FU3 and AVSIM newbie :-)

[Guest thanOS]

Hello AllI am new to AVSIM in general, so a big hello to all of you...I think that you are doing a great job with this website here.I received FU-III as a Christmas gift and it turned out to be one of the best "games" i have ever played.The point is that i can not get the P-51 off the ground no matter what. Initially i thought that this was a problem off runway length so instead of taking of from Jefferson county, i took off from 34L on BFI. The situtation improved slightly...I think that the main problem is that i do not have control over the feathering on the P-51. The manual (pdf accompanying the CDs of the game) is not very helpful and searching around for "hot spots" with the mouse did not reveal any hidden levers or controls in the cockpit :-).Is there some special technique to get this plane off the ground?The second thing is that i can not find any information about approach plates, airfield diagrams, etc PLUS the white lines that designate the taxiways are only visible to the airport i take off...There must be something "out there" but i dont know where...can you help? The flight3.com domain seems abandoned.Another thing i noticed is that the "40 minute corporate shuttle" is just impossible :-). At this point i must say that it is probably me and not the game :-). Taking off from the first airport and landing and taking off from BFI takes about 25 minutes....Most of it is spent in Taxiing (!!!!) Do you have any indication as to what kind of times i should be looking at in this mission? For example, on average how much time should i spend in BFI?About Air Traffic Control...Sometimes when i declare a final i dont get full priority...So when i am number 2 i am being asked to look for traffic to follow....But when i am 3 miles out (on a prop airplane) and on final how am i supposed to look for traffic? Traffic might be behind me and i will still be #2....How far out and at what height i am supposed to start my final? And what am i supposed to do when i am directed to follow another airplane? Wait for it to land or go search for it and get behind it? (Its going to be a little bit like the F16-Falcon this part :-) )Thats all (for today)...i noticed some pretty experienced posts in the relevant forum...so i guess this one is standing out....Any help would be greatly appreciated...All the bestthanOS

[Guest CaptRolo]

Welcome thanOS;Quite a lengthy bit of questions. I won't try to give you all the answers now. As for the P51 ,a tail dragger you need some experiance in just general flight controls and flying easier to fly aircraft .What flight controls are you using??Since this Sim uses real flight dynamics ,it may be difficult at first.Ther's a ton of info in library on P51 and airports . airport diagrams you can get off the net .Try Airnav.com. Taking off from a busy airport is sometimes lengthy because of the Heavys traffic . Sometimes 25 min is not unrealistic from startup to actually going down the runway.Atc might forget you also.so I ask for taxi instructions again.When you are asked to look for traffic ,it means keep your eyes open and scan for whatever may be in your flight path.even if you don't see anything .when you land after another aircraft you may be told to go around traffic on runway.Flight pattern is usually 1000 ft above ground level at airport.so if altitude of airport is 425 ft ,then you would got to 1425.for practice landings I usually go downwind about 2 to 5 miles.If you are flying to another airport ,ask for "vectors direct to" Atc will tell you what altitude to fly and usually tell you when you are 10 miles from airport .then you have to figure speed and decent rate . or at least get to pattern traffic altitude to begin downwind leg of approach.]Hope this helps .My fellow pilots will add to this and give more info for you .You will find a great flying experiance Through Flight Ulimited 3(4)with our addons.CaptRolohttp://forums.avsim.net/user_files/140669.gif

[Guest fu3]

Welcome :-wave"The point is that i can not get the P-51 off the ground no matter what. Initially i thought that this was a problem off runway length so instead of taking of from Jefferson county, i took off from 34L on BFI. The situtation improved slightly...I think that the main problem is that i do not have control over the feathering on the P-51. The manual (pdf accompanying the CDs of the game) is not very helpful and searching around for "hot spots" with the mouse did not reveal any hidden levers or controls in the cockpit .Is there some special technique to get this plane off the ground?"Well, yes and no. The P51 is NOT a beginner's aircraft and you may find yourself skewing all over the runway once the tail's up - but that's just another FU3 'thing' - it models torque pretty well (in real life, the P51 is apparently a 'pig' as far as torque goes).If you can't get full power (Jefferson is doable in a Dash-8!), try advancing pitch (shift+kp- and shift+kp+). You can set pitch in OptionsEnginePropeller to "Auto" to avoid this issue ;)I had some docs on this...Here:http://forums.avsim.net/user_files/140683.gifandhttp://forums.avsim.net/user_files/140684.gifRight-click, save and print ;)The second thing is that i can not find any information about approach plates, airfield diagrams, etc PLUS the white lines that designate the taxiways are only visible to the airport i take off...There must be something "out there" but i dont know where...can you help? The flight3.com domain seems abandoned.It's all out there somewhere :-roll Go here for diagrams:http://www.aopa.org/asf/publications/taxi/and here:http://avn.faa.gov/index.asp?xml=naco/online/d_tpp"Another thing i noticed is that the "40 minute corporate shuttle" is just impossible . At this point i must say that it is probably me and not the game . Taking off from the first airport and landing and taking off from BFI takes about 25 minutes....Most of it is spent in Taxiing (!!!!) Do you have any indication as to what kind of times i should be looking at in this mission? For example, on average how much time should i spend in BFI?"You need to turn AI traffic waaaay down to achieve better than 15 minutes - and be lucky ;):-waveRegards,Jon PointGlide Distance: Half the distance from the airplane to the nearest landing spot...

[Guest thanOS]

Thank you for your reply.>Welcome :-waveNice to be here :-)>Well, yes and no. The P51 is NOT a beginner's aircraft and you>may find yourself skewing all over the runway once the tail's>up - but that's just another FU3 'thing' - it models torque>pretty well (in real life, the P51 is apparently a 'pig' as>far as torque goes).I would not consider my self an expert...but then again i would not classify me to beginners...I have not had the luck to fly a P-51 in real life thats for sure :-)>If you can't get full power (Jefferson is doable in a>Dash-8!), try advancing pitch (shift+kp- and shift+kp+). You>can set pitch in OptionsEnginePropeller to "Auto" to avoid>this issue ;)Well thats the thing...i dont want to have auto-pitch and then there is no lever for the feathering in the cockpit. I also do not have any of these two cards with the controls... I 've got the game from a company called "Sell-Out" and all that is included in the CD is a manual (PDF) covering very basic things.Thanks a lot for these.>Go here for diagrams:>http://www.aopa.org/asf/publications/taxi/>>and here:>http://avn.faa.gov/index.asp?xml=naco/online/d_tppThanks a lot, that will be extremely helpful :-)>You need to turn AI traffic waaaay down to achieve better than>15 minutes - and be lucky ;)OK thats good news for me then :-)Many ThanksthanOS

[Guest thanOS]

Thanks for replying to my message>Welcome thanOS;"Cleared of the runway taxi to AVSIM" :-)>Quite a lengthy bit of questions. I won't try to give you all>the answers now. >As for the P51 ,a tail dragger you need some experiance in>just general flight controls and flying easier to fly aircraft>.>What flight controls are you using??I have a joystick with throttle controls.>Since this Sim uses real flight dynamics ,it may be difficult>at first.>>Ther's a ton of info in library on P51 and airports . airport>diagrams you can get off the net .Try Airnav.com. I will thanks for the link.>Taking off from a busy airport is sometimes lengthy because of>the Heavys traffic . Sometimes 25 min is not unrealistic from>startup to actually going down the runway.Atc might forget you>also.>so I ask for taxi instructions again.To be honest i thought that this was some kind of bug, because sometimes i spend like 5-7 minutes to get clearance to cross a runway (with no airplane taking off in this runway)...So it is part of the realism that the ATC seems to be forgetting you?>When you are asked to look for traffic ,it means keep your>eyes open and scan for whatever may be in your flight>path.even if you don't see anything .when you land after>another aircraft you may be told to go around traffic on>runway.OK, so if i am #4 and 3m out i can still go on and land but just be careful of traffic?>Flight pattern is usually 1000 ft above ground level at>airport.so if altitude of airport is 425 ft ,then you would>got to 1425.Thats good to know...>Hope this helps .Oh yes, it does :-)>You will find a great flying experiance Through Flight>Ulimited 3>(4)with our addons.I noticed many great packages in the library :-)Many thanksthanOS

[Christopher Low 5,324]

ThanOS,"To be honest i thought that this was some kind of bug, because sometimes i spend like 5-7 minutes to get clearance to cross a runway (with no airplane taking off in this runway)...So it is part of the realism that the ATC seems to be forgetting you?"It seems that ATC automatically assigns you a position in its "to do" list as soon as you have contacted the ground controller. This could mean that you are scheduled to be contacted after several planes have taken off or landed, even if that includes some planes that are still taxiing to the runway !My suggestion ? Install Ansgar Avermeyer's High Detail AI Pack (this can be found in the FU3 file library here at AVSIM), and then sit back and enjoy the view while you wait for clearance :-)"OK, so if i am #4 and 3m out i can still go on and land but just be careful of traffic?"Be aware that the tower controller may ask you to "go around" if he is not happy. In my opinion, you should ALWAYS follow the instructions of the controller, otherwise it wouldn't be realistic :-)By the way, you may also notice sometimes that a plane on final approach is told to "go around, traffic on the runway" when you are waiting for take-off clearance. This is another example of the "queueing" that I mentioned above. In other words, you were next in line, so you get priority, even though it would seem to make more sense to let the plane land. I suspect this has been done so that the player never gets "stuck" at busy airports.Chris Low.PS. You will want the "AI Traffic" slider at MAXIMUM to enjoy the High Detail AI Pack at its best ;-)

[Guest thanOS]

Thanks for your reply ChrisLow>My suggestion ? Install Ansgar Avermeyer's High Detail AI Pack>(this can be found in the FU3 file library here at AVSIM), and>then sit back and enjoy the view while you wait for clearance>:-)Its in my list of AVSIM downloads actually :-)>Be aware that the tower controller may ask you to "go around">if he is not happy. In my opinion, you should ALWAYS follow>the instructions of the controller, otherwise it wouldn't be>realistic :-)Thats fine by me...what i find a bit strange is the ATC prompting me to report final on a runway and when i get to final i get the "Traffic to follow" message...>By the way, you may also notice sometimes that a plane on>final approach is told to "go around, traffic on the runway">when you are waiting for take-off clearance. This is another>example of the "queueing" that I mentioned above. In other>words, you were next in line, so you get priority, even though>it would seem to make more sense to let the plane land. I>suspect this has been done so that the player never gets>"stuck" at busy airports.Waiting on the ground is much more different :-)Many thanksthanOS

[Guest fu3]

Thanos,"To be honest i thought that this was some kind of bug, because sometimes i spend like 5-7 minutes to get clearance to cross a runway (with no airplane taking off in this runway)...So it is part of the realism that the ATC seems to be forgetting you?"It's happened to me in real life - and vice versa. I've called in on downwind to report my position, turned onto base and then been told to 'resume traffic pattern until we get back to you' because some nutter (probably another student like me :-roll ) has stopped at the end of the runway - or tried taxiing into a ditch...Another time, I was running-up and called the tower to report that I was making my way to the runway. They told me to proceed OK. Problem is, the engine started acting a bit rough so I stayed at the runup and revved her a bit for about 1 minute. Next thing I hear tower giving clearance to someone else. When I eventually contacted tower they asked if I was expecting to make it to the runway THIS time!I told them that the rubber band had slipped in my fingers but I'd sorted it out and she was wound tight, ready for takeoff :-lolIn real life, you can have a bit of fun with ATC, as long as you do what you're told ;)There's a setting in the CFG file called 'frequent_pilot_slams'. If you turn this on, ATC instantly turn into a bunch of backbiting rednecks who seem to get their enjoyment from abusing us mere mortals for not being perfect. I thought it was fun for a while but I got sick of it. If real ATC controllers treated you like that they'd lose their jobs!:-wave

[Guest thanOS]

Hello fu3>In real life, you can have a bit of fun with ATC, as long as>you do what you're told ;)I read a joke about this in a magazine i keep somewhere here...ATC: "N123YZ, say altitude."N123YZ: "ALTITUDE!"ATC: "N123YZ, say airspeed."N123YZ: "AIRSPEED!"ATC: "N123YZ, say cancel IFR."N123YZ: "Eight thousand feet, one hundred fifty knots indicated." >There's a setting in the CFG file called>'frequent_pilot_slams'. If you turn this on, ATC instantly>turn into a bunch of backbiting rednecks who seem to get their>enjoyment from abusing us mere mortals for not being perfect.>I thought it was fun for a while but I got sick of it. If real>ATC controllers treated you like that they'd lose their jobs!With the lines of the taxiways only appearing in the airport i am taking off, i get enough hassle with Ground control even with the current set-up :-)If i can continue with questions...I noticed some UK scenery in the library...There are several files and one file which contains "All major airports".....Which one is the best for providing the scenery?

[Christopher Low 5,324]

When you land at another airport, the lines should appear as you approach the runway. Are you saying that they don't do this on your PC ?Chris Low.

[Guest thanOS]

Hello>When you land at another airport, the lines should appear as>you approach the runway. Are you saying that they don't do>this on your PC ?I am referring to the lines of the taxiways. For example when i try the 40 minute corporate shuttle challenge, only Renton has the taxiway lines....when i land at Boeing and clear the runway there are no taxiway lines. The situtation is ofcourse better at night...you just check the beacons :-)This is more general. Only the airport i am taking off at any flight mode (quick flight, challenge, etc) has the taxiways clearly defined.Especially for the 40 Minute corporate shuttle i have taken off from every individual airport (that i know the challenge will send me) and kept notes of where the taxiways are supposed to be and where i should turn to go to the runway or find LG Aviation...So i am relying on my notes for the time.Another thing is that i can not find where LG Aviation is on an airport i have not landed before. In Boeing it was easy...it was where the helicopter was (I used the Force on this one :-) )....In Paine Field it was impossible to find it, unless i started at the field and took a note of where the airplane was. That is why i asked for the airfield diagrams in one of my previous postings...I was under the impression that in the proper game manual (which i dont have) the LG Aviation hangar would have been noted either by some mock-up airfield diagram or by written notes.(The airfield diagrams that fellow posters directed me to, where not a bad resource though :-) )Additionaly, when i taxi for takeoff and i switch to F5 view, as the airplane joins a taxiway line the line is sometimes drawn over the plane.Is there a patch for this somewhere?thanOS

[Christopher Low 5,324]

ThanOS,I am not sure if there is a patch for that particular "feature", but it is worth asking here if you have installed the official FU3 patch ?By the way, I would like to take this opportunity to pimp my two region upgrade packs (Seattle 2005 and SanFran 2006). I offer no apologies for doing this, since I'm an attention freak :-lolAnyway, the Seattle 2005 pack includes extensive refurbishments to the taxiways, lighting systems, and AI pathways at ALL of the major airports (and most of the smaller airfields too), seventeen new REAL airfields, hundreds of trees, and electricity pylons throughout the region. In addition, several Unicom airports have been upgraded to tower controlled status, and taxiway signs have been added to help you find your way around :-)SanFran 2006 is a major upgrade of the San Francisco scenery region, and this includes lots of tweaks and modifications to most of the airports (particularly San Jose International), five new REAL airfields (including a fully operational, tower controlled version of Hamilton Air Force Base), hundreds of trees, and lots of interesting landmarks scattered throughout the region (marinas, parks, oil terminals, electricity pylons, electrical substations, water towers, fire lookout towers, radio towers, wind turbines etc). Several Unicom airports in this region have also been upgraded to tower controlled status, again with added taxiway signs, taxiway centreline lighting, and appropriate ATIS, ground, and tower frequencies.Chris Low.

[Guest thanOS]

Hello>ThanOS,>>I am not sure if there is a patch for that particular>"feature", but it is worth asking here if you have installed>the official FU3 patch ?No i have not...I took a look around and noticed that there are some "unofficial" patches that might spoil everything up instead of fixing it....Do you have any reliable link?>By the way, I would like to take this opportunity to pimp my>two region upgrade packs (Seattle 2005 and SanFran 2006). I>offer no apologies for doing this, since I'm an attention>freak :-lolHey, thanks for hijacking this thread :-)Any indication as to which would be the indicated UK-South scenery?

[Christopher Low 5,324]

ThanOS,The official version 2.0 patch should be included on your install CD. You just need to double click on it, and the relevant files will be patched.I have no idea where to get the UK-South scenery, but I am sure that someone around here must do.........Chris Low.PS. If you haven't done so, get yourself a copy of FU2 from Sold Out Software. You can use the San Francisco scenery region in FU3, but you need to install this during the main FU3 installation sequence.

[Guest CaptRolo]

ThanOS;try alt f12 should give a green line to follow for taxi to/from LG fboCaptRolo