The Oleshky Sands, located near Radens’k in Kherson Oblast, make up, at 161 square km, a significant portion of a 2085 square km desert -- the largest in Europe. Previous to the ongoing war in Ukraine, the Oleshky Sands National Nature Park was a popular attraction for hikers, campers, nature lovers and ATV enthusiasts. Sadly, the damage to this fragile ecosystem caused by the war, through military vehicle activity, chemical polution, and the dumping of garbage and waste, is feared to be substantial. The damage due to the flooding of the adjacent Dnieper River from destruction of the Nova Kakhovka Dam cannot at and this point be assessed, but has been flagged as a major concern by international conservation organizations.
With this add-on you can explore the Park as it was in its pre-war glory, either by helicopter or by ATV.
The Park
The park was created in 2010 to preserve the natural and cultural environments of the area, and provide recreational opportunities for local citizens. It is characterized by a dry climate with low humidity and high temperatures; the 20-meter high sand dunes can reach a scorching 70C during the summer. The sandy soil was deposited during the final period of the last ice age, but the extent of the open desert is reportedly due to over grazing by millions of sheep during the 18th and 19th centuries. Attempts were made to contain the drifting sands during the 20th century by planting thousands of hectares of forest along the periphery. The desert now consists of small forest islands intersprersed among areas of open sand and wetlands. The resulting ecosystem is quite varied, supporting 500 species of vascular plants, of which 24 are considered rare. Many kilometers of hiking trails and ATV tracks criss-cross the park, providing access to the natural wonders of the desert.
Implementation in MSFS
The park can be explored in the simulator either on the ground, using an ATV such as the Juice Goose, or from the air. I have attempted to implement the park’s headquarters area as best I could using the limited resources on the web. I haven’t personally visited the area, so please forgive the many liberties I have taken with my implementation. Exploration by ATV was extremely popular before the war, with rentals available near the headquarters. In addition, numerous ATV races and jamborees were sponsored in the park by off-road enthusiasts. To reflect this, I have included a dune buggy rental facility near the headquarters building, and have flagged an unimproved road that leads to the sand dunes. Just follow the arrow signs. The first few hundred meters of the road is lined by light posts to get you going in the right direction at night. At the end of the road is a parking area from which hiking trails and ATV tracks emanate. There are several descriptive signs and billboards here, along with the famous directional post pointing to various Asian and African deserts. It is a beloved spot for taking photos (judging by the many pictures that visitors have posted to the web).
I have also included a fictional helipad near the headquarters building, with the unused designation UKOS. Facilities include fuel, lighting, and a windsock. You can use the pad as a jumping-off point for exploring the park. However, the sim will not let you spawn the Juice Goose on the helipad. Just pick a spot to the west of the pad as a starting point for your ATV, and follow the arrows to the dunes.
Notes
To install the scenery, unzip and place the folder titled "mulberrywing-airport-ukos-oleshky-sands-heliport" in your community folder.
To see some of the dune buggies and clutter items, you will need to install the Juice Goose from Parallel 42.
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