RobertVA

OK, I missed the "x" in "fsx", but since I never bought that version I haven't looked into what utilities work with that version. Does FSX retain the automatic full tanks function when the plane stops in close proximity to the pump? If so wouldn't that make GSX merely automated scenery depicting a truck pulling up? To me using the menu and fuel pop-up is usually pretty easy. I keep the mouse and keyboard handy anyway for tasks like operating the navigation radios, operating the GPS and control functions like auto-throttle, thrust reverser deployment and spoilers.

While the Windows 8/8.1 Start screen looks different from the Windows 7 start menu I don't agree with all the "hate eight' sentiment. The Windows 8/8.1 start screen still allows users to "pin" their most frequently used apps to the start screen, the most frequently used apps can be moved to the more convenient left side of the screen, has the circled white arrow near the lower left corner to list all programs and allows the entry of a search with the first keystroke. Using earlier versions of Windows many users left the task bar at the bottom of the screen with the start/logo button at the left end, a few pixels away from the screen corner where the Windows 8 logo link to the start screen hides (even while running new style apps). With the Windows 8.1 desktop the logo no longer hides. While new Windows 8 style apps can't have cascading windows, two new style apps can share the screen in a horizontal tile configuration. Compatible apps written for earlier versions of Windows need to be run on the Windows 8/8.1 desktop where their windows can be cascaded like they always were. Menus/tool bars for new style apps hide, in a manner similar to the desktop task bar in earlier versions of Windows, which allows the document pane more space. Now with the second update new style apps have a hidden title bar with a "x" close button, a power off icon has been added to the start screen and the task bar is accessible at the bottom of new style apps.

This being the Hanger Talk forum it's not a certainty which simulator you're using, thus any available add-ons would vary. In many versions of the Microsoft flight simulator if you want a 100% fuel load just stop your plane in front of the fuel pump (in some versions in an area marked with a yellow square)

On the Windows 8.1 start menus posted above clicking that white down arrow with the circle around it near the lower left corner displays a program list with headings, at least some of headings are apparently representing folders in the user's start folder. Some programs that are compatible with earlier versions of Windows work better than others. I've encountered a few where Windows 8.1 even refuses to run the installation program. So far I haven't attempted installing any flight simulators on Windows 8.1 (I have some limited recent experience with X-Plane on a 7" Android tablet). The OS also rapidly opens the text box for a search as soon as a letter is typed with the start menu on the display. Over the 6 days I've had the Windows 8.1 laptop the desired program is displayed on a clickable list by the time the third letter is typed (often faster). On the laptop's touch pad swiping from the right edge displays "charms" (links) for things like sharing, devices (including printers) and setup. From the start menu the setup charm includes things like personalization and the control panel. From the new Windows 8 apps the list resulting from clicking the setup charm varies as appropriate for that particular app.

A United 727 on a trip from Norfolk, Virginia to San Diego, California with a stop in Pittsburg and a change to a little Embreir at LAX. I was initially disappointed that the cabin windows were obscured by morning dew. During the takeoff roll there was a sudden sound of rushing water while the cabin windows simultaneously cleared. As it was an overcast morning the aircraft quickly climbed into the clouds. There must have been some mist above the denser body of the clouds, as the aircraft's shadow was surrounded by a circular rainbow, It felt a bit intimidating in the little Embreir surrounded by all the 747s and DC10s at LAX. Boarding was through an actual gate in a fence. At San Diego we were directed through a gate outside one end of the terminal to 'baggage claim" on the sidewalk in front of the terminal!

Have you been to the Military Aviation Museum in Virginia Beach?

An easily removable component like a control surface, access panel, baggage hold door, or nose dome might be replaced with a spare and shipped back to a central maintenance facility to be repaired. That way the aircraft itself isn't out of service for a long period. There might be a short grounding while the spare is air freighted from a central warehouse and/or a staff or contractor mechanic travels in. When patching either metal or composite structures the extent of the damage has to be determined and the width of the repair layers plotted out. Since angled corners would concentrate structural loads the corners must meet a minimum radius and blend into the adjacent straight edges. Locations for rivets and similar fasteners have to plotted out with consideration for those which previously connected the aircraft skin to underlying structures. Often multiple rows are required with staggered positions. Outer rows require additional rivets in the corners). If high loads make steel fasteners in aluminum skin or underlying structure necessary they need to be painted immediately before insertion to retard corrosion. Air bubbles have to expelled from any patches that rely on adhesives, including repairs to composite structures. Patches might require an application of plastic film over the "wet" patch and the application of a powerful vacuum pump to extract sir from under the film (environmental air pressure clamps the patch to the surface). The resin eventually holds the patch layers together and attaches the patch to the original structure. Effective materials might require the resins to be soaked into the reinforcing material at the materials manufacturer and shipped and stored at dozens of degrees below 0°F until shortly before use. Wherever the resin is produced the ingredients, some of which might be toxic until the patch hardens, need to be measured in precise quantities. An application of heat might be required to make the resins cure properly. On at least one military aircraft damage to certain composite structures could produce splinters of the reinforcing material that were very brittle and difficult to effectively extract if they penetrated an employee's hand or finger.

With many jet transports cruising five to eight miles above the ground and the conductive aluminum skin of most of those aircraft I'm surprised the cell towers and cell phones could even detect each other. I'm thinking any signals that do find their way into or out of the cabin would have to go through the small area of the windows, which would add to the distance to the tower because for all but window seat passengers the signals would have to link to towers at significant horizontal distance from the plane.

In one of the earlier versions of FS I was having problems hovering and landing the helicopter. Frequently the aircraft would start yawing in a manner I had problems recovering from. One day I was giving it another try over the apron at Meigs when I decided to fly over the runway. Suddenly I was having a much easier time maintaining control. I went back over the apron, and the control difficulties returned. In that version the apron and taxiways at that airport had a significantly blurrier low resolution texture than the runway pavement. I discovered similar improvement to my hovering ability if some 3D scenery item like a building was withing a few hundred feet in front of me. Sometimes spending time with a program leads to unexpected discoveries like that.

I wonder if the cooling air inside the nose cone could contract enough to make it collapse. I suspect it's normally vented, but vents might occasionally get clogged. If moisture infiltrated the nose cone's structure there might have been delamination leading to structural failure. I've seen some nose cones with a sandwich of composite materials, solid layers inside and out with a center layer that resembles honeycomb. If water got into the cells it could make the layers separate when it freezes.

Unfortunately Google Earth stopped working on my computer (It used to). I not only uninstalled and reinstalled twice, the second time I made sure the application data folder for Google Earth was deleted (to make sure I didn't have a corrupt data file gumming up the works). Tried Google Earth in both DirectX and OpenGL modes. Computer still passes DXDIAG DirectX video tests (3D versions through 9) and DXDIAG audio tests. I'm not sure what prompted the program ceasing to work. One of the pop-ups provided the name of some sort of feedback file I could send back to Google, but I couldn't make any sense out of the file when I opened it with Notepad or Wordpad.

Private road beyond airport boundary: Airport operator would not be responsible for design, installation, operation or maintenance of traffic control devices (signs, lights, roadway markings or gates) unless there was a contract with the owner of the road. Airport operator wouldn't even be able to control traffic or install controls on the road without permission from the owner of the property the road was on. Airport operator may have responsibility to locate runway a distance from the roadway that would result in aircraft on a reasonable glide slope clearing traffic on a roadway the airport operator didn't control. Since the displaced threshold was over 400 feet from the roadway IMO this had been accomplished. Possibility an aircraft so far below a reasonable glide slope to strike a vehicle would also be so low that terrain or vegetation would obstruct a motorist's view of the approaching aircraft. Traffic controls on private property: In some jurisdictions failure to follow directions might not be subject to citations by government law enforcement officers, thus limited to civil liability between collision participants and any respective insurance companies. Civil jury verdicts might not be very predictable. Even on public roads law enforcement officers might not be able to cite drivers for offenses the officer doesn't personally witness. I'm not familiar with the climate in that part of Texas, but pavement markings alone certainly wouldn't be effective if there was snow or ice on the road. Road markings alone might not be adequate on a rainy night either, especially if the pavement markings are old or made with non-reflective paint. Probably little if any regulations/laws establishing standards for traffic controls on private roads. Any standards would probably be either completely voluntary or a condition imposed by a liability insurer. I see little reason to blame the airport operator, a minor omission on the road owners part for inadequate traffic controls (should have at least had STOP signs and "Low Flying Aircraft" signs). While I see some negligence on the part of the SUV driver IMO by far the blame for this incident lies with the student pilot (and to the extent the "student" status the flight instructor) for inadequate altitude before reaching the airport grounds (well below glide slope).

About 25 years ago I rode a TWA 727 that had the front right (galley) exit just forward of the wing instead of the normal position at the front of the passenger cabin. This wasn't a pleasant situation when on a cold windy St Louis day the food wasn't brought on board until the passengers were on in their seats (coats and other cold weather wear stowed).

As far as spell checking posts is concerned, some browsers include a spell check function that works in most forums (Firefox works here, but not in Barnes & Noble's "book clubs"). There's also the option of composing posts in an external application that features spell check (like OpenOffice Write or Microsoft Word) and using the Microsoft Windows OS clipboard to transfer the text to the browser's text box. Of course spell checks won't catch a properly spelled wrong word (like sore where you should have typed soar).

Remember that your aircraft's weight will gradually decline over the course of a flight as a result of fuel consumption. It takes more lift to climb when the aircraft is heavier. At high altitudes the lower air density significantly reduces the lift the aircraft can produce. With nearly full fuel tanks any aircraft will not be able to climb as high as it will be able to later in the flight when more of the fuel has been consumed. When pilots plan a flight approaching the aircraft's maximum range they might need to cruise for a few hours at a lower altitude and wait until fuel consumption lightens the plane enough to climb higher. When the planned flight is significantly shorter than that model's maximum range the plane will leave the gate with less than a full fuel load, as fuel weight is also a factor affecting air speed, angle of attack (would effect the ability to see the runway during final approach) and length of the landing roll out (going off the end of the runway is seldom appreciated).