NZUK - NZMC Mountain flying for real
Posted: 27 Mar 2008, 07:50
I've often seen screenshots posted here of mountain flying in FS so I thought you might like to see some shots of the real thing taken a couple of weeks ago on a flight from the delightfully named Pukaki (pronounced "poo-cack-ee") airport (NZUK) to Mount Cook.
The Air Safaris GAF Nomad sitting in the sun at Pukaki before departure.
Ready for departure.
Left turn-out to fly up Lake Pukaki. That's Mount Cook in the distance.
Climbing slowly - the GPS showing us to be in the safe lane in the middle of the lake.
The top end of Lake Pukaki with the Tasman Glacier to the right and the Hooker Glacier to the left. Mt Cook is top right.
Arriving at Mt Cook.
The Tasman Glacier.
"Playing" around Mt Cook and the ANZAC Peaks in the Mt Cook Range.
One last look at Mt Cook - note the ever-changing cloudscape.
The Hooker Glacier valley - that's the way home.
At the end of the valley - the runway at Mount Cook airport is just visible in the centre of the picture. The procedure is to fly overhead then make a steep descending left turn in the small flat area between the mountains onto final.
Just completing the turn onto final for 31.
With mountains left, right and straight ahead, a go-around could be interesting!
At Mt Cook after the flight - the open door shows were I had climbed down from just a few minutes earlier.
Hope you enjoyed the flight - I certainly did.
Pete
The Air Safaris GAF Nomad sitting in the sun at Pukaki before departure.
Ready for departure.
Left turn-out to fly up Lake Pukaki. That's Mount Cook in the distance.
Climbing slowly - the GPS showing us to be in the safe lane in the middle of the lake.
The top end of Lake Pukaki with the Tasman Glacier to the right and the Hooker Glacier to the left. Mt Cook is top right.
Arriving at Mt Cook.
The Tasman Glacier.
"Playing" around Mt Cook and the ANZAC Peaks in the Mt Cook Range.
One last look at Mt Cook - note the ever-changing cloudscape.
The Hooker Glacier valley - that's the way home.
At the end of the valley - the runway at Mount Cook airport is just visible in the centre of the picture. The procedure is to fly overhead then make a steep descending left turn in the small flat area between the mountains onto final.
Just completing the turn onto final for 31.
With mountains left, right and straight ahead, a go-around could be interesting!
At Mt Cook after the flight - the open door shows were I had climbed down from just a few minutes earlier.
Hope you enjoyed the flight - I certainly did.
Pete
When MS say "real as it gets" it shows its many miles away from breathtaking pictures like these, what a wonderful sight this must have been to actually experience.. I am green with envy 
