Probably a dumb question but how do I see AI aircraft in FS9? I can see the text detailing make/model etc but I don't see an actual aircraft. Do I need a separate add-on for AI aircraft?

I'm not sure exactly what you're saying. Can you provide some further details and possibly a screenshot?

Go to as very busy airport such as a default KSEA, KORD, etc. Have the aircraft parked at a gate. Look around in spot view. Do you see ai parked aircraft or taxiing?

 

ai in the air particularly flying in the same direction or directly opposite can be difficult to see as unless very close are very small on the display. This can be true of large aircraft as well.

 

To illustrate this park next to the threshold of an active runway facing the direction of landing aircraft. Use ATIS to determine landing runways. Monitor tower to hear it give landing clearance. Using a 2D view and shift 0 to remove the panel or use the minipanel available under view cockpit options so you get the largest unobstructed view, watch for the announced approaching aircraft and observe at what point it gets large enough to grab your attention.

 

Aircraft turn on final about 8 miles out from the threshold. You may have to shift the pilot seat down to increase your upward view angle.

 

I'd try turning off the labels so you have an unobstructed sky view.

 

Use the clear weather theme when conducting this test.

 

In the real word aircraft approaching head on can be very difficult to see. I never noticed if FS turned on ai landing lights under ten thousand feet. This is not a rule AFAIK but is recommended as a standard of good practice.

Not sure what you mean either but here are some basics:

 

All your AI aircraft should be present in your FS9 Aircraft folder, the default (also flyable) ones together with any separately added non default ones. Furthermore, FS9 has it's own independant so called "AI Engine" which uses these aircraft together with flight plans stored in a "traffic" file in the World Scenery folder.

In a default FS9 setup you should be able to at least see the above mentioned default AI aircraft parked, taxiing, taking off and landing, especially at the larger airports and without the use of any separate non default FS9 software. Flying these default aircraft yourself can be done (more or less) independantly from what the AI Engine is doing with the same aircraft.

 

Hope this helps.

Hans

Chris, Ron and Hans: many thanks for the replies. I will need to fire up FS9 and examine my surroundings a bit more closely!

 

To explain: I was looking at the Settings-Traffic and the options under Air Traffic and Aircraft Labels. What I presume was an AI aircraft appears as, in my case, a red text description, for example, in the sky 'flying' in the airspace. I have never seen an actual aircraft.

 

I'm not sure if I've got any AI aircraft in the default Aircraft folder. I've been through all the aircraft in the 'Create a Flight' dialog and none appears to be identified as AI.

Paolo, you have indeed seen AI aircraft... as mentioned they are too small to see at a distance (that's why you can toggle labels, so you can be aware of them)

In the stock FS9 install, the default aircraft are used as AI.

(There are a few which are not flyable, the DH Dash 8 springs to mind.)

Most people install custom AI packages such as World of AI

http://www.world-of-ai.com/

which give realistic real-world airline traffic.

Also, if you don't feel like installing multiple packages and you have some leftover cash, you can purchase a payware AI program like Ultimate Traffic or My Traffic. May not look so good or as good, but easier on frames.

Wingz, Chris: thank you. I guess I can also increase the air traffic density setting to generate a bit more traffic.

You're 100% welcome! Always glad to be of any help! :biggrin:

download world of ai traffic and alot of packages with it and make sure your traffic is on 100% in traffic settings in the game, then after all that you should have some realistic nice and framerate friendly free good ai traffic hope that helped http://www.world-of-ai.com/packages.php

Thanks, Captain. I'll certainly be having a look at that.