January 17, 2009 - January 28, 2009

AI Flight Planner V1.6 Available

Posted: Wednesday, January 28, 2009 - 1:30
AI Flight Planner is a fully-integrated AI flight planning tool for both FS2004 and FSX - from collecting stock and add-on airport data to compiling/de-compiling traffic files. It accepts TTools-format text files as source data - but it is equally "comfortable" reading traffic files. Among its unique features are: times may be specified using local time, airports specified using either ICAO or IATA codes, similar legs in weekly flight plans created automatically, comprehensive error checking and traffic file validation and conversion.

Build on the extensively re-designed Version 1.5 base, AI Flight Planner Version 1.6 offers enhanced functionality including an aircraft editor and automatic update detection, a refined user interface, improved performance and less sensitivity to regional settings.

AI Flight Planner is freeware. It is the only tool you need to develop and maintain AI flight plans and traffic files and to locate and convert FS9 traffic files for use with FSX.

Flight Sim Podcast

Posted: Wednesday, January 28, 2009 - 1:27
Eric McClintock announces, "I am proud to announce that a new project that we've had in the works for a few months now has finally launched. FSBreak is a weekly audio podcast devoted to flight simulator news, reviews, hardware, and more all rolled up into a weekly audio podcast. The first episode features Microsoft's closure of the ACES studios, Avsim's Fancon 2009 information, and other popular stories.

The show is hosted by myself, Eric McClintock of fszone.org, and co-hosted by Cam. We are also looking for enthusiasts who may be interested in taking part in the project by co-hosting future podcast episodes. You can find more information on the new podcast, including guest and co-host information on our website."

MegaSceneryEarth W. Wash State Completed

Posted: Tuesday, January 27, 2009 - 1:09
PCAviator announces another 23,000 square miles added to Washington state, which completes all of western Washington state. This release adds photoreal detail from east of Mt Rainier all the way west to the Pacific Ocean while experiencing such visually spectacular land features such as the Olympic Mountains, San Juan Islands, Olympia (capital of Washington) and more. Total coverage stands at 48% of the state and a photoreal flying area at 34,000+ square miles. See Washington State area coverage.

Sibwings SAAB Safir Aircraft Review

Posted: Monday, January 26, 2009 - 20:32
Avsim Staff Reviewer David Wilson-Okamura has taken on the challenge of reviewing the SibWings Lab SAAB Safir X. David goes on to say:

"Four models are included, and each is based on a specific, real-world aircraft. The differences are subtle: for example, one model has two ventral exhaust pipes, another has two. But both types vibrate when the engine is running! This is typical of the package in general. I've been flying these models for about three weeks, and I'm still discovering fresh details.

Framerates are excellent: probably lower than the default Cessna 172, but not so much that I ever noticed. That is surprising in a package with this much detail, and shows how well the developers have adapted to the FSX modeling tools. The FSX version is more of a faithful translation than a great leap forward, but for most customers that will be enough: high detail, high fidelity, high frame rates."

Read the full SAAB Safir X review, and for more information visit the SibWings Website.

Attention RailSim Fans

Posted: Sunday, January 25, 2009 - 20:18
Just Flight/Just Trains announces 6 new downloadable RailSim PlusPaks to add authenticity and extra content to the Rail Simulator environment. These new releases include new authentic sound packages for a variety of rolling stock and a package containing six new scenarios. There is also a specially priced Combo Pack containing four of the individual PlusPaks.

These PlusPaks include: Class 47 Sound Pack; Coach and Wagon Sound Pack; HST125 MTU Sound Pack; HST125 VP185 Sound Pack; Scenario Pack 1; and Combo Pack 1.

Ultimate Weather FX Released

Posted: Sunday, January 25, 2009 - 14:41
Zinertek announces the release of Ultimate Weather FX for FS9 and FSX. This new product enhances the environment and weather themes in both simulators by providing new skies, clouds, precipitation effects, 3D lights, and much more. For more information regarding this product visit Zinertek.

Imaginesim's KIAD Washington Dulles

Posted: Sunday, January 25, 2009 - 1:18
Imaginesim releases KIAD Washington Dulles for FSX. This scenery features custom ground textures and runways, terminal, cargo and hangar buildings rendered to 5cm per pixel scale, interactive docking system to park you right on your mark, full airport taxiway and runway signage, 3D approach lighting and full ILS navigation. Also included are hundreds of airport vehicles and ground personnel, aircraft can be found parked at custom textured parking positions, all hangars, cargo and airport auxiliary buildings are modeled. KIAD requires the SP2 update for FSX. Visit Imaginesim for a closer look at this new product.

International Fighters From Abacus

Posted: Sunday, January 25, 2009 - 0:52
International Fighters released by Abacus, eleven new and exciting aircraft: V22 Osprey, F-15 Strike Eagle, MiG-29 Fulcrum, Saab Viggen, F-117 Night Hawk, SU-33 Flanker, F-35 Lighting II, AS565 Panther, F-111 Aardvark, Eurofighter Typhoon, Mirage 2000 . These models are compatable with FS9 and FSX , full product details can be found at Abacus Software .

The Demise of ACES Studios

Posted: Friday, January 23, 2009 - 23:57
Tom Allensworth, Publisher and CEO of AVSIM Publishing and AVSIM Online, tonight posted updated news regarding the shuttering of the MS ACES Studios in his blog. Here is how he leads off the story of the Studio's demise:

"As the story of the demise of ACES Studios continues to unfold, here is some of what we do know to be fact, followed by opinion and conjecture.

Yesterday, Thursday the 22nd, from 0630 to 0730 PST, Microsoft's CEO, Steve Ballmar's email regarding layoffs appeared in employee mailboxes throughout the company.

At 0730, the ACES team was informed via email of an "All Hands" meeting to be held at 1100.

At the All Hands meeting, team members were informed that all but six members are being let go. The six who remain will be charged with archiving the code and supporting some existing contracts. That effort will last for approximately six months."

You can continue to read Tom's posting about the latest news regarding ACES on his blog.

Reserve Your Place Today At FANCON 2009!

Posted: Friday, January 23, 2009 - 13:46
The AVSIM FANCON 2009 will be held at the Hope Hotel on the grounds of Wright Patterson Air Force Base on September 4 - 6 this year. Hotel reservations at a special group rate are now open. If you are attending the FANCON, you are going to want to stay at the Hope - the nerve center for our event and the host for our exhibition. Put your reserverations in today, and don't miss out! Room availability is limited and they are going to go fast, so don't delay. You can read the information you will need before registering on our FANCON RSVP page.

Microsoft Closes Aces Studio

Posted: Friday, January 23, 2009 - 13:19
As part of its response to the financial pressures facing the company and its announced plans to lay off 5000 employees Microsoft has closed Aces Studio, home of the PC Games division that includes Flight Simulator. Confirmation from Microsoft has not been received but a number of ex members of the team and contractors have posted in forums and blogs at a number of websites including Avsim. The Staff of Avsim wishes to thank the team for their efforts in support of our hobby and wishes them the best of luck with their search for employment elsewhere in the games industry where their skills will be gladly received , Avsim will keep its readership informed of any developments as they happen .

MegaSceneryEarth, New York, New Jersey, Delaware

Posted: Thursday, January 22, 2009 - 20:40
As previously reported here, MegaScenery’s publisher, PC Aviator in partnership with MegaScenery developer Aerosoft Australia Pty Ltd, periodically releases additional scenery areas. The New York region has been added to the list of MegaSceneryEarth areas now available for download. This area features New York City, Long Island, and Newark. Total area added is 11,500 square miles. These tiles can be purchased individually, or the immediate metro and terminal area can be chosen with the MegaCity Pack “New York” from the MegaCity Pack category.

Also available today are six new MegaSceneryEarth areas (totaling 10,000 square miles) covering New Jersey and Delaware. These additional areas now provide 100% coverage for the entire state of New Jersey (the balance which is included in New York 001, 005, 006, 007). Some scenery highlights of these newly added areas include Atlantic City (the Las Vegas of the east coast), Trenton (NJ capital), Dover (DE capital), Delaware Bay and about 100 miles of Atlantic coastline. To browse the New Jersey areas and to order, see the MegaSceneryEarth Instant Download Store.

New headsets and flight stick in Avsim Store

Posted: Thursday, January 22, 2009 - 17:29
The new
AudioFX2 headsets are available at the Avsim store. These are great headsets for long online flights. The Avsim store is also carrying the new Cyborg X PC Flight stick
Visit the new Avsim Store today.

Traffic X from Just Flight

Posted: Thursday, January 22, 2009 - 3:31
Senior staff reviewer gene Davis adds to his AI sim world with Just Flight's Traffic X. "Traffic X includes worldwide AI coverage all in one little package. With it you will have access to over 80 different airplane models with over 1700 different liveries and variants. Besides including Commercial Aviation traffic, there is also General Aviation traffic, helicopter traffic and military traffic that is region specific to each individual aircraft, airplane and helicopter. Every aircraft that is included with Traffic X has been created to make full use of the FSX graphics engine."

"Traffic X offers the user several options when in Flight Simulator for enjoying the AI aircraft. The first is a tower that comes in several different models and functions, like an aircraft that can be placed at any airport using the slew commands; it does include a working radar and NAV screen. Traffic X also includes a couple of vehicles, a follow me car and a pushback vehicle that will allow you to tour the airports jetways and get up close and personal with the AI. Finally, there is Spotty and this is that guy that stands outside the fence of just about every airport armed with his camera and binoculars."

"Traffic X, for me, was a must have and it is a definite favorite of mine. Its overall ease of use and wide array of aircraft makes this product one of the more versatile AI products."

Airbus Series v1 & v2 Upgraded

Posted: Thursday, January 22, 2009 - 1:31
Wilco Publishing and feelThere have released a new UPGRADE for Airbus Series Volume 1 and Volume 2. With a new set of improvements and fixes, Airbus Series remain today's most advanced AIRBUS simulation for Microsoft Flight Simulator.

Noted improvements and fixes :
- Additional Keyboard Shortcuts for better hardware compatibility
- Improved Flight Management Computer simulation
- Optimized Navigraph database compatibility

"Aviation & Mission" For 737 Pilot in Command

Posted: Tuesday, January 20, 2009 - 1:10
Wilco announces the first title of the Aviation & Mission series has been designed specifically to work with their 737 Pilot in Command. Whatever your flying skills, Aviation & Mission has something for every pilot. These series of original missions will widen your Flight Simulator flying experience in a whole new way.

For novices, Aviation & Mission will guide you in a gentle and friendly manner through all aspects of general aircraft handling, from a ‘cold and dark’ cockpit through to the landing and engine shut down procedures.

Experienced Flight Simulator users will be challenged by exciting flights, undertaken in unusual circumstances or with sudden emergencies thrown at them. Your skills and ability to take split-second decisions will be the only way to succeed against unexpected events!

Those with pilot licenses will experience what it’s like to be a real commercial pilot... Get ready to face in-flight problems and challenging situations. Improve your virtual flying skills and gain proficiency by mastering them.

SkySim Releases The Mirage III

Posted: Monday, January 19, 2009 - 1:49
Undoubtably the most successful aircraft produced by the French aviation industry, the Dassault Mirage III entered service with the French air force in 1960. It has also been sold to, or been produced under license by, more than 20 countries and it has seen combat from the Middle East to southern Africa and South America. It was the principal fighter of the Israeli Air Force for many years, Israel enevtually developing their own version,, the IAI Dagger which was used by Argentina in the Falklands war. Argentina also used Mirage III interceptors during that campaign, but kept these for the defence of mainland. The Mirage III is seen by some as the Western worlds version of the Mig-21.

Now you can fly this fighter by downloading it from the SkySim website.

WingWare XB-70 Valkyrie Review

Posted: Sunday, January 18, 2009 - 16:02
Avsim Staff Reviewer Mark Kolo has taken a look at the XB-70 Valkyrie released by WingWare. The XB-70 was a prototype for the proposed B-70 bomber designed to penetrate Soviet air defenses and drop a nuclear payload on behalf of the Strategic Air Command. The XB-70 can trace its roots all the way back to “General Operation Requirement #38” that proposed a new bomber that embraced the best traits of the B-52 (Primarily Range) and the B-58 (Speed). The proposed aircraft would have to be capable of speeds between Mach 3.0 and Mach 3.2 with a ceiling at or above 70,000 feet and a range of over 10,000 miles.

Mark says the summerises this aircraft by saying: "The plane was pleasant to fly in all flight regimes other than approach, though it was still fun in a challenging way that left you with a sense of accomplishment. WingsWare has impressed me with this first release, thanks to a realistic and frame rate friendly aircraft that provides a unique flight experience. I found that despite the default sounds, the package was of very high quality. I truly enjoyed the experience of learning to fly this amazing and unique aircraft" Have a read of the full review of the XB-70 Valkyrie is a something you would like to add to your own hanger.

XPOI from FSDreamteam

Posted: Saturday, January 17, 2009 - 8:11
Staff reviewer Jon Murchison goes world exploring with FSDreamteam's XPOI(Points of Interest). "XPOI is a geographical information tool that utilizes the "couatl" engine and claims 8 million points of interest across the globe; each one of these represented by a graphical icon and descriptive text."

"XPOI is a living utility. What does that mean? XPOI doesn’t access a pre-installed database but instead utilizes geographical information it downloads in real time from Geonames which it then displays visually within the FSX world. Where appropriate, and the information is available, it will also access details through Wikipedia to display in an on-screen browser, all within FSX."

"Because Geonames drives this information, the categories presented are the same as those that can be selected for display on the Geonames web page. It can point out such things as rivers, mountains, reefs, buildings, roads, bridges, famous places, parks, hospitals, oil wells, cemeteries and more."

"XPOI is a unique product. In a way, it’s like Google Earth on steroids but with the ability to fly. I am immensely impressed with XPOI and have learned a lot since I started to use it. It looks great in FSX and I found it incredibly interesting and lots of fun to explore. Integrating Wikipedia into the mix is brilliant. I can certainly recommend this add-on to anyone keen on learning more about what makes up the FSX world around them."

Just Flight Assists Media

Posted: Saturday, January 17, 2009 - 1:43
Just Flight was approached by BBC and ITN news agencies to replicate the US Airways A320 flight that "terminated" as a cruise on the Hudson River.

Scott Phillips of Just Flight reports, "BBC News contacted us to assist them with their report on the LaGuardia plane crash and so our team stepped up to the plate to oblige. In a very short space of time we were able to provide them with a simulated reconstruction of the flight, engine failure and subsequent ditching in the Hudson River. Having seen the flight in detail, with the full engine failure at 3000 feet, the dramatic turn over the George Washington Bridge at about 1000 feet with no engines and the final ditching opposite the 48th Street Pier, it is clear just what an amazing piece of flying was carried out by Captain Sullenberger. Our reconstruction used the A320 from Airbus Series and LaGuardia airport scenery from World Airports 3, all running in FSX. The BBC crew attended the office and the reporter did his piece to camera from the Just Flight office and at the aircraft controls was Martyn Northall from our tech support team.

We also had ITN, the other main broadcaster over here, on our case tonight, so we rushed back to the office to do this all again and provided them with footage. Watch The Video Here .