scianoir

Sad to hear these may be the last Tropicalsim products for FS9, but predictable I guess. When you consider that a few developers have already said they are stopping development of airports for FSX, Tropicalsim should be congratulated for sticking with this old platform for so long. However even if no more new payware sceneries ever appear for FS9, this platform in its present state of evolution, if you think about it, is essentially self-sufficient in that there is a vast amount of quality addon scenery and aircraft already available, both payware and freeware, and for that we must be grateful. Indeed anyone who wants to continue flying FS9 should have enough addons to keep them busy and happy for years! Bill

So once you have set it up, your AI pilots do most of the flying essentially in the background and am I correct in assuming that all of this carries on from day to day even if you're not using FSX? Bill

Thanks for that information Frank. It seems therefore that FSX Deluxe has one key but FSX Gold has two, most likely one of these being for the Acceleration Expansion Pack (probably the one with the XP suffix) included in the Gold box. If I ever need to activate FSX again there might have to be a bit of trial and error experimentation with these two keys but I guess I could try the 'Flight Sim X Pro' one first or mayble both keys might need to be entered! Bill

Yes, discovered that tonight! But it just gives you a couple of extra minutes that might allow you to complete a flight. Bill

I am very well aware of that and I have FSX Gold but, notwithstanding that, the product keys in the FSX Gold box are labelled 'Flight Sim X Pro' and 'Flight Simulator X XP'! Bill

Excellent tip which could come in handy thanks! For future reference could I clarify that all you do is open the dlxkey.txt file and replace the words "product key here" with the Flight Sim X Pro product key? I have two product keys in my FSX box - the other is labelled Flight Sim X XP, which I assume is the Acceleration Expansion Pack. Bill

Oh I didn't know that fact about P3D! Sounds like an absolute pain and certainly makes a move to P3D look much less attractive to me 😕. Bill

I normally fly in windows mode so I'll give your tip a try next time Ernie. Odd that the VAS usage doesn't go back up again when you restore the window to full size but, as you say, the VAS monitor doesn't lie. Another tip I heard was to go into full screen mode when you are approaching the VAS threshold and that will often allow you the few extra minutes you need to complete your flight as most of these VAS issues tend to occur on approach to an addon airport. I've tried that a few times but the downside is that when I go into full screen mode I lose any 2D windows which might be open on a second monitor. So your tip sounds better - thank you for that. And for all those out there who are about to chime in and say P3Dv4 is the solution.....................yes, we know that!! 😉 Bill

A great article clearly articulating the sheer love that so many people have developed for this aircraft over the years - truly an icon! If I was asked to list five airliners that have contributed the most to advancing the airline industry my personal selection would be (in no particular order other than chronological): DC-3 - for bringing airline travel into the 'modern' age Comet - for ushering in the jet age (albeit prematurely) 707 - for making long haul air travel affordable to those other than the very rich 747 - for truly bringing long haul travel to the masses Concorde - for obvious reasons The runners up would be the Constellation (first true transatlantic airliner), Viscount (first successful turboprop airliner) and A320 (first newly designed fly by wire airliner). Bill

The mystery goes on! If it's got the word 'glacier' in its name it's probably unlikely to be in a desert. Bill

Thanks for clarifying that Alan - I always like the idea of products that give flights a purpose. I've read the information on AH2 available on the Just Flight product page and it looks as if it could become quite time consuming in itself if you become involved in it in any great detail! However I quite like the concept of this and may well give it a go. Hopefully it doesn't have much of a resource/performance impact and more importantly I hope using it won't intrude too much into my actual flying time! Bill

Having been away from home for a couple of weeks and having previously only carried out a handful of short flights on the 787, I couldn't wait to fly it again so tonight I performed my longest flight yet on this aircraft from Shannon (EINN) to Bergen (ENBR). Although my impatience had got the better of me and I had not yet fully studied all the manuals, I was still able to complete the 1 hour 45 minute night flight without any difficulty, as I suspect anyone could providing they were familiar with the operation of the FMC/CDU/EFIS systems on other Boeing aircraft. This really is a lovely aircraft to operate and it flew the inputted flight plan flawlessly, the only hiccup being that it did not pick up the runway 35 ILS on approach. I don't think this was as a result of any problem with the aircraft, but more likely due to me missing out on something by not fully studying the manuals. Luckily however the weather tonight was good enough to permit a visual approach which I flew manually, but I did not quite have the same amount of luck with VAS usage which sadly hit the threshold as I turned off the runway so I never made it to the terminal! Next time I do a 787 flight in this area I must remember to deactivate Orbx Norway. Bill

Excuse my ignorance Alan as I don't have Air Hauler 2, but am I correct in assuming that you didn't actually have to buy the NXGN CJ4X three times, but rather that you assigned the one that you bought as three different aircraft within your AH2 fleet. I have never really thought about or looked at AH2 as over the years I have bought various utility type addons which I have never really used much and I thought this might just be another one of those, but reading your various comments here makes it sound like an interesting addon that you seem to use a lot and I am now tempted! My apologies for sideslipping slightly off topic! Bill

I seems a bit excessive to call it a dangerous manoeuvre as it was little more than a go-around with a very early turn (and not a steep turn) at low level. However I think the needless low level turn with passengers on board if anything is the thing that might cause the pilot a problem with the authorities as most go-arounds tend to fly runway heading until at least 1,000ft or higher although I am not sure what the go around procedure would be for the runway in question at DUS. Although presumably the passengers were briefed beforehand, I do wonder whether they had any choice in the matter and I can't help thinking there might well have been some more nervous flyers on board who might not have been altogether happy with this prolongation of their flight! On the subject of low level turns by airliners with passengers on board this brings back memories of an arrival into Salzburg which I experienced as a passenger a few years ago in an Air Alpes Do328. After flying a low right hand downwind for runway 34 at SZG the pilot performed quite a steep descending right turn close to the airport as a curved base leg from downwind onto short final. Although as an ex-pilot myself I quite enjoyed this somewhat unique experience in an airliner but, from their reaction, I am certain that a few of the passengers did not! Bill

Juneau or Fairbanks? Bill