Date: 3/21
Flight 999 - 7
Plane: DC3S
Time 7 hrs
Pilot: BGA030
Remarks:
Athens - Ben Gurion Intl, Tel Aviv
Off at 0630 GMT, climbing to 7500' on a course heading 117 deg.
Goodbye to the European Continent, on our way to the middle east - 651 miles to go.
We are crossing the Aegean Sea to Rhodes where it will become the Med again. Historically you are traveling over some interesting places, when you have a chance just think back to your history lessons and try to remember.
This is Rhodes that we are crossing. The land we see on the left is Turkey, that is other than all those tiny little islands that you pay a small fortune to visit.
Out into the Med, next landfall will be Israel which is surrounded by Syria to the left, Egypt to the right and Jordan on the other side, and somewhere in there is Palestine.
Kastelorizo, Turkey NDB 496) is 90 degrees to the left of our course. We are 301 miles from Tel Aviv. Thought you might like to know. Passing Analya again 90 degrees to the left of course.
Ben Gurion Airport data:
Elevation +135' NDB 331
RWY 12 10210' ILS freq. 110.3 heading 119
RWY 26 11998' ILS freq 108.7 heading 257
We have been assigned RWY 12 which is practically straight in.
I must add here that Capt. Bill Von Sennet asked me which DC3 I was flying, thought you might be interested. I am using the DC3S (super) from Continental Airlines. This is the only one I have found that is strictly for FS2K that I use. I use my good friend Trevor Morsons sound package which I love and it sounds right to my old DC3 ears. Then I use Dave Haskell's panel which is very good.
Time to start down, descending to 2000'.
Have the ILS and starting our descent to the field.
Shalom!
Tel Aviv - Kuwait
Off at 1200 GMT, climbing to 7500' heading 98 deg. A short distance ahead is the airport of Jerusalem, so that must be Palestine.
Level at 7500, just about to cross the Jordanian border. Queen Alia Intl Airport just ahead there. The desert from here on, just another ocean with a different color. Turn left 90 deg and you would be heading to Iraq. Now why would you want to do that?
That V shaped protrusion in the sand is Saudi Arabia. That actually is Guriat.
Down there it is very hot during the day and very cold at night. Remember us leaving a pan of water outside our tent over night and found skim ice in the morning. No I wasn't in Desert Storm, I retired in '67.
Tomorrow we will fly from Kuwait to Karachi in Pakistan. It is a very ,long flight and I mention it here only to get you thinking about what you would like to do. I am going direct, for those who would like to break it up into two days, you can go Kuwait to Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates and then on to Karachi from there. Your choice.
Do you see that road down there? It goes completely across Saudi Arabia from Jordan Dammam near Bahrain. It sort of skirts the Iraqi border all the way. We will cross this road again near Kuwait and you will see it often.
I guess by now you find Navaids few and far between and a real shortage of terrain features.
AH! there is our road again to the left. Arar is the next town or what you want to call it, it actually is what you would most likely call an Oasis and it has a an airfield with a 10,000' runway. Just think of the logistics to build that field way out here near nothing.
Shortly now we will cross the border into Iraq, where we will follow it along for a 100 mile or so. Our Air Force will keep an eye on us. This is the area where Stormin' Norman made his famous "End Run" in Desert Storm. Did you see the road and the airport? It is right in front of you there.
Kuwait International Airport Data
Elev. 206' NDB 368
RWY 15L 11483 110.1 153 deg
RWY 22L 11483 110.5 333 deg
RWY 15R 11155 111.3 153 deg
RWY 33L 11155 109.5 333 deg
There are, as far as I am aware, no roads, airfields or towns in Iraq that we will pass over or near.
Kuwait border only 40 miles away now.
Just crossed the border, now in Kuwait, 65 miles to go, that's the Persian Gulf in the distance.
We have been cleared for RWY 15R
Descending to 2200'
Turning base
Level at 22, on the ILS. turning final/
On the
ground -- Pakistan tomorrow.
Flight 999 Route (flight overview)