PFE Christmas Gift

Posted: Saturday, December 13, 2008 - 16:16
Dave March of OnCourse Software writes, "We are pleased to announce our Christmas gift to all PFE Voice Pack Expansion Set users. A FREE 700MB download is now available to enhance your PFE ATC experience. Specially processed to sound much more like ATC is being received via your aircraft's VHF radio. This 'enhanced' voice pack addition for PFE, together with some of the new features in the latest release of PFE (2.8), is without doubt the icing on the (Christmas) cake." For more information or to check out the download, visit Oncourse Software.

CALL! for the Airbus Released

Posted: Saturday, December 13, 2008 - 1:10
FeelThere is proud to announce the latest for the CALL! series. CALL! for the Airbus is a first officer simulator. The first officer will read the cheklist and will make sure you follow it.

SuperTrafficBoard V2.1 for FSX

Posted: Saturday, December 13, 2008 - 1:08
Flying-W Simulation is delighted to announce SuperTrafficBoard V2.1 for FSX, a free product upgrade for existing customers. Building on the success of V2.0, this version adds significant new functionality requested by the Flight Simulator community, giving you even more options for displaying and interacting with your favorite AI traffic package. A complete description may be found at the SuperTrafficBoard website, including details of the new features available and instructions on how to obtain the update.

Just Flight Re-releases VFR Scenery

Posted: Saturday, December 13, 2008 - 1:05
Just Flights 4 volume VFR Scenery series can now be had in a complete set. Just Flight's Scott Phillips commented: "It's almost two years since we released the first volume in our VFR Real Scenery and we're extremely pleased with the success of the series so far. The reaction from press and public alike has been amazing and we're hoping that by putting the whole series together in a bespoke collection we can convert many more flight simmers to the VFR experience."

VFR stands for 'Visual Flight Rules' - this is the way that pilots navigate when they aren't using complex instruments - they look at a map and then pinpoint landmarks on the ground to work out their position. Doing this in a flight simulator requires scenery that's exactly the same as the real landscape. VFR Real Scenery is an amazing piece of software that provides just that - fly over England and Wales in Flight Simulator X and sample the view you'd get from a real aircraft. You can see the real countryside from the air and pinpoint every key landmark. They're all featured - streets, buildings, rivers, lakes, reservoirs… and all at extremely high resolution and detail!

This series features:

- the very latest 25cm digital aerial images from GeoPerspectives displayed at 1m per pixel resolution in FSX.
- 9.6m mesh terrain data which hugely improves the default relief.
- individual night textures make flying after dark a real eye-opener and, thanks to painstaking editing, are incredibly accurate - realistic building lighting and roads are correctly lit so that Britain's country lanes don't look like a Las Vegas freeway!
- water features are accurately rendered with Flight Simulator X water effects - you can land a seaplane in VFR Real Scenery.

Flight Ontario Releases Goose Bay

Posted: Saturday, December 13, 2008 - 0:40
Freeware Flight Ontario is proud to release CYYR Goose Bay a Nato Traning base and Labrador Regional Airport scenery for FS9 Custom ground and water textures cover the entire area which includes 14 coastal communities and airfields from Mary's Harbour to Nain. This scenery can be downloaded from the AVSIM Library or from the Flight Ontario website.

WarbirdSim P-51 Mustang Review

Posted: Friday, December 12, 2008 - 17:09
Chris Kielhl, one of Avsim's Contributing Reviewers has recently taken a look at the WarbirdsSim P-51 Mustang. The P-51 happens to be one of my and many other aviation fans, favourite aircraft in history. Not just because of its sleek lines, high performance, or the fact that it helped win a World War, but because it's just appealing to many for some reason. Just about any person halfway familiar with aviation will know this aircraft, and you can't really miss it at any good air show. Although there are several P-51 addons for Flight Simulator, almost all of which I purchased, I have never reviewed one. Nor have I flown one as nice as this one. This P-51 has surpassed all of my past P-51's to become my absolute favourite; I won't stop flying this one anytime soon. Coming up, you'll see what I'm talking about.

If you're a P-51 fan, but are thinking "there's so many P-51's out, and I already own two or three of them", don't let that stop you. That would be making a silly mistake, as this package really is a stunner. It has everything I could've thought to add if I had been designing it myself, and as a tail dragger nut, it simply conforms to what I know about them.

Chris is pretty impressed with this package, so why not read the full WarbirdsSim P-51 Mustang review for yourself!

Cirrus Pedals on Sale on Avsim Store

Posted: Friday, December 12, 2008 - 16:14
The Avsim Store has a few Cirrus Pedals in stock. These professional pedals were originally $595 and are offered for only $345. They were demo units but have never been sold to a customer. Hurry up, these are a great deal. Also, we have receive the new X-Plane version 9.21.

Visit the new Avsim Store today.

Just Flight 747-200/300 Series Released

Posted: Friday, December 12, 2008 - 12:22
F-Lite 747-200/300 by Just Flight for FSX and FS2004, The 747 is acknowledged as the world’s most easily-recognized aircraft. From the team at CLS comes a 747 package featuring the -200 and -300 passenger variants with three engine configurations spread across 21 different liveries. Features included with this package, 2D and 3D interactive cockpits, wing view, push back truck, doors, thrust reversers, Your choice of engines – Pratt & Witney, General Electric and Rolls-Royce, special effects including tyre/wet runway water effects, engine start and touchdown tire smoke, wing flex and mind you don’t over-rotate or you’ll see the underbelly spark effects and a layered paint kit for enthusiasts who want to create their own liveries. Full product details can be found at Just Flight .

Geneva Int'l Airport Released

Posted: Thursday, December 11, 2008 - 2:13
FSDreamTeam is pleased to announce the release of Geneva International Airport. Available for FSX and FS9, with a license valid for use in both simulators.

As a worthy follow-up to the successful Zurich scenery, due to its smaller size compared to the latest releases, the detail level is very high without having to compromise performances. As with JFK scenery, Geneva for FSX comes with the new FSDreamTeam scripting engine, introducing 2 new docking system types available for the ParkMe function, and YouControl features to control several scenery animations. The scenery is available in Trial version, and can be freely downloaded from FsDreamTeam website.

PFE version 2.8 And FDC version 3.9 Released

Posted: Thursday, December 11, 2008 - 1:25
OnCourse Software are pleased to announce the release of PFE version 2.8 and FDC version 3.9. These new updates offer several fixes plus full interactive support for those using FDC and PFE together. If FDC is playing a checklist and ATC contact you the checklist will pause automatically then resume once the radio transmission is complete, so you won't miss that all important instruction. ATC chatter will be (optionally) lowered in volume at other times whilst FDC audio is active. Cruise altitudes, transition altitudes, etc, are passed from PFE to FDC, all of which add to the smooth interaction and functionality. It's almost like running one program. New features added to PFE include a simulated ACARS ATIS system, minimum FAF altitudes can now be set for individual airports, ATC volumes can now be adjusted during your flight plus of course support for the exciting new and FREE XPack2 enhancement package. Full details of ALL these changes and more can be found at the OnCourse Software website.

I Am An Air Traffic Controller 3

Posted: Thursday, December 11, 2008 - 1:22
Brad Davis of AeroStudios announces, "Now is your chance. Our inventory just arrived today, 2 days early! We are now shipping the first orders of this amazing new Tower Simulator. Just in time for Christmas. If you were waiting until the item was in stock, now is your chance. This is one of the most impressive air traffic control tower simulators you will find. For complete details, visit the "I am an Air Traffic Controller" website.

Bell Agusta 609 Tilt Rotor By Wilco Publishing

Posted: Wednesday, December 10, 2008 - 18:14
Wilco Publishing releases their Bell Agusta 609, with an operational ceiling of 25,000 ft., this versatile aircraft will fly in icing conditions and extreme climates, from the Arctic to the desert with a range of 750 nautical miles and cruising speeds of 275 knots. Features include : Seven aircraft variants with ten liveries, Advanced FSX missions take advantage of this incredible machine’s capabilities, Training videos, VSTOL, VTOL operations and flight tutorial, Unique levels of interior detail including crews, passenger and patient fully animated. Compatible with Flight Simulator X and 2004 full product details can be found at Wilco Publishing .

RealFlight F6F & F3F Hellcat Released

Posted: Wednesday, December 10, 2008 - 15:17
RealFlight is proud to announce the F6F & F3F Hellcat for FSX has been released. Utilizing all of the new features of FSX, including DX10, high resolution textures, bloom, self-shadowing, normal mapping and specular mapping, this famous aircraft has twelve (12) different liveries for your flying pleasure. A fully animated Virtual Cockpit with a complete loadout option allowing you access to all of the fully operational weapons systems puts you firmly in the pilots seat. Dean Greasley of RealFlight states "We have tried and hopefully succeeded in creating a quality product that will make our debut into the flight-simming industry a truly memorable one ". For further information - head over to RealFlight

New Titles in Avsim Store

Posted: Tuesday, December 9, 2008 - 17:53
The Avsim Store now carries products from Flight1 Software and Wilco Publishing. This includes top titles like Wilco B777, the new Cessna Skyhawk 172 or the exciting Tower Simulator. Download versions are available. Also, many FS9 title are available at a discounted price, check out the bargain bin section.
Visit the new Avsim Store today.

Imaginesim Release KIAD Update

Posted: Tuesday, December 9, 2008 - 10:29
Imaginesim have just released an update to their KIAD Washington Dulles product which fixes issues with objects and/or textures disappearing and also includes improvements to the docking system, runway lighting, AFCAD, parking ramps, and the approach system. You can download the update directly from Imaginesim

Freeware F86 Sabre from Section F8

Posted: Sunday, December 7, 2008 - 20:40
Senior contributing reviewer Alexis Esguerra looks at a Korean War icon, the F86 Sabre, as presented as a freeware product from Section F8. "Generally considered America’s first successful combat jet fighter, the single engine F-86 established a whole new set of standards in its day."

"There are two Sabres that come with the baseline F-86E/F package, both of them the more common E-variant. The reflective texture qualities are great and festooned with stencil and panel details that, while not crisp when looked at close up, give the plane a convincing appeal, especially when viewed from a distance. In cold and dark mode with the canopy opened, you’ll find chocks in place, an engine exhaust cover plugged in, flags covering pitot tubes that actually flutter in the wind, and the pilot gone."

"Inside, the cockpit is decidedly old tech. The 2D panels of the Sabre was reminiscent of that real-world bird. The VC cockpit is similarly old and beat up, and one step better in terms of rendering; the textures are much sharper here that what I found outside and the legibility of the gauges and placards are extremely good. Accuracy-wise, both 2D and VC cockpits are very close to the researched material."

"Outside of the engine, there is the usual garden-variety sound set - the whine of the landing gear, switch clicks, the ticking when a dial is spun. All are realistic in their rendition, not overdone, but not underdone either. In maneuvers, this Sabre handles just as I would expect. The F-86 has a respectable ability to maintain its energy for most of what I asked of it, but it did remind me at times that its performance envelope is that of a 50’s era fighter."

"I cannot stress enough that we are talking about a freeware product that is scoring at minimum on par with the payware competition. In my book, that puts Section F8's F86 Sabre in an entirely different class. F-86 Sabre is a testament to the efforts of the developers, and proves beyond the shadow of a doubt that the best things in life can indeed be had for free."

New FSUIPC for FS9/FSX Available

Posted: Sunday, December 7, 2008 - 17:57
Peter Dowson has released new versions of FSUIPC for FS9/FSX. These are available for immediate download at Peter's website.

Carenado's Mentor T34B For FSX Released

Posted: Sunday, December 7, 2008 - 14:31
Carenado's Mentor T34B has been released for FSX. Developed especially for FSX, this all new model features full dynamic effects, an interactive virtual cockpit, along with a complete checklist and reference text. With the addition of the Beechcraft Mentor T34B, Carenado increases their full FSX fleet to six aircraft. For more information and to purchase visit the Carenado website.

FS2Crew Service Update 2: PMDG MD-11 Edition

Posted: Sunday, December 7, 2008 - 0:39
PMDG MD-11 Drivers please note, FS2Crew has just released Service Update 2 for the PMDG MD-11 Edition of FS2Crew. Service Update 2 adds new functionality to FS2Crew MD-11 (such as Thru-Flights). Other bug fixes and improvements are also included. FS2Crew develops advanced flight crew simulation programs for select FS9 and FSX aircraft. For more information and to download the MD-11 Update, please taxi to the FS2Crew website.

4 New Titles For FS9 & FSX

Posted: Saturday, December 6, 2008 - 15:23
Jim Oldfield of Abacus reports, "Since the beginning of 2008, Abacus has released no fewer than eight complete add-ons for MSFS 2004 and FSX. Early on, as news reports began to highlight the difficult economic environment, the distribution channels drastically slowed the rate at which it accepted our new products for sale in their respective retail partners. In June, we responded by deliberately slowing our development efforts so that the distribution channels would be able to catch up to our releases from earlier in the year. Gladly, we can report that the distribution channel has opened up slightly. We recently started to deliver all of our new releases to many more retailers.

Since then we've "quietly" released several new add-ons. Now we'd like to take the opportunity to formally launch four new titles which can join our already extensive set of add-ons. These are:
V-22 Osprey - tilt-rotor technology in flight;
Hawker Hurricane - classic from WWII;
UAV Predator - stealth performer; and
International Fighters - eleven mighty aircraft."

Complete details can be found at the Abacus website.