Strap In - Six Minute Flight - Vegas To Furnace Creek

[DeathValleyDazed]

Back story: I came across a 58 minute long video of a private plane flight from Las Vegas to the Furnace Creek Airport and considered it the best "fly into Death Valley" video I've ever seen. I was astounded at the video production quality and how accurate the geology appeared outside the cockpit windows. It felt like I was inside of the plane and got to feel the thrill of what I imagined would be of actually landing at the airport in Death Valley which has been a dream of mine for over a decade. Even to current times I drive out to the airport almost every time I pass through Furnace Creek to see if there are planes there and to maybe video a take off or a landing. 

BTW - During my last trip to DEV last December 2021 I was at the gazebo high above The Inn At Death Valley enjoying a crystal clear view of the entire valley when a small private plane flew westward down the Furnace Creek Wash, circled north of the airport and back around for a south approach landing. I video shot the entire event but it was so far away that it made for a boring and low quality video. However it was sure fun to observe!

So I edited the 58 minutes down to six minutes and spliced in ground shots of locations being flown over and added a sound track. I've probably watched the six minute version ten times now I enjoy it so much because I've hiked around about 80% of what is seen outside of the cockpit. If you pause the video you can see great details of places that you've hiked as well. 

I obtained permission from video creator Mark Gruchy to publish my short version believing he was the pilot actually flying and taking the images/video. Come to find out that he's never been to Death Valley but enjoys flying into the park via his Microsoft Flight Simulator. Other users of the flight simulation app and fans of DEVA have contributed data to the app to the point that the version of today is almost better than most footage taken by actual pilots flying into DEVA. 

So strap yourself into the pilots seat and fly from Vegas to Furnace Creek and see if you enjoy the experience as much as I do? 

[MojaveGeek]

This is a simulator, right?

[DAW89446]

I got air sick … 

Still, pretty incredible scenery, even though it was a simulator.

[DeathValleyDazed]

This is a simulator, right?

Yes, it's a simulator. I didn't realize it was a simulation until after I completed the edit and contacted the original producer of the video. I'm often slow to grasp reality. 

[MojaveGeek]

It's a very good sim! Nice job with the sat image overlay. And even the ground personnel. That was what sort of clued me in, and then I looked for more details. The head motions (for the views) - a bit too scripted. And when it comes in to land, there's no hands on the yoke!

[DAW89446]

It's a very good sim!  Nice job with the sat image overlay.  And even the ground personnel.  That was what sort of clued me in, and then I looked for more details. The head motions (for the views) - a bit too scripted.  And when it comes in to land, there's no hands on the yoke!

The graphics gave it away for me. Then the overhead shots of the plane in flight gave it away.

[DeathValleyDazed]

The graphics gave it away for me. Then the overhead shots of the plane in flight gave it away.

What's funny about my cluelessness about flight simulators is that I knew the shots of the plane from a distance flying were a simulation but I still thought the pilot/videographer was skilled at inserting the shots as augmented reality. I also wondered how he mounted a camera on his head and kept is so level and why I didn't see his knees and hands on the controls. I thought he was just a skilled cameraman. 

Another factor that you did not see and what I edited out but can been seen at the conclusion of the original 58 minute simulation is a complete walk around the airport hangar including the burro pens and other details that I've actually seen myself when out at the airport. Like Mojave Geek noted, the people do look like zombies. LOL 

For anyone interested in the simulated walk around the airport hangar start at about minute 56:00. FYI, there really is a shed on the north side of the main hangar, the square object out on the tarmac is a California Highway Patrol fueling station for their helicopters and aircraft and is not accessible for fueling private aircraft. The dumpsters are in their usual spots. I've never seen actual burros in the the pens the but the burro rescue organization does use them sporadically. I've seen large hay bales being stored there, but they are not in the simulation. 

[DAW89446]

I found this cool video at the Saline Valley forum.

https://forum.salinepreservation.org/pos...1331757381

(Tried to copy and paste the link to the actual video but unsuccessfully).

Nearly 25 minutes long. Flight from what appears to be somewhere west of the Sierra Nevada, flying over the snowy Sierra, Lake Tahoe, Mono Lake, Owens Valley, the Inyos to landing at Chicken Strip by the hot springs. An overnighter at the springs. Tour of the facilities at the hot springs. Military flyovers (one live action, several stills). Taking off, images of interesting ground scenes from the air.

I watched it jumping through it and with no sound, but the scenery was very nice as well as the take offs and landings.

[MojaveGeek]

Nice video, fun to see a landing on the Chicken Strip!

[DeathValleyDazed]

I found this cool video at the Saline Valley forum.

https://forum.salinepreservation.org/pos...1331757381

Hey David, thanks for that link which I watched all the way through twice loving the scenery and update about the Chicken Strip and springs. The vid was well produced and I engaged the creator and several other YouTube comments in lively conversations on various topic. I was totally unaware of this fellows large following about aviation on YT. I did not subscribe because very little of it has to do with Death Valley, although I believe he has commented on the Rainbow Canyon crash two years ago on his channel. 

One of the commenters linked to some very cool footage of low flight jets training in Saline Valley including audio recording from his radio scanner of the trainer and pilots conversations transcribed into captions. I believe the camera perspective was from the Lippincott Road area, but I'm not sure. I also watch this twice all the way through. Here's the link in case any of you are interested.