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Post by rattler1 on Mar 5, 2009 11:57:23 GMT -5
Thank Capt Zlogg, but I'm on the way home now and have better things to carry than heavy water. Arctic survival suits and liferafts for one thing. Presently enjoying a glass of sake in a tea-house in Saporro. It's taken nearly thirty hours flying to get this far, but the view of Mount Fuji was worth it. Now I'm waiting for the courage and the weather to tackle the leg to Atak in the Aleutians. Going up through your glorious Motherland in a no-no in an aeroplane belonging to the military arm of a decadent capitalist country. I don't think I can avoid the airspace, but I'll be so far out to sea that I hope no-one will notice me, or if they do, can't be bothered. I'll let you know how I get on. Ron, if you're reading this, I managed to get the flights sorted out. Interesting route, but the above applies regarding the countries that this beast can transit. Rattler
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Post by paulvdberg on Mar 5, 2009 15:02:42 GMT -5
Hi Rattler, it looks I will be heading about the same route home as you do, but my A-26 will be crated again and put into another Douglas: a MD-11F. I just chartered a Martinair (Holland) Freighter for this purpose. The company welcomed the job; lately there's not much cargo to fly around... The Invader will be flown to Seattle, assembled and ferried back to the Air Museaum at Vancouver Island, where she belongs. Route will be approx. Bali, Phillipines, Hong Kong (Kai Tak ofcourse!!) Japan, Anchorage, SEA. And then with some other freight with a stop in Goose Bay back to Amsterdam. Perhaps we will meet up at some airport met-office along the way? who knows? You may expect some screenies from this trip ofcouse!! ;D have a good flight to Good Old England. Paul
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Post by Capt Zlogg on Mar 8, 2009 7:04:16 GMT -5
Comrade Battlestar,
no heavy water? Good! we shall remember that! We keep an eye on you!! The people of the Great Socialist Paradise welcome you to fly over their beautiful country. Entering our beloved airspace from the East you will first relish the great views of the Magadan area, famous for its supreme holiday camps. Do not forget to stop in Irkutsk - home town of Aleksander Petrovich Nadrezdah, the inventor of our national pride the knut! This famous instrument has the typical magical ability to whip whole groups of people into frenzied labour. Next stop we advise is Novosibirsk. You may visit the permafrost covering our wealth of oil or make a detour into the river Ob (you can skate on it in summer!) From Novosibirsk it is only 2,5 million werts to Mocba, our great capital. You are welcome to our HQ on Dzerzinsky Square (named after the founder of the KGB) or the adjacent Lubyanka prison (where his guest were lounging). Be assured the flight will be an airmans dream especially when using Proppy's famous new intergallactic fuel.
cheers Capt Zlogg VP KGB Air Droppers
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Post by pterodactyl (George) on Mar 8, 2009 23:55:19 GMT -5
Rattler I see you are taking the northern route home. I have decided to try the southern route. Going to cross the North Indian Ocean(only place where I can make the hop without swimming, then some elephant watching in South Africa before hopping to South America. Hope you enjoy the trip home. Cap't Zlogg can I persuade you to give me a few bottles of your best for the long lonely journey back to the frozen North? Please, I drank all mine, except for the couple of shots left to toast all who took part in the rally when I arrive at the end.
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Post by Allen Peterson on Mar 9, 2009 13:25:34 GMT -5
Capt Zlogg, I will also be flying the northern route home. On the leg from Sapporo to Attu I will need to stop for fuel at Khomutovo (UHSS) and Yelizovo (UHPP). I think I got the names right. Can you contact your buddies there and tell them not to shoot down a friendly P-38? And Mr. Copley did a great job on the plane, so there should be no reason to verify the assembly of it. I could offer some cucumber sandwiches, but I'm fresh out of cucumbers. Or, I should say, out of fresh cucumbers.
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Post by rattler1 on Mar 9, 2009 16:10:58 GMT -5
Capt. Zlogg. The old pig made the crossing! It wasn't as bad as I'd expected. Managed to get up to 17,000 and pick up a decent tailwind, taking just short of six hours, at a ground speed of about 230 kts. Either the Bears in the air didn't see me, or they decided to let me go. Perhaps you put in a word? If so, thanks.
Allen. Good luck with the crossing. I'm running along the line of the Aleutians to Valdez next. At least there are plenty of en-route bolt holes on that one. The Saporro-Atu leg, going direct, was over a lot of very cold water. It's not nice when the "nearest" screen on the GPS shows blank for airfields, VORs and NDBs.
Rattler
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Post by Allen Peterson on Mar 9, 2009 17:37:50 GMT -5
Rattlin', yeah the leg from UHPP to ATU will be the test for me. I'm trying to do the flight on internal fuel only, that is why I need to stop in the GSP - providing Capt Zlogg can put in a good word for me. To make the leg to ATU I'll need to turn the RPMs down so I'm only burning 100 gal/hr, and maintain at least 200kts ground speed. That will give me about a 30 minute margin, so a little tail wind would help. The back up plan would be to hang the 300 gallon external tanks at Sapporo and go direct to ATU.
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Post by Capt Zlogg on Mar 9, 2009 23:27:18 GMT -5
Comrades,
You are on the way home already while the GAAR is still in full swing? How can that be possible? Oh yes, the kapitalistny playing foul again. We smell a mouse!! If you can have some of the magic elixir by Proppy in the cold North? YES, YOU CAN!! (somebody stole that ancient line from us). A box with fresh brew is on its way. Hmmmm......we saw you all the time, we keep an eye on everybody and saw your (cu)cumbersome animal plodding along. The empire has nothing to offer than such idiotic contraptions and the Bear crew had a great time watching you sweating it out despite the sub-zero temperatures. They only wonder why you touched your nose all the time. Comrade Beard, all the arrangements have been made. At Khomutovo there will be a ground crew available to turn you round in a jiffy. Valentina Kremenchova and her top crew will be fuelling and checking your fork tail while playing balalaika and perform some ancient local dances. At Yelizovo we have arranged for a special outing: a visit to the Dolni Mazerovsk mines! It is the local pride of that oblast and a must see. The workers of this big uranium mine are glowing with pride and looking forward to your visit.
Cheers, Capt Zlogg VP KGB Air Droppers (cows & Elephant div) Chief Director Yelizovenska Umpah Umpah Brass Ensemble (summertime only)
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Post by pterodactyl (George) on Mar 10, 2009 21:42:07 GMT -5
Capt Zlogg. I am not on my way home yet, just landed after the last leg a few minutes ago. I am early but you know us Kanucs do everthing faster. I appreciate the magic elixir, I will enjoy it the trip home. I wait here in Jadakot for your glorious arrival, after me of course.
I salute all the participants with a raised glass of my last splash of fine Kentucky Bourbon until I arrive home.
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Post by Capt Zlogg on Mar 12, 2009 8:30:44 GMT -5
Comrade Pterosaur, we know your family, they are slow movers! We are deeply moved you await our spectacular arrival with a kiddy drink in hand! Proppy will brew a special "Black label extraordinaire" elixir for this occasion. Because of its volatile properties it has to be adminstered in an underground bunker.
cheers Capt Zlogg VP KGB Air Droppers (cow & elephant div) M.D. Glory Hole Bunker Developments div.
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Post by Allen Peterson on Mar 12, 2009 12:27:58 GMT -5
Thanks for the arrangements, Capt Zlogg! OK, Ill go for a quick appearance at the mine to honor the workers - but at a safe distance! I'm bright enough already (my mom was the first to notice). I would also like to visit downtown Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky and see the town square and visit the local market. Do you think they will have some fresh cucumbers? And go to the harbor and get some pictures of the volcanoes. I understand the view from the harbor is magnificent! I still have three more legs to complete on the great GAAR so it will be a few days before I head north, and a few more before I get to Sapporo. I'll post when I get there so you can let Valentina know when to expect me. I wouldn't want to sneak up on them a get on the wrong end of a MIG-35! Anyway, I'm looking forward to the balalaika playing and watching the ancient local dances.
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budsbud
Member
Cross winds of life
Posts: 211
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Post by budsbud on Mar 12, 2009 19:05:56 GMT -5
THE END YPJT Jandakot Finally made it all the way to the end of a great adventure. My first but by no means my last rally. Can not thank the organizers who put all this together, they are all to be complemented for an outstanding job, well done. I sure learned a heck of a lot from all the experts especially Capt Zlogg I will now take my time going back to FL via the southern route that I flew down to OZ. New Caledonia to Fiji then on to Christmas and to Hawaii, add internal fuel bladder to make San Diego then home to KMCO
Bud
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Post by rattler1 on Mar 13, 2009 12:11:32 GMT -5
Capt. Zlogg. So, the Bears were watching me. Just as well really, since if I'd had to ditch they could have called in the navy to rescue me (?). It's true I'm going home (sob ) The Powers had sight of the roster and said the crew could only have two days off in Perth and then must start back. It may be a museum piece, but in these cash-strapped times the RAF needs every aircraft it can get its hands on.. They had Valettas in the Canal Zone in the fifties, so I suppose it could be useful in Iraq. I'll let you know how the rest of the trip pans out. Rattler
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Post by Allen Peterson on Mar 13, 2009 15:23:03 GMT -5
Planning for my going home trips continues. Thanks to Capt Zlogg's arrangements, the P-38 will go north to Yelizovo, then over the Aleutian Islands (my uncle served there in WW2) and down over Alaska and Canada to Idaho. The Piper Apache will fly the western route, more or less on Amy Johnson's 1930 path, to England, and then to Scotland, Iceland, Greenland and on to the US. I'll probably need to add a ferry tank on the trip across the Atlantic. I also have a B-26 (the Marauder) at Port Darwin, but never entered it in the GAAR. I was going to fly it east to Easter Island, South America and then north. And then I thought that since I was Down Under, why not go all of the way under - well almost all the way. So my plan is to fly from Darwin to Melbourne, then to Invercargill, then to McMurdo Station, Palmer Station and on to Punta Arenas. I haven't planned the rest of the route yet. I went to the airports at McMurdo and Palmer and flew a couple of circuits to see if I could get in and out OK. McMurdo is OK, well marked and long. Palmer is short and a little hard to find, but I got in OK. I can get out OK if I reduce the fuel load. I don't need as much to get to Punta Arenas. By using bomb bay tanks I can get about 2200 nm which should be good enough. It will be interesting to see what real weather does.
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Post by rattler1 on Mar 13, 2009 16:28:33 GMT -5
Well, it's certainly not Western Australia! Approaching Valdez On the runway at Valdez. Left-hand circuits are NOT an option. In fact, to get out on this runway, the only sensible thing to do is a smart 180 right and run down the inlet until you have enough height to set course. Shutdown. Time for a hot toddy and a day off.
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