Flying "The Queen" down Africa’s Great Rift Valley

Our virtual adventure began as a tool of discovery. Initially it was designed to discover if I was as high maintenance as Linda proclaims me to be. I think we’ve answered that question. What this has turned into is a discovery of the people, places and critters we share this rock with.

 

Victoria Falls

 We were well aware at the beginning of this adventure that inside our flight simulator world we would not be treated to the spectacular visuals available to us at the places we'd travel to.

 

 

We've found our visual stimulations from sources outside of FSX SE.

A visitor outside of room at Nkamba Lodge

 

 

The Queen 200 AGL over Lake Malawi 

 

Our flight down the Great Rift Valley inside the sim was at times ...stunning.

 

 

 

M V Liemba ...inspiration for German Gunboat Luisa

 We didn’t realize Africa’s Great Rift Valley is over 3,700 miles long. We also came to learn that our Goose’s namesake, The African Queen, is a book penned in 1935. It takes place in the Great Rift Valley during WWI. “The Lake” in the book must refer to Lake Tanganyika. In 1914, when the story takes place, the Germans put a gunship, (named Luisa), on Lake Tanganyika. The lake and German gunboat frame the tale but “the lake” is never mentioned by name.

We now know that this part of our adventure is like Australia, it’s just too darn big to cover here. We’re going to have to come back and spend time exploring all the small towns, people and adventures awaiting us in the Great Rift Valley.

Fuel was our biggest issue on this flight. We could only carry 83% of our fuel capacity to allow for …stuff. It provided us with a challenge in gph usage and available fuel stops listed inside the flight sim program.

We left Bujumbura (HBBA) to follow the lake south. We then followed the rivers toward Lake Malawi flying the canyons between the two at 500 AGL. Fun and stimulating in an African wind and rain storm.

 

At the south end of Lake Malawi we turned west toward Lake Cahora Bassa. 

FLHN

 

We then followed the river at her western most ends to Victoria Falls where we turned north towards Livingston (FLHN) again flying the canyons leading into the falls at low levels ...it was just spectacular.

 

Goodbye to our African Queen

We’ll return the African Queen here then be introduced to our new Little Bird

...a 1993 Lear35.

Our adventure continues …homeward bound.