January seems like the perfect time to head south in search of some warmer weather. I propose a return to Hanksville and the wonders of the Utah canyon lands. Make sure you air up your fat tires and don’t forget to pack your sectional. I’ll meet you there.
Bush League Basics:
- Everyone is welcomed! Whether you’re an expert or beginner with flight simulators, radio communications, or navigation, etc., you’re invited! We’re a friendly bunch and enjoy learning from each other.
- The best aircraft for these events are those that can handle short, narrow airstrips. STOL mods are not mandatory, but helpful. Fat tires help make the bouncy strips that much more enjoyable. Several CSL files are available to correctly render other aircraft.
- We encourage you to join the VATSIM network and use the CTAF frequency of 122.8 to announce positions. We will not be in communication with ATC unless you plan to extend your flight into a controlled airspace.
- We’ll also use the Downwindsim Discord voice channel during the flight for non-ATC related chit-chat.
- As always, the main goal of these flights is to have fun and practice good airmanship. The event is intended to be VFR, so you are free to configure your weather and time of day as you see fit.
Flight Information:
The event takes place on Monday, January 2nd. We will gather in the FBO at Hanksville (KHVE) for a short flight briefing at 8:00pm EST (0100z on 1/3) with departures immediately after.
X-Plane Scenery Installation Instructions:
The original scenery was developed in XP11 and has been optimized for XP12. I’m including the links to both.
Hanksville Scenery Package for XP11
Hanksville Scenery Package for XP12 v2
(if you had v1 of the scenery package for XP12, delete those files, then add these)
We are big supporters of the X-World scenery addon (free) and Global Forests v2 ($15) addon. They are excellent additions for the XP12 world.
All the airstrips are developed, tested and designed to work with the Ortho4XP scenery tile +38-111. These are the settings I used to cook my development tile. I’d recommend the same. I used “Arc” for the imagery source as this provided a bit more consistency throughout the tile. Again, I’d recommend the same.
In the scenery download, I’ve included an airports.osm.bz2 file for the tile. This helps shape the terrain immediately around airstrips. There is also an Area Sectional.pdf that will help you navigate the area.
Full installation instructions are found within the scenery download.
If you get stuck or have a question, drop a message on the DownwindSim Discord bush-flying text channel. There’s a bunch of friendly folks that’d be happy to help. I look forward to have you tag along (in the snow) on the Bush League Backcountry Fly-In Series! -Uncle Mel