Around the World in a (Simulated) Airplane, Part 6 : Turks & Caicos Islands

As I expected when I started this round-the-world blog, flight-simulator technology would improve remarkably along the journey...

This entry is a re-issue of an earlier post, introducing the photo-realistic add-on Ortho4XP (which existed before, but I hadn't started using.)  In the next blog entry, I'll also introduce the new Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020.

I ended up pausing this blog throughout 2020, hugely distracted by Covid and, even more so, pulled into many directions, evaluating Ortho4XP (leading to this with/without side-by-side comparison video), other add-on's, and the new Microsoft simulator.  But, now, finally back in motion!

Live map

To Turks & Caicos Islands via Tortuga and the Southern Bahamas

Taking off from Cap-Haïtien, on the north coast of Haiti, where we left off in Part 5 (Northbound Across Hispaniola), I follow the coastline westward, until I catch sight of Tortuga island, a former haven of Caribbean piracy, and one of the places visited by Christopher Columbus on his first voyage.

About to take off from Cap-Haïtien, on the north coast of Haiti

Flying west along Haiti's north coast, towards Tortuga.  Compare the bays with Google Earth, below!

That's as close to the previous view as I was able to get on Google Earth (it wouldn't let me get to a lower altitude): live map

Zooming out on the above view reveals the island of Tortuga on the right: live map

Approaching Tortuga Island

Flying over the island of Tortuga.  In the background, across the channel, is mainland Haiti

After leaving behind the relatively large Tortuga island, it's 100 Km (60 miles) of open Atlantic Ocean, and then a series of very flat, oddly shaped small islands, starting with Inagua Island, which is the southernmost (and very easterly) part of the Bahamas.

Inagua Island  (the large Lake Rosa is prominent)

Around Turks and Caicos Islands

Turks and Caicos Islands are a British Overseas Territory consisting of the larger Caicos Islands in the western parts, and the smaller Turks Islands in the east.  They comprise 8 main islands and more than 22 smaller ones.

In case you wonder what's with the "Turks" in the name, given that this place is a world away from the country of Turkey – I had the very same question!  According to this article, one theory is that the name originates from “where the Turks gather” : in those days, Turks was a reference to pirates, because some Ottoman ships were involved in piracy.  Another theory, disputed by some, is that Europeans first sighting the islands saw on the horizon what seemed to be red Persian turbans – but in fact were a red-capped cactus, whose common names include “Turk’s Head Cactus.”

Celebrities in the Turks & Caicos Islands  (Source)

After a stopover on an aircraft carrier, my initial landfall is in the Caicos Islands, which constitute the western part of the archipelago.  From there, I visit the rest of this island nation proceeding eastward.

The island of Providenciales, in the western part of Turks and Caicos Islands. This is WITHOUT the Ortho4XP add-on: the color of the water is rather uniform.
Notice the small airport near the center.  Contrasted with Google Earth, below

Trying to approximate the previous view in Google Earth (live map)

Exploring the island of Providenciales, in the western part of the Turks and Caicos Islands

Chalk Sound National Park, encircled by the island of Providenciales  (image source)

Leaving the western part of the Turks and Caicos Islands

A string of little islands connecting the western part to North Caicos.  In the center is the privately-owned Pine Cay

Exploring the archipelago around North Caicos

Gorgeous drone footage of Turks & Caicos Islands

Luxury homes on Providenciales, in the Turks & Caicos Islands (source)

The eastern part of Turks and Caicos Islands

Now with the Ortho4XP Add-on

Some time after my initial exploration of these islands, I returned – this time with the power of the add-on Ortho4XP, which makes beaches more beautiful with realistic colors based on aerial or satellite images.   

The images in this section make use of this add-on.  Notice how the water color is no longer uniform, and also the lines are softer and more realistic-looking.

Notice any difference from the previous image?!

One flight, 10 emotions!  Done with the Ortho4XP add-on.  Best watched full-screen, at high-res.  I put to good use my music collection!

Back to Hispaniola: to the North Coast of Dominican Republic

Time for another ocean crossing, 160 Km (100 miles), back to the island of Hispaniola, this time on the Dominican Republic side.

Note that we're now back to images WITHOUT the Ortho4XP add-on.  From height, the difference is nowhere as pronounced.

A lot of open sea around Salt Cay (triangular shape, center) and  Grand Turk Island (right), part of the Turks Islands, at the eastern end of the island nation

Leaving behind the Turks and Caicos Islands

A lot of open Atlantic ocean, heading south back towards the Dominican Republic, on the large island of Hispaniola

Catching sight of an aircraft carrier

Don't try this with a real airplane!

Briefly catching a ride towards the Dominican Republic on the aircraft carrier

Landfall on the northern coast of Hispaniola, re-visiting the Dominican Republic

In part 4 and part 5 we explored the western side (mostly Haiti) of the large island of Hispaniola; in the upcoming part 7, we will cross the tall mountains on the eastern side, in the Dominican Republic.


AIRPORTS:  Cap Haitien, Haiti (MTCH) ; West Caicos (MBWC) ;  Providenciales, Caicos Islands (MBPV) ;  Osvaldo Virgil Airport, Dominican Republic (MDMC)

COMING SOON!  Part 7 : Crossing the Mountains of the Dominican Republic.

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