I've always been bothered by the Vancouver Mystery Corner in the FSX version of the Burrard Inlet for Vancouver, BC. Now, I've found an anomaly that beats the VMC...I call it the Ephrata Errata, and it's an X-File, Scully, literally.There is a massive X in the middle of an enormous shiny stone crosshairs directly to the west of KEPH, the Municipal Airport for Ephrata, Washington. This does not exist in real life, as far as I know.Originally, KEPH was a B-17 bomber training base during WWII. The Google aerial view shows a massively cratered area where the X is in FSX, possibly the bomb practise range. KEPH was the site of filming for the Firefighter's Air Attack School in the Spielberg movie "Always". No doubt now that ghosts, aliens, interdimensional entities, demons, angels, druids, witches, hobgoblins, elves, men in black, and/or Nigel Tufnel from Spinal Tap are responsible for these strange monoliths deep in the heart of Washington state. Do I even need to mention that Ephrata is within easy driving distance of North Bend, where they filmed "Twin Peaks"? Damned fine cherry pie, but watch out for Killer Bob! If anybody can tell me what the genesis and story are behind this truly strange arrangement, please respond to this thread. I Want To Believe! And keep watching the skies...Jeff ShylukSenior Staff ReviewerAVSIM

I like the "mystery mountains" near Muncie, Indiana. If you've ever seen "Close Encounters of the Third Kind", you'd know that Muncie is where the heroes of the movie have their first encounters with the spaceships from another world. Well it seems something strange carried over to FSX, and tall pyramid like mountains in a part of the midwest that doesn't even have a molehill rise out of the landscape. I get a creepy feeling flying over that part of FS-X's virtual world and keep humming this odd musical series of five notes over and over. I also have an urge to carve a likeness of Devil's Tower out of my mashed potates whenever my virtual flying has me over Muncie.Strange... :( Regards,John

I can't tell you anything about this oddity, but I expect a picture or two may give readers an idea of what you're talking about:

Fascinating landmarks, thanks, Mike, for the images.Best regards.Luis

Back in 2000, I taught aviation for a semester at Big Bend Community College at Moses Lake, just a few miles south of Ephrata. In fact, it was a common practice to solo students at Ephrata, just to get out of the controlled field enviornment. I shot many touch and goes there, then. Sorry, but I don't remember seeing the "x box." :( But thanks Jay, for reminding us that "Always" was filmed out of there. What a great flick! Also thanks to JohnCi for the info on the Muncie mountains. I'm a Hoosier and live an hour or so south of there. Now honestly, there are a FEW mole hills here, at least! Actually in my part of the state (south) we have very nice hills. I want to get into the sim and see if I can find the pyramids. Who knows? I, too, may end up with a sunburnt face and an uncontrollable desire to vacation in Wyoming!!!Steve

I can't tell you anything about this oddity, but I expect a picture or two may give readers an idea of what you're talking about:

I believe those things are meant to represent an aerobatic box. Aerobatics are supposed to be performed a 1km by 1km box and those blocks mark out the area. See the pics on the following link and all will make sense:http://www.iac.org/begin/aerobatic_box.html

Well done, Anthony! I'm sure Jeff will be pleased to have another X-file closed.

Great reply! On closer inspection, there is a small judges' stand off to one side. That's got to be the answer to the Ephrata X-Box. Maybe there was going to be a Mission there, and the stuff got left behind by mistake. Ephrata is close to Redmond, which got a lot more modelling love than the Vancouver Mystery Corner, which isn't all that much farther away. I would never presume to close an X-File, but maybe we will put this one away in deep storage for a while, until The Smoking Man needs it...Jeff ShylukSenior Staff ReviewerAVSIM