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Airliners!
A BEGINNER’S
GUIDE

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Microsoft
Flight
Simulator
Developer’s Diary
Combat Flight Airliner Reviews
March/April
2020
How to choose No: 126
your aircraft

Simulation
UK £5.49

PMDG’s 737NGXu and Aerosoft’s A330 professional

01 Cover PCP MarApr2020.indd 1 29/01/2020 11:19:02

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 EDITORIAL

PCPilot
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Flight Simulation – Your Complete Guide www.Key.Aero

Flying
‘Tin!’

H
ello and a warm airliners: PMDG’s 737NGXu, issue for its highly anticipated Happy flight simming!
welcome to another Aerosoft’s A330 professional, Flight Simulator (pages 52-55). Derek Davis, Editor
‘special’ issue of PC Aerosoft’s CRJ professional In fact, the image of the Boeing [email protected]
Pilot. Having produced and SSG’s Boeing 747-8i. 747-8i used on our front cover,
an edition dedicated to light To complement our review of is taken from that simulator. We
aircraft in Issue 124, it seemed SSG’s 747, the Flight Adventure also have an exclusive interview
only fitting to produce a magazine for this issue is flown using with the scenery creator, Gary
in a similar vein but this time that particular aircraft. Summons (pages 48-50), and for Your Aviation Destination

PCPilot
focusing on airliners – always In addition, we have a special fans of combat flight simulation,
a popular subject among our feature on flight planning, a feature which offers advice on
readers. So in this edition, to kick which is specifically aimed setting up your controllers and
things off, we have a beginner’s at airliner flight sim pilots. what factors to consider when
guide to airliners, written As well as our focus on airliners, selecting an aircraft (pages 72-75).
primarily for those who are new we also have a round-up of all So, whatever your taste in
see page 10 for full details
to the genre. This is followed by the latest updates that Microsoft flight simulation, I hope we have
reviews of four recently released has released since our previous something in this issue for you.

EDITORIAL Advertisement Manager: Jodie Taylor Readers in USA can place subscriptions by to ensure the accuracy of the information
Editor: Derek Davis ([email protected]) Advertising Production Manager: Debi McGowan visiting www.pcpilot.net or by calling toll free published in PC Pilot, including the contents
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www.Key.Aero #126 PC PILOT / 3

03 Editorial PCP MarApr2020.indd 3 06/02/2020 11:16:22

 CONTENTS

Contents
Regulars
03 Editorial
Interviews
48 Gary Summons - The creator
06 News of UK2000 Scenery
In this exclusive interview, we talk to the
08 Comms highly respected designer Gary Summons
76 Downloads - well-known within the flight simulation
community for his award-winning
Reviews UK2000 series of scenery add-ons.

16 PMDG’s 737 NGXu -

The reboot of a classic Features
12 Flying Airliners -
20 Aerosoft’s A330 professional A Beginner’s Guide: Part One
Great Expectations Once the intricacies of general aviation
24 Aerosoft’s CRJ professional - have been mastered, the natural
A true study simulation of the CRJ progression for many is to move on to
550, 700, 900 and 1000 the flight deck environment of a modern
airliner. In this two-part guide, we will look
28 SSG’s Boeing 747-8i - at the diverse world of airliners and the
Anniversary Edition various aircraft that operate in this role.
32 Orbx’s TrueEarth US Northern
California - Orbx continues to 52 Microsoft Flight Simulator -
refine the US landscape Developer’s Diary
Since our previous Developer’s Diary,
36 Just Flight’s Traffic Global - Asobo Studio has released a series
Bringing AI life to X-Plane of updates that provide us with an
40 Just Flight’s Robin DR400 - insight into the ongoing development
Going for a song of Microsoft Flight Simulator. We catch
up with the latest news on the progress
44 vFlyteAir Simulations’ Cessna of the upcoming simulation platform.
150 Commuter - Flying the
C150 from a real-world pilot’s 60 Challenging Airports -
perspective Nuuk, Greenland (BGGH)
68 Deka Ironwork Simulations’ Located on the southwest coast of
Greenland, Nuuk contains nearly one-
DCS: JF-17 Thunder - A new
third of the country's population. With
lightweight, single-engine, multi- links to other parts of the country
vFlyteAir Simulations’
role combat aircraft for DCS
World
and beyond, the airport at Nuuk is
an essential gateway to the region.
Cessna 150 Commuter 44

Deka Ironwork Simulations’

DCS: JF-17 Thunder 68

4 / PC PILOT #126 www.Key.Aero

04-05 Contents PCP MarApr2020.indd 4 06/02/2020 11:42:44

 Next Month
The next issue of
PC Pilot (Issue 127) will
be on sale in UK shops
on April 16.

SSG’s
Boeing 747-8i 28
64 Boeing 747 50th Anniversary
Flight Adventure
World aviation recently celebrated the
50th anniversary of the maiden flight of
the Boeing 747 ‘Jumbo Jet’. To mark the
occasion, we fly three special routes in
this edition of our Flight Adventure, while
exploring some interesting facts and figures
relating to the ‘Queen of the Skies’.

72 Baron’s Combat Corner -

Tools of the trade!
This edition of 'Combat Corner' offers
advice on optimising the various features
Aerosoft’s CRJ
professional 24 within your simulation and what to look
for when choosing your combat aircraft.

Tutorials
56 Back to Basics - We fly across
northern California and learn
some new navigation tips
In our previous issue, we showed
you how to use real-world techniques
to navigate in your flight simulator.
In this edition, we continue our
journey across northern California
and provide useful tips that will
help you fly and navigate visually.

80 Flight Planning for Airliners -

A hints and tips guide
In this hints and tips guide, we explore
one of the more important aspects of
airliner operations: flight planning. We
also learn how to interpret a typical
route and list some useful utilities Orbx’s TrueEarth US
for creating a realistic flight plan. Northern California 32

www.Key.Aero #126 PC PILOT / 5

04-05 Contents PCP MarApr2020.indd 5 06/02/2020 11:42:49

 NEWS

Infinite Flight status update XL560

Infinite Flight has released version 19.4 of its
mobile flight simulator platform. Version 19.4
and dark’ state using standard procedures
although an auto-start option is available. Citation
adds the wide-body Airbus A350-900, a major
rework of the Cessna 172, an overhauled
map, improved in-flight user interface
Infinite Flight has also reworked the map for
future development. The previous map was
built to accommodate a selection of regions
out now
The latest aircraft to roll out of the
and live instruments for the TBM-930. rather than the entire earth. In version 19.4, Carenado hangar is the XL560
The new A350 features fully animated and the map has been redesigned to provide Citation for FSX and Prepar3D.
functional glass cockpit displays. It is also the more detail such as accurate borders and Based on the Cessna Citation Excel
first jet in Infinite Flight’s fleet to model gear tilt coastlines. One small but important addition is 560XL, the aircraft from Carenado features
to make landings more realistic. New camera an autopilot helper, which shows pilots where seven high-definition liveries and a blank
views will help pilots fly from the cockpit. For they will be on reaching their desired altitude template for creating custom paint jobs.
example, a slat and flap indicator in the Primary based on current speed and climb rate, which Audio effects include authentic XL560
Flight Display (PFD) and the Nav display will can be helpful when following ATC instructions. engine sounds, aural warnings and braking
assist pilots in monitoring the flight progress. Infinite Flight is continually adding effects on the taxi and landing run.
The A350 comes with 34 liveries, all available working cockpits to its current aircraft Up front, the cockpit is fitted with
immediately to Infinite Flight Pro subscribers. fleet and in this update, the TBM-930 now Carenado’s Primus 1000 avionics with
The Cessna 172 has been reworked from comes with a PFD, Multi-Function Display custom night lighting. Compatibility
the ground up and features a new 3D (MFD) and two standby instruments. with the Flight1 GTN 750 and Reality
model, upgraded flight dynamics and live Additional features include: New A320 XP GTN 750 is also included (please
instruments. The 172 will be free to all users liveries, NDB and VOR navigation is note these are sold separately).
in keeping with the Infinite Flight’s “once free, now possible, added the ability to go It comes with a January 2016
always free" motto. This version also features directly to an airport spawn point, iOS Navigraph database and users with
a selection of liveries, a ‘steam gauge’ panel 13 support, progressive braking, better active subscriptions can update to the
as well as a glass cockpit version with G1000 instrument performance and reworked latest AIRAC cycle. The aircraft is Virtual
displays. The 172 can be started from a ‘cold user authentication for Android devices. Reality (VR)-ready and features a control
panel for setting window transparency,
instrument reflections and ground
equipment such as wheel chocks.
The XL560 Citation is available on
the Carenado website for $39.95
(£31 approx) - www.carenado.com/
sitecarenado/product/xl560-p3d-fsx.

T-37B Tweet ready for take-off MilViz aircraft

Simworks Studios has announced the
twin-engine T-37B Tweet jet trainer is
and avionics systems. The instruments work
independently for the student and instructor now available
now available for Prepar3D V4.
The package comes with five detailed liveries
and P3D-specific features including Physically
and command can be passed between the two.
Other highlights include realistic flight
dynamics and an authentic sound set, while
on Orbx Central
Orbx and MilViz have entered a partnership
Based Rendering (PBR) materials and Dynamic the detailed virtual cockpit features custom
enabling customers to purchase
Lighting. For the study-level pilot, almost animations such as 3D pilots and sun visors.
MilViz products via Orbx Central. It is
every system is accurately replicated and The T-37B Tweet is available on Just Flight’s
now possible to buy a range of MilViz
work as they do on the real aircraft, such as website for £33.99 - www.justflight.com/
aircraft and download them directly
the electrical, lighting, pitot-static, fuel, engine product/simworks-studios-t37b-tweet.
to your simulator via Orbx Central.
As well as taking advantage of Orbx’s
fast download servers and quick
installation process, updates can also
be applied quickly and seamlessly
via the Orbx Central platform.
The following MilViz aircraft are
available on Orbx Central: B407, DHC-2
Beaver, DHC-3 Otter, F-86F Sabre,
F-86F Sabre - TacPac Edition, MD 530F,
PC-6 Turbo-Porter. More information
is available on Orbx Central - https://
orbxdirect.com/partner/milviz.

6 / PC PILOT #126 www.Key.Aero

06-07 News PCP MarApr2020.indd 6 04/02/2020 14:13:01

 Visit us Follow us
www.Key.Aero facebook.com/pcpilot

Honolulu for X-Plane released Zagreb

professional
out now
Aerosoft has announced Zagreb professional
for P3DV4 is now available. Serving the
capital of Croatia, the airport is recreated
in detail with major buildings and facilities,
including the terminal and military area.
Objects around the airport such as
windsocks, apron traffic and optional SODE
animated jetways are all faithfully modelled.
Other highlights include rain effect,
realistic glass reflections and 3D runway
The latest destination to be released over at façade and polygons. Finally, the airport lighting. The Visual Docking Guidance
X-Plane.org is PHNL - Honolulu International features animated X-Plane ground service System (VDGS) at the East apron is
Airport. The Hawaiian destination is modelled vehicles and is World Traffic compatible. fully functional and the package also
in detail with accurate terminals and airport PHNL - Honolulu International includes two AFCAD files for pass-through
buildings, as well as the general aviation Airport is available over on x-plane. and push-back on the west apron.
area, cargo facilities and Hickam AFB. org for $19.95 (£15.30 approx) - https:// The surrounding area is recreated with
Vegetation specific to Hawaii is included store.x-plane.org/PHNL--Honolulu- rivers, lakes, roads and land class data,
along with more than 10,000 custom objects, International-Airport_p_1129.html. covering 4200km² with dense autogen
vegetation and custom buildings, such

Aeroplane Heaven’s as the ruins of the medieval fortified town

of Medvedgrad. It comes with colour-
matched seasonal effects for the vegetation,

Hurricane scrambled! ground textures and 3D objects, with snow

during the winter season. The package
blends seamlessly with both default
P3D and Orbx environments and is fully
compatible with AI traffic add-ons.
Zagreb is available on the Aerosoft online
shop for €25.16 (£21 approx). It is also
available for FSX, FSX: Steam Edition and
Prepar3D version 3, but without PBR or
Dynamic Lighting effects - www.aerosoft.
com/en/flight-simulation/flight-simulator-x-
steam/sceneries/2778/zagreb-professional.

MK-Studios releases
Tenerife Vol.2
Scenery developer, MK-Studios has released
Tenerife North Vol.2 v2 for Prepar3D version 4.
The highly anticipated Aeroplane lever for the flaps and landing gear and Tenerife North (GCXO) is an inter-island hub
Heaven Hawker Hurricane MK1 for a collimated gunsight reticle. A separate connecting the Canary Islands to the Iberian
FSX and Prepar3D is out now. late model interior is also included for Peninsula and Europe. Surrounded by high
The aircraft features a high-fidelity PBR a restored version of the Hurricane. terrain and experiencing frequent fog and strong
model for Prepar3D version 4 and an The package features extensive winds, it can be a challenging airport to fly to.
authentic Merlin engine with a choice of system modelling, such as engine The package is a detailed rendition of the real
propellers, Browning machine guns and an overheat and failure, a two-stage airport, featuring thousands of autogen buildings
option of a fishtail or round profile exhaust supercharger on the Sea Hurricane and trees, including monuments, custom objects
stack depending on prop configuration. version and a functional boost cut-out. and the city of Santa Cruz. Other highlights
The exterior model includes an authentic It comes with a working auto-mixture, consist of optimised Dynamic Lighting and
pilot model with a helmet visor and oxygen a choice of an engine-driven or manual PBR effects. It comes with animated SODE
mask, a jettisonable canopy, exhaust flames hydraulic pump and authentic flight jetways, Visual Docking Guidance System and
on start-up and a retractable tail-hook and dynamics and stereo sounds. is compatible with all major traffic add-ons.
catapult bobbins on the Sea Hurricane. An extensive feature list and pricing Tenerife Vol.2 is available over on
In the cockpit, all switches and controls options are available on Aeroplane simMarket for €18.00 (£15.50 approx) -
are fully functional with correct landing Heaven’s website - www.aeroplaneheaven. https://secure.simmarket.com/mk-studios-
light controls, an authentic dual-action com/product_hurricane.php. tenerife-vol.2-v2-p3d4.phtml.

www.Key.Aero #126 PC PILOT / 7

06-07 News PCP MarApr2020.indd 7 04/02/2020 14:13:07

 COMMS

Microsoft Flight Simulator

Dear PC Pilot P3D has adopted. Microsoft’s earlier foray unambiguous, tried and tested, one-off
When I attended Flight Sim 2019 at Cosford into a subscription model with its short-lived licence payment. That way, if I choose to,
last year, there was quite a buzz among Flight offering was somewhat of a disaster I can carry on enjoying the simulator long
exhibitors and the other visitors I spoke with but there’s an argument that says they were past its sell-by date, as many of my flight
about Microsoft’s Flight Simulator (FS2020). just too early in seeking to adopt such a simulation colleagues did with FS2004 and
All sorts of questions were being posed, model. More recently we’ve seen a number still are with FSX or earlier versions of P3D
such as 'What equipment specification of other products, including Microsoft’s own or X-Plane, without the possibility of losing
does it need to run on?' 'What speed Office, moving to a subscription model. Add- the ability to run it come the time I can no
of internet connection will be required ons for simulators, particularly those that are longer justify or afford the subscription cost.
to get that top-quality scenery,' and the dependent on an evolving data set such as Kind regards,
inevitable, 'When will it be available?' Navigraph Charts or Aerosoft’s NavDataPro, Andy Parish
Despite having been an X-Plane pilot since are already successful with such a model.
the release of version 10 and an FSX (and
FS2004 and FS2000 and so on) pilot before
Looking around the Cosford show, there were
at least a couple of simulation platforms,
PC Pilot
Hi Andy,
that, I, like most flight simmers I suspect, am such as Geo-FS and Infinite Flight, which Thanks for your thought-provoking email.
excited by what I have seen and I share the have adopted a similar approach with some In response, we do not know what
sense of anticipation for the answers to these success. It’s not difficult to see the parallels policy Microsoft will adopt when it
and many more questions besides. For me that could be drawn to justify the application comes to the sale of its new simulator
though, the make or break of this simulator of a subscription model to FS2020. but as soon as we do we will let
will rest with the licensing model under Call me old fashioned though but, depending you and our other readers know.
which Microsoft chooses to distribute it. on the price point of course, I’m hoping Cheers, Derek
One option is the ‘multi-tier’ model that that these options are rejected for a simple,

Allegiant Virtual Airlines

Dear PC Pilot flight requirements. We want you to be Sit back, relax, and enjoy your
We respectfully request to be added able to come and go as your time permits. flight with Allegiant Virtual.
to your Virtual Airlines listing. Here’s Our only requirement is that you conduct Thank you.
a brief description of who we are: your flights in the Airbus A319 or A320 Michael Hutton
https://www.flyaay.com in the Allegiant livery and have fun. Allegiant Virtual Airlines
Allegiant Virtual Airlines, founded in
2019, is a non-profit virtual aviation
organisation and is a fictional company
operating solely for the entertainment of
flight simulation enthusiasts of X-Plane,
Prepar3D, and Microsoft Flight Simulator.
The mission of Allegiant Virtual is to provide
our membership with an environment in which
the individuals can experience, learn and
have fun while conducting basic to advanced
piloting skills on flight simulation software.
We realise this is a hobby and understand
you get to decide how realistic you want
it to be. We don’t have strict minimum

8 / PC PILOT #126 www.Key.Aero

08-09 Comms PCP MarApr2020.indd 8 04/02/2020 14:16:26

 Contact us Visit us Follow us
[email protected] www.Key.Aero facebook.com/pcpilot

Flight Sim Q&A

Dear PC Pilot is loaded? Does it even matter?
As a ‘simmer’ for more years than I care In addition, would it be more practical
to admit, I continue to find your magazine to wait until I have my hardware updated
a fabulous complement to the flight before the move to W10? I will be retaining
sim industry. As a regular subscriber, my newly updated hard drives.
I can’t wait for the next edition. I look forward to your usual
I wrote to you many years ago reliable and learned opinion.
and found you not only surprisingly Thank you and please continue
responsive but extremely helpful, so with not only a great magazine, but
I am going to ‘bother’ you again. your help to so many, solving their
In preparation, I read a number operational issues and questions.
of responses to questions in older Kind regards, 
editions regarding running FSX in the Tim Tiernay
Windows 10 (W10) operating system. Burlington,
As you know Microsoft has ended its Ontario, Canada
support of Windows 7 as of January 14,
2020 and I now feel it’s time to upgrade
to W10. Concurrent with this and in
PC Pilot never had to reinstall FSX or any add-ons.
Hi Tim, Everything has worked after the upgrade.
anticipation of Microsoft FS2020 (and From a security perspective, I would However, it would make sense to update the
other flight sim programs and games), I definitely recommend upgrading to Windows hardware before migrating to Windows 10. If
will be updating my system hardware (eg 10 sooner rather than later, especially if you change the motherboard, you might hit
motherboard, CPU, GPU, RAM, etc). the PC is connected to the internet. some activation issues as Microsoft checks
My questions are these: From your  I have upgraded several computers the hardware signature and if you change
experience, would you suggest updating to from Windows 7 to 10 and in all cases enough bits, it will see it as a new system.
W10 without removing and then reloading FSX has worked just fine. I can’t say Hope that helps.
FSX or alternatively removing FSX (and each system will be the same, but I have Cheers, Richard
all add-ons) and re-installing once W10

Combat Simulation
Dear PC Pilot to set up one’s controllers for this type
South West
Flight Simulator
I’m enjoying ‘Baron’s Combat Corner’ as
I love anything related to aerial combat.
of simulation? Personally, I find that
this is crucial to my enjoyment and
Group
However, have you thought of offering immersion of combat simulation. We are based at Ipplepen Village Hall,
advice, particularly for those who are Kind regards, Devon TQ12 5SB and hold monthly
newcomers to this genre, on how best Patrick Downie meetings on Sundays, 9.30am to 3pm.
You can find full details about the
group and our regular on-line flights
with MyAir flight simulation group
at http://swfsg.blogspot.co.uk/
Next meetings are on: March
15, April 19 and May 17.
Many thanks, Rory O’Neill

Gatwick flight
Simulation
Group
Dear PC Pilot
Could let your readers know that
the Gatwick flight Simulation Group
web site has changed its address
PC Pilot on setting up your controllers specifically to https://www.gfsg.co.uk.
 Also, the Affinity Mask Calculator,
Hi Patrick, for combat simulation. Also in this
edition, we offer advice on optimising that thousands of people use around
Thanks for your email and I’m
the various features within your adopted the world, has been updated to cater
glad you are enjoying our series
simulation and what to look for when for CPUs with up to 32 cores + 32
on air combat simulation.
choosing your combat aircraft. I hope hyper threads: https://www.gfsg.co.uk/
You will be pleased to learn that as per
you find this issue's instalment helpful. affinitymask.aspx?SubMenuItem=utilties.
your request, this issue’s instalment of
Cheers, Derek Kind regards,
‘Combat Corner’ includes hints and tips
Ted Porter

www.Key.Aero #126 PC PILOT / 9

08-09 Comms PCP MarApr2020.indd 9 04/02/2020 14:16:31

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 FEATURE FLYING AIRLINERS

Flying A BEGINNER’S

Airliners
GUIDE – PART 1

F
light simulation is a hobby where for those interested in civil aviation is to move the Boeing 747 and widebody twins (777 and
we are always learning something to the flight deck environment of a modern Airbus A330 for example) ploughing the airways
new. As Peter Stark discussed airliner. So in this two-part guide, we will on long-haul transoceanic or transcontinental
in his article Flying Light Aircraft, look at the diverse world of airliners and the voyages. For those of us who don’t want to
published in Issue 125, the logical place various aircraft that operate in this role. commit to several hours of long-distance flying,
to begin for people new to the hobby is short- to medium-haul routes, typically flown
in general aviation. These aircraft are less Airliner types by jets such as the 737 and A320, open up
complex so you can focus on developing Most of us think of airliners as large multi- a host of destinations on shorter hops. For
your piloting and navigation skills without engine tubeliners transporting passengers or example, many cities on the European continent
being overwhelmed by managing complex cargo between large international airports. are often within two hours of each other.
systems. However, once you have mastered This definition is partly true as the majority of Flight simulation offers an excellent selection
the intricacies of general aviation flying, you airliners fly on scheduled or chartered routes of traditional airliner and airport add-ons
may wish to move on to more advanced between major cities in different countries/ to realistically recreate this type of flying.
aircraft types. While some of us will branch states or continents. At the top end of the scale, Whether you want to replicate your last
into combat simulation, the natural progression there are large four-engine ‘heavies’ such as holiday flight or explore the furthest reaches

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 Route categories
Commercial flights are classified as long-,
medium- or short-haul. There is no international
standard definition and some airlines choose to
use time while others use distance. However,
for practical purposes, short-haul is defined as
being up to 750nm or up to two hours flying
time; medium-haul is between 750nm and
2,500nm or two to five hours and long-haul is
more than 2,500nm or over five hours. Finally,
we have ultra-long-haul, which is in excess of
6,000nm or more than 12 hours flying time.

Left: The iconic Boeing 747 earned it the nickname

‘Queen of the Skies’. Its sheer size can make it a
challenge to master.

of the planet, flying traditional tubeliners is a

great way to discover far-flung destinations
or plan your next flight adventure.

Regional airliners
Other aircraft types also fall under the ‘airliner’
genre. Regional aircraft typically have fewer
than 100 passengers and are used on short,
low-capacity routes with many flights taking
under an hour from gate to gate. In the US,
Above: Some airliners are used in various roles. For example, they connect small ‘regional’ destinations to
the Boeing 757 is operated on long-haul transatlantic flights and
on shorter hops to holiday destinations in Europe. Below: The major airports on a hub-and-spoke network.
737-800 is one of the more popular jetliners in flight simulation. These aircraft often fly short feeder flights
Equipped with systems that haven’t changed much since the
1960s and modern avionics, it is a very hands-on machine to fly. from small towns and cities and connect
passengers with larger airliners at international
hubs. Today, popular regional aircraft include
the Bombardier Q400 and CRJ, Embraer
E-Jet family and the BAe 146, all of which
are available for flight simulation. Regional
aircraft are also used for short shuttle flights
between major European cities. For example,
London City Airport operates scheduled flights
to destinations including Zurich, Geneva and
Luxemburg to name a few. Regional aircraft
are often viewed as the less glamorous
cousins of larger jetliners. In reality, they can
offer a varied simulator experience as they
can fly into large airports, while also being
capable of landing at smaller out-of-the-
way destinations with shorter runways.

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 FEATURE FLYING AIRLINERS

Aircraft categories
s:
Aircraft are classified into two main categorie
commuter and transport aircraft. Aircraft in the
latter category squarely fall under the ‘airliner’
umbrella but some types in the commuter
category are also often referred to as airliners.
There is however a significant distinction between
the two classifications.
Commuter or light aircraft have a maximum
take-off weight (MTOW) of 12,500lb (5,600kg) and
can carry 19 passengers or fewer.
Transport category aircraft are jets with 10
The Canadian-built Bombardier
or more seats and a maximum take-off weight CRJ can be found on regional
greater than 12,500lb (5,700kg), or propeller routes around the world.
aircraft that can carry more than 19 passengers
and have a MTOW above 19,000lb (8,600kg). workload and even service-based failures designed to operate in multiple roles. For
Transport category aircraft have more stringent so there is always the possibility we could example, the Boeing 737 can be used on
airworthiness requirements for performance and
experience a problem en route. The challenge long-haul routes over several hours but it is
systems redundancy. So, for example, this is why
we must work out the V-speeds before each take- of flying an old aircraft in bad weather with also operated on short regional routes. The
off. Boeing, Airbus and regional jets are classified limited autopilot and navigation functionality longest 737 flight from Frankfurt, Germany to
as transport category aircraft. adds another dimension to the virtual flying Pune in India covers a distance of 3,600nm.
experience and is well worth exploring. At the other end of the scale, it has been used
Commuter aircraft on a scheduled service between Manchester
Propeller-driven aircraft with 19 seats or less Airliner ops and London, a hop of only 30 minutes. Even
are referred to as commuter aircraft. Here we Airliners can open up a whole new world of the long-haul 747 was operated on short-
find types such as the de Havilland Canada flight simulation adventures. We are not just haul high-density routes around the world.
DHC-6 Twin Otter, Dornier Do 228, Beechcraft restricted to hauling passengers and freight Japan Airlines used the type on a service
1900 and even piston twins like the Piper over vast distances. We can replicate real- between Tokyo and Osaka – a flight time of
PA-31 Chieftain. Commuters are sometimes world routes or just pick any destination just 60 minutes. Similarly, British Airways
(arguably) called airliners, particularly where and head into the wild blue yonder. Whether has used a 747 on flights from London to
they are used on scheduled services. For flying a short inter-city hop of less than an Newcastle, Manchester and Glasgow.
example, the nine-passenger Britten-Norman hour, taking a Twin Otter into a short bush
BN-2 Islander light utility aircraft is operated airstrip in the outback or embarking on an Realism
as an airliner on flights between the Channel epic round-the-world expedition in your As we touched on earlier, learning to fly an
Islands and mainland Europe and the UK. favourite aircraft, the possibilities are endless. airliner realistically can represent a significant
Commuter aircraft are primarily used for short Furthermore, today many aircraft types are learning curve and investment in time. In the
hops to airports we would normally not visit in
a traditional airliner. Many of these types even
have excellent Short Take-Off and Landing
(STOL) characteristics for flying into small bush
strips. This genre is well worth exploring as it
can expose you to new flying experiences.

Classics
In flight simulation, we are not limited to
modern aircraft. We can go back in time
and fly classics from the Douglas DC-3 to
post-war propliners such as the Lockheed
Constellation or even early jetliners like the
Douglas DC-8 or Boeing 707 that have long
since been retired from service. We can
recreate historic routes that were flown during
the golden age of aviation and fly using old-
school navigation techniques. Classic aircraft
had less automation and were less reliable so The King Air is a popular commuter aircraft. It allows us to fly to out-of-the-way destinations not
accessible by jet-powered machines.
we can fly historic aircraft with the increased

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 virtual world, we can make the experience
as simple or as realistic as we want. What
is important here is to make sure we are
having fun. The add-on market has a vast
selection of third-party airliners that range
from ‘light’ aircraft to study-level products
with an astonishing level of realism that take
months to master. Simpler aircraft enable us
to jump in and fly with basic navigation and Above: The short- to medium-haul Airbus A320 is one of the more successful jetliners on the market today and
can be found at most international airports. Below: The 787 Dreamliner is Boeing’s ultimate high-tech airliner
no failures. More sophisticated study-level with a head-up display, large touchscreens and advanced flight management systems.
models feature accurate systems simulation,
Flight Management Computer (FMC) and even
a failure model, which monitors the way you
handle the engines and the aircraft‘s systems.
Any mishandling will cause cumulative wear
and tear and eventual failure. To master
these complex aircraft, we need not only
to have a solid foundation in the physics of
flight and airmanship, but also have a deep
understanding of the flight management
computer and the aircraft’s systems.

Principles of flight
Personally, I believe the ultimate goal for
most of us is to fly a sophisticated airliner as
realistically as possible - using real-world routes
and follow actual procedures. From a flying
perspective, an airliner is not that different to
an average general aviation aircraft. For
example, the control inputs on a 737 are
identical to a Cessna 172, although the it is a great product to get to grips with seen highly detailed and authentic scenery
response times are slower as airliners are the inner workings of an Airbus aircraft. released for large parts of the globe.
much heavier and carry more momentum.
The difference is we are flying higher and Scenery and weather Conclusion
faster so we need to think further ahead of Finally, creating the authentic flight simulation Airliners come in all shapes and sizes. We
the aircraft. Instead of flying the approach experience doesn’t just apply to the aircraft are not limited to large jets but there is also
at 70kts in a typical light aircraft, an airliner but also the virtual world we are flying in. a variety of smaller turboprops and even
flies the approach at around 140kts. Weather plays a hugely critical role and I light aircraft, which provide us with endless
The initial learning phase is the most difficult cannot emphasise the importance of using possibilities on where to fly to. From landing
and time-consuming (and the most frustrating), realistic or even live weather. Adding a level of on small untreated airstrips to high-altitude
particularly when it comes to the FMC. My uncertainty with changing weather conditions transcontinental globetrotting, airliners form
advice is to find an aircraft you like and stick increases the degree of immersion significantly. the backbone of commercial aviation. In our
with it until you know it inside and out. Don’t There is nothing like flying a large airliner to virtual world, we can accurately recreate any
jump between types. The skills we learn when minimums on the approach in dense fog or aspect of flying an airliner or even step back in
mastering one airliner are easily transferable stormy weather that came out of nowhere. time and fly an aircraft from the golden age of
to other types. In my opinion, the best aircraft Detailed world scenery with accurate aviation. The only limits are your imagination.
to learn on is a Boeing or in particular the airports and navigation data also plays a Next time, we will take a look at
PMDG 737. If you want to go down the Airbus vital role as this enables us to navigate popular add-ons for Prepar3D/FSX and
route, the Aerosoft Airbus A320 family is a using real-world techniques while flying over X-Plane, which can be used to enhance
good choice. It is aimed at simulating normal accurate landscape. As with add-on aircraft, your airliner flying experience.
operations rather than complex failures but with modern computing power, we have By Richard Benedikz
Below: Classic airliners, such as the Vickers VC10,
impose additional challenges with old-school navigation
equipment and a complex flight engineer’s panel.

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 REVIEW ADD-ON FOR PREPAR3D V4

737NGXu
PMDG’s

Base Package
W
hen PMDG released the 737NGX options: a standard wing, blended winglets These effects are also extended to the cockpit,
back in 2011, it took the flight and a new split scimitar wing with each which shakes and rattles when flying through
simulation community by storm, wingtip device directly affecting fuel burn. rough air. The new dynamic lighting model is
quickly becoming the go-to airliner Like the original 737NGX, the NGXu base excellent with the external lights illuminating
for many simulator pilots. Now after nine years pack features the 737-800 and -900 but also the surrounding area. Dynamic lighting has also
of ploughing the virtual airways, PMDG has the 737-900ER (Extended Range) variant. been implemented in the cockpit, resulting in
released an updated version of the legendary excellent visual effects, particularly at night.
aircraft simulation exclusively for Prepar3D Walk-around The instrument backlighting and floodlights are
version 4. Welcome to the PMDG 737NGXu. In typical PMDG fashion, the exterior model dimmable and cast a warm glow on to the flight
is made to an excellent standard with deck – no detail has been spared in recreating
The PMDG 737NGXu high-resolution PBR textures and a 3D an authentic 737 cockpit environment.
The 737NGXu is a ground-up rebuild of the model that captures the shape of the
original NGX, taking advantage of current 737 perfectly. The smaller details have Ground services
coding advances and sporting features such also been faithfully recreated, such as The 737 comes with ground service vehicles
as Physically Based Rendering (PBR) textures, engine cowlings, flight control surfaces, first introduced in the ‘747 Queen of the Skies
dynamic lighting and improved systems. New the undercarriage with hydraulic lines II’, which can be called from the cockpit.
equipment that has been introduced on the in the wheel wells and the high-lift When summoned, a fleet of service vehicles
real Boeing 737 since NGX was released nine devices, all of which are fully animated. race up to the aircraft, which includes
years ago has been added to the NGXu. For A new physics-based wing-flex model passenger stairs, fuel truck, a GPU cart,
example, LED landing lights, modernised is affected by the weather, causing the cargo loaders and a maintenance van.
navigation equipment and three winglet wings to be buffeted by turbulence. You can even call cabin cleaning or ask

The reboot of a classic

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 PCPilot PCPilot
PLATINUM CLASSIC
The flight deck has AWARD AWARD
been recreated in
incredible detail
with fully functional
systems.
catering trucks to top up the bar. If you set real-
time refuelling, service vehicles will arrive in time PCPilot PCPilot
Classic Classic
with the actual fuelling process, which gives you
a real sense of immersion. The passenger and
cargo doors are animated and open or close
with the arrival or departure of service vehicles.

Flight deck
The flight deck is a significant improvement
over the original NGX with more accurate
physical dimensions and upgraded high-
resolution PBR textures. PMDG has based
the NGXu on an aircraft that hasn’t been long
in service, so there isn’t much in the way of
wear and tear. The resolution of the cockpit
displays is greatly enhanced, making them
far easier to read and the instrumentation is
fluid and smooth. ‘RainMaker’ is also now
available on the NGXu, which introduces
dynamic rain, snow and condensation effects
on the cockpit windows. These effects depend
on weather conditions and are affected by
the aircraft’s systems such as window heat
and windshield wipers. In typical PMDG
fashion, the systems on the overhead panel
are faithfully recreated with accurate electrical,
hydraulic, pressurisation, air conditioning and
fuel systems with fluid flow simulation and
fuel density modelling so the viscosity of the
fluids is affected by ambient conditions.

Flight management systems

The independent flight management computers
(FMC) have been modelled in minute detail,

Above: Animated ground service vehicles can be

summoned from the cockpit. Left: The exterior model
is made to an excellent standard with high-resolution
PBR textures.

System requirements
Minimum system requirements Hardware: Joystick or yoke Memory: 16GB of RAM
Simulator: Prepar3D v4.4+ Windows: Windows 10 64-bit Graphics: High-performance
Processor: Dual-core 2.2 GHz (Older x64 operating systems such DirectX 11-capable video card
or faster as Win7 x64 may work but PMDG with 8GB of dedicated VRAM.
Memory: 4GB of RAM does not guarantee compatibility).
Graphics: At least 2GB of VRAM, Test system
DirectX 11 compatible NVIDIA or Recommended system Processor: Intel Core i7-4770K
ATI card. Onboard motherboard requirements 3.5GHz overclocked to 4.2GHz
or CPU video is not supported Simulator: Prepar3D v4.5+ Graphics: NVIDIA GTX1060
(some of the newer Intel laptop Processor: Intel i7 or i9 6GB VRAM
GPU designs may work but PMDG processor with eight or more RAM: 16GB DDR3
cannot guarantee compatibility) cores at 3.5GHz Hard Drive: 512GB SSD.

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 REVIEW

Aircraft communications
There are other upgrades to the flight deck
including Aircraft Communications Addressing
and Reporting System (ACARS), first introduced
on the 747-8. Real airliners use this system
to communicate with the outside world via
radio or satellite. In previous PMDG aircraft,
the ACARS datalink was simulated in the
background without the need for the sim pilot
to manually establish a connection. In the
NGXu, you can now establish an ACARS data
link and enter flight planning information such
as departure/destination airports, estimated
take-off time and time en route, very much
like on the real 737. Currently, there is limited
ACARS functionality but when PMDG releases
Global Flight Ops later this year, we can
expect to see more features being added.

Electronic Flight Bag

One of the more innovative features on the
NGXu is the Electronic Flight Bag (EFB), which
is a central system used for calculating take-off
and landing data. Parameters such as weight,
fuel, runway in use, flap settings and weather
information can be entered on the EFB and the
V-speeds are then automatically calculated.
The EFB comes with pilot utilities including a
Above: Almost every system on the overhead panel is accurately modelled. Below: The resolution of the calculator and unit conversion functions. It can
cockpit displays is greatly improved, making them far easier to read.
also be used for viewing the accompanying
documentation for the aircraft and to display
terminal charts for the departure and arrival
airports. You can even select which charts to
load, zoom in or out or view them in day or
night mode. If you have an active Navigraph
subscription, Navigraph charts can be
displayed on the EFB, which is a nice touch.
Airport diagrams can also be viewed on the
EFB, providing a top-down aspect of an airport.
Taxiway names, gate numbers and the location
of the aircraft are shown on the airport diagram.
This is an excellent way to improve situational
awareness on the ground at unfamiliar airports
when making your way to the departure runway
or finding the right gate on arrival. The EFB
scans the scenery library on your simulator, so
the view you see out the window will match
the airport diagram on the EFB. When installing
new add-on airports, it will even remind you to
rescan the scenery library to keep it up to date.
This feature is a superb solution to providing an
enabling you to enter, for example, flight plans Moving parts such as the flaps and undercarriage
and performance data. Not only can you use have been recreated in detail.
the FMC to specify payload and fuel, but there
are also pages and pages where you can select
various equipment options such as the type
of landing lights, fuel switches, avionics etc. It
is also possible to customise verbal callouts,
display colours etc. Ground operations are
set from the FMC with realistic turnaround
times, servicing, real-time refuelling and
pushback. The list of features is truly endless.
PMDG has implemented time compression
for longer flights, which continually adapts to
the processing demands of the simulator and
adjusts the rate of acceleration accordingly.
For instance, flying in a straight line over water,
the aircraft may be pushed to 16x acceleration.
If there is a change in heading or attitude, the
aircraft will automatically slow down to normal
speed before automatically accelerating.

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 PCPilot PCPilot
PLATINUM CLASSIC
AWARD AWARD

Right: PMDG
has included
the 737-800,
PCPilot PCPilot
-900 and the
Classic Classic
extended range
737-900ER
in the base
package.

accurate map of airports in your scenery library

and is one of the most elegant and innovative
systems I have seen in a flight simulator.

Audio effects
PMDG has created a high-quality sound set that
captures the 737 perfectly. From the Auxiliary
Power Unit (APU) and the air conditioning
packs coming online to the roar of the engines,
all adding to the immersion. On the ground,
you can hear the undercarriage rumble and
when flying through turbulence, the airframe
rattles and creaks. On the flight deck, the audio
effects have been faithfully recreated, from the
clacking of the trim wheel to audible warnings
and individual knobs and switches, which all
An Electronic Flight Bag
sound different and the pitch even changes (EFB) tablet on the left
depending on your viewing angle. Overall the sidewall can be used for
sounds on the flight deck are very nicely done. calculating take-off and
landing data.

Operations Centre included as part of the documentation, so the smoothness of the simulation and in this
PMDG recently upgraded the Operations Centre the actual Boeing procedure for dealing respect I found it to be fluid enough, providing
to version 2. Featuring several upgrades and with any failure can be followed. a smooth flight, even at detailed airports. I
fixes, it can be used to install a selection of did however find that the dynamic lighting
historical and current airline liveries, including Flight test caused a hit on performance at night.
real-world operators so you can fly aircraft with PMDG has also done an excellent job of
the same equipment as the actual airline. The reproducing the experience of flying the 737. Conclusion
Operations Centre also checks if the aircraft is up The aircraft exhibits stable and predictable PMDG continues to raise the bar with this
to date in case any patches have been released. handling characteristics, although you need to genuinely authentic study-level simulation
In true PMDG fashion, the documentation is very be lively on the elevator trim, particularly during of the 737. Visually, the NGXu is made to an
comprehensive, consisting of an overview of power changes. Compared with the NGX, excellent standard. The external model and
the EFB and official Boeing manuals such as a the controls are more responsive throughout flight deck have been recreated in incredible
Flight Crew Operations Manual (FCOM), Quick the flight envelope. The ground handling also detail, both in terms of 3D design and authentic
Reference Handbook (QRH), an introduction feels more authentic with better tyre friction systems modelling. Combined with light and
to the 737 and a tutorial flight. The manuals and more effective braking so it feels less like responsive control inputs, it is one of the
provide detailed information on the inner you are skating on ice. The tiller is responsive, most complete simulations for the Boeing 737
workings of the 737 as well as an in-depth enabling you to make tight turns but it is currently available on the market today.
description of how to operate the aircraft. also quite sensitive, which can make taxiing By Richard Benedikz
somewhat twitchy so you have to use small
In-service wear and tear inputs. While the layout of the overhead panel PC Pilot Verdict
The PMDG 737NGXu features a detailed dates from the 1960s, the modern avionics At a glance: PMDG has taken the 737 to a
failure model that has been significantly provides a perfect balance between hands- new level. The sheer scope of the package
expanded from the NGX and covers most of on flying and advanced navigation, so it will combined with in-depth systems modelling
the possible faults that occur on the real 737. keep you busy during all stages of flight. promises to keep even veteran flight simulation
These can include anything from engine fires Compared with the original 737NGX, enthusiasts busy for years to come.
Developer: PMDG Simulations
to hydraulic faults or loss of cabin pressure I noticed that there was a hit on maximum
Price: $99.99 (£76 approx)
to name a few. As with previous PMDG frame rates. On our test system (see Website: https://pmdg.com/pmdg-737ngxu-
aircraft, the simulation comes with a complex accompanying box-out), the FPS was base-package-for-prepar3d-v4/
service-based failure model. In this case, we between 20 and 30 at detailed airports and Flight Model: Excellent
have wear and tear and so you need to keep around the mid-40s in the cruise. I found Graphics: Excellent
on top of maintenance as components will performance was more consistent, so I didn’t Documentation: Excellent
Systems: Excellent
97
wear out over time and will need servicing experience any juddering. Ultimately, the
PC Pilot Score:
or replacing. To support this, the QRH is actual frame rates are less important than

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 REVIEW ADD-ON FOR PREPAR3D

A330
Aerosoft’s

PROFESSIONAL

Great Expectations...
A
nticipation is a wonderful, terrible to both of them adopting the then-new A320 into service occurred on January 17, 1994 with
thing. The anticipation for Aerosoft’s cockpit layout and utilising the same fuselage French domestic airline Air Inter, which also
Airbus A330 professional can be cross-section as the original A300/A310. The launched the A320 years earlier. The aircraft has
described as exquisite torture. The TA9/TA11 (Twin Aisle 9/11) became the A330 gone on to become one of the most popular
Airbus A330 has been for many, the missing and A340 respectively. The first A330, an A330- widebodies in service, with the entire A330 family
link in terms of flight simming for FSX/P3D. 300, flew on November 2, 1992 and the entry having totalled 1,790 orders over its lifetime.
I can only think of three examples of the
‘widebody’ being available for either platform
in the last 14 years, and of those three, only
a single example is considered modern but
not out of beta yet. So the Aerosoft A330
has a great deal of expectation to live up
to. Is this what we’ve been waiting for?

History
Although first entering service in the early
1990s, the A330 can trace its origins back
to the original Airbus A300 of the 1970s. The
A300 was always meant to be the starting
point of a whole family of aircraft. Ten variants
were planned from the A300B1 through to the
A300B10. The latter went on to become the
longer-range A310. The B9 version was meant to
be a stretched development of the original A300
with more powerful engines, while a new B11 Aerosoft has done an
model offered four engines. Through the 1980s excellent job of recreating
the night lighting.
the design of both aircraft was refined, leading

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 PCPilot PCPilot
PLATINUM CLASSIC
AWARD AWARD

PCPilot PCPilot
Classic Classic

Above: The A330’s special settings are found in

MCDU 3. There you can set up the A330 to your taste.

Need a view of the world’s cloud

cover? The EFB can help.

. The Aerosoft package things Airbus and the ability to finally enjoy
The view from
the jumpseat.

with a full PBR (Physically Based Rendering)

Like the A330 itself, the Aerosoft A330 is built on a long-haul trip with a ‘Bus’ is more than set of textures. Liveries shine and show
the back of its siblings, in this case the Airbus welcome. The A330 professional has been a imperfections. The quality of the modelling is,
A3xx professional series. Many of the features long time in the making, so the first impression as always from Aerosoft, excellent. The aircraft
of the new A330 appeared in the A320 family of is critical. Right off the bat I will say I’m not is far more than just textures though. There’s
aircraft add-ons over the years, so there’s an air disappointed. The aircraft looks stunning a real feeling of ‘value’ here, which is no mean
of familiarity with the A330 beyond the common
cockpit layout Airbus envisaged. As it stands,
there are several additions to the basic operation
of the A330 that I will touch upon later. For
now, the aircraft pack, available as a download
and a boxed item, weighs in at 890MB, with
an additional 750MB taken up by the aircraft’s
paint kit. Once installed, we have the option of
13 different liveries spread over three different
exterior models. Even the 300 series aircraft have
variations it seems. Aerosoft has done a nice job
finding a livery to suit most main operators of the
aircraft, be it European, Asian or North American.
In addition, 130 extra liveries are available to
download from Aerosoft for free, thanks to users
who have created their own paint schemes.

First impressions
When it comes to the A330 professional, I’m
as excited as most flight simmers. Regular
The A330 requires a little more back stick pressure to get her nose off the runway.
readers will know of my preference for all

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 REVIEW

feat for an aircraft that costs €70+ (approx

£60-plus). To complement the PBR texture
goodies, there’s the addition of TrueGlass
from TFDi Design, so in wet conditions, the
cockpit glass looks wet. FS2Crew’s RAAS
Professional is also included with a specific
A330 version to help with immersion. Support
is even included for the yet-to-be-released
PMDG Global Flight Operations software.
And these are just a few of the goodies the
A330 has to offer alongside the usual fuel The cockpit is a work
planner, remote MCDU support and the aircraft of art, yet incredibly
FPS-friendly.
configurator. There’s more to come but let’s
save that for the in-flight part of proceedings. helps you to navigate around the A330’s a mix of customer requests, so they are not
cockpit quickly and simply via a set of 100% accurate to those in the real cockpit. For
In-flight tabs on the top-left of the screen. example, engines are a little louder and Aerosoft
Getting into the cockpit of the A330 is another Finally, the third MCDU contains the options is happy to do so and is honest about that. Still,
‘wow’ moment. The use of PBR texturing for running a ‘Connected Flightdeck’ session. as the first Rolls Royce Trent 700 spools up you
here elevates the cockpit above many other It has been a while since Aerosoft introduced can’t help but say “Oooh”. In-flight, the aircraft
contemporary offerings. I’ve found it’s easy this feature, which enables friends to fly behaves well and the cup of coffee brought to
for some developers to overdo PBR textures together as Captain/First Officer. The new the cockpit by the cabin crew is most welcome.
with too much wear and dirt. Here, however, V2 release makes connecting simple and
Aerosoft has pretty much nailed it. Airbus is a very welcome addition to the A330. Bugs
cockpits are notoriously dull and can look as To the left of the Captain, sitting next to the The A330 is not without its bugs however.
such if not recreated carefully. Aerosoft has window is a new addition to the Aerosoft The first is not a bug per se but an issue
hit the perfect ‘sweet spot’ of dirt and grime Airbus fleet: an Electronic Flight Bag or with the host simulation itself, ie Prepar3D.
mixed with dull paint and bland panels. This EFB. The EFB has widely replaced the old Using the EFB with the sim set to its default
is exactly what an ‘in-use’ Airbus looks like. paper charts within the cockpits, along with lighting settings is next to impossible. The
To get started, pilots need to access the third offering new functions for pilots to aid flight. bloom emanating from the EFB screen simply
MCDU screen on the lower pedestal to view The Aerosoft EFB is no exception. Anyone whites out all the text. Switching the special
all of the preflight and aircraft-specific options. with a subscription to Aerosoft’s NavCharts ‘Dark Mode’ does little to help and your
Users of the previous generation of A320 Pro can connect to the cloud here and have only option is to reduce the default Bloom
family of aircraft will find this familiar. Options full access to charts within the simulation. settings to 0.25 or lower to see anything.
abound, it seems. From selecting the ambient Couple that with an interactive checklist, There are also a few issues with navigation.
sounds, such as ATC, cabin crew and the semi- performance calculator, weather checker and On one route, the MCDU seemed intent on
intelligent first officer to aid you with checklists even a satellite view for various continents entering part of my route three times, resulting
along the way, to dealing with the ground and the EFB becomes an indispensable tool. in a long orbit back to Frankfurt for no reason.
equipment, there’s a never-ending selection of PFPX and SimBrief users can even import the It also inserted one waypoint before another,
choice for you to set the aircraft as you desire. flight briefing pack to be displayed ‘In-Sim’. making the next waypoint impossible to
One of my favourite options involves enter. These are minor things and Aerosoft
loading the aircraft. You can select passenger Normal operation is working on releasing small updates to
numbers, cargo amount and fuel, then load Normal operation is the key to the Aerosoft fix issues quickly as they turn up. The new
all three in ‘real-time’. It adds a nice little Airbus family. There are no hidden emergencies Aerosoft Updater makes this a simple task.
layer of immersion to the aircraft, though and no failures to endure. Instead, the aircraft
a set of steps when you’re at a bus gate operates pretty much as it does in real life, Conclusion
would help passengers get onboard easier. with no major issues or problems. Aerosoft Anticipation can be a terrible thing but overall,
If you don’t want to wait, you can select has always set the aircraft to an ‘average day’ I would have to say that A330 has been worth
‘Instant’ and do the job straight away. and that by itself is incredibly realistic. Sounds the wait. Aerosoft has pushed the boat out
The view system can also be switched form a key aspect of any add-on and here with this €70 (£60 approx) add-on, yet the
on and off here too. The view system Aerosoft has been careful. The sounds are amount of additional value on the product
makes it a steal at that price. The PBR textures,
great sounds, TrueGlass and RAAS add-
ons all combine to make this the best A330
available for any simulation today. Couple
that with a fully working weather radar, full
ACARS support for the Hoppie ACARS network
and you have a great product. So my hearty
advice is to get it, fly it and enjoy it.
By Jessica Bannister-Pearce

PC Pilot Verdict
At a Glance: The era of Airbus long-haul has
arrived and it’s a good thing. Aerosoft has done
a great job bringing the A330 to P3D v4.
Publisher/Developer: Aerosoft
Price: €70 (£60 approx)
Website: www.aerosoft.com
Flight Model: Excellent
Graphics: Excellent
Documentation: Excellent
Systems: Excellent
95
A total of 13 liveries are included covering
three variants of the -300 model. PC Pilot Score:

22 / PC PILOT #126 www.Key.Aero

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IPACS_FP.indd 1 29/01/2020 10:18:09
 REVIEW ADD-ON FOR PREPAR3D

CRJ professio
Aerosoft/Digital Aviation’s

A true study simulation

of the CRJ 550, 700,
900 and 1000

A
s an air ambulance pilot in real life,
I’ve found the perfect mix of job
satisfaction and interesting flying that
cannot be defined as ‘cookie cutter’
From the front, the CRJs clearly
by any means. Though I’ve settled on my career exhibit the DNA of the original
path, it is more typical of pilots to continue Bombardier Challenger 600
series of business jets.
what is ostensibly a climb up the ladder from
general aviation into regional airline operations,
a stepping stone towards eventual employment
at a major air carrier. In recent decades, many
pilots that are making a career stop at regional
carriers find themselves at the helm of regional
jets that have largely supplanted the diverse
fleet of turboprop aircraft that used to dominate
the shorter routes of the hub and spoke air
carrier system. One of the most successful
of these regional jets has been the Canadair
Regional Jet (CRJ) series manufactured by
Bombardier. With its typical knack for correctly
guessing the appetite of its fan base, flight The central pedestal
sim powerhouse Aerosoft, in conjunction area demonstrates
the attention to detail
with Digital Aviation, has recently released its that was undertaken
redesigned and significantly upgraded CRJ developing the 3D
virtual cockpit.
series under the moniker ‘CRJ professional’.

System requirements
Lockheed Martin Prepar3D V4.5 (Hotfix 2) (the
latest version of Prepar3D is always needed).
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10
(64-bit) (older 64-bit versions not tested).
Processor: Intel Core™ i5 (i7 recommended)
or AMD Ryzen 5 (Ryzen 7 recommended).
Memory: 8GB RAM (16GB recommended).
Graphics card: 3GB VRAM (DirectX 11),
e.g. GeForce GTX 1050 (6GB GTX 1070
recommended). Control hardware (joystick)
with rudder and throttle channels. Requires
HDR setting activated.

24 / PC PILOT #126 www.Key.Aero

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 PCPilot PCPilot
PLATINUM CLASSIC
AWARD AWARD

sional
s PCPilot PCPilot
Classic Classic

Aerosoft modelled a slight

curve to the EFIS displays, a
realistic depiction of the Collins
Pro Line 4 display tubes.

CRJ family Cockpit bit of a challenge for readability. Fortunately,

The Aerosoft CRJ professional includes four Developed exclusively for P3D v4.5 and Aerosoft has implemented 20 excellent
different variants of the CRJ: the 550, 700, 900 beyond, the CRJ professional package preset viewpoints throughout the cockpit
and 1000. The CRJ-550 is essentially a CRJ- takes advantage of the platform’s expanded to get closer to the panels. Head tracking
700 that has been reconfigured for a more graphics capability to provide the ultimate hardware that allows for leaning in or a high-
comfortable experience by reducing passenger CRJ experience. Contributing to immersion in resolution virtual reality headset improve
seating to 50 seats from the normal 76. With our flight sims is the use of PBR that greatly the experience. The lighting options in the
the 700, 900, and 1000 models, the aircraft was improves the graphics to produce better CRJ cockpit are superb and draw P3D into
further stretched and improved from the original lighting and subtle accents that provide a more close competition with X-Plane with regard
DNA of the CRJ-100/200 and the Canadair/ true-to-life presentation. Without question, to tailoring custom illumination levels. Sound
Bombardier Challenger 600 corporate jet from the result of Aerosoft/Digital Aviation’s work effects, created by Turbine Sound Systems,
which the lineage was borne. In general terms, is an impressively detailed cockpit, with are excellent - chimes, alerts, switch clicks,
the original 100/200 seated 50 passengers, superb functionality and systems modelling. avionics fans and engine noises are faithfully
a non-arbitrary seating capacity that fulfilled The clean and modern cockpit (all models) duplicated and add to the overall immersion.
the requirement pounded out by major airlines is dominated by the six-tube Collins Pro Mounted to the left side of the cockpit is the
and their pilot unions that limited the seating Line 4 EFIS arrangement used to display infinitely handy Electronic Flight Bag (EFB)
capacity and the number of regional aircraft primary flight instrumentation, navigation – a mounted tablet that contains charts,
that could feed passengers to the main airline data, systems schematics and crew alerting maps, checklists, performance data, weight
route structure. From the 100/200, the 70-seat advisories. The avionics are true cathode ray and balance, aircraft configuration states,
CRJ-700 design stretched the original fuselage, tubes (CRTs) and not lighter and more reliable maintenance functions and simulator-specific
lengthened and improved the wing design, and liquid crystal displays (LCDs). The lighting, options. The Performance tab on the EFB is
made other engine, avionics and aerodynamics font and appearance of the tubes are very particularly useful for setting passenger and
changes to improve performance. Continued good. The developer even modelled a slight cargo loads, take-off and landing weights and
development followed with the 90-seat CRJ- curve to the displays, which is accurate and speeds and calculating the fuel. Other tabs
900 and the 100-seat CRJ-1000, all competing provides a nice feeling of 3D depth. All of the allow for control of aircraft components such
with the Embraer Regional Jet. The Aerosoft avionics displays can be popped up to 2D as the doors, ground power and air carts,
models contain all-new exterior modelling, representations that can be resized or moved wheel chocks and the quick setting of aircraft
new virtual cockpits, PBR (Physically Based for closer scrutiny. It is worth mentioning that state if you are pressed for time. The EFB is a
Rendering) textures, dimmable lights and the CRJ design has a deeply recessed panel superb tool that really enhances the product.
TrueGlass among many other features. and the size of the displays can provide a Above the Captain’s position, you’ll find a

Above: The Aerosoft CRJ professional package

includes the CRJ-550, 700, 900, and 1000, with
obvious lengthening of the fuselage as passenger
seating expanded.
Right: A flip-down Heads-up Guidance System
(HGS) is an excellent tool for low instrument
approaches and looks fantastic in VR.
Left: Leading-edge slats and other aerodynamic
improvements made it possible for the CRJ-700
to operate to smaller airports such as Key West,
Florida (4,801ft landing distance available).

www.Key.Aero #126 PC PILOT / 25

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 REVIEW ADD-ON FOR PREPAR3D

pull-down Heads-up Guidance System that

provides aircraft attitude, heading, navigation
data, airspeed, altitude, velocity vector and
course guidance for flying approaches in
poor weather. It is one of the most impressive
views you can experience in virtual reality
and would be a showcase item for drawing
new users into the flight simulation genre.
Navigation is provided by dual Collins FMS- CRJ single-engine
4200 Flight Management Systems pre-loaded performance is not fantastic
at high elevation airports
with a November 2019 navigation database and heavy weights.
(AIRAC 1912) and the units are compatible
with NavDataPro and Navigraph for further Left: The view through the Heads-up Guidance
Display (HGS) while wearing a VR headset is superb.
updates if you have a subscription to those Below: Another view of the central pedestal through
types of services. The Multi-Function Control an HP Reverb VR headset.
and Display Units (MCDUs) used to enter
data into the FMS, can be manipulated using
the mouse to select buttons or you can use
your keyboard to enter data if you have a
long flight plan to load. The learning curve
for the FMS, avionics and CRJ systems is
fairly steep but Aerosoft has provided an
excellent 81-page PDF with a tutorial flight
from Los Angeles to Monterey, California.
The PDF covers everything from pre-start
checklists to programming the FMS and
bringing the aircraft to life, and on to take- V-speeds of V1/121, VR/121, V2/133 and a the -550 and -1000, but for the -700 and -900
off, climb, cruise, descent, landing and take-off distance of just 3,185ft (4,084ft over you will have to manually manage departure and
shutdown. The CRJ is definitely a study a 50ft obstacle). Typical operator speeds are arrival altitudes and speeds and manually fly the
sim-level product that is modelled to a 250 knots for the climb below 10,000ft, further vertical profile on RNAV/GPS approaches. With
degree that requires some investment of acceleration to 290 knots above 10,000ft regard to approaches and landing, I was relieved
time and reading to fully appreciate. until intercepting Mach .77 for the rest of the to see that the flight model accurately depicts
climb. Landing distance, even at the -700 the flatter and slightly positive flight attitude that
Flight impressions maximum landing weight of 67,000lb, came the later model CRJ models exhibit while at
The process of bringing the CRJ to life and in at just 2,300ft with maximum effort braking, approach speeds. The CRJ-100/200 series of
completing a flight from start-up to shut- reversers and spoilers. While air carrier aircraft have a distinct nose-down wheelbarrowing
down is extremely rewarding. With no auto- regulatory distances require additional margins approach attitude that always made me cringe
throttle, and advisory only vertical navigation (usually landing distance must be within as a pilot. It seems that the lengthened fuselage,
(VNAV) functions, the CRJ is a nice break 60% of available landing distance), the CRJ changes to the tailplane geometry and leading-
from the full automation of more advanced performance brings many smaller airports into edge devices present a more traditional attitude
aircraft. Winglets and leading-edge slats have the operational envelope. The -900 and -1000 on final approach and throughout the landing
greatly enhanced its performance over the models have advertised landing distances that flare. It also doesn’t hurt (in this pilot’s opinion)
original 100/200 models, providing the ability are incrementally longer, although the -1000 that the lengthened fuselage of the -700, -900,
to carry greater loads into shorter runways. in my testing at maximum landing weight and -1000 improve the aesthetics of the CRJ.
Indeed, Delta Connection now operates the (81,500lb) still came to a stop in about 2,900ft.
CRJ-700 to Key West, Florida, albeit with tight Single-engine performance in all models Conclusion
passenger baggage allowances, with a runway of the CRJ should give one pause when For this reviewer, the Aerosoft/Digital Aviation
landing distance available of only 4,801ft. considering high altitude, high gross weight might represent the ultimate airline experience
Using the -700 model for testing, I set take- departures where obstacle clearance for P3D. The tendency towards short stage
off weight to the maximum (82,500lb) and could be a factor. Setting an engine fire lengths and operations to smaller regional
derived V-speeds of V1/139, VR/139 and and failure at V2 coming out of an airport airports has an appeal that is particularly
V2/145. On a calm wind, sea-level airport at like Aspen, Colorado shows that the satisfying. The deep systems modelling, superb
15C, the FLAP20 take-off distance was 5,077ft CRJ must be delicately flown and climb graphics, realistic flight model and completeness
(5,913ft over a 50ft obstacle). A more moderate performance on one engine is quite poor. of the package in all regards makes the CRJ
load of 50 passengers and 6,000lb of fuel Autopilot and flight director modes all seemed professional a stand-out product.
brought the take-off weight to 66,300lb giving to work fine. VNAV autopilot coupling works on By Chris Frishmuth

PC Pilot Verdict
At a Glance: A true study simulation of
the CRJ 550/700/900/1000 with excellent
systems accuracy, superb advanced
graphics and an excellent flight model.
Developer: Aerosoft / Digital Aviation
Distributor: Aerosoft
Download Price: $70 / €62.98 (£54 approx)
Website: https://www.aerosoft.com/
Flight Model: Excellent
Graphics: Excellent
Ground service vehicles, static
objects and doors can be
Documentation: Excellent
Systems: Excellent
95
configured from the cockpit tablet. PC Pilot Score:

26 / PC PILOT #126 www.Key.Aero

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 REVIEW ADD-ON FOR X-PLANE

Boeing 747
SSG’s

J
ust as the aviation world
celebrated the 50th anniversary
of the maiden flight of the Boeing
747, Supercritical Simulations
Group released the version 2.1 Anniversary
Update of their 747-8i for X-Plane. Here we
test fly the new model as well as highlight
the updates on this latest version.

More than an update

One of the most instantly recognisable aircraft
on the planet, the Boeing 747 has been
flying routes around the world for 50 years.
As the number of variants increased and the
feature list grew, we’ve perhaps forgotten
what an absolute trendsetter the ‘Queen of
the Skies’ was. It introduced to the world
the concept of a wide-bodied airliner, which
in certain configurations could seat up to
666 passengers. Thankfully, no one has yet
deemed it necessary to demonstrate this ability
in regular public transport but if you read the
747 Flight Adventure in this issue, you’ll see
In addition to the beautiful house livery, the SSG 747-8i is released with an additional seven paint schemes.
that it has still set some impressive records.

28 / PC PILOT #126 www.Key.Aero

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 PCPilot PCPilot
PLATINUM CLASSIC
AWARD AWARD

Right top: Advanced ND

panel features include
terrain radar and major PCPilot PCPilot
airport taxi maps. Classic Classic
Right middle: It looks busy
but many 747-8i systems
are automated - only
requiring pilot monitoring
and the SSG model
simulates almost all of
them. Right bottom: The
‘trucks’ and their dance
sequence is accurately
animated.

47-8i The SSG package for X-Plane 11 is available

from the x-plane.org store as a 936MB
download, which includes the upgraded v2.1
Anniversary
Edition
do this later after entering the
required flight plan and data into
the FMC. The fuel will then load
Minimum
System
Requirements
X-Plane 11, Windows ,
Mac or Linux. 4GB
VRAM Minimum - 8GB+
VRAM rec.
and use the FMC as in the
Quick Start Guide and the
FCOM. You can also have
of the -8i (with the 8F Freighter model to follow into the tanks automatically after the undockable FMC pop-
soon), a Quick Start Guide that also includes a you select your needs with a full load up panel appear via a simple
very useful tutorial flight and a very well-written taking about 10 minutes to complete. key press, which assists you when
and constructed Flight Crew Operations While that’s happening, you can continue programming or making inflight changes.
Manual (FCOM). Version 2.1 currently ships your panel scans which will be very familiar
with a very attractive SSG house design, new to Boeing users as most of today’s more Hello good lookin’
Lufthansa, KLM and China Airlines liveries, modern Boeings were actually based on the The internal textures are very good, although
with additional third-party liveries for v2.1 flows of earlier 747s. It is usually with some many users will probably want to adjust
also already appearing at x-plane.org. degree of hesitation that I approach the zoom levels and customise some internal
FMC as there is quite a large variation in the views to allow for more readability of some
Getting started quality of FMC coding in flight simulations gauges. Usability is also very good with
The aircraft initially loads in the 3D cockpit and some really don’t emulate the real-world the click spots for some switches being
view and your first task is to put on some FMC that well. This can get a bit frustrating altered in this version to improve usage but
power via the main batteries and then the APU for both experienced tubeliner jockeys and there are still a few that will create some
or GPU. This immediately gives you access those trying desperately to learn how to use ‘fishing’ by newer 747-8i users. In time
to the AviTab style electronic flight bag (EFB) them well. Advanced users will be happy to however, it becomes second nature.
that is fixed on the pilot’s left side panel. This know that SID/STAR, flare and rollout modes, The external walk-around is a real pleasure.
allows you to set your desired options such plus much more, are all available in v2.1. In Applying electrical power, lowering flaps/
as hidden yokes, sound levels etc as well as a nutshell, the SSG FMC works extremely slats and opening all hatches etc and going
entering your payload and fuel. If you aren’t well with a few minor inconsistencies that for a ‘walk’ reveals the spectacular attention
able to calculate your fuel needs now, you can will not cause issues if you learn to program to detail. The textures are simply first class

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 REVIEW

and the detail is just everywhere: on most

panels, inside hatches, under the flaps and
slats for example. All 15 of the external doors
and hatches can be controlled via the pilot's
EFB and while the SSG 747-8i does feature a
limited pushback and ground services utility,
it is supported by the Better Pushback and
Ground Handling plugins should you prefer.
Getting underway you will find the excellent
turbine modelling allows you to ease the
throttle back to idle once you’re underway
and the 'Queen of the Skies' will continue to
slip smoothly down the taxiways. The 747
is large – very large – and this does need Above: The SSG 747-8i is a stunning-looking aircraft. Below: The level of detail on the external textures is
nothing short of stunning.
some careful taxiing techniques, particularly
in turns, so you must keep your speed under
10 knots to not alarm your passengers and
stress the nosewheel assembly. Any feeling
of awkwardness disappears as soon as you
have entered the runway and opened the
throttles. This bird was built to fly gracefully
and departures are easily accomplished by
hand flying, with an occasional reference
to the Flight Director. In fact, the original
747 test pilot described it as a ‘two finger’
aircraft, meaning he could easily fly it with
just the thumb and forefinger on the yoke.

Feature-packed
Many of the features unique to the 747 in
general can be read in this issue’s Flight
Adventure (starting on page 64), so let’s take a
peek at some of the features of the SSG 747
specifically. While not a study-level product,
it is still very sophisticated with accurate
performance figures, cockpit flows, EICAS airport diagrams directly on the Nav display. If there was ever an aircraft that demands
displays etc. The central CDU can be set In such a big bird, especially in the early you to be organised and stable early in your
to display not only any aircraft system such flights, it’s handy to have a set of ‘numbers’ approach, it is the 747. It has a lot of inertia
as fuel, electrical and hydraulics but also a to aim for as you near an airport. This is that is well modelled as you must be sure
set of checklists, which you can check off where users will find both the Quick Start to remain well within the power curve and
as you work your way through them. Many Guide and the full FCOM a goldmine of not overreact with flight controls as you
entries are automatically linked to the relevant relevant information. Often, an FCOM is so slow for landing. With the cockpit being so
system and so will check themselves off if full of details of fuel, hydraulic and electrical high above the ground, your normal landing
configured correctly. The co-pilot’s displays systems that it isn’t very readable, nor can perspective is vastly different and you become
and avionics are separate from the captain’s they be used as an in-flight reference. Not so thankful for the regular automatic altitude
and you can most certainly fly from the right- the SSG 747 FCOM. It is very well laid out callouts that are also modelled and help you
hand seat when desired. The level of systems and focuses on what simulator pilots need to to fly on to the runway rather than into it.
simulation extends to fuel management know. Following their rules of thumb regarding
(including dumping), terrain map, automatic distance to touchdown, airspeed and flap Conclusion
icing system, ground proximity warning and settings, you can quickly make efficient It’s important in flight simulation that when you
much more. In a first for X-Plane, you can also approaches with little throttle movement and are flying a large aircraft that it feels like you
view both a vertical situation display and the feel like a professional. Well done SSG! are flying a heavy aircraft. The SSG 747 is so
nicely done that with the combination of cockpit
views, systems simulation and management,
coupled with the realistic ground and flight
dynamics – it all just clicks and provides an
overall realistic and entertaining experience.
By Peter Stark

PC Pilot Verdict
At a Glance: From power up to shutdown,
the rebuilt and updated SSG 747-8i is totally
immersive and the best Boeing 747 airliner
currently available for X-Plane.
Developer: Supercritical Simulations Group
Price: $65.00 (£49 approx)
Website: https://www.supercriticalsimulation.com
Flight Model: Excellent
Graphics: Excellent
The distinctive 747 lines and sedate flying
Documentation: Excellent
Systems: Very good
90
characteristics have rightly seen the 747 dubbed the
'Queen of the Skies'. PC Pilot Score:

30 / PC PILOT #126 www.Key.Aero

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 NEW

SEYCHELLES XP

F O R X P L A N E 1 1
NEW A IR P O R T S

CHANIA
AIRPORT

IOANNIS DASKALOGIANNIS

www.aerosoft.com

AZ_PCPilot_A5_210x148_jan-20.indd
Aerosoft_FP.indd 1 1 30.01.20
30/01/2020 11:15
16:15:38
 REVIEW ADD-ON FOR X-PLANE 11

TrueEarth US
Orbx’s

Northern California HD
T
he TrueEarth series from Orbx is
arguably the most comprehensive
scenery available to date. It
combines hand-corrected
satellite imagery at 1m per pixel, with literally
thousands of custom buildings, trees and
other vegetation. All significant points of
interest are recreated and set on an ultra-
detailed elevation mesh. These areas also
feature Physically Based Rendering (PBR)
techniques, with all major areas of habitation
depicted and generally featuring at least one
Cityscape, which in the case of TrueEarth US San Francisco
Northern California is the city of San Francisco. Airport is the
default X-Plane.

Installation 240GB. As you might imagine, this takes quite a

Once again, US Northern California must long time and certainly bites into your hard drive
be downloaded and installed via the latest real estate; particularly if you have two 240GB
Orbx Central application. Here, your option SSDs. So I was forced to move my X-Plane 11
is to install it directly into the simulator or in installation to a conventional hard drive with
a predefined location that will automatically sufficient free space (I think a 1TB SSD will
be linked to your simulator once completed. have to be added to my Christmas list). After
As usual, installation is pretty much automatic, moving X-Plane, I noticed that the loading times
where the file is firstly downloaded, unzipped are longer but they became even worse when
and then converted before being registered selecting airports within the Northern California
in the scenery libraries within X-Plane. The area (up to eight minutes). I suppose that’s to be
initial download size is 52GB which equates to expected when your drives are shuffling such
210GB after decompression and converting, huge amounts of data but it’s something to
which left my X-Plane 11 folder at a tad over ponder if your system is a bit long in the tooth.

32 / PC PILOT #126 www.Key.Aero

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 PCPilot PCPilot
PLATINUM CLASSIC
AWARD AWARD

PCPilot PCPilot
Classic Classic

This view shows us

approaching Lake Tahoe.

Orbx TrueEarth US
Northern California
This Northern California product covers an
enormous 212,000km2. And because it’s such
a vast area, I decided to start my touring
from one of the more remote airports that is
actually within Northern California, near Lake
Tahoe. The airport is appropriately named
South Lake Tahoe and sits on the border
of the Tahoe Valley in El Dorado County,
which as it happens is right on the edge of
the area covered by this product. Like many
Quite a number of other small GA airports in the US, there’s
texture changes within not much to see here. It has no commercial
the mountainous areas.
air traffic and no ATC service. However, it’s
located in the Sierra Nevada Mountains which
is a beautiful part of the world and I must
say Orbx has captured it magnificently.
For my first flight, I flew from Lake Tahoe
Airport (KTVL) via Yosemite to Fresno Airport,
(which is also known as Fresno Yosemite
International). The Lake is just north of the
airport, where after taking off from Runway
36, I turned just a tad southeast for my
first waypoint. The route took me across
Black Hawk Mountain at an elevation of
San Francisco 10,348ft, so I climbed to 12,000ft to maintain
is depicted in a safe altitude. Although the scenery is
great detail.
spectacular, it’s not that easy to navigate
VFR in such a vast mountainous region.
In fact, the first recognisable feature I saw
was the huge Spicer Meadow Reservoir,
located in the Stanislaus National Forest
set in eastern Tuolumne County.
A few miles further on, I passed three other
reservoirs, the largest being the Hetch Hetchy
Reservoir, with the O’Shaughnessy Dam at
its eastern end, in the mouth of the valley.
There has been an attempt to model the dam
but in this case, it’s not particularly realistic.
Continuing on I finally managed to spot the
Yosemite Visitor Centre, so I turned on to a
heading of 162 for Fresno. It was interesting
to see how the textures changed quite
dramatically as I left the mountains, from the
dark green of the forests and the almost chalky
cream textures of the rocky areas to the rusty

Orbx continues
red tones of the plains beyond. Fresno Airport
is again fairly typical of the default airports but
does have quite a bit of hand-placed buildings
around it, so the overall impression is fine.

its redefining of
In fact, when I later compared it with Google
Earth, it’s actually quite a good representation.

San Francisco

the US landscape
From Fresno, I hopped across to the small
provincial airport at Monterey on the Pacific
coast, before tracking north, stopping for a bite
to eat at the larger and much busier San Jose

www.Key.Aero #126 PC PILOT / 33

32-34 California PCP MarApr2020.indd 33 04/02/2020 16:39:53

 REVIEW ADD-ON FOR X-PLANE 11

Passing South Lake

Tahoe Airport on
route for Fresno.

International. From there it’s just 35 miles north Central application. To my mind, the default
to San Francisco. So I departed from Runway System requirements roads seem to sit uncomfortably on top of
30L, initially routing straight over the Don Platform: X-Plane 11 the scenery - looking most unrealistic.
Operating system: Microsoft Windows
Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife
7, 8, 10
Refuge. Continuing on, I passed Palo Alto, Processor: i7 CPU (or higher) Performance
Redwood City and San Mateo on the left. All of RAM: 16GB While there’s no denying the attraction of
these areas are accurately depicted with lots of Hard drive Space: 225GB products like this, they can certainly have
bespoke buildings, making it ideal for VFR flying. Video card: GTX 1070 or equivalent for HD an impact on your system’s performance.
San Francisco Airport is located 13 miles graphics, Orbx Libraries You will need a powerful PC to handle the
south of the downtown area. As I approached Review system HD version, however the SD version uses
Intel i7 4790K 4.20GHz processor. 16GB DDR3
Runway 28L, I could clearly see the city 1600MHz RAM. EVGA GTX 1080Ti, 11GB
lower-resolution textures without losing any
ahead. Yet, once on the ground, the main GDDR5 video card. 2 x 240GB Kingston SSD. 2 of the detail; it’s a little cheaper and caters
part of the city is obscured by the 1,400ft x 1.5TB Samsung hard drives. for those with less processing power.
high San Bruno Mountain, so I took off In fact, in many cases, that’s the problem.
again to continue my explorations. Airports and options Users think that buying a more powerful video
In most Orbx TrueEarth products, the airports card will improve their performance when it’s
Points of interest within the scenery area are updated from more likely to be the processor combined
There are literally hundreds of hand-crafted their default versions. Yet with X-Plane, they with the speed of their hard drives that
buildings and 3D objects scattered throughout are not because Laminar Research has makes the most impact on the fluidity of the
this scenery, yet possibly the most iconic a policy of updating them all themselves, simulator. It becomes quite a balancing act
structure in Northern California is the Golden adding new airports mainly designed by the to get these elements right - very few people
Gate Bridge. It was built in 1937 when it was X-Plane community. These are created using (even those with high-end PCs) regardless of
both the longest and tallest suspension bridge an approved set of objects and textures outlandish claims, can set their sliders to max.
in the world. It traverses the northern tip of the to make sure they maintain compatibility
San Francisco Peninsula and Marin County, but are only updated once Laminar has Conclusion
forming the entrance to San Francisco Bay checked them for content, which means The main focus of this product is obviously
from the Pacific Ocean. The detailing of the the next X-Plane update could wipe out any the Northern California landscape, which is
bridge is exceptional, showing every girder improvements made by Orbx anyway. fantastic. Being both diverse and beautiful,
and cross-brace that supports the roadway. I think at this juncture it’s worth mentioning it has the potential to provide many hours
Other easily recognisable objects included the that I used a couple of freeware add- of exploration. Even after the two weeks I
magnificent Palace of Fine Arts, the SF Maritime ons myself during this review; they’re the spent reviewing it, there’s still a lot I haven’t
Museum, naturally Alcatraz Island and the ones that I always keep on my system to seen. Yet the inclusion of the San Francisco
ultra-modern Federal Building on 7th Street. improve the default look of X-Plane. Cityscape is definitely the icing on the cake
As you fly over the city, you soon They are the Water Fix and Default Fog and worth the price of the product on its
appreciate the work involved in recreating Control by pilot83 and Cloud Art 3 from own. If you’re familiar with this city, you’ll be
it in such detail. In fact, the majority of the SpeedM, both of which are available from amazed at all the bespoke detail the Orbx
buildings (well those that have anything the X-Plane.org website. I also switched off team has created, or if (like me) you’re not,
that distinguishes them from the usual the default roads because I prefer the Orbx it can provide a realistic introduction to the
monolithic office blocks you find in most large transparent option available in the product’s city and the areas that surround it.
cities), have been modelled from real life. control panel. You’ll find this in the Orbx By Joe Lavery

PC Pilot Verdict
At a glance: Orbx continues to super-detail
its way across the US with another TrueEarth
product, US Northern California.
Publisher: Orbx
Developers: Orbx Simulations
Price: HD £36.18, SD £30.49
Website: https://orbxdirect.com/product/us-
norcal-hd-xp11
Performance: Overall good but it is obviously
directly linked to the available hardware. My
system displayed some stuttering over the city
of San Francisco.
3D Modelling: Excellent

Crossing San Bruno Mountain

Graphics: Excellent
Documentation: Very good
90
with San Francisco ahead. PC Pilot Score:

34 / PC PILOT #126 www.Key.Aero

32-34 California PCP MarApr2020.indd 34 04/02/2020 16:40:01

 REVIEW ADD-ON FOR X-PLANE 11

I
mmersion is all-important in the hand. Just Flight has stepped up to produce Flight’s Traffic Global aims to be different.
simulated world. The closer you can a brand new, much-needed traffic add-on Available as a single 1.3GB download,
get to real life, the better the overall for X-Plane 11. Welcome to Traffic Global. installation is simple and requires you
experience. Over the years, that level to enter your registration code on first
of immersion has grown steadily. Weather now Traffic inbound installation. Once done, the program is
looks much closer to real life thanks to weather It’s well known that while X-Plane excels in set and ready for immediate use.
add-ons. Third-party mesh helps the world many areas, its AI traffic system is, let’s be
look as ‘pointy’ as it should and there are even kind and say ‘not the best’. The default traffic Line up and wait
add-ons that help the night lights look realistic. is limited to just 19 AI-controlled aircraft, which Once you’ve set up and registered the product,
For pilots, one of the most important areas of are chosen from the installed aircraft you have. Traffic Global (TG) more or less springs to
immersion is the airport environment. Airports This means you can often see a default Stinson life. However, before we look at the traffic in
are never that quiet. We rely on traffic to help us mixing in with that high-poly A320 or 767 add- operation, it’s always best to look at the various
feel the rhythm and rush of a busy international on you bought. The results can be as comical settings and get Traffic Global tuned to your
hub. We need that feeling of ‘squeezing in’ as they are detrimental to your frame rates system. All the settings information is found
for that tight final approach as a 737 closes in per second (FPS). Seeing a 747 line up on a in the ‘Plugins’ menu of X-Plane. Alongside
behind us. GA pilots enjoy the thrill of joining GA field is a joy to behold. Until now, just one the main settings are various options that I
a pattern to land or waiting at the runway developer has taken the AI system to task, will touch on later. For now, the settings sub-
threshold for traffic to clear ahead. Traffic is producing World Traffic 3. While the results menu is the important one, particularly since

Traffic Glo
important and yet it’s an area many simulations have been good, the program is known to be you’ll have to come here to enter your product
simply get wrong. Fortunately, there’s help at difficult to use and to get to grips with. Just key. The first thing you will see in the settings

Just Flight’s

System requirements
X-Plane 11 (11.30 or later recommended).
Multi-core 64-bit CPU (4-core/8-thread or
better recommended). 8GB memory, more
recommended (approximately 500MB overhead
beyond the normal X-Plane requirement).
DirectX-11 graphics card. Windows 7 or later
(Mac support not implemented yet). 7GB disk
space (SSD recommended).

36 / PC PILOT #126 www.Key.Aero

36-38 TrafficGloabal PCP MarApr2020.indd 36 04/02/2020 17:00:12

 PCPilot PCPilot
PLATINUM CLASSIC
AWARD AWARD

Left: The built-in radar screen is just one of many

features Traffic Global brings to X-Plane.
PCPilot PCPilot
Below: With the labels on, the sky can be a mass of
Classic Classic
red ink. Main image: The models are really of a very
high quality given their low polygon count.

Global
panel is a list showing the AI models available,
number of routes, active aircraft and last but
not least, the number of airports found and the
airports Traffic Global can use. For reference,
my own sim shows 29,124 airports, of which
14,354 are usable by Traffic Global. I’m pretty

Bringing
sure I can find traffic at most airports I visit then.
The first slider controls the amount of

AI life to
traffic visible but it’s the checkbox below
that looks the most interesting. ‘Dynamic
Density’ allows Traffic Global to vary the
X-Plane amount of traffic based on your frame rates.
Essentially it adds or removes traffic to
maintain a smooth FPS. That’s exciting and
a great feature. There are other options for
GA aircraft, sounds, effects and even label
size, which on first use, you will see a sea
of red labels filling the screen. These labels
tell you the aircraft registration, distance
and so on. They can also be switched off.
Another intriguing feature is Traffic Global’s
ability to work via a network. So if you have
two or more machines running X-Plane, you
can sync up the traffic across them. For
cockpit builders, this is a welcome option
indeed. The last few options deal with Traffic
Collision Avoidance System (TCAS) and
model matching. TCAS on XP11 is not the
best. In general use, and despite your airport
being filled with aircraft, thanks to TG, TCAS
won’t see a single one. Selecting ‘Use TCAS’
The settings window contains all you
need to get up and running.

www.Key.Aero #126 PC PILOT / 37

36-38 TrafficGloabal PCP MarApr2020.indd 37 04/02/2020 17:00:21

 REVIEW

instructs TG to take the maximum AI models Traffic Global does

a great job of ‘filling
that XP allows, adding a few extra aircraft to up’ an airport with
the sim for you to interact with via TCAS. correct-looking
traffic.
Finally, clicking ‘Allow Substitutes’
instructs TG to use alternate aircraft models
if a particular aircraft livery is missing.
These aircraft are white and designed to
match the closest airline type available.
So, a Swiss A320 may be represented
by an all-white A320 for example.
Alongside the various settings and copious
amounts of traffic, Just Flight has added a few remained smooth even when the weather quick to set up, easy on the FPS and does
extras to make using TG a little easier or fun. hasn’t. TG is not without its flaws however. a great job of filling up an airport. The added
There are four new display windows available. For example, I sat at Zurich for a few hours bonus of being able to tinker under the
One shows a radar image in the sim of the and watched the arrivals and departures. The hood by adding more repaints and even
aircraft in flight, a second, a more useful display, departures seemed to be fine, but above the models, can appeal to the enthusiast as
shows you the Arrivals and Departures board for airport, I watched several arrivals endlessly well as the ‘set and forget’ fliers, though
your current airport. Clicking on any of the flights circle the field when they should have been on an option to edit the traffic database itself
listed will bring up that aircraft. It’s a cool feature approach. Meanwhile, other aircraft in the queue would be great, allowing users to customise
that is great fun if you just fancy watching the would land before those expected earlier. In and change timetables for flights. While
arrivals and departures. The third new display one respect, this is fairly realistic, as no aircraft technically it can be done, it’s currently risky.
brings up a top-down map of the airport showing lands exactly on time but I watched one aircraft Hopefully, Just Flight will develop a front-
you all the taxi routes found there. Finally, there’s for 30 minutes slowly descend to 10,000ft end software solution to fix this. There are
the information overlay which I mentioned before. from 13,000ft when it should have been on bugs, some of which are not too serious and
To complement this, there are also several new approach much sooner. It still wasn’t set on frankly not noticeable if you are flying. Some
preset views that offer you the chance to watch approach after an hour. On the ground, I also are annoying though, such as the odd taxi
the AI as well as spend time around the airport. saw a few snarl-ups with arriving and departing conflict. Just Flight, however, is working hard
Finally, and one of the strengths of TG is aircraft meeting ‘nose-to-nose’ at the gate. A to iron out these issues and the package is
the ability to customise your own setup. few aircraft used taxiways that their wingspans substantially better than the original release.
The manual provides instruction on how were not ready for. Runways can also be an At the end of the day, Traffic Global has set
to add custom liveries. There are even a issue. When the weather changed at Zurich, I out to make XP just that little more immersive,
few instructions for how to edit taxi routes ended up with aircraft departing from Runway which it has achieved. In short, this is a
and if you are brave enough, add your own 16 but I had arrivals lining up on Runway 34. It ‘must-have’ add on for all XP pilots and an
custom models to the pack; though the certainly made for some interesting departure add-on I’m sure will only get better.
latter is often beyond the average user and slots. At Vienna, I watched aircraft land a mile By Jessica Bannister-Pearce
of more use to third-party developers. before the actual threshold, roll under the ground
before ‘popping up’ within the airport boundary. PC Pilot Verdict
Cleared for take-off? I suspect that issue has more to do with a third- At a Glance: Finally a traffic program for
I spent a bit of time just watching TG work party airport, than with Traffic Global though. My X-Plane that’s simple to set up, full of great
at several airports. It’s fair to say it really ups biggest annoyance is the use of the ‘Hotkeys’ models and light on the system. Just Flight
has done a great job bringing Traffic Global to
the immersion factor and is pretty well done. as listed in’ the manual. As of yet, none of the
X-Plane 11.
The AI models are just the right mix of low- hotkeys listed seem to function as expected Developer/Publisher: Just Flight
poly modelling without losing detail. The PBR or indeed at all. You can re-program them via Price: £34.99
textures certainly help and the animations X-System but the defaults should work. Website: www.justflight.com
and effects within the simulation really bring Ease of use: Excellent 
an airport to life. Frame rates are not as Conclusion Graphics: Very good
Documentation: Good
90
badly affected as I expected and thanks to In many ways, Traffic Global is the program
PC Pilot Score:
the Dynamic Density setting, my flights have X-Plane pilots have been waiting for. It’s
You can even focus on a
particular aircraft and watch it
from pushback to take-off.

38 / PC PILOT #126 www.Key.Aero

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Wired_2_Fire_FP.indd 1 29/01/2020 10:55:58
 REVIEW ADD-ON FOR FSX AND PREPAR3D

Robin DR400
Just Flight’s

A detailed package
T
he DR400 is manufactured by carry the DR designation, which of course
the Robin Aircraft Company, stands for Delemontez-Robin. This was the
that’s going for a situated in Darois (Burgundy)
France; formerly known as
DR100, a derivative of the Jodel D.10 project
that featured the now instantly recognisable
song… Centre-Est Aéronautique, Avions Pierre
Robin and Apex Aircraft. It’s an aircraft with
cranked wing design and was fitted with a
conventional (for that era) tail-dragging landing
a long and distinguished history that began gear. Then in 1967, Robin introduced the
over 60 years ago, when Pierre Robin and DR253 Regent, the first aircraft to feature the
Jean Delemontez created the first aircraft to modern tricycle landing gear which became
standard for all the models that followed.

Robin DR400
Development of the DR400 series began in 1972
featuring a new forward-sliding glass canopy
and initially a 125hp Lycoming O-235-F engine.
This was upgraded a few years later in the
DR400 Major 80 to the 160hp Lycoming O-320-
D2-A engine. The Just Flight aircraft featured in
this review is a 180 Regent, fitted with a 180hp
Lycoming O-360-A air-cooled engine. It’s actually
modelled on a real aircraft flown by SportAir,
which is based at Goodwood Aerodrome.
Because the Robin has an all-wood
fuselage covered in fabric, it doesn’t have the
characteristic panel lines seen in metal-skinned
aircraft. This offers two advantages: it doesn’t
Here we see realistic rust and the clean smooth lines make it more
weathering on the aerodynamic; I also understand that pilots and
Sensenich propeller.
passengers report it’s a lot quieter inside as well.

40 / PC PILOT #126 www.Key.Aero

40-42 Robin PCP MarApr2020.indd 40 04/02/2020 17:13:21

 PCPilot PCPilot
PLATINUM CLASSIC
AWARD AWARD

You get a superb all- Kicking the tyres

round view from the Although not strictly PCPilot
necessary with PCPilot
flight
low-sided cockpit. Classic Classic
sim aircraft, the preflight (simulated walk-
around) provides a first-glance impression of
the modelling and the overall realism that the
Just Flight team has lavished on this model.
One thing immediately noticeable is the size
of the aircraft itself. It’s very small compared
with similar Piper or Cessna models in
this class. By small, I mean it’s quite a
bit lower to the ground, yet surprisingly
it doesn’t feel any smaller inside. In fact,
the view from the cockpit (in my opinion)
is better than both of its competitors.
While I’ve not flown a Robin in the real
world, I have flown a Jodel (well, once)
which as I mentioned earlier has a very
similar airframe. It certainly wasn’t as
nicely fitted out as the Robin depicted
here, yet the instrumentation was pretty
Full 3D instrumentation
is included. similar, including, as I recall, a GPS.
The Just Flight team has not rested on its
laurels with the Robin, as it has produced
a perfect replica that possesses all of the
styling and sleek lines of the real aircraft.
It also has some super detailing like the
typical weathering on the leading edge
of the Sensenich propeller or the Dzus
fasteners that lock the engine panels.
These normally have thin wire security
clips which of course are also modelled.
Towards the rear, you’ll see small
threaded adjusters attached to each side
of the rudder. If you look even closer,
behind them is the aircraft’s identification
plate; it’s perfectly readable showing
the aircraft type and serial number.
Many liveries
are provided.

System requirements
Flight Simulator X (Acceleration, Gold or Steam
Edition required) or Prepar3D v1/v2/v3/v4.
2.0GHz or any dual-core CPU. 2GB RAM.
1GB graphics card. Windows 10 / 8 / 7 / Vista /
XP (32-bit or 64-bit). 2GB hard drive space.

www.Key.Aero #126 PC PILOT / 41

40-42 Robin PCP MarApr2020.indd 41 04/02/2020 17:13:28

 REVIEW ADD-ON FOR FSX AND PREPAR3D

Above: External modelling and textures are pin-

sharp. Left: One of the options adds a towbar to
reposition the aircraft for taxi.

The instrument panel in NAV 2 Radio. On the right side there’s a your disposal anyway; nevertheless it’s great to
Most GA aircraft in this category are equipped dual-frequency encoder, operated by the have that inherent stability in the aircraft itself.
with roughly the same instruments. However, mouse using the usual point and click. There’s The Robin’s benign behaviour extends to
FS developers are generally quite generous, also an OBS knob, a set of marker lights and every phase of flight, to the point where you
providing more sophistication than you would an on/off switch that doubles as a pull ident have to put it into a very high nose attitude to
normally find in most flying club aircraft, unless switch. Because it’s such a compact unit, I stall it. I understand the cranked wing design
of course you belong to one of the premier imagine it’s a particularly useful addition when is responsible for this stability because it
clubs, which naturally charge for these extras. there’s not much space left on the panel. changes the angle of attack of the inboard
In fact, when I started flying it was unusual to On the left side of your monitor, you’ll section compared to the outboard one.
see a GPS fitted, basically because they were see a slide-out white arrow, which links to This has two benefits: it creates less drag in
so expensive. Moreover, the first time I used an options that toggle the power, checklists, the cruise and allows the wing root to stall
autopilot was in a flight simulation. Anyway, I’m flight computer and a tow bar. Similarly, before the tip, which in a stall situation still
pleased to report that the Just Flight DR400 has if you’re using the Robin with P3D, you’ll provides aileron control to the pilot, resulting
all that as standard and much more besides. find an additional entry in the add-on menu in less chance of a spin developing.
at the top of your screen. This includes a
RTM range of one-click settings for panel states, Documentation
Because I’ve been flying for many years, I don’t together with toggles for things like engine As usual, Just Flight has provided two manuals
usually read much of the manual before my management and various fuel options. with the Robin, a standard operations manual
first flight. That’s not really arrogance, it’s just a If I have to be really picky, I would have and an operating data manual. They are
familiarisation with most of the equipment I expect liked to have seen some glass reflection on typical of Just Flight's manuals and cover
to find inside the cockpit. If there’s anything new, I the instruments and perhaps the faces would everything from the optimal setting you need
tend to look it up as I go, which was the case with have looked better if they were a little darker. for best performance to a detailed description
the Robin. It’s fitted with an S-TEC 55 autopilot, Just my personal opinion of course; the of every instrument in the panel. These are
an instrument I’ve used in other FS aircraft before, developers may have depicted the instruments accompanied by high-resolution indexed
but I couldn’t find the switch to turn it on. It as they are in the real aircraft, which would screenshots that describe them individually.
transpires that the unit is operated by the master account for their faded appearance.
switch (naturally) but also has a dedicated switch/ Conclusion
breaker (with the label stabilisator on it) that Handling The Robin DR400 is another fine aircraft from
needs to be pushed in before it comes to life. Of When it comes to flying the Robin, you’re in the Just Flight in-house team that’s equal in
course, that’s all in the manual that I didn’t bother for a treat. I think it’s probably the most well quality to the Arrow III, which I reviewed in
to read. However, I should mention that I would behaved and forgiving aircraft I’ve ever flown. Issue 124. The difference however is that the
never fly a real aircraft without a comprehensive It needs no coercion to fly, in fact with the trim price of the Robin is just £9.99, a terrific bargain
knowledge of the airframe and the instrumentation set it will take off on its own. It’s also quite a for such a comprehensive product. So if you
on board, unless flying under instruction. stable aircraft. Once it’s settled in the cruise (in want to add a well-specified and relatively
One instrument I hadn’t come across before good weather), it needs very little input from the easy-to-handle aircraft to your collection, I
was the NAV-122 VOR 2 indicator. It’s a self- pilot to maintain a heading. Of course you still highly recommend this Robin DR400.
contained VOR/LOC/GS indicator with a built- have all the tools like the GPS and autopilot at By Joe Lavery

Review system
Intel i7 4790K 4.20GHz processor
16GB DDR3 1600MHz RAM
EVGA GTX 1080Ti, 11GB GDDR5 video card
2 x 240GB Kingston SSD
2 x 1.5TB Samsung hard drives.

PC Pilot Verdict
At a glance: This Robin is another superb
aircraft from the Just Flight team and
represents fantastic value for money.
Developer & Publisher: Just Flight
Price: £9.99 by direct download
Website: http://www.justflight.com
3D Modelling: Excellent
Graphics: Very good
Documentation: Excellent
Performance: Very good 90
PC Pilot Score:
Left: The Robin DR400 is another fine aircraft from
the Just Flight in-house team.

42 / PC PILOT #126 www.Key.Aero

40-42 Robin PCP MarApr2020.indd 42 04/02/2020 17:13:33

 DIGITAL SPECIALS
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1138 PCP digi specials fp.indd 43 06/02/2020 15:33

 REVIEW ADD-ON FOR X-PLANE

Cessna 150
vFlyteAir Simulations’

Commuter A real-world C150

pilot’s perspective I
f you have a Private Pilot’s Licence
(PPL) or are taking flying lessons,
then the chances are you will
have come across a Cessna 150.
fly. I first came across a Cessna 150 when
I began my flying training in 2012. Since
then I’ve logged nearly 200 hours in the type
and its younger brother, the Cessna 152.
Produced between 1958 and 1977, more than Almost all examples were manufactured at
23,000 examples rolled off the production line Cessna’s Wichita, Kansas plant, however, just
in that time. The type forms the backbone over 1,700 were built under licence by Reims
of many flying schools all over the world. Aviation in France. The European-made aircraft
So popular were they that they became the were designated Reims F-150s to indicate they
Review system fifth most produced civil aircraft ever. were built in France. The Cessna 150 was offered
Intel i7-7700HQ 2.80GHz processor. Renowned for its stability and docile handling for sale in five models: the 150, Commuter,
16GB DDR3 1600MHz RAM. NVIDIA GeForce characteristics, it’s easy to see why the Commuter II, Patroller and an Aerobat variant.
GTX 1060 with Max-Q Design, 6GB GDDR5 Cessna 150 was so popular with flying schools vFlyteAir Simulations has developed an add-
video card. 250GB Kingston NVMe SSD.
and private owners. In the UK alone, there on to simulate the Commuter for X-Plane.
1TB Seagate SSD.
are currently 207 examples still registered to The company has extensive experience creating

The vFlyteAir
Simulations' C150
features a guided,
interactive walk-around
feature and a towbar,
which users can utilise
to move the aircraft
around.

44 / PC PILOT #126 www.Key.Aero

44-46 FlyAir PCP MarApr2020.indd 44 05/02/2020 10:47:49

 PCPilot PCPilot
PLATINUM CLASSIC
AWARD AWARD

PCPilot PCPilot
Classic Classic

With a maximum demonstrated

crosswind limit of 12kts, the C150
handles well in crosswinds.

light aircraft for the platform. Its catalogue is full C150L, N17043, built in 1972 for reference. the level of immersion for the user. The second
of types popular with flight training organisations The L variant was the longest running 150 sub- document available is a User Manual, which
including the Piper Cherokee 140, Ikarus model, being produced between 1971 and breaks the product down in great detail going
C42C and the Piper PA30 Twin Comanche. 1974. The type was also the first to have the through each of its capabilities: from the use
landing and taxi light located in the nose rather of the towbar through to the autopilot system.
vFlyteAir’s Commuter than on the wing to better illuminate the ground. Extracts from the real-world Owner’s Manual
The smaller Cessna aircraft haven’t garnered The installation of the download was painless. are interwoven with extra information pertinent
much attention from developers over the years, Upon purchase you are presented with a to the simulator pilot. Overall, it is a great set of
especially for the X-Plane platform. It was the 784MB zip file which is extracted and placed documentation which isn’t overwhelming but just
subject of much disappointment for me as in the X-Plane Aircraft folder; it’s as simple as the right amount for the simplicity of the aircraft.
I’ve always wanted a high-quality version of that. Included with the package is extensive
the aircraft I fly in real life in the simulator. Just documentation, most notably a copy of an actual The cockpit
Flight however, came to the rescue in 2018 Cessna 150 Owner’s Manual. This 76-page The first time I loaded the aircraft in X-Plane,
with its excellent rendition of a Cessna 152. PDF details all aspects of the aircraft and it's a I was met with a comforting sense of
Developers at vFlyteAir used a real-world fantastic addition to the package and boosts familiarity. Spanning just 38in (96cm) across,

Above: The developer has given the user the option to install or remove the wheel fairings on the aircraft.
Below: Users have a choice between the Trainer or Commuter instrument configurations. Each has different
levels of complexity and can be changed ‘on the fly’.

www.Key.Aero #126 PC PILOT / 45

44-46 FlyAir PCP MarApr2020.indd 45 05/02/2020 10:47:56

 REVIEW

the C150's cockpit is renowned for being a

claustrophobic’s nightmare. With such narrow
dimensions, there’s very little space for two
adults to fit side by side. vFlyteAir’s rendition
of the cockpit is very accurate, with the layout
being identical to the real thing. A special
feature that vFlyteAir offers is the ability
to change the instrument layouts between
the Commuter and Trainer configurations.
The latter offers a simpler arrangement that
doesn’t feature any navigation equipment The kneeboard takes the form of a control panel.
and has a more basic radio stack. The This is where users can change the weight and
balance for the aircraft and also toggle different
Commuter configuration includes two CDI features on and off.
instruments as well as two navigation radios
and a basic single-axis autopilot. Both modes Exterior to 10 degrees, the aircraft quickly became
can be toggled ‘on the fly’ without having The aircraft comes with one blank and 13 high- airborne and I climbed at 67kts (77mph). The
to reload the simulator using a click-spot quality liveries. American registrations dominate flaps were retracted at 300ft with the climb
located on the glareshield. A quirky addition the line-up with six available, while users have continuing through 500ft when I started the
to the cockpit is the presence of a pair of a choice from one Polish, Italian, German, first turn into the circuit. The climb at best
sunglasses on the coaming. Surprisingly, Brazilian, all-metal and two UK paint schemes. rate of climb was accurate sitting at about
when you click them, they appear on your A vFlyteAir-branded livery is also included. 500-600fpm and as I entered the first turn,
head making the view slightly darker. The quality of the textures on the outside it decreased slightly like it would in real life.
Another clickable object for users to is very good with accurate wear and tear Speaking of turning, the roll rate is realistically
enjoy is the kneeboard. Located in a marks. The windshield and other transparent modelled as the C150s are renowned for
pouch in the footwell, the kneeboard surfaces have scratches and markings similar their docile handling characteristics. Nothing
functions as a control panel and checklist to that of the real aircraft. Overall, the final happens quickly in a Cessna - especially
for the aircraft. Users are able to make result is excellent. As mentioned earlier, the the C150. Turning on to final approach, I
changes to the shake effects, pilot gender wheel fairings are removable, which is a nice configured the aircraft exactly how I would in
and wheel fairings as well as configure option. The majority I’ve flown don’t have real life - 70kts with 20 degrees of flaps. As
the aircraft’s weight and balance. The them and the ones that did were trip hazards I approached 300ft, another 10 degrees of
kneeboard can be moved in an arc every time I got in and out of the aircraft. flaps were deployed while at the same time I
around the pilot’s viewpoint, meaning it started to slow the aircraft to 60kts. Crossing
can be put in a convenient location. Flying experience the hedge, the throttle came to idle and the
The vFlyteAir Cessna C150 also has an For my first flight in the aircraft, I chose to nose was raised towards the horizon, where it
option to change the airspeed indicator to do something I’ve done a lot of, which is stayed until the aircraft settled down on to the
read in miles per hour or knots. This can be circuits. Loading up at Wickenby, my local runway. Overall, I was very impressed. I could
done simply by clicking on the instrument. airfield, I chose to start the aircraft in a cold fly it exactly how I would in the real world and
The Cessna 150 I fly reads in miles per and dark state. There’s something rather it did exactly what I was expecting it to do.
hour but the C152 I fly reads in knots. To satisfying about being able to follow my Following a couple of circuits, I climbed up and
make things more complicated, the book actual aircraft checklist for the pre-start tested out the aircraft’s stalling characteristics.
numbers I remember are in knots so the and start flows. The development team has Again, the docility continues with the C150 stall
ability to change the airspeed indicator is implemented a good number of quirks that being fairly benign. The nose drops a little and
very welcome. If only it was that easy in the C150 possesses. For example, when you it keeps flying. The real test for vFlyteAir’s C150
the real world! The aforementioned single- operate the starter, the prop will start spinning would be a stall with the aircraft slightly out of
axis autopilot works as it’s supposed to. but it won’t fire until you pump the throttle balance. It did well in simulating the subsequent
I’ve never seen one in any aircraft I’ve slightly, a very real problem that some high- wing-drop and standard stall recovery.
ever flown but it’s a nice addition to the time engines appear to have in the real world.
simulation. The flight manual has a detailed Once the engine started, the sound it made Conclusion
explanation of how it works and describes was uncanny; I closed my eyes and it felt The vFlyteAir Simulations C150 Commuter
the use of the equipment very well. like I was sitting in the real thing. The engine is a very well-crafted and faithfully
One major difference in the cockpit from the noise is spot on, and with the addition of a reproduced aircraft. From the aesthetics to
real world is that the panel-mounted clock headset, which you can put on by clicking the flying characteristic, it impressed me.
actually works! I jest, but I have never seen one the jacks down at the bottom of the panel, The sounds were the most surprising part
that actually works and I’ve flown at least six the muffled version is also very accurate. - they’re brilliant and overall the aircraft
C150/152s. It was almost a bit peculiar seeing After start-up, I quickly taxied on to the is one I would highly recommend.
it tick away in front of me on the climb-out. runway and applied full power. With flaps set By Thomas Haynes

PC Pilot Verdict
At a glance: vFlyteAir Simulations has created
an excellent rendition of a very popular light
aircraft. The textures, sounds and flying
characteristics work together to provide a
realistic experience for any user.
Developer & Publisher: vFlyteAir Simulations
Price: $28.95 (£22 approx) by Direct Download
Website: www.vflyteair.com
The aircraft the Flight Model: Very good
author flies in the Graphics: Excellent
real world. G-OKED
is a C150L and was
manufactured in
Documentation: Excellent
Systems: Very good 90
the US in 1973. PC Pilot Score:

46 / PC PILOT #126 www.Key.Aero

44-46 FlyAir PCP MarApr2020.indd 46 05/02/2020 10:48:02

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047_PCP_MarApr20_ad.indd 1 06/02/2020 16:05:13

 INTERVIEW GARY SUMMONS

Gary Summo
I
n this exclusive interview, we CAD system. I stayed with the company until modelling tool for me; it’s quick easy and not
talk to the highly respected 2000, when I became a full-time FS developer. bloated. I’m also using Unity (the real-time 3D
designer Gary Summons - well- PC Pilot: What was your first attempt at development platform) for some tasks. As you
known within the flight simulation designing? may know, Unity is mainly a game engine but
community for his highly detailed and award- Gary Summons: I can’t be sure what it’s also very good for making C# editor tools.
winning UK2000 series of scenery add-ons. my first serious attempt was but I think it This switch to Unity will continue in 2020.
PC Pilot: Hi Gary, thank you for taking was a freeware version of Exeter Airport. I very much believe in ‘work smarter, not
the time out of your busy work schedule It was the review of this that encouraged harder’. A lot of what I do is very repetitive,
to speak to us. Can you begin by telling me to design the UK2000 Part 1 Channels especially when it comes to graphics so
us a bit about yourself, where you live Islands, followed by UK2000 Part 2 and 3. making my own automated tools with
and what got you started in designing When the sales of these overtook my salary, Unity can speed up the workflow.
scenery for Flight Simulator? I decided to go into full-time designing. PC Pilot: Do you still work alone or have
Gary Summons: I am 53 and presently PC Pilot: Were you originally helped or you gathered a team around you?
live in south-west Scotland; probably the inspired by anyone else in the FS world? Gary Summons: It’s still my wife and I.
quietest corner of the UK, but thankfully Gary Summons: Not really, in fact the reason However, I did pay someone for a while
not too far from civilisation. I was born in I started was because of the disappointment I to convert scenery for X-Plane but I had
the south of England and spent most of my felt with the UK scenery available at the time. to shelve that due to poor sales. It just
life in Bournemouth. I left school with few PC Pilot: I remember when we spoke before did not warrant the conversion costs. I
qualifications, so I applied for a position in that you originally used the Anim8or program now make the X-Plane versions myself.
a sheet metalwork company, where I ended in your design process. Is this still true or PC Pilot: How do you begin
up programming their CNC machines; firstly have you moved to new design tools? the design process?
using punched paper strips, then a simple Gary Summons: Anim8or is still the best Gary Summons: I start with the ground,

The terminal
complex in the
new Bristol HD
scenery.

48 / PC PILOT #126 www.Key.Aero

48-50 Summons PCP MarApr2020.indd 48 05/02/2020 11:47:45

mons An interview with
the creator of
UK2000 Scenery
The Inverness tower is a perfect replica.

flatten it, exclude the MS default, then I create

the base image for reference. This is a critical
stage, the base image and reference must be
spot-on to scale. For each point on the earth
the Latitude/Longitude ratio to real-world
metres varies. This ratio has to be spot-on or
your scenery design can very quickly get out
of position/scale. Once I’m happy it’s correct,
I start making the various objects for it, placing
them on the reference image. I use PaintShop
Pro for the graphics and compile for the
various sims using my own home-made tools.
PC Pilot: Do you visit many airports
during the design process?
Gary Summons: Yes, but nowadays it’s
getting much easier because there are
plenty of reference images available via
products like Google or Virtual Earth. I
also find the NATS website a good source
of reference. I must also thank my users;
Some beautifully designed and highly detailed many of whom volunteer to visit these
vehicles at Bristol. airports, taking photos and generally
helping in the scenery design process.
PC Pilot: I see that you intend to update
all your airports with higher resolution
textures and more object detail. Does
this only apply to your Extreme airports
or do you intend to cover all those
included in your earlier VFR products?
Gary Summons: Unfortunately, it will only
be the main airports. There are not enough
sales to make it viable for the smaller airfields.
VFR Airfields is a legacy product and will
not be updated. I would need to create a
faster workflow to make a new VFR Airfield
viable again. The time spent must match
the sales return and currently it doesn’t.
PC Pilot: What projects are you
working on at the moment?
Gary Summons: I’m currently working
on Luton 2020HD, the old ‘Xtreme’ name
has been dropped. I decided not to carry
on with the trend of using increasingly wild

An overview of the
commercial areas
at Inverness.

www.Key.Aero #126 PC PILOT / 49

48-50 Summons PCP MarApr2020.indd 49 05/02/2020 11:47:51

 INTERVIEW GARY SUMMONS

adjectives; ‘ultimate’, ‘mega’, ‘definitive’ are

all sounding a bit over the top. The problem
is that a year later someone will come up
with something better so your proud bullish
name will look a bit silly. Instead, I use
the airport name, then the year plus HD
so users know it’s a higher resolution.
Leaving the
A lot has changed at Luton, so it was well due terminal for
for a replacement. Certainly the old one was transport to
very good but was becoming inaccurate. After the aircraft.

Luton, I will be remaking Glasgow but I can’t

really predict more than six months ahead.
PC Pilot: I assumed this would be a
long process. Roughly how long does it
take you to update a single airport?
Gary Summons: It does take longer to remake
an airport compared to 10 years ago. I have to
make new high-resolution textures, models and
new methods of creating them. On average, it
takes three to six months of work depending on
airport size and complexity. Making scenery is
also like making a giant jigsaw puzzle. You try
your best to piece together snippets of photos
from the internet and aerial images; often this
isn’t enough and I have to go snooping around
All the ancillary objects you
the airport myself without looking too suspicious. would expect to see are there.
PC Pilot: I see you intend to switch your
ground imagery to new all-photo terrain. so long-term sales are not affected. be sold freely, by anyone and anyhow
From what I read about satellite imagery, However, it does time-shift the sales; users (which could include their system), then
this seems to be an expensive process. hold off ordering when they know a new it could be a good thing for everyone.
Gary Summons: I’ve always used aerial sim is due. This happened with P3Dv4 PC Pilot: If FS2020 turns out to be as good
photos; it’s not that expensive. My recent when there was a drop in sales before its as it looks, do you think that sales of P3D and
change for the new HD range is to stick with release, then an increase afterwards. X-Plane will slowly decline? Or do you think
terrain images and not use polygon-based My products, updates and remakes there will always be those who like to have
square tiles, (which were used in the past due are always based on the amount of the simulator and scenery on their PCs?
to the need to be compatible with FS2004). time spent. I don’t charge just because Gary Summons: If everything works well,
The old polygon tiles had the disadvantage a new sim is out. I charge for the time frame rates are good and developers have the
of not changing resolution in sync with FS spent to convert or remake it. freedom to make add-ons (which is my main
Landclass or photo scenery. There is also PC Pilot: As it appears Microsoft’s concern), then yes, I think P3D and X-Plane
the problem of seasonal changes. Polygon new product will incorporate web- will suffer a big drop. Certainly, I will drop
tiles can’t change season but photo-terrain based (streamed) technology with X-Plane scenery and consider dropping P3D.
scenery can. This is important for blending respect to the scenery, do you think it When 70% move away from it, it’s far harder
into add-ons like Orbx FTX England and FTX will affect add-on airports like yours? to make scenery for multiple platforms than
Scotland. A good example is when your flight Gary Summons: I don’t have any just one, but we must not be carried away
sim changes to the month of January. FTX knowledge of what Microsoft will allow or with hype; there could be problems with it.
users will have an-all white UK, so now my not. If developers have to sell their add- PC Pilot: Finally, can you possibly tell us
airports will match the white snow scene. ons via a Microsoft store and operate via about any plans you have for the future?
PC Pilot: I’m sure you will have been their streaming system, it would not be Gary Summons: This depends entirely on how
monitoring Microsoft regarding the good. Freedom is important and many successful MS2020 turns out to be. If its user
release of its new flight sim. Do you developers will not want to continue if it take-up is high and designers are free to do
think it will have an impact on your turns out that way. I would also have to what they like, then I will move my work in that
sales... either positive or negative? reconsider my position. It will certainly affect direction by adopting even better models and
Gary Summons: A new flight sim generally add-on stores such as simMarket, etc. graphics, creating more tools and work pipelines
does not change the amount of ‘simmers’, However, if they allow add-ons to and changing over to terrain-following systems
for sloping runways. If not, I will carry on with
P3D and X-Plane and if sales are not sufficient,
I will fall back as a Unity games programmer.
PC Pilot: Gary, thank you very much for
taking the time to talk about your work,
and for giving us your thoughts and insight
into the future of flight simulation and more
particularly the effect it may have on UK2000.
I sincerely hope that FS2020 remains
as open to developers as the previous
versions have been. It would be sad to think
that UK2000 would not be part of the FS
community going forward, so good luck
to you and your family for the future.
Plenty of detail in To see Gary’s full product range, visit his
the recreation of the website at: www.uk2000scenery.com
Inverness Terminal.
By Joe Lavery

50 / PC PILOT #126 www.Key.Aero

48-50 Summons PCP MarApr2020.indd 50 05/02/2020 11:47:54

 Your Aviation Destination

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PC Pilot Key Aero fp.indd 43 06/02/2020 15:27

 DEVELOPER’S DIARY

Asobo Studio visited the

Icon headquarters in
California to fine-tune the
Icon A5 flight model with
the help of its test pilots.

Microsoft Flight S
S
ince our last progress report, Asobo
Studio has released a series of
updates to provide us with an insight
into the ongoing development of Microsoft
Flight Simulator. Highlights include an in-depth
overview of the sound engine, new features
such as snow, an update on the Alpha
recruitment process and the current state
of the Software Development Kit (SDK).

Let it snow
To welcome in the New Year, the development
team released a video teaser confirming seasons
will feature in the upcoming Flight Simulator,
including highly authentic snow effects.
The time-lapse video showcased dynamic build-
up of snow in Central Park in New York City both
on the ground and on the rooftops of buildings Above: Aerodynamic stress will cause the airframe to creak under a high-G load. Right: The sound engine
and the trees. As snow-laden clouds moved is affected by the physics and aerodynamics of the flight model, particularly from an external view. Below:
Depending on your location, you will hear distinct environmental sounds, so bird song and insects sound very
over the terrain, the ground gathered a light different in the African savanna compared with the Alaskan outback.
dusting of snow with heavier weather bringing
in more snowfall. So falling snow appears to
build up gradually and depends on atmospheric
conditions. We could see precipitation fall from
clouds, which resulted in authentic and realistic
weather conditions. The video also showcased
different parts of the world from cities to rural
and mountainous locations with details such
as snow on runways and roads while some
roads appeared to be clear of snow. To view
the video, go to the following link on the Key.
Aero website - https://www.key.aero/article/
microsoft-flight-simulator-snow-confirmed.

52 / PC PILOT #126 www.Key.Aero

52-55 MicrosoftNews PCP MarApr2020.indd 52 05/02/2020 12:12:43

 Feature Discovery Series,
Episode 5 – Soundscape
The latest video in Microsoft’s Feature
Discovery Series, Episode 5 - Soundscape,
takes an in-depth look at how the team has
approached audio effects in Microsoft Flight
Simulator. Aurélien Piters, Audio Director
from Asobo Studio, discussed the tools
used to build an accurate world and weather
‘soundscape’ as well as how they recorded
aircraft audio to, as he said, “support and
enhance the world in Flight Simulator.”
Piters remarked that the sounds have been
“totally revamped”. The team is using a
new authoring and sound engine based on
Audiokinetic Wwise to recreate real-time audio
effects such as dynamic mixing, reflections,
authentic cockpit acoustics and Doppler
shift. It aims to use audio in the simulator to
create a "dynamic and living landscape".
Piters also explained the SDK will enable
the audio to be customised and the plan
is to provide access to all simulation
variables using XML files, so users can
modify or even add sounds. However,
FSX legacy sounds will still be usable in
the new Microsoft Flight Simulator.

t Simulator
Aircraft audio
To achieve realistic aircraft audio, Asobo Studio
partnered with several aerospace manufacturers
and recorded sounds on-site at its factories
with full access to the real aircraft. It was able
to capture high-fidelity 16-channel audio from
both the cockpit and an external perspective.
Each microphone recorded specific elements
from different angles such as “front propeller,
side propeller, close exhaust and far exhaust”.

www.Key.Aero #126 PC PILOT / 53

52-55 MicrosoftNews PCP MarApr2020.indd 53 05/02/2020 12:12:57

 DEVELOPER’S DIARY

This modular approach enabled the team

to create individual sounds for each aircraft
component. In the cockpit, the sounds
of various elements were captured in real
time, such as the switch sounds, the trims,
instruments and flap and gear motors.
According to the team, aircraft sounds
will be fully integrated into the virtual
environment. The team reworked the way
the sounds were reflected and attenuated.
The Doppler effect has also been improved,
so when an aircraft flies past us, the engine
pitch will be modulated as it does in real
life, depending on the aircraft’s speed.
The audio engine is even affected by the
physics and aerodynamics of the flight
model, particularly from the external view.
For example, a hard landing will result in
an audible impact, aerodynamic stress
will cause the airframe to creak and rattle Increased wind strength appears to affect the waves
on water bodies.
under a high-G load and wind sounds
increase with the speed of the aircraft. and day have also been recreated with a cockpit in a heavy storm, raindrops can be
very distinct ambience during night time. heard pummelling the fuselage with highly
World soundscape Insects that typically come out after dark realistic sounds. Watch the latest Feature
For the environment, the team created a can be heard and to complete the audio Discovery Series - Soundscape video on the
“biome” system for different parts of the immersion, one can also hear other aircraft Key.Aero website - www.key.aero/article/
planet. So, depending on your location, and vehicles on the ground close by. microsoft-flight-simulator-soundscape.
you will hear distinct environmental
sounds. In the video, bird song and insects Weather Development Roadmap
sounded very different in the African The weather will also feature an accurate In the latest Development Roadmap (DR),
savanna compared with the Alaskan soundscape. You will not only be able to feel the team announced it will be creating
outback, giving you a real sense that you the effects of wind on the aircraft but hear additional episodes in the Feature Discovery
were in a different geographical part of the wind as it increases in intensity. In the Series. In February, it plans to release
the world. The sound of waves lapping video, the increased wind strength can be Feature Discovery Series – Episode
on the shoreline on water bodies in seen affecting the waves on water bodies. 6 – Airports and Episode 7 – IFR.
Alaska could also be heard in Microsoft’s Finally, the team showcased the sound effects A new Development Roadmap will
Soundscape video, mentioned previously. for rain and thunderstorms with authentic also be released in February along with
In addition, audio effects during night thunder and lightning. While sitting inside the further partnership announcements.

A new authoring and

sound engine was used to
recreate real-time audio
effects such as dynamic
mixing, reflections, cockpit
acoustics and Doppler shift.

54 / PC PILOT #126 www.Key.Aero

52-55 MicrosoftNews PCP MarApr2020.indd 54 05/02/2020 12:15:06

 Feedback Snapshot
The first draft of the Feedback Snapshot was
posted in January. It is a work-in-progress
document and will be updated in the coming
weeks with additional information on the
progress of each entry. In the latest Feedback
Snapshot, some of the top questions,
issues and wish list were published:

Feedback Snapshot
Top Questions by subject matter
• List of aircraft
• Airport list and level of detail
• Campaign mode/missions/progression
• Damage model
• Fully functional airports
• Military aircraft
• Minimum specification
• Pre-order timeline and release date
The development team confirmed seasons will feature in the upcoming Flight Simulator, including highly
• Passengers authentic snow effects.
• Pricing model.
SDK Update stall mechanics, water landings and take-
Wish list Following a lot of work over the past few offs, the engine’s power curve, aircraft
• AI traffic months, the initial preview version of the SDK handling and the response to control surface
• Air Traffic Control is now available in the Tech Alpha release. movement. Sebastian explained: “It was great
• Helicopters The SDK uses the same tools as are used to show the simulation to the Icon crew and
• Seasons internally for the development of the core to hear the test pilots say how happy they
• Shared cockpit functionality simulator. Only third-party development were with the simulation of the aircraft.”
• VR/Track IR. partners have access to the SDK tools for Asobo Studio also visited Cubcrafters
creating and editing airports, sceneries, to go over the XCub’s simulation. It
Issues planes and missions. The preview version has fine-tuned the engine’s power
• Controls (mapping is unclear and allows interested developers to have a first curve and adjusted the aircraft’s mass
sometimes broken; controls menu look at the SDK, provide feedback and distribution and control surface limits.
and controls settings) to send requests/wishes to help the team Improvements were made to the prop
• Install and first launch (crash-to-desktop prioritise the work moving forward. If you are wash on the tail to achieve more realistic
bug at launch, texture loading issues) a developer and have not been in contact with handling characteristics, especially on the
• Hardware compatibility issues (bugs with the team, please send an email to msfsim@ ground and at low speeds. The team had
Logitech Extreme 3D Pro, Honeycomb, microsoft.com for more information. The the chance to fly a real Carbon Cub and
Saitek X-55 HOTAS and Realsimgear). official version 1 of the SDK is expected compare the real-world aircraft with the
to be released in March of this year. simulation, which helped them make some
Tech Alpha more improvements of the control surface
To avoid any naming confusion with Tech Flight test elasticity and input curves of the yoke.
Alpha 1 and to more accurately align with Following several partnership announcements Clubcrafters’ test pilot also flew the XCub
the state of the build, the naming of Tech with aircraft manufacturers, Sebastian in the simulator to his usual airstrips in
Alpha 2 has been changed to just ‘Alpha’. Wloch from Asobo Studio visited the Icon the area. The pilot was very happy about
All invitations to join the Alpha (Tech Alpha 2) headquarters in California to fine-tune the how close the simulator compared with
were sent out at the end of January. Anybody Icon A5 flight model with the help of its test the real aircraft. For example, on his usual
already participating in Tech Alpha 1 testing will pilots. According to Sebastian, the aircraft flights out of an airstrip in the real aircraft, a
automatically be granted access to the Tech already matched the Pilot’s Operating specific ridge can be flown over - climbing at
Alpha. The Alpha build was finalised in late Handbook (POH) and they spent most of maximum power after take-off; significantly,
January and is now available to all participants. the time reviewing specific areas like the the XCub in the simulator performed the
same as its real-world counterpart.

Conclusion
Since our last major update, Asobo Studio has
continued to provide us with regular progress
reports of the new Microsoft Flight Simulator.
The team has been very open with its
development and it is encouraging to see such
transparency and the length to which it has
gone to achieve a realistic flying experience,
not only in terms of the flight model, but
also in creating a realistic world simulator.
Although no comment has yet been
made on pricing or minimum specification,
the team is planning to announce even
more features in the coming months.
With it scheduled to be released in 2020,
Each microphone recorded specific elements this year promises to be one of the most
from different angles such as front propeller, side exciting times to be in flight simulation.
propeller, close exhaust and far exhaust. By Richard Benedikz

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 TUTORIAL BACK TO BASICS

Back Ito Basics

We fly across
northern California
hope you’ve been practising
those visual navigation techniques
from the last issue as we continue
refly the flight from Sonoma Co/KSTS or
simply rejoin overhead Ruth, remembering
to set your winds artificially to 270° True/16
our flight in northern California knots or expect some variations in the
and learn some new and learn some more useful tips that will
help you fly and navigate visually.
times etc for the remaining legs. As we’ve
said previously, even if your ‘numbers’ vary
navigation tips A recap
slightly, the principals remain the same no
matter what aircraft or winds you use.
Our flight so far has taught us how to correct Over short legs, the chance of any significant

Series 2 Lesson 10
our heading to compensate for the winds track or time error is quite small. However,
aloft and to also use that information to better even a tiny error on a longer leg may mean you
plan and fly any subsequent legs. We passed start to move away from your planned route
By Peter Stark overhead Ruth/T42 at 09:50 while cruising
at 6,500ft. To continue our exercise, you can
and if you aren’t monitoring your progress,
you may become geographically embarrassed.
Our flight plan now takes us from overhead
Ruth/T42 direct to overhead Rogers/O05
Airfield, which is 071°M and 94nm from Ruth.
Change to the Klamath Falls sectional chart
for this leg as it covers a broader tract of land
either side of our planned route (Figure 1).
Examine the route and you will see that
there are several features that will be distinct
from the air that we can use to navigate. For
example, the western edge of the broad valley
that dominates the central half of the leg
and the intersection with the major Interstate
Highway 5 that runs north-south between
Above: Figure 1 - Our leg to Rogers has several excellent fixes to use our rules of thumb.

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 Figure 2 - Passing our transit line between Red Bluff
and Redding.

Red Bluff and Renton is almost exactly half- error of almost 0°. But as we are changing the performance charts for the C182 tells us
way. If we continue to look, we can even see our track to 071°, we will also have to change that our true indicated speed will increase
that where the track passes the far eastern our quadrantal cruise level to ‘odd thousands slightly to 141 knots. Using another rule of
edge of the valley is two thirds along the plus 500’, ie we will have to now cruise at thumb, we can simply add two minutes to
length of this leg – all very useful features. either 5,500ft, 7,500ft or 9,500ft. A check our planned ETA to allow for this climb.
You will also note that the track of 071° is of our chart shows that our minimum safe So, to clarify our findings, we will be flying
almost exactly 180° from our known wind altitude for this leg is 8,900ft. As a VFR flight, this leg at 9,500ft at a TAS of 141 knots. The
of 255°M. If we use the flight computer or we are not required to fly that high - it will 16-knot tailwind gives us a groundspeed
vectors to calculate our required heading clearly be of benefit if we climb to 9,500ft. We of 156 knots which in turn means we
and ground speed, we see we have a track should also note that by climbing to 9,500ft, should fly this 94nm leg in 36 minutes.

Figure 3 - Distinctive natural features are excellent fixes as they don’t change much over time.

Figure 4 - Leg
three takes
us over some
spectacular
mountain
country as
we head to
Truckee-Tahoe.
Figure 5 - Using drift
lines, we can very
simply see we are
tracking 5° to the left
of the planned route.

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 TUTORIAL BACK TO BASICS

These elementary
navigation skills
are needed before
progressing to
higher performance
aircraft.

Add our extra two minutes for the climb Left: Figure 6 – Leg one showing the same technique
and we have an estimated time interval of of plotting your position as you progress.
38 minutes. So, having passed overhead Left bottom: Figure 7 – Simply add your outbound
and inbound track errors to easily calculate your
Ruth at 09:50, we would expect to be revised heading to your destination.
overhead Rogers 38 minutes later 10:28. Right: Many types of commercial flying operations
also require very sound visual navigation skills.
To resume our flight, turn on to a heading (From ‘Take on Helicopters’ simulation.)
071° as you climb to 9,500ft. After around six
minutes, we can plot the fact that we passed
abeam the 7,792ft Black Rock Mountain
immediately to the right of track. A very useful
transit line is when passing near airfields such
as Redding (KRDD) to our north and Red
Bluff (KRBL) to our south. By extending the
runway centrelines, we can use the resulting
transit line to fix our position at a specific
time. Just be sure you identify the airfields or
objects correctly. Good navigators will actually
plan their route so that regular ‘quality’ fixes
can be found along each leg, even if that
means an increase in the distance flown.
We pass our transit line between Highway 5
and the extension of the north-south runway
at Red Bluff at around 10:09 (Figure 2). Then,
by examining the point where we will cross
the Sacramento River, we can see that when
we compare the river’s path to our chart we
seem to be right on track (Figure 3). Draw
this fixed position on to your chart and if you
have drifted off track, now is an excellent time
to make the heading and time corrections
we described in the first two legs. We can
also take the opportunity to check our ETA
for Rogers field. Having flown half of the leg
in 19 minutes, we can calculate that our ETA
for Rogers is in another 19 minutes, which is
10:28. Proceed to Rogers using exactly the
same technique and continue to plot your
progress as best you can on your chart.

Visually calculating track error

Our arrival time over Rogers was 10:29 - quite
accurate when compared to our plan - which

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 again reassures us that the winds have not your drift error. So as we are now overhead are almost on top of the 5° drift line, ie our
changed significantly. This in turn allows us to Rogers at 9,500ft, turn right on to 123°M drift is about 5° to the left! How easy is that?
use the same wind velocity to plan our heading and note the time (10:29). As always, focus So, having confirmed we are drifting 5° to
and groundspeed for the next leg to Truckee- on maintaining an accurate heading and the left, we can now alter our heading 5° to
Tahoe/KTRK (Figure 4). Again, using the same altitude while we settle into the leg. the right (to 128°M). We would track parallel
methods described earlier in the series, we Figure 5 shows the early stages of our with our original planned track but some
can determine that our planned track is 123°M planned route for this leg but I have also miles to the east. So of course, if we altered
and the distance 77nm. Entering this data in drawn in yellow drift lines to correspond with our heading to 10° to the right (133°M),
a flight computer reveals our track error will drift angles of 5°. After flying for around five we would intercept our original planned
be 5° left, requiring a heading of 123°M + 5° minutes, you will pass right over the southern track in another 18nm (or 10 minutes).
= 128°M to maintain track. The groundspeed tip of Lake Almanor. Record this position and You can see how plotting the fixes can
will be about 151 knots, meaning the 77nm leg the time as accurately as you can on your be useful in alerting you to possible track
will take us approximately 31 minutes. As we chart. We are already getting an indication that drift and can allow you to more accurately
passed over Rogers at 10:29, our planned ETA flying a heading of 123°M is resulting in a drift measure your wind correction angle and
over Truckee-Tahoe is 10:29 + :31 = 11:00. If to our left. However, it takes a very brave pilot any required revision to your ETA. It is also
this seems too much to take in, read through to make a major course correction on just one invaluable should you become a little lost
the steps a few times while the simulator is fix so soon after departure, so let’s continue as it is more likely to allow you to determine
paused and with a little regular practice it will on our heading and monitor our progress. which area you have flown to. As a further
come naturally at every single turning point. At time 10:39 (10 minutes and 18nm after example, Figure 6 shows my drift lines and
We could now turn on to our calculated leaving Rogers) we pass overhead a very good plots for the first leg we flew from Sonoma to
heading of 128°M and resume flying to fix where our track passes alongside the lake Ruth. Save your flight as you regain track so
Truckee-Tahoe. But just in case trigonometry at Crescent Mills and crosses a narrow valley we can kick off from here in the next issue.
is not your thing, we’ll demonstrate a with a stream and distinctive road junction to
more ‘visual’ method of determining our the west. When we look closely at our chart, Inbound drift angles
drift. So, instead of turning to 128°, use a we see that our original planned track is well The technique above also highlights an
heading of 123°M. Yes, this does mean we to the right of our actual position. We now important reason why it is good airmanship
will experience some drift and by following have two fixes indicating we are to the left of to plot your fixes and times on your charts
through this exercise, you will see how you our desired track, but by how much? A quick as you fly. Another almost identical method
can use a map and simple plotting to find look at our position on the chart shows we can also be used to determine your inbound
heading to your destination from almost any
position along your track. Figure 7 shows
an example where we are flying between
two airfields. We obtain a fix over the city of
Hutchinson. A quick look at the drift line from
our departure point shows we are on the 7°
drift line outbound. We can also quickly see
that this fix is also on the 9° drift line into
our destination. Simply add the two together
and we have our required heading change
to track straight into the destination airfield.
So, if our original heading was 110°M, just
add the 7° + 9° = 16° to our heading to track
straight in. Our new heading will be 126°M.
As a further precaution, continue to plot any
fixes and times as you continue to fly inbound
to your destination but no major calculations,
flight computers or batteries are required.

Next time
Our epic Californian navigation exercise continues
next issue as we come across some unexpected
diversions and learn how that yet again, using
some rules of thumb and simple techniques,
we can quickly get back on track.
By Peter Stark

Acknowledgements
Many thanks to Scott Gentile and the team at A2A
Simulations for the use of their Cessna 182 and
to Orbx Simulations for the numerous scenery
products used throughout this series. Also, thanks
to the Aerospace Network, University of North
Dakota. As a support division within the John D
Odegard School of Aerospace Sciences at the
University of North Dakota, Aerospace Network
is a leader in the use of technology to enhance
teaching and learning. Within its state-of-the-art
production facilities, its talented team produces
world-class multimedia products and solutions.

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 FEATURE CHALLENGING AIRPORTS

Challenging
Airports Nuuk, Greenland (BGGH)

Air service

T
hough we’ve only visited Greenland
one other time in our Challenging The airport in Nuuk (BGGH)
Airports series, we could probably fill was constructed in 1979 after
an entire special issue with the unique two decades of the city being
and challenging approaches to the airports served by seaplanes landing
that dot the extensive coastline of the world’s at the nearby marine port. In
largest island. For such an enormous landmass, 1965, Air Greenland began thresholds
the entire population of Greenland could fit flights from the airport to or unusable
into a large sporting stadium with just shy of nearby communities using areas. Field
56,000 residents. Located on the southwest the enormous Sikorsky S-61 elevation is 283ft with
coast of the massive island, the capital city of helicopter, which remained in the airport constructed on
Nuuk contains nearly one-third of Greenland’s service for more than four decades a slight plateau - wedged between
population with around 18,000 residents. until 2010. Direct international flights have the city to the west and high mountains
Linking Nuuk to other towns across southern come and gone over the decades, with routes to several thousand feet to the east. Terrain
and western Greenland and to international to Iqaluit, Canada and Keflavik, Iceland, but the to 5,216ft (Kinaussaq), about 40 miles to the
points beyond, the small airport at Nuuk has short runway, remote location and challenging northeast of the airfield, keeps minimum sector
been an essential gateway to the region. weather have conspired to constrain expansion altitudes in that area at 6,800ft. Long fingers of
of direct international flights. Flag carrier Air fjords radiate out from Nuuk to the northeast,
Flying to Nuuk Greenland operates a fleet of Bombardier Dash-8
Q200 aircraft capable of regional flights, including
clockwise around to the south. In this type of
terrain, elevation can change from sea-level to
Flights to Nuuk can be accomplished in linking flights to international destinations thousands of feet in under a mile, so situational
everything from the smallest general aviation through the larger airport of Kangerlussuaq awareness in instrument conditions is imperative.
aircraft to commuter turboprops. Custom (BGSF), while Air Iceland provides connections A single apron with hangars and a small
payware scenery for Nuuk is available for FSX to Keflavik (BIKF) and points beyond. passenger terminal allow for limited parking.
and P3D from FSDG (https://fsdg-online.com/), High-intensity runway lights are necessary
while freeware scenery for X-Plane can be Airport due to the high latitude and long winters,
found on X-Plane.org (http://x-plane.org). Finally, Nuuk features a single asphalt Runway 5/23 with with sometimes as few as four hours of
approach charts can be found at: https://aim. a length of only 3,117ft. Conveniently, take-off daylight during the peak of winter. Runway
naviair.dk/en/. Select AIP Grønland, AIP Part 3 – and landing distances available are the same 23 also features a 430m approach light
Flyvepladser, AD 2 Aerodromes, Nuuk (BGGH). as neither end of the runway features displaced system, while both ends of the runway

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 are served by 3° Precision Approach Path the experience. There is also nice freeware/ occasional heavy snowfall in storms. Keeping
Indicator (PAPI) lights. A notation in the donation scenery of Nuuk for X-Plane 11 that the runway free of contaminants is a constant
Aeronautical Information Publication advises gives a fair representation of the airfield. challenge with average high temperatures
that the Runway 23 PAPI provides obstacle through half of the year not exceeding freezing.
clearance only within 11° to the east of the Weather An examination of a year’s worth of METAR data
extended centreline due to rising terrain in As one would expect with a high-latitude, shows frequent occurrences of snow, freezing
that direction. The runway has a slight but seaside airport, the weather along the coast drizzle and some low ceilings but winds are rarely
performance-affecting 0.6% slope with the of Greenland can be downright ugly. The area excessive except during occasional storms.
beginning of Runway 05 at 271ft and the end features cold and snowy winters and cool
at 281ft. For our flight simulation purposes, summers. Temperatures year round are cool Approaches
the default P3D Nuuk Airport representation enough that trees are rare, giving the area a Runway 23 has a localiser/DME navigation aid
isn’t too bad, but third-party developer FSDG rather stark appearance. From autumn until (110.30) providing a non-precision (no-glideslope)
has a very nice Nuuk scenery package for spring, the sky is overcast or cloudy roughly approach to a missed approach point slightly
FSX and P3D that significantly enhances 83% of the time. Snowfall is not uncommon, with more than 1nm from the approach end of
Above: Visibility, winds, turbulence or a poor
approach can lead to go-arounds since the
3,117ft runway length doesn’t allow for much
margin of error. Below: The airfield sits on the
north side of a crescent of land with the Labrador
Sea to the west and extensive fjords to the east.

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 FEATURE CHALLENGING AIRPORTS

Right: Air Greenland operates a fleet of Dash-

8 aircraft that provide regional air services and
connections to large airlines in Kangerlussuaq
(BGSF) and Narsarsuaq (BGBW). Left: Many
helicopters are capable IFR platforms.

Runway 23. The minimum ceiling is 630ft MSL the favoured end of the runway. Dark nights, open when performing a risk assessment. Alternate
(350ft AGL) for the straight-in approach and water and high terrain in all quadrants make this airfields are few and far between in Greenland
730ft MSL (450’ AGL) for the circling approach. approach particularly hazardous during the circling and involve significant distances (and fuel) to
The localiser is offset by 3.5° to the right of the phase. The only approach from south of the reach. Kangerlussuaq (BGSF), 172NM north of
extended runway centreline. Circling is only airfield is the RNAV Circling A-1 procedure that Nuuk, features a 9,219ft runway with localiser
allowed west of the runway, over the fjord, since uses three feeder initial approach fixes to set up approaches to fairly low minimums (350ft AGL).
high terrain to above 2,600ft rises rapidly just for an offset final approach course that also ends Maniitsoq (BGMQ) is just 80nm up the coast
east of the airfield. Transitions to the localiser up in a circling approach. Minimums are 680ft but it only has a runway length of 2,621ft,
approach can be flown via the NUTKA RNAV and the missed approach point is 3.4NM south of an NDB/DME approach and high minimums
intersection 23NM north of the airport or via a the airfield, leaving a relatively large gap between of 610ft AGL. It is likely that any weather
more traditional transition flown via a bearing the missed approach point and the runway. affecting Nuuk may also affect Maniitsoq.
(015°) off the GARDA NDB (314/GH) to a DME Obviously in poor visibility, this approach would With 3,117ft of runway with possible snow
arc that leads back around to join the localiser. not give the best opportunity to spot the airfield. or ice contamination, aircraft performance
In addition to the two localiser approaches, three is a very important consideration. Aircraft
RNAV approaches are published. The lowest Operational considerations as large as C-130s, Fokker F50s and de
of these approaches is the RNAV Circling B-1 Many factors should weigh into the decision- Havilland Dash-7s have been regular visitors
approach that takes advantage of the fjord to making process to operate to or from Nuuk. to Nuuk. Turboprops are generally quite
bring aircraft to a low altitude (680ft MSL) abeam The combination of short runway and highly good performers on contaminated runways
the runway for a circling approach to whichever is variable weather should be high on the list with their excellent reverse/beta capabilities.
King Air medical evacuation flights and Twin
One of the largest aircraft types to visit Nuuk is the
venerable Lockheed C-130 Hercules, which has good Otters can be seen alongside the Dash-8
braking characteristics on short, contaminated runways. commuters based at Nuuk. In doing research
for this article, I was trying to ascertain if any
jet aircraft have been ambitious enough to try
operating to Nuuk. The only reference I could
find was to a brand new Cirrus SF50 Vision
Jet (less than six hours on the airframe!) that
suffered a brake failure and runway excursion
in 2018 on its delivery flight from the United
States to Europe, ending up in a snowbank
just off the runway. The incident was due to a
mechanical failure and was not the pilot’s fault
but it does demonstrate that there are not many
opportunities to salvage a take-off or landing

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 if things go wrong on such small runways.
Light general aviation aircraft that are
hopscotching their way across the North
Atlantic on ferry flights between Northern
America and Europe can use Nuuk as
a stopover point but many ferry pilots
choose the larger airports of Narsarsuaq
(BGBW) or Kangerlussuaq (BGSF) given
their longer runways and better facilities.
It is also worth mentioning that many light
aircraft are not equipped to tackle in-flight
icing conditions that can menace the ferry
routes between North America, Greenland,
Iceland and Europe. The high latitude of
Nuuk and indeed all Greenland airports Above: The only approach towards Runway 05 is a circling approach with an offset approach course (028°) and
a missed approach point over three nautical miles from the airport. Below: A ski-equipped Twin Otter on the
mean cold temperatures at low elevations, downwind to Runway 5 - an excellent choice of aircraft for Nuuk’s short runway.
which can lead to icing on approaches and
departures. There are few things as terrifying
as being in a single-engine piston aircraft in
icing conditions that you cannot escape.

Conclusion
Nuuk airport has all the ingredients that meet
the criteria for inclusion in the Challenging
Airports club: a short runway, variable marine
weather, snow and ice, extended periods of
darkness, non-precision approaches, distant
alternates and extensive high terrain in the
immediate vicinity. Taken individually, none
of these factors are particularly daunting, but
when combined into a worst-case scenario,
check your survival kit, assess the fuel situation
and start working on plans B, C and D.
By Chris Frishmuth
Below: Nuuk features long, cold and snowy winters
that provide a constant threat of slippery runway Night operations to Nuuk
conditions. can be a hazardous affair
with serious potential for
spatial disorientation and
illusions.

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 FEATURE FLIGHT ADVENTURE

Boeing 747
Flight Adventure

50th Anniversary
This issue Peter Stark flies the ‘Queen of the Skies’
reviewed in this issue starting on page 28). engineer on board) and 25,000kg (55,000lb)
As usual, a full list of where to get the SSG of fuel. This will be enough for the 85-minute
747, scenery used in the accompanying test flight with an hour of reserves.
screenshots, flight plans, as well as some After engine start, taxi to and line up on
other aircraft and scenery suggestions for Runway 34L with 10° flap. Make sure every
FSX/P3D can be found in the download system is working within limits – after all,
section for this issue at www.key.aero. you don’t want to be known as the pilot

Flight 1: Maiden Test Flight

This flight emulates the maiden flight of the
747 which took place on February 9, 1969
from Everett’s Paine Field/KPAE, which
is still the site of the Boeing 747
assembly plant. We start with our
preflight at the Boeing stand in

W
orld aviation recently celebrated a cold and dark aircraft state.
the 50th anniversary of the maiden Complete all your preflight
flight of the ubiquitous Boeing and prestart checks
747 ‘Jumbo Jet’. The 747 and its with no payload
subsequent variants are still seen in regular (there were only
commercial services across the globe today. In the pilots
this issue’s Flight Adventure, we fly three special and flight
routes while exploring some interesting facts
and figures relating to the ‘Queen of the Skies’.

An icon for 50 years

For this Flight Adventure, we’ll be flying the
Supercritical Simulations Group (SSG) VMAX
Boeing 747-8i/8F for X-Plane (which is also

Above: A very youthful author at the controls of a Boeing 747-200.

Below: The very first 747 prepares for its maiden flight. (Wikimedia Commons)

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 who crashed the 747 on its maiden flight!
If you use the FMC for your departure, also
ensure you use TO-2 and CLB-2 N1 settings
as you are very lightly loaded. After take-
off, do not retract your gear (the gear wasn’t
retracted on the maiden test flight) and
once passing 2,000ft, make a gentle right-
hand turn to overfly Paine Field at 3,000ft.
As you pass overhead, climb to 15,500ft
as you track west over the Salish Sea and
Olympia National Park, as this has been
NOTAMed as your flight test area. You’ll need
to keep your airspeed below around 220 knots
so you don’t over-stress your undercarriage
and flaps. Once you’ve levelled off, make a
series of 10, 20 and 30° angle of bank turns
There were over 1,000 test flights before the 747
entered service, but we’ll do just one! Jumbo Fact 1
to become familiar with the overall general Field where they are preparing for your arrival At the time, an aircraft development to the point of
handling. Then move on to reducing your on Runway 16R. Descend to 3,000ft as you maiden flight usually took around 42 months. However,
airspeed in 20-knot increments to check track east and tune the RWY 16R ILS to the pressure was on for Boeing to deliver to Pan
out the slow speed handling, remembering 109.30MHz/163°. Again overfly Paine Field at American World Airways, which had placed its orders
to lower flaps as you go. On the original 3,000ft. Turn left to join downwind for Runway based on hypothetical sketches! Despite Boeing
flight, the crew also tested flying the 747 16R and fly a long downwind. At 13DME, turn struggling to get finance from its seven banks for such
with individual hydraulic systems turned off, left to 190° to intercept the ILS but hand- an ambitious project, a team of 50,000 staff (dubbed the
so try this as well if your model allows. fly the approach. Your Vref with this load will ‘Incredibles’) completed the project in just 28 months,
Now it’s time to turn back towards Paine be around 133 knots and you should get and so helped ensure the future of the company.

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 FEATURE FLIGHT ADVENTURE

It is the distinctive hump on

the fuselage that makes the
747 easy to recognise.

into the landing configuration (full flaps, gear and 25,000kg (55,000lb) of fuel which will
still welded down, 150 knots) very early on
the approach. Take great care to not fall into
cover the 500nm flight plus reserves (and
yes, you might just need them). Your route is
Jumbo Fact 2
The 747 was a monumental leap forward from other
the trap of getting too low on finals. This is TNCC LUCAS ANNER DANDE STAR TNCM.
jet airliners of the era. It was two and a half times
very easy to do because of the height of the After take-off, turn left to 020° to
larger and weighed twice that of its predecessor, the
747 cockpit. After touchdown, taxi back to intercept either the planned RNAV track
Boeing 707. The tail was six storeys high and even
the main Boeing apron on the north-eastern or the 052° radial from the Curacao VOR
taxiing the aircraft within the taxiways was a challenge
edge of the field and enjoy the celebrations. (116.70MHz) and climb to FL370.
as the cockpit was three storeys above the ground.
There isn’t a great deal of scenery as
The solution to this problem was known as
Flight 2: Curacao to St. Maarten you cross the Caribbean Sea, so let’s
the Waddell’s Wagon (after 747 test pilot Jack
There surely can’t be a pilot who hasn’t explore some more Jumbo Facts.
Waddell), where a simulated cockpit was mounted
been in awe of the KLM 747’s landing at The approach into the infamous Runway 10
on a three-storey high structure on a truck!
Princess Juliana/TNCM Airport on the at Princess Juliana airport means we must
Caribbean island of St Maarten. The images start our descent around 85nm from DANDE.
of the 747 wheels almost touching the
airport fence, as hundreds of spectators
As you pass DANDE, turn left on to 050° and
track to AVAKI while continuing your descent
Jumbo Fact 3
For 37 years, the record for the number of passengers
on the beach all reach up to ‘touch’ the to 2,600ft. Turn right on to 095° at AVAKI flown in a 747 was 674 when Qantas packed them
aircraft as it roars 50ft overhead, are and start a 700fpm descent as you start in during the evacuation of Darwin (Australia) after
well-known. Now is your chance to try your final approach. Aim to be at 1,700ft at Cyclone Tracey devastated the city on Christmas Eve in
your hand at this spectacular arrival. LESOR (5.1nm to touchdown) in the landing 1974. But even this was small cheese compared to the
While KLM ceased 747 operations to St configuration at Vref of around 140 knots. astonishing 1088 people flown in an El Al 747 during
Maarten for a short while, it has now started The final part of the approach and landing the evacuation of Ethiopian Jews from Addis Ababa
them up again with regular services between will be VFR and you should clear the airfield in 1991. They achieved this by stripping the interior
the Dutch Lesser Antilles island of Curacao/ boundary fence by only 50ft or so. After and while the actual reported figure varies a little, it
TNCC. Start on the apron at Hato touchdown, roll to the far end of the runway includes the two babies born on board during the flight.
Intl./TNCC with a 50% payload before backtracking to the terminal.
Just clearing the fence at
Princess Juliana on the
island of St Maarten.

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 Flight 3: Kai Tak
Our final and classic 747 flight is into the
legendary Hong Kong Kai Tak Airport. While
now closed, it was for decades one of the most
exhilarating airports to land in – particularly in
a Boeing 747. You’ll definitely need a Kai Tak/
VHHX Runway 13 IGS chart which is still freely
available online. Our route departs Taipei’s
Taoyuan Intl/RCTP using the route: RCTP STAR
(AJENT) MKG MAGOG CH STAR VHHX.
Load up with 40,000kg (88,000lb) of payload
and 24,000kg (53,000lb) of fuel which will
cover the route plus a generous 10,000kg
(22,000lb) reserve in case you need to make
So large is the 747-8i that the floor area of the
several approaches and perhaps divert upper deck alone is equivalent to that of a 737.
to nearby Chek Lap Kok/VHHH if Kai Tak
proves too much of a challenge. After take- 500-600ft, make a right-hand turn to
off, fly the relevant AJENT departure to
intercept your route at Magong/MKG VOR
line up with Runway 13. The threshold is
displaced, so don’t be tempted to dive at
Jumbo Fact 4
(115.2MHz) and continue to climb to FL 360. the runway and descend too rapidly or you There have been more than 25 variants and in addition
Your descent should start at MAGOG will undershoot. Those of us old enough to passenger transport, it has been used in roles such as
intersection (not Magong VOR!) as your aim is to remember this approach just loved it ferrying the Space Shuttle, aerial firefighting and being
to fly overhead Cheung/CH VOR (112.3MHz) as you would be looking into people’s a platform for NASA airborne telescopes. US President
at 8,000ft at around 220 knots with 10° flap apartments as you passed between towers George HW Bush used a 747-200B as Air Force One
and track 270° outbound. Once overhead CH, as you made your short final approach. from 1990 and a 747 is still used in that role today.
start descending to 6,000ft and at 7.0DME, If it all becomes too difficult, don’t
make a shallow right-hand turn while continuing despair, as airlines only used their more
your descent to 4,500ft as you slow to 180 experienced crews into Kai Tak. If you need
knots and lower flaps to 15°. Intercept the IGS to divert to Chek Lap Kok, simply fly back
(111.90MHz/088°), lower your gear and 25° to Tathong VOR at 8,000ft and follow the
flap and fly the glideslope and localiser. Keep ILS/DME approach for the duty runway.
an eye out directly ahead for the red and white Next time we’ll make a return to another part
checkerboard – this is your aiming point until of the Caribbean to explore the history and
a very late turn on to finals. If the conditions evolution of another workhorse that is used
are hazy, you may not see the checkerboard worldwide – the Cessna C208 Caravan.
or the runway before the middle marker (MM) By Peter Stark
beeps, in which case you must go around
immediately by making a climbing right turn Acknowledgements
to track 135° to the Tathong Point/TH VOR Many thanks to Supercritical Simulations Group
(115.5MHz) before trying again via Cheung VOR. (https://www.supercriticalsimulation.com) for providing
When you do see the checkerboard the Boeing 747-8i used in this Flight Adventure.
and runway, lower 30° flap and at around
Above: Like any aircraft with such a long pedigree,
the 747 has seen a digital revolution and the amount
of data available to its pilots is astounding.
Below: Rolling on to short finals at Kai Tak – not
for the faint-hearted.

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 REVIEW ADD-ON FOR DCS WORLD

DCS: JF-17 T
A new lightweight, single-
engine, multi-role combat
aircraft for DCS World

B
ack in early 2017, Deka Ironwork the JF-17 represents an interesting
Simulations started teasing a newcomer to the battlefield of DCS
module in development for DCS World. The history of the development
World – the JF-17 Thunder. Over of the real JF-17 could encompass
the ensuing two years, further development a complete article to itself but after
tidbits were shown that proved Deka intended a twisting route of initial design goals,
to field a serious, study-level module for DCS investments, development, and sanctions,
World and enthusiasm for the project rippled the JF-17 was borne via a partnership between In the end, the final design features a single
outward. Deka had already shown its modelling Pakistan and China, with a bit of Russian Klimov RD-93 afterburning turbofan, the same
prowess by collaborating with Eagle Dynamics Mikoyan thrown in for extra seasoning. Just engine that powers the MiG-29, a cannon
(developer of DCS World) to release its China looking at the JF-17 leaves one scratching from the MiG-21, and avionics, HUD and
Asset Pack which introduced the J-11A (based one’s head – does it resemble an F-16? An HOTAS that borrow heavily from the F-16.
on a modified Su-27), ships, missiles and other F-20 Tigershark? A MiG-21? The answer, Hardpoints for both air-to-air and air-to-ground
China-specific military hardware. The China of course, is yes – all of them. It is as if the weapons, a sensor pod and an electronic
Asset Pack became part of the core DCS JF-17 design team sat down in a room and countermeasure pod give the JF-17 a true
World. In early December 2019, Deka released decided to pick and choose features from multi-role capability. Thus far, Pakistan has
the JF-17 into Early Access and though the a wide array of aircraft to create a unique fielded more than 100 JF-17s. It is unknown if,
module wasn’t ‘hyped’ to levels we’ve seen airframe that looks different, yet familiar. or how many, FC-1 aircraft China has elected
before from other developers, the JF-17 has
been roundly praised for its completeness
and quality even while marching under the
somewhat nebulous banner of Early Access.

JF-17 – what is it?

You are excused for not knowing exactly what
a JF-17 is, particularly in the West where
we tend to focus a bit too much on our own
marvels. The JF-17 Thunder is a lightweight,
single-engine, multi-role combat aircraft that
was a collaborative project between the
Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC) and the
Chengdu Aircraft Corporation (CAC) of China.
Technically known as the JF-17 by Pakistan Cockpit geometry, textures
and functionality are fantastic.
(Joint Fighter-17) or the FC-1 Xiaolong in China,

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 PCPilot PCPilot
PLATINUM CLASSIC
AWARD AWARD

7 Thunder
Deka Ironwork Simulations’ PCPilot
Classic
PCPilot
Classic

to integrate into its air force (PLAAF),

although signs point to them not utilising
it and instead using it as an export product.

Cockpit
Deka has done an extraordinary job with the
detailing, geometry and textures of the JF-17
cockpit. Dominated by three gorgeously
textured 8” x 12” LCD Multi-Function Coloured
Display (MFCD) panels, the cockpit has a
modern and streamlined feel to it. Surrounding
each MFCD are Option Select Buttons (OSBs)
that allow pilots to navigate the menus and
settings of each MFCD. The MFCDs are able
to display: Horizontal Situation Display, EFIS
(Electronic Flight Instrument System), Datalink, Above: The JF-17 Thunder confuses the brain as it appears to be an amalgam of design choices from the past,
Data with eight sub-pages pertaining to items present and future. Top: The JF-17 is an absolute assassin when loaded with a pair of BRM-1 laser-guided rocket
such as navigation data, fuel, engine, weapons pods and laser-guided bombs. Below: The single Klimov RD-33 turbofan is the same engine that powers the MiG-29.
release parameters, Radar, Inertial Navigation
System, TACAN, Approach settings, Targeting
Pod, Stores Management, Built-In-Test and
Failures. The lower third of each MFCD can also
display Airfield Data, Stores Management and
Engine and Aircraft Systems indicators. Much
of the data is tied, accessed, edited or input via
the centrally mounted Up-Front Control Panel
(UFCP). On first glance, the JF-17 panel layout
bears a striking resemblance to an F-16 cockpit,
particularly the F-16 Block 60 and ‘IN’ variants.
With the Deka JF-17 in Early Access, at
time of going to press, there were only a
couple of training missions (Cold and Dark
and Navigation) and 17 Quick Start missions
that provide for self-guided exploration of

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 REVIEW ADD-ON FOR DCS WORLD

a main battle tank from a rear or top aspect,

while two missiles are necessary to destroy a
tank when attacking through the thick frontal
armour. With a pair of 90mm rocket pods, the
JF-17 has the ability to destroy up to 36 targets
with precision targeting. The C-802AKG is an
extremely satisfying missile to employ in its
various modes. The C-802AK and AKG are
cruise missiles that allow for long-distance
targeting, with a unique ability to control the
AKG via a datalink pod that enables the pilot
to see and steer the missile from over 100km
away as the view from the missile is broadcast
to the MFCD display in the cockpit. The SD-10
active radar-homing missile can be carried on
racks of two under each wing for a total of four
missiles. The performance of the SD-10 has
Though equipped with all stirred some vigorous debate online as it seems
manner of precision-guided
weapons, the JF-17 can also to have shown some impressive performance
deliver an impressive load of against the AMRAAM and Russian R-77. Missile
conventional munitions in a dynamics continue to be an area of close
more traditional manner.
scrutiny and improvement by Eagle Dynamics.
different sensors and weapons. To realise
the full potential of the JF-17, it will be
imperative that Deka develops a rigorous
set of training missions to showcase its
module. The word on the street is that Deka
was waiting on completion of a few more
features before diving into the laborious
process of building training missions with
the mission editor. That said, this reviewer
had a fantastic time exploring the JF-17 with
the quirky Deka-authored JF-17 Thunder
Quick Guide in hand as well as the incredibly Above: Night vision goggles provide additional
capability for night fighting. Left: The WMD-7
useful user-created ‘Chuck’s Guide’ to the targeting pod is excellent for identifying targets,
JF-17, published by flight-sim community slaving sensors and guiding precision weapons. (View
through HP Reverb VR headset)
super-star Charles “Chuck” Ouellet.
Beyond the MFCD panels, the side panels
provide more traditional switches, knobs and
buttons to manage JF-17 systems such as
the radios, lights, environmental system and
systems that are more often used prior to and
after combat. The cockpit ergonomics are
well thought out and it is one of my favourite
aircraft to fly using my virtual reality headset.

Weapons
As a multi-role aircraft, the JF-17 must carry a
wide array of weapons – and it does. The mix
of weapons includes free-fall bombs, precision-
guided weapons, data-linked missiles, rockets
and air-to-air missiles. The complete list of Above: The JF-17 cockpit is clean and modern with three multi-function displays, an up-front-control panel
and HUD providing excellent integration and control of many aircraft systems. Below: A braking chute further
air-to-ground ordnance: GBU-10/12/16 laser- reduces the landing roll of the JF-17 allowing for very short-field operations.
guided bombs, Mk-82/83/84, Mk-82 Snakeye,
Mk-20 Rockeye, rockets (90mm laser-guided,
unguided and 2.75”), C-802AK anti-ship
missile and CM-802AKG TV-guided missile,
C-701 TV-guided missile, LD-10 anti-radiation
missile and the GB-6 glide bomb. On the air-
to-air side, the JF-17 carries the long-range
SD-10 active radar-homing missile (similar to
the AIM-120 AMRAAM) and the short-range,
infrared, heat-seeking PL-5EII missile (similar
to the AIM-9M Sidewinder). For both air-to-air
and air-to-ground work, the JF-17 carries an
internal 23mm GSh-23-2 twin-barrel cannon.
The standout weapons include the BRM-1
rocket pods, each holding 18 laser-guided
(beam riding) 90mm rockets capable of
destroying enemy armour. In my testing, a
single 90mm rocket was capable of destroying

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 PCPilot PCPilot
PLATINUM CLASSIC
AWARD AWARD

PCPilot PCPilot
Classic Classic

Sensors Flight model conserving profile, I was able to climb at 300

Of course, weapons are only as good as the The flight model is advertised as a “nonlinear knots to 30,000ft and maintain a Mach .80 cruise
targeting system that assists in their delivery. industry-level high-fidelity 6DOF rigid-body flight with a fuel flow of only 3,180pph. If loaded
The JF-17 features the KLJ-7 radar capable model with real-life aerodynamic coefficients”. with maximum fuel, a theoretical endurance
of tracking ten targets and engaging two I can only assume all of those words mean of three to four hours should be possible.
simultaneously. Ground- and sea-moving something good. Regardless, the JF-17 does Deka has indicated that air-to-air refuelling
target and ground mapping are also available ‘feel’ really, really good. The JF-17 is snappy, capability will be added later in development.
using the KLJ-7. For ground attacks, the fast and manoeuvrable at light weights with Take-off and landing performance is also
WMD-7 CCD/IR targeting pod provides good minimal ordnance and a bit of a lumbering, quite good. Over the range of mid to maximum
target ID capabilities and target designation draggy beast when loaded to maximum weights, take-off distance was measured between
for laser-guided weapons. Two zoom levels weight. Fly-by-wire control with augmentation 910ft to 2,250ft using afterburner and take-
allow for a wide or narrow field of view with systems allows for ham-fisted flying without off flaps. Similarly, landing distances, with the
a maximum zoom level that is adequate for too much danger of losing control. Turning off assistance of the braking parachute and heavy
identifying targets beyond 20 miles depending the augmentation system can lead to some braking, ranged from 1,580ft to 2,126ft over the
on the target size and type. A Radar Warning interesting out-of-control moments but stability span of probable landing weights. The HUD
Receiver (RWR) indicates when you are being can be restored by flipping the switches back display in the landing configuration makes for
hit by search or tracking radars, providing a on. During one flight with the Flight Control easy on-speed adjustments with a velocity vector
bearing and classification (lethal/non-lethal) System (FCS) turned off, I attained a flat spin and ‘E’ bracket to help maintain the proper angle
along with aural and visual warnings. with a yaw rate of a bit over 100° per second. of attack. Nosewheel steering provides for good
Countermeasures include flares and chaff, The Klimov RD-93 in afterburner outputs about ground manoeuvring once you are at low speed.
as well as a KG-600 Self-Protection Jammer 19,200lb of thrust while the JF-17 with full fuel
pod. Adherents to the theory of the best and no weapons comes in at 19,820lb – so Conclusion
defence being a good offence can rest easy nearly a 1:1 thrust ratio in that configuration. The Deka Ironwork Simulations JF-17 is
knowing that the JF-17 can also carry up to Internal fuel load is 5,126lb while additional a surprisingly complete and entertaining
four LD-10 anti-radiation missiles that can 1,100-litre tanks can be mounted on wing module even in its Early Access state. It
be sent up to 40nm downrange to destroy hardpoints along with an 800-litre centreline fuel is evident that a lot of care and pride was
radar emitters such as surface-to-air missile tank for a total maximum fuel load of 10,997lb. poured into the module and it appears to
radars. I’ve barely brushed the surface of In afterburner, the RD-93 consumes around have a very short development trajectory to
the capabilities of the sensors but know 41,600pph (pounds per hour), so sustained reach what I would consider complete release
that the JF-17 can survive even against flight in afterburner can dramatically affect your status. Well done by all involved.
more capable platforms in DCS World. combat radius. Flown gingerly, with a fuel- By Chris Frishmuth

PC Pilot Verdict
At a glance: A mature Early Access project
with great functionality, systems modelling
and weapons inventory. In need of better
documentation, training missions and a
campaign to reach its full potential.
Developer: Deka Ironwork Simulations
Download Price: $79.99 (£61 approx)
Website: www.digitalcombatsimulator.com
Flight Model: Excellent
Graphics: Excellent
Documentation: Poor
Systems: Excellent
90
PC Pilot Score:

Top: The long-range, active radar-guided SD-10 air-

to-air missile provides a good counterbalance to the
AIM-120C AMRAAM and Russian R-77.
Left: A multitude of night lighting options provides
plenty of illumination for night fighting.

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 TUTORIAL AIR COMBAT SIMULATION

Baron’s
Combat Corner
I
n this, the second part of our series maximum realism I would suggest you enable
on air combat simulation, we will the following options if they are available in
be looking at ways of optimising your chosen simulation: separate engine start,
the various features within your engine management, engine overheat, torque
adopted simulation and we will also offer and gyro effects, flutter effect, stalls and spins,
advice on what to look for when choosing blackouts and redouts, wind and turbulence,
your combat aircraft. Before we can begin to limited ammunition, limited fuel, cockpit always
explore the many facets of air combat, we on, realistic gunnery and realistic landings.
need to make sure that the ‘tools’ and the Explanations of these options are given in the which
environment in which we will be flying are simulation’s manual but it is worth highlighting is easier
configured correctly and to a level of fidelity a few of them here. If you are flying a World to do than
that will allow us to have the most realistic War Two aircraft, engine management gives describe.” Col
combat experience possible within the you manual control over functions including ‘Bud’ Anderson.
inherent limitations of the host software. So radiators, cowl flaps, fuel mixture, supercharger Before you can even
to that end, the first task to undertake, before and prop pitch. With stalls and spins enabled, consider ‘climbing’ into your
even jumping into your chosen aircraft, is to you will have to pay close attention not only to virtual cockpit, it is important
configure and maximise the ‘realism’ settings. the way you fight but concurrently in the way that your control devices are properly set
you fly the aircraft. You will find that stalls and up and configured to optimise performance
Let’s get real - setting up spins are a common and inevitable occurrence and efficiency within the cockpit – the latter of
your simulation in combat because you are constantly pushing which is crucial, particularly when things are
Within the settings section of most combat the aircraft to the edge of its flight envelope. happening very quickly in the combat zone.
flight simulations, such as DCS World or IL-2 With this in mind, here are a few hints and
Sturmovik, you will find a ‘Difficulty’ section Taking control! tips. An important aid to combat efficiency
which allows the user to alter the fidelity of “A lot of this is just instinct now. Things are is the assignment of in-game commands
the aircraft flown, as well as the simulation happening too fast to think everything out. You to your joystick and throttle controllers.
as a whole. ‘Difficulty’ settings can be split steer with your right hand and feet. The right Presuming you own a joystick with a Hands-
into specific categories: flight fidelity, engine hand also triggers the guns. With your left, you On-Throttle-And-Stick (HOTAS) set-up, such
management, view limitations and gunnery. For work the throttle, and keep the plane in trim, as Thrustmaster’s HOTAS Warthog, your first
stop should be the ‘Controls’ section. The
presentation of this section varies from one
simulation to another but generally the controls
are divided between the aircraft’s
axes and specific engine, aircraft
or cockpit interactions. Axes include
pitch, roll, yaw, and throttle, which in turn are
controlled by the joystick, rudder pedals and
the throttle quadrant respectively. Specific
controls relate to elements located within the
cockpit such as switches, levers, buttons or
dials, aircraft control surfaces such as wing
flaps and the undercarriage. The latter can be
The Sopwith
Camel’s greatest assigned to various switches/buttons located
virtue was not its on your HOTAS or to keys on your keyboard.
speed, but its
high rate of However, things happen quickly in aerial
turn. combat, so it’s best to assign as many
functions to your joystick and throttle
quadrant as possible to facilitate speedy
access – this way you avoid the need to
juggle various keyboard combinations. If you
have to assign functions to your keyboard,
try to use keys and key combinations that
are easily remembered. For example, I
have assigned the removal of the wheel
chocks to the ‘Shift+C’ key combination.

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 Tools of
the trade…

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 TUTORIAL

Within the controllers section there are

various ways in which you can additionally
affect how your controller inputs are replicated
within the simulation. For example, there
is a dead-band scale, which is used to set
a ‘dead zone’ which affects the point at
which joystick movements have an effect
on your aircraft’s control surfaces. So, you
In terms of manoeuvrability,
can set things up where small movements the Fw 190 has a superior
of the joystick will cause little or no reaction rate of roll, while the Spitfire
has a better rate of turn.
within the sim. This can be helpful if you
are relatively new to a simulation because design and response to input. In addition, of the simulation, it’s time to consider the
you will find that your aircraft is less altering the sensitivity of your devices allows aircraft you will choose to fly. As the quote
sensitive to joystick inputs. Alternatively, you to cater for differences in aircraft handling. above mentions, every aircraft design is a
you may want to set the dead zone to the This is why some users even create specific compromise of needs and requirements. An
far-left position for instant response. ‘profiles’ for individual aircraft so that they get aircraft may excel in one area, for example,
Also in this section you will find a series of the most out of their individual flying qualities. in turning ability, but it may not be so
settings which affect the sensitivity of your Ultimately, you will have to experiment with good in another, such as speed. However,
joystick during its transition (or throw) from these settings to find the configuration performance is relative, so when choosing
one extreme to the other in terms of pitch, that suits your joystick, throttle and rudder a particular aircraft to fly, you have to weigh
yaw and roll. Collectively, these settings are pedals, your own flying style, as well as the up the pros and cons in relation to the other
commonly referred to as ‘profiles’. You can particular aircraft you are currently flying. aircraft you are likely to encounter. With that
select each controller axis independently in mind, here’s a checklist of a few factors to
and influence the effect it will have in the Choosing an aircraft consider when choosing an aircraft: Speed,
simulation at various points of its travel. “The essence of aircraft design is compromise rate of climb, rate of dive, manoeuvrability,
So why would you want to alter the sensitivity – an improvement at one end of the firepower, pilot visibility, range and armour
of your devices? Well, for one thing, settings performance envelope is rarely obtained protection for the pilot and aircraft.
that work with one particular brand of control without a deterioration [of performance]
device may not prove as favourable with somewhere else.” Alex Henshaw - test pilot. Aircraft comparisons
another because of the subtle differences in Now that you’ve configured the parameters “After the first pass everything is up to you
and your opponent’s skill. Know your plane’s

Focke-Wulf capabilities and respect your adversary. If your

plane turns better than your opponent’s, try to

Fw 190
pull him into a turning fight. On the other hand,
if your aircraft is faster, then climb away from
him and use diving and ‘slashing’ attacks.”
Now that we have examined what are
considered to be the essential elements of a
fighter aircraft, let’s take a look at a couple
of individual aircraft to see how they fare
when compared to our feature checklist
mentioned above. The aircraft in question
are the Supermarine Spitfire and the Focke-
Wulf Fw 190. At this point, it is worth
remembering that aircraft performance varied
not only from one aircraft to another but also
between individual Marks of the same type.
Aircraft were continually being developed to
improve certain aspects of their performance
such as speed, rates of climb, dive, roll and
The Fw 190’s most outstanding features were its rate of dive and high rate of roll. turn. So when comparing aircraft, you have
The Spitfire Mk.IX was introduced in 1942 - initially excellent all-round view and defensively its extensive to also be aware of the relative performance
as a stop-gap aircraft to combat the threat posed by armour protection made it difficult to shoot down. of their individual Marks. A good example
the introduction of a new German aircraft that out- However, although the ‘190’ possesses many of this is the Spitfire Mk.IX (which was
classed the previous version of the Spitfire (the Mk.V), virtues, it is a difficult aircraft to master. It is introduced to counter the threat from the,
in all departments except rate of turn. That aircraft not as forgiving as the Spitfire if mishandled - Fw 190A) and caught out the Germans,
was the outstanding Focke-Wulf Fw 190A. In terms either by pulling too aggressively on the stick or who initially mistook it for the previous
of our checklist, the Fw 190 scores very well. The allowing your speed to drop off too much. and inferior Spitfire Mark V. So, let’s now
Focke-Wulf comes in the following versions: Fw 190A- If you pull too aggressively in a turn, it has a tendency take a closer look at these two aircraft.
4, A-5, A-5 1.65 ATA, A-6, A-8, A-9, D-9 and F-8. to flick-roll out of the turn in the opposite direction or
The ‘A’ variants tend to perform better at altitudes snap-roll into a vicious spin from which it is difficult Spitfire Mk.IX versus Fw 190A
below 15,000ft, while the ‘D’ variants do much better to recover, unless you have sufficient altitude. “Tactics do not exist alone - they must be
above that height, due to their more powerful engine However, once you have become accustomed paired with a particular aircraft’s performance.
and increased wingspan. In terms of its performance, to its idiosyncrasies and limitations and are able One has to accept the limitations of the
the Fw 190’s most outstanding features were its rate to fly it confidently, it is a very formidable combat aircraft currently being flown and develop
of dive, its manoeuvrability (particularly its rate of aircraft. And that is the key to success when flying tactics that suit that particular aircraft.”
roll, which was superior to any other fighter of World any fighter aircraft: you should endeavour to learn So, the logical question is how do these two
War Two), its firepower (the ‘A’ variant’s armament both their individual virtues and limitations which aircraft compare with each other in combat?
included four cannons), pilot visibility, which was will enable you to be prepared to use them to the Well, if you were to compare the Spitfire
excellent because its tear-drop canopy provided an edge of their flight envelope with confidence. Mk.IXe with any of the ‘A’ variants of the
Fw 190, again on paper, you would find that

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 The Supermarine Spitfire Mk.IX
in terms of level speeds, at most altitudes,
there is very little difference between them,
apart from when at altitudes below around
2,000ft, where the ‘190’ has a slight edge. Significantly, the Spitfire Mk.IX came in more than a turn or coming in to land. So, in short, the standard
Comparative rates of climb between the two one flavour, each of which was designed to improve version of the Spitfire Mk.IX is more forgiving than
aircraft, up to around 20,000ft, are about the different aspects of the aircraft’s performance. For the clipped-wing version, particularly when in tight
same, with the Spitfire having a slight edge, example, the Spitfire LF Mk.IXe, powered by a Merlin turns but the latter has the edge in terms of speed
but this really depends on which aircraft has 66 engine, was designed to reach optimum speed at and manoeuvrability at certain speeds and altitudes.
the initial initiative. Conversely, when it comes low altitude (hence the letters LF) and performed at In general terms, all variants of the Spitfire Mk.IX are
to diving speeds, the Fw 190 is the faster its best up to about 15,000ft. The Spitfire HF Mk.IXe, comparatively fast (compared to their contemporaries),
aircraft. Finally, in terms of manoeuvrability, the on the other hand, with its more powerful Merlin 70 manoeuvrable (particularly when it comes to turns),
Fw 190 has a superior rate of roll, while the engine, was designed for optimum speed at high have a good rate of climb and dive and possess an
Spitfire has a better rate of turn. So in combat, altitude (HF) and came into its own at around 25,000ft. adequate amount of firepower, combining machine guns
each respective pilot should be striving to take To improve manoeuvrability, in terms of rate of roll, and cannon. The Spitfire’s ‘bubble-top’ canopy also
advantage of the virtues of his own aircraft, some versions had their wing tips removed and so were provides the pilot with a good field of view, although
while at the same time taking advantage referred to as ‘clipped-wing’ Spitfires - hence the letters it does possess one or two blind spots. So, as with all
of the shortcomings of his opponent. CW in the name ‘Spitfire LF Mk.IXe CW’. In addition, aircraft, periodic ‘weaving’ from side to side is essential
On balance then, these two particular clipped-wing Spitfires also had a marginal increase in to protect one’s six o’clock position. Finally, pilot and
aircraft compare favourably with each other. level speed over the standard version up to an altitude aircraft protection is adequate. The downside to the
However, bear in mind that aerial combat of about 15,000ft. However, to illustrate the point of Spitfire was its relatively short range. The reason for
is dynamic and constantly changing and ‘compromise’ in aircraft design, although the clipped- this was that it was originally designed as a home
individual aircraft virtues and shortcomings wing variants of the Spitfire had a higher rate of roll defence fighter and not for the long-range escort role.
are relative. Ultimately, the final outcome of than those with standard wings, the reduction in wing Overall, however, in terms of performance, the Spitfire
any encounter will depend on which aircraft area resulted in a slightly reduced rate of turn compared (both in the real and virtual worlds), performs admirably
has the initiative and that in turn is determined to the un-clipped version. Furthermore, clipped-wing in all departments and as evidenced in various
by the individual skill and experience of Spitfires stall more easily – which is evident when in simulators, it was a superb all-round combat aircraft.
the respective pilots - real or virtual.
Until next time – check six!
By Derek ‘Baron’ Davis

The DCS: Spitfire Mk.IX produces a

tremendous amount of torque and
gyroscopic effects on take-off, which have to
be countered by rudder and aileron inputs.

Above: It is important that your control devices

are properly set up and configured to optimise
performance and efficiency within the cockpit.
Right: The FA-18 Hornet performs well in all
departments and can carry a formidable
amount of ordnance.

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 DOWNLOADS Key.Aero/PC-Pilot-Downloads

Downloads Aerosoft
Specially selected
videos of flight
sims reviewed in
this issue

A330
professional
 In this video, the beautifully rendered
PBR texturing of this A330 release from
Aerosoft becomes immediately apparent
as the camera pans around the realistic-
looking cockpit. Shots of the night lighting
add additional atmosphere, while the sleek
external lines of the A330 are also
shown off to good effect.
(Reviewed on pages 20-22.)

Aerosoft CRJ
professional
 Opening with a wide shot of the CRJ’s
cockpit, this video highlights the sharply
rendered details therein. Moving to the
exterior view, the opportunity is taken to pan
around the aircraft to highlight the attention
to detail that has been lavished on the
CRJ’s exterior. From some angles, the
aircraft looks almost photorealistic.
(Reviewed on pages 24-26.)

Just Flight
Robin DR400
 This video makes a point at the outset of
initially using close-up views to highlight the
attention to detail that has been paid to the
exterior rendering of Just Flight’s DR400.
This includes things such as chipped
paintwork on the propeller blades and nicely
created panels that have depth to them.
Internally, the 3D quality of the detailed
instruments is shown off to good
effect. (Reviewed on pages 40-42.)

PC Pilot files available Virtual Airlines references (with accompanying issue and
via download on our website We have some interesting newcomers to our page numbers) to all our past reviews of
We are pleased to announce that the various VA and flying club listing for you. Take a look software and hardware as well as features,
files mentioned in this issue are available to to see if there is one to suit your taste. The tutorials and more. Now you can find that
our print and digital readers via our website. experience and fun of being part of a virtual elusive article you’ve been looking for.
To gain access to these files, just go to club or airline are second to none.
www.Key.Aero. On the bottom of the page, New QR Codes
click on the ‘PC Pilot Downloads’ link. PC Pilot Index We have included QR Codes for your
Alternatively, enter the following web Looking for a review on a particular product, convenience so you can now view the
address: www.key.aero/article/ feature or tutorial? Then look no further. Our videos mentioned on these pages via your
pc-pilot-issue-126-downloads regularly updated PC Pilot Index includes smartphone or tablet.

76 / PC PILOT #126 www.Key.Aero

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 DCS: JF-17
aircraft’s external panel lines and rivets. which is in the cockpit area. The JF-17’s
This video showcases the almost ‘insane’ full inventory of weapons is also put
level of detail that has been incorporated on display. Finally, the aircraft’s
 You know you’re in for a treat when a into this DCS release. Every shot is a close- awesome agility is showcased.
video opens with a close-up view of the up of pin-sharp detailing, most notable of (Reviewed on pages 68-71.)

vFlyteAir
Simulations’
Cessna 150
 As this video attests, for such
a small aircraft, vFlyteAir has
crammed a lot into this package.
Features shown in this presentation
include: animated rain effects, a kneeboard
with interactive weight and balance and
checklists, the pre-flight walk-around,
visual fuel check, the ability to choose
between male and female pilot, and trainer
or commuter panels, plus a
sample of the 14 included liveries.
(Reviewed on pages 44-46.)

Reviews -
Screenshot Galleries
To help give our readers a better appreciation of the products
reviewed in this issue, we have compiled the screenshots
accompanying some of the articles into a series of galleries.

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 DOWNLOADS

Featured Download

Aermacchi AMX-1A Ghibli

Once again, we have a collection Not every control
of high-quality freeware files is operational, yet
those that matter
for you to enjoy. These aircraft, are functional.

scenery and utilities easily

compare with many commercial
products but don’t forget, if
you’ve enjoyed a particular file
please let the author know, it’s
their only payback. By the same
token, we’re always interested
to hear from you if you’ve
downloaded or designed a file
that you think is worth sharing.
By Joe Lavery

O
ur featured file for this issue is a produced the configuration manager that
little unusual in that it was originally allows you to add a variety of bombs, missiles
a payware aircraft from a company and fuel tanks to the external pylons.
many of you will remember called The result is a very professional little jet
Lago Srl. It depicts the AMX-1A Ghibli, built fighter that looks nothing like the original
with the collaboration of two Italian firms, FS9 product. It’s great to fly and has a
Aeritalia and Aermacchi, and the Brazilian firm cockpit in which the majority of the displays
Embraer. It was seen as a replacement for the and switches are operational. The addition
ageing fleet of Lockheed’s F-104 Starfighter. of a full 3D cockpit has given it a lot more
This update to FSX/P3D was created by Ed usability; it’s altogether a brilliant job!
Wells and Henk Schuitemaker. They made Above: This is a very professionally built little jet
Authors: Original Copyright: Lago Srl fighter that looks nothing like the original FS9 product.
contact with the original author Francesco
Artwork updates: Ed Wells and Henk Below: The airframe and textures look far better than
Missarino, who was excited to think that his most FS9 aircraft.
Schuitemaker
first ‘baby’ would be flown again after all these
FSX/P3D conversion: Ulrich (Bluebear)
years. So with the permission of Francesco and
and Henk Schuitemaker
Alberto Sangalli, the work began to convert the
Platform: FSX/P3D
AMX Ghibli from the original FS9 model to FSX.
Updating the aircraft was started by Sim- PERMISSION
Outhouse (SOH) member Bluebear (Ulrich), Although the authors of these files have very kindly given us
their permission to include them on our website, they still
who did the initial conversion to native FSX. remain the property and copyright of the authors. You are
Henk Schuitemaker then did some additional free to enjoy them for your own use but they must not in any
circumstances be distributed, copied, uploaded to any other
modelling, creating new coding and animations, websites or disassembled in any way whatsoever.
reworked some of the old FS9 gauges and

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 Star Performers from the Internet
7: Reno Tahoe International
Here we have the latest
Reno–Tahoe International
Airport (IATA: RNO, ICAO: KRNO). It’s
a public/military airport three miles
(6km) southeast of downtown Reno,
in Washoe County, Nevada, designed
here by Flyfree Productions.
Author: Flyfree Productions
Platform: X-Plane 11

8: Aerodrome of Saint-
Cyr-l’Ecole
1 Charles Macelli created this very nice
aerodrome for X-Plane. It’s a mainly
1: Air Canada Airbus A220-300 6: Fairey Fulmar general aviation field located 21km
This Camsim Airbus A220-300 includes The Fairey Fulmar was a British carrier-borne southwest of Paris, in the town of
new V6 animations, static displays and fighter aircraft that served with the Fleet Air Arm Saint-Cyr-l’Ecole, France. Charles
multiple animation effects. The cockpit (FAA) during World War Two. This is a native FSX/ has done a good job of the field, with
features a new 2D panel; it’s another P3D model designed by the prolific AF Scrub. plenty of detail to bring it to life.
accurately modelled and painted Author: AF Scrub Author: Charles Macelli
aircraft from Camil Valiquette. Platform: FSX/P3D v3-4 Platform: X-Plane 11
Author: Camil Valiquette
Platform: FSX/FS2004

2: The Republic Experimental

Project
Milton Shupe and his team have created
three variants of the Republic XP Thunderbolt
series of fighter bombers: the XP-47J, XP-47H
and the XP-72, which were experimental
developments of the Thunderbolt that
never went beyond the prototypes. 2 3
Authors: Milton Shupe, Tom Falley,
Steve Bryant, Scott Thomas, and Nigel
Richards; Pilot figures by Jan Visser
Platform: FSX/P3D

3: Red Sands Fort

Maunsell Army Forts were designed
and built for anti-aircraft defence. They
comprised seven interconnected steel
platforms. Red Sands Fort (U6) is at the
mouth of the Thames Estuary, created 4 5
here for X-Plane 11 by John Bray.
Author: John Bray
Platform: X-Plane 11

4: Daegu International Airport

Daegu International Airport (RKTN) is a
medium-sized regional airport in South Korea.
It is half commercial and half military used
by and home of T-Way Airlines. This very
nice design for FS2004 is by David Kolas.
Author: David Kolas 6 7
Platform: FS2004

5: De Havilland (Bombardier) Library files

Most X-Plane users will already know
Dash 8-Q202 that many freeware airport designers
The de Havilland (Bombardier) Dash 8-Q202
make use of the freeware library files to
is a development of the earlier Dash 8-100,
enhance their creations. It’s therefore
powered by two uprated PW123D engines
important to read the documentation
and with Anti Noise and Vibration System
within each file to find out which libraries
(ANVS). The model here is updated for
have been used. These library files need
FSX/P3D by Premier Aircraft Design.
to be installed in order to experience
Author: Premier Aircraft Design
Platform: FSX/FS2004 8 the airports as the authors intended.

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 TUTORIAL FLIGHT PLANNING FOR AIRLINERS

Flight Planning
for Airliners A hints
and tips
guide

W
ith airliners being the main focus
in this issue, in this hints and tips
guide we take a look at one of the
more important aspects of airliner
operations: flight planning. We will also learn
how to interpret a typical route and list some
useful utilities for creating a realistic flight plan.

The basics
Airliners typically follow an Instrument Flight
Rules (IFR) flight plan, which essentially
consists of three parts: the route, a Standard
Instrument Departure (SID) and Standard
Instrument Arrival (STAR). On top of that, we
also need to know the ICAO (International
Civil Aviation Organisation) codes for our
departure and arrival airports, as well as an
alternate in case we need to divert. Other
factors that need to be taken into consideration
are fuel requirements, cruise altitude and
winds aloft so we can work out our ground
speed and Estimated Time of Arrival (ETA).

SIDs and STARs

The purpose of a SID is to route departing
aircraft on a fixed track from the runway to the
first waypoint on the route called a transition.
SIDs may have speed and altitude restrictions
and usually require RNAV-capable aircraft.
STARs are designed to funnel arriving
Above: Understanding the complex route network can
be intimidating but there are several utilities at our
disposal to make the task more manageable. Below:
Before getting underway, we need to have a plan.

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 aircraft so they can be sequenced by air
traffic control for the approach. They guide
inbound traffic from the last waypoint on
the route to the Initial Approach Fix (IAF).
Like SIDs, STARs include a lateral track and
a vertical profile that often contain speed
and altitude restrictions. Not all airports
have published SIDs or STARs but they
are commonly found at large international
hubs or airports surrounded by terrain.
In Europe, each runway is likely to have a
dedicated SID/STAR procedure, which is often Above: We can pick up the frequency of ground-
named after the first/last waypoint on the route based navaids from charts. In this case, we have
Barkway (BKY) VOR on 116.25MHz. Left: Using
followed by a revision number. For example, charts from Navigraph is a great way to make
NUGB1R is the NUGBRA revision 1R SID for the flight more realistic. Below: Some Standard
Instrument Departures (SIDS) have speed and altitude
Runway 22 at London Stansted (EGSS). constraints, which are stated on the relevant charts.
In the US, SIDs serve the same purpose of
routing departing aircraft to the first waypoint
on the route or in the case of STARs, to
the IAF. However, they are often named
after waypoints or geographical features.

En route
We usually fly between airports following
airways; think of them as highways in the sky.
Airways are joined up by waypoints, which
can either be radio beacons (VORs/NDBs)
or RNAV fixes. Unlike geographical fixes,
RNAV fixes don’t exist in the physical sense
but are determined by long/lat coordinates.
Airways are also classified by altitude. In and FL290, so there is a 1,000ft separation flight plan might look something like this:
Europe, they are referred to as upper-level between aircraft. Above FL290 this separation EGSS NUGB1R NUGBO M183 SILVA COWLY
airways above FL195 and are designated is increased to 2,000ft. So when going east, UT71 VAPID UN859 PUMAL PUMA2G LEBL
with the letter ‘U’. So, for example, N601 we should file for FL290, FL330 etc and when EGSS (London Stansted) is our departure
becomes UN601. In the US, they are travelling west, we should fly at FL310, FL350 airport and we will be using the NUGBO1R
called Jet Airways above FL180 - the etc. However, depending on what part of the SID. The last waypoint on the SID is the
transition altitude for that country. Below world we are in, we can expect to be assigned NUGBO transition, where we join the M183
FL180 they are called ‘Victor Airways’. different flight levels by air traffic control. airway to SILVA just northeast of Oxford.
Finally, our cruise altitude is determined by Here, we go directly to the COWLY waypoint
the direction we are travelling. When flying Interpreting flight plans and pick up the UT71 airway to VAPID whilst
IFR in a westerly direction (180° to 359° Flight plans come in a fixed format. So once overflying France. We then join the UN859
magnetic), we should be at even flight levels you understand one, you should be able to to PUMAL on the Spanish border, where
such as FL240, FL260 and FL280 and if you make out other routes. For example, let’s we transition to the PUMA2G STAR, which
are going east (360° to 179° magnetic) you say we are going on a weekend stint to will take us to the initial approach fix for the
should fly odd altitudes, ie FL250, FL270 Barcelona (LEBL) from Stansted (EGSS). The approach to Barcelona El Prat Airport.
On modern airliners,
the route is drawn
on the navigation
display.

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 TUTORIAL FLIGHT PLANNING FOR AIRLINERS

Fuel plan where every minute detail from

So how much fuel should we take? wind layers down to the tail number
The ICAO minimum requirements of the aircraft is logged or go for
say we need enough fuel to get us the quick and easy approach and
to our destination, plus the alternate just use the basic information – it
in case we need to divert and 30 is purely down to personal taste.
minutes reserve/holding fuel. You The following are the ones I use:
can always add extra fuel in case vRoute lets you pick your departure
of unexpected delays, particularly and destination airport and you will be
on long-haul flights where stronger- given a selection of routes. It is quick
than-expected headwinds can and easy to use and comes as both
easily result in a low fuel situation. a free and a premium or payware
version. The latter offers additional
AIRAC Cycles and features such as a greater selection
Navigraph of SIDs and STARs, weather reports,
In aviation, we never fly until we have fuel calculations and the facility to
verified the charts and navigation export flight plans to the FMC. It is an
data are current. In flight simulation, excellent planner if you are just starting
this is more problematic as the nav out in the exciting world of airliner
database in the Flight Management simulation. Website: www.vroute.net.
Computer (FMC) is likely to be SimBrief is a highly intuitive and
different from the charts we are using detailed web-based flight planner. It
and this is also likely to be different FSX/P3D Navaids update comes with tools including weather, aircraft
to the data in your flight simulator. While Navigraph takes care of AIRAC updates performance data and the option to export
This brings us to the AIRAC database. It is for the FMC and charts, we still have the issue company routes. You can even build your
an integral part of an FMC that is updated of the navigation data in our simulator being own fleet of aircraft, save flight plans and if
every 28 days and contains information out of date. This is the core scenery data you have a Navigraph subscription, you can
on waypoints/intersections, airways, stored in the BGL files within the simulator unlock the latest nav data. It is free but you
navigation aids and SIDs/STARs. and is different to the FMC database. We need to register. Website: www.simbrief.com.
Most add-on aircraft come with old AIRAC can however use a website called www.aero. Professional Flight Planner X (PFPX) is a
data but we can use the subscription service sors.fr to take care of this for us. We can comprehensive flight planning application,
from Navigraph to update the database in download a small setup program, which will which enables you to create professional-
the FMC to the latest version. You can also import the latest AIRAC data (BGL files) into quality flight plans like those used by real-
subscribe to Navigraph Charts which contain FSX and Prepar3D. In X-Plane, the AIRAC world airlines. You need to buy the program
airport and en route charts by Jeppesen data is updated automatically if you have and for full access to all its features, such as
for most airports around the world. an active subscription with Navigraph. live weather, you need to purchase a yearly
It works on Apple and Android devices, subscription (the first year is free) but you
so the charts can be viewed on a tablet. Tools of the trade can also extract weather from Active Sky.
We can of course download these from You can of course use the default flight planner Like the previous planners, it has the option
various sources on the internet but in the simulator for creating a route, but there to export company routes to various add-on
Navigraph gives us the AIRAC data for the are several third-party flight planning tools aircraft. Website: www.flightsimsoft.com/pfpx.
FMC and charts from one source. You can that can be used to generate more realistic Sky Vector consists of worldwide
find out more at www.navigraph.com. flight plans. You can create a comprehensive aeronautical charts and online maps, which
can be used for creating a route manually
using high/low-altitude airways and VFR
maps. It is aimed at real aviation rather
than flight simulation, but I find it is an
excellent tool for creating flight plans from
scratch. Website: www.skyvector.com.

Conclusion
The first step in getting an airliner (or in fact
any aircraft) underway is putting a flight plan
together. There are plenty of excellent utilities
available, which can make the process quick
and easy. Whether you want to create a detailed
real-world Operational Flight Plan (OFP) with
up-to-date weather and fuel planning or a
simple route with basic waypoint information,
the choice is yours. However, having a good
understanding of how to interpret a flight plan is
an essential part of enhancing your virtual flying
experience and may even help you discover
new destinations for your next adventure.
Finally, please note that all of the charts
accompanying this tutorial are Copyright
© 2020 Jeppesen. All rights reserved.
Charts and NavData(TM) are made available
to the flight simulation community via
Above: The Control Display Unit (CDU) displays useful information such as time and distance to our destination
as well as the fuel status. Top: An Operational Flight Plan (OFP) contains all the information we need to
Navigraph at www.navigraph.com.
complete a flight. By Richard Benedikz

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