So, been away from flight sims for a while, but once SU10 gets out, and I wrap up a couple of other thibgs, I want to do a long VFR tour. I'm trying to figure out how to set up MSFS right for it. 

My flight sim background is mostly WWII flight sims, so I'm completely comfortable with steam gauges, and actually have no idea how to even use an aviation GPS, and for this, I don't want to use them. Probably going to be doing this in either the V-tail Bonanza, or the F6F Hellcat. Haven't quite decided. 

So things I'm trying to figure out are

1) Is there a way to save where you landed, for later? Of does that need to be done manually? I really want to be able to go out of the beaten path, and continue legs of the trip for later. Part of the reason I'm thinking of using the V35 and the Hellcat are the Bonanza was apparently built for grass strips, and the F6F turns out to have a really low landing speed for something as big as it is. 

2) How does one clear out all of the pop-up newbies and notifications? I'm ok letting the AI handle all radio communication, or turning it off entirely: the goal here is the Navigate side of Aviate/Navigate/Communicate. 

3) Are there ways to do fixed VFR maps in game? The drop down one seems to always show the player aircraft location. 

Anything else I'm missing that I need to think of? 

Thank you, 

Harry Voyager

5 minutes ago, HarryVoyager said:

Is there a way to save where you landed, for later?

For me the last destination is not saved unfortunately. I think it's meant to be, but it seems bugged out. Just note it down somewhere. 

6 minutes ago, HarryVoyager said:

How does one clear out all of the pop-up newbies and notifications? I'm ok letting the AI handle all radio communication, or turning it off entirely: the goal here is the Navigate side of Aviate/Navigate/Communicate. 

Just have a look through the assistance menu. I usually have AI handle the comms, and the rest if off. Also make sure the flight model is set to "modern" with engine and aircraft stress damage to on. 

7 minutes ago, HarryVoyager said:

Are there ways to do fixed VFR maps in game? The drop down one seems to always show the player aircraft location.

Hmm, not sure if I understand completely, but Navigraph is working on a VFR charts package as part of their Ultimate 8USD per month subscription (includes worldwide IFR charts as well of course and is great for flight planning in combination with Simbrief). 

8 minutes ago, HarryVoyager said:

Anything else I'm missing that I need to think of? 

Don't think so. Pick an airfield and get started 🙂This sim is outstanding for VFR. Even the tiniest grass or dust strip seems "alive" with it's own atmosphere. And if you want something a bit more enhanced, there are thousands of freeware strips over at flightsim.to. 

1 hour ago, Cpt_Piett said:

For me the last destination is not saved unfortunately. I think it's meant to be, but it seems bugged out.

say Captain say wot? this is only your Copilot speaking. but if I might make a suggestion?

Edited September 12, 20223 yr by turbomax

Just now, turbomax said:

what?

I was thinking the departure airport. 

51 minutes ago, HarryVoyager said:

3) Are there ways to do fixed VFR maps in game? The drop down one seems to always show the player aircraft location. 

If you just want a static VFR map I would use skyvector.com, and just flip to it while flying (or put it on a second monitor or laptop).

It has a VFR map and it can overlay things if you want (like airspaces) or not.  Anyway, it will not show your aircraft location.  I like this sometimes, as I can fly like they did in the 1930's or 40's, using at best radio nav or at worst dead reckoning or pilotage.  It's just as if I had a map/chart handy.

1 hour ago, HarryVoyager said:

1) Is there a way to save where you landed, for later?

always better to SAVE than be sorry 😀 the LOAD/SAVE menu is normally hidden under the MORE button on the world airport selection screen:

 

in addition to Skyvector.com there is littlenavmap (https://albar965.github.io/) and pms50.com (a moving map/GPS, panel instrument inside the cockpit) all free.

Edited September 12, 20223 yr by turbomax

41 minutes ago, Cpt_Piett said:

[...]

Hmm, not sure if I understand completely, but Navigraph is working on a VFR charts package as part of their Ultimate 8USD per month subscription (includes worldwide IFR charts as well of course and is great for flight planning in combination with Simbrief). 

[...]

 

Ok, I had never heard of Navigraph before. Will have to look into that. Most of my flying has been in things like Il-2 or DCS where the in game map can be set to show the area, without your location, and had not found a way to do that with the MSFS in game map yet. I figured worse case I could find maps and put them in an outside window, but preferred being able to launch them in-game. (I do plan on doing this as a VR trip, but I have options for projecting windows into a VR space. )

 

3 minutes ago, turbomax said:

say Captain say wot? this is only your Copilot speaking.If I may make a suggestion:

Ok. So this saves flight plans and flight paths, but does that track the actual position of the landing? I.e. if you land at the wrong airport, or in a field, does it track that so you can start there later? 

12 minutes ago, turbomax said:

in addition to Skyvector.com there is littlenavmap (https://albar965.github.io/) and pms50.com (moving map and GPS), panel instrument inside cockpit), all free

True. Haven't used LNM much myself (it's been praised from here on to Xanadu though), but it seems solid with a LOT of options and map layers. I'm sure one of those options is to turn off aircraft position. 

8 minutes ago, HarryVoyager said:

Ok, I had never heard of Navigraph before. Will have to look into that. Most of my flying has been in things like Il-2 or DCS where the in game map can be set to show the area, without your location, and had not found a way to do that with the MSFS in game map yet. I figured worse case I could find maps and put them in an outside window, but preferred being able to launch them in-game. (I do plan on doing this as a VR trip, but I have options for projecting windows into a VR space. )

To be honest I've used used google maps on my ipad with the terrain overlay on when I want to check how lost I can get without GPS or navaids. The last time I tried this was somewhere in British Columbia in quite terrible weather. And I got lost. So lost... 

Edited September 12, 20223 yr by Cpt_Piett

12 minutes ago, HarryVoyager said:

but does that track the actual position of the landing?

it does not track, it saves your current position, wherever you may be, in the air or on the ground, and the whole environment as it was when you saved it, incl. time and weather, current airplane etc. the disadvantage: you can not change weather/time later when you continue from a saved situation. you can save position and/or flightplans. just try the menu options.

Edited September 12, 20223 yr by turbomax

17 minutes ago, Mace said:

[...] I like this sometimes, as I can fly like they did in the 1930's or 40's, using at best radio nav or at worst dead reckoning or pilotage.  It's just as if I had a map/chart handy.

 

And that's the thing I'm looking to do here 🙂 Being able to navigate without any automatic aids is just so cool. It's definitely an area I'm weak at, and I see this as an opportunity to develop that skills set without worrying about mission objectives, and without being bound by a fixed, predetermined map. 

 

And see the world while I'm at it 🙂

 

1 minute ago, turbomax said:

it does not track, it saves your current position, wherever, be it in the air or on the ground, and whole environment as it was when you saved it, incl. time and weather, current airplane etc. the disadvantage: you can not change weather/time when you continue from loaded a saved situation. you can save position and/or flightplans. just try the menu options.

Ok. I'll have to experiment with it some and see how it works in practice. 

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Edited September 13, 20223 yr by turbomax

3 hours ago, Cpt_Piett said:

I'm sure one of those options is to turn off aircraft position. 

wait, there is more: you can turn off pretty much everything in LNM until the map is empty. 🤣

for a world VFR tour, I would say it is perfect as it can connect to MSFS via network to another pc as a moving or non-moving map, but don't know if it works in VR. pms50 does though, as it is a GPS panel.

Edited September 13, 20223 yr by turbomax

2 minutes ago, turbomax said:

wait, there is more: you can turn off pretty much everything in LNM 🤣

Tell me about it! Just digged it out from the dust yesterday (it'd been lying in a corner for the last 5 years or so) in order to plot my world tour on the world map. Think I spent an hour (at least!) turning off the layers. 

25 minutes ago, HarryVoyager said:

as I can fly like they did in the 1930's or 40's, using at best radio nav or at worst dead reckoning or pilotage.

that is something I plan on doing after the 40th anniversary edition release with the Spirit of St. Louis etc. and re-enact Amelia Earhart and Charles Lindbergh flights with  each and every layer in LittleNavmap disabled and see where we end up, just like they did. I will then write a book about my trip and become a LIKEs-millionaire and president of a virtual airline. 🤣

1 hour ago, turbomax said:

that is something I plan on doing after the 40th anniversary edition release with the Spirit of St. Louis etc. and re-enact Amelia Earhart and Charles Lindbergh flights with  each and every layer in LittleNavmap disabled and see where we end up, just like they did. I will then write a book about my trip and become a LIKEs-millionaire and president of a virtual airline. 🤣

That's more fun than following a magenta line.  Not knowing where you'll end up exactly, or if you do end up precisely where you wanted to, it will be because YOU did it and not some computer.