I'm actually looking forward to SimAir. Looks to be a great concept. I'm skipping this in lieu of that.

I am really enjoying Latitude as well, with 13 flights under my belt. I have almost recovered from all my unprofitable initial flights before I understood the system, and I'm ready to get rich :-)

 

A quick question. I notice that I am not able to view my profile without being logged in. Is there, or will there be, a public version of the profile that shows a brief summary of my skills and earnings?

 

Currently the decision was to make only accessible when logged in. (you can log-in without having he product, you just need to register). However I have been thinking about creating a public profile/signature badge, so that you could add it to your signature on forums that would display your stats. Stay tuned for this...

 

I think I have to read more into the differences then. Not much pressure on getting something new these days, but, as said, looks like fun from the reports.

 

I'm running FSX without any career or rating addons so far. Hence my lack of knowledge.

 

Latitude is concentrated on your skill in flying, while SimAir will be more concentrated toward management/business aspect of aviation.

Just purchased latitude done my first flight just a take off and return flight to check if things were working all seems good, now to look more in the manual now

Interesting thread thanks Jvan E for the detailed feed back . For those that haven't flown a real aircraft they may find this product restrictive for example John mentions he likes to come in low for some time to bleed off speed. This is fine for the home PC but would you do it in real life? The answer would be no apart from few exceptions you would need to have the plane set up and slowed down at TOD and then maintained during descent.

What i see in Latitude is you cant cut corners or continue bad habits.

For those that haven't flown a real aircraft they may find this product restrictive

 

What i see in Latitude is you cant cut corners or continue bad habits.

 

Yes, it may be restrictive and that was exactly why I wasn't too sure if I should buy it but now I have it, that restrictive part turns out to be a positive thing! You indeed have to fly properly and I am surprised to find out how much fun that actually is.

 

There are two things of which I'd like to know how it works:

 

1. the approach phase is triggered when low above the ground, so AGL and not above sea level (correct me if I am wrong). What if I am flying over high mountains, almost touching the tops and an airport is at the bottom of a mountainside? In PNW I frequently fly very low over the last mountain ridge and the descend rather steeply following the slope of the mountain quite closely up to the airport belowe me: this means my AGL is very low for an extended period, up to the landing. Will Latitude see this as one huge approach?

 

2. you get penalized for making ugly turns on finals: the manual has some nice graphics showing what's good and what's bad. However, in real life and so also in FSX there are some very hard approaches that require you to make tight turns even during finals: while accomplishing this in true life would be a very skilled thing, I have the idea Latitude would punish me for dong such a brave landing in FSX. Is that correct? Latitude can't tell if the approach left no other option then to turhn steeply on finals for instance.

 

Just curious! I am flying in England now and will do so for quite some time so these things don't really bother me now but in PNW they might, ^_^

Yes, it may be restrictive and that was exactly why I wasn't too sure if I should buy it but now I have it, that restrictive part turns out to be a positive thing! You indeed have to fly properly and I am surprised to find out how much fun that actually is.

 

Yea was like you wasnt sure in it at first, but now makes you learn to fly correctly and dont take any short cuts etc. Now have to make sure plan the fuel loads correctly and winds etc makes it more interesting addon. So far enjoying it and as you said previously in your review the program is simple to use which is the best part

Probably... but I'll look into this, and try to fix the problem (client won't need to be updated). However, at least IE8 will be required, that is as old of a browser you can get without things just completely not working right.

 

Ouch! All my Clients (5 of them driving my cockpit) are on IE6 SP2. I really want to keep them all identically based as it makes replacement and recovery easier if any go wrong or need re-establishing.

 

I think I'll keep my copy of Latitude aside until you manage to embed your browser as mentioned earlier.

 

EDIT: Even if I can't fix it completely, on the next update I'll disable the "Javascript" pop-up warnings.

 

Well, that would certainly help on my FSX PC. Maybe I'll just play with it on that PC for now, so i know how to use it properly. I assume I'll be able to re-install it on a different PC later on? I presume it will have to be uninstalled on one PC before installing on another? Is there a license transfer file or something?

 

Regards

Pete

 

... you would need to have the plane set up and slowed down at TOD and then maintained during descent.

 

Yes, but didn't I read somewhere earlier in this thread that you get marked down for not maintaining speed in level flight? It seems to me, from what I've read in this thread, that you need to slow down whilst descending, which is not easy and if it involves use of speed brakes isn't very comfortable for passengers, which should mark you down in any case. Much better (and more fuel economic) to do as you say, slow down before descent, or at least descend in steps with some levelling off on the way to get the speed down. Trouble is with the latter you can get told off by ATC for stopping an instructed descent.

 

Pete

Pete

 

Hmm hopefully thats not the case and no penalty as flying a high speed GA a/c or any a/c for that matter requires power back first before decent and then airspeed set for descent and then descend or else you will go down like a rocket in a slippery a/c

Interesting thread thanks Jvan E for the detailed feed back . For those that haven't flown a real aircraft they may find this product restrictive for example John mentions he likes to come in low for some time to bleed off speed. This is fine for the home PC but would you do it in real life? The answer would be no apart from few exceptions you would need to have the plane set up and slowed down at TOD and then maintained during descent.

What i see in Latitude is you cant cut corners or continue bad habits.

 

zoran, J van E said he likes to come is low and shallow. You CANNOT to this with Latitude.

 

Yes, it may be restrictive and that was exactly why I wasn't too sure if I should buy it but now I have it, that restrictive part turns out to be a positive thing! You indeed have to fly properly and I am surprised to find out how much fun that actually is.

 

There are two things of which I'd like to know how it works:

 

1. the approach phase is triggered when low above the ground, so AGL and not above sea level (correct me if I am wrong). What if I am flying over high mountains, almost touching the tops and an airport is at the bottom of a mountainside? In PNW I frequently fly very low over the last mountain ridge and the descend rather steeply following the slope of the mountain quite closely up to the airport belowe me: this means my AGL is very low for an extended period, up to the landing. Will Latitude see this as one huge approach?

 

2. you get penalized for making ugly turns on finals: the manual has some nice graphics showing what's good and what's bad. However, in real life and so also in FSX there are some very hard approaches that require you to make tight turns even during finals: while accomplishing this in true life would be a very skilled thing, I have the idea Latitude would punish me for dong such a brave landing in FSX. Is that correct? Latitude can't tell if the approach left no other option then to turhn steeply on finals for instance.

 

Just curious! I am flying in England now and will do so for quite some time so these things don't really bother me now but in PNW they might, ^_^

 

J van E you can do "steep" turns and "obstacle approaches" where your base is straight and your final is completely curved. But low and slow and steep is a recipe for disaster in the real world. I know of no airport that would require this either in PNW, NRM, CRM, or PFJ. Any of the bush strips there you can follow standard procedures, and I've been up and down it. Safety first, no shortcuts. However, as long as you can pull this all off with a constant rate of turn, you're good. But if you yank and bank like a crazy man, not so much.

 

Yes, it may be restrictive and that was exactly why I wasn't too sure if I should buy it but now I have it, that restrictive part turns out to be a positive thing! You indeed have to fly properly and I am surprised to find out how much fun that actually is.

 

There are two things of which I'd like to know how it works:

 

1. the approach phase is triggered when low above the ground, so AGL and not above sea level (correct me if I am wrong). What if I am flying over high mountains, almost touching the tops and an airport is at the bottom of a mountainside? In PNW I frequently fly very low over the last mountain ridge and the descend rather steeply following the slope of the mountain quite closely up to the airport belowe me: this means my AGL is very low for an extended period, up to the landing. Will Latitude see this as one huge approach?

 

You can fly low over a mountain pass, as long as you eventually com through it and gain some altitude again. The approach start is "reset" if your AGL climbs back up. So say on the Lancair the approach altitude is 550feet, and you go over a mountain pass at 500, you'll likely hear the landing announcement (this is no different than GPWS - ground proximity warning system). When you fly over the pass you AGL will like increase to 600 to 650 or 1000, so the "approach" trigger sort of resets.

 

Interesting thread thanks Jvan E for the detailed feed back . For those that haven't flown a real aircraft they may find this product restrictive for example John mentions he likes to come in low for some time to bleed off speed. This is fine for the home PC but would you do it in real life? The answer would be no apart from few exceptions you would need to have the plane set up and slowed down at TOD and then maintained during descent.

What i see in Latitude is you cant cut corners or continue bad habits.

 

I never mentioned coming in low or slowing at TOD. And never do, in sim or in R/W (I am a 1300 hour pilot - in 9 years with nearly 500 in the first two - with an instrument rating, and have owned 2 planes - 1998 172 SP and 2005 Cirrus SR20, and currently fly a 182RG - and have a few dozen hours and approaches in a full motion Falcon 900). What I said was that if you want a "continuous descent" (like some FMS-es guide) you need to know your plane to be able to slow down.

 

But there is nothing wrong with going down to pattern alt or 500 feet above and slowing there, but guess what? I slow in my descent because I time to be at a position and altitude set up for my entry maneuver and rather not barrel in at 150+ knots, so by the time I'm ready to level around the pattern, I'm also slowed down.

as long as you can pull this all off with a constant rate of turn, you're good. But if you yank and bank like a crazy man, not so much.

 

When you fly over the pass you AGL will like increase to 600 to 650 or 1000, so the "approach" trigger sort of resets.

 

Ok, clear, thanks!

Ouch! All my Clients (5 of them driving my cockpit) are on IE6 SP2. I really want to keep them all identically based as it makes replacement and recovery easier if any go wrong or need re-establishing.

 

I think I'll keep my copy of Latitude aside until you manage to embed your browser as mentioned earlier.

 

Well, that would certainly help on my FSX PC. Maybe I'll just play with it on that PC for now, so i know how to use it properly. I assume I'll be able to re-install it on a different PC later on? I presume it will have to be uninstalled on one PC before installing on another? Is there a license transfer file or something?

 

Regards

Pete

 

Yes, but didn't I read somewhere earlier in this thread that you get marked down for not maintaining speed in level flight? It seems to me, from what I've read in this thread, that you need to slow down whilst descending, which is not easy and if it involves use of speed brakes isn't very comfortable for passengers, which should mark you down in any case. Much better (and more fuel economic) to do as you say, slow down before descent, or at least descend in steps with some levelling off on the way to get the speed down. Trouble is with the latter you can get told off by ATC for stopping an instructed descent.

 

Pete

 

Pete,

 

I found a solution for the IE8 javascript error (and we'll be fixing it in production sometime today), but not IE6 sorry. There's just no way to make these technologies work in such an old browser, one that doesn't even support XHTML.

 

Correct, right now you need to slow in a descent, but really only at high career levels. The speed change deductions are based on your variation and the closer you are to one edge (stall or Vne) the smaller allowed. Because of this, your deduction won't matter that much until you get to Commercial or Airline level, and the reason it was implemented was to force you to get to know your plane (e.g. a RealAir Duke descending at 2000 fpm won't slow down, but will at 1500).

 

I am going to add a speed change allowance in both climb (see manual for climb speed transitions) and level in the future, so that they will be split and score appropriately. This may be 2 changes in a climb (10k and mach) and one change allowed in level (e.g. ATC says slow to 190). But even in the JS41 if you're on a 3 degree descent, you can slow (without tail wind which would force you into a steeper rate to be able to maintain the slope).

never mentioned coming in low or slowing at TOD. And never do, in sim or in R/W (I am a 1300 hour pilot - in 9 years with nearly 500 in the first two - with an instrument rating, and have owned 2 planes - 1998 172 SP and 2005 Cirrus SR20, and currently fly a 182RG - and have a few dozen hours and approaches in a full motion Falcon 900). What I said was that if you want a "continuous descent" (like some FMS-es guide) you need to know your plane to be able to slow down.""

 

 

sorry that was meant for j van E

impressive rap sheet though

I have purchased it (if you remember I used your earlier versions, pre-REX), and will wish to use it on an XP-based Client. I don't think I've even got IE8 on that. I never use IE itself on any of my cockpit clients -- only firefox when needed, which would only be on one of them.

 

So, wll i get the Script failure every time I load it?

 

Regards

Pete

 

Pete,

 

If you at least install IE8, this problem should be fixed now. To make sure the new scripts load you have to force a refresh. You do this by going to the Settings tab in Latitude, click and hold your mouse button down on Login for 5 seconds, then let go. This should clear the internal browser cache, and reload the page with the new scripts.

 

The fix corrects the pop-up error and also enables chat to work. Things still won't look "pretty" but everything will work and should be completely functional.

For those that think you can only do well enroute on A/P here is flight in the BN2 Islander that I did that was completely hand flown. Is it tough? Yes... but flying is not a game. In the R/W it has dire consequence, and that's what Latitude tries to show you. But in the R/W it easier to keep altitude which is why Latitude is more lenient.

 

I used to own a Cirrus. And guess what, it was like flight simulator. You took off and punched A/P until landing. Which is why low time pilots feel confident in them, and when the A/P fails they kill themselves. This is also why Cirrus implemented a rigorous training program. But the point is you can be lazy and use A/P or you can practice and get better. It's your choice.

 

http://www.rexlatitude.com/Flights/view/number/1075

I still get missing takeoff after going in and out of settings. This time I changed the amount of AI traffic. Running P3D 1.4.