[KHPN Spotter]

You know what to do, post your pics

I took one of my scope, just an example of the traffic around St Barts today

TFFJ_CTR

I had a lot of fun, I hope you guys did too!

[brett s]

Fun place - tiny runway, just barely long enough for my F/A-18 (a tweaked version of Barry Leger's v8 rendition, I'm still working on it) when pretty light if you fly the correct approach speed/AoA. Of course, I didn't know that for sure until after I was committed to landing - made it with very little to spare, sure enough the POH charts say I need 2000' & the runway was 2100'

If off on the approach you'll overrun & go swimming (I did a couple times) - with the custom scenery installed there was no solid ground anyways, made staying on the runway & taxiways rather important! Ok, now for the screenshots:


On a long downwind, you can see the airport behind the large hill


Parked after landing


Waiting to takeoff, with one on short final & two more behind me


On approach


Made a low speed/high AoA pass


Someone wanted to dogfight - noticed the smoothing routines have gotten better in this version of XSB, that's nice. The master caution light is the low fuel warning - this thing really burns fuel at low altitudes!


Maneuvering for the guns kill after topping off with gas...

[Mac OS X-Plane]

nice shots bretts!

I just took 2 shots. it was fun but there was not much people there (I was a little late - ISP problems ).

Forest fire viewed from 17000ft, on my way to Princess Juliana Intl (TNCM) (hey I didn't want to risk the passengers lives by landing at St. Barts )


Just before blasting off the carrier deck with a SU-30...

This post has been edited by Mac OS X-Plane: 03 April 2005 - 08:56 PM

[rundek]

I want to get in before Kumianka does, to Post my Pics, or I'll be posting on Page 10. Just kidding Kumianka. Here are mine of the Fly-In


http://homepage.mac....hotoAlbum7.html

[Kumiankka]

LOL take your time Rundek, I'm not posting my pics until tomorrow (made the banner today and I'm feeling lazy )

[Kumiankka]

Nce pics everyone =) (you only get an ascii smiley though, apparently forum can't spare you any)


Edit: the image links are working again, you can also view the pics at http://tols17.oulu.f.../picarchive.htm (my fly-in screenshot archive)


Ok, here we go then:

I started out from Le Raizet, Guadeloupe in a Breguet 763, flew the plane there from St Martin back when we had the Guadeloupe fly-in so I thought that TFFR would make a nice starting point.

Trying to get the engines started
Taxiing to the runway
Ready to take off

The takeoff and departure from Le Raizet
Picture 1
Picture 2
Picture 3
Picture 4
Picture 5

Over the clouds and heading for Saint-Barthélemy
Passing Montserrat (went a little of course, was going to fly over Antigua but I followed the wrong ADF needle lol)
The islands of St Kitts and Nevis (Nevis in the foreground)
A view of Saint Eustatius out the left window
To the right, Saint-Barthélemy with plenty of traffic

Being vectored towards TFFJ
Over TFFJ but too high for a good approach, the Breguet 763 cockpit isn't exactly easy to see out of when you're flying straight and level and I noticed the airport too late (can you spot the runway? )
Going around
3 other pilots waiting to land, lots of work for the ATC

Back on the approach, this time somewhat lower and with much less airspeed
Coming in to land
...oops! The wheels hit the swamp around the runway and the plane is wrecked
Going for a swim
The anchor doesn't work and I'm back to blocking the runway (the engines are out too so I can't move off the runway anymore, but I solved the problem by going to the local map and giving myself a little boost to 10 knots )


For flying around Saint Barts I switched to a WWII Italian biplane, the Fiat CR42. Difficult to take off, but still easier to taxi than the BA-4B.
On the runway, Rundek in the helo (see Rundek's pic: UNITED too HEAVY for his view of the situation )
Over the airport
No, that's not a takeoff

Ah! A target...
In the sights
Firing

Patrolling the skies over Saint Barts
Diving towards the airport
Trying to shoot down another plane
Evasive action!

Tailing an F15 towards the airfield
F15 on final
A successful landing

I spot another plane and start following it
Still tailing the plane, heading away from Saint Barts
At its destination, Saint Martin
Turning back to Saint Barts

Chasing more traffic around TFFJ
Picture 1
Picture 2
Picture 3

Pulled up too hard and destroyed the frame
The plane could still fly for a little while, but without engine power and solid ground this was the inevitable result...

Taking off again from TFFJ
Off the coastline

Climbing above the clouds and heading for Saint Martin
Picture 1
Picture 2
Picture 3

Watching another landing
Safely down? Not so fast...
Trying out some crazy near-stall maneuvers
Cockpit view, flying over Saint Martin
Checking out a crashed fighter

A new target appears
Nowhere to hide...

Some more peaceful flying
Picture 1
Picture 2
Picture 3

A fighter gone off the runway
Flying around Saint Martin and admiring the view

I had been flying too long and ran out of fuel at a low altitude - this is what happened

Still ready for one more flight
Taking off from TNCM

Flying around Saint Martin, not much more daylight left
Picture 1
Picture 2
Picture 3
Picture 4


Vertical flying, stalls and crazy spins again (no wonder I managed to empty that fuel tank flying like this)
The sun is almost down, heading back for the airport
On final
About to land (quite a fearless photographer, I have to say )
Down on the runway but having steering difficulties
Off the runway and into the water! (how they managed to build a road on that ground I can't guess...)

One last sunset pic of the airport


All in all great fly-in, special thanks to ATC for putting up with all the crazyness especially with the very small airfield. I managed to wreck four planes this time, a personal record I think but who's counting

This post has been edited by Kumiankka: 20 January 2006 - 05:09 AM

[xpglegg]

Awww man I'm too late lol

Just kidding...gonna post mine after I write a philosophy paper

[xpglegg]

Well after 3 weeks I finally got my St. Barthelemy flyin movie up. It's 10 MB. I had more video clips but I accidentally saved over them so I was left with what's in the movie.

http://xpglegg.serve....org/stbart.mov



Edit: fixed your link -Kumiankka

This post has been edited by Kumiankka: 25 April 2005 - 02:27 AM