA TOUR competition | 15th Leg : Boise, Idaho | Boeing 7X7 Series Airliners | SUN JUN 9TH : 17:00-21:30 UTC

FIFTEENTH TRIP
Departing from Birmingham–Shuttlesworth Intl. (KBHM): Birmingham - Alabama
Arriving to Boise Air Terminal / Gowen Field. (KBOI): Boise - Idaho

**********************************************************************
Leg Distance: approx 1650 nm
Competing Aircraft: Boeing 7X7 series, see below
Expected Cruising Speed: about 425 KTAS | 250 KIAS | 0.75 Mach
Expected Cruising Altitude: FL310 - 350 or 390 depending on Aircraft you bring
Expected Duration (en route): 3h50min
**********************************************************************

Flightgear's USA Tour counting 15 entertaining events

During this 15th, we will be, OMG, back to the Northwest (what is going on with this diagonal full-country cruising all along?!), and we will be arriving to the state of Idaho. Expect mountain areas on landing!

Furthermore, we visited the state of Washington, without paying due to one of the biggest USA aircraft manufacturing companies, that was founded in that state: BOEING. Well, better late.

Now, we will be travelling Northwest back using ANY of the very succesful 7X7 series Airliners. Planes of all generations could be competing simultaneously here (from early 60's till now), surprisingly all within a relatively similar specs brackets that allows us to bring any of these together.

Furthermore, Flightgear will offer several "distros" on many of these planes, so really, the choice is yours: large variability in performance, graphics detail, and realism to choose from!. Get your favorite one, I will be waiting for you on Birmingham, Alabama, next June 9th.

Off course, here is one screenshot of our last arrival to KBHM, and below the current state map of USA Tour.






Flightplan

We will be following High Altitude Juliet Airways, connecting an exclusively VOR2VOR route. Details below:

CALLSING | Boeing 7X7 | KBHM VUZ J52 IGB SQS TKX ADM J21 IRW J98 MMB LBL J52 LAA HGO FQF J116 EKR J173 TCH J15 TWF KBOI | FL310/350/390 @ 430KTAS (approx 0.75Ma)
Skyvector

Code: Select all

Waypoint  Type     Freq   Radial   ROUTE
KBHM     Departing airport. Initial Alt: 4000 feet. then Vectors to VUZ 
VUZ     VORTAC  114.4 261     J52
IGB     VORTAC  116.2 266   
SQS     VORTAC  114.7 269
TXK     VORTAC  116.3 279
ADM     VORTAC  116.7 337   J21
IRW     VORTAC  114.1 292   J98
MMB     VORTAC  115.6   299   
LBL     VORTAC  112.3 300   J20-52
LAA     VORDME  116.9   299   
HGO     VORDME  112.1   307
FQF     VORTAC  116.3 268   J116
EKR     VORDME  115.2 270   J173
TCH     VORTAC  116.8   296   J15
TWF     VORTAC  115.8 293
KBOI     Arriving Airport. Elev. 2871feet      


SID and STAR

• KBHM SID: Birmingham5.VUZ; Page1 . Page2
• KBOI STAR:Not available. Arriving from TWF 100 nm Southeast.

Competing Aircrafts



Every Boeing 7X7 will compete. All "ages" allowed. If you want to company the competing players feel free to bring any aircraft you want to. If you plan to follow us for most of the 4+ hours trip, bring a plane capable of flying at FL310@0.75Ma or more.

• Boeing 707 (1957) 707 | 707 D-MKF1's Git Development | Andino's 707-3Jc9 | Preste's 707-400
• Boeing 717 (1998) 717-200
• Boeing 720 (1959)
• Boeing 727 (1963) 727-230 | FG tribute's 727_230
• Boeing 737 (1967) 737-100 |737-200 | 737-300 | DEAD-LINK 737-400
• Boeing 737NextGeneration (1993) 737NG family
• Boeing 747 (1969) 747-200 | 747 | 747-400 | 747-8i
• Boeing 757 (1982) 757-200
• Boeing 767 (1981) 767-300
• Boeing 777 (1994) Installed by default. Also see: 777 family | 777-200ER | 777-200/300LR | 777-300 | 777F
• Boeing 787 Dreamliner (2009) 787 | 787 Dreamliner | 787 Dreamliner info

Registration

Pilots that are planning to compete are encouraged to complete this very simple registration form.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dEhIM1NSWnVKZFBvMExRSjl5LWRsZmc6MA

It will allow me to organize the event and provide parking position for competing players on time. Also, I will announce confirmed planes in the original post so we can all prepare by downloading required add-ons on time. Finally, I will send a confirmation email to registered players

Registration is not required, so if you wish, just come by to the event place and time, with a competing plane for join the competition or in any other aircraft to make company to us.

Communications

We will attempt to communicate via mumble this time. Friendly, easy to handle and install, and for those like me that love this: "open source".

Code: Select all

server: mumble-de.cleanvoice.ru
Port: 63453
Room: Flight Room


Feel free to try it out. Flying with voice communication is quite easier than texting. For those unwilling/unable, we will remain answering on FGText while the speed of this fly allow.

Parking Gates

• Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport, KBHM Groundnet provides 15 total parking positions located on Terminal. 10 Positions for terminal 1 (T1-1 to T1-10) and 5 positions on Terminal 2 (T2-1) to (T2-2).

To install these groundnet files, simply download and copy in the folders appropriate to your system and installation. You will need to identify and ubicate your $ROOT folder and your $TERRASYNC folder (if using terrasync) respectively. After installing, parking positions will be available thru FGRUN, FGX, and/or command line launcher 'fgfs'.

Code: Select all

copy the files in (i.e):
$FGROOT/Scenery/Airports/K/B/H/KBHM.groundnet.xml ,AND
$TERRASYNC/Airports/K/B/H/KBHM.groundnet.xml


[IAHM-COL]

USA Tour 15: Boeing 7x7 event KBHM - KBOI, 17:00 - 21:30 UTC Tomorrow SUN Jun 9th!

Hi All! A reminder, the USA tour, fifteenth route happens tomorrow.

A few comments and a historical perspective on the USA tour

1. MUMBLE! mumble mumble

Communication is critical for a succesful USA tour. In the USA tour competing pilots have a flight plan as posted above, but communications with other pilots and with myself as crew leader is very important for the following of the plan. Most pilots will use the internal FGChat map to identify traffic positions, but I will vector pilots off route, I will indicate flying speeds and altitudes, and in general help the group through communication. Besides, Its way fun if you talk rather than just sitting there staring each other: HELL! that is why is multiplay anyways, rite?

I lament to inform to all community that my FGChat problems are actually worse than I imagine. My FGchat is useless. Most I can do is read some (not all) of the pop messages. Anything I type will be invisible to any others but to me. Therefore, you will start thinking after you ask me a question that I am to arrogant to answer. It is NOT the case. YOU ARE UNABLE to see all answers I am typing to you!

And also, its way better to fly under voice communication than under text communication (and it simulates better the activity of flying).

vATO offers its very stable mumble server for anyone to use anytime they will. They flight room is for that purpose. During all the event of USA tour I will be connected to the mumble server. Please do so, respectively. First, It will allow us to have voice contact. You may hear or hear and speak, as you wish. Second, it will allow a functional chat where you can send messages that all mumble connected peers will be able to read, and that pop up above the FG screen while flying. Additionally, if I type flying instructions, by being connected to the mumble server, you will be able to properly coordinate and follow.

Thus, very much due to my communication issues with the FGChat, connection to the mumble is rather a requirement, and I apology for this.

RESTATING

Code: Select all

server: mumble-de.cleanvoice.ru
Port: 63453
Room: Flight Room


2. BUT I may not have 5 hours! :S

Well, USA tour, bottomline is a competition. And there may be players that enter the competition mood! Still, more importantly, in essence, USA tour is a friendly multiplayer event, and participation is encourage even for those players uninterested in points and ranks, scores and medals

Noticeably, pilots that fly the complete event, including take off (on time), cruising, and landing (sucessfully) get the most score of everyone. But part routes are scored as well. Examples: a) you intercept us in the middle of our known route, with the proper plane, I will record your showing time and score you for the time you actually fly with us. b) you can show on time but you don't really have all the four hours, you can still come along for as long as able and drop when necessary. I will record your drop off time and score accordingly. Caution! USA tour may be so fun and interesting with frequency that time may appear shorter than actually is! If really need to drop, set a timer!.

If you are NOT into getting ranked, you can still participate! Flyng along is FUN. It is what USA tour is all about. You may come with a plane capable of flying the trip specifications but NOT included in the competing list: That way you automatically rank as a non-competing acompanying player. We will be very happy to have you on board.
Furthermore, you can even chose planes with very distinct features, like a skyhawk or a helicopter or anything you want for that matter, and simply be there at departing time, arrival time, or intercept our route (with caution, avoid collisions). This still generates a dense traffic condition, and we do appreciate getting greeted in the arrival airport by a group of helicopters and welcoming players.

3. Registration

The registration is not required/enforced, but it is welcomed!
It will allow me to inform other participants of the aircraft you are intending to bring to the event, thus allowing us to download and install beforehand if necessary.
It will allow me to assign you a parking gate beforehand, and therefore getting the space on the event organized.

I will not share the contact information you provided with no-one, even organizations or other people within flightgear (not even with my own vATO). Still, if you feel unsure about this fact, the contact information field in the form is not required.

Registration Form

[IAHM-COL]

4. An Historical Perspective

The USA tour multiplayer events will count 15th when we arrive to the city of Boise.
But milder this number may sound, the previous 14 installments had been relaxed-yet organized multiplayer-fun packed events. Not all of them thou, since some of the earliest trips were flown by me unacompanied, in spite of extensive forum posting and propaganda. When I was close to give up inviting you guys to come along, 1 player, Les8of, showed up in the William P. Hobby Airstrip on an A6M2 willing to go cruising with me across the Southeast via Columbia, South Carolina. Following event was again a solely cruise to Fargo, North Dakota in a very nicely behaved CRJ700, but luckily it was the last of the lone begin of the USA tour events.

From Fargo to Birmingham, Alabama, a bird pack of enthusiastic, and great sim-pilots had made trains of birds accross USA. One goal, visit every State and U.S territory, one at a time. We always arrive to the largest city (most populated) of every state, and land to its largest available airport. (yup, some cities had more than 1 option!). The next location remaining a top-secret until the next event, happening at around 3rd week since previous event, on a Sunday afternoon (UTC time).

We had visited, therefore 15 states. Interestingly, we had cruised around 12000 nm above the skies of USA. There is always a plane or a plane topic that is featured in this events, and competitors are compelled to use the planes featured to accrue points. This is with the goal of exploring the varied features that our flight simulator, fligthgear has to offer. Additionally, I always consider the characteristics and length of flight in the choosing of the airplane topic to be featured. Additionally, we also explore different navigation modes such as IFR, VFRs, VOR2VOR, and secret waypoint modes. So USA tour is really entertaining, varied and challenging.

This is a complete map of the USA tour trips till date

GCMAP
The distance in nm and the speed in 1 Mach. 20 hours of 1 Ma flight :O

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DATE      DEP      ARR      MODE/PLANE            IAHMCOL FLEW
08/26/12  KPHL    KOKC    NONE/Citation X         Citation X
09/02/12  KOKC   KIAH/KHOU  NONE/Seneca II  Seneca II
09/16/12  KHOU   KCAE   NONE/A6M2                A6M2
09/3012   KCAE   KFAR    NONE/CRJ700            CRJ700
10/21/12  KFAR   KSLC    NONE/Fokker 50          Fokker 50
11/11/12  KSLC   KCYS    NONE/Cessna 337       Cessna 337
11/18/12  KCYS  KIND      Twin Engine Airliners: Rear Fuselage mounted   717-200
12/02/12  KIND   KJAX     Twin Engine Airliners: Wing mounted     Omega's A320neo
01/06/13  KJAX  KMSP     Historic Jet Airliners    DC9-32
01/27/13  KMSP KICT      Civ. Multiengine props above 200 KIAS   EMB120
02/17/13  KICT   KFSD     VFR:WWII Warbirds     F6F
03/10/13  KFSD  KJAN     Low Altitude:Cold War Bombers  B52 Stratofortress
04/14/13  KJAN  KSEA     Secret Flight Plan: Supersonic Civ. Transport   BAC-Concorde
05/19/13  KSEA KBHM     Soviet Airliners          Tupolev 154B2


[IAHM-COL]

Arrived to Idaho!

After a long trip with Boeing Airliners 7X7 series, the USA tour arrived to Boise, Idaho.

The trip was really entertained, and featured Michat's Boeing 727-230 tribute. Also, the challenge was accepted by Side (M. Kraus' git 707) and PH-ETE (747-200), this later flew for about 2hr reaching the vicinity of Oklahoma City. There were numerous accompanying pilots, keeping the multiplayer spirit of the USA Tour. Les8f brought his newly designed Tupolev-104 and flew most of our ways across USA. We also had multiple interceptor fighters that escort us for part of our journey; Star (F16), BIXZ (m2000-5), D-HF47 (Typhoon), and D-Laser (F16/UFO) feautured.

Images can be seen below that shows the interesting diamond formation we achieved on the beginning of our journey, and also the awesome bees' group we got when we were reached by the party of interceptors








Descend was begun on the north shore of the great salt lake (Utah), as we reach South of state of Idaho. With a continuous descend rate of 1500 fpm, the arriving pilots (Side, Les8of, BIZX and IAHMCOL) reached the vicinity of KBOI and landed safely on RWY 28.

The updated score sheet for USA tour can be seen here

SCORE SHEET

I will be looking forward, once again, to our next USA tour installment, and I expect it will continue being this great fun. Thanks everyone!
Next USA tour (16th leg) will be announced soon, and it is expected to be scheduled for Sunday June 30th 2013. Mark your calendar

[IAHM-COL]

[IAHM-COL]

USA TOUR competition | 14th Leg : Birmingham, Alabama | Soviet Airliners: Tupolev | SUN MAY 19TH : 16:00-21:30 UTC

FOURTEENTH TRIP
Departing from Seattle-Tacoma Intl. (KSEA): Seattle - Washington
Arriving to Birmingham–Shuttlesworth Intl. (KBHM): Birmingham - Alabama

**********************************************************************
Leg Distance: approx 1900 nm
Competing Aircraft: Soviet Airliners, see below
Expected Cruising Speed: about 405 KTAS | 225 KIAS | 0.71 Mach
Expected Cruising Altitude: FL370
Expected Duration (en route): 4h40min
**********************************************************************

Flightgear's USA Tour will be arriving to Alabama, Sweet Home Alabama

The USA tour has begun its second competition using the unpopular BAC Concorde!. Only IAHMCOL adventured using this plane to crosscountry from the state of Mississippi, to Northwest on the State of Washington. Taking off was smooth, but it took a few miles to actually achieve cruising speed and altitude, beyond the expected location in MEM. In spite of that, being a closely controlled flight, once the conditions of flight were reached everything else went nicely ordered, descending over the Northwestern Sierras, in a heavily spiked region on a partly overcasted skies. The concorde reached the correct altitude and speed on approach, but it failed to properly intersect ILS causing an out-of the runway touchdown. Well, I guess IAHMCOL is now infamous for his unusually unaccurate landings during the USA tour, so it all goes within the plan

And the trip was not completely alone! I was accompanied by STAR and PH-ETE who both flew MA2.0 capable military type planes!. Thanks Guys!

Here we can see an arrival screenshot to Seattle-Washington:


Next destination for the USA tour will be the the Southern state of Alabama. We will be cruising back to the South-USA, which represents a full return from our coming to Washington from Mississippi. The route and the types of plane use will vary greatly thou. Now, competitors will be flying any Soviet airliner capable of keeping a cruising of 0.7Ma at FL350-370. Several Tupolev models had been developed for flightgear and I encourage our Flightgear Multiplayer enthusiast to join in one of these competing planes. The route we will follow is now fully disclosed and it will take us in an almost perfect diagonal accross continental USA for 1880 nm, therefore the cruising time will be 4h40min. Considering that we will have to take into account departing and arrival times, an estimate time of 5h30min had been estimated for this LONG USA tour event. I will be very happy to see my flying buddies again, and I am looking forward to see your registrations and your coming by during the next USA tour. We are going to "Sweet-Home Alabama"



Flight Plan

We will follow the flightplan indicated here. See Skyvector details.

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WAYPOINT   Type   freq   HEAD   DIST   ROUTE
KSEA      Dep.      163   11.9   SUMMA7.BKE
NEVJO      FIX      144   40.3
SUMMA      FIX      104   205.5
BKE      VOR   115.3   117   104.1   J54
BOI      VOR   113.3   087   160.6   
PIH      VOR   112.6   088   235.4
CKW      VOR   115.0   091   87.5
LAR      VOR   117.6   086   43.6   J175
CYS      VOR   113.1   081   10.0
MOCTU      FIX      115   72.3
LEWOY      FIX      115   131.0   Q148
CUGGA      FIX      119   71.2
PENUT      FIX      112   66.5
KIRKE      FIX      118   136.4
BVO      VOR   117.9   102   98.3   Q128
RZC      VOR   116.4   105   118.9
PAMMO      FIX      110   96.5
MEM      VOR   117.5   116   173.1
VUZ      VOR   114.4   129   9.8   J41
KBHM      Arr.         1872.7nm


Competing Aircrafts

In principle, any Soviet Airliner capable of flying at 470KTAS | 0.7Ma at FL370 will be competing!. Interestingly enough, as can be seen from the list below, only Tupolev models are modelled within flightgear, therefore this time competing pilots will likely shown in one of the tupolev models indicated below.
Non competing players are welcome to come by in any aircraft of their choice.

See you all soon!

Modelled in Flightgear

• Tupolev Tu-114
• Tupolev Tu-134
• Tupolev Tu-154
• Tupolev Tu-154B
• Tupolev Tu-154B2
• Tupolev Tu-204/214
• Ilyushin Il-96

Competing aircraft yet not Modelled in Flightgear

• Antonov 24
• Antonov 28
• Beriev Be-30
• Ilyushin Il-62
• Ilyushin Il-86
• Ilyushin Il-114
• Tupolev Tu-124
• Tupolev Tu-334
• Yakolev Yak-42
• Yakolev Yak-48
• Yakolev Yak-77

Communications

We will attempt to communicate via mumble this time. Friendly, easy to handle and install, and for those like me that love this: "open source".

Code: Select all

server: mumble-de.cleanvoice.ru
Port: 63453
Room: Flight Room


Feel free to try it out. Flying with voice communication is quite easier than texting. For those unwilling/unable, we will remain answering on FGText while the speed of this fly allow.

STAR and SID

SID, SUMMA7.BKE: Seattle-Tacoma Intl.
STAR, not available

Parking Gates

• Seattle-Tacoma Intl. Airport, KSEA. Groundnet provides 30 total parking positions located in the different gates on Terminal A,B,C,D, North or South Satellites.

To install these groundnet files, simply download and copy in the folders appropriate to your system and installation. You will need to identify and ubicate your $ROOT folder and your $TERRASYNC folder (if using terrasync) respectively. After installing, parking positions will be available thru FGRUN, FGX, and/or command line launcher 'fgfs'.

Code: Select all

    copy the files in (i.e):
    $FGROOT/Scenery/Airports/K/S/E/KSEA.groundnet.xml ,AND
    $TERRASYNC/Airports/K/S/E/KSEA.groundnet.xml


[IAHM-COL]

Birmingham, Alabama

The 14th installment of USA tour took us to the State of Alabama, last Sunday, as scheduled, seeing USA tour attendances coming back while more previously active pilots made presence, such as PH-ETE and IAHMCOL in Tu154B, and SIDE in the IL-96-400. We had companying pilots in BIZX in an F5E and STAR in a 777-200ER who took all of the travesy accross USA in diagonal with us making a really awesome train of planes.

A few pilots had to depart the trip earlier, while other while arriving over due time flew the trip some hundred of miles behind the head-group. But still, our train once again back to the Southeast formed a very organized lane that dissected the USA map on a Sunday afternoon (UTC time). Some of these planes being the really unexpected types such as the Tupolevs and the IL96. And as can be read previously in this post, pilots such as LesBof and LV-EPM were unable to attend, and missed the fun: yet we expect them and many others to join us in future USA tour travels.

Interestingly enough, although winds were strong and crossed for a segment above Idaho - Wyoming area, the cruising part of the trip went unseemingly soft; smooth cloud-sailing. Landing, was thou contrary to the three pilots that made it all the way to Alabama. Arriving first STAR had graphics issues with a consequent FGFS freezing. Bummer after 5 hours cruising. Secondly, IAHMCOL had problems on controlling height on ILS intersecting causing it to be a non-smooth landing. Yet a landing, within the airport boundaries. And finally, SIDE arriving about 30 minutes later, had also some low frame-rates on landing that caused and unexpectedly unsoft touchdown. In spite of the long and tiring trip and the more than exciting landings we had time to take a few arrival shots.

Here I share some of these screenies. Note: STAR changed his 777 for a f16 for the arrival picture.




Last, and definitely least: we have the USA tour competition restarted, and the scoring sheet can now be seen in the following link

Scoring Sheet