Flight Log - Day 1-120

Day 120 - Phnom Penh

We're crawling back west towards the Gulf of Thailand. In order to continue on to the Australia we need to make our way into Malaysia to the south west. Slowly but surly we're getting there. Onwards toward Bangkok over the next couple of days.

Day 119 - South China Sea

Our flight took us down the east coast of Vietnam with good weather and good views.  The last couple of legs moved us further inland as we set our sights on Cambodia for Day 120.

Day 118 - Dying In the jungle

We headed inland a bit to explore the jungle terrain of Vietnam. Lots of cruising on this flight. At least there was good scenery. Punch decided to fly his new 310 and was a trooper when I challenged him to land single engine. He nailed it. This guy should should have a real license. More Vietnam, exploration on the way as we head down the shore of the South China Sea.

Day 117 - north Vietnam

We had an interesting afternoon exploring some the waterways on our route south. Ending up in Dong Hoi for the night. We're into a fairly hilly region and will get to explore more inland ranges on our way further south.

Day 116 - INVINCIBLE!

Super has apparently become invincible with the most horrifying takeoff in history. What is his secret? How does he do it? We got out of Long Tieng and made it to the coast of Vietnam. We'll be exploring some water ways on the next flight. So be sure to wear your wetsuit.

Day 115 - Stealthy CIA

We're enjoying the tropical temperatures of Laos after our arrival into Long Tieng. This is an old secret CIA airbase from the 1960's and now serves as a local road to the community. Excellent approach and mountainous terrain.

Day 114 - !SheSAID

Too many innuendos in these Thai names. We had a good laugh along the way and made it into Chaing Mai International. We'll be headed further east to make our way to the coast of the South China Sea.

Day 113 - Take it easy

We finally had a break in the weather on day 113. Along with easier terrain and the slower pace everyone was able to relax a little and take it all in. We'll rest here in Bagan and continue Chiang Mai, Thailand tomorrow.

Day 112 - Weather keeping you down

The weather was pretty brutal today. Giving us almost no time to actually see and enjoy the scenery. Between heavy rain showers and intermittent moderate to severe turbulence we had our hands full. But we made it to Imphal in the end and hope for better weather on our way to Bagan in Myanmar. 

Day 111 - Hilltop mayhem

Our departure from Lukla went well. Nice clear skies as we circled around Everest. Then we made our southbound turn onward to Yongphula. It was non-stop mountain top and valley landings. Epic fun with friends! now off to East India.

Day 110 - NOT GONNA LIE, YOU LUKLA GOOD

This is likely the most challenging flight we've done on the journey. Extreme airports were everywhere. The team tackled it like pros! It was scenic and very challenging to complete in one flight. Highly recommend doing the flight if you didn't get to experience it yourself.

Day 109 - mad descent

The transition of scenery today has been epic. Starting in the snowy north, to desert like conditions in Tibet and finally the north of India in jungle terrain. We landed at Rudraprayag Airport descending from over 16000 feet to a mere 2000 feet in a very small window. We arrived in one of the most picturesque areas we have seen so far. Get some sleep and gear up for tomorrow as it may be some of the toughest terrain yet.

Day 108 - spectacular spectacular

There is no doubt that the Himalayas are one of the most spectacular places on earth. Mountains and valleys make up this landscape. Snowy peaks and often times poor weather make this a tough place to survive. We made it into Kargil without too many issues. More danger and adventure awaits as we go deeper into this unforgiving landscape.

Day 107 - at the feet of giants

We made our way further north through ever increasing terrain altitudes and arrived at Parachinar, Pakistan. Today is the day we drop off our XCubs for something capable of much higher altitudes. Turbines will be echoing in the early morning departure for the start of our adventures in the Himalayas.

Day 106 - where are you taking us

We are winding our way across Pakistan aiming towards the foothills of the Himalaya's. Long stretches of amazing terrain against a background of brown. Along with the hot weather, the terrain does not look inviting for our delicate machines. One more flight until we say goodbye to our bush planes for a while.

Day 105 - THE MATRIX RELOADED

While expectations of spectacular views were let down by a glitch in the Matrix we still had a good time getting to our destination in Nok Kundi. En-route altitudes continue to get higher the further north we go. Soon the XCubs will have to be ferried to a location past the Himalayas. But for now they still have our backs and will continue until it pushes them to their limits.

Day 104 - Hidden secRets

It's easy to ignore or forgo flying in areas we aren't familiar with. But our journey around the world has introduced us to areas we have never taken the time to explore. Departing Dubai we had hazy condition. However as time went on we were greeted with spectacular mountain ranges and other worldly terrain. Iran is spectacular. We will continue into Pakistan next as we aim high!

Day 103 - Oasis in the sand

Abu Dhabi and Dubai did not disappoint. So many unique structures and sights kept us busy for our arrival. Time to restock and get ready for our travels north into Iran.

Day 102 - Dycks Meat

If you've never watch Letterkenny you should stop what you're doing and watch it all. Then this will all make sense. We departed Kuwait city for Doha, Qatar. We're back into beautiful skies and warm weather. But don't get too used to it as we will be heading north sooner than you'd think. Off to Dubai next to see the tallest tower in the world.

Day 101 - You're breaking the car sammy

Tonight's flight took us from Najaf in Iraq to Kuwait City. The terrain unfortunately isn't as varried as Northern Iraq. But Kuwait cities skyline was waiting for out arrival. Time for some desert flying!

Day 100 - Bow to the great Euphrates

We had a relatively quiet flight South through Baghdad and then on to Najaf.  The terrain is changing rapidly from mountainous to flat farmland and now headed back to the desert. Keep an eye open for sand storms and dust on our way further south into the Persian Gulf.

Day 99 - northern Iraq is a stunner

It was quite unexpected the beauty of the mountainous terrain between Turkey and Iraq. It may very well be some of the best mountain terrain we've seen yet. We're safely situated to make our way through Baghdad, Karbala and finally Najaf.

Day 98 - PORKCHOP SANDWICHES

It's definitely better travelling with friends. With some long legs on day 98 we had to pass the time. What better what than with some classic GI Joe PSA's. I haven't laughed that hard in a long time. We mad it into Siirt in Southern Turkey. Prepped and ready to make our way across the border into Iraq. 

Day 97 - So muCh Turkey

Another good mileage day. Kev joined us live on stream to keep us in line while Super was away. We made it to Ordu for the night and will be on our way toward the border with Iraq and Syria. 

Day 96 - Flappy Stall Flappy

We made it over and past the sprawling city of Istanbul. It was surprising to see the landscape covered in snow. We managed our way through light freezing and arrived safely in Caycuma. All set to start heading south into the middle east where the landscape will continue to dramatically change.

Day 95 - BLACK SEA BARONS

Rainman designed this latest route taking us to Burgas on the coast of the Black Sea. Along the way seeing a UFO and some low coastal flying. We're all set to make our way back into Turkey for day 96. What challenges will we encounter next?

Day 94 - THE PLOVDIV ICE CHALLENGE

Weather was hit or miss in most of our flight. day 94 meant being covered in ice and trying to avoid the mountains. But after we cleared the worst of it we made it into Plovdiv safely. Next we're off to the coast of the black sea.

Day 93 - Do not go in there

Europe is almost behind us as we push closer to Turkey for a second round. We've landed in Caransebes and will make our way to Bulgaria tomorrow. 

Day 92 - Let me see your gear

Day 92 brought us to Romania. We stayed out of the worst of the weather and made it into our ski resort town. We're slowing winding our way back into Turkey and will be back to warmer skies soon.

Day 91 - The bus stops here

With day 91 done and on the books we're going our separate was for the holidays. Łososina Dolna will care for our gear while we are gone. We're in some foothills now so the terrain should be interesting for our return. Be sure to be back and ready to go on January 10, 2022 for the continuation of the journey.

Day 90 - Polish Feast

We knocked a few more countries off our list today. Made our way into Lithuania, Belarus and finally into Poland. We we fortunate to have good tailwinds on the way down south. We've mostly gotten past the freezing weather but still need to beat the low ceilings and visibility on our way out of Europe. 

Day 89 - All is good

Not the best weather out here. But we are starting to get south enough to hopeful start avoiding icing conditions. We're stopping in Riga and will continue to Poland on the next flight. Thanks to all of you who continue to join in on our world flight and make this adventure bigger than we had ever hoped.

Day 88 - the land of tsars

This could have been a disaster. Weather was forecast to be low vis, low ceilings and icing. All the things you don't want on a vfr flight. Fortunately as the day went on the better things seemed to be. We got away with minor weather issues and a pretty good view. Now it's time to soak in St. Petersburg and get ready to make the run south to warmer weather.

Day 87 - Are We There Yet

The flight to Helsinki went pretty well. I think we avoided to many issues with icing. Let's get rested for our flight into Russia. Saint Petersburg will be our next destination on our bucket list. 

Day 86 - ICE CUBES

I think we got lucky again. Our early legs were filled with fairly significant icing. But somehow we lucked out with good conditions for most of the flight. We've made it to our destination just outside of  Stockholm and will be making our way into Finland for Day 87. Let's see if we  can keep ahead of winter weather.

Day 85 - geiranger fjords

Our staging out of Alesund lead us into the Geiranger fjords. It was fairly uneventful until we started getting swarmed by Airforce jets intercepting our track. But the easiest way to get past a problem is to just ignore it...right? Anyhow, we made it across the border to Scandinavian Mountain Airport in Sweden. Rest up because winter weather is always at our heals and may make the next flight a terror inducing journey.

Day 84 - HIGH WINDS AHEAD

It looked like it was going to be horrible weather. But even before the first touch and go we had good visibility and high clouds for the remainder of the flight. Winds we interesting a few spots. I don't think the XCub was made for these kinds of crosswinds. But we do it the Bush League way and worry about the damage later...

Day 83 - Staging done

We were really fortunate to have good weather on the west coast. It's been snowing nearly every day. We're staged for day 84 when we will get deep into the Fiords of Norway. Keep an eye on the weather. This could get dangerous.

Day 82 - Windy city

We fortunately had good enough weather until the last leg. The wind however was maybe one of the windiest days we've seen in a long while. But we made it safely and are getting geared up for our flight out to the western edge of Norway for a couple of days. Stay safe.

Day 81 - Howdy Denmark!

The daylight hours are fading fast and the daily temperatures are steadily dropping. We're on the push to get into Norway and enjoy it's beauty while we still have a window open. We're just outside of Copenhagen and will make our way further north next time for day 82.

Day 80 - Europe AT A BREAKNECK PACE

From Germany to Belgium to Netherlands, the flight went by so fast. We're country hopping so quickly it's difficult to remember where we are sometimes. at least the weather held back before reaching the northern coast. Off to Denmark next on day 81 where we will continue the push towards Norway. BTW Punch don't forget your gear next time.

Day 79 - Weather not always on our side

The flight to Cologne was hampered by low ceilings and poor visibility. We unfortunately missed a large part of the scenery because of cloud coverage. But we pushed forward and made it to Cologne. Our next stage will bring us through Belgium and Netherlands. Let's hope the weather holds.

Day 78 - We're on a roll

Departing Asiago we wound our way through the stunning Alps. From Italy to Austria, Liechtenstein and Switzerland. We arrived at the lake side near St. Gallen. Rest up because things are going to happen fast!

Day 77 - Rain Rain Go Away

Today could have been much worse that it turned out. From launch we were headed into unforgiving headwinds for much of the flight. Terrain hampered our view as it forced us in many cases to climb into IFR conditions with temperatures on the edge of freezing. But as we got closer to Venice conditions improved significantly. Rather than stopping early as we expected to we made it to our destination in Asiago.

Day 76 - Ancient history and oddities

We said goodbye to Naples and travelled up the west coast of Italy and found ourselves literally at the foot of of the Vatican after a deadstick forced and emergency landing on its doorstep. It was fantastic seeing all of the ancient sites from the air over Rome. We continued up the coast where SuperKickMe had an unexpected surprise in his scenery. Because he didn't read the fine print he found himself surrounded by world landmarks that had no place on Italy's shores. We finished the evening landing at Marina Di Campo just off the coast. day 77 will have us ever closer to the Alps and visiting other historic areas of this beautiful country. 

Day 75 - Dynomite!

Visiting up the coast south of Naples was quite extraordinary. Cliff side communities and sheer rock faces. Some of the team couldn't make it unfortunately. But we hope the whole family is back together next time for more adventures. Pompeii, Mount Vesuvius and Naples are all excellent views from the sky. We're only just getting started in Italy.

Day 74 - Man DOWN

This was another long afternoon of flying. We started out in the Greek islands and headed to the shoreline. We had the opportunity to see some ancient sites and natural marvels. Some unnerving deadsticks happened along the way. Now resting for the day in Corfu and waiting for Hutch to catch up! We should be on our way to Naples tomorrow.

Day 73 - THE Important decisions

After finishing our flight on the Turkish coast, we continued out into the Aegean Sea to explore some of the Greek islands on our way to the mainland. we finished our day on the island of Syros after a fun impromptu race. Day 74 will bring us to the Greek mainland where we will explore some historical sites and natural wonders.

Day 72 - SUPER HATES NOG!

The Turkish coast is quite spectacular. From mountains to sand coastline. It has a bit of everything. We finished off our day in Kastellorizo.  Just a brief stop here until we make our way into the Greek islands and visit a few spots in Turkey.

Day 71 - ONE ICY CYRPUS DEADSTICK

A little bit of Israel, Lebanon and Cyprus tonight. The water crossing took up a good chunk of time. But we had a good time exploring the mountains. Breathe deep and smell the Asbestos. Made it to Pafos just after sunset. See you for day 72 when we are off to Turkey.

Day 70 - ONE PUNCH SEReNADE

Departing Cairo in during sunrise is pretty spectacular. We headed North East, crossed the Suez canal and made our way over Gaza and into Israel to the Dead Sea. It was an unexpected surprise that we landed at the lowest dry surface on earth. If you're ever in Israel or Jordan you need to have a look. LLMZ is a great landing point along the way. We flew over several historic towns and sites. Now resting at the Ramat David Air Base until Day 71. Hope we see you there!

Day 69 - Get your foil hats

One of the places we have been looking forward to visiting for so long finally happened. After months in Africa and a few weeks in the middle east we made it to Cairo. So many sights to see. Visiting the great pyramids happened at golden hour. I gave us quite a show. Everyone is safely on the ground at Cairo International, our launching point to visit places like Palestine and Israel next. We're only just getting started!

Day 68 - WHY SO HOT?

Another big mileage day. 375NM up the east coast of the Red Sea. Great weather (other than the scorching temperatures) made it an easy flight. The plan is to get to Cairo for day 69. That will officially end our time in Africa. Then off to tour around the East and North of the Mediterranean.  

Day 67 - MEGA MECCA FINES

Yes we landed on the rooftop of the building surrounding Mecca. We've been asked to leave immediately. On our way up to Rabigh we finished the day by doing some formation flying. One more day to push closer to Cairo!

Day 66 - CRAZY CLIFF DROP

So how did it feel to drop off a cliff into a layer of cloud? Y'all are crazy... and we love it! Made it into Saudi Arabia today after flying in the soup for most of the afternoon. Thanks for sticking with us after this long stretch of mountainous terrain and stormy skies. See you for the next leg of our adventure around the world.

Day 65 - Goodbye africa

Say goodbye to the continent of Africa(at least for now). We've arrived in Yemen after thunderstorms, high winds and low fuel. Somehow I think Africa didn't want to let us go. We'll be making our way up the eastern side of the Red Sea towards Cairo. More adventures to come.

Day 64 - Ethiopian Highlands In the Dark

This flight covered some major miles. We're making the push to be out of Africa for Day 65. The highlands unfortunately were covered in cloud and poor visibility. Some of these maniacs managed to spot some elephants in near darkness. Thankfully the weather over out destination was good, but dark. Looking forward to making our way to Yemen on Day 65. See you there!

Day 63 - That don't iMpress me much

Finally in Ethiopia and almost out of Africa. What a massive undertaking. Punch had his first collision with rising terrain and we had a good laugh at his expense. Some pretty nice views on the way into Arba Minch. We'll stay until Day 64 and be off towards Djibouti and Yemen.

Day 62 - Northern HEMI BABY

Mount Kilimanjaro was completely cloud covered today. But not to worry, we got to see some pretty spectacular areas on the way. About half way we made it to Nairobi and then discovered a spectacular field called Barton's (HKOM). Most of the fields were at high altitudes. So watch yourself out there. We officially made it back into the Northern Hemisphere and will plan to be into Ethiopia on Day 63. It means we will be leaving the continent of Africa in the next couple of flights. Africa has been epic, but it is time for a change! See you next time Legends!

Day 61 - The business end

We're finally sitting at the base of Kilimanjaro. Congrats to Jer for making the public announcement that he and his wife are expecting a baby. We're super happy for him to be part of the dads club. The whole conversation took a horrific turn towards the whole birth process and I think Jer may be scarred for life. All I can say is stay on the sidelines and just be the water boy for a while. :-) 

Day 60 - Bush League: We're better than bad

Well tonight was excellent weather through Tanzania. Our group is exceptionally good at bending metal. Thanks for being such a fun group of people. These single weekly flights are making me miss hanging out so I am personally really looking forward to getting back to twice a week this fall. We arrived in Ngerengere and will be on our way to the base of Mount Kilimanjaro. Africa was an epic place and is almost in our rearview mirror. All of you are machines for sticking around and making this adventure around the world happen. See you soon!

Day 59 - NOTE TO SELF

Never update video card drivers before a live stream. I wish I would take my own advice. Lake Malawi has some pretty cool mountain terrain and some rather interesting airport too.

Day 58 - TWISTED METAL!

Well that break from flying was way longer than expected. We missed you guys so much. It felt really good to be back. We flew through The north end of Mozambique and ended up at Monkey Bay in Malawi. After several absolutely devastating deadstick landings many of us ended with extremely high insurance premiums and should probably lose our license. See you on Day 59 as we continue up the eastern cost of Africa.

Day 57 - PIDGEON DONATES, WIFE DIVORCES

You guys really are too much. Each and every one of you takes time out of you day to join us in tackling an absolutely massive project. We cannot say it enough but thank you! Thank you! Thank you! We made our way across Zimbabwe with a few touch and goes in Zambia. We're in a slow down for the summer months so starting Day 59 we'll be Mondays only for 'The Journey' until September. We want to be sure all of you get ample time to spend the summer getting out and doing what you love. Once fall and winter creep back into our live we\ll be back to two days a week. See you on Day 58 for more adventures!

Day 56 - SMOKE and a PANCAKE

A bit of flat land cruising today in Mozambique. But we made it to Zimbabwe at the end. It will have some nice mountain terrain for the next day. Expect more animal spotting and interesting landscapes. 

Day 55 - Warm milk and Cold beer

Had another good day making our way up the east side of Madagascar. Always some interesting sights on the way. One of the most fun parts of 'The Journey' is spending time with friends and exploring places we likely never would have visited. We've officially dropped off our rentals and will be on our flight back to Paradise Island for the weekend. See you next time!

Day 54 - FIREFLIES

I think the guys who rented out these machines to us might be a little upset at the mess some of you are making. Good fun along the way. It really makes us appreciate the performance of our bush planes. We'll spend a couple of days here in Antsirabe. Day 55 we will plan to finish our tour of Madagascar on the North of the island. See you soon!

Day 53 - T-PLANE

You just never know what tricks Super has up his sleeves. Long haul tonight up the coast of Mozambique. We made it to Paradise Island after a short race across the water. Make sure you tie down and clean out your XCub as our boat trip across to Madagascar will take us to our departure airport for a two day flight to explore the island. Your choice of aircraft. Keep in mind we will still be visiting smaller strips along the way. Something with a reasonable cruise speed of 110+ is a good idea. 

Day 52 - Fuuuuuuuuu

The first half of this leg is like flying over Kansas. But it soon reveals some pretty spectacular mountain areas and sandy shoreline. We're now in Mozambique and will spend the next day getting up the coast. Then we will park our XCubs and hop over to Madagascar on a charter flight. We will then pick up a variety of partially serviceable aircraft for the next two days to explore.

Day 51 - WHISTLE WHILE YOU WORK

Lesotho was incredible. The whole kingdom is enveloped in mountainous areas. It is a bush pilots paradise. If you have never explored we highly recommend it. Most of the terrain was mountain until the border with South Africa. At that point it turned to farm land as far as the eye could see. We made it mostly unscathed to Johannesburg. Enjoy your visit and we'll see you next time!

Day 50.5 - it's a GOOD LUCK DRAGON - You uncultureD SWINE

After technical issues smashed our first attempt to fly day 50 we were able to make it through relatively unscathed on attempt number 2. Bad weather made the first portion tricky. With improved ceilings and visibility we were able to continue without issue. Along the way I think many of us missed some of the spectacular views because we were so focused on finding out how few classic movies Hutch has actually seen.  It was a good time and what we missed in views we made up for in laughter. 

Day 49 - ONLY FANS

Pigpen put your dress back on! We had a nice easy flight today zig zagging while we explored shoreline and inland mountains. It's a pretty varied and spectacular landscape. You could spend months exploring this area. We we missing Hutch today as he was trying to figure out why his chickens crossed the road. But alas he never found the answer. See you guys for day 50 as we depart Plettenberg Bay.

Day 48 - CAPE TOWN

After so many hours and miles we made it to the bottom of the African Continent. South Africa has spectacular variation in terrain. We had a good visit at the top of Tabletop Mountain just west of the Cape Town. In typical Bush League fashion we surrounded the closest airliner and demanded they had over their snack bar. See you soon to begin our journey back up the East coast. 

Day 47 - Am I Glowing?

CharlieFoxtrot00 again planned a fantastic day 47. We had a great couple of river runs and some fun mountain top landings. We're spending the night in Vaalputs. A nuclear waste storage facility. Questionable choice, but interesting none the less. We'll be taking a break and be back to fly day 48 to Cape Town, South Africa.

Day 46 - Namibia is showing her stuff

CharlieFoxtrot00 Did an epic job of planning day 46. We got stuck in low visibility for a while. It is rainy season after all and to be expected. Once we broke out near the desert the views were epic. Namibia is such an amazing place to fly. We'll be at it again on day 47 and may very well end up in South Africa by the end of the flight. Hope to see you there.

Day 45 - LA LA LA and other random noises

Day 2 in Namibia didn't disappoint. It's a pretty incredible place. Made the boys work for their fuel tonight. We were near fumes on our second to last leg. Good to force these guys to work for it once in a while. We'll be ready for Day 46 after our camp out. CharlieFoxtrot00 is planning Day 46 and 47. We are very likely to reach South Africa very soon!

Day 44 - SO MUCH EPIC

Terrain changes were incredible today. Thanks to Merlin for the flightplan. We started off in The deserts of southern Angola and made our way across some epic sand dunes. Then we flew the river dividing Angola and Namibia. Namibia turned into some spectacular mountain ranges and forested areas. We are looking really forward to exploring more of Namibia on day 45. See you then.

Day 43 - Mountain man

The terrain in Angola is rapidly changing. We are planning to be in Namibia by the end of the next flight. Some of us managed to land on the top of a mountain en-route to the final airport. What an epic view with thunderstorms surrounding the summit. We always find some good gems. 

Day 42 - DOGGOS EVERYWHERE

All of you have some good looking animals in your lives. We tackled many miles again and are just a couple of flights away from Namibia! Thanks for continuing to explore the world with us. So many adventures ahead! The next couple of weeks will be new flight planners. Time to shake things up and see what adventures they take us on! 

Day 41 - draw me like one of your french girls!

Many of our followers are now trying to imagine what Jer look like while flying the sim. Cashmere scarf, check. Monocle, check. Eats fancy biscotti, check. Let's see what masterpiece's you guys come up with! We had a few thunderstorms around. It was an easy night as we finished off in Noumbi. Next day we will continue pushing towards Angola and then Namibia. The views and terrain is about to change drastically.

Day 40 - Southern HEMISPHERE!

Today we landed at the summit of Mount Cameroon. What an epic view from more than 13,000ft. We continued south tracking through Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea and finally arrived just a couple of miles south of the equator in Gabon. This journey would not be the same without all the friends we've made along the way. Welcome to the southern hemisphere! 

Day 39 - Welcome to 1-800-FIX-MYPC

That was a long one. Not much interesting terrain as we make our way across Nigeria. Great weather and nothing to look at. Seems like most of the crew is pretty beat. Will be good to take a break and refresh on the leg south. We're making great progress each week and will be in Namibia and South Africa before you know it!

Day 38 - CANADIAN SNOWBALLS

Today was a bit of an off track flight. We headed inland along a ridgeline to enjoy some true bush flying. Along the way for some reason Super got a request to see a real Canadian snowball. He delivered and decided to eat it dirt and all. Oh the things he'll do for views. ;-) We made it to Lagos with the last 50 miles low level over the river. Always enjoy the company and hope to see you guys for more adventures on day 39!

Day 37 - Don't forget to floss!

We hammered out a long stretch without many breaks. 369NM tonight. Did we just be come brand ambassadors for Oral-B and Sensodyne? See what happens when Super takes 5 minutes off camera and leaves the rest of us to take over! We'll be resting here in Accra until day 38 when we head inland for some bush strips. See you then.

Day 36 - CAN'T SHAKE 'EM

We've made it to The Ivory Coast. Early morning thunderstorms gave us quite the show. But dissipated into isolated rain showers for most of the way. As is becoming tradition the last leg was a low level flight . With Carbon at the lead he tried as hard as he could to lose the crowd in the chase. But no luck. Maybe next time.

Day 35 - Trash PANDA

This was a fun spot to explore. Shoreline was full of great spots to land. We flew past Freetown and finished the flight near Monrovia. Everyone got to witness the unveiling of the STOLverlord. Not what you expected I suspect. Those of you who have spent your hard earned money on the stream it is difficult for us to know how to thank you properly. We are committed to investing everything back into the community and we hope that you continue to enjoy our time together every week as much as we do.

Day 34 - SUPER's EPIC WIN

5 Dead sticks and Super made it through every single one! What is going on here? We had a great time discovering some new terrain and made our way to the coast. It's always surprising the terrain we encounter on these flights. The Earth is a fantastic place. More fun on the way!

Day 33 - Balloons and CRONCH

We had a special guest Aus Flight Simmer drop into the stream. Was nice to see someone we enjoy watching drop by. We started out with less than 3/4 tanks and needed to cover some miles before fuel was available at our stop at Dag Dag. Everyone managed fuel well and made it without issue. Super found what we thing is a meteor impact site. Made it into Sadiola Gold Mine and will remain here until day 34.

Day 32 - EYEBALLS and DEHYDRATED GIRAFFES

Another easy flight today over Mauritania. Found our way over to the Richat structure for an amazing view of this very unique geological feature. We stopped off a few miles away to regroup and then continued on our way. Time to camp at Letfotar and rest up for the push back out of the desert.

Day 31 - THAT'S SAND... and MORE SAND

It had to be done. Leaving the Canary Islands we had a straight shot to the shoreline of about 160NM. At least we saw the sunrise! After that we were greeted with hundreds of miles of sand and desert. The Western Sahara is an unforgiving landscape. We need to be on our toes and look out for one another. Another few days of punching a hole right through the middle of this place and we'll be on to the jungles. Good job on getting through this.

Day 30 - I AM NOT IN A CULT

We had a nice early morning start on the edge of the Sahara. Making our way south and then crossed to the first of three islands in the Canary's. We had some unexpected awesome terrain to fly and landed in the caldera of a volcano. We ended the day by landing on the top of the highest mountain at 12500ft. Ended the day as planned in GCTS. See you soon for day 31.

Day 29 - WET-N-WILD

Although there was a chance of thunderstorms before departure we were not quire prepared for the amount of bad weather enroute today. Amazing ILS approach in some of the worst weather we've seen in sim. Then at our arrival in GMAT we had incredible weather and a good time flying low level and fast. Good work guys. See you on day 30!

Day 28 - Morocco?...yes please.

Our first flight back since the holiday break. What another epic ride! We got to see central Morocco and the absolutely amazing mountain ranges and other worldly scenery.

Day 27 - BIG ROCKS AND FORMATION FLYING

Merry Christmas! Happy Holidays! We left Portugal and made a little tour around Gibraltar. I would highly recommend visiting. From there we headed south to the north of Africa into Morocco. Was the las stream of 2020 and we're going to miss you guys. The new year isn't too far away though. See you in the skies.

Day 26 - ERIC DOES THE DEED

Thank you to SbEric407 on twitch for stepping in to stream for us today! We had a great time as we always do. With great weather and light winds we made our way to the Atlantic coast of Portugal. It was a nice easy scenic flight. The last day in Portugal as we continue past Gibraltar and head to Morocco in North Africa. The adventure is only just beginning.

Day 25 - Pizza Party

Why is it every time we're in the middle of nowhere we have to talk about pizza? Now it's midnight and I'm hungry. Enjoy your pizza Hutch. We pushed our way through 376NM on Spain and made it to Portugal. We'll spend the night camping here and make our way west and explore some oceanside sights. Until then keep the blue side up! Or don't...

Day 24 - SPANISH FLY

No one expects a Spanish Inquisition. But you can always expect a deadstick landing. We started with some challenging weather in the Mountains over Andorra. Then kept pushing south to Spain. We ended in our planned spot Castell de Castells. It's a stunning view. We can't wait to continue exploring.

Day 23 - Prison riot!

Don't panic. We were just testing our ability to land on a prison roof. No big deal! We had dead stick landings all over the place and made for the normal chaos we've come to expect. We've made it to the border of Spain and will be will on our way into exploring all the secrets it has to offer up.

Day 22 - NIce, Nice.

The French Alps is pretty incredible. There is such a wide variety of terrain and airfields. Spectacular! We made it to Nice   and will rest here for the weekend. Enjoy your stay. See you again as we continue 'The Journey'

Day 21 - Paris amazing. Deadsticks, Not so Much

Another great turnout and loads of fun flying past Paris. Seeing some of the famous sites. The Eiffel tower was fun. We had quite a few dead stick landings courtesy of our Twitch viewers. Near the end we ended up several bent airplanes. Courchevel was awesome. Overcast with light snow and lights winds. Let's see what Thursday has in store for us!

Day 20 - History in these hills

Good luck with the weather today. We lifted off from London City airport as the sun rose over the horizon. Heading south along the shore we past the cliffs of Dover. From there crossing to Dunkirk we had time to think about and remember the sacrifice and loss made on those north shores of France. From there we made it to the river Seine and had a good time running for miles until breaking off and heading to the last couple of stops. Paris and on to Courchevel next!

Day 19 - rocks and river racing

We finally got a break in the weather today. Past Cardiff on our way to Lundy Island we made some stops on the amazing beaches that spot the shoreline. Then the group slowly found the way across the countryside; explored the southern coast and its beaches and had a few unscheduled landings along the way. Stonehenge was epic and we got some impressive group shots. Eventually worked our way north of London and then followed the River Thames to London City Airport. From there the race began. We had some fierce competition trying to be the victor of the Thames River run. In the end Bruno managed to reach the finish line unscathed. Pigpen awarded him a Bush League Legends T-Shirt. What an awesome gift for the community! So for now we take a break and prepare for Paris. See you all soon.

Day 18 - how many engine failures?

We started off having not so great weather. But overall the conditions were quite good. We had awesome views of Manchester and Liverpool and were able to experience some fun country strips. Can anyone figure out the actual real world probability of having 5 engine failures in one afternoon? Everyone is going to be a master of dead sticking by the time we are done this. Fantastic fun guys. See you soon for our flight to London!

Day 17 - Ireland we love you!

A little rain and wind was expected. After a short while Ireland finally showed us some blue sky. Ireland is stunning. Definitely a place to spend some time exploring. It was a fairly expensive day with 6 or 7 pilots who bit the dust. We ended at Slieve Croob tonight and look forward to checking out Wales and England next. Stay tuned for more adventures with the Bush League Legends.

Day 16 - WINDY WINDY WINDY

This group is borderline insane! Who flies in this kind of Irish weather? High winds and low visibility. We made some awesome landings along the way and discovered that those who dare don't always win. All we can hope for is better weather for Day 17!

DAY 15 - CRASH, BANG, BOOM

Come on CARBON! Pay attention. Simply put I did an unintended landing while looking at the live stream. Not a good way to start a day. Then SUPER stepped away from his keyboard. We all know how that one plays out. Rising terrain and autopilot don't mix. Some good adventures landing on beaches and just making a general nuisance of ourselves. We made it to Crumlin in Northern Ireland and said goodbye for now. See you in a few days for more adventure!

Day 14 - Fog, Poutine and forced landings

Leaving Inverness was typical Scottish foggy weather. Not surprising for the first while. But by the time we made it Glasgow things started to improve and for whatever reason poutine was on the menu. How do these conversations start? Thanks to the new community vote we now have forced landings and engine failures. The punishment livery was out in full force with damage and destruction everywhere. Yes that's correct. Anyone can use their Twitch points to shut down the whole operation! Thanks to our viewers for the constant Damocles sword hanging over our heads. We made it to Benbecula where we were greeted with reasonable weather and a nice bed to sleep in. See you on day 15!

Day 13 - no lack of luck

Vagar was partly cloudy with enough of a wind to make the start of our day a death defying exercise in crosswind takeoffs. We had a good time cruising and chatting. Then we finally made it. Wick parted the fog and let us in with open arms. Easy winds and no icing. Then in short order we all got airborne again and headed to Inverness. Enjoying the land beneath for our over confident landing abilities. We all made it! Scotland here we come!

Day 12 - PUFFINS and SHEEP

Thanks Jer for the always interesting facts about the places we visit. Who knew sheep would need reflectors. No Puffins still don't actually exist! Was a fun start to the flight as CarbonProp decided to be a dumb dumb and stalled a wing while landing uphill and had an unfortunate accident. We all followed up with a landing on a mountain peak and then dove off the side in a ride only the Bush League Legends could appreciate. We then made our way across the last piece of the Atlantic to Vagar in the Faroe Islands. Next stop Scotland!

Day 11 - EPIC EVERY TIME

Some absolutely stunning areas in Iceland. I think it ended up on may people's bucket list of places to see in the world. What a good playground to have in your backyard. Day 12 will be a quick sightseeing tour on the east coast and then crossing the water to the Faroe Islands. Outstanding flying everyone!

DAy 10 - Outstanding views

We tackled so many new areas in one day! Iceland has incredible terrain that would make any bush pilot jealous. With light winds and great weather we headed north out of Reykjavik, around the northwest then finished up at Akureyri. We all discovered some new areas I'm sure many of us will return to. So day 10 is done after some intense hand flying. However we still get one more day of exploring Iceland.

DAy 9 - Those Who Dare

It was borderline crazy to depart in those conditions! We had a moment where it looked like it was over before it started. But being the crazy bunch we are decided to try going for it. Those who dare win. We made it! All the way across the North Atlantic to Iceland. Reykjavik welcomed us with good weather and light winds. The next two days are going to be fun. Lots of exploring the shores and interior of Iceland. Well done!

Day 8 - It could have been worse

We certainly expected day 8 to get scrubbed. The remnants of hurricane Teddy were on our doorstep! But after monitoring the situation all day we we able to launch north bound for Kulusuk. It ended badly for some who followed a mountain pass that took them into icing. But a good learning experience for everyone involved. After that is was smooth sailing along the eastern coast of Greenland. Day 9 is just around the corner and we will be on our way to Iceland.

DAY 7 - THe Long HAUL

We departed early morning from Goose Bay with a good tail wind. Fortunately the weather held off for the entire flight. Other than a long lonely view of the ocean and the periodic flyby of A320s and 747s it was uneventful. Congratulations to all of you for completing the crossing to Greenland. It's not something many people have done. We had such a successful turnout for a day we thought would be a bit boring. So much fun! Can't wait for day 8!

Day 6- #ICRASHED

The look on Super's face as he walks back onto the stream witnessing his beloved XCub impact the trees. What a good laugh and a good time with friends. We had another awesome turnout for the flight to Goose Bay. The winds were wicked and fun was had low level on the river. Thanks to all of you for making this a success. We can not wait for Day 7 when the crossing starts! See you there.

Photo by Blitzkrieg-lg

Day 5 - Blackouts and big hills

Well that was interesting! Lots of odd challenges on day 5. Many folks couldn't see other multiplayer users, Carbon had a power outage and Hutch nearly performed his first CFIT (Controlled Flight Into Terrain). Even after all of the headaches the Bush League Legends had to endure most were able to make it to Stephenville. Thanks to all of you who participated and made the crossing with us. Next up is Goose Bay! See you there legends.

Photo by Holocene

DAY 4 - FOG IS NOT YOUR FRIEND

After departing KPVC the absolutely massive group of Bush League pilots headed over Boston to see the sights as best they could. Visibility and ceilings were not our friend. We slowly made it up the east coast and sent ourselves offshore to Matinicus Island. Where the weather tried to keep us out. But we all prevailed. Landing on both the North and South Islands for some great photo ops. We then continued enroute and arrived at CCB6 in poor conditions. Visibility was down and the sun had set. We all opted to stay overnight in CYZX and will make our way back to CCB6 for day 5 of 'The Journey'.

WEEK 2 HIGHLIGHTS

Put together by Bush League member Jer this video gives a little glimpse into the massive fun we get to have twice a week while travelling the world. 

DAy 3 - New york state of mind

My apologies for not getting these summaries up sooner. The group set flight out of Gap View headed towards New York. We had a fun time seeing the sights and then breaking all of the rules by landing in Central Park. Heart pounding fun! We continued during sunset into the early night to Provincetown where we stayed for the customary drone photo. Everyone is pumped for Day 4! Happening on September 10, 2020. Hope to see you there! 

Day 2 - Hidden treasures

Scott's Island Airport was overcast and not looking like the nicest weather again today. We made it over to Yeager and refueled for the journey north. We made it to the Ohio river and flew low level to Pittsburgh. Did a quick city tour and continued on our way. Making brief stops at various airstrips enroute. Shortly before sunset we made it to Gap View. What an awesome flight with with a great group. See you on day 3! 

Day 1 - First Flight

August 31, 2020 - What an outstanding turnout for our first leg around the world! We are so thankful for your support and can't wait to see you again. There was challenging weather part way through the flight. Once we made it to the Kanawha River we really started having some fun. Well done to all of you who made it to Scott's Island. More exciting events are on the way! Catch us Thursday September 3, 2020 for the next leg from WV08 to 49PA. Both sceneries are available in the addons section. Thanks again to our community members and our sponsors Best Tugs and CubCrafters. See you soon!

Ready to ROLL

We've officially made it to First Flight Airport. With a quick fuel stop in Elizabeth City this evening. We'll be hanging out in the area until Monday. Then launch back towards Scotts Island (WV08). Continuing towards the east coast again. We'll be pushing to cross the Atlantic before freezing levels get too low and winds get too high. The excitement is high to start this massive undertaking. See you soon!


August 26, 2020

Jer was kind enough to collect footage and edit the trailer for 'The Journey'. Just a glimpses of the epic flights we are planning. 

UPDATE - AUGUST 23, 2020

We've made the first step to starting "The Journey" on  August 31, 2020. After Carbon flew from the east coast of Canada to Brantford, Ontario on livestream. Jer, Super and Carbon  flew to Chicago Midway to meet up with Hutch. Hutch had previously flown in to Midway from Salt Lake City, Utah. After the flying was completed they officially had their xCub's repainted for the world flight. We're proudly displaying our community sponsors Cub Crafters and Best Tugs

Our next step is to fly to KFFA together to officially begin "The Journey". Be sure to follow along on this epic adventure.

Update - August 12, 2020

Updated August 15, 2020 - New departure date! We're getting going earlier than expected. Now August 31, 2020 from KFFA.

Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen! Welcome on board your flight to see the world. Please sit tight, enjoy the ride. We welcome you on this epic adventure.

In just a few short weeks the team will be headed off on a massive flight around the globe in our  CubCrafters XCub. We are beginning 'The Journey' on August 31, 2020. Departing from KFFA (First Flight Airport) where the memorial for the achievements of the Wright brothers stands proudly. During our journey we are trying to seek out some of the most unusual and iconic airports around the world. This is no small task. We have a team of people working diligently to ensure all avenues of our adventure are covered. From fuel to weight, cost and weather, every detail needs to be planned. For myself I have years of real world flight experience in very different environments. Years of bush flying on ice covered lakes, grass, dirt and gravel strips to the asphalt of some of North Americas busiest airports. Hopefully I have what it takes to lead the group safely to our return home.

We would love to see more of you join us on our social media channels and stay in touch as we plan to have community events along the way for all of you to join in the fun! If you love general aviation, bush flying and adventure you're in the right place and with the right company.

The team feels extremely fortunate to have both Best Tugs and CubCrafters on board to provide our community members with some awesome prizes. In the initial stages of design we weren't necessarily optimistic about having sponsors to help out. But these two awesome companies who produce products we truly admire stepped up and put their trust in our abilities to represent their brand. They are helping to ensure this is a great event for everyone. So we can never thank them enough for their support.


We will see you soon,


David (AKA Carbon)

Equipment

Each stage of a real world flight needs to be accounted for. From survival gear to tents and food. These items will be a part of the final takeoff weight of each aircraft. Below is a list of equipment each pilot will carry on board. We will attempt to achieve the highest level of realism we can. To cross the North Atlantic there are equipment requirements in Canada and Greenland regulations. Here is a list of some of the items onboard.

Coastal Compact Raft with emergency flares, food and water  - 22lbs

Dry Suit - 4lbs

High-mountain protection tent - 10lbs

65L Backpack - 22lbs

Food and Water - 32lbs

Satellite Phone and HF Radio - 3lb

Repair Kit - 7lbs

25 Gallon Fuel Bladder - 11lbs (empty)