CilipiTransport(e) (V1.5)

Flight created on 09/21/2025 (Amended 09/29/2025, emergency landing optimized.)

Estimated flight duration 3 to 3.5 hours

Difficulty level: difficult

Task: Transport military troops to Cilipi.

Introduction:

In this mission, you will transport military troops from Caselle to Cilipi.

That's right, you were allowed to complete mountain training with the Aeronautica Militare in Caselle. In return, your boss has committed to this transport because the Italian Air Force does not currently have a suitable aircraft available.

Eighty-one Italian soldiers are being relocated to the area because there is repeated unrest there and the Italian military has been on site for years to mediate/regulate.

During the flight there, chaos breaks out because rebels are firing at landing civilian aircraft. All civilian air traffic is suspended.

For safety reasons, you will therefore have to perform a spiral approach.

You are flying a C130, and a co-pilot, your boss, and Lisa are accompanying you and helping you.

The flight:

You are in Italy, at Caselle Airport (LIMF).

The flight heads south, over the VOR PIS, near San Giusto Airport (LIRP), close to the city of Pisa,

continue to VOR EAST, at Fiumicino Airport (LIRF), near the city of Rome,

further east to VOR VIE, a navigation point on the Mediterranean coast,

across the Mediterranean Sea to Dubrovnik Airport (LDDU) near the town of Cilipi (in Croatia).

During the approach with a spiral landing, rocket fire is to be expected.

After landing in Cilipi, 411 frightened tourists hope to be flown out of the crisis zone, which you cannot refuse, of course. So you will make the return flight with a C130 that is 1,500 kg overweight.

If you think that's unrealistic:

During the Vietnam War, on April 29, 1975, 452 people were on board a C130A during the evacuation of Saigon. Thirty-two people were seated in the cockpit. The C130A was overloaded by 9,100 kg.

Requirements:

Stay on the specified course.

The course is generously monitored, but deviating too far to the side will result in mission failure.

Stick to the speed limits.

Excessive speed can lead to engine overload and even engine fire.

In this case, an emergency landing at an airport is possible. The flight will only fail if you are unable to land at any airport.

Stick to the altitude specifications given by air traffic control.

A deviation of +/-200 feet will be reported and will lead to mission failure after a certain amount of time.

Information about the C130:

It is helpful to display the GPS and autopilot panel.

Unfortunately, I couldn't find any switches for this, so you have to activate “GPS” and “Autopilot Panel” manually via the simulation menu (Vehicle, Instrument Panel).

I recommend placing the autopilot panel at the bottom left, as this does not obscure the view or text overlays.

Overview of main instruments:

1) Airspeed indicator

2) Attitude indicator

3) Altitude indicator

4) Vertical velocity indicator

5) GPS/HDG/NAV selector switch

6) Horizontal Situation Indicator (HSI)

7) Radar altimeter

Details on specific instruments:

The airspeed indicator is slightly different than usual:

The small needle shows 100s,

the large needle shows 10s.

Here, 210 knots are displayed.

Course indicator:

Use the left adjustment knob to set the HDG course and the right knob to set the NAV course.

The course indicator shows whether you are on course or deviating to the left/right of the course.

Here, you are to the left of the GPS course.

Because this is difficult to see with this setting, I recommend using the NAV adjustment knob to rotate the display in the direction of flight (with modern HSI, this happens automatically).

The autopilot is somewhat outdated. It only helps you maintain your course and altitude; for climb/descent rates, you have to use the elevator trim.

Here is the 2D autopilot panel:

1 = Autopilot main switch

2 = Autopilot on/off

3 = Follow course on/off

4 = Maintain altitude on/off

5 = GPS/HDG/NAV selector switch

Alternatively, you can also use the autopilot in the 3D cockpit. The autopilot panel is located in the center console:

The GPS/HDG/NAV selector switch is located here:

If you have a Saitek AP panel, you can of course use some of its functions.

However, you must activate the autopilot main switch (1) with the mouse in the cockpit.

“Autopilot on/off” (2) and “Altitude hold on/off” (4) work.

Unfortunately, “Course follow on/off” (3) does not work; you must activate this with the mouse in the cockpit.

The AP panel can help you with climbing/descending, see “Tips and Help” below.

How this flight works:

1) First, activate the “Autopilot Main Switch” (1) while still on the ground and set the “GPS/HDG/NAV Selector Switch” (5) to GPS.

2) Once you are in the air, activate “Autopilot” (2) and “Follow Course” (3). The aircraft will now follow the planned course.

3) Use the “Elevator Trim” to set the climb rate and climb to 30,000 feet. Once you reach exactly 30,000 feet, activate “Hold Altitude” (4) and the aircraft will maintain exactly 30,000 feet.

4) If you want to descend, deactivate “Hold altitude” (4) and adjust the descent rate using the “Elevator trim.”

Power lever and flaps:

Power 0–100% (current position 0)

Reverse thrust

Flap 0 – 9 (current position 0)

Propeller lever:

Normally, you don't need to worry about the propeller levers on the C130, as they remain permanently at 100%.

However, the propeller levers are used on this flight because they have special functions:

1) Air start.

This means that you can restart a shut-down engine in flight using air resistance by pushing the lever all the way forward (above 100%).

2) Sail position:

In the event of engine failure, one propeller is set to sail position to reduce air resistance. This is not unusual, but what is unusual is that the 0% position does not correspond to sail position.

With a standard throttle quadrant (e.g., Saitek Throttle Quadrant), you cannot set “air start” and “sail position.”

Unfortunately, you will have to make these adjustments with the mouse.

Here, each of the 4 propeller levers has a different position:

1 = Sail position

2 = Air start (over 100%)

3 = 100%

4 = 0%

The lever positions are easier to see in the 2D quadrant:

Elevator trim:

Unfortunately, I couldn't find a trim wheel or corresponding switches for this function in the cockpit of the C130.

You can use the pitch trim wheel on the “Saitek AP Panel” or use the standard keyboard commands for trimming.

Tips:

- Controlling the climb rate with the autopilot (even though this isn't actually possible):

You can fly manually or use the autopilot. However, you will need to regulate the climb yourself using the elevator trim. There is a trick you can use if you have a “Saitek AP Panel” (or a similar product):

1) Before takeoff, set the desired altitude (30,000 feet) and climb rate (2000 ft/min) in the Saitek AP Panel.

2) Take off, enter climb mode, and activate “AP” (2) and “ALT” (3). The autopilot will climb to the set altitude and enter horizontal flight.

3) Unfortunately, “Follow course on/off” (3) does not work; you must activate this with the mouse in the cockpit.

- Approach with spiral landing:

During this approach, you must remain within a 2nm zone around the center of the runway.

How can you estimate whether you are within the zone:

1) Regularly, using GPS:

The runway is just under 2nm long, so about 1nm from the center of the runway to both ends. So think about this distance and try to stay within this circle.

Depending on the zoom, it looks something like this (in this example, the aircraft is 1.5nm away from the center):

10nm:

5nm:

3.5nm:

2nm:

2) With the help of the mission compass:

Here you are at the maximum permitted distance from the center of the runway and the green arrow is perfectly horizontal on the left.

This means that the center of the runway is directly to your left. If you now continue flying with a bank angle of approximately 20°, the distance will remain constant and the arrow will stay in the same position.

Here you are well within the safe zone (only 1.5nm away from the runway centerline), but the green arrow is slightly to the top left.

This means you need to reduce the bank angle slightly because the runway centerline is ahead of you. As soon as the green arrow moves down, increase the bank angle slightly.

If the arrow is below, you need to increase the bank angle slightly, as the center of the runway is behind you.

If you do not increase the bank angle, you will inevitably fly out of the safe zone.

3) With visual aid:

I have incorporated a feature that displays the safe zone.

This is what it looks like from a distance:

This is what it looks like inside the zone.

You can switch this display on/off using the instrument lighting.

The instrument lighting is located to the left of the pilot's seat.

I hope you enjoyed this flight, if so please give feedback to p3d@andi20.ch . Also send error messages (spelling mistakes, wrong information, etc.) to p3d@andi20.ch, I appreciate any feedback.