helicopters in AI flilghts

[Jive1 2]

Hey!I have an airport EBLG where in reality is a regular liner runway and a separate helicopter base. I'm still using FS2004 and Afcad2.In the helicopter part of the Afcad that I use for AI flights I have built a separate runway for the helicopters. There is no other possibility than having part of the taxiways of the regular airport available for the helicopters as well, or I should redesign the whole airport.My question comes now: how can I make the helicopters only use the runway for them, and the liners use the regular runway but not the one for the helicopters?I can send the scenery and the afcad for as far as I have them now. But in the situation as I have the helicopters just go to take off to de active runway whichever it is.So I can put the question also in this way: how can I make one runway to be active only for the liners and the other ruway only to be active for the helicopters?Can somebody help me?GreetzJive1

[Opa 6]

Hey!I have an airport EBLG where in reality is a regular liner runway and a separate helicopter base. I'm still using FS2004 and Afcad2.In the helicopter part of the Afcad that I use for AI flights I have built a separate runway for the helicopters. There is no other possibility than having part of the taxiways of the regular airport available for the helicopters as well, or I should redesign the whole airport.My question comes now: how can I make the helicopters only use the runway for them, and the liners use the regular runway but not the one for the helicopters?I can send the scenery and the afcad for as far as I have them now. But in the situation as I have the helicopters just go to take off to de active runway whichever it is.So I can put the question also in this way: how can I make one runway to be active only for the liners and the other ruway only to be active for the helicopters?Can somebody help me?GreetzJive1

The way I do it is to make what is called an "overlay" afcad - using a unique ICAO code and having only the chopper runway (I make it invisible) and enough parking for the chopper(s) I wish to use. I also make the taxiways invisible also. None of the runways etc. from the main airport are used in this overlay afacd.I make the Helicopter areas invisible as it looks all wrong to me to see them use a regular runway.If you wish to send me a PM (Personal Message) with your e-mail address, we can communicate that way and I can assit you in making an afcad which will do the job for you.I have used this procedure many, many times - it is not difficult to do.

[Jive1 2]

Thank you!I know the overlay system, and I applied same already several times for other airports. But this time I'm really looking for better, ie. keeping all helicopter and liner traffic in one afcad.GreetzJive1

[mebull 27]

Thank you!I know the overlay system, and I applied same already several times for other airports. But this time I'm really looking for better, ie. keeping all helicopter and liner traffic in one afcad.GreetzJive1

I have done a fair amount of research on the matter in the past and as Opa suggested an overlay seems to be the only workable solution. Keep in mind that ATC 'sees' a helicopter, ground vehicle or a AI water vessel for that matter, as nothing more than an aircraft because that is all FS9 was designed for. All AI are moving scenery and the only moving scenery FS9 'knows' are categorized as 'airplane'.Sorry to dampen your idea, but this is what I have discovered. By all means this does not mean give up, because if you do find a way, we will all be interested to say the least.Best regards,Mel

[Opa 6]

Thank you!I know the overlay system, and I applied same already several times for other airports. But this time I'm really looking for better, ie. keeping all helicopter and liner traffic in one afcad.GreetzJive1

If you are seeking "realism" (choppers taking off and landing vertically) I would suggest taking a look at this:http://www.flight1.com/products.asp?product=helitrafficBe sure to scroll down the page and watch the demo video. No roll out at all - the choppers (any chopper you have installed on your computer can be used) "fly" very close to the way they do in real life and no afcad is involved. I love it.

[Jive1 2]

Hey!Realism???Meanwhile I have the Flight1 program. But....No realism! There is no sound, I cannot insert flightplans. All happens at random. Above that the program takes all helipads available in FS9 and uses them, even when there is a helicopter from my own flightplans taking off at that moment.There is indeed only one single realism, and that is that all the helicopters that I have in my aircraft list are used by the program, and take off or land almost just like in real life, but apart from that I still prefer the way Holger Sandmann works, because there I can plan flights myself, make parking spots for several helicopters with afcad and use also all my helicopters, however I must modify the .air and .cfg files with Holger's sample files.So, maybe and hopefully Flight1 may have one day the same possibilities in it's program of planning flights with my own helicopters....GreetzJive1

[Opa 6]

Hey!Realism???Meanwhile I have the Flight1 program. But....No realism! There is no sound, I cannot insert flightplans. All happens at random. Above that the program takes all helipads available in FS9 and uses them, even when there is a helicopter from my own flightplans taking off at that moment.There is indeed only one single realism, and that is that all the helicopters that I have in my aircraft list are used by the program, and take off or land almost just like in real life, but apart from that I still prefer the way Holger Sandmann works, because there I can plan flights myself, make parking spots for several helicopters with afcad and use also all my helicopters, however I must modify the .air and .cfg files with Holger's sample files.So, maybe and hopefully Flight1 may have one day the same possibilities in it's program of planning flights with my own helicopters....GreetzJive1

You need to study the documentation very, very carefully.You can use random or create your own flightplans but the process is quite different. You can use the helipads which are already in FS and/or you can add your own through the program. I have a number of them flying to and from rooftops of buildings as an example.I have done it many times. As to sound, that is something I have never noticed - they are basically for "eye candy" so I do not expect to hear them but have never noticed if they make sound or not.Explore the program a bit more and I believe you will find it is very useful - it sure is for me anyway.

[Jive1 2]

You need to study the documentation very, very carefully.Explore the program a bit more and I believe you will find it is very useful - it sure is for me anyway.

Hey!Of course I will learn. Above, I told only what I noticed after a few hours of experimenting. I will learn to make the helicopters fly according to what I want. But, you know? I like to watch planes and even helicopters of the Holger type doing these things that I built myself and I like to watch them from close. So I noticed also that the different views that I have on the regular planes and helicopters in FS9 and other FS-versions, espacially spot view and flyby, in combination with the traffictoolbox.dll of the Traffic SDK ( also, I don't see this F1helitraffic on the map of the traffictoolbox ), and I like also to watch the inside of some of the planes using the F1view.dll module ( not for AI of course ), none of these is available with the present F1 HeliTraffic2009FS9.dll. I hope they will soon bring also these possibilities, for FS9 of course!Or, better would be, that one or another entousiastic aircraft designer/programmer might build an helicopter engine into the FS9 program so that helicopters would fly the way they do in reality.Anyhow, it is fine to learn and see that people are still searching and finding solutions for missing possibilities of FS9, and FS9 still is the best MSFS-program according to my experiences, because it allows much more addons of all kinds than any other of the FS-series.GreetzJive1

[Opa 6]

The Flight1 program does not use the FS AI engine at all - it runs independently of FS - so the choppers are not "seen" by traffictoolbox. You do have to fly along with them if you want o follow their course. That is one of the improvements I have suggested to the developers of the program but so far they have not seen fit to implent such an option.

[WingZ 547]

Take a look at some of the MAIW helo packages.I think it was the Apache...very clever FDE and the best you'll get as AI in FS9 I suspect.

[Opa 6]

Take a look at some of the MAIW helo packages.I think it was the Apache...very clever FDE and the best you'll get as AI in FS9 I suspect.

I agree - Those packages which have Nick Black's (I believe he was the man) enhancements for heli's are rather remarkable - as far as take off's are concerned, but they still do not land like a chopper.Probably the best one can hope for in FS2004 though.

[Jive1 2]

Hey!Meanwhile I was playing a bit with both systems, F1-heliTraffic and FS9 Holger Sandmann system....What I ended with as a very nice solution for my own needs is making both types heliports close to eachother. So, for a few of my favorite airports I made an afcad for the Holger type heliports, where in fact I don't really need the helipads, and I also placed a few helipads for use with F1 type helicopters, most of which I put very close to the regular afcad heliports. The result is that I have both my own planned helicopter flights and the random helicopters of the F1 system. Which sometimes gives unexpectedly nice results.But I really hope that Flight1 will come soon to improve their system sa as to also have more information on a series of 'planned' heliflights, possibly being spotted like the other FS9 aircraft....GreetzJive1

[Jive1 2]

Hey!I noticed also that soem helicopters with retractable gear, like Agusta A109A, do not land with the gear down in the F1 helitraffic system.... If Flight1 continues perfectioning the sysytem they should as well take care of that!GreetzJive1

[Opa 6]

Hey!I noticed also that soem helicopters with retractable gear, like Agusta A109A, do not land with the gear down in the F1 helitraffic system.... If Flight1 continues perfectioning the sysytem they should as well take care of that!GreetzJive1

What version are you using? Mine is 1.03.That was one of the first things they corrected and so far I have not run across any retractable gear choppers that do not work on my setup.There is an option to check automatically for updates in case you do not have the latest version.

[Jive1 2]

Hey! Opa,My version is 1.01..... Too bad!But I don't see no option to automatically update? Where should it be? PLease let me know.In the other case, could you tell me where I can find that 1.03 version?GreetzJive1