None of the current aircraft have an ADF receiver, so we can't use the NDBs.

 

But I don't think they would have included them if they didn't have something planned.

 

I think they are focusing on the scenery first. They probably wanted to get some good optimizations in before getting a huge landmass in. With the fact that Alaska is not flat, the poly count should be great.

 

I think they might start working on the airplane systems after they get the world graphics optimizations in. This may be why they have not done many aircraft with VCs. They probably don’t want to go back and rework them when they update the aircraft systems.

Woah! - got home; started FLIGHT - please wait while additonal content is downloaded!! Two more DLC's (temp Climate WIlderness LC and Universal LC) Off we go...

Actually, it looks pretty nice across the border: it's not suddenly barren and empty. I think MS did a nice job on that: this way it's still great to fly near the border!

 

 

 

One small problem so far: because Alaska is so much bigger you have the feeling you have to zoom in WAY too much on the map to find any airports... Airports are scattered and more apart and as it is now it can be hard to find the airport you want. To find one with ILS you have to zoom in a lot and more the map around a lot. On the other hand: I am certainly not complaining about the size...

None of the current aircraft have an ADF receiver, so we can't use the NDBs.

 

But I don't think they would have included them if they didn't have something planned.

 

I wonder how many people will fly an NDB approach ? :Straight Face:

Don't do it....your downloads won't match up. they have us over a bbl.

 

Roger that....I'll wait.

 

However, I read a post saying someone has been able to buy it from the in-game marketplace, at the startup menu....I wonder if this will work, or does the in-game marketplace option just end up taking you back to the Xbox Marketplace...

of course I can't try these things cause I'm stuck at stupid work making a stupid living. Doh.

You can also download charts for free from the FAA at http://aeronav.faa.gov. I just downloaded one for Anchorage and it looks like the standard VFR chart. Maybe I'll download Hawaii and Alaska and use them on my laptop.

 

I got a bunch of Alaska Sectionals from years ago, expired of course, but for flying a sim they are OK. I hate getting them out, cause I hate folding them......

It's great to be able to get my downloads started from work, via logmein. Glad I left my computer on at home. Now, back to work...

I got a bunch of Alaska Sectionals from years ago, expired of course, but for flying a sim they are OK. I hate getting them out, cause I hate folding them......

 

Older is better, it looks like. I'm home for lunch and just checked my charts.... Anchorage is showing the new NAVAIDS, so I guess I'll be inking in some changes on mine.

Great news at a bargain. Just bought Alaska though still at vacation. Back this Saturday, hope I have some time then to at least download and install all the new stuff. And yes, at this price a basic AC is fine and just makes me hope they release some new bird hopefully soon.

Roger that....I'll wait.

 

However, I read a post saying someone has been able to buy it from the in-game marketplace, at the startup menu....I wonder if this will work, or does the in-game marketplace option just end up taking you back to the Xbox Marketplace...

of course I can't try these things cause I'm stuck at stupid work making a stupid living. Doh.

 

no marketplace takes you right back to xbox.

 

I figured out why you can't download it in canuckistan..it's not 14.99 it's 17.99 in the usual gouge and screw Canadian fashion they want you to purchase it through Xbox Canada so they can charge you more even though there is only 2 cents difference on the buck.. So if you have a US live id like I do you won't be able to download it to a Canadian ip. It's got nothing to do with your billing addresses.

I figured out why you can't download it in canuckistan..it's not 14.99 it's 17.99 in the usual gouge and screw Canadian fashion they want you to purchase it through Xbox Canada so they can charge you more even though there is only 2 cents difference on the buck.. So if you have a US live id like I do you won't be able to download it to a Canadian ip. It's got nothing to do with your billing addresses.

 

Sorry to reiterate this but you are saying that I am best off waiting for it to be available on Steam, so that my Flight will find everything and function properly? Sorry for being a bit dense with this stuff....

To expand on this even more, all the GPS waypoints and fixes for navigation and approaches are already in Flight as well. This can be seen by setting the GPS unit in the ICON to show everything (DCLR: 2) and comparing it to sectionals and RNAV approach plates. So the data is there, just not the ability to use it yet.

Sweet! Hopefully soon.

Just did some quick 'flights' (not really flights but jumping all over the map a little). Well, what shall I say... Alaska is huge indeed, but it's also (no surprise but still) very generic everywhere... Generic as in repetetive:

 

 

It's like that (well, different textures, but just as repetitive) all over the place. Alaska is HUGE but when you jump all over the map you quickly see a lot of it is very basic. Earlier on I posted some pictures of how it looked across the border, and well, frankly, that's also how it looks inside the border. Now obviously you won't go flying using the topdown view, but I already found out there is a lot of territory I won't be crossing out of fear of boredom. I think the best thing to do is fly where there are mountains: near mountains things look more varied...

 

This all is not a real problem, of course, because compared to Hawaii there is more interesting terrain to be covered then over there. But that doesn't change the fact that maybe 75% of the region I won't be visiting. And btw the same will probably go for the airports because a lot of them are just a strip in a generic surrounding.

 

Sorry if I sound a bit negative: don't get me wrong, I am still happy with the 15 dollar spend! I just want to bring some balance in the news about Alaska which so far is pretty positive.

 

I've got two huge problems:

 

1. how to find a specific airport. You can't. You will have to Google for it and then look at a map and then try to find where is in Flight. I just read someone flew to Homer. Nice. I thought of going there too but in Flight itself it's completely impossible to find it.

 

2. where to fly? I would like know which parts of Alaska did get some special treatment. As I said, a lot of it is very generic, I want to know where there is Hawaii Adventure pack-quality scenery. I read that Alaska is about 60 times as big as Hawaii: I will be already happy if there is 4 to 8 times as much GOOD scenery in Alaska. But I just don't know where to look for it. I already looked for those scenic tours, because those are where the fun is, but I couldn't find any. Anyone has a tip for a good looking flight?

 

O, yes, about the jobs: I usually do hamburger runs (because then I am not limited to the Maule) but it's a shame there are no new jobs: I mean, delivering monkeys...? In Alaska...?

 

Well, enough for now. I will see if I can find some good looking scenery to fly above! I will let you know when I found it if you let me know where you found it too.

 

EDIT

Another thing: when I want to 'plan' a flight it's impossible to figure out how long that flight will be. I just clicked on the map and decided to go from one specific airport to another but it could be 18 nm as well as 100 nm... But maybe I will learn that over time: once you see the VORs and ILS on the map, you know you reached a certain zoom and after some time you probably know how far things are apart...

 

EDIT 2

Well, after only a few minutes of flying I think I need to bring my own post into balance... When you do not hop all over the map and look at everything using the topdown view... it's pretty nice... LOL I used clear weather first in order to get a good look at everything, but right now I am following a river that is running through rather generic and flat land and have Low and threatening on and well... I really get the idea I am flying out there... I think I simply had to get used to the fact that Alaska is huge and also a wilderness and not small and pretty Hawaii... In short: I will leave my not too positive post above as it is, but I am enjoying Alaska already more then I thought I would when I wrote what I wrote.

Can anyone confirm if all the airports have at least a basic set of objects like a tower and a parked aircraft?

 

I'm hoping all the airports are more like the basic ORBX region airports and not like the default FSX runway rectangles.

It's a lot less repetitive than an endless expanse of ocean waves!

 

Can anyone confirm if all the airports have at least a basic set of objects like a tower and a parked aircraft?

 

I'm hoping all the airports are more like the basic ORBX region airports and not like the default FSX runway rectangles.

 

I only checked out Unalakleet, but it seemed well detailed. I've only seen it on "Flying Wild Alaska" but there was an appropriate-looking set of hangars lined up at the "town-end" of the runway.