Aerial Surveillance

WotLK Classic Northrend Leveling Guide

Aerial Surveillance

Both Factions • Sholazar Basin • Level 77 • Nesingwary Base Camp

Travel to Lakeside Landing and speak with Pilot Vic.

Professor Calvert at Nesingwary Base Camp sends you to Pilot Vic at Lakeside Landing [49, 61]. Despite the quest text saying "take the flight," there's no special transport provided. Use the Spirit of Gnomeregan flight path or fly yourself. Pilot Vic doubles as a Cold Weather Flying trainer (1,000g, level 77). This quest opens the Lakeside Landing hub and leads into Reconnaissance Flight.

Vikstone's Classic Expedition

Vikstone flew to a river outpost to meet a pilot who said four words, and three of them were "all right." After weeks of verbose trolls and chatty goblins, Pilot Vic's economy with language felt like its own kind of welcome.

“You did a good job helping Wes with getting that flying machine back up and running. If you’d like to help us further, there is an unusual weather pattern coming in from the northeast. I have a pilot ready to work for me, but I’m afraid he needs a copilot. If you think you’re up to it, you can take the flight to Lakeside Landing.

Tell Vic I sent you.”

-Professor Calvert

Objective

LEVEL

77

Requires level

77

Start

Professor Calvert

END

Pilot Vic

Professor Calvert wants you to take the flight to Lakeside Landing and speak with Pilot Vic there.

Flight Path Confusion:
Despite the quest text suggesting you "take a flight to Lakeside Landing," there is no direct flight option provided by the quest.
You’ll need to travel there yourself, either by flying or on foot:
Flying: Use a flying mount (Cold Weather Flying required) or Swift Flight Form if you’re a Druid.
Ground travel: Navigate carefully around the rocks and cliffs near River’s Heart to access Lakeside Landing.
Clarification on Flight Paths:
Some players may already have the Lakeside Landing flight path if they’ve completed certain quests or visited the area beforehand.
If you don’t have the flight path yet, you can unlock it upon arrival by speaking to the flightmaster at Lakeside Landing.
Quest Accessibility:
This quest is available at level 77 when Cold Weather Flying becomes relevant. It doesn’t require any prerequisites aside from reaching the appropriate level.
If you’ve completed Reconnaissance Flight, this quest will still be available, even though it isn’t a direct follow-up.
Cold Weather Flying Trainer:
This quest effectively introduces you to the Cold Weather Flying trainer. If you hit level 77 while questing in Sholazar Basin, visiting Pilot Vic allows you to learn the skill, enabling the use of flying mounts in Northrend. — **Flight Path Confusion:** Despite the quest text suggesting you “take a flight to Lakeside Landing,” there is no direct flight option provided by the quest. You’ll need to travel there yourself, either by flying or on foot:
**Clarification on Flight Paths:** Some players may already have the Lakeside Landing flight path if they’ve completed certain quests or visited the area beforehand. If you don’t have the flight path yet, you can unlock it upon arrival by speaking to the flightmaster at Lakeside Landing.
**Cold Weather Flying Trainer:** This quest effectively introduces you to the Cold Weather Flying trainer. If you hit level 77 while questing in Sholazar Basin, visiting Pilot Vic allows you to learn the skill, enabling the use of flying mounts in Northrend.

Sholazar Basin Storyline

Reward

Upon completion of this quest you will gain:

5,350 experience

250 reputation with Valiance Expedition

Walkthrough

Quest Giver: Professor Calvert — Nesingwary Base Camp, Sholazar Basin

Turn In: Pilot Vic — Lakeside Landing, Sholazar Basin [49, 61]

Objective: Travel to Lakeside Landing and speak with Pilot Vic.

Quick Facts

Level Requirement: 77
Prerequisite: Have a Part, Give a Part
Follow-up: Leads into Reconnaissance Flight

Walkthrough

Professor Calvert stands next to Weslex Quickwrench at Nesingwary Base Camp. She asks you to fly to Lakeside Landing and report to Pilot Vic.
The quest text is misleading. It says “take the flight to Lakeside Landing,” but there is no automated flight or special transport. You just need to get there yourself by any means available.
If you completed Have a Part, Give a Part, you already learned the River’s Heart/Lakeside Landing flight path automatically. Use the Spirit of Gnomeregan at camp to fly there, or travel on foot/mount.
Pilot Vic is at [49, 61] on the northern edge of River’s Heart. Speak with him to complete the quest.

Efficiency Tips

Cold Weather Flying trainer. Pilot Vic doubles as one of three Cold Weather Flying trainers in Northrend (the others are Hira Snowdawn in Dalaran and Roxi Ramrocket at K3 in Storm Peaks). If you’ve hit level 77 and haven’t trained Cold Weather Flying yet, you can pick it up here for 1,000g. That said, most players train with Hira in Dalaran since it’s more convenient.
Lakeside Landing hub. Arriving at Lakeside Landing opens a new quest hub. Tamara Wobblesprocket is located here and connects you to the Oracles/Frenzyheart faction chains. If you’ve been carrying a Jungle Punch Sample from the Nesingwary camp chain, you can offer her a taste test here.
Don’t skip this. Despite feeling like a pointless breadcrumb, this quest counts toward the Into the Basin achievement.

Known Issues

The quest text saying “take the flight to Lakeside Landing” has confused players since 2008. There is no special flight provided.

Explore Sholazar Basin’s hidden easter eggs, lore mysteries, and connections across Warcraft history in Vikstone’s Sholazar Basin Chronicles, along with the complete quest storyline.

Quest Series (2):

73 Troll Season! (Optional)
Learn more
74 Filling the Cages
Learn more

You will be able to choose one of these rewards:

Cloak of Renewed Hope

Pauldrons of Resolution

Boots of Dominance

Ring of Devoted Promises

You will receive:

Upon completion of this quest you will gain:

15,850 experience

250 reputation with Valiance Expedition

Vikstone's War Journal

Professor Calvert caught me near the newly-humming Spirit of Gnomeregan.

Vikstone Portrait Act 2 — Illustrated by Christian DiBari and Simon Gough.

“You did a good job helping Wes with getting that flying machine back up and running. If you’d like to help us further, there is an unusual weather pattern coming in from the northeast.” He gestured vaguely toward the jungle canopy. “I have a pilot ready to work for me, but I’m afraid he needs a copilot. If you think you’re up to it, you can take the flight to Lakeside Landing. Tell Vic I sent you.”

From mechanic’s assistant to copilot.

Lakeside Landing sat on the river’s edge, a small outpost with a seaplane bobbing at the dock. Pilot Vic looked up from his pre-flight checks.

“The professor sent you my way? All right.”

Short on words. I liked him already.

Vic was ready when Vikstone was, and the recon flight could wait. Back at Nesingwary’s camp, the Venture Company still needed dealing with in Venture Co. Misadventure

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Objective

LEVEL

77

Requires level

77

Start

END

Sholazar Basin Storyline

Reward

5,350 experience

250 reputation with Valiance Expedition

Walkthrough

4 Gold

80 Silver

15,850 experience

250 reputation with Valiance Expedition

Vikstone's War Journal

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The Guide to SWGEmu