bsmonroe

There are several programs that allow you to update airport information and even create new airports from scratch. I use AIrportDesignEditor (ADE) but it isn't the only one out there. You also have the option of editing the xml data - but that is a very tricky process and in the end it is easier to use something like ADE instead. You can also add approaches, markers, etc as well. However, if you haven't done this sort of thing before, you need to give yourself time to read the documentation and forum posts. Otherwise you could find yourself wasting a lot of time doing something that would have been easier had you just read the manual. I have only edited FSX and FS9 airports - PD3 and XPlane likely have equivalent software for those platforms. Also, always do a search on the AVSIM library. It may well be that someone else has already issued a "correct version" of the airport which will save you a lot of time and bother. I've found lots of them that way.

South African AIrlines is one of the last to use the J41 in real-world ops. But hurry if you want to use their routes - they are losing to the EJets.

It was worth the money.

Nothing less than a masterpiece as always.

In pace requiescat!

Definitely worth it as long as you run it realistically. Flying the piston props of that size is a lost art - the immersion level is incredible. And be sure to get AccuSim and Captain of the Ship - that makes it perfect.

I think that when it comes down to it, XPlane and FSX are aimed at different types of users. I was impressed with XPlane graphics - but I am into the ground experience (taxiing refueling etc) just as much as the air - and ground realism is the one area that XPlane could use some work. But - many of the people who use XPlane couldn't care less about the ground experience - and for them XPlane seems to work perfectly. In summary - I wouldn't switch simulators expecting one to be "better" than the other. They will be different, yes. But better or worse? No. That would only be possible if the two were exactly alike and they aren't.

Absolute satisfaction here. Good job.

The same thing here - really strange. Pressing Q does not appear to have any effect. Oddly enough the cockpit sounds are not affected - only the engines. FSX ATC goes down with it.Brian Monroe

As always - and absolutely awesome model! Good job.Brian Monroe

Try this also: select the "RECALCULATE" option - for some reason that loads the item into the cart.Brian Monroe

Using Vista 64 UltimateDual-Core 32004 GB RamATI Radeon 1650X w/512 KBASA Build B431Whenever I attempt to print the briefing or navlog only, an "unhandled exception" error fires - "Handle 0 is not valid"Details follow:See the end of this message for details on invoking just-in-time (JIT) debugging instead of this dialog box.************** Exception Text **************System.ArgumentException: Handle 0 is not valid. at System.Drawing.Printing.PrinterSettings.SetHdevmode(IntPtr hdevmode) at System.Windows.Forms.PrintDialog.UpdatePrinterSettings(IntPtr hDevMode, IntPtr hDevNames, Int16 copies, Int32 flags, PrinterSettings settings, PageSettings pageSettings) at System.Windows.Forms.PrintDialog.ShowPrintDialog(IntPtr hwndOwner, WndProc hookProcPtr, PRINTDLG data) at System.Windows.Forms.PrintDialog.RunDialog(IntPtr hwndOwner) at System.Windows.Forms.CommonDialog.ShowDialog(IWin32Window owner) at System.Windows.Forms.CommonDialog.ShowDialog() at ASA.Briefing_Control.btn_Print_Click(Object sender, EventArgs e) at System.Windows.Forms.Control.OnClick(EventArgs e) at System.Windows.Forms.Control.WmMouseUp(Message& m, MouseButtons button, Int32 clicks) at System.Windows.Forms.Control.WndProc(Message& m) at System.Windows.Forms.Control.ControlNativeWindow.OnMessage(Message& m) at System.Windows.Forms.Control.ControlNativeWindow.WndProc(Message& m) at System.Windows.Forms.NativeWindow.Callback(IntPtr hWnd, Int32 msg, IntPtr wparam, IntPtr lparam)************** Loaded Assemblies **************mscorlib Assembly Version: 2.0.0.0 Win32 Version: 2.0.50727.4016 (NetFxQFE.050727-4000) CodeBase: file:///C:/Windows/Microsoft.NET/Framework/v2.0.50727/mscorlib.dll----------------------------------------ASA_Exec Assembly Version: 11.0.0.431 Win32 Version: 11.0.0.431 CodeBase: file:///C:/Program%20Files%20(x86)/HiFi/ASA/ASA_Exec.exe----------------------------------------Microsoft.VisualBasic Assembly Version: 8.0.0.0 Win32 Version: 8.0.50727.4016 (NetFxQFE.050727-4000) CodeBase: file:///C:/Windows/assembly/GAC_MSIL/Microsoft.VisualBasic/8.0.0.0__b03f5f7f11d50a3a/Microsoft.VisualBasic.dll----------------------------------------System.Windows.Forms Assembly Version: 2.0.0.0 Win32 Version: 2.0.50727.4016 (NetFxQFE.050727-4000) CodeBase: file:///C:/Windows/assembly/GAC_MSIL/System.Windows.Forms/2.0.0.0__b77a5c561934e089/System.Windows.Forms.dll----------------------------------------System Assembly Version: 2.0.0.0 Win32 Version: 2.0.50727.4016 (NetFxQFE.050727-4000) CodeBase: file:///C:/Windows/assembly/GAC_MSIL/System/2.0.0.0__b77a5c561934e089/System.dll----------------------------------------System.Drawing Assembly Version: 2.0.0.0 Win32 Version: 2.0.50727.4016 (NetFxQFE.050727-4000) CodeBase: file:///C:/Windows/assembly/GAC_MSIL/System.Drawing/2.0.0.0__b03f5f7f11d50a3a/System.Drawing.dll----------------------------------------System.Runtime.Remoting Assembly Version: 2.0.0.0 Win32 Version: 2.0.50727.4016 (NetFxQFE.050727-4000) CodeBase: file:///C:/Windows/assembly/GAC_MSIL/System.Runtime.Remoting/2.0.0.0__b77a5c561934e089/System.Runtime.Remoting.dll----------------------------------------System.Configuration Assembly Version: 2.0.0.0 Win32 Version: 2.0.50727.4016 (NetFxQFE.050727-4000) CodeBase: file:///C:/Windows/assembly/GAC_MSIL/System.Configuration/2.0.0.0__b03f5f7f11d50a3a/System.Configuration.dll----------------------------------------System.Xml Assembly Version: 2.0.0.0 Win32 Version: 2.0.50727.4016 (NetFxQFE.050727-4000) CodeBase: file:///C:/Windows/assembly/GAC_MSIL/System.Xml/2.0.0.0__b77a5c561934e089/System.Xml.dll----------------------------------------ASA Assembly Version: 11.0.0.431 Win32 Version: 11.0.0.431 CodeBase: file:///C:/Program%20Files%20(x86)/HiFi/ASA/ASA.DLL----------------------------------------HiFiUtil Assembly Version: 1.0.0.25 Win32 Version: 1.0.0.25 CodeBase: file:///C:/Program%20Files%20(x86)/HiFi/ASA/HiFiUtil.DLL----------------------------------------HiFiLic Assembly Version: 1.0.0.26 Win32 Version: 1.0.0.26 CodeBase: file:///C:/Program%20Files%20(x86)/HiFi/ASA/HiFiLic.DLL----------------------------------------Interop.Scripting Assembly Version: 1.0.0.0 Win32 Version: 1.0.0.0 CodeBase: file:///C:/Program%20Files%20(x86)/HiFi/ASA/Interop.Scripting.DLL----------------------------------------WorldData Assembly Version: 1.0.0.12 Win32 Version: 1.0.0.12 CodeBase: file:///C:/Program%20Files%20(x86)/HiFi/ASA/WorldData.DLL----------------------------------------HiFiSimControls Assembly Version: 1.1.0.1 Win32 Version: 1.1.0.1 CodeBase: file:///C:/Program%20Files%20(x86)/HiFi/ASA/HiFiSimControls.DLL----------------------------------------HiFiSimInterface Assembly Version: 1.0.0.35 Win32 Version: 1.0.0.35 CodeBase: file:///C:/Program%20Files%20(x86)/HiFi/ASA/HiFiSimInterface.DLL----------------------------------------AvMath Assembly Version: 1.0.0.28 Win32 Version: 1.0.0.28 CodeBase: file:///C:/Program%20Files%20(x86)/HiFi/ASA/AvMath.DLL----------------------------------------Accessibility Assembly Version: 2.0.0.0 Win32 Version: 2.0.50727.4016 (NetFxQFE.050727-4000) CodeBase: file:///C:/Windows/assembly/GAC_MSIL/Accessibility/2.0.0.0__b03f5f7f11d50a3a/Accessibility.dll----------------------------------------User_FlightPlan Assembly Version: 1.0.0.19 Win32 Version: 1.0.0.19 CodeBase: file:///C:/Program%20Files%20(x86)/HiFi/ASA/User_FlightPlan.DLL----------------------------------------HiFiFSUIPC Assembly Version: 1.0.0.25 Win32 Version: 1.0.0.25 CodeBase: file:///C:/Program%20Files%20(x86)/HiFi/ASA/HiFiFSUIPC.DLL----------------------------------------HiFiSimConnect1 Assembly Version: 1.0.1.26 Win32 Version: 1.0.1.26 CodeBase: file:///C:/Program%20Files%20(x86)/HiFi/ASA/HiFiSimConnect1.DLL----------------------------------------HiFiSimConnect2 Assembly Version: 1.0.2.26 Win32 Version: 1.0.2.26 CodeBase: file:///C:/Program%20Files%20(x86)/HiFi/ASA/HiFiSimConnect2.DLL----------------------------------------Microsoft.FlightSimulator.SimConnect Assembly Version: 10.0.61259.0 Win32 Version: 10.0.61637.0 (FSX-Xpack.20070926-1421) CodeBase: file:///C:/Windows/assembly/GAC_32/Microsoft.FlightSimulator.SimConnect/10.0.61259.0__31bf3856ad364e35/Microsoft.FlightSimulator.SimConnect.dll----------------------------------------msvcm80 Assembly Version: 8.0.50727.4016 Win32 Version: 8.00.50727.4016 CodeBase: file:///C:/Windows/WinSxS/x86_microsoft.vc80.crt_1fc8b3b9a1e18e3b_8.0.50727.4016_none_d0893820442e7fe4/msvcm80.dll----------------------------------------System.Management Assembly Version: 2.0.0.0 Win32 Version: 2.0.50727.4016 (NetFxQFE.050727-4000) CodeBase: file:///C:/Windows/assembly/GAC_MSIL/System.Management/2.0.0.0__b03f5f7f11d50a3a/System.Management.dll----------------------------------------Microsoft.mshtml Assembly Version: 7.0.3300.0 Win32 Version: 7.0.3300.0 CodeBase: file:///C:/Windows/assembly/GAC/Microsoft.mshtml/7.0.3300.0__b03f5f7f11d50a3a/Microsoft.mshtml.dll----------------------------------------System.Data Assembly Version: 2.0.0.0 Win32 Version: 2.0.50727.4016 (NetFxQFE.050727-4000) CodeBase: file:///C:/Windows/assembly/GAC_32/System.Data/2.0.0.0__b77a5c561934e089/System.Data.dll----------------------------------------************** JIT Debugging **************To enable just-in-time (JIT) debugging, the .config file for thisapplication or computer (machine.config) must have thejitDebugging value set in the system.windows.forms section.The application must also be compiled with debuggingenabled.For example:<configuration> <system.windows.forms jitDebugging="true" /></configuration>When JIT debugging is enabled, any unhandled exceptionwill be sent to the JIT debugger registered on the computerrather than be handled by this dialog box.-------MS dropped a "NET runtime update" this morning - hope this didn't have anything to do with it.Cheers,Brian

System: Vista Ultimate 32 on an AMD Athlon 64 dual-core PC; 4 GB Ram; 400 GB hard drive; FSX SP2, ATI Radeon 1650 512MB.I use another piece of software unrelated to flight simming called Sibelius which frequently crashed with the annoying "application stopped working" message. The company posted a fix that took care of that problem - and also took care of the same problem in FSX.It used to be that certain add-ons (notably MadDog 2006 and Wilco Airbus) would not quit FSX cleanly: if I was using them and quit FSX, the application would crash with the "application stopped working" message. No longer since I installed the update.I cannot post the file here and I am not sure if non-users of the software can download it. The file looks for AppInit_DLL files in the registry (whatever those may be) and deletes them. In this case it was a file that had something to do with PGP desktop. The disabled file has had no adverse effect on PGP desktop and FSX is a lot more fun to use.Perhaps someone who knows more about the inner depths of programming can follow up on this clue?

It was a VERY rough ride today - the autoflight system was going nuts because the wind was changing direction and speed every 1 second interval. Which is actually great if you're after absolute realism - but the models I fly do NOT respond well to this sort of thing.However - you can't beat it for realism.

I do not have FSINN.Someone at one point thought it had something to do with the gyro drift option but I tried that too - it makes no difference.Brian

I will do that - and thanks for your suggestions.Brian

Complete reinstall (including a complete UNinstall first using the uninstaller - not deleting files) has accomplished nothing. The same strange problems persist: bizarre behavior when using the VNAV and LNAV (holding at 1800FPM with sudden forays into 5100FPM and not being able to hold course).This problem is only occuring with PMDG aircraft - all other add-on aircraft are working fine.Oh well - maybe someday....(Of course, it is made clear that PMDG recommends XP and SP1 during the install - and I am running Vista and SP2 so I have no beef with PMDG.)

I am convinced I have a corrupted AFDS.No matter what I do, pushing the N1 button will not light up the far left column. It is always blank. The lights for VNAV and LNAV come on on the autopilot panel - but it seems that there is no connection whatever to the AFDS. In fact the autothrottle doesn't work at all - even with VNAV enabled (and lit), if I back off the throttles the aircraft stalls.And even with all three columns lit up - the tracking is still way off.As soon as I get my new download link I will reinstall and see if that makes a difference.http://forums.avsim.net/user_files/186284.jpg

Mats,I will test it.Brian

*blushing* Almost forgot: This is FSX running on Windows Vista Ultimate 32 with SP2.This is an AMD 64 Dual Core processor, 4GB memory, 200GB Hard Drive.

Mats,I do apologize - I actually was referring to LNAV.This is a flight from KSEA to KSFO. Default Weather is used - (with the option "update every 15 minutes for real weather" checked) - FSUIPC is the latest version (as of March 5th).All preflight in the FMC has been done and no blank fields are input. Compass is set to NORM (not TRUE). I screwed up when aligning the IRS so that only the Right IRS was aligned (still can't remember to right click the knobs!) - but that shouldn't make a difference. This happens no matter which IRS is used.After takeoff - LNAV/VNAV is engaged - display shows "CAPTURE" but track is already off. (Range is set at 40).http://forums.avsim.net/user_files/186277.jpgIt gets worse as we proceed between the waypoints.http://forums.avsim.net/user_files/186278.jpgApproaching WANTA we begin to move closer to the "track"http://forums.avsim.net/user_files/186279.jpgWe intercept WANTA - but not on track - and immediately begin our turn. However, FSX and FSC report that we did NOT fly over or intercept the waypoint.http://forums.avsim.net/user_files/186281.jpgThis is a shot after leaving WANTA with the range bumped up to 20NM - you can see the extent of the deviationhttp://forums.avsim.net/user_files/186282.jpgAnd (with the range turned back to 40), you can see that as we approach LTJ, we once again draw closer to the track.http://forums.avsim.net/user_files/186283.jpgOn more than a few occasions, the plane flew so far off the track that even the FMC realized that the waypoint was missed - so the aircraft turned AROUND, flew a 180 over the waypoint, and then continued back on course! Fuel planning is out the window.(By the way, even the VNAV does some strange things: the aircraft will climb steadily at 1800 FMP - then suddenly will zoom into 5100 feet and then suddenly level back to 1800 FMP. This appears to occur because of the thrust setting - but it is a little jarring.Hope this helps - I would love to be able to fly the aircraft!Brian

I have never been able to get the VNAV to work at all.Between waypoints, the aircraft holds to the path in the display - then starts to drift. It gets off course enough that the MS ATC starts complaining.It begins to drift back on to the course about the time the waypoint is reached - but it "spins" over the waypoint in much the same way that a VOR needle does when the waypoint is reached.If you want screen shots I'll try to get some.Brian

Calvin had it right when he said that life needs a rewind/erase button.I tried a flight once again and discovered that, yes, the Vista reinstall DID fix the tracking problem too.My mistake was expecting a huge airframe like the 747 to track "on a dime" to the GPS/FMS without taking into consideration the effects of wind and weight. After looking closer at the readings, PMDG has appears to have very realistically duplicated the true effect of flying the plan by FMS: the turns are slow (as they should be) and if the wind is blowing hard it will take a while to drift back into the track.I'm afraid I have gotten a little jaded over the years in FS, being used to airplanes that turn a perfect turn at a bank angle of nearly 45 without shaking and doing this at Vmo. I should have known better: I am even more impressed with PMDGs modelling.Yes - there WAS drift before I reinstalled Vista - but what drift there is now is to be expected given the effects of wind/weight etc etcNow - for those who dislike the thought of a "reinstall" - I was able to do this WITHOUT doing a "clean" reinstall of Vista - which meant that I did NOT have to locate the install files and reinstall all of my programs or my data. -->You should still back up your data before you do ANY reinstall!<-- But simply reinstalling the O/S and the updates is a lot quicker than having to do a complete reinstall. (A few hours as opposed to a few days).The reinstall also significantly improved other aspects of FS.Good job PMDG!

I did that - it did not solve the tracking problem (although it did fix some other problems).

I loaded the Cessna default on JFK 31L and the compass (plus the electronic versions) read 315 on the nose. Loaded the 747 GE PMDG house model and it read exactly the same.Switched from "N" to "T" and the compass rose did indeed rotate to 301. (The "whiskey" compass did not but that one shouldn't as far as I know).Is there another parameter we should be looking at?Also - if the magnetic deviation were the problem, wouldn't that also cause the waypoints to be missed entirely? The waypoints themselves are being reached.It seems that the tracking error has something to do with the difference between the orthodromic course and geographic course perhaps? ("straight line" as opposed to "round world")?BestBrian