Finnish Division IVAO Fly-In

Posted: Thursday, June 8, 2006 - 20:59
The newly formed Finnish division of IVAO is pleased to announce it's first online event, the Finnish Opening Fly-in. The event takes place on Saturday 17th of June 2006, from 17.00 to 23.00 UTC with the capital of Finland, Helsinki (EFHK), as the central point of the fly-in. All necessary ATC positions in Helsinki will be staffed, and naturally also the area control centers along the way in both Finland and Sweden.

All needed information, including procedures, scenery and charts, can be found from the fly-in's website. Please make sure you visit this page before your flight.

Welcome to explore the land of the Midnight Sun, now also on IVAO!

VideoFlyRec Announces New Kingair DVD

Posted: Thursday, June 8, 2006 - 19:59
Videoflyrec is pleased to announce that its latest production is now available for purchase. Videoflyrec B200 is a Multicrew Coordination Course (MCC) produced in collaboration with Aeromadrid. This course is performed by professional pilots in a real B200 King Air simulator where we explain step by step, both normal and emergency procedures.

The first part of the DVD explains the use of every cockpit switch, knob and control. Then we perform in detail every phase of the normal ground procedures, engine start, preflight checks, cockpit preparation, etc. We then proceed to explain a full flight from Madrid to Palma Mallorca where the pilots perform the normal procedures and viewer may see how the crew coordinate their actions. Once the flight is concluded, emergency procedures are executed like engine failure, sudden decompression, landing gear failure, etc. The video ends by listing some of the characteristics and limitations of the B200. For more information, visit the Videoflyrec Website.

Flight1 Teams With Airbus

Posted: Thursday, June 8, 2006 - 19:52
Flight One Software is excited to announce today an official partnership with Airbus Military (AMSL) for the replication of the A400M military transport aircraft to be used in Microsoft's Flight Simulator. Following the success of the manufacturer-endorsed ATR 72-500, Flight One will be working closely with Airbus engineers and staff to develop an officially sanctioned version of the A400M, which will replicate in intricate detail this new airlifter for the 21st century.

With an all new cockpit for its type, the A400M cockpit will feature an advanced glass avionics cockpit featuring fly-by-wire systems and a Flight Management System that operates similarly to the Airbus A380. The advanced 3D aircraft model will include a fully animated aircraft exterior, as well as provide an in-depth virtual cockpit and a virtual cargo hold. As you'd expect, the Flight Model will be validated by Airbus staff to be as accurate as possible. Flight One have already stated that they will be "pushing beyond the boundaries of what has been seen in PC flight simulation to date." Flight One is scheduling release in the first half of 2007, and it is anticipated that all the new features of the new FSX version of Flight Simulator will be used in order to make this a fun, as well as realistic, aircraft to fly. For more information, visit the Flight1 Site.

A New Look at Just Flight's C-130 Hercules

Posted: Wednesday, June 7, 2006 - 3:04
"It’s considered one of the most successful designs ever to grace the skies in the short history of aviation, and for those who might disagree, the military and civilian organizations of some 60 countries might argue the point. Sr Staff Reviewer Alexis Esguerra is talking about the C-130 Hercules from Just Flight (Captain Sim), "quite literally the jack of all trades that does it all."

"I feel it important to reiterate that the meat and potatoes of C-130 Hercules is basically the same as previously released by Captain Sim as Legendary C-130," says Alexis, "much of the details of the add-on remain the same, including some rather excellent modeling of the interior/exterior, sounds, aircraft systems, ACE Configurator, and other related niceties that are, in regards to this specific plane, second to none."

"The revised C-130 Hercules brings a total of 52 skins to the hangar, covering each of the three major variants. With so many schemes, one wonders if it’s possible to get tired of flying this aircraft. A second bonus feature is the inclusion of the optional Lyneham Air Base scenery. This UK facility, located at the city of Wiltshire, is the staging base for all RAF Hercules squadrons. It is perfectly at home in C-130. Just Flight's C-130 Hercules also features the capability to refuel the ‘Herc’ in-flight."

"The original may have had a shaky start, but rest assured that the performance bugs of Legendary C-130 were well ironed out prior to this current release by Just Flight." Alexis concludes in his review, "in my humble opinion, it soundly beats down any prior MSFS incarnation of the ‘Herc’ I’ve ever seen, and might even create a few new fans of the C-130 Hercules."

New Review - Lionheart Creations Classic Bellanca Collection

Posted: Tuesday, June 6, 2006 - 3:54
Reviewer Zane Gard takes us on a nostalgic trip with aircraft from a golden age. His review of Lionheart Creations' Classic Bellanca Collection. "William Ortis, the man behind Lionheart Creations, has a lot in common with other FS developers, he has a love for aviation that dates back to his childhood. When Lionheart Creations announced their first Bellanca Cruisemaster release Bill had no idea the outpouring of requests it would generate. There were Bellanca fans all over that wanted their memories brought back to life by way of this sim."

"The Cruisair Junior is the earliest of the aircraft modeled in this package, and it was the most successful pre-war aircraft that Bellanca produced. In 1949, the Cruisair name was retired and the Cruisemaster model 14-19 started production. 1959 brought the very short lived model 260, in which the factory dropped the Cruisemaster name. The early 1960’s brought the all new Viking lineup."

"I found all of the models Lionheart created for this package to be very nicely modeled. There are recognizable features making each model distinctly different and have good representations of their respective real world counterpart," Zane reports. "There are a total of six panel designs included in this set. That doesn’t include the many different 2D panel representations that match the external paint schemes. There is a distinct sound set for each of the aircraft and they get more and more powerful all the way up to the 260."

Zane writes about the numerous flights he took in different locations of the US and Europe. The numerous screenshots show a variety of each aircraft, it's interior and exterior, and sights from his trips. He concludes the review with, "I found all of the aircraft to be good, faithful reproductions of their respective originals, each with a little character of their own."

The Importance of Spring Cleaning

Posted: Monday, June 5, 2006 - 22:28
Who should have thought it, but it is not only the terminal building (read apartment, house, or whatever you live in) that can benefit from a bit of cleaning once and a while. A clean engine on the plane itself certainly can make the difference between a safe landing and a true disaster.

One of the staff members here at AVSIM was pushing his computer somewhat playing a rather CPU and GPU intensive 3D game, and suddenly it decided to shutdown with no warning. Naturally he was wondering what happened.

Booting the computer again and checking with the BIOS, he discovered that the CPU temperature had reached an impressive 82 degrees Celsius (180 degrees Fahrenheit), which is somewhat more than the recommended working temperature.

Investigating further by opening the case the cause of the problem was easily found: the CPU fan blades and the heatsink beneath them were covered with dust, which does a better job as an heat insulator than as a conductor. After cleaning the internals of the case and letting the computer have time to heat up again, the temperature reached 49.5 degrees Celsius (120 degrees Fahrenheit), while the fan ran almost twice as fast.

So... maybe it would be a good idea to just open the case up, and deal with whatever dust accumulation you might find there. It might save you some frustration when your PC turns itself off on final approach...

ACLoader 4.2 Released

Posted: Monday, June 5, 2006 - 21:16
Scott Campbell of FlightSim Flight Deck has announced the release of ACLoader: Aircraft Loader & Revenue, version 4.2. ACLoader is used to load and balance any airliner, cargo or GA aircraft for FS2002 and FS9. Version 4.1 was updated to be fully compatible with FS9 and allow complete configuration of how an aircraft is loaded and balanced. Version 4.2 includes a view/print report function, have been added and older features have been ehnanced and updated. A new manual has also been written. This update is free to version 4 owners. To purchase and get more information about ACLoader 4.2, please visit the ACLoader page.

Free Video Tutorials

Posted: Monday, June 5, 2006 - 20:25
A new website has seen the light of day. This time it is 'Maximum Climb...' which hosts freeware video tutorials filmed during simulations sessions. Everybody is also invited to contribute to 'Maximum Climb...' by submitting a video for editing. The first video released is a Boeing 747-400 flight from London Gatwick to Pulokovo, St. Peterberg.

Just Flight's F-117A Landing

Posted: Monday, June 5, 2006 - 15:15
Just Flight is pleased to announce that the boxed version of F-117A Stealth Fighter will be released on 16th June. For keen Area 51 watchers who simply can’t wait a download version will be available on 9th June.

The Stealth Fighter (it’s actually a bomber) has been deployed successfully in many theatres of war ever since the first secret flights in the early 1980s. Now the team at CLS has brought this amazing machine to Flight Simulator and armchair pilots can join the airborne elite and take the Nighthawk anywhere they want in the FS world.

This brilliant simulation will have a range of excellent features.
•Accurate 3D model and flight dynamics based on experience of over 50 hours in an official F-117A simulator
•The airframe surface has been given a realistic reflective sheen. The finish has a mottled effect to model the RAM (radar-absorbent material) coating.
•Numerous animations including elevons, drag chute, radio antennas, canopy and rudders.
•Custom gauges, effects (navigation lights and cockpit lluminations) and animations. Also has optional ‘lite’ cockpit to improve performance on lower spec PCs.
•There are even ground services which include a bomb truck, chocks and ‘remove’ tapes.

To learn more, visit Just Flight's website.

SIM-boards USB Modules Released

Posted: Sunday, June 4, 2006 - 23:08
Flightdeck Technology Ltd (FDT) has today launched their new range of SIM-board USB control modules for the amateur and professional flight simulator builder. Offering and extensive range of modules to cater for all users, large and small, the SIM-board USB range sets a new standard in simulator interface technology. Capable of driving a wide range of switches, rotary encoders, potentiometers, LEDs, 7-segment displays and relays, the new SIM-board USB range boasts a powerful yet easy-to-use feature set, while maintaining the range at affordable prices. Modules are available in a range of node counts and functionality to suit your requirements and budget. In order to find learn about all the features, visit the Flightdeck Technology homepage.

400 Free Copies of MS FS-X

Posted: Sunday, June 4, 2006 - 20:02
Let's do the math here. You pay $25 dollars to get access to both days of the AVSIM Convention and Exhibition in Washington D.C. in September. You get to see the exhibits of all the major vendors in our hobby and you get five hours of Microsoft talking about and answering your questions regarding FS-X, not to mention the papers that will be given on Saturday by the knowledgable contributors to our hobby. If you are the first of 400 visitors to sign up, you could receive a free copy of FS-X, Microsoft's next generation flight simulator. A $50 dollar value? A $70 dollar value? Who knows at this point, but we can guarantee that your $25 will be well worth the investment if you are one of the first 400 to sign up. But do it quickly. Registrations for the 2006 Convention are booming and you could find yourself at number 410 or worse, number 401! Sign up today and join us in Washington D.C. in September for the biggest event in flight simulation this year!

When Customers Request, Carenado Listens

Posted: Sunday, June 4, 2006 - 6:05
When Carenado's customers and fans talk, they listen. The Classic 182Q Skylane II was requested to be built, so they are about to release this latest project.

Constructed under Carenado’s standard quality, providing a fully interactive VC, a friendly frame rate design and putting a lot of attention on details that Carenado is known for.

Checkout the screenshots at their website, and look for this new release soon.

Updates to Classic Bellanca Collection

Posted: Saturday, June 3, 2006 - 10:32
Lionheart Creations Ltd. is pleased to announce the long awaited release of the Classic Bellanca Collection updates. In this update package, the airfiles have been totally re-engineered by airfile specialist Jerry Beckwith. Each planes airfile set have been meticulously redeveloped from the ground up, based on each planes weight, fuel capacity, and engine performance. These aircraft now fly far more accurately and with extreme precision. Several other modifications and updates have also been carried out on the models as well, including the new feature where the yoke can be hidden from view in Virtual Cockpit mode allowing better visual sight of the instruments. For more information, go to the Bellanca Updates page.

Eaglesoft Announces New Staff Member

Posted: Saturday, June 3, 2006 - 10:26
Eaglesoft Development Group is pleased to announce that Owen Hewitt has joined the Eaglesoft Development Group Team. Well known for quality aircraft models produced for Project Open Sky, FSD, and Dreamfleet, Owen brings a wealth of experience and skill to Team Eaglesoft. Owen will begin work immediately on revising our Beechjet 400A/Hawker 400XP package with an eye to the future and FSX!

New Scenery Review - Aerosoft's VFR Berlin 2006

Posted: Saturday, June 3, 2006 - 3:01
"Ich bin nicht ein Berliner. I am not a Berliner," says staff reviewer David Wilson-Okamura about his review of Aerosoft's VFR Berlin 2006. "VFR Berlin 2006 adds scores of landmarks to the main city, provides a more detailed and accurate landclass for Berlin and the surrounding area, cleans up and refines the road system, sculpts out the waterways, and spruces up a dozen of the local airports."

"Berlin encompasses a wide range of land types, from parks and gardens to towers and skyscrapers to residential neighborhoods to farmland. Berlin looks more like itself: a sprawling microcosm of the whole country. I should point out that many of the landmarks used for VFR are not monuments or famous buildings. Windmills, radio antennae, church steeples, utility pylons, highways, railroad lines, lakes, and rivers are just useful -- and they are included, too."

"Clearly, the developer has made an effort to balance detail with frame rates. There’s no point in wasting frame rates on detail you won’t normally see anyway. For Berliners, it offers the pleasure of recognizing familiar sights, and making them new again by seeing them from the air. For the rest of us, it is an opportunity to explore a detailed VFR environment that is rich in both cultural significance and visual interest." Check out the complete review and the screenshots of some of the features presented in this release.

Reader Choice Awards

Posted: Saturday, June 3, 2006 - 2:47
In addition to the prestigious AVSIM Bravo Zulu awards which will be presented at this year's Convention and Exhibition, we will also be awarding AVSIM Reader's Choice Awards. At our gala Saturday night Awards Banquet, which will happen on September 16th, the Reader Choice awards will be presented for a number of categories of add-ons to Flight Simulator. The Reader's Choice awards are based both upon the nominations of the FS user community, and the voting which will take place in August. To nominate your favorite add-on or utility, please read the rules and then submit your nomination. Nominations close on August 15th, so get your nomination in today! If you have not already, register today and if you are one of the first 400 registrants, you could receive a free copy of Microsoft's next generation flight simulator, FS-X! Questions? Visit the Convention forum.

Flight1 Releases Bonanza In A Box

Posted: Friday, June 2, 2006 - 16:36
Flight One Software and DreamFleet continue their Greatest Airplanes flight sim series with their latest release, the A36 Bonanza now available in a boxed package for Flight Simulator 2004. The Beechcraft A36 is one of the most popular General Aviation aircraft around, reeking of luxury and quality and considered by many to be the "Rolls Royce" of single engine aircraft. Flight1’s A36 package includes a "Straight Wing" version (without tip tanks), a "Tip Tank" version (with tip tanks for extended range), and the "Fantasy Float Version". That's right, be the first to own a Beech A36 on floats! This is the FIRST Flight Simulator aircraft to feature Reality XP's highly realistic Garmin GNS430 and WX500 weather radar, along with EagleSoft's Sandel 3308 EHSI as standard equipment! The package also includes a fully interactive virtual cockpit & cabin, complete moving parts, accurate flight dynamics, high resolution instrument panels, plus much more. This aircraft makes an ideal platform to get familiar with the GNS430, shoot some instrument approaches or just enjoy some luxury GA flying in Flight Simulator!

Sim pilots can purchase directly from the Flight1 website or at their local aviation or flight sim outlet.

Cloud9 Announces Upcoming Washington National DCA

Posted: Friday, June 2, 2006 - 13:59
A new airport scenery is coming from cloud9. This time it is not a big hub like our previous Amsterdam or Los Angeles airports but a medium airport of the US East Coast, the historical airport of the Capital: Washington Ronald Reagan National Airport. In this product you will find: high quality ground textures, superb 3D renderings, special features like the active gates that automatically recognize your aircraft type, active Marshalling system, animated ground handling equipment and many other features to discover. Visit the product page of the cloud9 web site for more details and to see the first set of screenshots. The release of this product is expected before the end of July.

AlphaSim Supermarine Swift FR.5 Out Now

Posted: Friday, June 2, 2006 - 4:34
The pioneering, but controversial Swift is recreated at AlphaSim in one of its last and best variations, the Supermarine FR.5. Although information on the Swift is quite scarce, this model has been carefully researched and provides a single, high-quality external model with accurate texturing, as well as a very authentic virtual cockpit which has many 3D switches and other mousable parts. The early Cold War fighter-recon experience is further enhanced by the soundset included in the package. Source texture files are included for repainters. For FS2004 only. Filesize 6.04MB. Screenshots can be viewed on the Alphasim page.

Flight1 Sponsors Social

Posted: Thursday, June 1, 2006 - 23:36
We are very pleased to announce that the friendly folks at Flight1 Software have announced that they will be the official sponsors of the AVSIM 2006 Convention and Exhibition's Friday night Simmer's Social. One of the most popular events every year is the AVSIM Social. Rooted in the history of AVSIM events, the Social started in 1999, where we held a casual get together of flight simmers near by to our annual board of director's meetings. That event has grown and has found a firm place in our popular Exhibition and Convention. The Friday night Social is a big event where simmers from around the world meet their fellow enthusiats and put faces to the forum and newsgroup names that they see everyday. At this year's Social, Microsoft will be giving away hardware, and Exhibitors will be giving away simming products. The Social is truly a place where you can discover the community that we actually are. For more information on the 2006 Convention, please see our Registration page, and visit the Convention forum. And don't forget!!! You could be one of the first 400 registrants to get a free copy of the next Microsoft Flight Simulator - MSFX!