LUKLA, NEPAL - Take off & Landing

[eccles64]

Alitude: 9,200 ft. Runway Length 1,700ft.
Twin Otter the best plane. On touch down - full reverse thrust
Impossible to line up the runway for landing -- obvious in my attempt. I did get down in one piece, then resumed breathing

[trackend]

sims arnt my bag but each to their own

[Marcel]

Nice one, is that FS9 or FSX?

[eccles64]

Nice one, is that FS9 or FSX?

FS9

[eccles64]

Actually I don't think there have been many crashes at Lukla. Yeti Airlines that fly from Kathmandu are very experienced in that area. They fly only Twin Otters. However this did happen:

"Two Victorians were among 18 people killed when a small plane crashed and burst into flames as it tried to land at a notorious airstrip near Mount Everest in Nepal yesterday.

A spokesman for Yeti Airlines, Vinay Shakya, confirmed that two Australians, Andrew Frick McLeod and Charlene Zamudio, were on board.

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said both were from Victoria.

Twelve Germans and four Nepalis were also killed. The pilot survived but sustained head injuries and was flown to the capital, Kathmandu.

Mohan Adhikari, general manager of Kathmandu airport, who was in charge of the emergency response to the accident, said the 19-seater Yeti Airlines Twin Otter snagged its wheels on a security fence on approach to the airport and smashed into the airstrip, catching fire.

The flight had taken off from Kathmandu for Lukla Airport, about 60 kilometres from Mt Everest, Mr Adhikari said.

He said the weather had been poor in the area and may have been a factor in the crash. He said visibility at Lukla Airport was about 400 metres, just enough for the aircraft's landing.

Yeti Airlines, in a statement, described the airport as "challenging".

Lukla is Nepal's business domestic airport, and the arrival point for many Everest region trekkers and mountaineers. The airstrip, which the Nepal Government this year renamed Tenzing-Hillary Airport, after Everest's first conquerors, is notorious for its short, steep landing strip amid towering Himalayan peaks. It is 2860 metres above sea level.

In June, 1991, a Royal Nepal Airlines Twin Otter 300 flying from Kathmandu crashed as it tried to land at Lukla in poor weather, killing three crew and 14 passengers."


I have had Lukla on my FS9 Sim well before this incident. It took me a while to learn how to land there. At least you can take the mugs option - hit the ESC button before you hit the pub and wreck the bar.

[Miggers]

I had a go at this strip last night after seeing and reading this post.

Used Rick Piper's HS 780 Andover,set up with just the cockpit crew aboard and about half full fuel tanks.

I put on 22.5 degrees of flap and wound the Darts upto 80% on the brakes,let go and immediately selected 100% power,held her down until 90kts and lifted off with yards to spare.
Once over the threshold I pulled the gear up and dove over the cliff,retracting flap to 10 degrees and coming back to 14,200rpm(cruise power).
ASI going through 140kts,retract the flap fully and level off(start breathing again).

After selecting a wide enough valley to turn in,come around 180 degrees and fly the reciprocal back to the strip.
Bring the speed back to 140 kts,hug the left cliff face,extend the u/c and flaps to hold the speed at 115kts
(Vne is 105kts,so not a lot to play with).
Cross the runway threshold at 105 KIAS!!!,dump it onto the runway,full brakes and reverse pitch(well,flat pitch on the 780)to stop on the runway with about 150feet to spare(start breathing again).

My sim was set to full flight realism(always is)but I cheated a tad and didn't use real world weather

Great fun indeed.Many thanks for bringing this strip and approach to my attention.
I'll get some of the other pilots from our virtual airline to have a go at it,they'll love it.

Mark

[eccles64]

Miggers,
Glad you enjoyed that. Seems Rick Piper's HS 780 Andover a bit large. It is one plane I have not got. What site can I get it and is it for Fs9?

[Miggers]

Hello Robert.

Rick's 780 is a bit big really for this strip,but knowing how the RAF pilots handled it in and out of short strips
I thought it'd be worth a go.
Our virtual airline,Venture Hawaii, use it on our Logair Cargo flights up in Alaska and it's really good.
It handles dirt strips very well indeed,having plenty of grunt and good stopping power,coupled with it's beaver tail and "kneeling u/c"(yes it will "kneel" for you),it's a good cargo aircraft or an enjoyable general flyer.

Get it here at our website,Classic British Files.

fs9andoverc1v1.zip

Do you have Rick's HS 748 too?
That also is a superb flyer and can also be obtained at our website:

HS.748 Base Pack

They're both for Fs2004 by the way.

I must recommend to you though that you read the manuals and click the appropriate buttons before
you attempt to fly either!!!

Visit our site and have a look around,you don't have to be a member to do so.We're always on the look out for new pilots for the airline too,so if a bit of virtual airline flying is your bag,join up and have a go at the world of virtual transport.

Mark

[eccles64]

Hello Robert.

Rick's 780 is a bit big really for this strip,but knowing how the RAF pilots handled it in and out of short strips
I thought it'd be worth a go.
Our virtual airline,Venture Hawaii, use it on our Logair Cargo flights up in Alaska and it's really good.
It handles dirt strips very well indeed,having plenty of grunt and good stopping power,coupled with it's beaver tail and "kneeling u/c"(yes it will "kneel" for you),it's a good cargo aircraft or an enjoyable general flyer.

Get it here at our website,Classic British Files.

fs9andoverc1v1.zip

Do you have Rick's HS 748 too?
That also is a superb flyer and can also be obtained at our website:

HS.748 Base Pack

They're both for Fs2004 by the way.


I must recommend to you though that you read the manuals and click the appropriate buttons before
you attempt to fly either!!!

Visit our site and have a look around,you don't have to be a member to do so.We're always on the look out for new pilots for the airline too,so if a bit of virtual airline flying is your bag,join up and have a go at the world of virtual transport.

Mark

Thanks Mark. "Damm fine bit of machinery" (Capt. Trubshaw).

I just flew a circuit at Buscombe Downs. I did begin ny approach too close to the runway, but got out of it and got the plane on the deck without bending it. I will try Lukla after I can handle the plane better.

I'm impressed with your Site. I will be adding to my RAF collection - some planes there even I have not heard of.
I'll look at the airline.

[Miggers]

Glad to help Robert.

It's quite a surprising aeroplane isn't it.

We had a bash at on-line air racing last year over a specially done course at one
of the Hawaiian islands.

We had Unlimiteds and a stock race.A couple of us raced the 748 prototype.......................

At Classic British we try and get the best of,well,Classic British types for Fs.
Quite a few of the "names" of the Fs world that do the aircraft and repaints like their stuff
hosted by us and regularly get onto our forums.
We have pilots that "specialise"in different types of a/c,one bod flies real Austers and Harvards,
another is an ex-RAF Hunter and ex-British Airways Trident captain,all good sorts that'll help you
if you're stuck.

Mark