New SSM2007 Demo Released

Posted: Monday, November 9, 2009 - 14:48
Exciting Simulations has released today a new free demo for the Space Shuttle Mission 2007 simulator, the demo still contains only the STS-1 mission without time limits, but now it includes all the cool performance, optimization, graphics and functional improvements added to the simulator ever since it has been released. The demo now better reflects the current status of the sim, and can be downloaded freely at the SSM2007 Website .

DSB TCAS Update

Posted: Monday, November 9, 2009 - 14:43
DBS Studio released an update for their Universal TCAS system. The update fixes some small bugs and added defintions for some freeware and payware aircraft(FSX/FS2004) for easy implementation DBS TCAS to panels and virtual cockpits. Detailed information and screenshots available at the DSB Homepage .

Avsim Store: New scenery titles available

Posted: Sunday, November 8, 2009 - 12:29
The Avsim Store has a great selection of instant download products.

From Carenado, you can get the latest PA-28 Archer II, the Mooney 20-J , the C172N Skyhawk and others.

From Wilco we have the Boeing 777and the CRJ Regional Jet.

From Aerosoft, we have just added My Traffic 2010. It is he latest version of the popular and successful My Traffic series. My Traffic 2010 generates more than 800,000 flight a day, worldwide. we have also added Nice Cote d'Azur, Tahiti X and Monaco.
From Team SBD, we have just added UK Cold War Airfields and RAF Scampton, on top of US Airfields 1 and 2.

Also we have a few GoFlight black modules left: Some GF-T8 toggle switch modules and some GF-P8 Pushbutton modules. The black modules have the same features as the grey modules. They are offered at a heavily discounted price so they are a great opportunity for anyone who wants to start their its own cockpit.

Visit the Avsim store today.

727 Captain from Captain Sim

Posted: Sunday, November 8, 2009 - 5:43
Staff reviewer Laurie Aston climbs aboard a 3-engined favourite, with Captain Sim's 727 Captain. "The Boeing 727 is a mid-size, narrow-body, three-engine, T-tailed commercial jet airliner. The 727's sales record for the most jet airliners ever sold was broken in the early 1990s by its younger stable mate, the Boeing 737."

"There are two variants of the 727. The 727-100 was launched in 1960 and placed into service in February 1964. The 727-200 was launched in 1965 and placed into service in December 1967. There was also an advanced version produced as well as a freighter. The exterior model of all four versions is superb, with every detail of the real thing superbly replicated."

"The cockpit or Flight Deck is superbly detailed, and is a very accurate reproduction of any well worn, much used Boeing 727 Aircraft. A full instrument suite is laid out exactly as the 727 would be, and the Flight Engineers panel is a very worthy addition and is also constructed in every respect in line with the real thing. The Engines, which are basically Pratt and Whitney designed P&W JT8D-7, -17R&S are well engineered by the sound team to sound realistic, and noisy, which of course they still are."

"Captain Sim's 727 Captain has a huge choice of liveries (300) Wow! and plenty of examples of 100 series, 200 series and Freighters for everyone, makes this a must have for Boeing classic passenger transport enthusiasts, and anyone else who appreciates a sturdy and popular Boeing product of the late 1960’s."

DC-3 Airways 2009 World Rally

Posted: Saturday, November 7, 2009 - 22:27
DC-3 Airways is once again hosting its very popular World Rally which this year is due to begin on the 14th of November. As always, invitations are extended to anyone interested in piloting a DC-3 through ten challenging flights chosen from around the world.
There is one important stipulation which cannot be changed, and that is all flights must be made in any Douglas DC-3 which may be of your own choice, and leave your GPS at home.
For full details go to DC-3 Airways World Rally 2009 .

Want To Advertise On avsim.com?

Posted: Saturday, November 7, 2009 - 21:21
Do you have a new product coming out for the holidays? Need to get the word out to the masses? Contact AVSIM's Advertising Manager for our latest advertising rates and special deals. Advertising with the #1 read Flight Sim fan site will get your products exposed faster.

Now Recruiting - AVSIM Reviewers

Posted: Saturday, November 7, 2009 - 21:18
Have you read the reviews on the Front Page and said, "Hey I could do that", or even "I could do that better?" Then the AVSIM Reviews Editor wants to talk to you. I've seen the comments in the forums, so now it's time to put your professional comments to the test.

Send a sample of your reviewing/writing skills to the Reviews Editor is a format similar to what you have seen on our website. Take something that's in your current inventory whether it be an aircraft, some scenery or a piece of hardware and write about it. You need to be unbiased, have a knowledgable background and have the ability to break a title down into its components.

You don't have to be a real world pilot or a design programmer, although any real world experience in the field may give you an advantage. The majority of AVSIM reviewers are dedicated simmers like yourself. All positions are voluntary and you would be expected to produce a review every 4-6 weeks. Complete details of your expectations will be given once the Reviews Editor has received your submission/email. I will also answer any questions about the positions.

There is no age or geographic limitations when applying for these positions, but your writing skills will be critiqued. So if your idea of a review is "I liked this plane, it looks good and flies great." (yes, I have had these submissions), then this job is probably not for you. So serious potential reviewers please.

Latest Releases From Aerosoft

Posted: Saturday, November 7, 2009 - 20:59
Lelystad X - Lelystad Airport is located at -12 feet in the heart of one of the main polders of The Netherlands. It is where most Dutch civilian flying schools are located and its a brilliant airport for training. This scenery has been done with great attention to detail according to the most up to date ideas on making scenery for FSX. It is very good looking but it is also extremely framerate friendly.

The Aviodrome, the aviation theme park and biggest aviation museum in the Netherlands is housed on the airport and has a large collection of aircraft, many of which are in flying condition. These are on display outside and you will be able to use the stands of the museum to park your aircraft. If you fly our Catalina for example you can exactly recreate an everyday event at Lelystad. It's the perfect airport to train your traffic circuits.

Luxembourg Airports - This package includes the three airports of Luxembourg in great detail and the complete country with all relevant landmarks and sightseeing objects. It has detailed mesh and aerial imagery covering the terrain. All buildings on and around the airport of ELLX are photorealistic.

Luxembourg is, with an area of 2586 km˛, the second smallest country in European Union. But it houses a large amount of international institutions that create a steady stream of civil servants to and from the Duchy. For example the European Court of Justice, European Court of Auditors, European Investment Bank and the secretariat of the European Parliament.

Although not know as an aviation superpower it does have three airports and it handles an amazing amount of passengers from the surrounding countries. Sixteen airlines, including German Charter airlines fly on Findel. There are two airlines using Findel as their home base: passenger airline Luxair and cargo airline Cargolux. Cargolux has a direct connection to the highway and is a major company from a small country.

This package includes the detailed airports of Luxembourg and the complete country with all relevant landmarks and sightseeing objects. It has detailed mesh and aerial imagery covering the terrain. All buildings on and around the airport of ELLX are photorealistic. Through the support of the Cargolux simulation department, all ground marks and relevant signs were adopted to reflect reality. The status resembles the date of the inauguration of Terminal A, as of August 2008.

Carenado Releases The PA32 Saratoga SP For FSX

Posted: Saturday, November 7, 2009 - 20:22
Beside the traditional quality of Carenado, the PA32 Saratoga SP includes original Collins radios, audio/maker and ADF, and also the original Altimatic IIIC (Century III) autopilot installed. Four different paint schemes are included remembering the past four decades: yellow (70's), beige with red (80's), navy blue (90's) and light blue with black (00's) PLUS a blank texture. Original HQ digital stereo sounds (44100 HZ) have been recorded from the original aircraft. There is a plan to release an FS9 version also.

Project Opensky 747SP Stratospheric Observatory

Posted: Saturday, November 7, 2009 - 14:53
NASA's Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) is being developed as a world-class observatory complementing the Hubble Space Telescope. The observatory, which features a German-built 100-inch (2.5 meter) diameter infrared telescope weighing 20 tons mounted in a highly-modified Boeing 747SP aircraft, is approaching the flight test phase as part of a joint program by NASA and DLR Deutsches Zentrum fuer Luft- und Raumfahrt (German Aerospace Center). Major aircraft modifications and installation of the telescope has been carried out at L-3 Communications Integrated Systems facility at Waco, Texas. Systems integration and flight test operations will be conducted at NASA's Dryden Flight Resarch Center at Edwards Air Force Base, SOFIA's science and mission operations are being planned jointly by the Universities Space Research Association (USRA) and the Deutsches SOFIA Institut (DSI), and are currently based at NASA's Ames Research Center at Moffett Field near San Jose, Calif.

Once operational in the 2009-2010 period, SOFIA will be the world's primary infrared observatory during a mission lasting up to 20 years, as well as an outstanding laboratory for developing and testing instrumentation and detector technology. For a look at this model and download visit the POSKY Homepage.

Flight 1 Releases P51 Mustang For FSX

Posted: Saturday, November 7, 2009 - 0:16
With extensive research and help from a P51D owner-pilot, this is probably the most realistic development yet of the iconic WWII fighter for Flight Simulator X.

"Like the Indian braves of the old southwest whose favourite in battle was the small speedy Mustang, young fighter pilots today, with their newly won wings, almost without exception want to the fly the namesake of that sleek and powerful warhorse. And no wonder. For the P51 is truly a pilot's airplane. It ranks with any fighter in the world." P-51D Pilot Training Manual, 1945

Specifically developed from the ground up for Flight Simulator X, Aeroplane Heaven has made no compromises with the modelling of this wonderful warbird, which represents the actual aircraft 'factory-fresh' as in 1945. Real-life pilots have been involved from the start of the development to ensure accuracy inside and out. WWII-era flight manuals have been followed to ensure that everything works as it should, from start-up to shut down.

Once in the air the help of restorer and experienced P51D owner-pilot Maurice Hammond has ensured this P51 flies just as good as she looks. Choose to fly Maurice's own aircraft - 'Marinell' and 'Janie' - and you'll even get to see Maurice in his distinctive helmet at the controls. Don't forget to give him a wave when he taxis past!

Available to download from Flight 1, see for yourself what it is like to take to the air in this magnificent aircraft.

Inaugural Flight1 Open Day A Success

Posted: Saturday, November 7, 2009 - 0:09
Flight1 celebrated it's inaugural open day last month and it is clear from all of the feedback we have had that it was well received by everyone. The day itself was a perfect blend of real and virtual aviation, and the format of the day gave it a very much community orientated feel which was warmly received by all.

A full write up and photo's of the event can be found on their website. Flight1 would like to thank everyone who came for making the day as successful as it was and we look forward to seeing you all again next year.

Editor's Note: UK residents, mark this on next year's calendar.

FSDreamTeam Now Handles Support For Cloud9 Products

Posted: Friday, November 6, 2009 - 23:49
Virtuali s.a.s. is pleased to announce to have reached an agreement with Cloud9 s.a.s. to handle customer and product support for all their existing products to FSDreamTeam support. This will allow an easier user experience, because the FSDreamTeam support will now handle reactivation and support for Cloud9 products too.

Starting from November 6th 2009, users will be able to download all the latest versions and patches from FSDreamTeam website. The FSDreamTeam forum will have a section dedicated to support Cloud9 products, and users in need to email support for reactivation or reinstallation question, will be able to email FSDreamTeam for any questions related to Cloud9 products and orders.

The previous Cloud9 support email address will still be usable, and questions sent to this email will be answered by FSDreamTeam support. However, it is suggested that flight simmers start using the FSDreamTeam support address for Cloud9 questions right now, because it might result in faster reply times.

The Cloud9 web site and forum will be active until January 31th, 2010. However, starting from today, the Cloud9 forum will not accept new registrations and new posts: if you don't have an account on the FSDreamTeam forum already, you are welcome to register and post your questions there

This agreement will also have the following effect on product released by Cloud9:

Over the next weeks, all Cloud9 installers will be updated to use the same installation routine as FSDreamTeam. This will fix any possible compatibility issues and remove any requirement on the order of installation for products released by the two companies which might have existed in the past.
FSDreamTeam will be able to publish fixes for any issues that might be found in Cloud9 products, or to improve compatibility with newer Operating Systems.
Cloud9 has agreed to give FSDreamTeam the rights to use part of the previously released Cloud9 products, to create entirely new versions, to be sold by FSDreamTeam

UIVER Release DC2 For FSX.

Posted: Friday, November 6, 2009 - 15:21
The "UIVER" team announces the release of their Douglas DC2 for FSX. This is a complete rework as a TRUE native FSX product, with improved 3D modelling, complete new textures, mapping, bumpmaps, specular maps, FSX animations, new gauge programming etc.
The revenue from sales will be donated to the Aviodrome, the Dutch National Aviation Theme Park and Museum. Aviodrome has one of the worlds last two airworthy Douglas DC-2's in their collection. The real plane is maintained by volunteers and with the money raised from individual and corporate donations.
For complete information on the features of this package and a link to download the Douglas DC2 for FSX please visit the DC2 UIVER Homepage .

DC-9 Series from Sky Simulations

Posted: Friday, November 6, 2009 - 1:08
Staff reviewer Roger Curtiss takes a look at an aircraft that we've all prbably flown on, the DC-9 Series from Sky Simulations. "The DC-9 is one of the last of the true “pilot’s airplanes”. It was designed and built in the 1960s when jet aircraft were still a relatively new concept and there were no such things as flight management systems, VNAV, LNAV or GPS navigation."

"Attention to detail abounds with this offering. You get five different variations of the DC-9, the original -10 model, -21, 31, 41 and 51. Differences amongst the models relate mostly to size. It took me three sessions before I could manage to get all the switches in the correct positions in order to start the engines…and truth be told, even though I followed the checklist instructions as closely as I could, I had to cheat and use CTRL+E."

"The 2D panel provided me the best overview of most of the instruments. I found the virtual cockpit, while beautifully detailed, does not allow panning with ease to see needed dials and switches. The instructions for cockpit setup are thorough and demanding but once engine start can be achieved, the reward is a terrific sound mix."

"Aircraft handling was all too quirky for my appreciation. I had considerable difficulty in attempting to maintain level flight at airspeeds of 180 kts or less even with flaps extended. Pitch control movement at that configuration would result in airspeed changes and level flight could only be maintained through constant power adjustments. I was also having a problem with stabilizer trim repeatedly resetting itself to full nose down. This necessitated having to keep the throttle pedestal window opened when using the 2D cockpit."

"If you want to experience 1960s era jet flight in a realistic setting then Sky Simulations' DC-9 Series is an excellent choice. This airplane must be piloted and flown throughout every phase of flight and if nothing else it teaches the importance of strict adherence to checklists. This is going to be an airplane that will need to be learned to be operated with any degree of precision and being able to do so will be a reward for the computer pilot as this is anything but a push button airplane and its operation is very much a reflection of the pilot’s ability."

Eiresim Dublin Airport For FS 2004

Posted: Thursday, November 5, 2009 - 14:44
Eiresim Dublin 2009 Scenery for FS2004 has just been released, 2 years in the making and includes all major developments including Pier D and Terminal 2. Visit the Eiresim Website for more details.

ESDG Citation X Extreme V2.0 For FSX

Posted: Thursday, November 5, 2009 - 14:35
Eageloft Development Group releases their Citation X Extreme V2.0 with Full FMS and Navigraph Support for FSX/SP2. This aircraft is released to market with their Navdata Service Upgrade enabled. FSX Citation X Extreme V2.0 now supports updateable Navigraph FMS Database under the Eaglesoft Banner which allows custom format Database updates which provide the basis for SID/STAR/IAP routines going forward. More information is available here at the Product Homepage and Screenshot Gallery .

FSC Motorized Throttle Driver Update

Posted: Thursday, November 5, 2009 - 14:29
A new driver for FSC Motorized Throttle Quadrant is available, the new driver compatible with FS2004 and FSX lets you interface the throttle quadrant to Flight Simulator via memory offsets in addition to the methods already used in previous releases. This improves the compatibility with third party glass cockpit software and with add-on aircrafts. To download the new driver, please consult their Homepage .

New Titles From The Avsim Store

Posted: Monday, November 2, 2009 - 14:11
The Avsim Store has a great selection of instant download products.
From Carenado, you can get the latest PA-28 Archer II, the Mooney 20-J , the C172N Skyhawk and others.
From Wilco we have the Boeing 777and the CRJ Regional Jet.

From Aerosoft, we have just added My Traffic 2010. It is the latest version of the popular and successful My Traffic series. Uncompromisingly optimized for the Microsoft Flight Simulator X, this product provides realistic air traffic in the air and on the ground and is controlled by artificial intelligence, for more than 8200 airports.
More than 140 aircraft models were newly designed for FSX with in a never-before-seen detail for AI-planes. Nearly all current airliners, most commuter aircraft and civil freighters are included. My Traffic 2010 generates more than 800,000 flight a day, worldwide.

Also we have a few GoFlight black modules left: Some GF-T8 toggle switch modules and some GF-P8 Pushbutton modules. We remind you that GoFlight is now shipping its modules in grey color. The black modules have the same features as the grey modules. They are offered at a heavily discounted price so they are a great opportunity for anyone who wants to start their its own cockpit.

Visit the Avsim store today.

MegaSceneryEarth: Arizona for FS-X

Posted: Sunday, November 1, 2009 - 23:25
Now Fly The Grand Canyon And Arizona State With MegaSceneryEarth

MegaSceneryEarh announces the latest addition to their FS-X range - Arizona State.

You get to fly 90,000+ Square miles of challenging and picturesque desert terrain where a VFR flight is a VFR flight. It'll challenge even the most experienced VFR pilot. That could be part of the reason that Arizona is the flight training capital of the world.

You'll get to venture above and "in" the most amazing sculpture that nature has ever carved - the Grand Canyon. Not just a portion it but the entire canyon. You won't believe it until you fly it! Even if you're not interested in the rest of the Arizona area, you can still obtain the Grand Canyon on it's own (7,000 square miles).

There's the city of Phoenix which boasts the world's 6th busiest international airport with over 36 million passengers.

Numerous national national forests, and lots and lots of fascinating terrain make adding Arizona to your MegaSceneryEarth collection a must.

For more information go to the MegaSceneryEarth site.