Calling all ariane users

[Benji 3]

Ok I've spent lot of time reaing various threads on this bird but here's my dilema.I m desperate for a good quality B737 in FSX and am too impatient to wait for PMDG's offering which is likely at east a year away :( I struggle however with using VCs. I own TrackIR but find the whole experience unatural and difficult to use properly.The Ariane 737 looks pretty good however it is alot of money and before I make such a large investment I'd like to canvas opinions from any usersparticularly regarding VC ease of use and the lack of SID/STAR procedures.In short; should I buy this product? What are its good and bad points?Any help/advice gratefully receivedThanksBen

[Glynn 405]

Ok I've spent lot of time reaing various threads on this bird but here's my dilema.I m desperate for a good quality B737 in FSX and am too impatient to wait for PMDG's offering which is likely at east a year away :( I struggle however with using VCs. I own TrackIR but find the whole experience unatural and difficult to use properly.The Ariane 737 looks pretty good however it is alot of money and before I make such a large investment I'd like to canvas opinions from any usersparticularly regarding VC ease of use and the lack of SID/STAR procedures.In short; should I buy this product? What are its good and bad points?Any help/advice gratefully receivedThanksBen

HelloThe Ariane aircraft is VC only, so if you are not comfortable in the Virtual cockpit and find TrackIr unnaturalthen it is probably not for you.There is a Huge thread around here discussing the pro's and con's of this product and also a very well written reviewJust about everything you would need to know before purchase.Best advice with trackIR would be to download the "Optimised flight" profile from the user section of the Naturalpoint website then just practice and more practice, very soon it you will forget you are even using TrackIR it will be second nature and totally natural.Map your middle mouse button to the pause function in the TrackIR software, makes clicking on gauge clickspots much easier you no longer need to coordinate your head and your mouse at the same time which is harder in a larger VC like the 737and lets you take a rest from the constant movement until you are totally comfortable with it.By way of comparison between TrackIR and the 2D panel, next time you are driving your car look only forward at all times, never turn your head.Not really very natural is it, and would not be long before you knocked someone down or were wiped out at an intersection.In the real world we move our heads and eyes constantly without even thinking.Take up a small aircraft with a nice view from the VC and just do circuits keeping the runway in sight as you bring the plane around till it is second nature.

[Guest PPSFA]

Had a look at the Wilco PIC 737 yet?

[AlphaInfinity 13]

As a Ariane 737-900 ER owner I have a few opinions on the product:1. The product is really really nice and it is actually better on frames than the PMDG products I own2. There have been a LOT of posts about the activation and re-activation process. If you search the forums you will be a more informed buyer. It did take about 48 hours to get the initial activation. I did have to RE-activate because I reinstalled the OS and installed a new hard drive and I was pleased to receive my new key within 12 hours of my request. So that is very good and a positive thing.3. They don't have free liveries like PMDG. Their liveries are all VERY good but you have to pay for them4. They don't have updated NAV data. They are currently working on a new package that you have to BUY to get updated navdata. They are having to re-work their FMC and do a number of things behind the scenes to get that working and it is not available yet. Overall, I think the VC is pretty good and you can move around the cockpit easily using the "A" key. The sound package has been less than stellar for me. I don't know if it is a sound card issue on my end or something else. They have a forum that you can join once you are a owner of the product and that forum has been pretty good.

[Tim_Capps 479]

Fidelity to the airplane is very good.Frame rates are excellent, perhaps the best for an FSX add-on.Hand-flying characteristics are among the very best.I am very happy to use my hat switch to move around virtual cockpits. Ariane's docs explain how to set up the A key to switch to the best overhead and center console view. I have that habit, now, too.It looks good, and the add-on liveries are produced by McPhat. There is a huge selection, and, while normal definition, are still worth paying for, unless you are philosphically opposed to paying for liveries. The big downside to that there are not a lot free liveries to be had, so you are limited to paying for them if you want them. You get a very interesting green metal paint job that shows the components, and a Boeing paint. If you want to fly something that looks normal, you will have to get at least the airline upgrade pack, which gives you a decent (but non-McPhat) selection for flying just about anywhere in the world. Beyond that you buy what you really want. I love the Hapag Lloyd yellow "taxi" livery with the pink flamingo on the tail, and the Alaska retro livery, and the KLM "Swan" retro livery. If you want to fly AMC jets between Alexandria and Mecca, you can do that.One interesting thing is that you don't just buy the paint. You are buying the interior design, ID plate, and thrust rating of an actual airplane. You can call that a realism bonus or hype, but it is nice to notice slightly different things from one airplane to the next.I like the extras like the ground cart and roll-up stairs, for a little bit of that AES experience anywhere. You get vapor trailing off the wing surface in certain conditions and the and lighting is nicely done.Navigation data is somewhat limited, and I don't believe in advising anyone to buy something on someone's promise to fix it. That has not caused problems for me except one time I started a flight from Ketchikan, Alaska, and it was not in the database. More standard routes have never given me trouble. Having said that, Navigraph is supposed to working on including their support, although for whatever reason that seems to have stalled. Ariane is also working on their own routing widget that will be available at some undisclosed time in the future for an unknown price. Bottom line is, navigation as is hardly ever poses a problem to me.Automated flight works fine with some limitations on VNAV descent I'm still not clear about, but perhaps someone more knowledgeable can clear that up. I usually use Flight Level Change under ATC control. For whatever reason, this is my favorite airplane in its class. It usually comes down between it and the Super 80 Pro, and I usually pick the Ariane, probably just because I like the Boeing airplane better. I think the Super 80 is better, if only for the complete navigraph support and, now, available McPhat UHDT paints. They both have a similar smoothly optimized feel. But I still will usually pick the Ariane. Think Mary Ann vs. Ginger, I guess.It took me a little under 48 hours to get activated, too. They say they have developed a simpler, quicker activation system, but I don't think that is in place yet. Their forum is not very lively, but friendly and I have never had to wait long for the answer to a question. I thought their documentation was confusing, but Al disagrees in his review. Whatever the case, once you get past one or two simple but sticky gotchas that I would be happy to help with you, this is an easy airplane to work with.I have flown this airplane a lot, only enjoy it more.There is an X3 in the works that is supposed to improve many things and fix the remaining issues with the FMC. It is one of those "coming soon" things, so who knows?About the Wilco 737 Pic, it is a not the Next Gen 737, and, frankly, as dear as my memories are of it, there are no comparisons as to quality. I recently reinstalled it, and after trying to click on a largely non-clickable overhead, sadly retired it. If you like to fly from 2D panels, it would still probably be great, but the vc is just not what we expect these days.

[Benjamin J 751]

As everybody said, the Ariane 737NG series is very good, but if you have difficulty using the VC, whatever people say, it might just be a waste of money still. I'm, not sure how we can help you, but I can say this: the Ariane 737 VCs are the probabloy the best around, meaning they might not be the nicest around, but they certainly are very easy to navigate through and operate. All I can add to the other posters is, for the rest, just my opinion as a FS9 Ariane 737-700 user: it's a great plane. It flies heavenly, the modeling is good, the systems work, and work well, it's easy on the frames (although I get the feeling the FSX model is better optimized than the FS9 model) and I, for one, love the sound pack. it gotta be one of my favorite soundpacks around.Wilco 737: I love that one too, but the VC is hardly functional. If you are a 2D flyer, it's one hell of an addon and portrays the Classic 737 series very well. I have it (also installed) and I like to fly it, but alas, I can't. I have set myself on a strict regime, on which I want to go along a track of planes that I want to learn to operate, starting with the Dreamfleet 727. After that comes the Wilco 737, CS757, LDS767, Ariane 737-700, and the list just goes on and on. I try to go from basic (as in, not a lot of computers on board) to advanced (as in, glass cockpit with FMS etc.) within one category. I have a lot more planes to fly, but these will come after the current list. There is a problem, though: I find that it's very hard to refrain from buying more planes. So, I decided I will now invest money in airport sceneries, so I have nice places to fly too, and I'll be starting with FlyTampa's Vienna scenery, after which I go after Aerosoft stuff, which will mostly work in FS2004 and FSX.Anyway, I think you should buy the plane. I'm not convinced the PMDG 737NG will be better than the Ariane 737NG, and quite frankly, we are moving into an age where everything will become VC only. I think you'll find Ariane's VC very pleasant to work with.

[abandoned account 171]

The bad points? To make a long story short, I sent the activation request three weeks agoand I have still not received the key. I doubt I ever will.The good points? I don't know, I haven't been able to use the product yet...

[Tim_Capps 479]

The bad points? To make a long story short, I sent the activation request three weeks agoand I have still not received the key. I doubt I ever will.The good points? I don't know, I haven't been able to use the product yet...

You've been in contact with Ariane about this and there has been no response? Or they told you something to lead you to believe that despite having bought the product they were not going to activate it for you? Just curious what the long version is.

[Guest UlfB]

Ben,You haven't missed the review of the Ariane 737-900ER X2 here on avsim, have you?

[HUSSAR 272]

"Best advice with trackIR would be to download the "Optimised flight" profile from the user section of the Naturalpoint website"

Hi mad dog - I have had a look at the Naturalpoint website and could not find the Optimised Flight profile that you noted above. All I saw was a software update. Can you provide a link?Thanks,Robert

[Benji 3]

Thank you all for your help and opinions. I think I will give this a try and just practise with the virtual cockpit.I did own the Wilco 737 for FS9 and loved it however I hear there may be a few issues with Vista 64 bit.In any case I am definately after a NG. Found the review on the 900ER very useful and Tim your explainations are as always well balanced and informative.Will see if the bank will approve the purchase of a new airliner!!Many thanks all.Ben

[Glynn 405]

Hi mad dog - I have had a look at the Naturalpoint website and could not find the Optimised Flight profile that you noted above. All I saw was a software update. Can you provide a link?Thanks,Robert

Hello RobertThe profiles are well hidden on the naturalpoint site FS 2004 - Optimized Flight - ******* Altuve http://www.naturalpoint.com/trackir/04-com...y-profiles.htmlThis is a profile for the V4 software but V5 converts it fine.

[HUSSAR 272]

Hello RobertThe profiles are well hidden on the naturalpoint site FS 2004 - Optimized Flight - ******* Altuve http://www.naturalpoint.com/trackir/04-com...y-profiles.htmlThis is a profile for the V4 software but V5 converts it fine.

Thanks mad dog, I take it that it will work in FSX also... I'll give it a try. Thanks for posting the link.Robert

[ahuimanu 50]

I did own the Wilco 737 for FS9 and loved it however I hear there may be a few issues with Vista 64 bit.

Wilco/FT and their "32 bit only" business is complete junk. Despite handing them 100s of my dollars over the years, I am extremely done with them. FT's persistently dysfunctional support relationship with Wilco belies their poor judgment. I believe that they are very capable of putting together a good product, but they only go up to the 8th yard rather than all the way for a first down.

[Tim_Capps 479]

Wilco/FT and their "32 bit only" business is complete junk. Despite handing them 100s of my dollars over the years, I am extremely done with them. FT's persistently dysfunctional support relationship with Wilco belies their poor judgment. I believe that they are very capable of putting together a good product, but they only go up to the 8th yard rather than all the way for a first down.

Wilco runs fine on my 64 bit, and if you aren't too traumatized by joining a dysfunctional relationship, in practice excellent support is always available on the feelThere forum. If I used 2D panels, I would still be all over the Wilco 737, especially with the mission pack. feelThere has a very nice looking CRJ that has been sitting around. Does not look like Wilco will be the publisher (at least if it is, I haven't seen an indication of it, which strikes me as significant). Maybe they'll hook up with Flight1. feelThere can do good work, and this looks like it could be something special, from the pictures. It has higher res written all over it, and with the excellent work McPhat did on their ERJ could it be that the new CRJ will be the first native high res bird for FSX? If this is indeed going to be a premium quality airplane, they'll be looking for a publisher with a good reputation. Coolsky and Flight1 did well with the 80 and Super 80.Rank speculation. But it would make sense.No one was a more die-hard 2D panel user than me. For a big jet, it was more important to focus on the panel etc. That all changed when I got a decent rig and a wide-screen monitor. I'll never forget just trying out the Ejet vc for the first time. The sensation of being IN something that was moving through the air was amazing. It was awkward at first, but I eventually became a vc cultist. I don't use Track IR (Luddite tendencies) but get along fine in the vc nonetheless.When I start up the Ariane, the first thing I do is hit A to move past the first VC view, use the CTL+SHIFT+ENTER combo after moving the view to the overhead so I can get a little clearer perspective, then hit A again and set up the view for the center console. Make sure your parking brake is set and use the pull-down menu to call up the start cart. If you get stuck, let me know. I can get the thing started in about 30 seconds now. If you try to load an FSX flight plan into the FMC and it hangs up, put FSX in a window first.I hope you enjoy your new airplane! (Assuming the "bank" permits the rather substantial investment for the airplane AND (eventually) the airline upgrade pack -- unless you have one particular airline you fancy and go for one of the other, more specialized packs.)