ATTENTION!! This file is now compatible with Sim Update 12. Please download the newest version 2.0 now that its updated.
Version 2.0
The Florida Keys
For many pilots, the draw of the Florida Keys is the flying. The chain of islands offers it all. The weather is fantastic, the sights wonderful, and airports plentiful. In all, there are nine charted landing locations, including two seaplane bases, Key West Naval Air Station, Key West International, Marathon International, and four private strips. The private strips range from Sugarloaf Shores, 2,700 feet of pavement a few miles northeast of Key West that serves primarily as the base for a popular skydiving operation, to the Ocean Reef Club, a swanky community with a long private runway, jet fuel, and more. Flying over one of America's most unique transportation plans has advantages for those that drive over the scenic 110-mile Overseas Highway. It combines ocean views, 42 bridges, natural wonders and history like no other place. Each region of the Keys has its own unique character, worlds away from big cities and theme parks. Starting at the top end, is Key Largo. The island chain's first and longest island, is about a 60-minute drive from Miami International Airport. Key Largo is bordered on the west by Florida Bay and the Everglades National Park backcountry, and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, home to the clear waters of the Gulf Stream. Visitors can enjoy Key Largo's ties to the sea including scuba diving, snorkeling, an underwater hotel, sport fishing, eco-tours, beaches and dolphin encounter programs.
Next is Islamorada. A perfect playground for adults, the Islamorada area also features eco-tours, water sports equipment rentals, tennis facilities, bicycle trails, historic hikes and beautiful romantic vistas of both the Atlantic Ocean and Florida Bay. Considered to be the Sport-Fishing Capital of the World, Islamorada is heralded for its angling diversity and features the Keys' largest fleet of offshore charter and shallow-water "backcountry" boats with tournament-grade captains. At the mid-point of the Florida Keys lies the islands around Marathon. That includes Boot, Knights, Hog, Vaca, Stirrup, Crawl and Little Crawl keys, East and West Sister's Island, Deer and Fat Deer keys, Long Pine and Grassy keys. Marathon has fast become the family-friendly destination of the Florida Keys, filled with activities for everyone such as golf, world-class diving and snorkeling, boating, opportunities to swim with dolphins, stroll the white sand of Sombrero Beach and enjoy an abundance of water sports like kayaking and standup paddling.
Then you reach the Lower Keys. Located from the west end of the Seven Mile Bridge to just outside Key West. These island communities have a focus on natural conservation which has earned the region the title of the Natural Keys. Get away from it all and immerse yourself in one of the Lower Keys' popular nature tours, many by kayak, that offer unforgettable opportunities to view migratory and wading birds and the unique flora and fauna of this tranquil natural area of the Keys. And of course the final destination on the Overseas Highway, Key West is the nation's southernmost city and is actually closer to Havana, Cuba than Miami. Stroll amid tiny, colorfully-restored homes where thousands of cigar workers lived in the 19th century. Huge, architecturally rich mansions were built by business tycoons and city leaders. Some have been converted into guest houses and inns with modern swimming pools and lush tropical gardens. Chat with the locals, many of whom are native-born Key Westers called Conchs who likely spent their childhood amid tropical fruit trees in their yards and gathering the namesake shellfish in shallow near-shore waters.
Novelist Ernest Hemingway found inspiration for some of his best work here. Hemingway purchased a pre-Civil War mansion on Whitehead Street in the 1930s and lived in it for nearly a decade. Thousands of visitors seek out his home, now a museum and home to a large group of polydactyl (six toed) cats. All direct descendants of the original Hemingway cats. Treasure hunter Mel Fisher also called Key West home. Using Key West as a base, he recovered millions of dollars worth of gold and silver from the ship Nuestra Señora de Atocha, a 17th-century Spanish galleon that sank 45 miles west of Key West. Each day at sunset, visitors and local artists gather on the docks at Mallory Square to celebrate the end to another tropical day. Musicians, jugglers, mimes, and the occasional fire-eater entertain you while local food vendors keep you fed. The daily celebration has become one of Key West's greatest traditions. Let's go discover the Florida Keys from the best vantage point, the air!
Aircraft Used: Default Cessna 172 Skyhawk with G1000 Glass Cockpit.
Suggested times to start each individual leg are shown below, but feel free to adjust to your own preference.
X51 - Departure at 7:00 AM
07FA - Departure at 9:00 AM
FA81 - Departure at 11:00 AM
KMTH - Departure at 1:00 PM
FD51 - Departure at 3:00 PM
7FA1 - Departure at 5:00 PM
KNQX - Departure at 6:00 PM
KEYW - Arrival at 7:00 PM
Mission Leg completion: After you land at one of the leg destination airports, be sure to park your aircraft at a nearby parking spot that should be next to the airstrip and then set the parking brake. You'll need to shut down the lights, engine, battery and avionics and then the "mission completed" window should then activate. You'll be able to end the mission at that point, or you can choose to continue on for the next leg of the journey. (See Mission Time Reset paragraph below for more details on that process)
IMPORTANT MISSION LEG NOTE!!!
I've discovered that sometimes when shutting down the engine, cockpit instruments, batteries and then the parking brake, the leg completed trigger may not activate. If you come across this in the sim while flying this mission. First make sure all systems are off and brake is set. If the end leg trigger is still not activated. Re-start the engine and then taxi to another point on the tarmac parking area if there is one. Or somewhere else located near the airstrip or actually in the middle of the runway. Then set the parking brake and shut down the systems onboard as required to see if the leg completion trigger is now activated. Give it at least 10-20 seconds. If you still can't engage a leg completion trigger. Remember if all else fails, just return to the actual airstrip or runway surface and then repeat the shut-down procedures and set parking brake. This should achieve the leg completion trigger.
The Let's Fly To: Series is a flight adventure set created by Brad Allen for use in Microsoft Flight Simulator. It's freeware and should remain that way. No part of this adventure can be re-purposed or included with any payware scenery collection. Any remodeling or editing of the contents of this package will need my permission please. This is a fictional flight for private enjoyment using that program. Look for follow on adventure flights all around the world in the future. If you'd like to send me compliments, critique, give me feedback or even a small donation if you'd like to help inspire me to make more of these adventures, please email me at: [email protected] or use my paypal.me/bradallen43.
Thanks and enjoy your flight. "Keep the Blue Side Up"
Copyright 2021-2023 by Brad Allen and Let's Fly To Productions
Thanks for fixing this Brad. Now it is working for me too. I was experiencing the same issues as described before your tweak. It would be nice for the same setup of a Bahamas Trip.
3 years ago
Thanks for letting me know you've had success getting this to work for you now. For the Bahamas, I've created an entire set of adventure flights that covers all the Bahamas. They do not include the Bush Talk radio waypoints in the flight plans I made but you can still use the application if you want and those will work.
My Bahama adventures are available for download here on Flightsim.to. Just search using "Bahamas Odyssey" and you'll find them.
Enjoy,
Brad
3 years ago
bradallen43
JEubanks
A big thank you Brad, this now works for me!
I am looking forward to this new adventure in the Keys.
Best wishes
Frank (from Bordeaux France)
3 years ago
Excellent.
I hope you like the trip.
3 years ago
bradallen43
Knarf33
Is it possible that the comments are in the Spanish language?
Sería posible que los comentarios estén en el idioma español??
3 years ago
I'll see if that is something that can be added.
3 years ago
bradallen43
jaimedo41
Impossible to start the adventure!
However, I downloaded and installed the three proposed add ons and created the appropriate account!
3 years ago
The same goes for me, but than without installing the BTR.
If you start it up, you get the message, that there are files missing en than go to the content to download them.
Nothing happens here, so I deleted the whole stuff, ecxept the airfield 07FA Ocean Reef Club.
I even don't want a BTR in my program, I want to fly and look around.
3 years ago
Marosoft
Knarf33
FIRST!
Anything FLORIDA related, is going to be AWESOME! Thank-You! 😀
3 years ago
I live in Orlando and have spent most of my life in the Sunshine State. The Keys are very popular and still have a lot of natural beauty to share. I hope this flight can give users a good look at the Conch Republic from the air.
Brad
3 years ago
bradallen43
CaptJohnCoPPickles