Around the world flight, using FSEconomy, and WED

[anthony_d]

Evening all,

So my latest project is to fly around the world, using FSEconomy.  Now it's often the case that fseconomy assignments take me to an airport that hasn't received any gateway treatment.  That airport then becomes an airport that I have to improve in WED and upload to the gateway.

Now anyone who's flown assignments with FSEconomy knows that many jobs can take you to some pretty obscure airports.  This obscurity therefore becomes the basis for working on WED airports.  There are still many airports in less visited parts of the world that haven't received any attention from a gateway artist, and are probably unlikely to unless the regular forms of bias are replaced with an element of chance.

So I wanted to purchase a Beechcraft B1900D, and the two cheapest available were in the USA and Brazil.  So I chose the aircraft in Brazil.  I'm also due a vacation next week where I fly in one of these planes for real (To Bella Coola no less), so I thought it would be fitting to do my virtual flying in one.

SNPE Penedo is an obscure Brazilian airfield.  Why anyone would choose to park a B1900D there is beyond the normal laws of economics.  But in the virtual FSEconomy environment there were several assignments out of this airfield. 

So I headed in the general direction of Africa, via several airports of course.  And then the next undeveloped airfield I landed in was in the country of Mauritania.  GQNN Nouakchott was the main airport for this country but it's now closed, but its runway and taxiways still exist.  So I upgraded this field to show them.  It's unlikely that it will become popular again, and I reckon in time it will become demolished.  But in the meantime, I give you......

 

Next airport was GQNK Kaedi.  Not much to see here, but enough to say that the default runway and taxiway was inaccurate.

 

So then an airport I had an assignment to, before it expired.  By which time I came up with GQNA Aioun El Atrouss.  Again this is a very basic affair.  In real life those roads are really just scratches in the desert etched out by the passage of 4 wheel drive vehicles.  It really is an isolated place.

 

Finally my existing airport.  DFFD Ouagadougou in Burkina Faso.  Probably the best sounding capital city in the world, just rolls off the tongue in the most fluid narrative!  Even better than Clackmannanshire!

Main Terminal Buildings

 

Military Apron

 

Wide angle of main apron

Next stop:  Some airports in Mali, but we'll see for sure which ones before too long.

[Janov]

Hi Anthony, great to see you back at it - I love reading your "flying" stories! I really need to install FSEconomy again...as soon as I have cloned myself 🙄.

We had a priest in the town I grew up in here in Germany, he helped out in a mission in Burkina Faso and incidentially spoke a lot about Ouagadogugou. It DOES sound so funny!

Cheers, Jan

 

[anthony_d]

On 8/26/2019 at 2:00 PM, Janov said:

I really need to install FSEconomy again...as soon as I have cloned myself 🙄.

You know if you still have an account with them, then by now you’re either the richest man on account of the interest accrued, or you’re the most wanted debtor on account of the outstanding fees that have accrued on any aircraft you forgot to sell off!

[anthony_d]

So I get back home after my Bella Coola holiday feeling much refreshed and find that X-Plane 11.36 versions are now accepted on the Gateway.  So a flurry of new airports across the Sahara Desert have been uploaded.

The first country is Mali, where two airports have been uploaded to the gateway. 
GAKL Kidal:  A new airport to X-Plane.  This had an usual feature on the satellite image that was too thick to be a boundary fence.  So I've interpreted  this feature to be a 3m high embankment.

 

Next is GAKL Tessalit.  A very basic airport.

 

Next is Libya.  HLGT Ghat is a small airport with a terminal.  According to flightradar24, there is a single daily scheduled flight to this place.

 

 Next is HL57 Al Wigh.  This looks like an airforce diversion airfield.  Lots of pavement, but little by way of buildings.

Next is HL79 Waw Al Kabir.  Another airfield that has all the makings of a diversion airforce airfield.  There's more buildings here, including a small ram shackle compound.  

Next is HL50 Zelten SW New.  This as a little more intimacy with facilities that almost meet airport grade.

Many of the airfields above are completely unlit, and there's little info by way of lighting status or ATC frequencies.  Skyvector is my main source.

I think next I'll take a visit to the real aviation forum and make a post about "Where I went to on my Holidays - CYBD Bella Coola".  

[Janov]

And next vacation shall be to - Lybia! Find out about the lighting status and get a nice tan in the process! 😉😎

[anthony_d]

3 hours ago, Janov said:

And next vacation shall be to - Lybia! 

You know back in 2011 I was getting onboard a BMI flight from Heathrow to Aberdeen, and having a browse through their in flight magazine.  They had one article extolling the virtues of Tripoli as a destination, and another extolling the virtues of Damascus.  I just thought of the events that happened over the previous two months, and then looked at the date on the magazine - only three months old!

It probably explains why the airline doesn't exist anymore!

[Janov]

Its true - how many beautiful destinations in the world are nowadays considered no-go because of us dumb humans?

Maybe - hopefully - in a few years we can all travel to these interesting places without fear for our lives. After all we have to go somewhere after they block access to the UK for us Europeans! 😂

[MDavidov]

Back on topic with FS Economy.  The basic FS Economy airport list is from (I think) FS2004 and contains many now-decommissioned airports and many small ones not included in the X-Plane database.  I have worked on a few of these as I encounter them, but there are many that need Gateway treatment.  It would be nice if there was a list started somewhere of those FSE airports that were not adequately represented by X-Plane.  Many of these slip through the cracks because the optional X-Prefab airports available through the FSE web site were built to accommodate X-Plane users and are seen as completed custom airports rather than bare or missing in X-Plane.  Trying to fly with FS Economy with default X-Plane airports is nearly impossible, especially with small GA assignments.

[anthony_d]

My personal experience of FSE is that European and North American assignments are more likely than not to involve an airport that’s been 3D’d on the gateway.

The rest of the world however is a different story, and I recent completed one project to make sure that every country has at least one gateway 3d airport.  

Now my round the world project addresses these less well visited regions of the world in a different way.  I’m basically using FSE to roll the dice for me when it comes to choosing the next airport to upgrade.  Doing so, limits the bias that exists with most gateway airport upgrades  - most airports that are on the gateway in 3d form exist because an xplane user has visited that airport in real life, or lives in the same vicinity of that airport.

So I’ve now travelled across the Sahara, and that region is a bit more lively on the gateway map.  Next stop is the Middle East, another rich seam of untapped gateway airports.

By focussing on “the road less travelled”,  it might just encourage others to visit and develop these areas even more.

[Will273]

This is really cool. I've always loved Geography and love these tasty little morsels of airports that no one's ever heard of...diamonds in the rough to me. Haven't got FSE but stuff like this has me interested...all these hidden out of the way places no one knows about...just begging to be explored. I'd never in a million years come across any of those places if you hadn't mentioned them....I'm in the USA. Where are your other stories and thanks!

Edited September 22, 2019 by Will273

[anthony_d]

My journey across the Sahara has been completed.

Just one more airport in Libya:  HLGL Warehouse 59E.  Going by the satellite images, this facility has had a fresh tarmac and paint job, so it's probably in commission.

 

Then we have Egypt.  HE24 Siwa Oasis North is not exactly the most complex airport I've ever built for the gateway.  If you want to top up with 100LL fuel, I think you'll be out of luck.

 

Then right on the edge of the Nile Delta irrigated area, we have HE12 Inshas air base.  Now going off the satellite images, there were a handful of fighter jets, but absolutely no parked cars in the facility.  It makes me wander whether the base is still in commission.  A quick google revealed nothing about the air base, however the Egyptian air force itself is still very much active.  In this X-Plane world I've left the runway and some taxiway lights on.  It's a very spacious airfield, but there are some small details particularly for the main apron.

 

 

So maybe one more airport for Egypt coming up, and then it's time to strike out across the Middle East.....

 

[anthony_d]

 Final airport in Egypt.  This is HETB Taba Intl Airport.  It's just across the Border from Israel and Eilat.  This appears to be an old air force based that has been converted into a civilian airport.   Indeed a quick wiki search reveals that it was actually built by Israel after the six day war.   One old runway has been decommissioned and turned into a storage site for old planes.  Another old parallel runway has been converted partially into a taxiway.  I've included the old sections that are decaying, but they are polygons and not taxiways so they won't appear on the map.

It's served by two airlines from six airports all in eastern Europe.  It's not at all busy.  Despite many parking spaces for airliners, there's only one scheduled flight today for instance.

 

Decommissioned parallel runway, which has not been converted in this segment to a taxiway.

 

Main terminal building and parking for Cat C aircraft.

Close up of markings.  

I'm not sure if the Sinai peninsula is geographically part of Africa or the Middle East, but my journey continues proper into the Middle Eastern countries now.  Next stop is Syria.

Edited September 24, 2019 by anthony_d

[anthony_d]

So Syria was my next destination. 

OS59 Tabqa is a military airfield that has born witness to some of the worst atrocities in the Syrian conflict.  It was taken over by ISIS in 2014 and liberated by US backed forces in 2017.  The only buildings left standing were the Hardened aircraft shelters.  However imagery shows some temporary buildings on the main apron, and that's what I have depicted.  The hard surfaces are in a poor condition.  It wasn't nice looking at these images on a satellite view, and what I've shown here is more basic than my usual efforts.  However facts are facts even when they are gruesome.  That's what gets depicted.

 

Next is OIAA Abadan airport in Iran.  This is just across the border from Iraq.  One runway has been cordoned off, so we just have 32L/14R to play with.  The terminal appears to be typical 1970's style.  I've included taxi centreline lighting, but I have no basis for doing so other than an educated guess as to airport operations.  No documentation can be found for this airport.

Next I'm heading deeper into Iran, probably in the general direction that veers south of the Himalayan peaks.

[anthony_d]

Continuing my journey in Iran I land at OIKK Ayatollah Hashemi Rafsanjani Airport.  Previously known as Kerman, I was expecting this to be a relatively easy WED project, but there's one thing to learn about military bases, they are never easy!

Overview - new runway under construction and decommissioned cross runway.

This is a combined commercial and military airfield.  The airport side of things gets a reasonable level of activity, and there's also a strange hotel complex further south that integrated into what looks like a GA apron.  A couple of large static display airliners here.

Main commercial apron

Weird hotel complex

The military side of things does not utilise hardened aircraft shelters, but instead a series of circular aprons that are protected by embankments.  It's an unusual feature, and I've represented the embankments here.

Military apron

 

So off over the border I cross from Iran into Pakistan.

OP35 Jessak is a small uncomplicated affair.  

OP34 Nok Kundi is 60 miles further east.  Another uncomplicated affair.

 

So now my journey is in the eastern part of Pakistan, and I'm not so sure which direction to take.  North to the Himalayas, or east into India.... we'll see!

 

[Janov]

What an interesting journey, thanks for taking us along and making the airports!

Cheers, Jan

 

[anthony_d]

So I've continued my journey through Nepal.  Two airports required attention in this mountainous country.

VNSK Surket has a 4100foot runway, and I'd definitely recommend landing runway 02, and takeoff runway 20.  It's a bit steep going the other direction:

 

VNGK Gorkha is a grass airfield.  Very basic.

 

Finally I played the dice and I got an Indian assignment.  VE44 Hashimara is an air force base just south of the Himalaya Mountains just east of Nepal.  It has a disused runway, and a main runway.  Like all air force bases, this is more complex than it seems at first.  Lot of trees amongst the HAS shelters, all represented here

Disused Runway

 

Fighter Stands, mixed with remote stands.  Some more use of earth embankments here.

From here, my general intention is to carry on eastwards and hopefully into China.  It seems like FSEconomy does not like cross border assignments.  That is true for India/Nepal as it is for Pakistan/India.  It's probably an algorithmic thing, but a first glance suggests very few Indian airports offer assignments into China.  We shall see......

[Janov]

Very nice again, Anthony!

Your reports inspired me to do some FSEconomy "roadtripping" myself - when I sometimes have to cross a small gap without an assignment I just either pay for the rent out of my own pocket or FSE is now offering to pay for an "airline ticket" to go from one place to another (if you want to stay in character)...

Cheers, Jan

 

[anthony_d]

So one more airport in India.  VEMN Dibrugargh is in the north east corner of India.  It has a commercial airline terminal that sees around 4 flights a dayh, and an extensive military helicopter base.

Main Terminal 


Heli Base

 

More Helibase

 

So from India, it's a short hop across to VYPT in Myanmar.  Now this involves flying over scenic mountains.  Of that I'm sure.  However do my FSEconomy flying in real world date and time mode - so the only view of the mountains that I had was at night time when my landing lights picked the ridge of one mountain because I started my descent too soon!  It was a narrow miss in what could have ended up being a catasptrophic cancellation of my fseconomy assignment.

But I made it, and here's what I produced!

VYPT Putao

So then it was yet another border and timezone hop.  This time into China, and ZUXC Qingshan airport.

Like many airports, this one looks brand new and purpose built for Chinas ever expanding economy.  The scenery in Sichuan province is amazing..... on the map at least it's amazing.  I got into the night time airport without any near misses:


A smallish terminal by Chinese standards


But it's got a decent sized porch for the entrance!

 

Cargo offers flexible parking arrangements, with airliners configured to be confused by the bewildering array of parking lines

Bigger picture

 

So now it's time to explore this vast empire.  Most airports in X-Plane are already 3D'd and one I was going to work on was checked out and resubmitted.  Maybe India should be next on the gateway campaign list.  However onwards and eastwards I fly!

[Janov]

Another nicely done airport, Anthony. You pour a lot of effort into these remote places...well, for us they are remote, not for the 1.5 billion or so people living there! And maybe in a few years more and more will use X-Plane and then stumble upon your nice rendition!

Thanks, Jan

 

[DocBird]

Wouldn't it be great to know how many people have flown into an airport that you have made? I did some fields in the Susitna Valley in Alaska and sometimes wonder if anyone ever used them. 

For me it would be a great motivation to know that x people have flown to/from  the field I created in WED. 

Any chance we see something like a counter? LM should have that information from the data transferred from the sim...

[anthony_d]

36 minutes ago, DocBird said:

Any chance we see something like a counter? LM should have that information from the data transferred from the sim...

LR definitely collects the info, and they present it on their online dashboard.  But they only present the most popular airports.  I’ve shared the same opinion as you about being able to Search info about particular airports.  

Would also be useful to determine more statistics such as “busiest 2D airport” and so forth.  That could be a great tool for prioritising development jobs for gateway artists.

[surfintucson]

2 hours ago, DocBird said:

I did some fields in the Susitna Valley in Alaska and sometimes wonder if anyone ever used them.

Gateway airports or custom downloads here on the .org? I like flying in AK and could use some good airports; which ones did you make and where are they available? Thanks.

 

[surfintucson]

2 hours ago, anthony_d said:

But they only present the most popular airports

And even then I think only the starting location.

Would be nice to get more details, like flight duration time, real-weather, day/night, etc.--especially since "misc./other" is a big chunk of usage for some categories. I thought I saw once that there was a spreadsheet of data available but I may have made that up as all I can find now is:

http://dashboard.x-plane.com/

 

[dblue_one]

Very inspiring topic, thanks for sharing.

[DocBird]

7 hours ago, surfintucson said:

Gateway airports or custom downloads here on the .org? I like flying in AK and could use some good airports; which ones did you make and where are they available? Thanks.

Gateway airports only.

I think I made most of the gateway airports betweent Anchorage, Palmer and Talkeetna (including Palmer, Birchwood, Talkeetna, Big Lake, Wasilla). Alo a lot of small strips and some heliports on hospitals in Anchorge.