Explorer Flight Missions: Papua New Guinea (PNG), Part 1
This month we are flying in Papua New Guinea. This journey is brought to you courtesy of Oren | TPC171 and Missionary Bush Pilot (MPB).
Papua New Guinea is a country in Oceania that comprises the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and its offshore islands in Melanesia (a region of the southwestern Pacific Ocean north of Australia). It shares its only land border with Indonesia to the west and its other close neighbors are Australia to the south and the Solomon Islands to the east. Its capital, located on its southern coast, is Port Moresby. The country is the world's third largest island country, with an area of 178,700 sq mi. (Source)
As with all of our Explorer Missions, you can fly these flights on your own or get a group going - it’s up to you. Make sure you choose an appropriate aircraft and conduct proper flight planning. Because of difficulty and complexity of these challenging flights, we are offering 2000 TPC points for each leg. We also recommend doing these flights in order, as they connect to form a journey. Let the adventure begin!
To get the Explorer server role (access to Explorers DISCORD channel) and 2000 TPC Points for each flight:
Fly any leg on this trip.
Leave a comment on this post with the leg number. Feel free to share more details about your flight, if you’d like.
Post pics from your flight in screenshots channel on DISCORD.
Recommended Addons for the whole trip (FS2020):
Dependency: To get satellite dishes/radio telescopes you need USA Points of Interest and Australia Points of Interest by Asobo, from the official World Update USA and World Update Australia installed.
Leg 1. AYPY to AYKM
We are flying from Port Moresby International Airport, the largest and busiest airport in PNG, to Kerema, about halfway to Goroka. Large paved runways at departure (9022') and destination (3097'), so this should be an easy flight.
Suggested IFR Route: AYPY DCT STARF H536 EPKED DCT AYKM
Suggested VFR Route: Just follow the coast to the NW.
Recommended Addons (FS2020):
AYPY Port Moresby Jacksons Version 2.1
Dependency: World Update Oceania
Watch a video of this real world flight (courtesy MBP):
Leg 2. AYKM to AYGA
We are departing from Kerema and flying north to Goroka. Like our last flight, we have large paved runways at our departure (3097') and destination (6234'). Goroka is in high plains above 5,000', surrounded by mountains.
Suggested IFR Route: AYKM DCT EPKED H537 MUDIX DCT AYGA
Suggested VFR Route: Follow the Purari River to Wabo (AYWB) then North, past the crater shaped Mt Karimui and past a village with a grass strip (AYRI). You can now follow the Tua river to the East until it bends North and forks East / West. Follow it NE until you reach the plains around Goroka. AYGA will be to the north.
Recommended Addons (FS2020):
Leg 3: AYGA to AYNZ
We're heading back East from Goroka to Nadzab. While you could choose to be a child of the magenta line, consider the more scenic route through the mountains SE of Goroka and then following the large Ramu valley to Nadzab. Once again we have large paved runways at departure (6234') and destination (8002').
Suggested IFR Route: AYGA DCT MUDIX H409 NZ DCT AYNZ
Suggested VFR Route: As depicted in the image below:
AYGA to AYNZ Suggested VFR Route
Recomended Addons (FS2020):
Dependency: World Update Oceania
Watch a video of this real world flight (courtesy MBP):
Leg 4: AYNZ to AYWS
We're heading North now over the Sarawaget Range requiring a quick ascent and then descent to the coast and then East to Wasu (AYWS). Large paved runway at the departure (8002') and a dirt runway at the destination (2744'). Quick climb over the peak between AYLO and AYDN and then a relaxed descent through a valley all the way to the coast.
Suggested IFR Route: No real IFR plan, but you can use the image below as a guide for a possible route over the range.
If you want to challenge yourself, take a detour and land (touch and go is not an option) at Yawan (AYYW). This is a one-way grass strip with a steep uphill slope and the approach is non-standard due to terrain. If you're going around, you'll have to make that decision early. We strongly recommend a shorter trees mod if you're going to attempt this. (full approach through the valley, longer route but lower altitude so cloud clearance can be better).
Non-standard traffic circuit for terrain; green line is a different approach to get a better view of the runway and is approximately the path taken by MBP in YT video below.
Watch a video of this real world flight (courtesy MBP):
Leg 5: AYWS to AYHK
On our last leg we'll take a long trip (194nm) across water, past volcanos, and along the scenic coast of New Britain. You'll need to cross about 30nm of sea to Umboi Island (the first island East of Wasu), so calculate your glide path to get enough altitude so gliding to safety is possible if you lose your engine. Dirt strip at the departure (2744') and a large paved runway at the destination (6231').
Suggested IFR Route: AYWS GIZAR DCT MIKIT H799 VATVO DCT AYHK
Suggested VFR Route: Northeast to Umboi Island then East to New Britain, following the coast past the Talasea Peninsula.
Suggested Addons (FS2020):
Watch a video of this real world flight (courtesy MBP):
