Leg 009

"If you're out there"

It's precipitation, but it's warm & gentle.

It was fantastic being back in 'civilization' for a couple of days.  I enjoyed an unreasonable number of long, hot showers in my nice Marriott Bonvoy club room.  I also took a couple sightseeing day trips and covered most of Georgetown's square mileage.  There are some fantastic churches and museums to see here, and while it doesn't rival the sites/sights of Georgetown in Washington, DC (re: fun college weekends), I enjoyed this little South American pearl very much.

Today's plan is pretty simple: I will put some fuel in Wanda & then move the 200 kg crate 200 miles to the northwest to a little town called Tumeremo in Venezuela.  In Tumeremo tomorrow, I am scheduled to pickup three 'Sociedad de Tareros de Venezuela' (an FSEconomy company) passengers headed to Barcelona (Venezuela).  On the way to that airport, I'll drop the crate off at its final destination of Ciudad Guayana.

A photo taken from the tower at Cheddi Jagan Intl.  After spending time in the Amazon jungle, this place feels like a major airport.  Wanda and I are on the taxiway above the asphalt ramp.

There's a heavy, steady rain in Georgetown today.  The METAR tells me that the ceiling is parked at 2,500 feet for the first 25 miles of the journey.  The wind is pretty much calm, so it should be a smooth ride.  I've filed a flight plan to stay under the weather, then climb higher once the clouds weaken.  If the clouds do not weaken before crossing into Venezuela, I'll climb to 6,500 feet any way, in preparation for the complicated airspace entry clearance procedure.  I'm scheduled to enter the airspace at 6,500, so that's where I'll be.  I absolutely do not want to see the inside of a Venezuela holding cell due to non-compliance.

I give Wanda a careful and thorough pre-flight check, crank her engines from left to right (appreciating the counter-rotating props), and dial in a direct line to Tumeremo.  I didn't see any points of interest when planning the flight, nor will the weather give me much opportunity for the first 50 miles, so the name of the game is 'operational efficiency' today.  We make a quick taxi to runway 24 and power up into the rain.

Setup for an efficient cruise at 2,500 feet, Wanda is sipping less than 18 GPH while giving me 181 MPH across the ground.  Very nice, my lady!

With only 50% in the tanks and 200kg in the back, Wanda and I rocket up to 2,500 feet in 90 seconds.  I level off and slowly configure for an economical cruise, caressing the mixtures and props with gentle touches.  Wanda rewards me with 181 MPH ground speed on less than 18 gallons per hour.  Her 9 miles per gallon average is better than my Cadillac Escalade gets in the city back home.  What a magnificent machine she is!

In true scud-running fashion, Wanda and I are at the very bottom of the cloud layer.  I still have ground contact, but visibility is pretty poor.  The rain is soothing as it attacks the windshield and the air is smooth.  I take the opportunity to press shuffle on my playlist and enjoy "Lucky Ones" by Logan Staats as Wanda and I pierce the gentle showers.

There wasn't much to see out the front.  At least I have all the pretty colors in the cockpit to keep me occupied.

Over the next 10 minutes (30 miles) the skies gradually become a bit more translucent.  I'm out of controlled airspace now, so I decide to bring in the power, boost the mixture and add more prop.  Wanting to find blue skies, Wanda gives me a fantastic 2,000 FPM climb rate all the way up to 6,500 feet.  The air remains smooth and the faucet begins to slowly turn off.  When I can catch a glimpse of the ground, it is a completely green blanket of dense forest.  In fact, I can't find a single landmark or town anywhere in this weather.  OK, you win, magenta line.  Lead me on, master.

Wanda and I continue to push northwest at more than 180 MPH across the ground.  Everything is looking good on the colorful array of instruments in front of me, so I focus again on my shuffle, "Lose My Mind" by Lisa Cimorelli.  If you want to hear a female singer with an insane upper range, I highly recommend you search for "Cimorelli King of My Heart" on YouTube.  You'll know which sister she is once the bridge comes in at the 2:45 minute mark (wink).  Her solo work is fantastic. 

(this is what happens when there's not much to see outside)

Still not much to see, but at least it's the correct color now.

The clouds are beginning to dissipate, and now that I'm northwest of Bartica, I am hoping to spot the Cuyuni River somewhere down there.  Yesterday I read that the Cuyuni marks a 62-mile-long border dispute between Guyana and Venezuela.  While I'm not in Venezuelan airspace, I do wonder if I'm flying over the gray zone.  It's pretty incredible that in this modern era there are still so many unresolved borders.

For example, I had a spectacular vacation in Dakhla.  You may not know, but its home country, Western Sahara, isn't recognized by a large percentage of world governments even today.  Heck, the border is marked by trenches, sandbags and crazy lunatics with automatic rifles...but alas, that's a story for when I get to that part of the world once again.  For now, I keep looking for signs of the Cuyuni below.  It should stand out pretty well against the solid mass of rainforest.

Now able to see the ground, I am treated to the muddy & inspiring Cuyuni River.

As Wanda and I eat up the remaining Guyana territory, the skies finally clear and there it is in all its muddy glory: the Cuyuni River.  It cuts a fantastically-random path through the dense canopy.  I am absolutely fascinated by the fact that other than the river, I see absolutely nothing out here.  There's nothing on my map.  There are no villages.  There are no roads.  I suppose that explains the 62 miles of "who wants this(?)" that Guyana and Venezuela play with each other.

And, right on cue, my shuffled playlist brings me "If You're Out There" by John Legend.  I actually laugh out loud, as I can't think of a better catchphrase for this part of Guyana.  I'd be willing to bet anything that if I could roll down the window and yell "is anyone out there" it would be met with absolute silence.  It doesn't make me confident about a rescue, so I glance at the engine instruments again, just to be sure.  All is well.  Let's keep going, Wanda.

As the Cuyuni passes under us, it is time to get ready to request permission to enter Venezuelan airspace.

Wanda and I are now approaching Venezuelan airspace, so according to the most recent NOTAM I could find (which is over a year old), I call ATC services and request to transit.  I am given a transponder code of 2452 and asked to IDENT and stand by.  If I don't get a clearance in the next 2 minutes, I'll have to enter a holding pattern here, just east of the border.

It must be my lucky day, as moments later I am given a full clearance with no holds required.  'Ready to earn your fifth flag, Wanda?'  She gives me a little control yoke flutter as a cheerful 'oh yeah' response.

The air remains smooth, but the haze is rising as the ground temps continue to warm.  During this part of the year, in this part of the world, 1600 local is the hottest part of the day.  We're still two hours before that time, but the mercury continues to move upward, sending lots of that rainforest byproduct up to meet Wanda and me as haze.  As we fly through these small patches of gray, I take a few moments to appreciate some interesting curves and lines inside Wanda's cockpit (see photos).

Making it a habit, Wanda and I are three feet away from a soft landing.

Twenty five miles from SVTM airport, Wanda and I start down the hill to 2,000 feet to enter a straight in approach for runway 26.  Tumeremo airport is a single, long concrete runway.  The ceiling is nice and high presently.  Heavy rain showers passed over the airport about an hour ago, so I need to keep an eye out for runway flooding.

As we descend, the rainforest starts to give way to scattered clearings and harvested fields.  I can easily see Tumeremo in the distance, but I am not able to spot SVTM until I am within 3nm of the threshold.  It's not a problem, though, as I've already got Wanda configured to land: flaps 20, levers forward, gear down & locked, trim in the sweet spot.

Wanda and I enter a 2 mile final, not hearing any other traffic on the CTAF.  We make a very gentle touchdown on the centerline (she flies so well) and are easily able to make the right turnoff toward the small terminal building.

Time passes quickly & it's hard to believe that Wanda and I have covered this much ground in only 9 legs.

Parked next to the terminal in preparation for tomorrow's passenger flights, I take time to be sure Wanda is ready to go.  Our next airport, Ciudad Guayana (SVPR) has a nice low price for 100LL fuel, so I decide to not purchase fuel here in Tumeremo.  I'll be within legal limits on fuel, but it will be tight.  However, if during tomorrow's flight I feel that the fuel situation is too close, I'll make a quick stop in Upata, which is on the way.  SVPR is only 100nm from here and I've got enough fuel for 200nm.  We should be fine.

I complete my logbook and take a few moments to appreciate the progress that Wanda and I have made so far.  In nine legs we've flown 2,049 nautical miles in 15.1 hours tach time.  We've used 254 gallons of fuel and have earned $11,790.65 in net revenue.  We've experienced two maintenance issues, requiring $4,731.00 in repairs.  And most importantly, we have touched 5 countries.

Wanda and I are only just beginning our exploration of the Brass Globe, but I am more invested and enthusiastic than I have ever been.  Wanda is a dream to fly.  The logistics, planning & challenges of flying her in the FSEconomy virtual world keep me on my toes.  The 18zl ortho scenery is impressive.

I exit the cockpit and give Wanda a gentle tap on her left engine to say "see you tomorrow, beautiful."  And as I listen to the drips and clicks of her cooling engine, I realize...even if there isn't anyone out there, Wanda is all I need to keep smiling.