Latin VFR San Andres & Providencia

Posted: Wednesday, June 10, 2009 - 22:20
San Andres & Providencia Scenery for FS9 from Latin VFR. The main airport in this package serves the cities of San Andrés and San Luis as well as the nearby island of Providencia, Airports fully built with GMAX for ultimate performance Photo realistic images for the islands for both night and day. High detail textures for the runway, tarmac and taxiways. Custom AFCAD for AI traffic Marshaller at arrival stand. Take a look at the Latin VFR Homepage to see the complete feature set .

Icarusgold Dragon Rapide

Posted: Wednesday, June 10, 2009 - 22:03
The Dragon Rapide was a British short-haul passenger airliner of the 1930s. Designed by the de Havilland company in late 1933 as a faster and more comfortable successor to the DH.84 Dragon, it was in effect a twin-engine, scaled-down version of the four-engine DH.86 Express. It shared many common features with the larger aircraft including its tapered wings, streamlined fairings and the Gipsy Six engine, but it demonstrated none of the operational vices of the larger aircraft and went on to become perhaps the most successful British-built commercial passenger aircraft of the 1930s. Compatible with FSX / FSX-SP1-SP2/ FSX-Acceleration . for a look at this aircraft visit the Icarusgold Hanger.

FS2Crew Pro Pack Released

Posted: Wednesday, June 10, 2009 - 21:57
FS2Crew, a developer of flight crew simulations, is pleased to announce that the Heavy Hitters Professional Pack is now available. Heavy Hitters is a compilation product that bundles the following versions of FS2Crew in one download: * PMDG MD-11 (FSX and FS9) * Wilco feelThere Airbus Special Edition (FSX and FS9) * PMDG 747 (FSX) * Level-D 767 (FSX) * Flight1 ATR (FSX) * Default 747 (FSX) * Default 172 (FSX) Special bonus product included: FSCheckride (FSX and FS9) Note that Heavy Hitters does *NOT* include the 3rd party host aircraft. Heavy Hitters is available as a download or on DVD. Please visit their Website for complete details.

Scotflight Update

Posted: Wednesday, June 10, 2009 - 21:49
Scotflight is pleased to present V2.0. Detailed scenery for over 50 airfields across Scotland. These are a mixture of enhanced default airfields and new airfields, not covered in the default FSX. Popular GA airfields such as Perth, Fife & Cumbernauld feature in the latest additions together with former RAF Stations such as East Fortune, West Freugh and Machrihanish. You will also find detailed scenery for Glasgow City Centre Heliport & surrounds and you could take a flight from there to Scotland's only motor racing circuit at Knockhill. The product also features a full replacement coastline for Scotland plus hundreds of redrawn lochs. You will find areas with detailed roads and moving traffic on major roads and on major bridges such as the Skye Bridge, Erskine Bridge, Kessock Bridge etc. There are castles, Mansion Houses, Canals and enhanced ferry ports. The featured areas also benefit from improved Landclass scenery. For our existing Vol.1 Highlands & Islands customers an upgrade package is available which will seamlessly install into their existing setup and give them the full benefits of Vol.2. Existing customers should note that version 1.2 of Vol.1 is required and holders of versions previous to this should contact Scotflight through our website for a free update to version 1.2. for full details on this fine product visit the Scotflight homepage.

Classic Liners Vol 1 from Aerosim

Posted: Wednesday, June 10, 2009 - 2:44
New staff reviewer Benjamin van Soldt takes a look at the Boeing series as presented in Aerosim's Classic Liners Vol 1. "The Vol.1 package contains the following aircraft: Boeing 727-100 and -200, 737-200ADV, Boeing 747-100, -200B, -200C, -200F and -300. The scenery included is one of the old Osaka International Airport. The adventure included is a tutorial that lets you fly the Osaka approach."

Benjamin breaks down each section of the review into the 727, 737 and 747. "I flew the Tinmouse 2 737-200ADV, Ready For Pushback (RFP) 747-200, the Dreamfleet 727 and Captain Sim 727 offerings, so I’ll be using them as my reference." He then goes on to describe the various aircraft's exterior, interior and panel configurations.

"I have been enjoying myself immensely with Aerosim's Classic Liners Vol 1, and I’ve had many very nice flights. Out of the box, this is a beginner’s package. With simplified systems, a simplified though relatively accurate flight model, it is ideal for beginners. The planes of this package have a great potential, because there is something very nice about simple FS aircraft: they are extremely easy to manipulate. Overall, everything about this package can be termed “decent”. So if you are into classic Boeings and would like a VC, this package is your only option."

Caranedo and FSFlyingSchool Now in Avsim Store

Posted: Tuesday, June 9, 2009 - 19:52
The Avsim store has just added 2 new product lines: Carenado and FSFlyingSchool.

Carenado planes. The famous GA aircraft from Carenado are available via download. We now have 20+ Carenado planes in our store including the Mooney 20J 201 and the brand new Cessna 172N Skyhawk float and C172N ski.
Flying School 2009 is a revolutionary tool that will teach you to fly like a pro. Flying School 2009 works with FS9 and FSX. It's available immediately as a download.

Visit the Avsim Store today

The AVSIM FANCON 2009

Posted: Sunday, June 7, 2009 - 16:55
The AVSIM FANCON 2009
Dayton, Ohio September 4th, 5th and 6th

The AVSIM FANCON 2009 Planning Committee is in the home stretch organizing the details and participants to this year's event. It's time for our Vendors and Visitors to reserve their places as the deadlines for commitments are fast approaching and a firm idea of the companies represented and the number of guests we can expect are needed for planning. Reserve Today !

AVSIM Reopens FS Wiki!

Posted: Saturday, June 6, 2009 - 20:20
Today AVSIM brought online its new Flight Simulation Wiki. For those of you that had contributed to the previous Wiki, you will be disappointed to know that it was wiped out; not during the hack of May 12th, but as a result of a database fumble by the hosting service that provided our Wiki at the time. We are happy to report that we are now hosting our own Wiki on the avsim.net domain, and it is the most recent release of the MediaWiki system. We would ask that all of our former contributors and editors please pay a visit and help us populate the Wiki with all the community knowledge that we can. You can find the new Wiki at wiki.avsim.net. We look forward to seeing you there!

Captain Sim Upgrades

Posted: Saturday, June 6, 2009 - 17:52
The 727 Captain (Pro Pack, -200 and Freighter) version 2.2 for FSX is available and includes new features, fixes and enhancements. For the complete list, visit the 727 Captain website.

Train Add-ons Galore

Posted: Friday, June 5, 2009 - 21:36
Senior contributing reviewer Gene Davis expands on his experiences with Rail Simulator with a look at 4 Rail Simulator add-ons from Just Trains.

Rascal & Cottonwood is a fictional representation of a coal carrying branch line in North America and runs about 20 miles through the town of Tri-City, onto the Cottonwood Foundry and to the actual coal mine itself. Cargo Wagon IWB and Flat IGA Plus Pack have been designed specifically for use in Rail Simulator.

The IWB and the Flat IGA are two incredibly detailed rail cars that come packed with real world liveries and full sets of scenarios for each car.

RS Plus Pack Combo - Pack 1 gives the Rail Sim user a sound makeover for the HST125, VP185, HST 125 MTU, and the Class 47. Along with the sound upgrade, you also get nine new scenarios that exist in the Oxford to Paddington route. First time out in the Class 47 was a whole new experience for me as the sound added a much more authentic aural feel to the entire engine! This carries over to the other engines as well and I have to say that it really brings the Rail Experience to life in Rail Simulator.

It is products like these sold by Just Trains that make rail simming much more enjoyable and these four products alone have given me more hours of enjoyment with Rail Simulator and I recommend them to anyone that is interested in this mode of simulation!

New Aircraft Profiles Published At FSFlyingSchool2009

Posted: Friday, June 5, 2009 - 17:49
FSInventions announces the addition of several new aircraft profiles for its FSFlyingSchool2009 add-on for FSX and FS2004. These are free to existing owners of FSFlyingSchool2009.

FSFlyingSchool2009 supports any powered airplane, but FSFlyingSchool2009 pilots who like to compete will now be able to post scores in a dozen more popular aircraft to the FSFlyingSchool web based high scores tables. The new profiles are for aircraft published by Aerosoft, AlphaSim, Carenado, JustFlight and Flight One including: several Twin Otter variations; T-34C Turbo Mentor; Piper Arrow; Cessna 206; Cessna 210 Centurion; Cessna 172; C-130; Piper Warrior; ATR-72-500. The new profiles can be downloaded from the FSFlyingSchool2009 website, along with movies and a Demo.

Avsim Store is back online too. New titles added

Posted: Friday, June 5, 2009 - 15:19
The Avsim store is also back online and fully operational. When you purchase from the Avsim store, you help support Avsim.
New: Carenado planes are now available at the Avsim store. They are available via download, so you can start flying them immediately. We have 20+ Carenado planes in our store including the Mooney 20J 201 and many others
FS2Crew products. Also available via download, FS2crew products are the perfect add-ons to create a more realistic simulation
F/A-18 Super Hornet. The super detailed FA-18 by VR Simulations can be downloaded from the Avsim store.
SimGiants Scenery: Detailed airports for FSX including the new Milan Malpensa.
Bargain Bin: Find popular products at a discount price
Flight Controls. A nice selection of Flight controls, including GoFlight products.
Our download section also features classic planes such as the Boeing 777 by Wilco, the Airbus A400M or the Cessna Citation X.
Visit the Avsim Store today

Raw Grit: PNG Bushpilot from Pacific Islands Simulation

Posted: Friday, June 5, 2009 - 0:35
Senior staff reviewer David Wilson-Okamura visits Papua New Guinea in his exporation of Pacific Islands Simulations' Raw Grit: PNG Bushpilot. "Do you like bush flying? Even if you’re not sure where Papua New Guinea is, this one is fun."

"24 airfields, 7 with seaplane facilities plus additional helipads are included in this package. Each field in the package is closely modeled on a real-world airport or strip. There are also obstacles. These range from mountains to boulders to trees, with the main obstacle being trees. In addition, some of the runways have bumps in the middle and others are sloped."

"Now, thanks to Graham Michael, Papua New Guinea has come alive again, with more fields, more objects, and sound. No one field has as much detail as, say, Bill Womack’s version of Plum Island. Instead what Michael has created, almost single handedly, is a system of fields, a series of combinations that opens up a whole environment to exploration."

San Andres & Providencia Scenery For FS2004

Posted: Friday, June 5, 2009 - 0:10
The main airport in this package serves the cities of San Andrés and San Luis, but also commercially serves the nearby island of Providencia Island. All being major touristic and vacational spots for South and Central American tourists. Gustavo Rojas Pinilla International Airport is also known as Sesquicentenario International Airport. The airport is the 6th busiest airport in Colombia in terms of passengers, with 836.234 in 2006. Most of these passengers come from the continental part of the country, due to poor international direct service to the island. Many international tourists have to fly to one of Colombia's or Panama's largest airports (Bogotá, Medellín, Cali, Panama City) to be able to reach the islands. Although in recent years San Andrés has started to received seasonal charter flights, mainly, from Canada and few Central American countries.

The airport is one of Colombia's fastest growing airports with a 13.4% increase in the number of passengers between 2005 and 2006.
The package includes the two islands, made by photo realistic images, with a SRTM mesh. The two airports SKSP (Gustavo Rojas Pinilla Airport) and SKPV (El Embrujo) include: Airports fully built with GMAX for ultimate performance ; Photo realistic images for the islands for both night and day; High detail textures for the runway, tarmac and taxiways; Custom AFCAD for AI traffic; Marshaller at arrival stand, and much more. Visit the Latin VFR website for complete details.

Flight1 Cessna Citation Mustang CD Released

Posted: Thursday, June 4, 2009 - 14:48
Flight1 is excited to announce the CD version of their Cessna Citation Mustang is now available. Certified to be flown by a single pilot, the Citation Mustang features state of the art engines delivering speeds of up to 340kts as well as the latest in large-format glass-cockpit flight displays, easing pilot workload, all while passengers relax in one of the largest cabins in its class. Flight One Software and Cessna Aircraft Company have joined forces to bring you this authentic simulation of the Citation Mustang, exclusively for FSX.

The Flight One Citation Mustang features an accurate rendition of the real-world aircraft's avionics and systems that rivals that found in dedicated high-end training software. Included is a detailed simulation of the Garmin G1000 all-glass integrated avionics suite, with Mustang-specific functionality. Highlights include: three to-scale displays, realistic lateral and vertical autopilot modes, WAAS instrument approaches, Crew Alert System (CAS) messages, terrain rendering, Traffic Information Service (TIS) alerts, a full-color moving map on the Multi-Function Display (MFD), and a worldwide updatable database provided by Navigraph. Flight plans can be entered directly into the G1000, or imported from the Flight Simulator X flight planner.

The simulation also realistically models the performance and operation of the Citation Mustang's two next-generation, FADEC-equipped Pratt & Whitney Canada PW615F engines including Takeoff, Climb, and Cruise detents with automatically calculated power settings that match the real-world numbers. A working cabin pressurization system, adjustable panel lighting, an audio panel music player, and many more features make the Flight One Citation Mustang a must-have investment for anyone interested in the workings of the real-world aircraft.

Beyond the avionics and systems is a highly-detailed aircraft model. The exterior features six custom paint schemes, operable cabin and cargo doors (with corresponding CAS messages), visible icing effects on the windscreen and aircraft, and multiple external camera views. The interior model includes a highly detailed and fully functional 3D virtual cockpit, and a fully-animated cabin. Also available is a photorealistic 2D panel set with six main instrument panel views, and popup panels for the PFD, MFD, audio panel, autopilot, lower switch panels, throttle levers, and the MFD Controller.

Extensive PDF documentation is provided with the product, and supplemental information is available via the Garmin Web site for advanced operations. For more information, screenshots, promo video, and to purchase please visit the Flight 1 website.

FW 190 A: The Early Variants from Classics Hangar

Posted: Thursday, June 4, 2009 - 1:14
Senior staff reviewer David Wilson-Okamura looks at Classics Hanger's FW 190A: The Early Variants. "This particular specimen, before and after it was repainted in RAF colors, is represented here along with 8 other models and 32 additional liveries. The package ships with a paint kit and, in the weeks since it has come out, customers have uploaded at least a dozen repaints with more promised on the way."

"Let me answer the obvious and possibly most important question: yes, this is a native-FSX model, not a port-over. Like most of the high-end payware titles that I have reviewed in the last couple of years, this package does not include a 2D cockpit; the virtual cockpit (VC) is all you have, and all you need to have, to fly the plane. This one is first-class. The engine sounds are credited to Steve "Lawdog" Buchanan. To my ear they are indistinguishable from the excellent sounds that he released as freeware in 2005 and 2006."

"A verifiable fact: each of the nine variants in this package comes with its own flight model. Unlike the Me 109, which took me a lot of practice, the Fw 190 is not hard to land; this is partly because of the wider gear stance. Despite all of the detail, frame rates on these models are high: right up there with the RealAir Spitfire and A2A Thunderbolt."

"Classics Hangar’s next project will be the later variants of the FW 190A, followed by another World War II-era fighter, the twin-engine Me 110 Zerstoerer. It’s hard work to establish a new brand, but with the FW 190A, Classics Hangar is well on its way."

Air Hauler Updated With SP 3.33

Posted: Wednesday, June 3, 2009 - 1:43
A new Service Pack is available for Air Hauler (applicable to both the Boxed and Download versions). This new Service Pack includes all previous updates.

Air Hauler's developer, Duncan' Slopey' Murray, has provided a number of enhancements, tweaks and fixes in this new Service Pack in response to feedback from the Air Hauler community - you can see them all in the 'New features and fixes' list.

Small Airfields Switzerland Part 3 X (FSX+FS2004)

Posted: Wednesday, June 3, 2009 - 1:39
Explore five more highly detailed airfields in the third part in the series “Swiss VFR Airports Part 3” available from Aerosoft. Four of these airfields are in eastern Switzerland and one of them in Tessin in the South: Amlikon in the canton Thurgau, Mollis in Glarnerland, Bad Ragaz in the South of St.Galler Rheintals, Samedan in Graubünden and Locarno in the Italian speaking part of Switzerland. The product series "Swiss VFR Airports" is the brainchild of Jeffrey Stähli who is also the developer of the famous Switzerland Professional X scenery.

An important aspect was to make the airfields and their immediate surroundings as realistic as possible and for this reason, photorealistic textures were used. Distinctive objects around the airfield were placed as an orientation guide. Each airport also fits seamlessly into the photo realistic scenery “Switzerland Professional X” thanks to the exact ground layout. The “Swiss VFR Airports Part 3” add-on is compatible with both FS 2004 and FSX.

US Cities X - San Francisco Released

Posted: Wednesday, June 3, 2009 - 1:33
Aerosoft's US Cities X is a series of city scenery for FSX that covers US cities created by LimeSim. Based on an extensive aerial image it has all the major buildings and landmarks plus all the heliports and small airports that are inside the covered areas.

It is clearly intended to fill the gap between the default scenery and very high dense city scenery such as Manhattan X, London VFR or Venice X. Because the file size is rather large due to the ground image, it only includes one season (in most cases this is not a real issue) and no night textures. The VFR flights over these cities is mostly a day time affair anyway. The second in this range is San Francisco, California.

Malta International Airport V2 Review

Posted: Wednesday, June 3, 2009 - 1:12
Staff reviewer Alan Bradbury travles to the Mediterranean to visit Malta International Airport from the Malta Scenery Design team. "One of the nice things about Flight Simulator, is that every once in a while somebody decides to adopt part of the FS world and really go to town on making scenery for that particular spot. Such is the case with Daniel Chircop, who is the man behind Malta Scenery Design’s rendition of Malta International Airport and the surrounding terrain, which is quite clearly a labor of love."

"All four runways: 14, 32, 05 and 23 have approach lighting, PAPI lights and VOR/DME. Runways 14 and 32 are ILS equipped, only runway 05 lacks high intensity lights and the airport itself is an ATC centre for the region with full approach and weather radar coverage, meaning that pretty much any kind of approach you want to make into the place is possible in just about any aircraft. What all that boils down to as far as Flight Simulator is concerned, is that Malta International is a great place to have scenery for in that it is suited to long, short and medium haul flights with a variety of aircraft and airlines."

"In terms of visual fidelity, there is no doubt that this scenery is up there with the best of them; much of the detail is placed with what can only be described as pinpoint accuracy when compared to photographs. The 3D modeling of the buildings and ancillary equipment is of a similarly precise standard too, with some excellent texturing which captures the stark contrast between the slightly neglected older buildings of a military vintage and the glamorous newer additions."

"With its own custom terrain for the surrounding countryside to blend into, this airport scenery is certainly in no danger of falling into the trap many such add-ons suffer by sticking out like a sore thumb; instead it blends seamlessly into the countryside, making it occasionally tricky to spot from a distance, as is the case with most real life airports in daylight hours."

"Malta International Airport is a great add-on for FS and for all the right reasons too, especially if you like replicating airliner flights. It looks absolutely like the real deal right down to all the minutia of detailing and is set to receive regular updates too, if and when things change at the real location. Virtual airline fans should not miss this one, and nor should fans of add-ons such as Cargo Pilot and Air Hauler, as it is well suited to these titles with its location and excellent navaid facilities."