Flight #005 - YBBN -> YBCS

Today we take a trip down memory lane aboard a now retired Virgin Blue B737-700, taking the 711nm trip from Brisbane in South Queensland, to Cairns in the North. The flight sees us follow the golden coastline of Queensland for our flight of approximately 2 and a half hours.

Our Boeing 737-700 sits at gate 23 at YBBN, basking in the dawn light, as we prepare the aircraft for our short trip up the Queensland coast

Taxiing past the international terminal, where the heavies are waiting

Takeoff clearance is received, and we line up and wait on Brisbane's RWY01

Powering away from Brisbane at Vr of 144kts, on the CORAL4 departure

Just moments after the departure, and some very threatening looking clouds come into view, almost obscuring the Brisbane coast already

We have now reached our cruise altitude, and the weather is now fine, with just a scattering of clouds obscuring the beautiful view of the coast

Our aircraft, VH-VBH, is named "Spirit of Salty" after the late Ron Salter Snr, Virgin Blue's Head of Engineering. The now retired aircraft left Boeing's Seattle HQ on March 1 2002, and arrived in Brisbane for delivery to VOZ on March 3, having made stops in Honolulu and Nadi en route to YBBN

A beautiful view as far as the eye can see as we prepare for our descent into Cairns

Passing through the cloud at FL280

Passing through FL270 as we program in our arrival route into YBCS, via the UPOLO4B arrival procedure for Cairns' RWY15

Banking left prior to localiser interception for our ILS approach

The mountainous backdrop of Cairns provides stunning views for the passengers on one side of the aircraft

Moments before touchdown in Cairns

And we're down! Spoilers engaged, reverse thrust in action

Just a few minutes later and our passengers are disembarking, as some ominous looking clouds roll in. We have 1 hour and 15 minutes to prepare the aircraft for the journey south back to Brisbane.

Flight #004 - EGCC -> ENZV

For today's flight, we headed back out of Manchester aboard Norwegian Air Shuttle LN-NGE, bound for the city of Stavanger in Norway, the fourth most populated city in the country, and a key strategic focus for many airlines due to the oil industry in the region.

Wedged in between the heavies on a busy morning at Manchester

Norwegian Air Shuttle's Boeing 737-800 - LN-NGE - wearing special Unicef livery

Taxiing to Runway 23R on a hazy morning in the North West of England

Using just half of the runway at Manchester, we are airborne and on our way to the Norwegian city of Stavanger

Passing through 4,100ft as we climb away from Manchester on the POL5R departure

Above the clouds and headed towards the East coast of England

Passing over the English coast and nothing but cold sea between us and our destination

84nm from the beginning of our descent, and stabalised in the cruise at FL390. At this stage we are 240nm away from our destination of Stavanger

Descending through the cloud and still no sign of the Norwegian shore

After what seems like an eternity of nothing but vast ocean, the Norwegian coast line comes into view, just ten miles as the crow flies from our destination

Making a last minute turn as we intercept the localiser to Stavanger's RWY36

Passing below 2,800 as we intercept the ILS and line up for short finals, just over an hour after the wheels left the tarmac back in England

The Norwegian hills provide a picturesque backdrop for our passengers just moments before touchdown

Touchdown in a rather threatening looking Stavanger as a Scandinavian Airlines B737 taxis to the end of the runway, awaiting our exit before commencing it's departure

With our aircraft at the gate, and the Scandinavian B737 having departed, we - for the moment at least - have the whole of Stavanger airport to ourselves

Flight #003 - EDDK -> EGCC

Today's flight saw us make the 405nm journey from Cologne-Bonn in Germany to Manchester in England, the first trip to my home country since the launch of The FSX Journal!

Our Airbus A319, D-AGWT, waits at EDDK's gate D4 before boarding commences for the flight to England

Taxiing past the main terminal building on an unusually quiet lunchtime in Cologne

Departing EDDK on RWY32R via the NOR3B departure procedure

Passing 4,500ft AGL, just 15 minutes after our pushback from the gate

Rising above a thick layer of cloud on the border of Germany and Belgium

We have almost reached our cruise altitude and our passengers can enjoy some planespotting en route!

You can see from the TCAS that we are entering a very busy stretch of airspace around the Belgium/France border

Passing through London airspace before we begin our descent, as we catch sight of a Thomson B757 which has departed from London Gatwick

The approach checklist is well underway by the time we pass over East Midlands Airport

Descending through FL660 as we approach Manchester's RWY23R via the DAYNE1B arrival procedure

Moments from touchdown at Manchester

Passing over the boundary fence behind Manchester's RWY23R

Several airlines on display at an always busy EGCC

Parked at the gate and aircraft shutdown is almost complete, moments before the FlyBe Embraer in the background begins it's pushback

Flight #002 - LTBA -> LGAV

This was my first flight with Taxi2Gate's recently released LTBA Istanbul Ataturk scenery, and it's safe to say I wasn't disappointed. Just one flight in and I think this is possibly one of the very best payware airport add-on's I've used. 

The attention to detail is simply fantastic. I have around 70 payware airports, and have never felt so much like I was part of a thriving environment as I did at T2G LTBA.

Now, which one is my plane again...?

Pushback clearance is received as a Qatari A330 departs for Doha in the background

The immersion level at Taxi2Gate LTBA is fantastic. With every gate occupied (thanks to Ultimate Traffic 2) I really felt as though I was part of a meticulous, thriving operation

Waiting in line at the threshold to runway 35R

After waiting for the five departures - all Turkish Airlines - cleared ahead of us, we finally get permission to enter the active runway

Airborne from LTBA 35R, following the MARMA1E departure

Above the thin layer of cloud and heading out over the Sea of Marmara

Beautiful weather conditions above the island of Marmara Adasi

Mainland Greece comes into view for the first time as the sun sets, as we prepare for the ABLON1P arrival to LGAV's RWY03L

Finalising the approach checklist as we pass the South Euboean Gulf

The hills of Dimosio Dasos Rapentosas provide an idyllic backdrop to the picturesque approach to the Greek capital

Gear down, flaps to 30 degrees and finalising the last details of the approach

Localiser intercepted, glide slope captured and plain sailing down to the runway

The last light of day is fading as we touch down in Athens

Going through the aircraft shutdown procedure as the passengers disembark, and my First Officer and myself look forward to our well earned rest