[ MSFS2020 | VATSIM ] "River Run" continues south through the Memphis Bravo in the WBSim C152!

Tonight was a milestone evening in our "River Run" series -- the first episode since VATSIM authorized use of each US airport's designated CTAF channel, rather than generically 122.8, for any location which isn't towered or currently staffed! We grabbed Freckles and piled into the WBSim Cessna 152 aflutter with anticipation! And, additionally, another friend was already waiting for us -- as long-time stream colleague "Stew" (AKA stw222) was working Memphis Approach!
Our trip down the Mississippi resumed from Millington (KNQA), a Delta facility under the northern shelf of the Memphis Bravo -- and while we worked out that we'd likely be avoiding entry into the Bravo on our first leg, we did touch base with Approach who was also acting as the Ground and Tower controller at Millington. We fired up the plane and departed more-or-less straight out on Runway 22, and our first stop was Charles W Baker (2M8) which was basically right on the edge of the Delta airspace to the southwest of Millington. Right away, we were battling the stiff and gusty winds in the area -- and knew it was going to be another "one of those nights." As a 3,500-foot paved strip, we didn't have too much trouble finding our field, but we did have some trouble getting the plane to land on it while playing against the brutal wind. Even with the extra speed and over-controlled flare, we landed in plenty of time to turn off at around the middle of the runway and turn off.
Leg two took us to General Dewitt Spain (M01), another public paved strip of 3,800 feet just a further eight miles south and west, right along the bank of the river. The two strips looked basically the same, and so did our landings. The heavy winds and our light plane did not play nicely together. But we kept it upright and on pavement, for the most part.
Our third trip sent us further south and west, and into Arkansas for the first time tonight, to West Memphis Municipal (KAWM). Our third destination was our third non-towered paved public airfield, this one boasting 6,000 feet of pavement. The good news was that it was another which was difficult to miss, visually. The bad news was that once again we carried extra speed (intentionally, but, still) and fought the floaty plane onto the pavement.
The next scheduled stop was Memphis International (KMEM), and we felt that traffic into and out of the Class Bravo field was light enough that we wouldn't cause a disruption. We came in from directly west, but the controller instructed us to join a right downwind for 18R -- so we headed southeast to come into the airport from the south. It seemed as though he had intended to give us a base entry, because he later came back asking whether we needed help finding the airport. We quickly got back on the same page and were handed over to Tower. We heard a United flight check in on the final behind us and vowed to keep our speed up as much as we could on final as well as on the rollout -- and were able to watch the United land behind us, just as we cleared the hold-short bars and headed north along the parallel taxiway.
Underway again after a brief break, our next stop was the first of three private strips. Delta (MS65) was purportedly a 2,600-foot turf strip oriented 18/36, twelve miles southwest of the International Airport -- sort of back in the direction we had just come. It took us a couple turns and scans to get our bearings on where we were, and even with a little "uvula-like" formation in the big J-shaped lake to reference it from, it took us two circuits to find our field -- rendered instead as a narrow, paved runway barely wider than a sidewalk. We managed to keep the plane nice and stable on the gusty approach and felt pretty good about the resulting landing.
Just two miles away was Blythe (21MS), 3,200 feet of grass on a 9/27 which gave us some assurance we wouldn't confuse it with our prior stop. Indeed, once airborne from Delta, Blythe was quickly in view. We landed slightly long in order to avoid the building on the west end of the strip, but with winds starting to settle in the region, our overall performance was much smoother and the arrival much gentler. Our penultimate stop was Taylor (15AR) -- private, but "Asphalt-Turf" of 2,500 feet oriented 14/32. We weren't sure how the sim would render that nor the NOTAM that the paved portion was only the center 20 feet of width, but, struck off to find out. Interestingly, it wasn't far off -- like Delta, barely wider than a sidewalk. Again, with winds having settled, our arrival was nice and smooth, although we skimmed slightly before settling in.
Our final stop was Tunica (KUTA), almost 30 miles southwest of Memphis, but the 8,500-foot paved surface promised to be an easy find. Indeed, it was -- and with calming winds, our arrival there was a soft kiss. We parked in the shadow of a lone, abandoned, stray jetway(?) and called it a night! -- Watch live at / slantalphaadventures

[@yams900]

Good work mate

[@yams900]

I must get started with VATSIM as well