Ok.. I just gotta jump in on this "wishlist" bandwagon...Even though it's almost a year away, here's a few of the things I would like to see in Flight Simulator X. If you are a member of the FS dev team who visis these message boards, let me know what you think of these.-----------------------------------Number One.Even though the default JetRanger looks like it's received a visual overhaul on the outside (including what looks to be correct, non mirrored texture mapping), I would love to see the addition of a wire-strike package and a floats package for the JetRanger, especially for those water-based helicopter landings for which Flight Simulator has long been missing. In addition, I would like to see the virtual cockpit completely overhauled. For the Flight Simulator developers who visit these boards, please see Owen Hewitt's Bell JetRanger virtual cockpit for reference. The focus needs to be on the entire cabin of the JetRanger, not just everything forward of the two front seats.Improved twin-turbine helicopter support, and full support for VTOL aircraft like the Bell/Boeing 609.Oh, and please update those default sounds for the JetRanger! They're the same ones from Flight Simulator 98! By now, we should have had a default Bell JetRanger in which we'd have full startup and shutdown sound effects, starting from the click of the starter down to the mechanical chatter when the rotor blades come to a stop. And speaking of that, when the engine starts, the rotor should not start turning until ignition of the turbine has been well established.-----------------------------------Number Two:In reality, precision approach path indication systems or "VASI" light systems at airports are usually activated by keying the mic in the cockpit. It'd be great to incorporate this function into the next release, either by keying a specific ATC command or by pressing a certain key on the keyboard, because the airport I live by usually never has its PAPI light system on at all times.Additionally, we should have the option to turn the runway or taxiway side lighting on during unfavorable weather conditions. Here in Washington State, we've been experiencing an unusually wet period of weather and during one of my usual drives past Sanderson Field in Shelton, Washington, I noticed that the runway side lights had been turned on to facilitate easier landings. This drive occurred in broad daylight at around 1:30 in the afternoon, at a time when the side lighting of runway 5/23 is usually never on. This should also include REIL systems.In addition to increased (read - more realistic) runway lighting systems, I'd also like to see the approach systems (i.e. SSALR, MALSR, MALSF, etc) to be more realistic. By that, each row of lights in such a system should be attached to scaled and realistic fixtures instead of what we see now as a sort of "ground hugging" effects. This would mean, in the case of the approach system to Bremerton National (KPWT), a series of strobes attached to a series of poles with gradually increasing heights leading away from the runway.Additionally, there should be fixtures depicting the actual source of light for taxiway and runway side and approach lighting. This could be achieved through LOD-type modelling and distance limiting in terms of visibility.-----------------------------------Number Three:I would love to see more realistic Aurora Borealis effects. In severe instances, the Auroras in the northern hemisphere has been visible as far south as Arizona. This also includes a more realistic effect "bitmap."-----------------------------------Number Four:In terms of weather, we should be able to come up out of a thick fog blanket and be able to see a "cotton blanket" below us, instead of looking down at a semi-transparent haze.-----------------------------------Number Five:More realistic default beacon towers.At Sanderson Field in Shelton, WA, the beacon tower there is just a simple 110-foot-high telephone pole with a beacon attached to it. It's not the red-and-white trusswork tower with a platform on it that we're all so-used to seeing in Flight Simulator 2004.-----------------------------------Number Six:The ability to incorporate gradient transparency in 2D panel bitmaps.This is mainly a request for us who like to simulate helicopter-based news coverage within Flight Simulator. Most TV stations use semi-transparent graphics and with developers like myself who've re-created actual TV station graphics for use in FLight Simulator, it looks awkward not to have that same level of reality. -----------------------------------Number Seven:Heat blur and exhaust effects on every aircraft. -----------------------------------Number Eight:An updated terrain model for Mount St. Helens in Washington State.The terrain in Flight Simulator 2004: A Century of Flight for Mount St. Helens was perhaps the worst I have ever seen, and was poorly out-of-date. The new terrain mesh should include the new lava dome that has been growing behind the old one since October 2004, and the landclass was also ridiculously poor in its default assignment. Mt. St. Helens is by far from being an eight-thousand, three-hundred sixty five foot high "grassy knoll."I also hope that the LWM/VTP data for Spirit, Castle, and Coldwater Lakes has been updated. Coldwater and Spirit Lake in FS '04 were based off of Flight Simulator 98 polygon data, and are grossly inaccurate, and Castle Lake was totally forgotten, as was St. Helens lake.Judging by the screenshots I have seen thus far, this may or may not be an issue, but I thought I'd mention it anyways.-----------------------------------Number Nine:Actual grass on the field at airports. This would be a great feature to be seen from users taxiing and taking off/landing at the various depicted FS airports. And with turf or gravel strips, those few blades sticking up through the dirt or rocks would be especially great to see. And it could be distance limited to where it could only be visible in direct vicinity of the aircraft, so as not to cause a FPS stutter issue or FPS performance drop.-----------------------------------Number Ten:More realistic runway marking details. In the real world, most painted runway markings can either be faded or chipped. Perhaps the next release can simulate this. In addition, with cases like Sanderson Field, only one end of the ruwnay has threshold markings. At Sanderson Field, runway 23 has the threshold stripes and the runway 5 end just has the number designation, and there are no aiming point bars or other markings at Sanderson.-----------------------------------Number Eleven.Did I mention a default Bell 407 in the mix?-----------------------------------Number Twelve.Uh.. I'm out of ideas.. These are it so far..

I've also thought of several of those, Bell....I also want to be able to "key" the runway lights on like you can at real airports (private pilot here). Also, to climb up through the solid cloud deck and then look down through them to the ground is just wrong.Another thing I really hope FSX supports is realistic lighter-than-air flight. Just very recently I have downloaded hot air balloons and a blimp (by Bill Lyons) for 2K2 / FS9, and have learned that neither sim is configured for lighter-than-air aircraft. The balloons and blimp are actually modified aircraft to act as much as possible as balloons and blimps (the best Bill could do, and he actually did a very fine job), but they require some forward (or side) motion to "fly" (ascend), which of course is not realistic. They have other quirks that betray their airplane origins. I would love to see FSX support true lighter-than-air aircraft with realistic behavior.

Not all papi/vasi are keyed in by the pilot. Very difficult to find out which airports has this and which ones leave them on, and then code it all in. Unless there is a quick way to do it, would rather them do something else. As far as beacon towers go, also very difficult to make every tower at every airport look like their beacon tower. Matter of fact, the FS9 beacon towers look exactly like the little airport I go to. Ever been in a Jetranger? I will be danged if it doesnt sound just like the one in FS9. Also, there is a slight difference between the JetRanger sound in fs2004 and fs2002. There was this repeating whoosh sound that would drive me nuts after extended flying the JetRanger in fs2002, and is not there in FS2004. Maybe I am dreaming, but I am pretty sure its a different sound.<>Man, you really care about that???<>Ok this one I just don't get. TV station graphics? Best leave this one to the 3rd party devs... if you have already recreated what you want, then its a done deal. Right?<>Would be pretty cool, but I wouldnt be dissappointed if they were not there. I tend to fly inside the cockpit anyway.<>Ever hear of FSGenesis? No mountain in FS looks exactly right, but much better with FSGenesis Terrain Mesh. From the new pics, looks like they did update the terrain mesh. <>Again...HUH???<>I will agree that most of the runways look brand spanking new. All in all I think they did a pretty good job though. Doesnt look like Fly Tampas runways, but maybe they will in the next version.Want to know what I would like to see in the next version? Sloped runways. Yep, thats it. I would be happy if the next version had nothing new except sloped runways. But thats just me. Maybe FS11 can be the sloped runway version. After they have been working on that for say a year or so, if they have any time left over, maybe they can throw in a new plane or two. But again, thats just me.Think my comments are out of line?Scott

>Ever been in a Jetranger? I will be danged if it doesnt sound>just like the one in FS9. Also, there is a slight difference>between the JetRanger sound in fs2004 and fs2002. There was>this repeating whoosh sound that would drive me nuts after>extended flying the JetRanger in fs2002, and is not there in>FS2004. Maybe I am dreaming, but I am pretty sure its a>different sound.Yep.. I've flown in at least two JetRangers over a period of three months during the late summer of 2004 getting aerial photos of Mount St. Helens, and I got up close and personal with the Hoffstadt Bluffs-based tour helicopter for Mt. St. Helens Aerial Tours. The pilot let me sit in it and take a load of photos which were later used as a texture overhaul kit for Owen Hewitt's Bell JetRanger.And FYI, the sounds for the default JetRanger in Flight Simulator 98 ARE the same ones carried over to Flight Simulator 2004. Look at the data on each one and the file size. I've tested and confirmed this.As for the third party developer comments in re: gradient transparency in 2-D panel bitmaps.. As of now, it is impossible to incorporate gradient transparency in any 2-D panel bitmap. That is why I brought it up. I can recreate any TV news graphic for Flight Simulator use at any time given the fact that I have the appropriate software to do so and that I have already done the aforementioned anyways, but it makes it hard and awkward at best to see areas where you should have at least some transparency.Trust me on this one, I spent ten years in TV news. Not only that, but the ability to incorporate gradient transparency in 2-D panel bitmaps opens up other possibilities, such as the appearance of dirty windows in 2-D views, etc.I don't see what the big issue is over the ability to incorporate real-looking grass at airports. It is afer all a simulator that puts forth the slogan "As Real As It Gets" and IMHO just a bare polygon with 2D grass textures looks odd, when we have the hardware and software to render such effects without any negligible hit on framerates. Same goes for the northern lights comment. I've had the pleasure to witness a real spectactular show of the Northern Lights in August 2003 and I live in Washington State. That particular show lasted close to six hours and rivalled that of the typical aurora displays seen in the extreme northern latitudes. I think FS should model this. There's no reason why they shouldn't.In re: the heat blur comment. That was a suggestion based on the fact that it would be more of a realistic simulation of the exhaust effects of an aircraft, something Flight Simulator has been missing since Flight Simulator 2002. For those who switch often to spot view during warm up/shut down or while in-flight, I think it would be a nice enhancement to the simulator.My comments are geared to the most hardcore simmers who try to make the Flight Simulator world as rich and realistic as possible. It shouldn't just be about flight dynamics or improved air traffic control. That's just half the simulation alone. The rest is the incorporation of the most realistic depiction of the world we live in. We have the hardware and software to do it already.

Hello,-Though I don't fly much in the USA I like the idea of PCL (Pilot Controlled Lighting). I can even remember that PCL was an option with FS98. On most maps (at least Jeppesen) it is defined wether the VASI's is PCL or not. In Europe PCL is not very common, I would even say that there is no airfield/port in Europe equipped with PCL.-What I like to see added to the approachlights is the ability to add strobes (running rabbits) to CALVERT too. Now it is only possible to add the strobes to the ALSF for example(lights where SF (sequence flashing) is specified) while alot of european airports have CALVERT with strobes.-I would also like to see the ability to specify the markings for both ends of the runway and not for the whole runway. At Schiphol for example there are several runways which have precision markings on one side while the other side only has an aming point and the designator and threshold markings. With FS9 when you make a runway a precision runway you automaticaly make both ends precision whilst this is not alway the case in reality.-Please add the ability to report QNH in Hectopascals(Hp/Mb) and not always in inches. Although this is American standard in Europe (with the exception of US Air Bases) QNH is the standard value. So give us the ability the choose per airport (and not as standard for the whole world) if the ATIS and ATC report QNH or Inches (or both as happens in germany at some airports).-Wake Turbulence separation. In the aircraft.cfg we can define if and aircraft is Heavy or not but this only affects its behavior on R/T, it say callsign HEAVY, for example NWA45 Heavy. It should be nice to have to option to add all three types, so LIGHT/MEDIUM/HEAVY and ATC will handle the aircraft accordingly. I understand that this is difficult on final approach it is not so difficult with departure, the only thing the tower has to do is wait somewhat longer before issuing the takeoff clearance. It is funny to see a 747 takeoff and a minute late see a cessna 172 starts it's takeoff roll. So as a reminder :-)Light behind medium - 2 minutesLight behind heavy - 2 minutesMedium behind heavy - 2 minutesIf a medium aicraft takes off from the beginning and a Light aircraft departs from an intersection the time is increase to 3 minutes, same goes for Medium behind Heavy and Light behind Heavy.-Also I like to see better behavior of AI traffic.A thing the is very annoying is when I use realworld weather the pressure changes alot but once it has changed ATC is telling all AI aircraft to climb and maintain or descend and maintain the assigned level because they are 200/300 (example) below/above. This is very annoying.PLLLLLLEASE allow the use of High speed turn offs, or at least increase the speed on the runway, this should reduce the ROT (Runway Occupancy Time) dramatically.Better runway choice and allow the user to define which runway is used for what. So when I close a runway for landings I don't want aircraft to make visual approaches on that runway anyway, this is not realistic. This way the user can make more realistic airport lay-outs.Allow the option to request pushback with groundcontrol. An apron in the USA is the jurisdiction of an airline or handling company, in europe pushbacks etc are controlled by air traffic control so you have to request pushback with ground before you can commence it.It would also be nice to allow the user to define a pushback procedure, like direction of turn (although I would like to see difficult push-pull procedures I understand this is difficult to create) MS can simply make a default setting and allow the user later on the adjust that (that is ofcourse the power of MSFS, the user can add and change alot himself).Don't allow multiple pushbacks in a certain region, other (like in FS9) aircraft are being push into each other, aircraft taxiing do it straight through pushed aircraft.More realistic groundcontrol, instead of ATC command you to hold position traffic is bla bla bla. ATC should say, "NWA45 give way to Airbus A230 from the left". And instead of giving you a tower frequency when you receive taxi clearance (Don't know if this is standard practise in the USA) ATC should (at least in europe) command the aircraft to switch to tower the moment he is reaching the holding point.Allow Stopbars. When in poor visibility (low vis operations) switch on stopbars, this can be easily done and added as an option for programs like AFCAD (user can define visibility values when the stopbars have to be switched on). When tower gives you the line-up clearance the stopbar should be switched off.Allow ATC to line-up behind landing traffic. Now we have to wait until the landing aircraft has cleared the runway before the departing aircraft can line-up, especially when there is a long qeue this is not very efficient. (And perhaps the process can be expedited as well, it takes ages now before and aircraft starts its takeoff roll)And last but not least, better enroute separation, I don't care if I have to descend or turn a certain heading to avoid a conflict but don't allow near misses at high altitude this is so NOT realistic.Thanks

I think that they should do something with the runwaysSloped and Undulating this would make it more alot more realisticI know that they would have to look at every runway to get how it flows but if thats what i takes so be it!Happy 2006

Not exactly a wish about the sim, but about how MS is publishing the info about it. I think a mailing list from MS with info and screenshots would be very useful, they could send an issue every month or so, maybe include interviews, etc.Well, It

"I also want to be able to "key" the runway lights on like you can at real airports (private pilot here)."That's something else that you can do in Flight Unlimited 3.Chris Low.