Contrails Pro V 1.01

Posted: Tuesday, October 27, 2009 - 17:22
FlightSimTools has released an update to Contrails Pro, a module for FSX and FS9 that adds realistic contrails to AI aircraft. The update improves the frame rates and solves some display problems in FSX. Contrails Pro comes with its own optimized display engine, which displays contrails with unprecedented detail while keeping high frame rates.

Just like in the real world, contrails will slowly dissipate in the air and will glow in red during sunrise or sunset. There are excellent customization options allowing you to specify the contrail length, density, dispersion and a few other settings.

For more information and a free demo version, please visit Contrails Pro .

US Cities: San Francisco

Posted: Tuesday, October 27, 2009 - 1:35
Staff reviewer Jason McKee heads to the "City by the Bay" with a look at Aerosoft's US Cities San Francisco. "Aerosoft has published a series of cities from the USA; these are designed as enhancements of the default cityscape, and as such only cover a small area and only include one season and no night textures. Also they have been designed to be less frame rate intensive than the mega city or VFR series."

"As this is a city only product the airport is not covered. The buildings of the downtown area look to be placed correctly and look very good. The great thing about this product is that you can scale the amount of objects displayed to suit your system. The ground bitmap is not a super high resolution, and as such the ground does suffer from this. However, from 1000’ up it is not that noticeable but you do notice the textures on the ground and buildings are blurry when you get close."

"US Cities San Francisco sits nicely between the default and a mega city like London VFR X and such; it is less expensive yet doesn’t lack detail. I think the majority will be happy with the coverage and realism offered."

Greenland Airstrips Pack 1 Released.

Posted: Tuesday, October 27, 2009 - 0:44
This package gives you 9 more airstrips to land on around Greenland. These airstrips are fictional, and do not exists in real life. Free to download to their registeres members and registration is free. Find out more about Greenland Airstrips at the FlightSim Greenland website.

WorldFlight's Annual Event

Posted: Tuesday, October 27, 2009 - 0:41
WorldFlight 2009, VATSIM's premier continuous seven day event will commence on Monday November 2nd at 00:01Z departing YSSY in a westerly direction and returning to YSSY 7 days later on November 8th. The WorldFlight Group is made up of seven full scale cockpit simulators and fly together with up to 100 other VATSIM pilots on the 45 legs covering 25,000nm. All monies raised during this charity event go to several worthy charities.

Those who attended AVSIM's conference in Seattle may remember WorldFlight's annual around the world flight that took place throughout the conference.

Lotus Simulations L-39 Albatros v1.2

Posted: Monday, October 26, 2009 - 21:01
LotusSim is pleased to announce an update to its L-39 Albatros for FSX. This update contains several fixes and many improvements, as well as some user requested features and new model variants. For information on how to obtain the new version and for full details on what is included, please visit Lotus Simulations .

Flyware FsXPand 5.8

Posted: Monday, October 26, 2009 - 20:49
Flyware announces that FsXPand 5.8 final has been released, FsXPand is a networked cockpit panel toolbox for FS featuring 737NG PFD/ND, 737/747/F100/F70 EICAS and generic gauges. This version offers the possibility of loading a flightplan on the Navigational Display, and executing it by flying FS in GPS mode.

Fully functional Demo version available, users of previous versions will have to buy an upgrade. Features list includes: Import cockpits from previous version, use panel picker to compose your cockpit, use key commands for functions in FS, contains Gauge editor that can change fonts and colours in most gauges.

New features for the Navigational Display include: import FS 2004 flightplan, import FSX flightplan, show FP magenta lines in ND, key commands for previous-next waypoint, PLAN mode added as panel #7 in pfdnd and pfdnd_1024, EFIS key command added Press BARO - inches to hp vv EICAS, EICAS Thrust Mode annunciations, EICAS fuel low, EICAS fuel imbalance.
PFD features : Flight Mode Annunciations (simulated), AI Align analog and buttons, Aileron trim analogs and buttons, Rudder trim analogs and buttons , complete details can be found at the FsXPand Homepage .

VFR Germany 4: East from Aerosoft

Posted: Saturday, October 24, 2009 - 19:05
Senior staff reviewer David Wilson-Okamura completes his tour of Germany with Aerosoft's VFR Germany 4: East. "This is the fourth and final installment in Aerosoft’s VFR Germany project, which combines aerial photography of the country with a database of buildings."

"The basis of the whole VFR Germany project is aerial photography. Volumes 4 (and volume 3, which I reviewed earlier) are noticeably better in this regard. Like previous volumes, this product also comes with thousands of VFR reference points. Most of them are generic: power pylons, nuclear reactors (which emitted steam in volume 1, but not in any of the subsequent volumes), animated wind farms, various types of broadcast towers, and observation saucers. In larger cities, such as Berlin, Dresden, and Erfurt, there are also custom churches, castles, sports stadiums, bridges, and other local monuments."

"One of the first products I ever reviewed for AVSIM was called VFR Berlin 2006. Compared with VFR Berlin 2006 for FS2004, VFR Germany 4 for FSX has fewer custom buildings and bridges. For the most part, it reuses the default monuments and relocates them on the photographic background. Even though the models are the same, the monuments themselves usually look better against the photographs. Even with the default scenery, Berlin has a variety of water features and monuments. With this product, the water features are more nuanced and, with the photographic ground textures, you get a better sense of the city’s green spaces: its parks, playing fields, and gardens."

"This series has its own custom objects, such as houses and apartment buildings that look more German than their default counterparts. The real trick, however, is how they’re distributed. With photo-based scenery, there’s no repeatable pattern; every tile is unique. Aerosoft’s solution is to place buildings using an existing database of real-world structures. To my knowledge, Aerosoft is still the only scenery maker that uses this technique."

"To my knowledge, VFR Germany 4: East is the largest project of its kind so far. Instead of hours, you can fly for days, even weeks, and not exhaust everything there is to see.” Two years and three volumes later, that is still true."

Latin VFR Releases Tegucigalpa Tocontin Airport

Posted: Saturday, October 24, 2009 - 17:37
This latest release for FS2004 and FSX comprises of the airport (MHTG/TGU) and the city of Tegucigalpa. Some of the package's highlights include: the Airport buildings and terminals are designed with the most accurate attention to detail; special attention has been paid to the approach path making it completely realistic as possible (circa year 2006; there are thousands of hand placed auto-generated scenery for all of the photo-scenery area; SRTM Mesh for the entire region of Southern Honduras. (compatible with other mesh; it is fully AI compatible, with their respective AFCAD for FS2004 and FSX; there are custom vehicle traffic and animations; and it comes with a Manual in PDF format containing maps and charts. Complete details can be found at the Latin VFR website.

EFB2004 V1.5 Adds GMap Support

Posted: Saturday, October 24, 2009 - 17:30
FSWidgets EFB2004 (Electronic Flight Bag for FS2004) Version 1.5 has been brought up to the same standard as the FSX edition of the flight bag by adding support for the GMap for FS2004 utility, compatibility for systems with 120 DPI (Large Fonts), PNG weather image capacity and Windows Vista UAC support.

The free Net Pack utility has also been updated to Version 1.3 which adds networking capability to GMap for FS2004 (when used as a module under EFB2004). EFB2004 Version 1.5 is a free update for registered users.

New Titles available as downloads at the Avsim store

Posted: Friday, October 23, 2009 - 16:39
The US Airfields # 1 and #2 by the SBD team are a collection of US Military fields designed for FSX and FS2004. US Airfields #1 includes BEALE AFB, DOVER AFB, US Naval Station Roosevelt Roads and Tyndall AFB. US Airfields #2 includes Bunker Hill AFB , Ellsworth AFB, Andrews AFB and Dyess AFB.
My Traffic 2010 is the latest version of the popular and longtime 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, all controlled by artificial intelligence. With more than 8200 airports My Traffic 2010 generates more than 800,000 flight a day, worldwide.
FSFlyingSchool2009 Cessna 172 Detail Pack is modeled after the Cessna 172 included with Flight Simulator and can be used with any Cessna 172. With the addition of the FSFlyingSchool2009 Cessna 172 Detail Pack, your instructors will be looking at your aircraft and your performance in your Cessna 172 in a lot more detail. The product includes a number of c172 checklists you can request to be read by your chosen instructor.

Visit the Avsim Store today.

Predator UAV from First Class Simulations/Abacus

Posted: Friday, October 23, 2009 - 1:10
Staff reviewer Mark Kolo takes to the skies from the comfort of his desk, just like some in the real world, as he looks at First Class Simulations' Predator UAV. "It is now possible for a Predator pilot and systems operator to go out on a mission over Iraq, support coalition ground troops, then make it home in time for dinner! The subjects of this review are the RQ-1 and MQ-1 variants of the Predator A"

"The basic layout is for two separate stations for the pilot and sensor operator, each with two large screens on the top and two smaller screens for systems monitoring on the bottom, with a small desk with the switches, keyboard, and flight controls for the aircraft. The overall feel of the Predator operator’s station is kept, but it isn’t 100% accurate to the real thing. The textures are very plain and low resolution except for on the control desk (Keyboard and switch labels are all fully readable). The upper navigational map screen uses the default FSX Garmin 500, which does the job adequately, but does not really resemble the screen on the real Predator. The lower right screen is very useful providing information regarding operation of the aircraft’s engine and flight path."

"Thanks to the graphics advances offered in FSX, the 2D panel is becoming obsolete, though it is a godsend for people running smaller monitors or lower end computers. I personally used the 3D Operator’s station (can’t call it a cockpit) for 95% of my flying, but for the sake of the review I used the 2D panel and popups and was somewhat surprised. I did find that when using the 3D panel over unfamiliar terrain, it was very helpful to open the top (navigation) screen in a separate window to park in the corner and help get me where I was going."

"Overall, the look and feel of the real MQ-1 is captured rather well with some pleasant surprises such as a moving sensor pod that follows your control inputs in an effort to keep the bad guys locked up. Seeing very believable renditions of the Hellfire missiles under each wing (not on every model) added a touch of ferocity to the otherwise harmless UAV, and helped drive home the point that the aircraft is much more than an unmanned spy plane. taxiing was a rather difficult, though a fun aspect of flying the Predator, and it took a little while to master the unique sights and challenges that involving controlling an aircraft from a screen shown on another screen."

"One added benefit to this package (for FSX users only) was the inclusion of eight missions. The missions take place in locations ranging from the northwest part of the US, to the coast of the Netherlands, to Iceland and involve some real world scenarios for the Predator."

"I feel that the Predator is still worth a look by any simmer who is interested in the real world UAV. Its combination of frame rate performance and a huge fun factor make it an enjoyable aircraft to fly. Even though the systems are not modeled as in real life and there are small flaws in the model and textures, the positives (great sound set, the included missions, a decent though not perfect model) seem to outweigh the negatives in my book."

Just Trains Goes YouTube

Posted: Friday, October 23, 2009 - 0:20
Just Trains have launched their own dedicated Youtube channel. This now gives them another place to host their promotional videos. As a way of kicking things off, they have just added the new Tilting Voyager preview video. It is designed as an add-on for the existing Voyager.

Flightdeck Solutions Vice President Receives Award

Posted: Thursday, October 22, 2009 - 18:11
Peter Cos, Vice President of Flightdeck Solutions has been awarded the "2009 Entrepreneur of the Year" award by Newmarket (Ontario,Canada) Chamber Of Commerce. He received this award in recognition of his hard work and committment to provide individuals the ultimate in flightdeck parts and resources. For more information visit Flightdeck Solutions Forum.

Roussillon Aéro Simulation Releases New Air Race Missions

Posted: Thursday, October 22, 2009 - 13:02
Roussillon Aéro Simulation introduces 2 new Air Races missions. One missions takes you around Maldive Islands on the Extra 300 Aircraft, while the second mission you are on the P51 Mustang around Tahiti. For more information visit Roussillon Aéro Simulation Homepage.

Just Planes Release Air Canada's Boeing 777-300ER

Posted: Thursday, October 22, 2009 - 0:31
This is the first program to feature the Boeing 777-300ER. Routing on Air Canada's Transpacific crossing from Toronto to Tokyo Narita and Transatlantic crossing from Toronto to Frankfurt. Air Canada is Canada's largest airline and the world's 9th largest passenger airline by fleet size.The crew goes through all the flight preparations, briefings, checklists and take their time presenting the 777-300 cockpit in detail. They also go over how Trans Pacific routes operate, where suitable diversion airports are located, the flight bag that Air Canada equips its 777 with, the Date Line and much more.

Just Planes has been producing Aviation programs since 1991. Currently it produces 2 series : World Airports and World Air Routes which are distributed all across the world. World Air Routes series of Cockpit DVDs now features more than 200 Airlines and takes viewers on flights to nearly 800 destinations across the globe.

DBS and Simlandmarks Release Yak-40 for FSX

Posted: Tuesday, October 20, 2009 - 20:03
DBS Studio and Simlandmark have announced the release of Yak-40 Aircraft Add-on for Microsoft Flight Simulator X. The aircraft features an advanced native FSX models, optimized DDS bitmaps, extended set of the animations based on the custom XML code, engine's smoke, night lightmaps to simulate cabin lighting, flight model based on the actual Yak-40 data and a lot more.

For more information visit DBS Studio's Home Page.

Nextmesh From France VFR

Posted: Tuesday, October 20, 2009 - 15:04
France VFR is proud to announce its latest release " NextMesh France in High Definition– 4.75m for FSX and 19m for FS2004. NextMesh France FSX is a brand new product based on very high resolution data from the NEXTMap Europe Program (InterMap Technologies - USA)
A product upgrade is possible for the owners of Mesh France FS2004 and FSX, please find the validation form on France VFR’s web-site, they will treat each demand on a case by case basis .

Propliner Collection from Aerosim

Posted: Sunday, October 18, 2009 - 20:44
Staff reviewer Benjamin van Soldt continues with another chapter in Aerosim's collection of aircraft. This time it's their Propliner Collection. "This has been released after Classic Liners Volume 2, and so you may understand my extreme curiosity. Will it be similar to the other packages? Will it be even better than the Volume 2 package? I don’t expect detailed systems, but I’m profoundly interested in the quality of the exterior and interior modeling. It includes the Dash 8, the DHC-6, and the Saab 340."

"The Aerosim model of the Dash-8 is quite successful. The iconic nose looks well modeled, and so does the signature T-tail. The way the engines are shaped looks pretty good too and overall I’m pleased with what I’m seeing here. The Dash-8 has a modern, glass cockpit. Various CRT screens are placed on the main instrument panel, and convey navigation and engine information. The rendition we get from Aerosim is relatively nice. The Dash-8 is the only aircraft here that even has a FMS however, the entire 2D representation of the Dash-8 panel is lacking in comparison to the other two aircraft."

"The Aerosim model of the DHC-6 is a series 300 model as can be concluded from the cone-shaped nose and the relatively short rows of windows on both sides of the fuselage. I like the attention to detail. Despite the textured issues around the engines and the untextured luggage compartments, I think this is a very handsome exterior model. I think this is a prime example of the abilities of Aerosim. This interior model is one of the finest I have seen to date in any of their products, and the cabin with wing views makes it even better.

"In general, the Saab 340 model looks very convincing. Certainly from a distance, the plane looks well modeled and well textured, and I like the fact that you can look into the passenger cabin. Flaps, control surfaces, prop animation, and gear movement is all the way you’d expect it. The Saab 340 VC is indeed the most detailed cockpit of the three. It’s detailed enough to like it and sit in it once in a while, but it’s not as great as the DHC-6. The Saab 340 seems to be more advanced in its system simulation."

Benjamin takes all three aircraft of this Propliner Collection for test flights and performs a few "touch and go's" to see how they handle. He concludes, "the DHC-6 is a star, an absolute jewel of a plane. As long as you keep an eye on the condition levers, ground handling is a no brainer and the plane performs very well in the air too. The VC is the best out there for FS2004 DHC-6 models, with accurate details and sublime texturing of most of the cockpit. The Saab 340 is a very fun to fly aircraft that handles well on the ground. Its exterior model is great, and it’s a nice aircraft to look at, with good animations. The VC is of lesser quality, but the texturing makes it an interesting cockpit to fly from. The Dash-8 is not so good. While the exterior looks very good, the VC is rather weak because of weak texturing, despite the fact that it has a detailed overhead panel, with numerous switches and buttons."

LiveDISPATCH 4 Released

Posted: Sunday, October 18, 2009 - 18:50
After 2 years of testing and racked up over 8,700 virtual hours, LiveDISPATCH 4 is open to the flight sim community. LiveDISPATCH 4 provides dispatching services for all flights flown by the 3 major airline alliances: OneWorld , StarAlliance and SkyTeam and many more!

LiveDISPATCH 4 interfaces with FS2004 or FSX and enhances your flight simming experience in a whole new way. You are free to fly any aircraft, to any destination, with any airline you wish from over the 305 airlines LiveDispatch serves. LiveDISPATCH is NOT a VA. They simply provide the means for you to fly your favorite flights and keep a logbook online.

Among the many features of LiveDISPATCH 4, here are some of the things you can expect: Real-time ACARS feed with an extensive set of parameters; Integrated fuel calculator and fuel loader; Fetch weather for departure, arrival and alternate airports; Integrated Screenshot utility; Complete set of d-TPP charts (Jeppesen Digital Terminal Published Procedures); Ability to submit an extremely detailed PIREP (Pilot Report) of your flight; Integrated chat system, allowing you to communicate in real-time with fellow LD4 pilots; and a Personal Logbook.

Browse the website and see for yourself what LiveDispatch has to offer. After joining LiveDISPATCH's active pilot roster, you may access their Crew Lounge and begin interacting with fellow LiveDISPATCH users.

XPUIPC Plug-in for X-Plane

Posted: Sunday, October 18, 2009 - 6:33
You must have heard of or used FSUIPC from Peter Dowson for Microsoft's Flight Simulator. Have you wanted a similar utility for X-Plane ? The wait is over with XPUIPC under continuing development. XPUIPC is a plug-in for X-Plane seeks to "emulate" an FSUIPC like interface. XPUIPC’s ultimate aim is to allow flight simmers use their favorite Microsoft Flight Simulation Add-ons in X-Plane. At the current stage XPUIPC provides over 300 FSUIPC offsets . Future developments will expand the number of available offsets and functions.

Currently, you can get all this for free. For more information visit XPUIPC's Home Page.