Flying from St Just Airport (Lands End)

Saturday, February 26th 2022 at St Just Airport.

There is a strong southerly gale blowing in the real world and in the sim. It's not very good flying weather, especially for messing about in a flying boat, but I'll not let that stop me from flying from the upgraded St Just Airport in a Grumman G44A Widgeon.

Come along and see the sea.

Local Landmarks

Apart from the rugged coastline, there is plenty to see and do in the far South West of the UK.

Perhaps the most prominent landmark is Lands End, where tourists look out across the Atlantic ocean towards New York. There is a signpost showing that the distance to New York - is 3147 miles.

The open-air Minack Theatre, perched on the cliffs at Porthcurno, can be recognised in the sim. An upgrade for the sim would make it so much more pleasurable to visit.

St Michaels Mount is clearly visible just East of Penzance but the default building on the top is not a church.

Just to the north of St Just is the Botallack Mine and Engine Houses, now owned by the National Trust. The mine is modelled in my scenery. It is part of a North Cornwall coast upgrade that I have installed. 

A little further to the North East is the Geevor Tin Mine. There is a massive building on the site, an aberration produced by the AI, I guess. Upgrading it would be an interesting project.

From the Geevor Tin Mine, you should be able to see the Pendeen lighthouse but it is missing. 

Can you use the MSFS2020 SDK to improve these Cornwall landmarks?

The Airfield

Cobham Air Routes started to plan the route linking the Isles of Scilly to the mainland in 1935. Cobham was subsequently acquired by Olley Air Service, whose subsidiary Channel Air Ferries developed the Land's End airport (St Just) and started a service to the island of St Mary's on 15 September 1937, flying de Havilland Dragons. 

In 1984, Isles of Scilly Skybus started operations at the airport, initially freight and charter, then scheduled services from April 1987, flying Islanders and de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otters.

Skybus became the sole remaining air link for the Isles of Scilly from October 2012, when the helicopter service from Penzance ended.

Up to 2014, all of the airport's runways were grass. The airport closed on 4 July 2014 for the asphalting of two runways and it reopened on 29 July.

The airport is owned by the Isles of Scilly Steamship Company (ISSC). ISSC's subsidiary Land's End Airport Limited operates the airport, and another subsidiary, Isles of Scilly Skybus, operates a regular passenger service to St Mary's in the Isles of Scilly as well as scenic flights around West Penwith.

Get your upgrade for St Just (Lands End Airfield upgrade here.

The Aircraft

In the video, I am flying the Flysimware payware Grumman G44A Widgeon.

The Widgeon was originally designed for the civil market. It is smaller, but otherwise similar to Grumman's earlier G-21 Goose, and was produced from 1941 to 1955. The aircraft was used during World War II as a small patrol and utility machine by the US Navy, US Coast Guard, and Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm.

There is a freeware version of the Goose available here.

General characteristics

• Crew: 1
• Capacity: 4 passengers (as utility aircraft)
• Length: 31 ft 1 in (9.47 m)
• Wingspan: 40 ft 0 in (12.19 m)
• Empty weight: 3,240 lb (1,470 kg)
• Gross weight: 4,525 lb (2,053 kg)
• Powerplant: 2 × Ranger L-440-5 air-cooled inverted six-cylinder inline engine, 200 hp (150 kW) each

Performance

• Maximum speed: 153 mph (246 km/h, 133 kn)
• Cruise speed: 138 mph (222 km/h, 120 kn)
• Range: 920 mi (1,480 km, 800 nmi)
• Service ceiling: 14,600 ft (4,500 m)
• Rate of climb: 700 ft/min (3.6 m/s)

Do you have narrated YouTube videos of simulator flights from Cornwall airfields?

Send me a link or post it in the comments. I'll add those I like to this site.