Ocean Stations\Ships

[Herman]

During a recent flight from the UK to Antigua with a BOAC Vickers VC10 I noticed that there was an Ocean Station\ Ship located south of my route. I always wanted to check out what these stations\ships looked like so I did a bit of a diversion in order to get a closer look. I over flew the Station which was identified as Station Kilo operated by France (don't know if that is still the case today) and located at 45*North and 16*West at cruising altitude and then I dropped down to 3000ft to have a closer look. The ship looked like a fishing boat, but because the scenery was a FS2004 port over, it did not look quite right in FSX. Ocean Station\Ships of course were mainly used for weather gathering and reporting and also serving as navigational purposes I believe.

Below a few screen shots of that flight. Ocean Station download available at calclassics.


On the Ramp\Gate



Ready for Departure.



At FL310. White mark on SB side is OS Kilo.


Now at 3000ft.




Onward to Antigua.






Herman

[aerofoto - HJG Admin]

That's one of the ways in which long range over water navigation was assisted through the 50's and 60's (other than by celestial navigation) .... before the INS and GPS (etc) era.

Mark C
AKL/NZ

[darrenvox]

good stuff

[walterleo]

Hi friends:

The "weatherships" with their powerful navigation transmitters are difficult to programme in FS9. I came to the solution to create RSBN stations between Gander and Greenland-Iceland for my transatlantic flight Soviet stile with the Tu-104. The Soviets had in real two weatherships to aid the navigation with powerful ADF transmitters. If the service onboard that ships was a pure pleasure?

Kind regards

Walter

[Herman]

I am sure the food quality and quantity was excellent on board these vessels.

Herman

[walterleo]

Hi Herman:

Bortsch alternating with Fish and Chips?

Kind regards

Walter

[aerofoto - HJG Admin]

Bortsch alternating with Fish and Chips?

You read my mind Walter .... in the case of the Russian stations at least as I was going to say precisely the same myself.

If anyone doesn't know what "Борщ / Borsht" is ....


en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Borscht


And it's not too bad at all actually

Although my cast iron constitution can stomach almost anything from anywhere in the world


Mark C
AKL/NZ

[Herman]

Well, I would have thought that the Menu would have been a bit more appetizing in order to attract volunteers to man these vessels. Perhaps the pay made up the shortcomings ??  

Herman

[walterleo]

Hi friends:

When I was young there were constant gossip about Soviet trawlers, which were in fact spy ships. And the crews where you got it KGB. The weatherships could have been also spy ships. So, the pay for the crew was clearly better than for other seamen. But nevertheless, sitting on a ship without big movements on the North Atlantic in winter was not a holiday cruise at all.

Kind regards

Walter

[aerofoto - HJG Admin]

When I was young there were constant gossip about Soviet trawlers, which were in fact spy ships.

I actually bought one of those a wee while back .... and which may get knocked together this year ....





Her lines look a bit too Western though to be of a classic/authentic Soviet class.

Mark C
AKL/NZ

[Ryan Rhienwald]

And I actually built and custom detailed that very model back in the mid 70s. Won a modeling contest with it too. Alas, wish I had pictures.

Ryan R.

[aerofoto - HJG Admin]

Model still in existence ?

Any pictures of your finished result ?

"IF SO" .... interested in seeing them

Mark C
AKL/NZ