Airienteering with 13MIKE

by Fred J. Calfior and Douglas W. Miller

PreFlight

FLYING THE SCENARIOS

What is Airienteering? -

Airienteering is like a cross between orienteering and a car rally. You are given a chart, sparse directions, and asked to answer aviation trivia questions or solve puzzles to determine what your next set of instructions or clues will be. Airienteering with “13MIKE” is not like the first two 13MIKE books. In this book we do not tell you how to get to a check point, we just ask you to pause when you are abeam or over it. It is up to you to determine your position and how to get to the next point in the instructions. This requires a lot of chart reading, interpretation, and instrument triangulation. If you do not know how to read and interpret an aeronautical chart, then spend some time reading the NAVIGATING THE SCENARIOS section. By the time you finish this action book, you will be an expert at chart interpretation, navigation, and instrument triangulation.

Overview -

If you are familiar with the “Choose Your Own Adventure” style of books, then you will understand quickly the concept of these scenarios. The objective of each scenario is to fly from the departure airport to a successful landing at the unknown destination airport. This is accomplished by correctly answering each aviation trivia question or puzzle that you encounter along your journey.

There are three scenarios available - number one for Los Angeles, number two for San Francisco, and number three for New York. Each scenario is focused on a certain aspect of aviation trivia. In this first Airienteering with “13MIKE” book, the three aviation groups are entitled The Early Pioneers, Highways in the Skies, and Air Warriors.

There are many different ways to accomplish the flights, based upon the path you choose in answering the aviation questions and puzzles. As an example, the first scenario has a total of 116 AirLegs. Depending on your answers to the aviation trivia questions, there are five different paths that will lead you to the correct airport! In addition, if an answer you have chosen is wrong, the resulting path will either loop you around to an AirLeg which you have already flown, or you will find yourself flying into a dead-end somewhere in the thread of continuing AirLegs!

As you fly from AirLeg to AirLeg, you will often be asked to pause the simulation and record pertinent flight related information. The goal of these flight questions is to give you an evaluation of how well you are following the Terminal Area chart for the region you are flying. Within an AirLeg, you could be asked to turn towards a certain landmark on your chart. Due to the default configuration of your Microsoft Flight Simulator program, you will not generally see those places in the 'out the window' view. But by measuring the track on the chart, and taking into account winds which are present, you will be able to turn to some heading which appropriately brings you to that landmark's position. You will be scored at the completion of your flight, based upon the number of points you have acquired. That point value puts you into a category, which will let you know what kind of a pilot you really are!

Once you have successfully arrived at your destination, keep in mind that there are other paths that will also lead you to that destination. Try to discover all the scenario routes that are possible. This makes each scenario more challenging. You have what we call cross country flights within cross country flights!

Throughout the flight, you will be tantalized with tidbits of aviation trivia, which Professor Calfior in his unique style of instructorship makes you aware of. The knowledge which you can attain is fantastic, and well worth the effort of trying to fly all the legs, even to the end of discovering the loops which bring you back to some previously flown AirLeg. You may even read all the AirLegs to enjoy the dialogue and interesting aviation history.

The Flight points which you acquire are only valid if they follow a one way track to your destination. For example, let's say a track that works is AirLeg 7, 13, 100, 37, 71, 33, 48, 92, and 106. Whatever points you have picked up along those AirLegs are valid points, and will count towards the categorization of what kind of pilot you really are! But suppose you gave a wrong answer on AirLeg 71! So your track now takes you to AirLeg 2, 95, 77, 31, and then all of a sudden you find yourself back on AirLeg 100! The first problem to solve will be to determine on which AirLeg your wrong answer lies. Then the points you picked up from that AirLeg (in this case AirLegs 2, 95, 77, and 31) do not count towards your flight because you looped back to the correct path, being led astray by an aviation trivia question which you answered incorrectly. In a similar manner, if from AirLeg 71, you answered a question wrongly, and four AirLegs later, you found yourself at a dead end, none of those AirLegs' Flight Questions would count either.

So what would be a suggested way to carry out your flight puzzle for each scenario? The key is to save at the end of each AirLeg before going on to the next AirLeg. Let's say that at AirLeg 71, you tracked to AirLeg 19, which then took you to AirLeg 75, which then took you to AirLeg 102. AirLeg 102 is a dead end! Where did you go wrong? Was it the question in AirLeg 75? It could be, but it wouldn't necessarily have to be the case, because the question in AirLeg 75 could have been correct! The problem occurred way back in AirLeg 71! So you can see the potential for quite a maze of solutions, and the need for you to document where you've been, and where you presently are! So, let's say that at the end of AirLeg 102, you determine that the only place you could have blown it is at AirLeg 71. Then simply set up the situation which you have saved at the end of AirLeg 71, and choose a different answer.

The maximum number of points possible from departure to destination will always be the same, no matter which of the multitude of routes you fly. But for each of those many routes, it is still a challenge to match your flying abilities with the highest possible score!

You will find no radio communications between you and air traffic control, of any kind. This is not a book which endeavors to teach you proper radio terminology. This action book challenges your ability to read and interpret aeronautical charts, and position determination by instrument triangulation. It also challenges your knowledge of aviation history and puzzle solving abilities.

Whenever you arrive at an aviation trivia question, that is the time to pause the simulation until you determine an answer. Do not continue flying indefinitely. The next AirLeg may require a change occurring immediately upon the heels of the last AirLeg.

The Early Pioneers -

In The Early Pioneers section, there is only one right departure airport and runway. There are as many as five different ways to get to your destination successfully, and it will always be the same destination and runway. Try to find all the possible paths and challenge yourself to make the maximum number of points throughout each attempt!

Highways in the Skies -

In the Highways in the Skies section, there is only one right departure airport, but two different runways available to takeoff as a start. There are as many as eight different ways to get to a successful destination. In total, there are three possible destination airports with four different runways.

Air Warriors -

In the Air Warriors section, there are four right departure airports, and four right destination airports. There are as many as six different ways to get to your destination. There is not the complicated interlaced structure of the previous two scenarios in this one, but watch out for the tricky questions and puzzles! There are still plenty of loops and dead ends for your aviatory enrichment and delight!

Table of Contents
Previous Section: Preface
Next Section: Navigating The Scenarios