Alexander's campaign as a long-range navigation route
This flight plan turns Alexander the Great's march from Macedonia to India, then back toward Babylonia, into a readable simulator route. The aim is to follow the historical geography through modern airfields that keep the journey practical.
The route is long, varied and deliberately demanding: Anatolia, the Levant, Egypt, Iran, Afghanistan, Central Asia, Pakistan and north-western India all become chapters in one large navigation campaign.
From Pella to the final Babylonian arc of the campaign.
Each waypoint keeps the geographical thread easy to follow.
A service ceiling around 20,000 ft is recommended in mountain areas.
Prepare the longer segments carefully, especially Iran and Afghanistan.
Flight idea
The route combines two readings: ancient place names and nearby modern airfields usable in the simulator. It gives the flight a historical direction without pretending to reproduce every ancient mile exactly.
The reward is the progression itself: Greek lands, Anatolia, the eastern Mediterranean, the Iranian plateau, Central Asian high country, the Indus world, then the western return along the Persian Gulf axis.
Before departure
- Choose an aircraft that is comfortable over long distances, can climb well, and can handle secondary fields.
- Split the route into chapters; it works better as a campaign than as one continuous push.
- Check terrain before Iran, Afghanistan and Central Asia: a planned detour is better than a direct route flown too low.
- Keep generous fuel margins, especially between isolated points in Pakistan and southern Iran.
- Load the main waypoints before departure so the map remains readable throughout the route.
Suggested route
334 – 333 BC: Pella, Anatolia and Cilicia
The opening section starts in the spirit of ancient Macedonia, then crosses the Troad, the Aegean side of Anatolia and the inland plateau. It sets the rhythm with relatively close stops and a clear push toward the Syrian gate.
LTBH → LTBT → LTFB → LTBV → LTAI → LTAV → LTAC → LTAF → LTAK
333 – 331 BC: Levant, Egypt and Mesopotamia
The route tightens along the eastern Mediterranean, reaches the historical Palestine and Egyptian sectors, then turns back through Syria toward upper Mesopotamia. This chapter is about transitions: coast, delta, desert, then the eastern corridor.
LLHA → LVGZ → HEEM → HEAX → OSDI → OSKL → OIAW
330 – 328 BC: Iran and the eastern road
After Susa, Persepolis and Pasargadae, the flight becomes more continental. Iranian stages need method: longer distances, stronger terrain awareness, and a gradual move toward Aria and Afghanistan.
OISS → PISO → OIFM → OIHS → OIII → OING → OIMM → OAHR
329 – 328 BC: Afghanistan and Central Asia
This is the mountain chapter. Herat, Farah, Kandahar, Kabul, Bagram, Kunduz and Mazar-i-Sharif lead toward Samarkand, Khujand and the Oxus sector. Altitude, weather and diversion choices matter as much as heading.
OAFR → OAKN → OAKB → OAIX → OAUZ → OAMS → UTSS → UTDL → OAKG
327 – 323 BC: Indus, Makran and the western return
The final campaign leg reaches north-western India, then comes back through Pakistan, the Makran coast and southern Iran. The feeling changes: this is no longer only the discovery of the East, but the long return toward the Persian and Babylonian world.
OPTA → VIAR → OPMT → OPMJ → OPOR → OIZI → OIKB → OIKY → OIAA
Flight tips
Treat this as a navigation campaign. Record altitude choices, winds and fuel decisions at the end of each chapter; the result feels much richer than a plain airport checklist.
For immersion, start each session with the chapter goal rather than the full route. This flight plan is at its best when flown slowly.
© Michel Lagneau 2008.