New Update For FScene FSX TotalPack and Europe

Posted: Friday, August 6, 2010 - 14:14
Ruud Faber developer of the FScene replacement ground textures has released a patch with 36 repainted bitmaps. In southern European countries like Greece, Spain, Italy and South-France the default FSX terrain tends to look much drier than in real life. FScene for FSX already improved this by using more life- like textures, but some of these show in Ruud's opinion too much repetition, hence this new patch recommended for all FScene FSX users.

Flight Video - Iberia Airbus A340-300

Posted: Thursday, August 5, 2010 - 0:15
Just Planes has released a new instructional/real world flight video. Iberia's Airbus A340 Fleet Manager takes you for an adventure from Madrid to Quito and Guayaquil, Ecuador! This 4 Hour DVD includes continuous presentations by the crew on how they operate this flight, the features of the A340 and much more delivered in a fun and interesting way.

Iberia, one of the largest airlines in Europe, carries close to 30 million passengers a year with a fleet of around 120 aircraft and around 120 destinations. Its subsidiaries Air Nostrum (regional) and Vueling (low cost) are both also featured in the World Air Routes series.

The Airbus A340-600 was recently featured in the World Air Routes with the airline's VP of Flight Operations taking viewers on an exciting trip to Lima, Peru.

"LLH8 Grenoble Le Versoud" For FSX Released

Posted: Thursday, August 5, 2010 - 0:05
LLH créations announces its latest release for alpine flying, "LLH8 Grenoble Le Versoud" for FSX. A new platform for all mountain pilots with this airport near Grenoble, France. This scenery represents a new approach in development by pushing the realism to the limits of the FSX SDK, using very high resolution textures and bumpmaping technology. More info and screenshots are available on the LLH website.

Dual GPS Operations for GNS 430 Control Module

Posted: Wednesday, August 4, 2010 - 23:57
ELITE Simulation Solutions, the maker of the first and most popular GNS 430 simulation module, has now achieved compatibility with Microsoft's widely used software, FSX, as well as the ability to fly with dual GNS 430 modules within FSX.

With the installation of a free and easy-to-use plug-in written by ELITE's programmers, ELITE's AP4000 GNS 430 control module can now be used in conjunction with either the GNS 430W XP™ or the GNS WAAS Unlimited add-on by Reality XP to easily control all the functions of the Garmin GNS 430 WAAS, just as in actual flight.

"The additional compatibility is another step forward in meeting long-standing needs and desires in the industry," said John Dixon, President and CEO of ELITE Simulation Solutions. "Professional pilots, students, and aviation enthusiasts have been looking for an affordable and flexible training solution for the widely popular Garmin GPS."

In another first for ELITE, this development also makes possible the flight of dual GNS 430s in FSX, each separately controlled by its own ELITE GNS 430 module, allowing for the emulation of configurations used in multiple different aircraft worldwide.

"Reality XP's reproduction quality and fidelity of the Garmin 430 WAAS has been impressive," said Dixon. "ELITE is pleased to be able to now provide the missing element of realism in dual GPS operations."

ELITE's Garmin GNS 430 module was introduced in Fall of 2008, with the release of the ELITE version 8.5 software release, offering a high-fidelity, hands-on experience for GNS 430 simulation, in partnership with Reality XP. The module is offered individually or as part of an avionics stack, and is also included as part of several FAA certified configurations.

Contrails Pro from FlightSimTools

Posted: Wednesday, August 4, 2010 - 1:43
Staff reviewer Viktor Lakatos makes his mark in the sky with FlightSimTools' Contrails Pro. "Contrails Pro is a module for Microsoft Flight Simulator X and Microsoft Flight Simulator 2004 that adds realistic contrails to AI aircraft."

"This is not a utility in the usual way: you don’t need to handle anything during your flight. It is a small module which tries to raise the level of FS reality. And it does its work. Just fly an airline route with Contrails Pro and you will discover a brand new view."

Virtavia Sea King for FSX

Posted: Tuesday, August 3, 2010 - 14:53
The famous Sea King finally arrives in FSX. TEN distinct models and TWENTY highly detailed texture sets provide wide coverage of many of this famous helicopter's variants and users. The all-new VC is bursting with nice details, such as a fully-functioning hover gauge, a drift indicator, mousable radios and a completely modelled rear cabin area. FSX Acceleration users will find that the winch works to order and can be used to carry objects. A wonderful TSS sounds package provides a highly realistic audio dynamic, both inside and out. Carefully-tuned flight dynamics make the Sea King a delight to fly, with nimble agility at low speed and safe stability at cruise. The systems are kept to a minumum, just start and fly, so novice FSX users and those new to rotorcraft will have no trouble in getting into the air in the Virtavia Sea King .

FSWidgets Network Pack Utility Updated

Posted: Tuesday, August 3, 2010 - 9:19
FSWidgets has updated its free Network Pack utility which now includes support for the iGMap iPhone moving map application. The Network Pack is a utility that allows remote connection of FSWidgets products to FS2004 or X-Plane (and in the case of iGMap, to FSX). Version 1.41 includes a fix to support users with non-US locale Windows settings connecting from iGMap for iPhone. The new Network Pack also allows GMap for X-Plane (Mac Version) to connect to FSX, FS2004 or X-Plane running on a Windows machine, providing a bridge that supports the three most popular simulators on the market across Windows, Mac and Linux systems. This update is recommended for all users of the Network

For full details for this update and the product itself visit the iGMap Product Page

IMPORTANT SYSTEM NOTICE

Posted: Tuesday, August 3, 2010 - 1:22
This coming Friday, August 6th, we will shut down the AVSIM Forums system at 11:00 a.m. EST. The shutdown is necessary to transition our forums to the new forum sytem that we are bringing online in advance of bringing the new AVSIM web site online. The new forums are a important part of our total system upgrade. We anticipate that this outtage will take 6 hours or possibly more. We will keep you appraised of our progress via the front page of AVSIM if we expect that six hour period to be exceeded.

IMPORTANT!!! The new forum system will require that you SIGN IN WITH YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS, not your name, as the current system requires. The new system will be populated with the current user database (along with every message in the current forum system, your previous message post count, and all of your stats and control panel settings). This means that the EMAIL ADDRESS YOU SIGNED UP TO THE FORUMS WITH WILL BE USED IN THE NEW FORUM SYSTEM. Your PASSWORD WILL BE THE SAME AS YOU ARE CURRENTLY USING.

We will post further news and updates as necessary over the next few days.

World VATSIM Day Aug 8th 2010

Posted: Monday, August 2, 2010 - 14:28
World Vatsim Day Aug 8th 2010, celebrates the day that VATSIM came to fruition, the day it all started, the day set aside to commemorate the uniqueness of VATSIM.
So lets celebrate World Vatsim Day Aug 8th 2010, all you have to do is fly, control or both. The aim is to get as many of the community online as possible to participate in the event. This is the most open ended and loosely planned event in the whole VATSIM Calendar. For full details please visit the Vatsim Homepage .

Review Editor's Screenshot Contest Winners

Posted: Sunday, August 1, 2010 - 18:26
The AVSIM Review Editor's screenshot contest has been completed and it's time to annnounce the winners. Each will be mailed a DVD copy of "Wings of Prey" courtesy of Iceberg Interactive. I would like to thank all the AVSIM readers that submitted an entry for consideration, and Iceberg Interactive for donating copies of their latest title for our fans.

The winners are (in no particular order): Dale Wadeson (Australia)- Yellow River Hunter, Paul Harmon (USA) - B25 Inbound, Tobias Gotze (Germany) - Heavy Fire, Eric Joiner (USA) - F4, and Glenn Campbell (Canada) - Nice Shot Bill.

"On The Horizon"

Posted: Sunday, August 1, 2010 - 18:14
AVSIM is pleased to announce that a Dutch AVSIM delegation (Angelique van Campen and Benjamin van Soldt) will be present at the FSWeekend 2010 in Lelystad, the Netherlands. This Flight Simulator event is held on November 6 and 7th in the Aviodrome, situated at Lelystad Airport (EHLE). You'll find dozens of software- and hardware companies, Virtual Airline representatives, Flight Simulator clubs, individual scenery- and airplane developers, military squadrons, private cockpit builders as well as commercial builders. Furthermore, you'll find online network representatives from IVAO, VATSIM, OnlineSim and Flight Simulator magazines like PC Pilot and FS Magazin and many FS enthusiastic representatives. Their last event had 74 display/vendor booths. In other words; you should be there!

You should visit not only the event itself, but also for the gorgeous museum with lots of collector items like the Douglas DC-2 and the world famous DC-3 and not to forget the extraordinary Lockheed Constellation. The exhibition is held in the National Aviation Theme Park Aviodrome and apart of the flight simulator event, guests will experience 100 years of intriguing aviation. With not only a very large collection of historic planes, it also offers an ex-KLM Royal Dutch Airlines Boeing 747 Classic, registered PH-BUK.

So plan ahead now (November 6 and 7th) and while you're there visit our AVSIM stand and say hello to two outstanding staff reviewers and hopefully they will be able to help you with AVSIM related questions. The Dutch AVSIM team is looking forward to meeting you!

Latin VFR Releases Crown Point Tobago (TTCP)

Posted: Saturday, July 31, 2010 - 18:20
Trinidad and Tobago's second main airport is Crown Point International Airport (TTCP) located on the island of Tobago, near the town of Caanan, near the city of Scarborough. It's a very popular destination for tourists seeking the beaches and other popular Tropical attractions. The airport is 25 minutes by air from Piarco International Airport in Trinidad. This airport is served by major airlines in the United States, Canada and Europe.

Within this scenery package you will have: TTCP (TAB) airport completely modeled with significant attention to detail. Hotels, buildings modeled and placed in their correct position. Surrounding photo scenery with hundreds of hand placed autogen. Photo real water for the photo scenery, blending seamlessly with default water (FSX). Dozens of custom apron objects (containers, vehicles, etc). Mesh terrain for the two Islands of Trinidad and Tobago. Respective AFCAD for FS2004 and AFX file for FS making it fully AI traffic compatible. DX9 compatible for FSX Inclusion of manual and charts in PDF format.

Update 1.2 Released for FSXFollow

Posted: Saturday, July 31, 2010 - 13:10
FSXFollow turns your iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch into a moving map for FS9 or FSX . FSXFollow connects to the flight simulator directly through a free PC client, saving valuable screen real-estate on your desktop by using your iPhone, iPod Touch or iPad to display your aircrafts current position. You can see the Flight simulator's screen on your device.
FEATURES: - Connects to FSX, FS2004 and CFS. Map supports drag to pan and pinch to zoom. - Easy setup, no entering of ip adress required - No local network needed - Airplane on map shows direction of flying - Color of airplane dependent on altitude.
For full details on this update and the product itself visit the FSXFollow Product Page

Night Environment 2010

Posted: Saturday, July 31, 2010 - 13:00
After nearly four years and numerous customer requests Zinertek is pleased to announce the release of a new edition of Night Environment for Microsoft Flight Simulator 2004. Night Environment 2010 will bring you more realistic and detailed night lighting than ever before. This product enhances all cities, towns, bridges and landmarks throughout the world. For more information about Night Environment 2010 visit their Homepage.

727 Captain (Boxed Version) from Just Flight

Posted: Saturday, July 31, 2010 - 2:26
Staff reviewer Alan Bradbury climbs into the box to look at Just Flight's release of 727 Captain. "Although the aircraft are the same in this DVD edition as they are if you buy the Captain Sim downloads, the paint jobs are most definitely not the same. There are quite a few more paint jobs if you buy all the download variants, and in doing so, you also gain access to a large set of other paint jobs from the CS website if you purchase it there."

"In common with most Captain Sim aircraft, this 727 comes with an aircraft configuration editor (ACE) utility. Being this is the boxed version we are examining, it has the advantage of a printed manual along with a PDF one as well, and these are not merely the same manual in two forms, they are two different things."

"So to sum up what is included, you get quite a variety of models, although some of that is merely visual and the flight models are the same when they should really be different. You get a configuration utility, although it appears to be mainly a means to add an arbitrary cargo weight rather than something which can radically affect the CoG in a completely realistic fashion. You get a good few paint jobs and you get a couple of manuals that could be better, but have one or two redeeming features, in particular a good tutorial. One other thing worth noting with this add-on in terms of what the package includes, is the fact that it comes with Captain Sim’s FSX Weather Radar as part of the suite of avionics in the 727’s cockpit."

"So on the whole, the CS 727 flies okay (when tweaked) and does a credible job of emulating the real thing in most respects as long as you are prepared to accept that a few broad concessions have been made to get it to work in FSX without being too bloated a product. Straight out of the box, the CS 727 definitely has more plus than minus points by a considerable margin. On the minus side, you’ll have to tweak the config file trim setting to get it manageable for hand flying (not too hard to do); there are one or two anomalies in the cockpit (which can be fixed); the panel lacks a calibrated TAT gauge for the EPR settings (again this is fixable), and the documentation could be better."

"Do I recommend it? Well since there’s a bit of DIY involved to get it up to par, that definitely marks it down. So long as you are happy to tweak it, then yes, I do recommend it." This aircraft has already been reviewed from a download perspective, so some of the review comments may be redundant. However, there are a few items that are different in the boxed version, so the review will help to gain some new insight.

Aerosoft releases Gibralter X

Posted: Saturday, July 31, 2010 - 2:14
Gibraltar X is created for Aerosoft by the well known Sim-wings development team and shows this very strange bit of Europe in the greatest detail. Not only is the airport beautifully rendered but the whole area is covered with 15 cm photo textures and detailed buildings. As the main road of Gibraltar crosses the runway, the traffic is controlled by AESlite and will actually stop to allow you to arrive and depart. Of course 'The Rock' towers over the whole scenery and will make any approach a small adventure. An FS2004 and a combined FSX/FS2004 boxed version will be available later.

New CLS 767 Liveries

Posted: Friday, July 30, 2010 - 23:56
Commercial Level Simulations is pleased to announce the release of a new livery expansion package for the CLS Boeing 767 series. The livery expansion package includes 9 new liveries for you to enjoy, and can be downloaded from the CLS webshop for free. This expansion package can also be applied to Just Flight DVD box installations.

Are you a Level-D 767 pilot?

Posted: Friday, July 30, 2010 - 23:54
If so, please note that FS2Crew has released a new expansion pack for the FSX and FS9 Level-D 767 that adds a "Voice Controlled" flight, cabin and ground crew to the aircraft. Says Bryan York, FS2Crew's developer: "I designed a version of FS2Crew for the LDS 767 several years ago. It was very popular. However, since that time, FS2Crew has made numerous advances, most notably of which is that we now use Voice Control as the primary interface method for our airline crew simulations." Bryan continues: "The new Voice Commander Edition for the Level-D 767 allows users to simulate airline style flying from the perspective of the Captain/ Pilot Flying with their Level-D 767. Everything about this product is 767 specific, and the procedures modeled are rooted in those used by a real-world UK based carrier. If you're in the market for multi-crew simulation software for FSX and FS9, it doesn't get much more realistic than this." A video showing what a typical flight using FS2Crew 767 Voice Commander is available on the FS2Crew 767's Product Info Page.

It's Your Plane For Carenado's Piper Seneca

Posted: Friday, July 30, 2010 - 13:14
Helen Cooper from It's Your Plane has sent word to Avsim that they now support Carenado's Piper Seneca (with integrated checklists) for FS 2004 and FSX. Visit the It's Your Plane hanger for complete details on this and the many supported aircraft.

Addictive Simulations Join The AVSIM Family

Posted: Friday, July 30, 2010 - 12:53
Addictive Simulations have joined the AVSIM family with the opening of their support forum as part of the AVSIM network. Drop in for a visit to the Forum and their Homepage.