Hi everyone. I'm currently using FS2004, and find it extremely difficult to tell when I've landed, especially when flying helicopters or landing at very low vertical speeds (low approach angle, low pitch when landing etc.). I was wondering if there was a way to make FS notify me when I've landed, similar to the message that pops up on the bottom left when the brakes are on or you're stalling/overspeed. A downloadable utility would be nice, but maybe there is a way to modify some of the files in the FS9 folder to make the message show up. Thanks in advance for the help.

Shift-Z already provides altitude information (among other things), albeit in the top corner and not as a "pop-up"?...

Dninex,Here is my exact post to your question at FSCom (in case you don't get over there today):Window It.You can make a window (press '[') and make it a 'spot view', zoomed in closer, and you will KNOW you have landed going by the smoke the tires make. Or just plain looking. There is also the 'radio altimeter' gauge, which you can add to your VC. It will indicate '0' (zero) AGL when your a/c (wheels) are 'down'. Programing? Who need it (hehe).CBNapamule

Thanks so much napamule! While I would still love to get any info on an add-on that notifies a landing as I described, windowing is working great for the moment. I also went into the sound settings (sounds were on default) and cut the engine noise in half and raised the environment noise by 50%, which helped out a bit when landing fixed-wing aircraft by making the touchdown tire screech a bit more audible.The problem is landing helicopters, though. The windowing method works well enough when I'm landing on the ground, as the view will automatically shift above the ground. Fbobum's Shift+Z tip is also helping me ascertain MSL altitude when landing on the ground as well, so I'd like to thank him for that too. Unfortunately, the windowing and Shift+Z info don't really help that much when landing on top of buildings, as the camera just views "through" the buildings and the tops of buildings have varying altitudes, thus negating the Shift+Z info's usefulness. This is further exasperated by helicopters making no sound at all when landing in FS2004.In real life, it's obvious when you've landed a plane because of the tire screech and the force of the aircraft touching down. Playing around with the sound settings largely solved the problem for fixed-wing aircraft, but it's difficult to tell when I've landed a helicopter because there is no sound emitted upon landing helicopters in FS2004 and I don't have a force-feedback joystick. Landing on the ground is somewhat mitigated by the windowing method, but landing on buildings is still problematic. Napamule, does the radio altimeter indicate altitude above buildings as well?Anyways, thanks for your help so far everyone :( , and please notify me if there is an add-on such as the one I described.

Thanks so much napamule! While I would still love to get any info on an add-on that notifies a landing as I described, windowing is working great for the moment. I also went into the sound settings (sounds were on default) and cut the engine noise in half and raised the environment noise by 50%, which helped out a bit when landing fixed-wing aircraft by making the touchdown tire screech a bit more audible.The problem is landing helicopters, though. The windowing method works well enough when I'm landing on the ground, as the view will automatically shift above the ground. Fbobum's Shift+Z tip is also helping me ascertain MSL altitude when landing on the ground as well, so I'd like to thank him for that too. Unfortunately, the windowing and Shift+Z info don't really help that much when landing on top of buildings, as the camera just views "through" the buildings and the tops of buildings have varying altitudes, thus negating the Shift+Z info's usefulness. This is further exasperated by helicopters making no sound at all when landing in FS2004.In real life, it's obvious when you've landed a plane because of the tire screech and the force of the aircraft touching down. Playing around with the sound settings largely solved the problem for fixed-wing aircraft, but it's difficult to tell when I've landed a helicopter because there is no sound emitted upon landing helicopters in FS2004 and I don't have a force-feedback joystick. Landing on the ground is somewhat mitigated by the windowing method, but landing on buildings is still problematic. Napamule, does the radio altimeter indicate altitude above buildings as well?Anyways, thanks for your help so far everyone :( , and please notify me if there is an add-on such as the one I described.

I think it just takes practice with helicopters. Unless you landing EXTREMELY softly, I have trouble understand why you can't tell when you land in a helicopter. If you stop moving...you're on the ground (or building). Anyways, I don't believe there is any program that will tell you that you've landed.

Hey red1. The problem I come across when landing helicopters is that I don't reduce the collective until I'm sure I landed, because if I reduce the collective too early, well, the helicopter crashes due to the high vertical descent upon landing. However, if I still have the collective on high (but not so high that I begin hovering off the ground), then the main rotor generates enough lift to pivot the helicopter on one of its skis, thus tilting the helicopter over to its side and crashing it. I found that helicopters in FSX make noise on hard landings or during landings with high horizontal velocity (noise of the skis scraping across the surface) but alas, no sound is emitted upon a smooth hovering touchdown. I guess the issue with helicopters is that even if you're on the ground, if your collective is still generating some lift, you'll still skid across the ground (you won't stop moving until you lower your collective), but it's hard to tell if you're skidding across the ground or hovering above it because depth perception is difficult in FS2004 and the VSI would indocate no vertical movement in both cases.

Helio Landing?Well, if it's helio landing then that's different. I am proficient in landing on top of buildings (since FS98). The way I do my helio landings is from SPOT VIEW. After years of practice I can land on the 'H' on ground from the cockpit view. But for roof top landings I ALWAYS use spot view. It's all in the SETUP. First make sure zoom is 1X. Always. Then depending on helio, set view aprox 70 ft back and 6 ft up. Then be sure 'gradual transitions' is OFF. You don't want helio to squirm on approach. You need solid look to gauge things.So, in spot view you want to 'look down' so you see both the helio and the SHADOW. Yes, turn on 'aircraft casts shadow'. It's VITAL. You can gauge the touchdown point using the shadow. When the the shadow is cast on roof (takes a couple of seconds to show) that also indicates that the roof can be landed on (roofs that are not 'hardened' will not show you helio shadow-so don't try landing on those as it will 'go thru' roof).Then be sure to set your REALISM to 'Medium'. NOT 'Hard'. Then set sensitivities to 100% and 0% for null (EXCEPT RUDDER WHICH MUST BE 95% AND 5% NULL-IMPORTANT). Then do a careful calibration. Do it twice. Then go try flying helio. I myself use a USB numpad ($15) which I place to left of keyboard and assign the trottle to numpad. Right hand for twist grip joy and left hand for throttle. This way I can input throttle with TAPS of numpad keys. I can very quickly tap 3 times increase, then just as quickly tap 2 times decrease for obsolute control. Hovering and taxi is a snap this way. So is landing, as you pull back stick, and decrease throttle with taps, then when slowed and just before it drops I push stick forward and give (yes give) throttle (taps) to put in hover 5 ft off ground then do taps to decrease throttle and gently kiss the earth (skids or wheels it don't matter). I took some instruction at HoverControl and it helped with the fine details of helio flying/landing. Go there and at least look around the forum. Might help. Join and take lessons if you're serious about learning helio flying. IT JUST TAKES PRACTICE, PRACTICE,and more PRACTICE. And oh yeah, PRACTICE.CBNapamule

Hi napamule. I just was wondering if you could help me out with some questions I had about the Heli configs.Is there anything special about having the settings at medium as opposed to full realism (BTW I utilize cockpit view, not spot view)? Also, I was just wondering why the rudder sensitivities should be at 95% (and not 100%) and there should be a 5% deadzone (and not 0%). Hopefully you could shed some light on this issue, thanks.

why not pump up the volume of the sound a bit, so you can have an audible clue ?

Helicopters emit no sound upon a smooth hovering landing. (At least not one that's louder than the rotor noise, so far as I can tell)The issue with fixed wing aircraft (which do emit noise upon landing) has already been resolved, thanks to napamule. :(