Joe Binka has in the library, of all things

Hi there,congrats to Joe for a great idea! A couple of preview shots of this neat project can be found via this thread: http://forums.avsim.net/dcboard.php?az=sho..._id=25279&page= Cheers, Holger

Now that's imagination, I like it. Now if I could just remember who first said "thank goodness cows can't fly"

I actually flew with real geese, once. I was flying west of Montreal in the fall, in my Challenger ultralight. Cruising along at 5000 feet, just above some very broken cloud tops, I saw a dark object off to my left. I went over, and it was a flock of about 200 Canada Geese. Being in an ultralight, I could fly at their speed. They let me get within about 300 feet, any closer and the formation started to panic. I few with them for about 20 minutes, one of the most unforgettable visual spectacles I've ever had, under blue skies just skimming the cloud tops.I encountered flocks again, but never as beautiful as that flight, and usually much lower.Anyway, for anyone programming their geese AI flightplans, here's the data, at least from that flight: 5000 feet altitude, and they were doing 35 miles per hour indicated (and heading magnetic south, I remember). (Stall speed for a Challenger II, with one person on board, is approx 26-27 mph - although it will cruise at 75 mph)Look forward to installing this!Mike F.

HONK!

Wasn't there a movie about this, some guy in an ultra-light teaching a flock of birds how to migrate?

Yup, I met Bill Lishman in Toronto once, at the Toronto Aviation and Aircraft show. A friend of mine, who is the Challenger Ultralight dealer in Barrie, Ontario, was once invited along as a backup aircraft on a Trumpeter Swan migration, and had a great (but slow!)time.To read a bit about that flight, click on the following, and look towards the bottom of the page.http://www.challenger.ca/owners.html#trumpeter_swansMike F.

I remember many months ago some simmer put out a thread wishing there would be more realism like birds flying. I just chuckled to myself reading that saying, yea... right. Look whoz laughing now.(what will you guys think of next)

Has anyone downloaded the geese and actually gotten them to work? I'm using FS2002, so that may be the problem, but I can bring up the geese as "my" aircraft, although I can't get them out of "resting in the pond" mode.I've tried them in a specially-created water airport (at Walden Pond) and also at a land airport. They don't show up. I've re-sized their gate radius to fit in a GA-small space.This is such a clever add-on that I'd hate to not be able to use it. Any ideas?

Who has already made flight plans?

I can see it now, naturalists the world over will start using MSFS to simulate the migration patterns of all kinds of wild animals, butterflies, geese, heron, moose, and then we'll be able to see it online as they mix it all together! They'll program into the AI reaction patterns as to how the animals react to development and other issues, maybe an increase in wolves in a particular area, and then let it run and see what happens.Think about it, all the pieces are there. Perhaps the AI needs to be upgraded, but it's got terrain, lakes, landclass, weather, and all these things can be changed to simulate how the world affects these migration patterns.I suppose it's been done before, but it's a thought. I guess the cool thing that may not have been done before is that it is a common platform that can be mixed together online with people all over the world adding their little bits.Now that's "As real as it gets"Thomas

simulation with a simulator?now your thinking! :-)If you grab some info on what can be done with XML and FS, you would just stare off into space dreaming of ways to make it work.(Im still learning XML gauges and animation)I'm sure everything you describe can be done, anything ..can.. be done, but how it works and looks is another story.I used to think of projects in terms of what is the limit of FS, but now Im only limited by my imagination.. which is a nice change from last year.I hope you guys have some fun with my geese. It started as a goof, but I hope they will enhance your FS experience.I got a few emails from people saying they are building flightplans. I cant wait.. i really suck at traffic, my skies are a mess, so I left it up to you guys.later,joe

hey Capn, these will only work in FS9 because of the XML code in the MDL. You cant "fly" the geese. There is no panel folder so that's why you cant find em.know any gmax? both animations from resting to flying are conditional, so im guessing FS8 is reading the middle.. nothing. That's probably why they are invisible.email me and I'll send you a fixed 2k2 version...(if i get swamped, i will upload it)let me know.joe

purely coincidental, but...After an IFR recurrency training flight this evening, I had a chat with a CFI that had just grounded one of the flying club's rental Cirrus SR20s due to a multiple bird strike at Hayward, CA earlier today. He and his student hit a flock just after takeoff - estimated 6 or so birds.Result: landing light trashed, other bits need to be replaced, but most significantly one of the wings now has an apparent crack in it. (Might be just the paint, but time and the mx boys will tell.)This is not a slam against composite airplanes - they're my favorite kind! - and an aluminum airplane might've fared worse. But the point is - birds are pretty but they can ruin an aviator's day if luck isn't on your side. Avoid the little cretins as much as possible!Dave Blevins

The movie you'all may be thinking of is "Fly Away Home" with Jeff Daniels, Anna Paquin, and Dana Delany. If I recall it is a reanactiment of a true story, semi true with some entertainment liberties. In Wisconsin every year there is a "guided" migration via ultralights from the Necedah National Wildlife Refuge to Florida save the northern whooping crane migration. A true "adventure" if one was to to do it in real life. Mr. Joe Binka has provided a start to a truly fun and rewarding type of flying Fsim, formation @ 35 KIAS 2500FT, instead of M0.78 @FL350 on a string. In his readme it states there is still some work to be done.. I hope and forsee a group to get a whole package together as this can become a truly great package. An old page with good links and stories can be found at http://www.bringbackthecranes.org/media/2003/nr-101603.htm for some info on ultraqlight guided migrations.Regards,Roman(KGRB)