Mountain Air CARGO ROUTE 1A and 1B
(Juneau Cargo Hub flight numbers 9980 and 9981)
Exciting times are here. We have won a contract to supply several small towns and mines in the Yukon and NW Territories of Canada! Expansion means you keep your jobs, so that is good. Expansion also means new and wild terrain to take on. The Yukon, especially, is very desolate and remote. Be sure to take along survival gear and remember, airspeed control is the key!
All Cargo Flights are to be flown in a PROP TWIN ENGINE aircraft, NO EXCEPTIONS!! (Beech Baron, Piper Seneca, Cessna 421, etc)
All airports serviced are available in stock FS2002 scenery...no guarantees for FS2000 or before. (FS2000 should have them though)
Use Real World Weather, either via the flightsim program or an addon program (activesky, fsmeteo, etc)
Aircraft selection is up to the pilot. The Beechcraft Baron or similar is a good choice, but any prop twin is ok. NO TURBOPROPS! (No Twin Otters!)
Have fun and enjoy the challenge!
Arrival Times are not as important on cargo routes. Only a start time is specified, try not to get caught out after dark before finishing the route!
IFR flight is allowed on the cargo routes; however, 90% of the airports served DO NOT have an instrument approach. Plan accordingly and DO NOT get caught in bad weather.
MAPS and Resources
Want a Turbo Baron? Go to www.fsd-international.com - Click on RECENT RELEASES - then click on TWIN PROP ENHANCEMENT. Download their file and you can choose a new air file for the baron (normal or TURBO!). Flight models get JY approval. I used the turbo Baron for testing of this route, along with the Cessna 421.
A one page map was not possible, so area maps are available below. Airports on the route have a red circle around them. Suitable for printing:
Whitehorse Area VFR Map (246kb)
MacMillan Pass VFR Map (243kb)
Fort Simpson VFR Map (184kb)
Map view of the Routing for this Cargo route flight (73kb)
Flight Plans are provided in several formats as shown below:
IMPORTANT: Addon Mesh Scenery for the Prairie Creek Airport made by our own Verne Cotton (MTN005). This mesh addon makes the 1000ft deep hole where you find Prairie Creek only 500 ft deep. More realistic, but still a challenge! Download Here (drop this file into your /scenery directory, or create its own directory and add via FS world menu)
ROUTING - Route 1A (for route 1B, route is reversed)
Engine start time in Whitehorse - 10:00 AM
Leg 1: WHITEHORSE, YUKON (CYXY) to BRAEBURN, YUKON (CEK2)
Airport Elevation: 2400' / Runway length - 3000ft / Surface: Gravel
Helpful Hints:
Northbound out of whitehorse is a nice river valley which you can follow all the way to Braeburn airport.
Braeburn has 2 runways - 8/26 and 14/32. There is a hill to the northeast of the airport. Screenshot (26kb)
If you come in from the south, this airport has an easy, unobstructed final approach. Screenshot (31kb)
LEG 2: BRAEBURN to CARMACKS, YUKON (CEX4)
Airport Elevation: 1770' / Runway length - 5000ft / Surface: Gravel
Helpful Hints:
5000 ft runway? Big river valley? Enjoy an easy leg! Continue north along the same valley you took to Braeburn.
Runway is 9/27
Carmacks is located on the bank of the meandering Yukon River. Screenshot (23kb)
Both approaches to the airport are unobstructed. Easy easy easy! Screenshot (26kb)
You can get a good picture of the airport from this departure shot from testing in a Cessna 421. Screenshot (24kb)
Read about the history of Carmacks, Yukon
LEG 3: CARMACKS to FARO, YUKON (CZFA)
Airport Elevation: 2351' / Runway length - 4000ft / Surface: Gravel
Helpful Hints:
Heading ENE (060 heading about) you can follow the Little Salmon River to Faro.
Faro Airport is located along the Pelly River and, due to FS Mesh, is in a nice hole! Watch for trees! Screenshot (41kb)
Departure to the south is easy here, gives you a nice view of the airport. Screenshot (35kb)
Runway is 9/27
I want to know more about Faro, Yukon! The closed mine, the hard times! Click here to find out the scoop.
LEG 4: FARO to SHELDON LAKE, YUKON (CFS7)
Airport Elevation: 2960'' / Runway length - 2000ft / Surface: Gravel
Helpful Hints:
The first short strip on the route! Unfortunately, the airport is in a big flat area and is not much of a challenge. Screenshot (28kb)
Remember my preaching of airspeed control while on final! Do not float the landing. Screenshot (27kb)
Runway is 7/25
Have a look at this picture of Sheldon Lake. It looks dreamy.
LEG 5: SHELDON LAKE to MACMILLAN PASS, YUKON (CFC4)
Airport Elevation: 3810' / Runway length - 1500ft / Surface: Gravel
Helpful Hints:
Now we are talking! 1500 ft gravel strip at almost 4000 ft MSL! You had better be on your game or you will overrun this strip in almost any twin out there.
MacMillan pass is our border crossing station into the Northwest Territories! Runway is 2/20.
Not only is this runway short, but it is in a semi-hole. Nothing drastic, but it adds to the challenge we all love so much. Screenshot (35kb)
On final, you have to get a bit close to the terrain, but it all works out in the end. Screenshot (31kb)
With the local terrain, a maximum performace takeoff is a nice way to start the next leg. "We're going ballistic mav, go get em!" Screenshot (40kb)
Here is a photo of the Macmillan Pass area, but not the airport. View 2, View 3
LEG 6: MacMILLAN PASS to CANTUNG, NWT (CBX5)
Airport Elevation: 3500' / Runway length - 3700ft / Surface: Gravel
Helpful Hints:
Tungsten (Cantung) starts the mining stops for this cargo route. This also begins the deep hole airports! Time to earn your money!
Cantung is located in a 300 ft deep hole in the northern tundra. Screenshot (38kb)
Coming overhead, you can see how steep the valley is around the airport. Screenshot (37kb)
Runway is 10/28 - airspeed control is a must! Screenshot (47kb)
Cantung is a large Tungsten mine. Check out the photos of the area!
LEG 7: CANTUNG to PRAIRIE CREEK (CBH4)
Airport Elevation: 2950' / Runway length - 3000ft / Surface: Gravel
Helpful Hints:
This is the best leg of all! Fly 060 heading for around 30 miles until you hit a giant river valley. That is the Nahanni river valley - a Canadian national park. Screenshot (29kb)
Once you reach the Nehanni River, turn RIGHT and fly downstream around 80 miles, then continue north to Prairie Creek.
WARNING: With stock FS2002 mesh, this airport is in a DEEP (1000ft) hole! Stock scenery is for experts only! I suggest installing the mesh fix scenery by Verne Cotton (MTN005) to make the valley only 500ft deep! Screenshot (40kb)
Runway is 14/32
The approach from either end is tough...steep dropoff on short final requires precise airspeed control. Screenshot (35kb)
On short final, keep your airspeed in check and do not float too much. Screenshot (45kb)
Departure is very difficult here. Max performance takeoff is a must! Screenshot (34kb)
Canadian Zinc runs the Prairie Creek Mine - good information and pictures can be found on their company website
LEG 8: PRAIRIE CREEK to FORT SIMPSON, NWT (CYFS)
Airport Elevation: 555' / Runway length - 6000ft / Surface: Asphalt
Helpful Hints:
Easy last leg: Head east out of the mountains into the NWT river flatlands. Ft. Simpson VOR is 117.90
Runway is 13/31
See Jet Feeder Route 3 for connections to Fort Simpson. Yes, Fort Simpson has Mountain Air jet service!
Need information on Fort Simpson? Here is the page! They will send you a tourist magazine if you are interested.
The most wonderful park in the area - The Nahanni National Park Reserve of Canada. Steep canyons, white water, spectacular waterfalls, and endless wilderness. This would be a GREAT place for a real life vacation!
The End
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last modified 3/1/08
