Hi Grace. Great to hear you're doing a round-the-world in a VC10. As a retired BOAC cabin crew member, I've done it for real a few times (as well as flying round the world ;-) )and my adopted name of Speedbird591 is the flight number of the route from London to Australia via the Pacific. I'm glad that Dan and Dave have sorted you out with a suitable aircraft - I have fooled ex-colleagues of mine with some of Dan's screenshots into thinking they were real photos of VC10s. They were drunk at the time but the shots are still very good.
I haven't been able to do much FS flying for a while due to personal commitments but I pop by from time to time to see what's happening and I think a new computer is imminent which may lead to a new install of FS9. Not FSX because if time is limited I only want to fly DM's VC10! It is so forgiving and so smooth - but that is exactly how the pilots found it.
How interesting, you actually did it for real. I assume you did London - NY - San Fran - Honolulu - Nandi - Sydney? What happened after that - the same in reverse I assume. Did you ever go on from Sydney?
I grew up on boring modern corporate jets (Hawker 125s, 1989 onwards), so wonderful steam-driven cockpits like on the VC-10 are a great thrill to master. Two friends of ours were also cabin crew on 10s, in the 60' and 70s. One of them was employed on the basis of her fabulous legs!! (mind you, she rather spoilt it by having a row with Frank Sinatra on board one day and was almost sacked...).
You must have some fantastic stories. Please share them if you have time.
Hello Grace. I didn't join BOAC until April 1972 by which time we were using LAX instead of SFO, otherwise BA591 used the route that you are flying. We had a crew 'slip' of either 24 or 48 hours in each place. BA592 flew the reverse route - as you say. The trip would usually be 19 or 21 days and would either be 'Sydney (or Melbourne) through the West (BA591/592) or 'Round the World'. RTW would obviously involve continuing in a roughly easterly direction until you arrived in London. There was no set pattern for the return through the East. Singapore or Kuala Lumpur plus Dubai, Doha or Bahrain would be typical slips on the return journey.
I'm not about to tell you any stories as the guys here have heard most of them - they'd shoot us both if you started me off again! And please don't mention fabulous legs as it reminds of what I miss most from those days Oh OK - you can if you like
Excellent, thorough answer - thank you Tonks. Makes absolute sense. I suppose I should be grateful for limited autothrottles on the 10 - on Hawkers we never had ANY!
I did get to climb over a 10 ("Albert Ball" I think) at BZN a couple of years ago; t'other half arranged it for my 40th. I live locally and apparently the base tries to keep the locals happy with occasional visits (it certainly stops me whingeing whenever you are screaming about at 22.00 ;-) ). I can only dream about actually flying on one though. I genuinely dread the day when the last one retires and I can no longer lie on my back in the stubble fields surrounding BZN watching them cruise in. I've been in the aviation business for almost 20yrs and still don't tire of watching them. I remember lying on my back on a large circular straw bale a couple of years back, in the setting sun, with spaniel next to me, when suddenly two 10s cruised in together (on base leg I think), right over the top of me. It was one of those moments you never forget.
With regard to my round-the-world in the Maltby BOAC Super, I have recently done Sydney - Singapore and today did Singapore - Calcutta so not too far from home now*. I about have the hang of the Maltby machine, though still expect the autopilot to level off at my preset altitude automatically...
Grace
* Thank God it runs happily in the background whilst I carry on working...!
Oh OK - you can if you like 
