Missions and BGLs?

[barryward12345 0]

I have dowloaded, installed and flown a mission called "Lake Tahoe Rescue" - in which you are supposed to locate an upturned boat in Lake Tahoe. I first became aware of this mission in the now-defunct FSxMissions.com and I think I downloaded it from AVSIMAnyway, the download is missing a PLN file and the Sim complains that it is missing - but it doesn't really matter. BUT - I cannot find any upturned boat - and looking at the download, it does not contain any scenery BGL (which I thought would be necessary to place a boat in a lake?) Or is it another thing missing from the download?Anybody else got this one?Thanks Barry

[Guest fsxmissionguy]

Barry,I don't have that mission (I'll search for it.) But I did want to comment on your suggestion that a .bgl must "be necessary to place a boat in a lake."In fact, something like the opposite is true.I tend to steer clear of missions that contain .bgl files. The reason is that the presence of .bgl files suggests that the designer really isn't designing missions according to the SDK.The mission system is meant to be "non-destructive" to the Free Flight world. In other words ... I can add scenery, or hide default scenery inside of a mission, and once the mission is over, that scenery is never left behind.Designers who place scenery with .bgl files don't seem to realize that the changes they are making with those .bgl files sort of "overwrite" the existing scenery in Free Flight. The result is that after you finish the mission, the scenery is left there forever. In most circumstances, this isn't very desireable. And it's not the way Microsoft intended missions to be constructed.I'll try to find that mission and give you a clue where to find the upturned boat that doesn't spoil the search for you.Cheers,

[barryward12345 0]

Hi KevinThanks for that. I am interested to know now that scenery can be placed within the Sim via missions , rather than necessarily through the more "normal" avenue of BGL's!:-) In regard to this particular mission, I have only flown it once (in a slow chopper) - had a reasonable look around the lake from around 1000 AGL and couldn't see any upturned boat ( don't know how big it is) - before I got called to dinner. Turned the Sim off, went to dinner and thought I would check to see if there was in fact scenery installed via a BGL (as I have other missions which do in fact have BGLs) Now it seems that I know better - will refly the mission later todayRegards BarryPS At least I appear to have some "purpose" to flying the Sim now, I am enjoying it again

[barryward12345 0]

Have now found the upturned boat - I took my Chipmunk out for a look around and found it - then landed at Lake Tahoe airport.He will have to tread water for a while until later when I can get around to picking him up with the chopper:-) Barry

[barryward12345 0]

Hmm- have managed to pick up the sailor from the upturned boat - but when taking him to the hospital, I am not sure where I am supposed to land . The mission pointer is pointing to the rooftop of the hospital building - but trying to land there gives me a building crash.Barry

[barryward12345 0]

Hmm - I think I will have to leave this one uncompleted until I improve my landings on elevated Helo pads.Although, I get very close to being able to land - but keep getting building crashes - it looks like you really have to land smack bang in the middle of the pad from straight down, otherwise the buildings reach out and grab you.Barry

[Guest fsxmissionguy]

Barry,Can you provide a link to this mission. I'm having a tough time finding it. (Edit: Nevermind, I found it.)(You might also want to turn off Crash Detection for this mission just to practice your landings.) It's on the Realism settings.Thanks,

[Guest fsxmissionguy]

Barry,Here is where you should be landing:http://forums.avsim.net/user_files/190075.jpgThis is one of the two hospitals included with FSX for missions that have raised helipads. It is the easier of the two to land on.You should be approaching this helipad from the river side of the hospital, to avoid the other parts of the hospital.You'll notice that I'm on the other side of the hospital from where I approached it. I circled to locate the helipad, and then circled to figure out which direction to approach from that offered the fewest possible problems, such as building structures, raised antennaes, etc.The best way to approach this particular hospital is to come at it from over the river.If you save while hovering about where I'm hovering, you can practice, practice, practice this landing without having to refly the entire mission.This, by the way, is the same hospital I used in Boston Skycraper Fire. If you could land during that mission, you should have no trouble with this one.The key to raised helipads is to approach them very slowly, and very in control. This isn't Hollywood, where stuntmen are throwing their choppers around the sky and putting them down on a dime (that only happens because they get take, after take, after take to try it.)Take it slow, and remember that you're better off late than dead.Cheers,

[Guest NeXTer]

Haven't been "flying" since winter, so this was a very nice way to get back on the ball. :)It's nice to see that David is back at it with his missions since I've always enjoyed them immensely. I think his Black Ice and Roll Over missions are among the best add-on helo missions since they make you really work to complete them.This one was perhaps a bit light in comparison, but I nevertheless enjoyed the practice - always nice to see that I haven't lost the touch completely. :)

[barryward12345 0]

Thanks for that advice KevinI can see that there is more to landing than just landing!!:-) I have been coming at the helopad from the wrong direction. I can see that clearly now from your screenshot. Coming from the wrong direction probably means that I am clipping the edge of that building to the right of the helopad in your screenshot. I don't think that I have been actually hitting the building itself - just catching the invisible "no-go" areas that seem to surround buildings. Like fixed wing a/c - the approach is the most important part of the landing!!Regards Barry

[Guest FallonNV]

I landed at that hospital the first time I came in the same way as in the pic. above and landed with the tail to the north. Hey I live close to Reno and there no hospital by the Grand Sierra Resort.

[Guest fsxmissionguy]

>Like fixed wing a/c - the approach is the most important part>of the landing!!Boom!You've just had an epiphany that will change the way that you fly helicopters! Everything about landing is about how you planned the approach, whether it's fixed-wing or helo.However, landing a helo is where a pilot gets to display his craft. Let me explain:In fixed-wing aircraft, the approach can (and should) be scripted well in advance. "I need to be at such and such an altitude, at such and such a distance, flying at such and such a speed on such and such a heading." At any point, the fixed-wing pilot compares his current position and attitude with what he had previously scripted to decide whether he's in the right configuration for landing. He then decides whether he's inside the envelope of safe flight and either lands or goes around.The helo pilot heading into uncertain territory just doesn't have these luxuries that the fixed-wing guys have. We have to, for example, come at this hospital structure, and decide on the fly exactly what is the best way to come at this target in such a way to minimize the difficulty and the danger to us and the people around us if something goes wrong, but also to be efficient pilots.Once you start thinking about helicopters in this way, your mind expands just a little bit, and you start planning your descent with a specific approach in mind. You've mapped out two or three approaches, and picked the best looking one, knowing that you can always change your mind and come at the problem from a totally different direction if something untoward pops up, because you have 360 degrees of freedom.Once you catch yourself doing that a few times subconsciously, then, you'll know what confidence is.Cheers,