Even though, the existing freeware enhancements improve the HKG scenery a lot I really hope that some day somebody will do a realistic rendition of Hong Kong that makes it worthwhile to ping pong with a Helicopter between Kowloon and Hong Kong. I'd like to see the Star Ferry docks, the new Convention Center the most important hotels and all that stuff. If there would be a scenery out there the likes of Andras Kozmas Budapest which combines hand placed autogen + detailed objetcts (which delivers ok fps btw) I would run to get it. I go to HKG at least twice a year, and would find it extremely enjoyable to do some helicopter flying betweeen the skyscrapers.Alex

Hi Vulcan,As promised, find below the average FRS I found for 3 different aircraft-types in Roger Mole's Kai Tak scenery. Like you, I positioned the aircraft at the threshold of rwy 31. Conditions: Summer season, Daytime, Clear Sky, Settings/Display all sliders at Medium or 50% respectively:Compass Aircraft typeheading Boeing 737-400 / Fokker F-100 / Piper J3 Cub315 1.9 1.8 2.0220 11.0 9.6 13.4135 12.0 9.8 12.6045 11.8 10.2 15.1As expected, FRS rises, when using a more simple aircraft type.Also flying away from the build-up area to open sea, makes the FRS rise, which is normal.Much to my surprise, when on short final for rwy 13 with the Fokker F-100, the FRS suddenly speeded up to 7.0 max.Again on final for rwy 13 at night, I observed strange pyramid-shaped whitelighted figures, which after landing turned out to be the glimmers of the apronlighting (!)Roger for this in a misty weather night-approach, but not in a clear weather night-approach !!Moreover, I found the checkerboard itself very small and poorly lighted during dusk and night and therefore difficult to trace.In reality there were 2 big seized and brightly lighted checkerboards laid down on the same hill, one facing the IGS approach and one facing the take off direction of rwy 31.I assume you meanwhile printed out the ReadMe text which also explains the dedication of the scenery to John Consterdine's memory.Overall I found this a great scenery, but very demanding as to the CPU performance (!!). I wonder what computer configuration will run this kind of scenery like a film without any stutter... Perhaps there is someone in the AVSIM community with a top configuration, willing to test out this add-on scenery and inform us about the results (?)By the way, you should pay a visit to Roy Chaffin's website, being an expert in testing add-on aircraft and add-on scenery as well as new available videocards. Adress: http://www.roychaffin.com/newsnew.htmlFinally: I find it a shame that MSFS did to conserve the old Kai Tak Rwy 13 approach as a curious souvenir-option in FS 2004 ! Wish you nice flying and happy landings,Cheers,Paddy.

Many thanks for that Paddy.From memory I think I got slightly better rates than you looking towards the apron but not by much.I did try the approach to 13 but can't remember if it was in the PMDG 737 or RfP 742, whichever it was the FPS were too low and stuttery (if there is such a word :-) ) for meaningful flying.Unfortunately no matter what I did with display sliders FPS did not improve sufficiently for good flying.Just have to wait for Thomas Kwong's Kia Tek and hope the FPS are better.I agree with you about the checkerboards in Roger's scenery, IIRC Thomas' Kai Tek had those correctly rendered.I will have a look at Roy's site even though there is a certain bitter taste after the DC-3 and B-25 incidents.

VulcanThanks for your reply.Keep me informed about the results of your future investgation concerning Kai Tak add-on sceneries.Regards,Paddy

<<>>Just out of interest, that is not any old music. It is, of course, Barry White's "Love's Theme" (instrumental version) but importantly, was the in-cabin music for Cathay Pacific for many years. I flew CX twice a week for several years myself and I still can't get it out of my brain! Cool tune, though. Don't know why they ever dumped it. Progress, I suppose.Mark "Dark Moment" Beaumonthttp://www.swiremariners.com/newlogo.jpg

Hello Mark,Thanks for the explanation of the music tune on your website.New times, new musical tastes,I think. Fortunately you conserved this cool music at your website, great!For your info (but you know this undoubtly I guess):It was Cathay Pacific which opened officially new Hong Kong Intl. Chek Lap Kok by its flight 889, landing on the Northern runway at july,6 1998 at 06.25 hrs LMT.Regards,Paddy.

If I may continue this thread...As a big fan of the old Kai Tak airport, I just got around to trying Flighsoft's Hong Kong 2004... thought I post some screenshots which show what I like about it as well as dislike... (settings are pretty much maxed using a radeon 9800 pro).Flightsoft did such a great job on the building details on the checkerboard approach... Just a shame that there are a number of annoying issues which I find detracts from the overall scenery... Odd unnatural water texture/color??? Land textures on the flat areas are just heinous and ruins the view as you start descending into Hong Kong (see attached pic).And, why the FS98 style blocky terrain???? It's a shame they don't have an option to use other terrain meshes...I won't even mentioned what they did to the new HK int'l airport Chek Lap Kok...Overall, the package makes good fun recreating the famous approach to Kai Tak. Just a shame that some scenery issues are below what I would expect from a reputable payware firm...

Nice pictures you made, Pakman! At least, both checkerboards are of a normal dimension and lined out in the right directions.How is their illumination during a dusk- or nightapproach?Cheers,Paddy.

Hmmmm, it looks identical to the version they released for FS2002...I guess they just fixed a few compatibility issues and re-released it! Yep, those same ridiculous flat ground textures and water textures are still there; honestly, you'd have thought that they would have made some kind of effort to make them blend in!! And yes those polygon mountains are still there, and that square 'lump' that they put the checkerboard on too!!The buildings always did look pretty good, but the surroundings destroy any feeling of reality!This is the kind of cheap cash-in attempt that I'd expect of Abacus...I shall not be parting with my

Paddy,yes I totally forgot to include any night shots! that's the best part as the darkness hides some of the terrain shortcomings of this package... ;)Yarvelling - I agree "video real" is a bit of a marketing stretch by flightsoft...Buildings look great in the night lights, but there's still something about them that is off. Colors are bit unnatural as well... If you wanna see well done scenery, take a look of some of the work that Shigeo Ishii has done for Tokyo.http://homepage3.nifty.com/jb/There is a freeware version download which covers most of the landmark buildings in Tokyo. I used to live/ work in Tokyo and I'm absolutely amazed at the detail he's put into it. I guess he has now incorporated some of this into the monster payware japanscenery DVD.Even his Las Vegas is a hoot (he even included the Belaggio water fountain show (animated!!) His Honolulu is great as well with a great Waikiki waterfront!After that, its disappointing to look an architectual icon, the HSBC building, in Flightsoft's package which is essentially a photo texture wrapped around a simple box...Anyways, here's some screenshots of a night approach to the infamous runway13. I'll let you guys guess on whether I made it or not (it sure wasn't a pretty landing...)cheers,

If the HK Scenery were perfect we would see the bamboo poles with laundry hanging from the apartment houses on descent to Kai Tak as I have seen both night and day for years past. We would see bamboo scaffolding on the newly constructed buildings. And we would see the Star Ferries moving across the harbour. I will enjoy this package nonetheless.Best of all is the support. I emailed the company over a scenery conflict (of my making not theirs) and I got an immediate response from their president. He took my problem together with a copy of my scenery.cfg and came back right away with some exclude text.I can forgive a few texture glitches for this kind of awesome package and support.Frame rates on this power system are way up in HK. That is because I am dual booting from a totally separate HD which is dedicated to FS9 and has NADA else running but the bare minimum. No stutters, no blurries, just performance.MS WIndows XP PRo Service Pack 1D845PESV Intel Mobo 3.21,024 RAMHP DVD Writer 420nATI Card 9800 XT250 Gig MAxtor HD Dedicated to FS 2004Creative Audigy Platinum Pro 5.1

john,Don't get me wrong. I'll enjoy this package and its still a thrill to make the checkerboard approach in FS2004 and to be able to see all the neon signs below. makes me wanna book a flight out to HK tomorrow, hop into a neighborhood restaurant filled with locals screaming in Cantonese, and nibble on some chicken feet :0. It's just I think there was room for improvements, things that you would expect in a FS2004 ready scenery package. The preset flights are nice especially those with the low cloud cover and top of The Peak covered.BTW, a construction site with bamboo scaffolding would have been great. Attention to little details like that is what makes good scenery great. But I do give them credit for getting the buddha statue on top of Lantau Island, the Jumbo Floating Restaurant in Aberdeen, and the Apt. building w/ the hole over in Repulse Bay!Oh thanks to the other readers suggesting Thomas Kwong's Chek Lap Kok as an alternative... Nicely done terminals.Now to set up some nasty crosswinds on the runway and see if I can get that dang 747 down in one piece...

Pakman,Again nice pictures of your nightly checkerboard-approach rwy 13 of good old Kai Tak!The boards are clearly visible from the far distance, as they should. You came in pretty low, as it was in reality and I bet you made it after a rough landing, though.(?)Thanks and regards,Paddy.

Does anyone of the Hong Kong-fans happens to know what KAI TAK means in plain English??Paddy.

Yes, I agree with you and others that it could have been better ESPECIALLY FOR THE PRICE THEY ARE CHARGING! It cost me $71.00 Canadian to buy this thing, with taxes and shipping ($59.95+taxes+6.95 shipping). For the problems it has of neglected terrain and others, it should probably cost more like $29.95 Canadian.John