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Around the World in a Learjet.


Joop Kruize

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Stage 00 - Travel preparation. “Flying around the World”, and my rules of the game.

 

The plan is to fly VFR/IFR from Eelde to Eelde (NL.) around the World ~ 44,000 km. Very useful to use the autopilot so now and than. I do assume to fly in the real weather, so with local weather and wind. The local time is another thing. Preferably without correction. So in the morning or in the evening.?! The long water crossings will go on autopilot. But speed up time? No not! Sometimes you can plan, sometimes you can't. Then it just goes “Go With The Flow”. We'll see. Whenever possible, the ATC, Air Traffic Control, is activated and the orders are followed. The stage goes from Parking to Parking, incl. taxiing to/from the track on the advice of ATC. Reports will be made and posted on the FS9-forum with some video recordings and commentary during the flight. The Route: Eelde, Paris, Rome, Athens …..

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Will be interesting to watch your progress along the route. Being in Australia, am interested in the airports you've selected near me, I see on your route map that it's across Indonesia and Papua New Guinea, then I think it looks like New Caledonia, the islands across the Pacific. Without checking the atlas, I think it's Fiji, ?, Hawaii, LA.

 

Could you provide a list in this chat of those airports please.

 

Someday I'd like to do a similar around-the-world flight. But that'll have to wait until retirement I think. Good luck with the trip.

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MAD1: Thanks… This is my list of airports or regions. At this time I am in Athens. Up to Cyprus…

 

Global route via ~ the equator and eastward over ~ 44,000 km.;

To take advantage of the effect of the jet stream at high altitude, I fly east.

 

Eelde - Amsterdam - Paris - Geneva - Turin - Rome - Albania - Athens - Antalya - Cyprus -

(Places black and underlined are planned/affected landing sites)

Lebanon - Baghdad - Kuwait - Dubai - Pakistan South - India West - Sri Lanka - Sumatra North - Java Jakarta - Celebes south - Moluccas - West Papua - New Guinea - Marshall Islands and

Amaranth Kabua - Johnston Atoll - Hawaii Honolulu and/or …. - Gulf of California SF and/or LA?

Coastline to Florida - Coastline to New York - Newfoundland - Azores Santa Cruz - Madeira -

Canary Islands Lanzarote - Morocco - Gibraltar - Spain east coast - Bay of Biscay -

French and Belgian coast - Zeeland - Amsterdam - Almere - Eelde runway 23.

Edited by Joop Kruize
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Stage 01 - 5 Sept. ‘22. From “Eelde Groningen” to Paris “Le Bourget”. (Distance 401 Nm)

 

The plan to fly directly there is quickly abandoned. The view must also be beautiful. From Eelde it is about Drachten Airport, Leeuwarden Air Base, on the right along the “Afsluitdijk”. Via De Kooy, Den Helder along the coast, via Schiphol and Rotterdam airport to Haamstede. Via Zeeland, the Belgian coast over Koksy, Boulogne to Dieppe the French chalk cliffs. Then to WP.01 the approach route to Paris Le Bourget 108.8 Hz., Runway 07”, ILS 111.1 Hz. So this was the first trip. The experience was fifty-fifty..

The Eelde ATC was not there. Then without. They forgot to build in the Afsluitdijk.?? Yes I think so.

Schiphol was pretty good, but it wasn't very busy. No planes today? The Convid.?? Further along the coast. Didn't see any chalk cliffs but Paris was nice after I had to make a new start. Le Bourget was closer than I expected. So I had to make a short tour over Paris. Nice. To be continued…

F1DD11CA-A3FC-45A1-9C1F-B10D0FABC2B8.jpeg

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Stage 02 - 15 Sept. ‘22 From Paris to Rome Airport ”Fiumicino” LIRF (Distance 690 Nm)

 

Departed from Le Bourget near Paris. After a round above the city, past the Eiffel Tower

and a few skyscrapers, to Orleans HDG/DME 183/322 and st.Denis.de L' Hotel.

Turn left here and follow the Loire, to Briare-Chatillion (126) and to VOR/DME 113.4/394

Nevers-Fourchambault (162), via Macon-Charnay (123) to Geneva (95) VOR 114.6 Hz.

In a straight line over the Alps, past the white peaks of Mont Blanc to Italy, Aosta (120).

Then to Turin-Caselle (161) and Genoa-Sestri (132) VOR 108.6 Hz. on the mediterranean sea.

Via Pisa-San Giusto (122) along the west coast to the island of Elba (with VOR 114.7) to Marina Di Campo (187). Via Wp.07 (114) and descend via HDG 160 to the airport Rome “Fiumicino”,

Landing on runway 16L with ILS/DME 108.1/421 Hz. A good landing and another long taxiway.

The link to 02

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Edited by Joop Kruize
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Stage 03 - 17 Sept. "22. From Rome to Athens Elef. Venizelos “LGAV” (distance 598 Nm)

 

In Rome with a Beech Baron 58 made a round above the city, Vatican City and the Colosseum are the two most striking points of the city. With the Learjet45 the Worldtour continued from Rome to big city Naples with AirPort Capodichino VOR/DME 117.85/351 Hz.

Right past the volcano Vesuvius over Pompeii and over the mountains of Monte Cerreto.

Then across the foot of Italy to the tip of the heel and airbase Lecce (100) and the Adriatic sea over to Greece and the island of Corfu and airport Ioannis Kapodistrias (114) 108.8/403 Hz. Here begins the realm of the islands and a crossing of 214 Nm to Wp08 (HDG 121) and Athens with AirPort Elef. Veni. 117.5/357 Hz. Landed on runway 03R, ILS 111.1 Hz.

The link to 03

 

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Edited by Joop Kruize
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Very interesting is your commentary - I like the comments about the experience on each leg, both visually and with the actual flying. Having done some of that route - the long haul Australia to London, Australia to LA etc. a few times in my life as a passenger in e.g. a 747, it brings back memories of some views out the window. Keep posting your progress as you do each leg please, as I and possibly some other people are keeping you company as 'armchair tourists' or in this case 'armchair flyers'.

 

I just had a quick look at your first YouTube video

(didn't watch all of it, only a few snippets), very nice, well done. So I can and will definitely be sitting in the copilot's seat and fly the world with you! (Especially given that all my PCs and FS2002 is not working these days, having been flooded to the roof in my house in Feb 2020, so being able to be in the cockpit and be a passenger is very good, including the sound. Just like being there - in the sim that is!) Edited by MAD1
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Hi Joop, have watched Stage 2 and now just watching this Monday morning here your Stage 3 Rome to Athens https://youtu.be/YuCw9vu1LYo. As I've never used any flight planning in my FS2002, but have wanted to, am interested in your flight planning. What is your strategy/logic? Is it basically the simplest direct route, or do you let FS2004 guide you? Does the sim recommend a route e.g. with AI enabled, are there smarts built into the sim that help you plan your flight?

 

Am interested to follow the route using Google Maps and plot those waypoints, then fly via Google Maps the route (given that all my computers went under water in the catastropic flood here Feb 28 this year, but I do have the original FS2002, and FS2000, boxed sims (didn't go under water, the plastic box I store them in floated!) including original CDs so can re-install FS2002 when I get time to do so).

 

One thing I like about your project, it seems simple and 'off the shelf' software, just the sim and the built-in functionality in it. Hence any of us with only the standard sim can do the same. Shows that it's indeed possible to have both fun and a fairly realistic flying experience with an old sim (that runs on older, cheaper hardware), without going out and trying to find the newest gadgets. This is my world, my trusty FS2002, so much built-in functionality.

 

Finally, your landings are very smooth, looks like you're on automatic, not manually flying the final few seconds before the flare and wheel-touch. Is that so? Does the Learjet have that functionality, flying e.g. an ILS all the way to touchdown?

 

Cheers, your 'armchair co-pilot'. MAD1.

Edited by MAD1
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  • 1 month later...
MAD1… Thank you for your responses. Sorry for responding a bit late. Holiday trips in between. So you were also affected by those floods? Very sad. I saw the images. FS9/2004 is a great program of the 4 disks. The WT'22: The main route remains decisive. Every flight I look for the most interesting route for low flying, mountains, rivers, bridges, buildings. I fly this with the Learjet 45. At every stopover I do a local round with another aircraft of my choice. I make every flight plan in “Plan-G”. Great and simple. Just export to FS2004 which is already running.!! Import this flight plan at the start and turn on the GPS and it will remain on the screen for checking. Enter the frequencies of ATC departure and destination. I try to obey the ATC (often). Nice communication. Sometimes I had to take a different runway and then… Yes or no? I often use the AI ​​to do other things in between. Sometimes I turn off the AI, to manually and fly low. Further again on AI and I fly IFR on HDG. At the airport I direct towards the ILS and the AI ​​on Approach. The landing with Appr and gashandle to controle speed and partly manually where possible and taxi with help of the ATC. I make the film-foto’s with the X-Box keys in flight and in replaymode, and later with MovAvi Video Editor, then to YouTube. etc.. Cheers … To be continued….
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Stage 04 - 21 Sept. From Athens “LGAV” to Cyprus Larnaca LCLK (Dist. 548 Nm)

 

In Athens, from LGAT, I made a circle above the city with a Bell 206B JetRanger. A tour around the Acropolis in the center of the city and along the coast back to the airport. With the Learjet 45 it continues along Mykonos and via the many islands of Greece. Then through Turkey, via Bodrum and Dalaman to Antalya. From here across the sea to Cyprus. The landing started to airport Larnaca Int. Until I heard the ATC that it was not allowed to land in that direction 22, After Clearance for runway 4, I was finally allowed to land. It was already dark. Communication with ATC is getting better and better. But sometimes things go wrong, like here in Cyprus.

The link to 04

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Edited by Joop Kruize
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Stage 05 - 26 Oct. ‘22 From Cyprus to AirPort Baghdad Int. (distance 625 Nm)

 

I flew around Cyprus with a Cessna 208 Grand Caravan from Larnaca, via the south side past Akrotiri to PAFOS Int. airport. Although the Power sometimes fell away, landed well. With the Learjet 45 and quite a lot of ATC contact for my “World-Travel 12” I left for Aleppo, so Mesopotamia, the country of the two streams, the Euphrates and the Tigris. Even if I don't stay on course I get a correction for altitude and course deviation. Such an nice IFR trip. Via the south side of Turkey to Syria / Iraq, from hill country to a flat, dull desert plain landscape. Via the Assad-Lake near Aleppo, follow the Euphrates through the desert to the “Thethar-lake” near Baghdad. Down here below 2500 ft. for the ILS and a good ILS landing with AI Appr. etc.

The link to 05

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Hi Joop, glad you're back, thought I might have invaded your adventure too much and you decided to stop communicating. Of course, European summer holiday season explains you're absence. Haven't read in detail your last two posts yet or watched the videos, will enjoy them. Thanks for the info re your flight planning, interesting. Enjoy your eastward journey towards my part of the world.
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Stage 06 - 8 Nov. ‘22 From Baghdad to Dubai Int. AirPort (Distance 899 Nm)

 

In Baghdad I flew a round above the city with a good old Beech Baron 58. Via the Tigris River over the bridge “July 14,” and back to Baghdad AirPort. With my Learjet 45 I continued my journey to the Persian Gulf, a dull stretch of desert to the green fertile stretch of the Euphrates River. Over some beautiful lakes to Basra where the Euphrates meets the Tigris. Then to Kuwait. For the first time I flew at high altitude, 45,000 ft. But the speed went down below 280 kts. Why..? Via Bahrain and Qatar to the United Emirates, the beautiful coastal strip to Dubai AirPort. Dubai is not the city of today but a normal collection of buildings without the skyscrapers.

The link to 06 - Dubai

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I did this once in the Lear (albeit slightly modified). I was able to not cheat on fuel all the way until I crossed the Pacific to Hawaii. Boy, is that a stretch of water!

 

Today, I use my F-22 which not only allows for a faster cruise, higher ceiling, but I can get in and out of pretty much any field. I've done this now five or six times. LOL

 

What I like to do is once I land I go into Google Street View and check out the area for real. I also sometimes read about the airport I land to at Wikipedia as well.

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CRJ_Simpilot..

Correct. For my flights I also use several programs such as Google Earth, and -Maps to find a beautiful landscape or to view a bridge or river later. That F-22 Raptor? Does it go beyond 2200 Nm? For Hawaii I added a Learjet 60. (Otherwise the B-747). I do have an F-16, but the flight range is not that great. Thanks for this and other responses.

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Stage 07 -11 Nov. Nightflight from Dubai to Karachi Int. Jannah (Distance 687 Nm)

Dubai with an "old Spitfire" flew around this "old city" (~1990?). Dubai is still a normal city in FS9 without high buildings skyscrapers etc. So opted for an good old Spitfire. With my Learjet-45 to Karachi, the big city of Pakistan. First round the point of the Emirates. The long coastline of Iran, via, Jask, Biahi to Gwadar in Pakistan to Karachi, Jannah Int. Airport. Another test flown at high altitude 40,700 ft with max speed. (but no mach 0.81.!!), Why the speed apparently decreases to 240 kts was a mystery to me. The 687 Nm I flew in 2:07 hours. An average of 325 Nm/hr. Not a mach 0.81, but still… The fuel consumption is high at low flying height (5 lb/Nm.) But now it was 2.6 lb/Nm.!! Started with full tanks, 6002 lb. In Karachi there was still 4200 lb. My range is 2200 Nm.! That’s good. This part flew in the dark. A new experience. Nice track lighting. ATC communication is also getting better and better. Only in Karachi it remained a bit quiet. (Gate/taxi to?)

The link to 07 - Karachi ..

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Edited by Joop Kruize
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In recent years it's never been better to be an 'armchair tourist', whereby with e.g. Google Earth and Maps, and Streetview, plus Wikipedia, one can wander the globe, almost as good as doing it for real (however nothing replaces actually being there). Indeed, it's great for nostalgia, revisiting places one has actually been to. I also do the same as CRJ_simpilot and enjoy Streetview to explore. Putting all that into your FS experience provides a rich environment, only needs a little imagination to pretend you flew into an airport, with a few circuits before landing (or as Joop does, jump into another aircraft to get an overview of the place), then hire a car and went into town to see the sites. Edited by MAD1
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  • 2 weeks later...

Stage 08 Nov. 17th From Karachi in Pakistan to Mumbai in India (Distance 528 Nm)

On 15 Nov. With a Mooney flown a circle above the city of Karachi and surroundings.

Except for the airports and a reservoir, there was little to see in this flat area.

On 17 Nov. My Learjet 45 continues the journey along the western coastline of India. Many coves. My first choice was the Gao Panaji airport, but it had no ILS and was therefore unsuitable. After an area with many sea coves (Creeks) a relatively dull flat area along the coastline. Some lakes and rivers, the “Shetrunji” with bridge near “Talaja”. Then a huge bay, cove. Crossed this “Gulf of Khambhat” to “Surat” and then right to Mumbai AirPort int. Between a beautiful hilly area and the “Ulhas River” with three long bridges, .. Mumbai.

The link to 08 - Mumbai ..

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Edited by Joop Kruize
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Stage 09 Nov. 20th. From Mumbai India to Colombo Sri Lanka (Distance 867 Nm)

 

On 20 Nov. I flew over the city of Mumbai in an Antonov AN-2. A nice environment. Lots of hills, water features, canals and bridges. The AN-2 has many beautiful old unsorted instruments. No Nm and ft. but meters and kilometers. The ILS, AP and APP via NAV was still a bit awkward. With my Learjet 45 the journey continued along the coastline to the south and flying very low this time through the hills, through the interior and after a short water crossing to Colombo Sri Lanka. The link to 09 - Colombo ..

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Edited by Joop Kruize
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That F-22 Raptor? Does it go beyond 2200 Nm?

 

 

Great question. According the the United States Air Force, the range is 1,600 NM and with external wing tanks you can add an additional 250 NM to that range for a total of 1,850 NM. Of course there are many variables to that. Cruise ceiling, how much thrust, weather and all that rot.

 

Now for me personally in the Sim, I pretend like I pair up with a KC-135 for a refuel when I hit my custom auto refuel button in the cockpit. LOL

 

Edit-

 

Just think, if the Raptor fires just one Aim-120, Joe tax payer has to cough up a little over 1 million bucks. LOL!

 

But seriously, does it really cost a state lottery win to manufacture that missile for that price? Even considering the added profit margin?!

 

Edit 2-

 

I guess military manufacturing is like selling a couch....

Edited by CRJ_simpilot
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