Salvador to Belem

Departing Salvador for a 916 NM flight to Val de Cans International Airport in Belem, Para, Brazil - gateway to the Amazon! Here are some things to do in Belem.

Cruising at 31,000 feet (FL310), and almost halfway to my destination. This is the Foreflight display on my iPad, which is receiving position/ altitude/ heading/ speed broadcasts from the X-Plane flight simulator on my laptop. The red areas depicted on the chart, indicate areas of forecast thunderstorms, that are shown because I've selected the AIRMET/SIGMET/CWA graphical layer.

Still cruising at 31,000 feet, on this beautiful -46C day, and getting closer to Belem. According to the moving map display in the airplane, the vertical navigation Top Of Descent (TOD) point is about 100 NM ahead, so I'll be starting down in about 20 minutes.

Descending through 9,000 feet. I had initially setup the ILS-06 approach in the Garmin panel, but after receiving the ATIS, which tells me they're using runway 02 for arrivals and departures, I've switched to the RNAV-02 approach. Even on a fine VFR day like today, I find it quite helpful to fly the instrument approaches for extra guidance to unfamiliar airports, as they provide accepted headings and altitudes for approaching the airport in any conditions.

On short final approach to runway 02, about a mile and a half out, with heading and glidepath looking good. I enjoy seeing how much ground detail is displayed by the X-Plane flight simulator, no matter where I venture in the world. It is so much more fun, to see buildings, roads, and other human constructions, which indicate that there are people down there. Of course, Microsoft's new Flight Simulator 2020 (MSFS2020) is supposed to have amazing real-world images of almost every area in the world. But we'll have to see how much it costs, and how powerful a computer will be required to run it.

On the ground at Belem. The ground tug was pushing back another aircraft when I arrived, but it immediately came over and parked in front of me, I guess in case I want a push-back later.

Here's an aerial view of Belem airport, with me parked in the center of the image, as usual, and another aircraft just beyond, a King Air that arrived as I was shutting down and planning my next flight.

Sao Paolo to Salvador

Departing Campinas, Sao Paolo, Brazil for Deputado Luís Eduardo Magalhães International Airport in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil. Here are some things to do in Salvador, Bahia. Today's 790 NM flight is comfortably within the fuel range of this little SF50G2 personal jet. The departure weather includes an overcast layer, with moderate rain and a crosswind. The NEXRAD display, which is even useful on the ground, shows the rain to be localized, and I'm expecting it to mostly dissipate, after I get about 40 miles away from the airport. I love that X-Plane is depicting precipitation on the windscreen. 

Climbing away from the airport, passing through 10,000 feet, and still in the clouds, as expected. I picked up a little ice, after I climbed above the freezing level, but the deicing equipment handled it well.

Approaching Salvador airport, descending through 8,000 feet over The Bay of All Saints, with the ILS approach to runway 10 setup in the avionics.

Descending through 1,000 feet on the ILS-10 approach, with the airport already in sight, on this hazy VFR day.

On the ramp at Salvador airport, with the main terminal off in the distance. I'm trying to be a more considerate guest at these big international airports, by parking away from the main terminal building. In real life, the security folks wouldn't appreciate me compromising the integrity of their boarding area.

The view of the ramp where I'm parked, from inside the control tower. I didn't realize this was even possible, until I was zooming around my view vantage point from outside the plane, and accidentally passed through this spot in space. Fun!

Buenos Aires to Sao Paolo

Departing Buenos Aires for Viracopos/Campinas International Airport in Sao Paolo, Brazil, a trip of 926 NM. Here are some things to do in Campinas and Sao Paolo.f

After an uneventful flight, I'm descending through 13,600 feet, and planning the RNAV approach to runway 33 at Campinas airport.

On short final to Campinas airport. The yellow and red areas on the terrain hazard display on the MFD are indicating the terrain that is within 1000 feet of my altitude - no big surprise, as I'm about 270 feet AGL at this point.

Down safe again! Here's a flyover view of the airplane on the ground in Campinas, Sao Paolo.

Falkland Islands to Buenos Aires

Departing Falkland Islands for Ministro Pistarini International Airport near Buenos Aires, Argentina, a range-challenging 1,012 NM. Here are some things to do in Buenos Aires. This flight has been one of my most challenging to date, due to a widespread area of severe thunderstorms over most of Argentina. In the real world, I would have either delayed the flight, or diverted to avoid the worst of the weather. Since I was flying the simulator, I had already decided to "take a look," and see how it would go.

The winds aloft at my altitude resulted in a very high (107 knot) crosswind at my cruising altitude of 31,000 feet, which reduced my groundspeed by over 60 knots. This flight's distance was already pushing the range of my little jet, so this wind twist didn't help my comfort level. However, the very useful fuel totalizer flight planning tool predicted me landing with 296 pounds of fuel on board, so I decided to press onward. Even before I began my descent, I could hear the sound of thunder from the cloud layer beneath me.

I started picking up ice as soon as I entered the cloud layer, which was not unexpected, with the temperature at minus 46 degrees Centigrade, so I turned on all ice protection systems. In this snapshot, I'm descending through 18,000 feet, with the temperature at -14C, still well below freezing. The severe weather depicted in the NEXRAD weather radar display correlates with the thunder, lightning, moderate to severe turbulence, and heavy precipitation I'm experiencing. The ice accumulating on the windscreen is a new feature for this aircraft model in the simulator, and although I didn't much like being caught in serious icing conditions, it was helpful to have a visual clue that something was going on. In addition, and I don't know if the real airplane has this, but the simulator was calling out "Ice! Ice! Ice!" over the speaker. The data output numbers in the upper left of the screen also confirmed the fact that, even with all the deicing equipment operating, ice was still accumulating on the aircraft.

Just about a minute from turning left onto the final approach course, descending through 3,100 feet. The temperature's up to +18C, all the ice has melted off, and now I'm just dealing with some turbulence and a stiff crosswind. And, of course, a big blotch of severe weather on the NEXRAD display, just south of the airport. Did I mention the recurring thunder and lightning throughout this approach?

Down to about 300 feet above the airport, and below the overcast, but still dealing with limited visibility. At first all I see are trees, but looking closely, I realize that the runway glideslope PAPI lights are just becoming visible ahead, just below the horizon, and just to the left of the post dividing the windscreen.

Down and (relatively) safe! The wind is still buffeting the airplane, as I taxi away from the runway, in search of a safe harbor from the wind, rain, and lightning.

Aha! I found a nice unoccupied hangar for shelter. And I happened to catch a snapshot of a lightning strike nearby, to the left of the control tower.

Tierra Del Fuego to Falkland Islands

Departing Tierra Del Fuego for Port Stanley airport in the Falkland Islands, a medium length flight of 423 NM. Here are some things to do in the Falkland Islands.

I started this flight in the evening, and with the cloud layer filtering the last of the sunset, I got to experience a beautiful deep purple horizon behind me.

Climbing through 16,200 feet, on my way up to the planned cruising altitude of 31,000 feet, over the eastern tip of Tierra Del Fuego. Isla de los Estados is 125 NM ahead and to the right.

And suddenly, it's daytime, as I paused the simulator and went to bed, picking up this flight 36 hours later. Now about halfway across this expanse of the South Atlantic Ocean, and 125 NM from first landfall on the southern tip of the Falkland Island archipelago.

Almost "feet wet" at the southern tip of the Falkland Islands.

Port Stanley airport is at the eastern end of the Falklands, so I get a nice view of the southern edge of the archipelago, as I'm descending through 10,600 feet toward the airport. The RNAV approach to runway 27 requires almost a course reversal, to align with the final approach course.

Course reversal completed, now on the final approach to runway 27, with the airport visible directly ahead.

On the ground at Port Stanley airport, looking west toward some beautiful scenery.

Puerto Montt to Tierra Del Fuego

Departing Puerto Montt, and turning on course for Malvinas Argentinas Ushuaia International Airport in Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego, Argentina. My destination airport is at the southern tip of South America! Here are some things to do in Tierra Del Fuego.

Descending through a thick cloud layer, with tops above 20,000 feet, I'm starting to see breaks in the clouds, as I pass through 10,000 feet. The bottom of the overcast appears to be a few thousand feet farther down.

The airport is near the water's edge, down in a deep valley, which makes the instrument approach even more interesting, on a moist, medium-visibility day like this.

Descending through 3,600 feet while flying over the Beagle Channel, the center of which defines a geographic border line between Chile and Argentina. With such limited visibility, and tall mountains all around, it's somewhat comforting, to be descending on the approach, over water that's at sea level.

At this point, I'm a little more than three miles out on the final approach, descending through 1,400 feet. With the terrain hazard warning colors lighting up the map display on the panel, the runway lights look very inviting from here!

On the ground in Tierra Del Fuego! Here's a flyover view of the airport, showing the range of tall mountains that lie along the final approach path.

Tucuman to Puerto Montt

Departing Tucuman, Argentina for El Tepual International Airport in Puerto Montt, Chile. Here are some fun things to do in Puerto Montt.

I forgot to snap a picture after I took off, so here we are, cruising at 31,000 feet, with a significant (106 knot) crosswind from the right, that's leaning slightly toward being a slight tailwind. With my 22 degree heading correction for wind, I don't think it will be much help making me go faster.

Cruising at 31,000 feet above a thin broken cloud layer, over the south end of the Andes, before beginning my descent into Puerto Montt.

Still level at 31,000 feet, with the Top Of Descent (TOD) point about five minutes ahead. The wind has increased slightly, to 112 knots.

Descending through 4,800 feet, just going beneath a high overcast layer.

On the ground at Puerto Montt! Here's a flyover view of the airport. My aircraft is always depicted at the center of these views.

Cusco to Tucuman

Departing Cusco, Peru for Teniente General Benjamín Matienzo International Airport in Tucuman, Argentina. I'll post pics and text later. In the meantime, here are some fun things to do in Tucuman. 

Quito to Cusco

Departing Quito, Ecuador for Alejandro Velasco Astete International Airport in Cusco, Peru. This is the nearest airport to the incredibly beautiful Incan archaeological site of Machu Picchu. I'll post pics and text later. In the meantime, here are some fun things to do in Cusco.

Panama City to Quito

Departing Panama City, Panama for Mariscal Sucre International Airport in Quito, Ecuador. I'll post pics and text later. In the meantime, here are some fun things to do in Quito.

Ciudad Del Carmen to Panama City

Departing Ciudad Del Carmen for Tocumen International Airport in Panama City, Panama, a more range-challenging 923 NM. Here are some things to do in Panama City.

Descending through 19,000 feet, with a -14C temperature, and broken clouds below.

One last glimpse of the ground through a hole in the clouds before starting the RNAV approach to runway 21R, gives some indication of the lush green countryside around Panama.

Key West to Ciudad Del Carmen

Departing Key West, Florida for Ciudad Del Carmen International airport, in Campeche, Mexico, on the Yucatan peninsula, an easy flight of 663 NM. Here are some fun things to do in Ciudad Del Carmen.

The enroute portion of my flight was clear, and provided a beautiful, if boring, view of the Gulf of Mexico. There was a thick cloud layer over the Yucatan peninsula, so I elected to fly the RNAV approach to runway 31. The approach got me aligned with the runway, and then I finally caught my first glimpse of the airport about 5 miles out.

On the ground at Ciudad Del Carmen, on this foggy warm day.

Washington D.C. to Key West

Flying from Washington, D.C. to Key West International Airport, in Key West, Florida, a fairly long 909 NM flight. Here are some things to do in Key West. I didn't capture any snapshots until I was more than halfway there. This is a snapshot of the Foreflight app display on my phone, showing that I have about an hour left to go, before I arrive in Key West. It also shows a line of significant real-world weather that is crossing the Key West area from west to east. In real life, that hour could give that fast-moving storm enough time to pass by Key West, and leave me with beautiful weather for my approach. However, since I'm accelerating time in the simulator, I'll probably be arriving while the worst of it is passing over the airport. I'll call that a fun simulated challenge!

This flight took me over the space launch complexes at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station (CCAFS), Florida - a place with fond memories for me, as I have traveled there for work, to participate in launch countdowns.

The Complex 36 launch pads A and B that we used to launch the Atlas I, II, and III rockets are on the point of land that sticks farthest out to the left, near the end of the CCAFS Skid Strip runway off my left wing. The Atlas V Space Operations Center (ASOC) where we controlled launches of the Atlas V rocket is on the small island directly behind me, and the Atlas V Launch Complex 41 is at the bottom right of the snapshot. I have many great memories of those times, some of which involved seriously deep thought and anxiety, as we worked through the various expected and unexpected challenges that arose when launching our rockets.

Looking ahead, as I pass over Cape Canaveral, I have already checked weather, and selected the instrument approach to Key West's runway 27. I can see the enroute and approach segments depicted on the moving map display. The simulator doesn't seem to know anything about the real-world storm system that's passing over Key West.

Passing over Lake Okeechobee.

As I approach the south tip of Florida, a thick cloud layer suddenly appears. This might be an indication of some of the severe weather I saw in Foreflight, as the simulator retrieves real-world weather from the network.

Descending through 14,400 feet, toward the cloud layer, and approaching the Initial Approach Fix. Some rain is starting to show up on the NEXRAD overlay on the moving-map display.

On the ground in Key West!