Another Mike Ray Article

Posted: Friday, November 14, 2008 - 2:21
FSVisions is providing simmers with another free article written by Mike Ray. This month the article they are publishing is about the MAP function of FS. Mike is explaining how it works, and why he likes this feature so much.

Virtual Festival of Aerobatics 2008

Posted: Friday, November 14, 2008 - 2:13
In December, the "Virtual Festival of Aerobatics 2008" (based on the lockon flight simulator) will celebrate their 4th anniversary. One weekend long, virtual aerobatic teams and solo pilots from all over the world gather online to demonstrate their aerobatic sequences. All shows will be video streamed on the net and more than 10,000 spectators will be able to watch. For more information, please visit the Virtual Festival of Aerobatics 2008 website.

WidevieW 2.2 for FSX

Posted: Friday, November 14, 2008 - 2:11
WidevieW can be used to create simulator cockpits with panoramic scenery views using multiple monitors on networked computers. This new release has support for dynamic view re-orientation throughout the network, using the server's joystick hat switch or five user's defined fire buttons. It has also the new "IntelliSmooth" option, lettings the clients to perform at their best, even when connected to very slow servers. For full details, please visit the official WidevieW webpage.

Memorial Fly-In

Posted: Thursday, November 13, 2008 - 15:24
The Virtual Denver ARTCC on the VATSIM Network will be honoring one of its pilots this Saturday. ZDV is hosting the Shelly Johnson Memorial event, in honor of VATSIM pilot Shelly Johnson. The Colorado Springs resident was killed in an accident by a drunk driver, and leaves behind two children and a husband. The ZDV airspace will be fully staffed(KDEN,KCOS, KASE) on November 15th, from 2100z-0500z. ZDV encourages pilots to donate to Mothers Against Drunk Driving.

ZDV is accepting donations to benefit Mothers Against Drunk Driving. Donations can be made by clicking here and choosing the Memorial Donation option. MADD, VATSIM, and ZDV appreciates everyone's outpouring of support in remembering one of our own. Additional details and information is available at the ZDV Website.

Avsim Store GoFlight Rudder Pedals Special

Posted: Wednesday, November 12, 2008 - 20:58
ADVERTISEMENT: The Avsim Store has a few GoFlight Pedals left in stock. These Airliner-style pedals were originally $399.00 and have been discontinued by GoFlight due to the high cost of manufacturing metal pedals. Hurry it, these are a great deal.
Visit the new Avsim Store today.

Flight Deck Productions Now Open

Posted: Wednesday, November 12, 2008 - 5:15
Larry Foltron announces, "On the heels of the succesful Learn the Mad Dog training package, we are very pleased to announce our transition to Flight Deck Productions. This change opens the door for future training projects, helping FS pilots quickly and easily learn their way around today's complex airliners. Please visit us and register for a free store account and read more details about this transition."

New FlightSim Greenland Releases

Posted: Wednesday, November 12, 2008 - 5:11
FlightSim Greenland has released three scenery's, as the new site is now released. BGUK Upernavik - the whole island have been re-meshed. And the airport have been elevated to the right elevation. The airport terminal has been added. BGMQ Maniitsoq - the airport and city areas has been mre-meshed with 25 meter resolution. The airport have been moved to a more accurate position, and the airport terminal have been added. BGSS Sisimiut - version 3 have been released. This includes a much larger area in 25 meter resolution. Read more about these releases at FlightSim Greenland.

Aerosoft's Newest Releases

Posted: Wednesday, November 12, 2008 - 2:52
Mega Airport Paris Charles de Gaulle is a fully featured, total rebuild of the previous versions. It is built on very recent high definition areal images and includes the new Air France terminal and the A380 hangars. The FS2004 version is now available and customers of the older France 2 or Charles de Gaulle will get a low cost upgrade! The FSX version will be available in a few weeks and will be made available without cost for customers of this version. For more information visit the Mega Airport Webpage.

Madeira X, It’s a big download (1,2 Gb) but when it is installed you are ready to explore the most stunning scenery in FSX. Madeira X has very high detailed mesh covered with the 50 centimeter area images. The two main airports are also rather special, especially Funchal that is partly built on a man made platform over the Atlantic Ocean. For more information, visit the Madeira webpage.

Flight Keeper is one of those products that is not easy to explain because it does so much. From complete flight tracking with superb ways of visualizing your recorded flight to the ability to show winds at any altitude, it’s a treasure trove of modules you will love. Already a big hit with VA pilots, version 3.0 adds FSX compatibility amongst many other new features. It’s a try before you buy product. If you own a recent copy of FSFK you will get this either as a free or low cost update. For more information, visit the Flight Keeper Page.

Aerosoft writes, "A lot of our customers fly the US airports but never go south towards Mexico because there is no good coverage of Mexican airports. Together with Flymex, Aerosoft is now making flights towards the central part of Mexico possible with Mexico Central X!" For more information, visit the Mexico Central Page.

CYUL Montreal Released

Posted: Sunday, November 9, 2008 - 19:59
BluePrint Simulations is proud to present our first Canadian scenery, CYUL Montreal - Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport. CYUL is the primary international airport in Quebec and the second busiest in Canada. With non-stop flights to every continent except Australia, it will surely remain a key component of the North American aviation network.

The international areas located west of the main terminal building now consist of two new and modern concourses (or piers) and a new customs and immigration facility. The main terminal building has also undergone major renovations which included the addition of two glass-enclosed passenger check-in halls. The new additions allow natural light to brighten the entire facility.

CYUL's passenger terminal consists of one central building and four piers. The Transborder pier serves all flights to and from the United States and is about five years old. The international pier is the newest and has been on operation for only two years. It was designed to serve primarily wide-body aircraft and is now ready to accommodate future A380 flights from Paris. The CDG-YUL route is slated to be the first for Air France's new flagship. This pier also serves as a hub for Air Transat's international operations. The domestic pier extends to the east of the main terminal and it is Air Canada's second largest hub. Finally, stripped if its international status and reduced to half its original size, the mid-field pier now serves as a commuter terminal.

Blueprint Simualtions rendition of CYUL includes all the structures mentioned above with the usual level of detail and accuracy that you have come to expect. With its new and modern facilities, CYUL was near the top of their prioritized list of projects from the very beginning. They believe that they have captured the look and feel of this important airport. They invite you to enjoy this scenery, especially during winter when rain and snow become ingredients for what are sure to be exciting flying adventures.

Screenshot Competition

Posted: Sunday, November 9, 2008 - 17:03
BlutWerks, the home of aircraft of the Great War addons for Flight Sim has just opened a new competition to win a free copy of an addon from their hanger. The competition is to create an image of any pre-1940's aircraft in any sim using a theme of "Old School". Complete details can be found at the ScreenShotWorld website.

FSX T-34 Mentor Released

Posted: Sunday, November 9, 2008 - 17:01
AlphaSim's T-34C has been built as always to showcase both RealGauge technology and FSX visual effects, but in this case also to demonstrate the extent to which the cockpit systems of a light aircraft can be replicated in the sim. In fact, the model has been put together as a proposed training aid for the US Navy - Ensigns current on the type assisted with the development of the project, maximum realism is assured. All the usual and expected systems are replicated (in accordance with the T-34 Operator's Manual), however several highly innovative features (which inhibit normal operation and can even cause visible damage if procedures are not followed) are also included.

Reading the 160 page illustrated manual is essential as there are several unique and realistic surprises in store for those who do not pay attention. One special feature is the ability to use the blind-flying hood for IFR training. AlphaSim's VLE system (Visual Load Editor) is used to toggle pilots, wheel chocks, canopy and exhaust coverings and the blind-flying hood. Night lighting is also taken care of, both the usual flood as well as separate instrument lighting is present.

The rear cockpit is modelled as fully as the front, so FSX users will be able to replicate true instructor-pilot on-line flying. SIX accurate, high-definition texture sets are supplied, all with custom specular maps as well as amazing bump-mapping of the rivets and other prominent features. A 'lite' model version is included which lacks the rear cockpit for those who do not want to use the rear cockpit and maximise the FPS on lower-end systems. A Turbine Sounds Studios FSX-specific soundset provides the typical turboprop howl. Flight dynamics match the published specs and were approved by AlphaSim's US Navy pilot friends who beta-tested the model.

Super Traffic Board Updates

Posted: Saturday, November 8, 2008 - 12:24
Flying W Simulation is pleased to announce product updates for Super Traffic Board. Enhancing the presentation of three highly popular AI packages: Just Flight TrafficX, MyTrafficX 5.2 and World of AI. After applying these updates, flights displayed on the board better reflect the role of the flight operator (e.g. Passenger, Cargo, General Aviation, etc.), add additional IATA codes included with flight numbers. These updates are free of charge to Super Traffic Board customers. Please visit Flying W Simulation for full details and download .

Space Shuttle Mission 2007 Next Mission STS-51A.

Posted: Saturday, November 8, 2008 - 2:37
STS-51A is still hailed as the most daring and complex Space Shuttle missions to date. The week-long mission started with the liftoff of the Space Shuttle Discovery on November 8th, 1984 from Launch Pad 39A at KSC.

During STS-51A, the Shuttle crew deployed the TELESAT-H Canadian telecommunications satellite and the DoD SYNCOM IV-1 Defense Communications Satellite. The crew also retrieved PALAPA-B2 and WESTAR-VI, two malfunctioning satellites previously deployed during STS-41B. To retrieve the satellites, Missions Specialists Joseph P. Allen and Dale A. Gardner used Manned Maneuverable Units (MMU), while Mission Specialist Anna L. Fischer controlled the RMS for capturing and stowing the defective satellites in the Shuttle Payload Bay.

The uniqueness of this mission lays in the fact that it was the first mission a Space Shuttle was used to deploy two satellites and retrieve two malfunctioning ones. It was also the last mission where the MMU was used. Another first was the use of a device called "Stinger" which facilitated the capture of the malfunctioning satellites. STS-51A concluded with an uneventful landing at the Kennedy Space Center on November 16, 1984.

In the best SSM2007 tradition, the budding astronauts will experience first-hand the historical liftoff, On-Orbit ops including the satellites deployment, MMU space walks, capturing and stowing satellites, Deorbit, Reentry and manually Landing the Shuttle at KSC.

The Space Shuttle Mission 2007™ is available for online purchase in downloadable format at the SSM2007 official website. The latest Demo can also be downloaded freely at the same website.

FSX SAAB 91 Safir Released

Posted: Saturday, November 8, 2008 - 2:25
The SibWings team is happy to announce the release of their SAAB 91 Safir for FSX! It is a fully recreated add-on for FSX including new FSX features and giving you a better flying experience.

The Saab 91 Safir is a three or four seater, single engine trainer aircraft. It was built by SAAB in 1944, when it was obvious that the war in Europe was coming to an end. SAAB looked towards new civilian aero products, so SAAB 91 Safir was developed. The first prototype took to the air on November, 20 in 1945. A total of 323 Safirs had been produced in five versions (A, B, B-2, C and D). They were sold to 21 countries and 6 Air Forces: the Swedish, Ethiopian, Norwegian, Finnish, Tunisian and Austrian.

This package offers four versions of the Safir: B, C, and two D modifications. Each rendition faithfully reproduces all the particular, real-life, SAAB 91 Safir features in a meticulous way. SibWings wants you to enjoy the exquisite rendition of the external models, the super-detailed 3D-panels, the fully-animated dynamic VC, the authentic sounds, and so much more. It is compatiblewith FSX SP2/Acceleration

Safir X features:
- Four different and absolutely identical to real aircrafts models fully recreated for FSX
- Highly detailed and fully animated exterior and interior models including such FSX features as bump, reflection and specular mapping, dynamic self shadows, advanced animation
- Ultra smooth gauges based on 3D parts animation
- Sounds (engine and VC custom sounds) recorded from the real Safir aircrafts
- Realistic flight dynamics tested by real Safir pilots
- 100% realistic night light panel with a 4 step highlight adjustment
- Additional camera views in the VC

YSCH Coffs Harbour Airport Released

Posted: Saturday, November 8, 2008 - 2:04
Orbx is pleased to announce the immediate availability of YSCH Coffs Harbour Airport, the first payware GA airport the company has released. Coff's Harbour is a beautiful coastal city on the northern NSW coast, with a major regional airport nestled beside the beach, and the picturesque township, harbour and marina is surrounded by beautiful ranges and rural pastures. The Orbx rendition of YSCH has been made using 22cm/pixel aerial photos taken in 2008 and licensed from Coffs Harbour City Council to produce a regional airport with superb ground clarity. Orbx also includes a 5m custom terrain mesh for the entire area. Additionally, lead developer John Ross has paid many visits to the airport to take photos of all the buildings, terminals and hangars within the airport precinct. The result is truly a stunning airport which is as real as being there! YSCH is designed to be seamlessly blended into Orbx's AU GOLD region.

A2A Releases Updates

Posted: Friday, November 7, 2008 - 19:00
A2A Simulations has released the Service Pack 1 for their Wings of Silver Boeing 377 Stratocruiser and Accu-Sim expansion pack for Microsoft Flight Simulator X. “We are thrilled that our community has embraced the Stratocruiser and its accompanying Accu-Sim technology, and now Service Pack 1 builds upon this success,” said Lewis Bloomfield of A2A Simulations Inc. For more information, please visit A2A Simulations.

New Titles in Avsim Store

Posted: Friday, November 7, 2008 - 16:41
ADVERTISEMENT:
The Avsim Store now carries products from Flight1 Software and Wilco Publishing. This includes top titles like Wilco A380 v2, the new Hawker Hunter or the exciting Tower Simulator. Also, many FS9 title are available at a discounted price, check out the bargain bin section. Support Avsim. Visit the new Avsim Store today.

ScreenShot Viewer 3D Released

Posted: Friday, November 7, 2008 - 13:08
TweakFS has released ScreenShot Viewer 3D, a free utility that can display your FS screenshots in Apple "Coverflow" 3D style in a standard resizable or fullscreen window. It is a stand-alone application and utilizes Microsoft DirectX 9 runtime to achieve fluid 3D animations. You can grab the 3D Viewer on the "Downloads - Free Tools" page (See "General/Fun Tools" section) at the TweakFS web site.

France VFR, Pyrenees Atlantiques BasePack

Posted: Friday, November 7, 2008 - 13:06
France VFR is proud to announce its latest release in the FLIGHT Series; the Flight Pyrenees Atlantiques BasePack and AutogenPack. It represents the 2nd pane of the French Pyrenees mountains containing the Western part of it through 19,000 sq. kms. This Basepack and AutogenPack complete and finalize the Flight Series with all other BasePacks and Autogens having been commercialized over the last 2 years.

The scenery spreads over from the Atlantic Coast through the well known urban areas of Biarritz, St Jean de Luz, Pau and Tarbes, Lourdes as well as the Mountain Pics (Pic du Midi de Bigorre and Ossau. Most lakes and rivers are cut out and faithfully represented and reworked with bodies of land-able water. Most important airfields/airports (10 altogether) are retreated and repositioned (Charts and Flight Documentation included). For more information: please find Doc/English version at France VFR.

Sz-Flight Data Recorder

Posted: Friday, November 7, 2008 - 13:02
Eszett Solutions is announcing the release of a new utility add on for Flight Simulator X; Sz-Flight Data Recorder is available for download now. FDR is a tool for Flight Simulator X to record your flights and play them back in various form. FDR is an alternative to the "video" and "instant replay" functions of Flight Simulator. Not only can you record and play back the flight with your user aircraft, you can also freely move through the recording time line, set markers (and save them), view the flight from 3rd person view and even show the complete flight path in one big frozen image. For download and purchase details please see Eszett-Solutions.