I was reading on here about Gary Summons scenery and how much folks enjoyed it (so did I, from his very early work onwards in 2002, I think). The subject was initially his new Humberside, but the chat moved onto helicopters and how they operate in an aircraft environment (they pretend they are planes and land on runways and then taxi to parking spots) and then the bombshell. AI helicopters can be routed via waypoints? Making scenery for Canada and Alaska (both of which can be hilly, to say the least) and with working AI often results in planes heading off into nearby mountains. Routing them to waypoints would avoid this!

 

Anyone able to point me in the right direction? I didn't add it to the Humberside topic as it seemed interesting enough to merit its own.

Waypoints will only work with F1 Heli traffic 2009 NOT normal AI traffic

 

 

http://www.flight1.com/products.asp?product=helitraffic

Drat! But if helicopters can be forced to do this, why not planes? It is beyond my ability to even understand how, but isn't it worth pleading with the chopper modifier to extend his or her interest to fixed wing planes? Tell me who and I will follow up. And I will go look at your link.

Drat! But if helicopters can be forced to do this, why not planes?

Flight1 Heli 2009 is based on a complete different technique. And it has nothing to do with any kind of helicopter. You might use every other aircraft which of course would take off like a helicopter. At least it could be used with Harrier or Mirage Balzac.

 

Some kind of waypoints have been created for curved approaches like at Kai Tak, Innsbruck or Juneau. The two last ones are avoiding the surrounding mountains.

 

Bernard

Any idea who made the waypoints for AI at Innsbruck or Juneau etc? Did they come with an airport scenery?

I found Jim, who made Juneau and Innsbruck without waypoints. He did it by exploiting a different landing procedure already part of FS9, and this would have no effect on take offs, plus it would only work in certain weather conditions. I will search on as there are other folk who have been investigating this.

Hi Roger ?

 

I'm pretty sure you can make specific approaches to airports with ADE ( a seriously well documented app ) - I've seen discussions and if you look at the top right of the screen - there is a button to put it in approach mode where all the NavAids ae visible... The go to guy for this is Jim Vile - he's the man - I believe he was involved with the 9 Dragons curved Kai Tak approach - he's been around forever... He's usually active over on FSDeveloper and they probably have a subforum related to this...

 

Regards,

Scott

... and this would have no effect on take offs ...

 

Correct.

 

 

... plus it would only work in certain weather conditions...

 

 

Excepted you force AI to land in fix direction like at Kai Tak.

 

Bernard

Roger

 

I believe the Military AI works packages often include AI waypoints in flightplans.  Also, have a look here: http://www.fsdeveloper.com/forum/threads/using-waypoints.15036/

 

Greg 

MAIW waypoints are simple AFD used as turning points. These won't solve the problem of approaching airports near mountains.

 

Bernard

As gaputz  said, MAIW has done a lot of work with waypoints, including using them to conduct "box searches".

MAIW waypoints are simple AFD used as turning points. These won't solve the problem of approaching airports near mountains.

 

Bernard

Um, they DO solve the problem if you make short and "invisible" runways and place them in the right spots. What happens is you force missed approach landings and the aircraft then continues on towards the next waypoint in the flight plan. It just takes a fair bit of planning, some judicious placement,  and a bit of luck.

Um, they DO solve the problem if you make short and "invisible" runways and place them in the right spots. What happens is you force missed approach landings and the aircraft then continues on towards the next waypoint in the flight plan. It just takes a fair bit of planning, some judicious placement,  and a bit of luck.

 

Has someone try it?

Has someone try it?

I guess I'll repeat myself. MAIW uses waypoints routinely. Dunno how to be more clear.

A search on their web forums returned 378 hits for posts containing the word "waypoints".

 

Go here, register for free and look through/post on their forums.... They don't bite and are usually very helpful.

I emailed Jim Vile but it came back saying delivery had not located that email address. I found in a forum that he talked about "Reggie" as being someone that had done a lot of work on AI that he (Jim) had used, so I emailed Reggie. Hoping for a response. In fact I don't expect to solve the problem, but it would be silly not to try if the insertion of one waypoint then points a plane along a valley and gives it time to reach an altitude where mountains don't matter.

 

This started when 3 days ago I watched one AI plane take off from my recent creation of Seward PAWD on its way to Anchorage and fly into a mountain, while the next one turned a bit earlier and flew along a valley. I was tempted to give all my GA AI planes the same config file as the one that turned early, but given that would only solve the problem at Seward........ So it was on my mind when I found choppers using way points.

 

Now for MAIW.

The email to Jim's buddy Reggie also came back undelivered.

 

MAIW seem to think that using more than one of their "false" waypoints between real airports doesn't always work (or ever work? their opinions vary). I looked at Seward and some other problem airports and I figured that to get a plane to reliably fly along a valley while climbing or descending needs at least two waypoints, one at each end. And that is when the valley is straight.

 

So my excitement fades and I go back to making airports in Canada and Alaska.