For me at the least. Just yesterday, while researching the DC9, I happened to stumble upon Retro AI. Now those of us here who know me well enough might know that I primarily used FS2004 in the past months for CalClassic stuff for flying 60's style. Well RetroAI, which offers traffic from the 40's to the 90's, gives me the chance to sim my favorite period in aviation, the 80's, when Classic 747's and 737's could fly among the more modern 757's and 767's at the same time. The best of both worlds! I think I could really keep FS2004 alive instead of scrapping it for FSX, not entirely sure (you'll find out why in a moment) but a good thought at the least.

 

The reason I'm not entirely sure is because RetroAI hasn't been updated since 2010 and many of the aircraft referenced in the traffic files don't exist on the web anymore (this is primarily due to the 2009 AVSIM hack and none of the aircraft were backed up or replaced). So I beg the question to the community, where could I find these missing planes on the web, or might some of you have them? Sorry if I'm vague as to which aircraft are gone, but many are gone, and a vast majority of the textures are gone as well. Help is always appreciated!

 

A last question, where could I find 80's backdated sim airports? If none, does anyone have any they made themselves? If again no, where could I find charts to these airports in, say 1985? Thanks for the help guys, I love this community.

I am now that I have a chance to go classic!

I've got FS9 entirely for that purpose - to fly around in Convairs & Friendships and, and, and... ;-). Just need to raise enough cash in my Air Hauler company to pay for them.

Lol. So does anyone have any info as to where these missing planes are their classic textures reside or does anyone have some of them?

Chris

 

Cool idea! And a great way to keep FS2004 alive.

 

It's not too hard to edit an AI traffic file to use different AI aircraft models and livery - it basically boils down to using an app to decompile the BGL into the component text files, editing the one which references the aircraft, then recompiling.

 

My FS2004 project was to enhance it as much as possible using freeware alone. I installed 9Dragons freeware Hong Kong Kai Tak airport and wanted some vintage traffic from when it was in operation. I found an appropriate traffic BGL file, and although it referenced many AI aircraft I didn't have and/or were no longer available, I googled a tutorial on AI traffic creation which explained enough to reverse engineer it to use alternative AI models that I could find or already had installed. It was laborious, but not particularly difficult work, mainly involving editing the traffic aircraft file to point to the right aircraft folder and livery option, combined with individually downloading all the models and liveries (really makes you appreciate the work put into things like the World Of AI packages!) I'm not on my flightsim PC right now so I don't have the details, but if you can't nail it down yourself drop me a line and I'll dig out the instructions.

 

Finally, it's a little outside your 80s period, but somoeone's modelled Manchester Ringway circa 1975.

 

Have fun.

 

Dr V

I have been thinking a bit along the same lines. Those of us who want to continue to use FS9, for whatever reason, could work cooperatively to enhance the sim. I have already started a folder of aircraft for a retro traffic file for Kai Tak, as I have for my own personal Vietnam war airports and AI aircraft, which I use for the Cloud9 F4, Virtavia F105 etc. Maybe we could identify a couple of projects and different people could contribute so it wasn't a burden on just one person and so we could all enjoy it. For my Vietnam War stuff, I have a full range of period airports, AI traffic, helo traffic etc. I've never uploaded any of it because of the hassle of obtaining permissions as most of what I have is stuff I've repainted from existing files. But if FS9 is a "dead" sim, and most of the original contributors are no longer involved in the hobby, maybe the time has come to just share some of this stuff and not let the armchair lawyers run the show. Just a thought....

Ian

Wow great stuff!

 

 

Chris

 

Cool idea! And a great way to keep FS2004 alive.

 

It's not too hard to edit an AI traffic file to use different AI aircraft models and livery - it basically boils down to using an app to decompile the BGL into the component text files, editing the one which references the aircraft, then recompiling.

 

My FS2004 project was to enhance it as much as possible using freeware alone. I installed 9Dragons freeware Hong Kong Kai Tak airport and wanted some vintage traffic from when it was in operation. I found an appropriate traffic BGL file, and although it referenced many AI aircraft I didn't have and/or were no longer available, I googled a tutorial on AI traffic creation which explained enough to reverse engineer it to use alternative AI models that I could find or already had installed. It was laborious, but not particularly difficult work, mainly involving editing the traffic aircraft file to point to the right aircraft folder and livery option, combined with individually downloading all the models and liveries (really makes you appreciate the work put into things like the World Of AI packages!) I'm not on my flightsim PC right now so I don't have the details, but if you can't nail it down yourself drop me a line and I'll dig out the instructions.

 

Finally, it's a little outside your 80s period, but somoeone's modelled Manchester Ringway circa 1975.

 

Have fun.

 

Dr V

 

Thanks for that! I'm mainly looking for 80's, but 70's could do as well. I know how to manage and edit traffic, I've done it many times, but it comes (for me) down to finding the correct models or their suitable replacements. Some models unfortunately do not or have a terrible outdated replacement. I wish it was a little easier sometimes, but the work pays off in the end.

 

 

I have been thinking a bit along the same lines. Those of us who want to continue to use FS9, for whatever reason, could work cooperatively to enhance the sim. I have already started a folder of aircraft for a retro traffic file for Kai Tak, as I have for my own personal Vietnam war airports and AI aircraft, which I use for the Cloud9 F4, Virtavia F105 etc. Maybe we could identify a couple of projects and different people could contribute so it wasn't a burden on just one person and so we could all enjoy it. For my Vietnam War stuff, I have a full range of period airports, AI traffic, helo traffic etc. I've never uploaded any of it because of the hassle of obtaining permissions as most of what I have is stuff I've repainted from existing files. But if FS9 is a "dead" sim, and most of the original contributors are no longer involved in the hobby, maybe the time has come to just share some of this stuff and not let the armchair lawyers run the show. Just a thought....

Ian

 

I would be SO interested in a lot of this, and we could turn into a group, form a few talented people, like a scenery designer, a researcher to find backdated material, and a model developer, combined with my editing of traffic files and AFCADS, and make really good backdated material. Sounds like a good bout, but where could we find these people? And on a side note, I would love to see some of your works.

Just a thought ... MyTraffic 2006 (now freeware) allows you select three time periods for ai traffic ... the earliest, however is 1990.

Just a thought ... MyTraffic 2006 (now freeware) allows you select three time periods for ai traffic ... the earliest, however is 1990.

 

Are you sure?

 

I've used it, and it goes back to IIRC, 1960 or 1965, but the models are, in my eyes, very poor to say the best and some liveries are wrong, and entire airlines are wrong (like the modern southwest appearing in 1965). It was better than nothing, but still not usable (sorry if I have high standards XD).

Don't know if you guys are familiar with this site, but it adds to the classic theme:

 

http://www.calclassic.com/scenery.htm

 

Now I might get shot down in flames, but here goes!

 

We are in the flight simulation hobby - right? OK, so far so good.

 

Now a real world pilot might only get to be certified on maybe three or four a/c in his working career. He will fly those aircraft to the same airports to the extent that he will probably be able to fly SIDS and STARS into them with his eyes closed and taxi to the gate in a similar way once he has landed. Those airports won't change noticeably from day to day although there will, of course, be new ones built every now and again or another runway built after the inevitable enquiries into its viablilty etc.

 

As for the scenery he flies over the only changes he will see are the seasons - that's if he has the time to notice.

 

Now, it seems to me that as simulator enthusiasts we want to have a new a/c to fly almost every week and get bored if we fly the same one(s) time in and time out. We want better and better scenery although those who fly the aiways won't really notice it. It's true that we could do with more and detailed airports because there are so many in the world and most of them haven't either been created or enhanced for FS9.

 

I've been flying the Flight 1 C172 for years now and have just progressed to the Dreamfleet Baron 58. I fly in the same part of Europe day after day and now know most of the airports quite well. Am I bored or do I need a constant change of a/c or scenery? Not one bit, because I am simulating the real life of an everyday pilot. Perhaps that's why I am content to continue flying FS9 since moving to any other simulator won't change the simlation of real life which is an integral part of being a simulator pilot.

 

David

There is already a lot of FS2004 material out there but it's knowing where to look. I don't think another database of original files is necessary at the moment - but a database of links would be useful. Don't forget, we already have vast databases of original FS2004 files in AVSIM and similar sites.

 

In the longer term, if FS2004 files are to be preserved, then an archive of original files in iCloud or somewhere would be a wise precaution. There might be a case for archiving FS2002 files also. It would be a mammoth task.

 

These are all freeware.

 

sim-outhouse - thousands of FS2004 freeware planes, skins, panels, some scenery

DM Flight Sim - older British jets - BAC111, Trident, Comet

Classic British Flight Sim - British prop types

Scenery Northern France in French but easy stuff - use Google Translator if necessary - these sceneries are exquisite - all FS2004 only.

classic wings aircraft - FS2004 and FSX - Dart Kitten is a beauty and available for both sims.

 

Lastly, this is a long thread with many links freeware gems - mostly FS2004.

There is already a lot of FS2004 material out there but it's knowing where to look. I don't think another database of original files is necessary at the moment - but a database of links would be useful. Don't forget, we already have vast databases of original FS2004 files in AVSIM and similar sites.

 

In the longer term, if FS2004 files are to be preserved, then an archive of original files in iCloud or somewhere would be a wise precaution. There might be a case for archiving FS2002 files also. It would be a mammoth task.

 

These are all freeware.

 

sim-outhouse - thousands of FS2004 freeware planes, skins, panels, some scenery

DM Flight Sim - older British jets - BAC111, Trident, Comet

Classic British Flight Sim - British prop types

Scenery Northern France in French but easy stuff - use Google Translator if necessary - these sceneries are exquisite - all FS2004 only.

classic wings aircraft - FS2004 and FSX - Dart Kitten is a beauty and available for both sims.

 

Lastly, this is a long thread with many links freeware gems - mostly FS2004.

Outstanding post - within minutes of clicking on that last link I found several aircraft I'm now about to download. Thank you!!!!

There is already a lot of FS2004 material out there but it's knowing where to look. I don't think another database of original files is necessary at the moment - but a database of links would be useful. Don't forget, we already have vast databases of original FS2004 files in AVSIM and similar sites.

 

In the longer term, if FS2004 files are to be preserved, then an archive of original files in iCloud or somewhere would be a wise precaution. There might be a case for archiving FS2002 files also. It would be a mammoth task.

 

These are all freeware.

 

sim-outhouse - thousands of FS2004 freeware planes, skins, panels, some scenery

DM Flight Sim - older British jets - BAC111, Trident, Comet

Classic British Flight Sim - British prop types

Scenery Northern France in French but easy stuff - use Google Translator if necessary - these sceneries are exquisite - all FS2004 only.

classic wings aircraft - FS2004 and FSX - Dart Kitten is a beauty and available for both sims.

 

Lastly, this is a long thread with many links freeware gems - mostly FS2004.

 

Wow! Nice! Lots of goodies, thanks for the link!