P-3 Search
I decided to go on a real-time simulated flight to hunt for MH370 in the current search area, on a USN P-3C
(wanted to fly as RAAF, but unfortunately wasn't able to find a repaint for this lovely aircraft). Here are the results!
We begin our journey from RAAF Pearce Base, near Perth, where the search efforts are focused. Boarding the aircraft shortly before 9am (local time).
Ready to start. We won't be the first aircraft on station today, and expect to arrive on station at around 1pm.
Powering up the engines.
Taxiing out from the ramp.
Takeoff!
Climbing into the sky with a full load of fuel - aircraft is a little heavy.
Leaving Perth behind...
...and heading into the open ocean
A 4-hour trip to our distant search quadrant awaits us.
The media seem to often refer to the location as being "near the Australian coast". Here is how "near" it actually is:
Arriving in the search area, we find that it's a bit cloudy down below
Descending into snow/rain squalls to get below the clouds and begin our search.
Normally, the P-3 shuts down one or two engines while searching (to save fuel and improve loiter time); unfortunately feathering a prop in FS doesn't stop it from spinning (at least graphically - the physics effect seems to be correct), but as you can see from the instruments, I've done just that while preparing for our search.
For the first part of the search, conditions are not very good. There are squalls in the area and we drop down to 1500ft to get a better view.
However, soon afterwards, the squalls clear up...
And we get our first sighting!
