I don't know if this would be technically possible, but on the face of it I think it might be. What would you think of an addon that would replace the 'progressive taxi' lines with a follow-me car coming to pick you up and guiding you to your gate? It has been done before by Oliver Pabst in his Bremen scenery for FS2002. Imagine if you could have that option available in every major airport. Select 'progressive taxi' in the ATC menu, wait and after a short while the follow-me car appears and drives along the now invisible purple arrows to the gate ATC has assigned to you.We'll probably have to wait until MS publishes the SDK's for FS9 to find out if it is at all possible. I'm completely illiterate when it comes to programming, otherwise I might have a go at it myself. But maybe somewhere a flightsim enthousiast with the necessary skills is looking for a challenge...Paul

It has been discussed quite a few times here. I think the problem was that a follow me car isn't used in the US that I am aware of, thus unrealistic, but a cool idea nontheless.Regards, Michaelhttp://mysite.verizon.net/res052cd/mybannercva1.jpgCalVirAir International VAwww.calvirair.comCougar Mountain Helicopters & Aviationwww.cgrmtnhelos.com

Would be cool in a way.As to unrealism, heck we all fly all over the world using US flight restrictions in the sim wich in itself isnt the most realistic :D

An interesting point re the followme vehicles in the US. No disrespect but I doubt whether there are any countries operating with a "followme purple stripe" ;-) On the subject of international standards I saw on the TV two nights ago that at Charles de Gaulle ATC talks to french airlines in french and all others in English! When they tried to change that to all english there was such an uproar from the French pilots and other French people, something to do with pride and national identity that they changed back again. Pilots who are not French have commented that it can cause great confusion while taxiing because of the difficulty in maintaining situational awareness. I believe there have been a couple of accidents that some have blamed on the use of French and English at the same aiport including one fatality, nothing could ever be proved of course.

Bit like giving up the imperial measurent system or the Pound for you brits I suppose - giving up French for the French.

This idea for a follow-me car came up already when FS2002 was released and I thought it was a very good suggestion.Also then there was quite some opposition from some guys who argued that it would not be very realistic for big airports like KLAX, KJFK, KORD or EGLL and that such follow-me cars are not used in the USA.Do these people really think that it is more realistic to have a pink line on the taxiway and the ramp?????It would be nice if some guy could crack the code for the pink line and replace it with such a car. The guys who do not like it can stay with the pink line .... I don't mind.Walter

well maybe in the usa it wouldnt have to be a car, but the thing that kills it for me is the PINK LINE, im mean, cant we do maybe a dark green or some other more earthy color line and not so wide, just very tiny and thin and then not down the window, maybe a arrow in the left hand corner that would show "up" for straight and blink left or right to turn at the next intersection? i dont knowciao!Brian S

At least its stepping in the right direction that you dont have to inform ATC about not knowing your way around and can just press the key to get it - and what i like alot - not having to wait for ATC to shut up as well :D

>It has been done before by Oliver Pabst in his Bremen scenery for FS2002.

I think the post about the little arrow that would flash for a left or right turn hit on a good idea.....How about designing a "guage" that would act like a ADF of sorts-and you could follow the guage prompts to the runway-maybe a mini-gps type of thing?

OK - they may not use Follow Me vehicles in the US at civil airports but,in the past ,the USAF certainly used them at airbases in the UK- and I suspect ,elswhere.Anything at all would be better than that line .Dave

Years ago (1991), I saw a follow me car at Lafayette Louisiana. (Actually, it was a small pickup truck, with a removable sign)

Actually, I prefer gate and ramp numbers :)