News: Sky High Charters: "Border Line" released

PilotEdge is pleased to announce the launch of “Border Line”, the sixth scenario in the Sky High Charters program. Launched in June of 2018, Sky High Charters is a simulated Part 135 operation providing one new assignment per month, including a dead head assignment to the starting point for the next month’s mission.

The latest assignment starts at Libby, Montana heading west to Sandpoint, Idaho, and then onto nearby Bonners Ferry. This is the first time a Sky High Charters scenario has mandated the use of RNAV, with Libby only having an RNAV graphical Obstacle Departure Procedure.

Both airports feature a nearly 20 degree offset between the final approach course and the runway. With the scenario being released in the winter, these airports frequently go below minimums. Pilots who divert to another destination after shooting the approach at Sandpoint may reposition to Sandpoint after landing at their alternate and then continue the rating. Similarly, pilots may go missed at Bonners Ferry and land elsewhere while still receiving full credit.

Case in point, the sample cockpit video for leg 1 shows a diversion from Sandpoint to nearby Deer Park after the weather drops below the minimum required ceiling during the enroute portion of the flight. This highlights the value utilizing real world weather during the scenario rather than canned, static weather.

Each assignment consists of a textual briefing, a short video brief, a longer video briefing, a cockpit video of the entire flight and a textual.debriefing. Pilots can view as much or as little of the video material as they feel is necessary to prepare for the flight. It is anticipated that proficient IFR pilots will view less of the video material in advance while newer or less current pilots might take advantage of more or perhaps all of the video material before undertaking the flights.

The cockpit video for these flights utilize the X-Plane 11 stock Baron with a Garmin 530 GPS. The legs are hand flown with particular attention being paid to the turn anticipation and top of descent planning .

Sky High Charters pilots must complete the venerable I-Ratings program to be eligible to take part in the program.