EastWest Airlines (VA) Australia Forum

[GM_EWA]

Season's Greetings to you all. August 2007 sees EWA complete its 10th year of virtual airline operations. By any standards this is a significant achievement as there aren't too many VAs having lasted that long. Whilst EWA no longer enjoys the participation rate seen several years ago, those dedicated and loyal to EastWest will agree it's right up there at the top, having led the way in many areas of virtual airline flying. What we do for virtual flying we do VERY well.

My idea for our 10th Birthday event is to do the first East-West Fokker F27 Friendship delivery flight from Amsterdam to Tamworth. The real world flight occurred over 13 days from 30 July to 12 August, 1959. VH-EWA "City of Tamworth" was a MK100 version with Rolls Royce R.DA6 engines. Because of the limited tank capacity, longest possible flight time was four hours, requiring many stops enroute.

The delivery flight route (with 12 POB) was -

Amsterdam - Marseilles - Rome - Athens - Beirut - Kuwait - Bahrain - Sharjah - Karachi - New Delhi - Calcutta - Rangoon - Bangkok - Saigon - Labuan - Zamboanga - Davas - Sorong - Darwin - Mt Isa - Longreach - Brisbane - Tamworth (overflying Coolangatta, Grafton, Glen Innes, Inverell, Armidale, Gunnedah and Quirindi.

The flight arrived at Tamworth 3.30pm on 12 August 1959. 12/08/2007 is a Sunday, so I'd be looking to end our Event on that afternoon. 22 legs, 21 flown on a Friday evening (with a possible repeat on the Saturday afternoon for those unable to join us on a Friday night) as we've done with our VFR Events Paul has so capably organised. By my calculation, doing one leg per week we'd need to depart EHAM on the evening of Friday, 16th March 2007.

The itinerary would therefore be -

16/03/2007 - Amsterdam-Marseilles - EHAM-LFML
23/03/2007 - Marseilles-Rome - LFML-LIRF
30/03/2007 - Rome-Athens - LIRF-LGAV
06/04/2007 - Athens-Beirut - LGAV-OLBA
13/04/2006 - Beirut-Kuwait - OLBA-OKBK
20/04/2006 - Kuwait-Bahrain - OKBK-OBBI
27/04/2007 - Bahrain-Sharjah - OBBI-OMSJ
04/05/2007 - Sharjah-Karachi - OMSJ-OPKC
11/05/2007 - Karachi-New Delhi - OPKC-VIDP
18/05/2007 - New Delhi-Calcutta - VIDP-VECC
25/05/2007 - Calcutta-Rangoon - VECC-VYYY (now Yangon Intl, Myanmar)
01/06/2007 - Rangoon-Bangkok - VYYY-VTBS
08/06/2007 - Bangkok-Saigon - VTBS-VVTS (now Hochiminh, Tansonnhat)
15/06/2007 - Saigon-Labuan - VVTS-WBKL
22/06/2007 - Labuan-Zamboanga - WBKL-RPMZ
29/06/2007 - Zamboanga-Davas - RPMZ-????
06/07/2007 - Davas-Sorong - ????-WASS
13/07/2007 - Sorong-Darwin - WASS-YPDN
20/07/2007 - Darwin-Mt Isa - YPDN-YBMA
27/07/2007 - Mt Isa-Longreach - YBMA-YLRE
03/08/2007 - Longreach-Brisbane - YLRE-YBBN
12/08/2007 - Brisbane-Tamworth - YBBN-YSTW

Route details will be provided prior to each leg. Flight planning and charts will be the PIC's responsibility. I know there's good add-on scenery (airport, landclass and/or terrain mesh) for a number of these areas so if you don't have them loaded and will be taking part on any or all legs, I suggest you start looking around the major flightsim file repositiories.

Just the thought of this F27 tour really excites me because of the range of airports visited. There is an F27 aircraft (for FS2002 but flies fine in FS9) in East-West livery available on Flightsim.com (link below) -

http://209.85.10.72/cgi/kdlr/main/__4Et4C01i/50/f27_ew.zip

Paul, we'll need to finish the NZ VFR tour before March 16, so please take that into consideration in preparing your tour itinerary. We could, if necessary, split the NZ tour, finishing it after the 10th Birthday event. Thoughts?

Now, I guess some may take offence at my tone here but in concluding, I'm not asking for a high level of participation from EWA pilots on this event, I'm EXPECTING it in our 10th year and that applies to ALL flightcrew, BoM included. Other Board members have been disappointingly scarce in their appearance at these events and it's time that changed ... No ifs, ands or buts. Likewise to any EWA pilot having been slack in their contribution to their VA over recent weeks, months or even years, it's time to dust off the flying jacket with "Dedicated EWA Pilot" on the front and "Loyalty is Everything" on the back to join this online 10th Birthday event. Frankly, I'm dead set disappointed with the lack of commitment and contribution to our VA, having seen one of our own flying for VOZ Virtual the other night. There has been a disturbing tendency to let the few do it all and over the next 12 months I'll be calling each individual EWA pilot to account for their contribution. For mine in general terms there's been way too much coasting and lack of tangible contribution to EWA over the past 2-3 years and if you haven't opened your account it's time for you to stand up and be counted as part of this VA. I'll have more to say on that in a post to our Forum in the New Year, discussing our VA's future as I prepare to step down as GM and Board member at the end of 2007.

So, with this notice of our 10th Birthday event going out in plenty of time for you to begin your preparation for what should be the biggest and best event yet held by EWA, I look forward to your company on this recreated delivery flight.

Best Regards

A.W.
_________________
Andrew Watson
Liaison
The EastWest VA Group
EWA2/EWF2/VHABW

[pphibbs]

Thanks for putting this event together. It seems appropriate at this anniversary of the VA to experience the maiden journey of the first Focker 27 that EWA received.

As you are now aware, the New Zealand event has been put on hold to allow this event to run at your scheduled time and in it's place, we have been running the Scenic Adventures event. This will conclude prior to the anniversary event. We will look at the New Zealand event after this one.

Is it OK to fly the Dash8-300 as a substitute to the Focker 27. I don't think I could get imersed in the flight experience with a freeware aircraft as much as the PSS Dash 8.

Is there an EWA livery for the PSS Dash8?

I'm guessing that this flight would need to be IFR due to the intercontinental trips, so many of our loyal VFR pilots from other events may not be as interested. Therefore, it probably isn't appropriate to advertise the event in the VFR forum.

Thanks again for your work in putting this event together.
_________________
Regards, Paul Phibbs (EWA512)

[GM_EWA]

Hi Paul

Noted re the NZ epic on hold. I'm really looking forward to that one, too.

I'll leave it open to participants to choose their aircraft. I'm sure the PSS Dash 8 will be a popular choice. Yes, there is an EWA livery for it - see the 2004 Aircraft Forum for the download link.

I am hoping to have an F27 painted in a commemorative livery for this flight but that depends on time and opportunity.
_________________
Andrew Watson
Liaison
The EastWest VA Group
EWA2/EWF2/VHABW

[GM_EWA]

With thanks to Roscoe, here are most of the plans for our EHAM-YSTW event.

EHAM-LFML DCT LEKKO UB31 WOODY UN872 KOVIN UY317 PTV UM728 NEV UM728 LERGA UY30 MTL DCT 605.0 nm

(EHAM LEKKO LARAS WOODY NIK BUB REMBA RITAX DEMUL DIK LIMGO DIK21 SUTAL GTQ POGOL LASAT MIRGU TIRSO ARPUS EPOXI TORPA MOROK ABEAM GILIR TUROM BOLGI MILPA GIRKU BALSI KURIR MTL LFML)

LFML-LIRF DCT UY26 ADITA UT24 STP UL127 SODRI UM728 GILET P160 OST DCT 328nm

(ADITA TURIL STP LERMA OMARD MERLU SODRI BTA DOKAR KISTO PODOX ROTIR MEDAL OST)

LIRF-LGAV DCT LAT TEA UL995 KRK UN138 PIKAD DCT 596nm

(OST LAT TEA AKAMO AMSOR EKTOL DOGUS TOPNO LUXIL ROBOT BRD ORSOM TIGRA KRK PARNA GARTA ELVAS IXONI PIKAD)

LGAV-OLBA DCT VARIX UL995 RDS UM601 DASNI UR19 KUKLA KAD DCT 617nm

(KEA VARIX RIPLI AKINA LURUS KOPAR ASIMI RDS EXELA EVENO DASNI LCA REXAL DESPO KUKLA KAD)

OLBA-OKBK DCT DAM OVANO UL768 VATIM BOSID B417 KUA DCT 738NM
(DAM OVANO AAR RAFHA VATIM BOSID BONIM KUA)

OKBK-OBBI DCT KUA DARVA DASTI UL602 BAH DCT 230nm
(KUA DARVA DASTI SELEG ALVON BAH)

OBBI-OMSJ DCT BAH IVORI A791 SHJ DCT 278nm
(BAH IVORI AMOLI TUGOS ITITA DESDI RAGOL SHJ)

OMSJ-OPKC DCT SHJ A791 LATEM LOTAT KC DCT 638nm
(SHJ TUKLA NADNI SHJ48 LALDO IMLOT KANAS EGPIC EGRON JI LATEM LOTAT KC)

OPKC-VIDP DCT KC BADIL NH J112 RK G452 AVGON DPN DCT 628nm
(KC BADIL NH BIMLA ZOHAR RK TIGER LUN PEKIX AVGON DPN)

VIDP-VECC DPN R460 CEA 714nm
(DPN ALI KADAS LLK BBN GGC TEPAL BEGET CEA32 CEA)

VECC-VYYY DCT CEA R325 DOPID P646 PTN DCT 591nm
(CEA MADAK DOPID IBITA PTN)

VYYY-VTBS DCT POXEM B463 DWI R468 BKK DCT 348NM
(POXEM DWI TANEK BKK)

VTBS-VVTS DCT BKK R468 TSN DCT 401NM
(BKK GOMES BOKAK PNH POPET TSN)

VVTS-WBKL DCT TSN M768 DOGOG W441 VLB DCT 617NM
(TSN LANHI ELSAS DAGAG MOXON AKMON LAGOT TODAM ASISU DOGOG UKIBA VLB)

WBKL-RPMZ DCT VLB G580 VJN A341 ZAM DCT 426NM
(VLB VJN VSN VIMAG ANKUR PILAS ZAM)

RPMZ-RPMD DCT ZAM W10 DAO DCT 220NM
(ZAM GOSTO COT LINAO KLAFU DAO)

RPMD-WASS DCT DAO ELDOR B473 SAMGE SOG DCT 585NM
(DAO ELDOR SADAN SAMGE SOG)

WASS-YPDN DCT SOG SOBIA BUTPA A461 DN DCT 717NM
(SOG SOBIA BUTPA NAYAR OCTOB DN)

YPDN-YBMA DCT DN J251 TN W946 MA DCT

YBMA-YLRE DCT MA J89 LRE DCT
(MA SARIK LRE)

YLRE-YBBN DCT LRE J89 TAM V327 HAWKE BN DCT
(LRE PUDUR TAM ROWLO HAWKE BN)

YBBN-YSTW DCT BN CG BERNI TW DCT
(BN CG BERNI TW)
_________________
Ross King
Chief Pilot
EastWest Australia VA
EWA003
_________________
Andrew Watson
Liaison
The EastWest VA Group
EWA2/EWF2/VHABW

[GM_EWA]

On the VATPAC Affiliates Forum the suggestion was made that some participants might want to fly each leg using basic NDB and/or VOR navigation in lieu of ful FMC flight plans. Also, I'm aware that many will be flying the PSS Dash8 and so I'm planning to put up an FS9 and Dash8 FMC plan for each leg by no later than midnight Wednesday before each flight.

For example, here is an FS9 plan for EHAM-LFML -

http://eastwestva.org/fs9plans/IFR_EHAM-LFML.PLN

Just right click on the link, select Save Target As and save it to your My Documents\Flight Simulator Files folder.
_________________
Andrew Watson
Liaison
The EastWest VA Group
EWA2/EWF2/VHABW

[GM_EWA]

For those who might be new to the world of online flying on the VATSIM Network, VATSIM provides some excellent training and general information material in its Pilot Resource Centre at -

http://www.vatsim.net/prc/

We recommend to take note of the FAQ section and VATSIM Chart Centre links. You can obtain a lot of current arrival/departure charts through the VATSIM Chart Centre link.

We have provided most of the Event's flight plan information already but for the purposes of general information we offer the following flight planning links -

http://www.vatroute.net/
VATroute

http://www.euroutepro.com/euroute_module.htm
The excellent EUroute module

http://rfinder.asalink.net/free/
RouteFinder - freeware flight planning and indispensable in filling in those gaps where you just can't get hold of a flight plan.

Please also be aware of our own VATPAC Web Site at -

http://www.vatpac.org/

With a wealth of regional Air Traffic Services (ATS) information, a host of domestic and international flight plans, links to the Australian Departure and Approach Procedures (DAPs) and New Zealand Aeronautical Information Publication (AIP), and the excellent PilotAssist flight information module, the VATPAC Site is an essential resource for virtual pilots flying in the Oceania region.
_________________
Andrew Watson
Liaison
The EastWest VA Group
EWA2/EWF2/VHABW

[GM_EWA]

With grateful thanks to Paul Phibbs, here is a PDF outline of our 10th Birthday Event for you to save to your PC and print out if required.

http://eastwestva.org/pdfgen/ewa_10th_anniversary_flight.pdf

Just right click on the link, choose Save Target As... to save it to your preferred location on your PC.

Well done, Paul!
_________________
Andrew Watson
Liaison
The EastWest VA Group
EWA2/EWF2/VHABW

[GM_EWA]

Here's a little something I put together to introduce our 10th Birthday Event. It is a short presentation in Windows Media format (filesize ~7.8Mb). We suggest you right click on the link, chhose Save Target As and save it to your PC for playing.

http://eastwestva.org/video/ewa10th_mar2007.wmv

If you just click on the link the video will stop and buffer again about half way through, hence the recommendation to save ot to your computer.

If you know someone who might be interested in joining us during this Event, please make this video known to them.

Best Regards

A.W.
EWA2
_________________
Andrew Watson
Liaison
The EastWest VA Group
EWA2/EWF2/VHABW

[GM_EWA]

Here is the FMC route EHAM-LFML for the PSS Dash8. Right click on the link; choose Save Target As and save it to your Flight Simulator 9\PSS\Routes folder.

http://eastwestva.org/pss/EHAMLFML.route
_________________
Andrew Watson
Liaison
The EastWest VA Group
EWA2/EWF2/VHABW

[ewa086]

Andrew and team,

Great video you guys have put together, will try and fly some legs with you if RL permits it.
_________________
Safe flying
Carl J
EWA086

[GM_EWA]

Captain Juliet

I do hope you can join us for a few of the legs. It's been way too long since we've caught up online.

Capt Whiskey
_________________
Andrew Watson
Liaison
The EastWest VA Group
EWA2/EWF2/VHABW

[BarryWard12345]

OK guys -- now come all the questions from a newbie. Well, maybe not so new in regard to flying the Sim. I will be able to fly the Dash8 EHAM to LFML using the VOR to VOR flightplan posted by GM_EWA and can basically understand the FMS type flightplan also posted by GM_EWA (although I won't be using it as I am yet to play around with FMC's and I don't know how well the one in the PSS Dash 8 works).

Now in regard to the actual Vatsim IFR requirements. I have never flown IFR with Vatsim but have done a lot of reading. It appears that most probably, there will be no ATC at the time of the flights - BUT what if there is??
I have studies the requirements of the LEKKO SID for EHAM - but wouldn't at this stage have a clue about a Star at LFML.

So , how should I - a newbie who would like this opportunity of a number of IFR flights in company of more expert Vatsim flyers - approach this excercise?

Thanks for any thoughts.

Barry

[David Humble]

Some thoughts - probably the most important - make sure you can fly the plane If nothing else a controller can get you on route if you can fly an assigned heading , and maintain a assigned altitude.
From there using navaids for navigation then the FMC are logical steps in making the automation work for you.

The PSS Dash8 FMC is not to difficult to use Even if you are not intending to use it to control the plane put the flight plan in and then if nothing else the track will appear on the PFD and confirm what you are doing with your other navigation. The manuals with the PSS are quite good - I'm now quite happy with the FMC having started from nothing when I got the Dash 8



David

[GM_EWA]

David

Many thanks for your reply to Barry's post.

Barry, what I'll do is start another thread to cover the type of question(s) on IFR and ATS procedures that might get asked along the way. That way, we'll keep this thread specifically for posting Event-related info such as routes, special instructions, etc.

I'll call the thread "10th Birthday Event - IFR/ATS Aspects" and will copy Barry's post to it.
_________________
Andrew Watson
Liaison
The EastWest VA Group
EWA2/EWF2/VHABW

[MichaelP]

Hi all,

I'm looking forward to flying as many legs as I possibly can for this tour in the F27 if i can get the bleedin thing to fly on the straight and narrow ... she's a bit of a handful to fly HOTAS as I'm sure some of you have already found out !

What time UTC are we planning on being at Schipol for the first leg ?
_________________


Michael Peacock
EWP533