Guys it's time to get your Favourite GA out of the hanger and brush up on those VFR skills....it's MEBAR time! Just had this from mutley:
(https://mg.mail.yahoo.com/ya/download?mid=2%5f0%5f0%5f1%5f129950%5fAKoo5C4AAAczUzqRnAAAAFE9i7A&pid=2&fid=Inbox&inline=1&appid=YahooMailNeo)
As a previous pilot with the MEBAR I am pleased to advise you that MEBAR 2014 – The "Have You Seen the Light" tour, has just landed at http://mebar.mutleyshangar.com (http://mebar.mutleyshangar.com/).
Please accept this as my personal invitation to join in the rally again this year. We have a superb route in and around the Highlands and Islands of Scotland. The navigational challenge is our best yet and our planning supremo Andrew Godden has really surpassed himself!
The format of the event is the same as previous years and other "Great Air Rally" events, so I expect you already know what to do and have a time for the test flight, but please do read through the site to refresh your memory.
We have dedicated forums available here: http://forum.mutleyshangar.com/index.php/forum/107-mebar-2014/ (http://forum.mutleyshangar.com/index.php/forum/107-mebar-2014/) where you can ask questions, share experiences and screenshots with your fellow pilots.
For those of you that use Tim's Plan-G, we have a bespoke airport diagram package designed by John Allard that works seamlessly within the latest iteration of Plan-G. (Right click menu when hovering over airport) The package is available from our forum library here: http://forum.mutleyshangar.com/index.php/files/file/3288-mebar-2014-airport-diagrams (http://forum.mutleyshangar.com/index.php/files/file/3288-mebar-2014-airport-diagrams)
So please join us again and register here: http://mebar.mutleyshangar.com/register.htm (http://mebar.mutleyshangar.com/register.htm) and if you can, please forward this email to anyone you think may be interested.
All the best.
This is what they say about it:
Mutleys Easter Bunny Air Rally (MEBAR)
A true navigational challenge involving either and / or a combination of VOR, NDB and "dead reckoning" navigation
Here's the new webpage just for the event: http://mebar.mutleyshangar.com/ (http://mebar.mutleyshangar.com/)
I've completed one rally run by these guys and I can tell you it's great fun, well organized and you'll get to know a great bunch of simmers. It makes a change not having to think about LOC/GS and ILS, so go give it a try go...back to basics you'll love it, and you'll remember why you're a flight sim nut!
Thanks for the 'heads up' Steve :)
(http://www.cixvfrclub.org.uk/forums/MGalleryItem.php?id=1525)
I'm considering entering but not sure if I have enough free time to get all the flights done before their deadlines, especially since I am going away this Friday for a few days and busy all the evenings beforehand.
And then what plane to use... A2A Cessna 172 or Careando F33A Bonanza these days I think, as the last time I did anything like this was in FS9 with Rick Piper's HS.748 and Veneaviones Turbo Commander 690B! I suppose technically I could use the J41...
Hopefully one day someone will do a good Cessna 177B Cardinal II addon and then I shall be in GA heaven! Flight1 had a go but it looked a bit lacklustre iirc.
(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/84/Cessna177BCardinal05.jpg/300px-Cessna177BCardinal05.jpg) (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cessna_177_Cardinal)
I note Steve is taking the Beech Baron 58 and it would be nice to outgun him speed wise ;) but I don't think any of the craft I could use can.
Well sad to say that's it for this year, MEBAR is at an end :( . Still after 1500NM and some 10 hrs flying and planning VFR routes I had a great time. The organisers of this event are excellent we had all sorts of weather, waypoints, and landings all in beautiful Scotland. My overall rating was 96.63% so not too bad and at least Intercity got noticed. Can't wait for the next one, but I'm thinking of the good old Cessna T182T...we'll have to see though.
I was going to ask you how you did Steve, sadly I wasn't able to do it because I was in London over that weekend. What position does 96.63% put you in?
Quote from: Chris Liu on Apr 29, 2014 13:50
I was going to ask you how you did Steve, sadly I wasn't able to do it because I was in London over that weekend. What position does 96.63% put you in?
Well actually Chris it isn't a race..What it does it test your airmanship, in terms of navigation, weather, and really knowing the aircraft you're flying ie speed fuel etc etc. So you get a target time and you have to arrive at the distination as close to that time as possible, it's hard trust me. This year there was a slight twist, two legs were flown without knowing the target time, and one leg had bulit in fuel stops etc, btw most of the legs had T&Gs required at some small airfields enroute so making planning that bit more tricky. I guess it a self test really, I really enjoy the challenge of it. So with over 90% I guess I have flown all the legs fairly accurately. You can see how I did on each leg on the results sheet over on the MEBAR web page. I'm sure you would have enjoyed it Chris.
Well done for competing Steve - I would have liked to, but these days simply cannot commit the time to it.
Maybe next year.
Cheers Graham, yeah time is the issue for many...but this year the organizers allowed a few extra days to enable more pilots to get the five legs completed. It was a great event and was well supported from all over the world. I hope to take part next year; but I'm thinking that I might change aircraft still we'll see...I do hope that you and the rest of the guys here find time next year to take part, I must say it did get a bit lonely ;D .
Quote from: Chris Liu on Apr 09, 2014 03:43
Hopefully one day someone will do a good Cessna 177B Cardinal II addon and then I shall be in GA heaven! Flight1 had a go but it looked a bit lacklustre iirc.
I just entered GA heaven! Alabeo are making a Cessna 177 Cardinal (http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.710316825693060.1073741881.222192937838787&type=1), how did I miss that!? Hopefully it'll support 3rd party Garmin GPS units.
(https://fbcdn-sphotos-a-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-frc3/t1.0-9/q71/s720x720/10308247_693133537411389_4854519511766234540_n.jpg) (http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.693132500744826.1073741878.222192937838787&type=3)
(http://www.alabeo.com/comingsoon/18/98594838875556.jpg)
More pictures: http://www.alabeo.com/index.php?accion=incomview&correl=18 (http://www.alabeo.com/index.php?accion=incomview&correl=18)
Anyone fancy starting an airline flying club like BA (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Airways_Flying_Club)use to have? ;)
Looking good Chris...I might well buy this, to my shame I've never seen any of Alabeo sims before :-[ .....but it all looks like and feels like Carenado; what d'ya think? Oh I can't see any ADF shame if it hasn't got one.
All the best
Quote from: Steve Prowse on May 21, 2014 00:36
it all looks like and feels like Carenado; what d'ya think?
Apparently they're a Carenado spin-off (http://flyawaysimulation.com/news/4291/), so no surprises there. Let's home the thing flies as good as it looks, Carenado were notoriously hit-and-miss with their flight dynamics (their F35A being a case in point).
I hadn't really looked for an ADF, I was more concerned that it would integrate RealityXP and/or Mindstar Garmin GNS units! But it is there (http://www.alabeo.com/comingsoon/18/98594838875556.jpg) (look above the transponder for the radio unit, and the needle is to the left and up).
Alabeo seem to be filling the void Carenado is leaving by doing larger aircraft (the B350 and Phenom); I note this has led Carenado to increase prices to Eaglesoft style money, although their systems are nowhere near as in-depth and aftersales support is reportedly very thin. E.g. the Phenom is $40USD and the FMS is based around FSX's default GPS! By comparison Eaglesoft's flagship Citation X 2.0 is $50USD, and so is A2A's Cessna 172.
Ah a sister company that explains it then, I thought it was like Carenado and thanks for the info Chris. You're right about Carenado they are known to be good on eye candy and short on flight dynamics, avionics etc. But, I can't say too much because I've got three of their aircraft: B1900D, CT182T, and my fav B58 baron. I just love GA and VFR I guess. Now with the B19D It is great to look at, I mean really great imo, and not bad to fly, but the old PMDG B19D has the edge imo in terms of dynamics. The avionics, well it works but it's not great, as you say typical Carenado. I've just looked at the panel on the 177 and you're right the ADF is under VOR1, I thought it was VOR2 since it was right under VOR1. I like an ADF to be fitted since in the UK we still have loads of NDBs so I think it is still necessary, though I think in in some other countries they are phasing them out. My B58 doesn't have one fitted but it does have two VORs but I still miss the ADF. Hey great idea to start a GA club, put me down to join... or was that a joke ;D for us old Meigs trained pilots.... ;)
Cheers for now
Interesting, I did not realize there was a split off from Carenado. I realize people complain a lot about the deepens of their product. But the truth is that they really helped fill a void in the FSX GA hanger for many years.
To me the A2A c172 is the best GA plane ever produced for FSX. But A2A takes a long time to produce their masterpieces. But Carenado has produced many planes that we may never see a better rendition of like the King Air C90.
B.
And tomorrow (hopefully) A2A will present their new masterpiece, the Piper PA-28-180 Cherokee 8) .
The manual is available at their forum.
Quote from: Michael Meyer on May 26, 2014 13:27
And tomorrow (hopefully) A2A will present their new masterpiece, the Piper PA-28-180 Cherokee 8) .
The manual is available at their forum.
Thanks Mike for the heads up on the Cherokee I've just watched the promo here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dWQRsPce7ss (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dWQRsPce7ss). It looks great...and should be out, as you say, soon. The trouble is I've got to pick one or the other now, the cardinal or the cherokee???? :-\ .....
All the best......
A2A products are a lot more in-depth than anything from Carenado or Alabeo, however I have so much love for the 177 Cardinal I just can't bring myself to choose anything over it!
(http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y177/mutleys/2015/mar/mebar2015forum.png)
Heads up Guys this years offering is going to be different.....not least I'm flying the C182 skylane, no prizes for guessing which one. Anyhow best get your skates on registration closes on the 1st of April.
here's the link for more info: http://mebar.mutleyshangar.com/index.htm (http://mebar.mutleyshangar.com/index.htm)
Steve
Well that's it for this year, I'm sad to say MEBAR 2015 is over. Here's a shot from leg 5:
(https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7588/17095724351_a72cd0e7e4_c.jpg)
This year the event was held in Colombia, to cut a long story short on the very first leg in my brand new A2A Skylane something very strange happened. Still climbing out I thought oh no now the bloody monitor's going to pack up. It started zooming in and out faster and faster then the screen went dark couldn't do a thing! What the &*%& is going on here! Well if you haven't guessed I tell you, Hypoxia, yes A2A have it simulated guys, and i can confirm it works! Luckily I didn't throw the monitor straight out the window! Apart from that and one time getting lost I loved it every mile of the 1500nm it was great. The other thing is I can't say enough about the A2A skylane it is a tad on the pricey side but well worth the money it really is.
I now feel like I own a Cessna it is that good!
Best regards
Steve
Just a couple more shots from the last leg (MEBAR 2015)
(https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7657/17094887102_89e1bc7f8c_c.jpg)
(https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7727/16908843900_e5e2be4f84_c.jpg)
(https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7599/16473963714_f33765a78a_c.jpg)
The shot above (leg 4), yeah horrible WX and poor viz puts any virtual pilot on VFR to the test...moreover with the terrain of Colombia!
Yeah this Cessna Skylane from A2A must be the best GA aircraft I've ever flown the detail is fantastic if you haven't already get it! So that is it the flag of Intercity Airways has been flown in Colombia! I really hope to see some more Intercity guys in the next MEBAR event, hey it NOT a race....just a quick reminder of the events objective:
"Objective and Event Format1. The MEBAR is not a race nor a competition! It is an event in which individuals participate against their own flying ability by navigating over a series of flight legs on which they are aiming to fly as close as possible to an individually calculated "target time". Flight legs can involve either and / or a combination of VOR, NDB and "dead reckoning" navigating under visual flight rule (VFR) and / or instrument flight rule (IFR) conditions with variable departure times and weather conditions."
So there you are put your skills to the test...trust me you'll love it!
Regards
Never knew about hypoxia being simulated in A2A products, does it give you the facility to don an oxygen mask in the 172?
I would've participated in MEBAR this year but I've only got my FSX rig running again last weekend.
Quote from: Chris Liu on Apr 12, 2015 16:53
Never knew about hypoxia being simulated in A2A products, does it give you the facility to don an oxygen mask in the 172?
Yeah it's simulated Chris have a read of this topic from the A2A forum http://a2asimulations.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=23&t=43495&p=329617&hilit=hypoxia#p329617 (http://a2asimulations.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=23&t=43495&p=329617&hilit=hypoxia#p329617)I found out the hard way :o ... ;D . I also didn't think I'd be into maintenance programs etc for the aircraft but I admit I love it I feel like I own a Cessna it's great!! There's no Oxygen mask at this time you just have to plan very carefully.Quote from: Chris Liu on Apr 12, 2015 16:53
I would've participated in MEBAR this year but I've only got my FSX rig running again last weekend.
No worries Chris next year aye....maybe we can get a team together, that would be great.All the best
Steve