Atlanta 5th runway open in about 8 weeks

[Guest freff]

They are playing radio ads in Atlanta announcing that the fifth runway will be operational about 8 weeks from now. Hopefully the database that will be used for FSX will be from after that date. I really hope the scenery will include the runway and the gigantic new taxiway/bridge(s) that was built over I-285 to get jets to/from the runway. It would be super leet to be on approach and see 10 lanes of that cool new AI road traffic going underneath the taxiway as it will be doing in real life.

[Guest]

The database for FS2004 is from roughly 2nd quarter 2002 was released if I remember correctly.So I would not count on the database for FSX to be any newer than 4th quarter 2005, and likely older than that.

[Guest skruer]

I would have to agree with you on this one. But one think is on my mind - all the jetways, taxiways ect, will they support an aircraft such as Airbus 380? A lot of airports are expanding at this time to make way for A380, shiphol, heathrow, JKF ect. In FSX there will be some AI aircraft which is the A380.Else I hope for some official update later on and not some freeware AFCAD/scenery even if it would do the job.

[Guest tcable]

Jason has already stated that the airport DB will not be the most current.CVG, STL and MSP have all opend runways recently. Strangely, with ATL, 2 are Delta hubs...It will be interesting to see what happens operationally at ATL. THe last time I was tehre I flew PVD-HNL and return. Taking off for HNL we were #1 for takeoff- no line. Flying to PVD, we were #15.I'm flying through CVG in a few weeks for SFO. No lines there- relatively speaking.

[Guest]

never heard of an AI A380 in FSX, and I doubt you're going to see it.The A380 won't be in service until well after FSX hits the street, and certainly won't have been in service when the featureset was closed as that date without doubt already is long gone.3rd parties may do it, but you can't expect Microsoft to suck things out of their big thumb to take into account what others may do, especially when they'd have to invent something that doesn't exist, won't exist for years if ever, and would cause a lot of complaints about FSX not being "realistic".Schiphol isn't being modified for the A380 for now btw.While a new terminal and runway/taxiway system capable of handling the dinosaur are being planned construction is at least a decade away.

[W2DR 1,859]

The situation here in Atlanta is that the airport is not being upgraded (taxiways/jetways/terminal facilities) for the A380. As of now, any A380 service at Hartsfield would be emergency only. Both the new runway and the connecting bridge are rated at 1.3 million pounds so the weight isn't an issue but it would take many, many millions of additional dollars to make the airport "A380 friendly". The airport authority has said they will review the situation when there is "more interest shown on the A380" - which, based in their past record, probably means that they will never get around to it.Doug

[RobbieHe 0]

That would be super!RH

[Guest skruer]

Well I just hoped that FSX would have the A380 in mind, but not all can be planed years in advance. It will be 3rd parties which will develop AI for the A380, as you say.On a side note, I do think Schiphol have planned for the A380 with the new 5th. runway which should be operational in late 2003??http://www.airport-technology.com/projects/schiphol/"Polderbaan is Schiphol's longest runway (3,800m long and 75m wide). It will accommodate future super jumbo jets (A380). The Polderbaan is located 2,100m north of Zwanenburgbaan, the 01L-19R runway."

[Guest]

no, the runway wasn't intended to take the A380.It was designed to take overloaded 747-400F aircraft.Maybe the design was adapted at some stage to make it even stronger, but it was originally put into planning well before the requirements for the A380 were known.And even if the runway can take them, the taxiway and ramp system doesn't leave much room for error when directing an A380 across it, and it would likely be large enough that gates adjacent to the one it's parked at could not be used.Especially internal space in the terminals would not be enough to handle the number of passengers that would need to go through a single jetway, the waiting rooms aren't large enough (they're cramped enough when operating 747-400s in full pax config, working only by letting people wait in the hallways outside the waiting rooms and only letting them in there in batches).

[Guest skruer]

Yeah I understand what you are saying. It is hard enough for the virtual world to adapt to the new A380 and it wouldn't be any easier for the real world.

[Guest tcable]

Re the 380-at Atlanta. It's really designed for places like LHR that are heavily slot controlled where airlines cannot get more flights in- Qantas, Emirates, Singapore. Atlanta is restricted to service to Gatwick/Stansted (Bermuda II) anyhow.My home (Boston) will be emergency only. The infrastructure upgrades are just too much money.The airports that will really see 380's- LHR, SYD, SIN, JFK, LAX, SFO, ANC (Fedex and ups!) SDF, MEM, NRT, DXB. That's notot say that this list is exclusive.

[Guest]

CDG and FRA of course :)