VOLUME 10 ISSUE 3 MARCH 2006

USA $7.95
CANADA $9.95
AUSTRALIA $9.85 (INC. GST)
A PC AVIATOR PUBLICATION

VISTA AUSTRALIS
The Land “Downunder” Upgraded!
A WISHLIST FOR FSX
What Would You Like to See Tomorrow?

BUILDING A BOOM BOX!

Fast PCs for Flight Simulation
FOX THREE!
Air-to-Air Combat in the Viper
A CLOSE CALL…
VFR Around Washington, D.C.

cpm1003.indd 1 2/9/2006, 7:31:15 PM

 Your

M I C R O S O FT F
N ERY F O R
TO - S C E
C P H O
A L I S TI
P E R -RE
HY

A BEFORE & AFTER SCREENSHOT OF GLACIER PEAK, WASHINGTON STATE.

SHOWING WHAT YOU ARE EXPERIENCING NOW AND WHAT YOU’LL EXPERIENCE WITH MEGASCENERY!

COMPREHENSIVE INFORMATION AT WWW.MEGASCENERY.COM

S
ay goodbye to boring default scenery pixel (MegaCITY titles). It’s the real world water. Our hand etched coastlines and shores
forever! MegaScenery and MegaCITY teleported into Flight Simulator Scenery. 5 mean that bodies of water such as lakes
transform your Microsoft Flight meters per pixel means that you can even maintain their “water properties”. So you can
Simulator Scenery World from artificial… to see the rooftop on your own house. Fly VFR land your float planes on them
REAL! MegaScenery is created from satellite like you’ve never flown it before on a PC • Relocation of default FS2004 objects to
images and aerial photos. What you get simulator. correct location. That’s right MegaScenery,
is not just a recreation of the real world • Day and Night Scenery. Soar and explore upon installation, will relocate default FS2004
but instead the actual real world ported the real world - during the day and at objects to their absolute correct geographic
into Microsoft Flight Simulator 2004 for night! co-ordinates.
simulated flight over a world that’s so real • Winter Scenery too! In selected areas, • Faster Framerates! Yes, your Flight Simulator,
you’ll be amazed! where required by geographical location, with hyper-realistic MegaScenery, will run
you also get realistically rendered snow smoother and faster than the default artificial
MegaScenery and MegaCITY let you experience covered scenery. e.g. MegaScenery New scenery.
all the landmarks and features of the area York. So you’re getting up to 3 sceneries in • Developed specifically for Microsoft Flight
covered and enables you to fly real VFR – Day the one package. Simulator 2004
and Night. • Improved Autogen. We replace default • Printed full color aeronautical charts, bound
FS2004 autogen scenery with our “more- printed instrument charts and a sizeable
Here’s what you get when you’re flying correct” version. manual with professional flight lessons. (Full
MegaScenery…. • Hi-resolution DEM (mesh). While Kit Versions)
MegaScenery is so realistic that you don’t • A total value packed, realism transforming
• Hyper-realistic satellite scenery at 5 meters need hi-res mesh - our recent releases scenery product For Microsoft Flight
per pixel (MegaScenery titles) and aerial incorporate hi-res mesh at 30 meters. Simulator that you wouldn’t think was
photos recreated from 1 and 2 feet per • The list goes on... You also get realistic possible for such a low price!

ALSO AVAILABLE AT THE FOLLOWING RETAILERS IN THE USA - FRY’S ELECTRONICS AND MICROCENTER STORES.
© 2005 PC AVIATOR INC, AEROSOFT AUSTRALIA PTY LTD. MEGASCENERY AND MEGACITY ARE DEVELOPED BY AEROSOFT AUSTRALIA PTY LTD AND PUBLISHED BY PC AVIATOR INC.

cpm1003.indd 2 2/9/2006, 7:31:49 PM

 MEGASCENERY MAIL ORDER FO
RM
he Same Again!... BILL TO...

Name: ........................................................................................................

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MegaScenery Vol 5: Mid Atlantic (Lite) $29.95
MegaScenery Vol 5: Mid Atlantic (Full) $39.95
MEGASCENERY VOL. 1:
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MegaCITY Dallas/Fort Worth $24.95
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NORTHERN CALIFORNIA NEW VERSION 2
NEW! MASTERCARD AMERICAN EXPRESS DISCOVER
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Lite Version: $29.95 Full Kit Version: $39.95 www.pcaviator.com for Australian dollar pricing. If paying by check or
DVD Media
CREDIT CARD NUMBER:
MEGASCENERY VOL. 4: PACIFIC NORTHWEST
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Lite Version: $29.95 Full Kit Version: $39.95 please mail to... PC Aviator inc. 839 Surfside Drive,
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TO ORDER BY PHONE:

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cpm1003.indd 3 2/9/2006, 7:32:51 PM

 C
From the EDITOR
Greetings fellow sim enthusiasts, and welcome to the March 2006 issue. This issue
actually marks my 50th issue as Editor of Computer Pilot Magazine. Boy, time sure does
fly! It seems like only yesterday that I was tackling the task of learning the ropes and
doing my best to piece together my very first issue as the “big cheese” of the magazine.
Five years have since passed and I can tell you that, even with fifty issues under my belt,
the job certainly doesn’t get any easier! Producing a magazine and adhering to deadlines
is certainly a big challenge requiring endless hours of work, many lost weekends and
last minute, pre-deadline chaos, but there are rewards to the task, and also a sense of
accomplishment as each issue heads off to the printers. After all, if there were no bright
sides to the equation, I probably would have been long gone after issue number two!

We have achieved some milestones over the years however, most notably the transition
from bi-monthly issues to monthly issues, which just about tripled our workload
each month but resulted in double the amount of material reaching your hands each
calendar year. We have published many more issues in total than any other printed
flight simulation magazine has been able to achieve to date, and our longevity can be
attributed to our large and loyal reader and subscriber base… that’s you! We are very
thankful to have you onboard as regular readers of our publication, and if this is the
first issue you have purchased, we welcome you aboard! It is our aim to deliver the
best overall coverage of the flight simulation arena for the enthusiast in a professionally Publisher: Robert Ferraro
produced, high-quality printed magazine. We believe we have achieved this over the Editor: Dean Bielanowski
years basically because we are still here, but we aren’t just happy with going with the
flow… we constantly aim for higher quality and to bring new and interesting content to Layout & Design: Tony Liatos
you on a monthly basis. Contributors In This Issue: Dean Bielanowski, Hans
Biggelaars, Tom Kurtz, Gene Davis, David Wilson-
This month is no different. We have a great lineup of content to please just about Okamura, Doug Horton, John Tavendale, Al Pelletier,
anyone from the classic aircraft lover to the Top Gun jet pilot. I’ve babbled on enough Glenn Alderton, Bill Stack, Ian Howlett, Sean James,
in this column, so flip to the contents page and discover what’s in store for you in Matthew Edwards, Mike Glynn, Peter Dodds, David Smith.
the March 2006 issue of the world’s only monthly flight simulation printed resource
– Computer Pilot Magazine! Subscription Managers: Australia: Adrian Lazzarotto
USA: Mark Jakubowski
Editorial Submissions: Please address editorial matter
to The Editor at [email protected] or to the office
closest to you listed at the bottom of this page.
Advertising Inquiries: PC Aviator Inc.
Dean Bielanowski Phone: 843-232-1160. Email: [email protected]
Editor
Website: www.computerpilot.com
General E-Mail: [email protected]
US Distribution: Ingram Periodicals, International
Supplement
your reading in Computer Pilot Magazine
Periodical Distributors, Media Solutions
Printed By: The RL Bryan Company (USA).
by visiting the Computer Pilot web site at www.computerpilot.com Disclaimer: Any information, advice, maps, charts, tables
As well as features for first time visitors, the web site is and other information published in this magazine is exclusively
for use with PC flight simulations. The publisher does not
designed with our readers in mind.
accept any liability for any accident or incident arising from any
information conveyed or implied in this publication.
For subscribers
• Renew your subscriptions on-line Copyright: © Copyright 2006 The PC Aviator Pty Ltd
• Notify us of address changes Incorporating PC Aviator Inc. All rights reserved. None of
• Join our electronic mailinglist – SubscriberNews the information in this magazine may be reproduced in any
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General services include:
• Direct links to web sites mentioned in our on-line article Cover Price: USA.: $7.95. Australia: $9.85*. Canada: $9.95.
• Software downloads including links to patches and demos for Subscriptions:
every flight sim on the market Computer Pilot is published monthly
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Bookmark our web site and visit it frequently. • Other International Subscriptions
It will enhance your reading of Computer Pilot Magazine. Asia/Pacific Region: Ph: +61-3-9532-8258
Rest Of The World: Ph: +1-843-232-1160
or visit www.computerpilot.com
ISSN: 1324-7336
Published by: PC Aviator – The Flight Simulation Company
Australian Office: The PC Aviator Pty Ltd
Suite 6, 219 Balaclava Rd
North Caulfield, Vic, 3161
Ph: 03-9532-8258 Fax: 03-9532-8916
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Ph: 843-232-1160 Fax: 843-232-1166
* Recommended Retail Price only
Computer Pilot Volume 10 Issue 3, March 2006 (ISSN 1324-7336) is published monthly
V10I3

by PC Aviator, inc., 839 Surfside Drive, SC 29575. Computer Pilot is an international magazine, proudly
Periodicals postage is paid at Myrtle Beach, SC and additional mailing offices. published in Australia. Printed in the United States
POSTMASTER: Send address changes to P.O. Box 15907, Surfside Beach, SC 29587. of America.

cpm1003.indd 4 2/9/2006, 7:33:34 PM

C
CONTENTS

6 NEWS AND NEW RELEASES

All the latest news and new releases since our last issue.

REVIEWS 50 OVER FLANDERS FIELDS

What could this be about I hear you ask? Well, there is a dedicated group of
simmers who have gathered to create a World War I add-on that runs under
CFS3! Find out what it is all about and how you can get a piece of the action
as Ian Howlett reports on this interesting add-on project.

64 AIR-TO-AIR WEAPONRY

y
16 PC Aviator’s MegaScenery Southern California Version 2
26 John Dekker’s Radar Contact V4
56 Abacus’ EZ-Scenery
60 NaturalPoint’s TrackIR4 Professional Mike Glynn explores the technology of air-to-air weaponry and how they can
be best deployed to improve your chances of success in the skies.
10 VISTA AUSTRALIS: OVERVIEW AND INTERVIEW
We explore one of the most interesting freeware community projects to be 73 A WISHLIST FOR FSX
developed of late - a scenery and texture package for the Great South Land of Peter Dodds offers a personal wishlist for the upcoming FSX release by
Australia. Take a look at why this add-on is proving popular in the sim world, Microsoft, taking into account developments over and upon previous versions,
along with an exclusive in-depth interview with the lead designer! with a projected foresight into what may be included in the next version of
this popular sim title.
20 FLYING THE MEMORIES: THE FLIGHT TO FREEDOM
It was the summer of 1940 and World War II was raging in Europe. Refugees 68 FLYING THE HEAVIES: ENGINE-OUT FLYING
were fleeing the onslaught of the Nazi war machine to whatever country In a multi-engined aircraft ‘Asymmetric Flight’ occurs when the thrust from
offered a safe haven. Britain was being blitzed by Hitler’s Luftwaffe and wasn’t each wing differs. We call this ‘Asymmetric Thrust’, and this will happen if you
an option. Only the Americas and a few other countries offered safety and experience an engine failure. This month we take a look at the challenges of
were the most desired destinations. They offered a flight to freedom… Asymmetric Flight.

30 BUILDING A “BOOM BOX” FOR FLIGHT 78 THE INS AND OUTS OF SIM FLYING
SIMULATION So you have just got your new flight simulator and you can just fire up the
Audiophiles take note. This is not an article about creating an oversized, engine and take off right? Perhaps… Sometimes flight simming just isn’t that
shoulder mounted stereo system from the 1980’s. It’s about building a easy, but other times (and you would hope these form the majority) there is
booming PC computer box for flight simulation of course! John Tavendale nothing better! Yes folks, flight simming too has its ups and downs and long
looks at all the latest PC technology to help update your personal data banks time simmer, Hans Biggelaar takes you on perhaps a very familiar journey as he
on the newest gear available. explores the ins and outs of flight simulation.

35 VFR AROUND WASHINGTON, D.C. PLUS OUR REGULAR COLUMNS:

Want to know what happens when you stray into controlled airspace virtually
unannounced? You get F-16s and Blackhawks chasing you! Join Dr David 42 PULL OUT POSTER
Wilson-Okamura as he takes a look at VFR airspace rules and conditions, with a “Somebody’s Watching…”
case study of just such an incursion event!
46 HORTON’S HINTS FOR FS2004
40 BILL STACK’S COLUMN More handy tips for keen simmers.
You know you’re an avid flight simmer when you see something that reminds
you of flight simulation even though it has no direct relationship! Is it a case of 59 INBOX
more than the eye can meet? Your letters to us.

cpm1003.indd 5 2/9/2006, 7:33:57 PM

 6 NEWS & NEW FLIGHT SIM RELEASES

GMX Announce Ostfront for IL2FB

GMX media recently announced the pending KURLAND - The Germans are retreating
release of a new add-on for fans of Ubisoft’s across Poland and the Baltic States when a
IL2-Sturmovik: Forgotten Battles titled bold Russian thrust cuts off the German Army
Ostfront: Decisive Battles in the East. Group North from the rest of the Wehrmacht,
trapping hundreds of thousands of men. The
“Take a flying leap through time and rewrite Germans re-establish a land corridor and
history in some of the most engaging continue their retreat but the Russians, aided
battles in the sky during World War II by a French fighter regiment, reach the Baltic
with OSTFRONT for PC CD-ROM. Fly once again and this time there is no escape.
on the Eastern Front for the Red Airforce, The Kurland pocket fights bitterly to the end
Luftwaffe, Royal Air Force and the French of the war, isolated but impregnable.
Regiment Normandie-Niemen in 24 new
airborne campaigns. SCHLACHTFLIEGER - Bonus campaign
- fly the Hs-123 biplane (uses Cr-42) in low-
Scenarios include: level strafing and bombing missions. The
aircraft is well-suited to the Blitzkrieg of
MURMANSK - The northern Russian 1941 but how will it fare in 1944?”
port of Murmansk is the only ice-free port
available for the vital Lend-Lease convoy With a release date listed as February 2006,
route. The Germans are pressing closer and the title may well be available by the time
the Red Airforce fights tooth and nail to stop you read this. There is no listed price for the
the bombers, aided by the RAF’s 151 Wing. add-on as yet, but keep an eye on the GMX
Slowly the tables are turned and the Russians media website at www.gmxmedia.net for
start to advance on the German bases in the latest developments regarding this new
Finland and Norway. IL2FB expansion.

GMX Announce Pacific Storm Standalone Title

IT SEEMS GMX are having a busy month on either side, controlling US or Japanese biological weapons.
on the news front! forces and change the outcome of each • Total freedom of strategic and tactical
historical battle! decisions.
“Scheduled for release in March 2006, This is no ordinary flight sim title – Pacific • First-person view available (while taking
Pacific Storm is a ground breaking fusion of Storm will redefine games based upon control of a plane or a submarine).
a real time strategy game with all the best historical military warfare.” • Units gain experience and can be
elements of a flight simulation title. transferred between battles.
Key Features: • Realistic 3D landscapes and weather
On December 7th 1941, the U.S. Pacific • Detailed 3D models of vehicles - including conditions – mist, storms and rain.
Navy stationed at Pearl Harbor came under battleships, aircraft carriers destroyers, • Multiplayer via LAN supports tactical map
attack from Japanese fighter planes. The cruisers and rocket cruisers, submarines, battles and multiplayer simulation combat.
enemy fighters were destroying the American torpedo boats, tankers, cargo ships
aircraft on land and in the air with deadly and transports, fighters, attack planes, Pacific Storm will provide a new style of
force. The battle of Pearl Harbor became the torpedo-bombers, strategic bombers, gaming – a mix of RTS and flight simulation
first of many to be fought over hostile waters. reconnaissance planes, land cannons and action. It will be interesting to see how
Now you can participate in all the major anti-aircraft guns – all designed according this title is received by the flight simming
Pacific battles of World War II in Pacific to drafts from historical archives. and RTS communities. Again, head to
Storm – a game that seamlessly incorporates • A wide system of upgrades include www.gmxmedia.net for further developments
RTS into a major flight simulation title. Fight the option of producing nuclear or on this new pseudo-flight sim title.

cpm1003.indd 6 2/9/2006, 7:34:07 PM

 NEWS & NEW FLIGHT SIM RELEASES 7

Flight Sim Commander V7.6 Update Available

A NEW UPDATE is available for owners Control zone violations: Potential and real before or after the one selected in the flight
of either the download version or boxed control zone violations can now be checked. plan table.
version of the popular flight sim planning After you have filed a flight plan you can Color Themes: In addition to customizing
and navigation utilities tools, Flight Sim have the various legs checked for possible the color of individual map objects, you can
Commander v7. violations of a control zone. “Dangerous” now load entire “color themes” which are
The version 7.6 update offers bug fixes, control zones are displayed on the map in a predefined sets of color for the map display.
enhancements and features requested by different color and a list of crucial legs can
end users. The major enhancements are as be printed out in conjunction with the flight Note that depending on which version you
follows: plan. Furthermore, while you are actually have, you will need to download the correct
flying, the program can check whether you are update. For download version 7 owners, you
Blackbox: The blackbox and its recording approaching or crossing a control zone at an can grab the update from here -
features have been substantially expanded. altitude that requires ATC clearance. http://www.fscommander.com/
You can now have the track of your aircraft VORs and NDBs: VORs and NDBs are now download.htm
permanently displayed as a sequence of graphically distinguished according to type
position dots. Similarly, the relative altitude (VOR, VORTAC, or VOR-DME; NDB or For Boxed CD owners of version 7, the
can also be shown as perpendicular lines NDB-DME). update can be downloaded direct from here -
indicating how smooth your climb and descent Waypoint Insertion: You can now decide http://aerosoft-online.de/downloads/fsc/
have been. All this, of course, in real time. whether you want to insert a new waypoint FSC_Update_7.6.exe

Just Flight Release Boxed 777 Professional

UK PUBLISHER, Just Flight, have includes a realistic operating weather radar! model, this is one airliner that you will want
announced the release of the boxed In the highly interactive virtual cockpit you to fly!”
version of PSS’s 777 package for Flight will find it is just like sitting in the real thing.
Simulator 2004. An extensive printed manual and
Supplied are the -200LR, -200LRF Freighter configuration editor are included to further
“The first airliner to be designed and -300ER variants and with an extensive enhance the package. 777 Professional retails
entirely using computer graphics is now, 26 airline liveries that cover the world, and for just under US$45 and is available from all
rather fittingly, reproduced by the experts at along with authentic sounds and refined flight good flight sim retailers worldwide right now.
PSS to fly on a computer in Flight Simulator
2004. 777 Professional is another great
milestone in the Professional series. Superb
detail, accurate modeling and realistic flight
characteristics add up to a 777 that’s so good
you’ll only be able to improve on it if you fly
a real one!”

“The aircraft features fully-animated flight

surfaces, engines, undercarriage and cabin
doors. Moving into the heart of the aircraft,
the cockpit, you will be amazed at the depth
and quality of the instrument panel and
gauges of one of the world’s most popular
wide bodied airliners. 777 Professional even

cpm1003.indd 7 2/9/2006, 7:34:11 PM

 8 NEWS & NEW FLIGHT SIM RELEASES

Windows Vista in 2006

IT IS ANTICIPATED that Microsoft will network security options, and multimedia work on Macs), it would no doubt be on the
release its new operating system at some gadgets to enhance your audio and visual minds of flight sim users. Whether or not the
stage in 2006. Titled Windows Vista®, the world. Sure, previous versions of Windows new operating system will live up to the hype
successor to Windows XP® will aim to make have incorporated these to some level, but is yet to be seen. We will certainly cover the
every day computing tasks a much more the push is on to expand these into an all- new OS when it becomes available this year,
simpler affair, provide a stable operating in-one home operating system solution. It and its implications for flight simming. In
system that is somewhat self-sufficient and would also appear there is a heavy push to the meantime, you can check out all the new
self-fixing, and improve performance of make the PC the central operating unit in the features to be incorporated into Windows
software that is run on the platform. It’s hard home, allowing you to manage everything Vista by pointing your web browser to http:
to deny that Windows XP has been one of from internet access, to television, surround //www.microsoft.com/windowsvista/
Microsoft’s most stable operating systems to sound, direct communication within and
date and one of the most widely used, so why outside the home, and much more, all in a
the need for a new operating system? software package that is simple to use, even
more immune to failures, and if one occurs,
Well, judging by the feature lists revealed to offer a simple one or two click solution,
so far by the development teams, it would and also to be more resistant to unwanted
appear Microsoft is looking to expand its visitors, i.e. hackers or viruses.
operating system software by providing
those features you could previously only Given that virtually all of today’s current
enjoy by purchasing third party software. flight and combat flight simulations are
Things like dedicated backup software, designed for the Microsoft Windows
speech recognition, advanced internet and platform (except X-Plane which will also

Aerosoft Releases Boxed Version of FS Flight Keeper

FS FLIGHT KEEPER (FSFK) combines (e.g. Pushback, Pax Security Information, Check your favorite flight sim retailer
six programs in one: A Logbook, a basic Crew prepare for landing, etc.). You can for availability, or head over to
Aircraft Black Box, a Flight Weather also add a virtual copilot that gives you www.aerosoft.com for more information.
planning tool, a Flight Information System aural information for different aircraft FS Flight Keeper retails for US$29.99.
(ACARS Device), a Ground Proximity status changes (e.g. Gear down and locked,
Warning System (GPWS) and a Cockpit Glideslope active/captured, etc). Cabin
Sound Environment enhancement. ambient sounds with full 3-D surround sound
The Logbook keeps track of the flights support will give you the feeling as if the
you made. It stores flight times (also day passengers were really in your aircraft.
and night), fuel used, pilot, aircraft used, Last but not least you can access all this
etc. Whilst the Black Box logs all aircraft information directly from your cockpit
events like autopilot settings, engine without the need to switch any application
settings, weather, etc. FSFK also features during your flight. The ACARS Device
flight weather planning (METARs, TAFs (gauge) allows the pilot to easily view all
and ALOFTs), data export, configurable important information and even control FS
flight critique, World (Moving) Map Flight Keeper while sitting in the cockpit.
display, Instant Messaging, Screenshot
Manager and much more.
FS Flight Keeper contains many features
for Virtual Airlines (VAs), which need a
standardized way of logging, transmitting
flights and even uploading actual flight
reporting maps. FS Flight Keeper can
transmit fully customizable flight reports via
email or any available web service (page).
FSFK also offers realtime (live) ACARS.
The Cockpit Sound Environment brings
your cockpit to life. Easily add crew
announcements, which will be played
automatically on different flight situations

cpm1003.indd 8 2/9/2006, 7:34:15 PM

 NEWS & NEW FLIGHT SIM RELEASES 9

cpm1003.indd 9 2/9/2006, 7:34:38 PM

 Vista Australis:
Colors of the Great South Land
Overview and Interview

BY DR DAVID SMITH

I
n the course of producing a range of
documentaries about the Australian Enter Vista Australis, an ambitious Australian scenery project that
was the brainchild of John “Koorby” Venema, an IT professional who,
environment I’ve had the great experience like me, was frustrated by the fact that ‘something was wrong’ with the
of flying around remote Australia in everything default scenery in Australia. Unlike me, Koorby did something about
from an Auster to a Hercules, from a Hughes 300 it and the results are quite simply amazing.
helicopter to a military DC3. The palettes of colors
in the various regions of this huge island continent One of the first scenery add-ons for Australia was Mark Fahey’s The
Australian Scenery Collection, released in 1991 by the Freemans
vary so much that in flying from Melbourne to Uluru Reach Computer Operation. This added a degree of realism to what
or from Uluru to Darwin you could be forgiven for was, by today’s standards, a very basic simulator, at least in scenery
thinking you were flying over completely different terms. Flying in Melbourne or Sydney airspace was greatly improved
countries. When I’ve made the same flights in MS by the addition of accurate airfields, navigation aids and landmarks
that, at the time, were a vast improvement on the Microsoft offering.
Flight Simulator I’ve always been let down; the It was simply fantastic to be able to make realistic ILS approaches
elements of the scenery are correct but there has to Tullamarine in Melbourne or Mascot in Sydney and to be able to
always been something missing – until now… recognize the airfield and its surrounds.

10 CPM. V10I3

cpm1003.indd 10 2/9/2006, 7:34:46 PM

 REVIEW
Before long, PC Aviator in Melbourne took the quest for realism
a quantum leap further with the release of the MegaScenery Victoria
CD for FS98 (no longer useable in the later versions of FS). The
MegaScenery approach was to replace the default Microsoft scenery
tiles with tiles derived from satellite imagery and, once again, the
results were amazing. Flying over what was billed as “rooftop
resolution” photorealistic scenery, it was possible to spot your own
house and PC Aviator founder, Robert Ferraro, told me he was able to
fly over and land on the family property in the Ovens Valley in central
Victoria.

Despite these developments there was still something vital missing

from the vast reaches of the Outback and also the characteristic color
HEADING OUT FROM ADELAIDE SUBURBIA
palette of the Australian tropics. As Koorby, Chief Pixel Pusher for the
‘VOZ’ project, put it:

“Despite the huge advances in Microsoft’s wonderful Flight

Simulator, the seasonal changes tend to be very northern hemisphere
focused and the FS2004 Australian summer looks more like our
winter.”

“We’re here to tell you that summer in Australia in the southern

region is NOT green and not lush, but brown and dry. In the center of
the country it’s red bull dust for most of the year. And in the North,
we have lush green tropical vegetation much like south Asia.”

Installing and using Vista Australis (a freeware package) is

totally straightforward. Download the zipped files and follow the
instructions. On your desktop you’ll find shortcuts to the VOZ user
manual and also to the very important VOZ switcher. This allows LAKE ARGYLE AND SURROUNDS IN SPECTACULAR OUTBACK COLORS
you to select the region you want to fly in and loads the appropriate
scenery files. Currently the choices are Central, North and South.
West will be available soon. This offers much better variety
because the default Microsoft Australian scenery has only a single
region. Once you’ve loaded the region, go to Select Flight in
FS2004 and you’ll find a whole raft of wonderful flights all set to
go. Grab a pot of coffee (you’ll need more than a cup!) and brace
yourself for a long evening because you’re in for a very pleasant
surprise indeed.

Unlike MegaScenery, Vista Australis doesn’t rely on satellite

imagery but on changes to the color palette and textures of the
Australian scenery tiles. One of the benefits of this approach is
that you get a major visual improvement without lengthy loading
times or performance hits. There’s one more option you should
consider. The default terrain mesh in FS2004 is very sparse for
Australia, so it is HIGHLY recommended that you install one of
the higher resolution digital elevation maps (DEMs) such as FS IT DOESN’T GET MORE ‘AUSTRALIAN’ THAN THIS!
Global 2005, a 76m Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM)
mesh product (available in boxed format), or Andy Weir’s 90m
SRTM mesh for Australia (available from AVSIM). The included
screenshots show very clearly how the 16-fold increase in terrain
detail vastly improves the terrain appearance.

The Vista Australis project is a freeware community project

and, as such, has fostered the development of a vibrant online
community of simmers who are encouraged to contribute to the
efforts of the core development team. I’ve always been inspired by
the open source philosophy and a little curious about why people
would work so hard for little or no financial reward, so I asked
Koorby about the project, its origins and its projected future. Here’s
a transcript of the interview.

THE BLUE MOUNTAINS WEST OF SYDNEY

cpm1003.indd 11 2/9/2006, 7:34:54 PM

 BRISBANE, THE CAPITAL CITY OF QUEENSLAND A SITESEEING APPROACH INTO TROPICAL CAIRNS AIRPORT

THE GOLD COAST HINTERLAND IS A MOUNTAIN FLYER’S PARADISE THE GRAMPIANS IN VICTORIA – NICE AUSSIE TEXTURES AND COLORS

ROSS CASEY HAS DONE A GREAT JOB WITH MAPPING HINCHINBROOK ISLAND WITH A NICE SANDY
COASTLINES IN QUEENSLAND STRIP. PERFECT FOR A FLY-IN PICNIC!

A HIGH RISE IN MELBOURNE AHH, THIS JUST GETS THE CREATIVE JUICES FLOWING…

cpm1003.indd 12 2/9/2006, 7:35:06 PM

 REVIEW
DS: Microsoft Flight Simulator 2004 has comprehensive towns, cities, roads, rocks, crops, farms, autogen – every single
scenery covering the entire world, including Australian texture is edited for color or completely replaced. It’s a long and
airports and cities. What did you feel was missing and that you painstaking process but the results are worth it.
could improve on?
DS: What is the resolution of the new imagery? Is it the same
JV: Whilst FS2004 included a photo-real Sydney and city as in FS9 or higher as in the MegaScenery series? How does
buildings, the rest of the country suffered from only rudimentary your imagery and process differ from MegaScenery (which, I
landclass and very vague representations of the major cities. recall from a discussion with Robert Ferraro, was originally
Many medium to small towns are missing, and lots of lakes developed here in Melbourne)?
and rivers aren’t present either. The biggest issue for Australian
simmers was that the textures being called by the landclass files JV: Yes I remember the very first MegaScenery which covered
were just not representative of the colors of Australia. In most the state of Victoria – that was for FS95/FS98 I believe. At the
cases summer was far too green, and the “red centre” wasn’t red time Robert gave me some copies to use for an IT conference
at all. Being a continent island Australia has some of the most where 2,500 people attended in Melbourne. We used that
diverse geographical features of any country on earth, and the photo-real scenery for a fly-in animated sequence as part of the
FS2004 texture set just can’t cope with that diversity. So we felt conference opening video. We’ve come a long way since then.
we could go a long way towards creating a far more realistic and Our project is completely different to MegaScenery, which uses
accurate experience. detailed 1-5m per pixel satellite and aerial photos to accurately
represent hundreds of square miles of cities and rural areas. We
DS: Are your visual impressions of the different regions in don’t take that approach. By just editing the 4,000 texture files of
Australia based on your own observations when flying? What FS9, we’re able to cover the whole country without using photos
are the key distinguishing features in these regions, e.g. color of the entire continent, but textures based on much smaller photo
palettes, textures etc? and satellite images. We don’t get as accurate a depiction of the
real world, but we produce an 85% accurate representation of
JV: As a travelling executive I’ve spent thousands of hours millions upon millions of square miles which loads in a fraction
and flown millions of miles in commercial and GA aircraft – as a of the time. Most of the photos I use are taken at altitudes of 1000
passenger. I’m only just now taking lessons for my PPL. But over the to 5000 FT AGL and resized to suit the resolution of the 256x256
last 20 years I have flown over most parts of the country at different tiles used by FS9.
ORS altitudes and in different seasons to get a very good idea of how the
colors change over the seasons. The biggest surprise for our northern DS: What are the main steps in building this new scenery?
hemisphere neighbors is that during summer the southwest of the
country turns a yellow/brown and is not green at all, but really quite JV: I edit each individual texture tile one by one based on
dry and arid. In the course of a single week half the country can source images or I hand-paint textures. I use various tools like
go from lush green to sunburnt light brown – it only takes a strong PhotoImpact or Photoshop, and other tools. It’s a process of edit,
northern wind coming off the deserts to do it. test, edit, test, tweak, test. Without the beta testing team it would
be impossible to quickly produce a project like this. The real power
DS: How big a task did you take on? How many people are of the VOZ textures lies in the landclass, and we were fortunate
involved and what are their roles? enough to have John Dow contribute his excellent freeware
Australia landclass files to the project. Matt Tomkins added his
JV: Sometimes I think I’ve taken on too much of a task! superb Australian trees. In addition, most of the Queensland
(laughs). But Vista Australis was a vision from the outset to be a coastline and coastal areas were hand-designed by Ross Casey,
community project, contributed to and run by the Australian flight who also generously contributed that work to the project. Without
simulation community. This is what has now happened, which is John, Matt and Ross contributing these sorts of add-ons, we would
fantastic! I started out just editing textures in my spare time, but not have had anywhere near the impact visually. This is what I
this grew to a team of over twenty people including about 10 beta mean about VOZ being such a community project. It’s the sum of
testers. While I focus on textures, the others work on scenery, the parts which works so well together.
landclass, trees, coastlines, water, buildings and many other
aspects of the project. DS: You presumably used a variety of satellite images and
aerial photographs then draped these over a digital elevation
DS: How do you make scenery, within the FS9 engine, look model, a bit like a tent being draped over numerous tent poles.
more ‘Australian’? Did you have to pay for the imagery and DEMs? If so, how do
you recoup those costs?
JV: Mainly by taking the existing FS9 textures one piece at a
time and through the FS2004 SDK documentation, we interpret JV: Yes, I paid for a lot of the source images out of my own
what the original developers intended for that texture to depict. So, pocket, including hiring aircraft to take me to specific areas and
for instance, “Deciduous Forest” really does not work in Australia, take source photos myself. I made these textures because I am a
since our country is about 99% non-deciduous. At the same time, student pilot and I want to spend 10 hours flying in the sim for
our version of “evergreen” is different from the Douglas Firs you every one hour training in real life. What I was seeing out the
may find in the Pacific Northwest of the USA. So we replace that cockpit in FS2004 just did not reflect what I saw in the trainer
texture with a representation of Australian Eucalypt forests which aircraft. So I started bringing my camera along. Of course, I’ve
more accurately depict our bushlands. We repeat this process for supplemented my own photos with images just by doing Google
each and every single texture used by the FS9 engine, including image searches on the Internet.

13

cpm1003.indd 13 2/9/2006, 7:35:16 PM

 PERHAPS THE WORLD’S MOST FAMOUS HARBOUR, IF YOU ATTENDED THE 2000 OLYMPIC GAMES, THIS IS THE AIRPORT
SYDNEY HARBOUR! YOU PROBABLY FLEW IN TO, YSSY

SOME NICE CUSTOM SAND DUNE TEXTURES IN JURIEN, MELBOURNE IS RE-CREATED IN HIGH DETAIL WITH
WESTERN AUSTRALIA PLENTY OF BUILDINGS

A GREAT APPROACH TO MT HOTHAM, IN AUSTRALIA’S SKI FIELDS,

BUT NO SNOW AT THIS TIME OF YEAR… TOURING MT. BARNEY NATIONAL PARK

THE COLORS LOOK OVERLY RICH, BUT THIS IS HOW IT IS

SKATING OVER THE TREE TOPS NORTH OF ADELAIDE IN THE REAL WORLD IN AUSTRALIA’S ‘OUTBACK’!

cpm1003.indd 14 2/9/2006, 7:35:31 PM

 REVIEW
DS: The current product is distributed as freeware. Why (which I have funded), the only costs we have are storage and
would you put so much time and energy into something that hosting, and donations almost cover that. The biggest single cost
people can download for free? is people’s time, and in open source, that’s free. Commercial
projects’ biggest cost is also time, and when you have to pay
JV: Well the issue with a lot of those images from Google is people to develop scenery, budgets invariably blow out.
that you often can’t establish copyright and ownership – one of
the main reasons the VOZ textures are freeware. We do have DS: It’s obvious from your forum that there’s a very active
a donation button on our site, but the money we get from that community of people using your software, but also contributing
barely covers our hosting and site costs. So I guess you could call to it. What’s the process here? How are good suggestions
this a labour of love. And I also wanted to give something to the picked up on and incorporated and bad ones filtered out?
flight sim community before I released any payware. I’ve been
the victim of too many payware releases that were over-hyped JV: We haven’t had any bad suggestions yet! (laughs). I am
and over-promised and were quite expensive. My approach is to absolutely thrilled at the VOZ community and the forums. I went on
get a reputation before I make payware and have a loyal base to vacation immediately after releasing VOZ and every single support
sell to – not to try and patch relationships with angry customers issue was handled by the community itself and I logged onto the site
who bought bad payware from me. If one in ten of the people from my cellphone in a remote area a week later, fearing the worst
who love VOZ buy something from me in the future, then it may – only to find everyone helping each other out – quite remarkable!
be commercially viable for me to spend real money on image We now have a team of enthusiasts in a subsection of the forum led
licensing and other data acquisition costs. by Ross Casey designing a huge area of SE Queensland. We expect
lots of sub-projects like that to be spawned.
DS: Will you ever sell a later version of Vista Australis, or is
the open source model the way it will stay? DS: If you had unlimited resources, what would you regard
as the ‘ultimate’ Australian scenery package? What features of
JV: The FS2004 version of Vista Australis is freeware and will FS2004 would you like to change to make that goal possible?
always be so. It is owned by the community and is in the hands
of the community. We will be releasing SDKs to allow anyone to JV: I’d do it using FSX for a start – what an amazing new texture
create “VOZplugs”, simple little landclass and sceneries which palette to begin with! But to really do all of Australia justice
will enhance thousands of areas all around the country where local without resorting to a texture switcher and regions like we’ve done
residents create their accurate versions of their towns and cities. with VOZ, I’d love to see the amount of textures and landclass
classifications increase fivefold. Then you’d be able to create an
Now, for FSX, which is due late this year, I may do something incredibly diverse geographical landscape unlike anything done
to take advantage of the huge leap in texture sizes and quality in before. All Microsoft has to do is create the underlying architecture
that version. That will be a whole separate project which will need to allow developers like me to do the work.
source image funding, and will likely be payware as a result. But
even then I would not charge a huge amount for it. And the current Unlimited resources? I’d hire Matt, Ross, Jason Davies, Clive
VOZ scenery will work with FSX anyway, so all those nice extras Marriott and John Dow and we would revolutionize what people
would work with any payware I released. would see out of their cockpits. Anyone got a spare million seed
money? 30,000 people can’t be wrong!
DS: John, I’m extremely interested in and sympathetic to
the concept of open source development such as Linux. It’s Conclusion
a fascinating challenge to the almost ubiquitous commercial The ultimate compliment to this project is that flying within
model we’re all immersed in. Could you give me your Vista Australis is so like flying in real Australian landscapes that
perspectives on what the open source model offers that the it’s very difficult to see any difference between my screenshots
commercial model misses out on? and the many color transparencies I’ve taken in virtually every
corner of the continent. Koorby’s aim is to make this add-on so
JV: The single biggest advantage of open source is that if you comprehensive a collection of textures, scenery and airport detail
get a community built around it (and VOZ now has one of the that it will be the only one you need when simming in Australia.
largest FS communities for any single scenery project) then you’ll If the 0.99 Beta version is anything to go by, the VOZ team will
get a critical mass – and that means the project takes on a life of certainly achieve that goal. Watch out for the next release which is
its own and will self-extend and never really fade away. I expect due in late March 2006. Personally, I can’t wait!
people will use VOZ as the basis for thousands of landclass and
scenery projects over many, many years. Similar projects have
worked in places such as Holland and Norway. The only thing that
can kill it would be when Microsoft releases a version of Flight Film maker and author Dr David Smith runs imaginACTION
Simulator that changes the file structure, much like the jump from Pty Ltd in Melbourne. David was Associate Producer of the IMAX
FS2002 to FS2004. feature AUSTRALIA: Land Beyond Time, which included a highly
detailed animation sequence of Australia’s geological history at
DS: Are there special difficulties in using the open source resolutions as high as 1 meter per pixel.
model that the commercial model might do better?
The helicopter used in the Melbourne shots is the Dauphin C1
JV: I can’t think of any. The internet makes open source so AIR 493 Victoria Police Air Wing modelled by Andrew Gilchrist
incredibly cheap and easy to do. Apart from the source images ([email protected] Uplink Productions www.uplink.com.au)

15

cpm1003.indd 15 2/9/2006, 7:36:00 PM

 MEGASCENERY SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
Version 2
REVIEW BY GENE DAVIS

A
MegaScenery Southern California review… for the lite edition. The full version comes with a 231-page booklet
what say you? Has this not been reviewed filled with instrument approach charts and airport diagrams of the
previously in Computer Pilot? Well, yes it included scenery areas as well as SIDs and STARs for the area
has, but as the title above mentions, this is Version 2 covered. Also included are two complete aeronautical charts in full
color that cover the Los Angeles and San Diego areas in their entirety,
of the original top-selling release, and it’s not just a
as well as a full color charts for the terminal areas of LA and San
compilation of the original package with a few extra Diego international airports. The scenery is compatible with FS2004
buildings thrown in here and there, it is a total re- and ships on DVD.
work of the original title, and now uses full, higher-
resolution aerial photographic source data for the Installation
Installation is straight forward. Simply insert the disk and let the
entire coverage area, which has also been expanded! installer take over. Like other MegaScenery titles the installer will
With that in mind, I thought we would take a look at want to make changes to your FS config file to optimize performance
this latest offering to the popular MegaScenery line… of the scenery once it is installed. This is what I recommend; don’t
allow the installer to make the changes, run Flight Simulator and see
What’s in the Box? how it performs at your current settings. This will alleviate unwanted
The scenery, like earlier titles, comes in either a full or “lite” changes in the display of other sceneries and you will have a better
edition and both titles ring in at US$39.95 and US$29.95 respectively. grasp on what has been changed if you need to switch it back to its
There is also a reduced price for current owners of Version 1 and I original state. The manual strongly recommends these changes, but I
believe that runs about US$29.95 for the full version and is US$22.50 found that I was better off making the changes on my own.

16 CPM. V10I3

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 The changes are outlined in the manual and it explains them in great
detail in the event you need to make such changes in the future. There is
also an option installed in your START MENU > MEGASCENERY >
SOUTHERN CA start menu folder that allows you to use the automatic
setup that is available in the installer if you choose to do so later on down
the track.

Flying over Southern California

The scenery coverage in this package covers the greater Los Angeles area
south to San Diego and the outlying mountain ranges. The coastal regions
are also incredibly detailed and offer a very accurate representation of the
Californian coastline; you will find that whether you are traveling west or
east there is plenty to see.

The biggest difference between the new version 2 and that of version 1
is the amount of detail and greater resolution the scenery operates at, not to
mention the improved terrain mesh which adds a totally realistic look to the
A SHOT OVER THE WING
hills and valleys of Southern California. Version 1 used satellite imagery as
the source data. It worked well, but version 2 offers higher-resolution aerial
photography throughout to deliver clearer, cleaner, and crisper scenery,
resulting in more detail being displayed in each texture tile.

With 22,000 plus square miles of coverage (at a dimension of 150nm x

150nm) and with the 1 foot per pixel source data (re-sampled to around 5
foot per pixel – a constraint of Flight Simulator itself) you are looking at
some pretty incredible detail with a wide area of coverage. Simply put,
you can now see the cars that were on the freeway the day this photo-real
scenery was created.

The colors of this scenery also seem to be a lot more vivid and really
stand out when you are flying high overhead compared to that of version
1. The detail and colors are so good that you can distinguish between
parks, golf courses, and agriculturally developed landmasses; you can
actually see the sand traps at Torrey Pines Golf Course!

Traveling over this urban sprawl is a visual treat both at day and
night, especially at night! The night lighting technology employed in
the MegaScenery range really brings the vast cities of Los Angeles, San
Diego and their surrounding cities and towns to life. I really enjoyed
flying into KSAN at night; it literally made me feel like I was there.

All of the scenery objects displayed with this product have been EAST OF SAN DIEGO
accurately placed throughout the scenery package. I was really
impressed with the city of San Diego and its harbor, the mix of 3D
scenery objects and realistic, real-world ground textures combine
to provide a sense of realism you simply cannot achieve with
default scenery.

As you venture out to places like Palm Springs and the more
mountainous areas of California you will find yourself in awe as
the scenery detail doesn’t diminish as you get away from the more
populated areas, it seems to only get better. Palm Springs was amazing
as it encompasses not only a vast city, but it also has a rural countryside
which in turn makes for an almost picture-perfect flight over that
particular region.

Places like Big Bear and Arrowhead Lakes are brought to life with
incredible detail, as you travel eastward from San Diego you will find
that the terrain goes from a vast city to that of rural towns and valleys,
and I think that is what makes this add-on so good. It really distinguishes
between the different types of terrain, instead of laying out everything in
the same color and relying on a single tone to present the scenery. Like
the Pacific Northwest MegaScenery title, Southern California Version 2

TAKING OFF FROM BIG BEAR

cpm1003.indd 17 2/9/2006, 7:36:15 PM

 INCREDIBLE DETAIL! VALLEYS, RIVERS AND ROADS

GREAT VFR CONDITIONS CLIMBING OUT OF PALM SPRINGS

SO MUCH DETAIL! LOS ANGELES INTERNATIONAL

THE CITY OF ANGELS LONG BEACH CALIFORNIA

cpm1003.indd 18 2/9/2006, 7:36:50 PM

 offers some awesome mountain scenery for the glider fans, or for those
who simply love to fly over rocky outcrops or dive into deep valleys.

I couldn’t wait to hop in my Cessna 206 and head off to Catalina Island,
I was so glad that the designers chose to include the islands off the coast
of Southern California as they make for some exciting trips from the
mainland. Flying the coastal areas of the Southern California coast is also
enjoyable where the ocean meets the urban sprawl.

I have to add that all of the cities and towns that are covered in this 22,000
plus square miles of scenery are there, it’s just a matter of having the time to
LOOKING TO THE SOUTH JUST NORTH OF LONG BEACH
navigate to them so that one can see them. Be sure to check out Van Nuys
and cites like San Bernardino, you wont be disappointed. And of course, you
can even spot your own house rooftop if you happen to live in the area.

Because the scenery uses real world images to form the texture tiles,
what you see out the window is what you would expect to see if you
were flying in the real area yourself. As a result, MegaScenery, and some
other comparable photorealistic scenery packages, offer you the chance
to fly true VFR in your sim. Look at the included chart, if you see a
golf course ahead on the chart, you will see it in MegaScenery… there
should be a quarry coming up out the right side window soon according
to this chart… yep, there it is in MegaScenery. Of course, IFR flying is
still a reality as Megascenery does not make any changes to the default
navigational data in the simulator.

Performance
One would think that performance would be an issue with a title of
ARRIVING AT CATALINA ISLAND, VACATION TIME!
this sort, but surprisingly it really isn’t! The trick to this scenery is to
enjoy it, so it is really geared towards GA aircraft. My aircraft of choice
for this area has to be the Cessna 206 from Carenado, it allows me to
view and enjoy the scenery without experiencing the blurry textures.

Load time was also a major concern of mine going into this as other
titles of this detail can take several minutes to load on your system.
Well Version 2 still takes some time to load, but it seems quicker
than the MegaCity San Francisco title that I also have on my system.
Remember that the simulator is loading many more texture files than
it does by default. Each texture tile in MegaScenery is unique, there
are no repeating tiles that can be loaded and then repeated on the fly
like with the default scenery. Once you have loaded up and are sitting
in your aircraft however, frame rates with MegaScenery can actually
be faster than the default scenery. Don’t ask me exactly why, but they
are indeed faster on most user’s system. It is important to set your
target frame rate slider to the recommended value (Unlimited) as
outlined in the user manual to enjoy the benefits.
SAN DIEGO
Note also that you should expect to do some tweaking of
your scenery and rendering settings in FS to get the most out of
MegaScenery - more details at www.megascenery.com

In the End…
MegaScenery Southern California Version 2 is an incredible piece
of work and I would strongly recommend this scenery to anyone
that enjoys flying VFR or IFR in this particular region of the world.
Reasonably priced, one can’t go wrong as this is a fantastic addition
to the Flight Simulator world! There is so much to see and do when
you jump into the cockpit and tour this scenery package that you will
find yourself sitting at your computer desk for hours just looking for
what you missed the first time around, and with the accompanying maps
you won’t get lost too easily. Take a look at some of my screenshots I
have included in this review. They speak volumes about how much more
realistic your flight sim world can become with one of these add-ons
loaded. The proof (if you need it) is in the pudding… err pictures!

DUSK APPROACH INTO KSAN

19

cpm1003.indd 19 2/9/2006, 7:37:36 PM

 Flying the Memories:
Lockheed Electra L-10A, Flight to Freedom

BY TOM KURTZ

I
t was the summer of 1940 and World War II it out of Morocco. It was this wartime scenario that inspired the
classic 1942 movie Casablanca starring Humphrey Bogart as the
was raging in Europe. Refugees were fleeing the American expatriate bar owner Rick Blaine and Ingrid Bergman
onslaught of the Nazi war machine to whatever as Ilsa, his paramour. The Electra was featured in the film. If you
country offered a safe haven. Britain was being saw the movie, remember the night scene at the airport with Rick
blitzed by the Hitler’s Luftwaffe and wasn’t an and Ilsa just before she boarded the plane to leave? Remember the
option. Only the Americas and a few other countries heavy fog at the airport? The fog was generated to hide the details
of the L-10A parked on the tarmac because it was a cardboard
offered safety and were the most desired destinations. mockup of the plane. The producers couldn’t get a real Electra for
They offered a flight to freedom… that scene!

Lisbon, Portugal was the gateway to the Americas, but getting Flying was the safest and fastest way to get to Lisbon and the fastest
there directly from Europe was not possible for everyone because available airliner in Casablanca was the Lockheed Electra L-10A.
of the war and for political reasons. An arduous route was soon in Many airlines were using the L-10A at the time. The L-10A was also
operation from Paris to Marseilles, across the Mediterranean Sea the choice of many private pilots throughout the world, including
to Oran, then by train, car, or by boat across the coast of North Amelia Earhart. Amelia Earhart was flying a Model E Electra on her
Africa to Casablanca, Morocco. However, once in Casablanca attempt to be the first woman to fly around the world and, as we all
you had to buy, beg, barrow, or steal a visa to Lisbon, Portugal know, that flight ended in tragedy. Also, the first round trip of the
- it was very difficult to get a visa and some people never made Atlantic was made in an Electra.

20 CPM. V10I3

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 In 1929 Alan Lockheed, the founder of Lockheed Aircraft Company
was in financial trouble so he sold Lockheed Aircraft Company
to the Detroit Aircraft Company. Not long after the sale, America
was plunged into the Great Depression and the Lockheed Aircraft
Company went bankrupt. Robert Gross was an investment financier
and a visionary. He could foresee the lucrative future in commercial
aviation and wanted in on the ground floor. So, in the summer of
1932, Robert Gross bought the bankrupt Lockheed Aircraft Company
and decided to start with a new aircraft. At first he and the engineers
at Lockheed were thinking of a sleek, streamline, single-engine
plane, but Boeing had already designed and built its Model 247.
The 247 was the first low-drag, all metal twin engine airliner and
Boeing had it flying by early 1933. The 247 was the fastest airliner
in the world and could carry ten passengers. Later that year Douglas
Aircraft brought out their DC-1, which was even faster than
the Boeing 247 and could carry a bigger payload. Later Boeing
designed the DC-2, which was a great improvement over the DC-1.
THE L-10A 2D
PANEL
Robert Gross knew that if he wanted to get a good piece of the
commercial aviation pie, Lockheed would have to come up with
a design that was better than the Boeing and Douglas airplanes,
so the idea of the Model L-10 Electra was born. It was designed
as a twin engine, all metal, streamlined, low-drag airplane
capable of carrying ten passengers and a crew of two. It would
also have a toilet compartment. Baggage could be stored in the
nose and tops of the wings. The L-10 also had motor driven
retractable landing gear and retractable flaps. The Boeing
aircraft did not have those features.

Test Pilot Marshall Headle flew the first L-10 at Mines Field,
Los Angeles, California on February 23, 1934. Northwest and
Pan American were the first to order the new plane. Within a
year Northwest was operating thirteen L-10 aircraft.

Lockheed produced four versions of the Electra. The L-

10A with Pratt and Whitney Wasp Junior R-985SB/SB-3
engines. The Model B with Wright Whirlwind R-975-E3
engines. The Model C with Wasp SC-1 engines, and the
Model E with Wasp R 1340 S3H-1 engines. The Electra
was a great success. It was one of the fastest airliners 2D PANEL CO
-PILOT SEAT
in the world and Lockheed was flooded with orders.
During World War II military versions of the Electra were
produced for the Army and Navy.

Fly the Electra

I love to fly classic aircraft and when I found the Electra
on www.simviation.com as a freeware download I
couldn’t believe my luck. I had built a couple of wooden
scale models of the Electra when I was a boy. When I
downloaded the Electra and started to install it, I could
almost hear Rick Blaine saying “Play it again, Sam.”

Now you can “play it again”. The Electra probably can

be found and downloaded from other flight simulation
websites, but I recommend this version. FS Design
Berlin and Arik Hohmeyer produced it using FS Design
Studio 2.24. It is an excellent simulation and comes
with full documentation and a weight adjustment tool
you may use to figure out your fuel and payload. The
designers modernized the L-10A instrument panel. I
would have preferred the historical instrument panel,
but having today’s avionics, navigation, and radio
equipment makes it a joy to fly. GPS PANEL

21

cpm1003.indd 21 2/9/2006, 7:37:48 PM

 GO!
TERMINAL, READY TO
AT THE CASABLANCA
OVERHEAD PANEL

TAKEOFF!
SECOND PANEL

OVER CASABLANCA

THROTTLE PANEL
CPM. V10I3

cpm1003.indd 22 2/9/2006, 7:37:59 PM

 ELY
TOUCHED DOWN SAF
BEHIND…
LEAVING MOROCCO

ED PARKING SPOT?
WHERE’S THAT RESERV

HELLO PORTUGAL

M AWAITS!
ORS OPEN… FREEDO
PARK BRAKES SET, DO
HERE FOLKS
OF A STEEP DESCENT
FINAL TO LISBON… BIT

23

cpm1003.indd 23 2/9/2006, 7:38:14 PM

 VC PILOT SEAT
IT
THE 3D VIRTUAL COCKP

PASSENGER CABIN

VC CO-PILOT SEAT

HT WING
PASSENGR VIEW, RIG

VC OVERHEAD PANEL CPM. V10I3

cpm1003.indd 24 2/9/2006, 7:38:25 PM

 KE BAY WITH THE
EY AROUND CHESAPEA
THE END OF A JOURN S IN THE BACKGROUND.
PATUXENT RIV ER NA

I decided to fly the historical escape route from Casablanca to the tail lifted up I eased back on the yoke and held it there until she
Lisbon, IFR. I filed my flight plan then decided to take a look at the flew off the runway at about 85KIAS. She felt very much like the
Electra. The plane was parked on the tarmac in front of the terminal B-25 I fly. I retracted the wheels just after lift off and the flaps at
at Casablanca. Then, making sure no Nazi SS agents were watching, 1,000ft MSL. I climbed at 115KIAS to FL100 cruise altitude, leveled
I slipped into the cockpit to familiarize myself with the instrument off, and relaxed to enjoy the ride. The trip takes about 2.2 hours and
panel and read the kneeboard and checklists before starting her up. I is about 332nm.
loaded the plane with Y ABOVE.
BALaTIM
max
ORpayload of 2200
E SEEN FRO M WAlbs, 280 gallons of fuel,
then with passengers it was near the MTOW (Maximum Take-off I could not find a Nav/GPS switch anywhere, so I used the AP and
Weight). The 2D and Virtual Cockpit panels are great with a lot of Heading settings to keep on track while referring to the GPS. I set
detail and switches which can be operated in both 2D and VC mode. the cruise speed to 157KIAS and leaned the mixture. Here’s a tip
One really cool feature is a pop-up switch panel at the left side of the on setting the mixture: watch the EGT gauge as you pull back the
instrument panel (use Shift+7 to view the panel) with six buttons. mixture lever, when the needle “peaks” go just beyond that point and
This panel allows the pilot to view the Second Panel, Throttle Panel, then bring it back to the peak point. This will give you the best fuel
Overhead Panel, GPS Panel, Flight Map, and Kneeboard without economy at FL100.
having to use a keyboard Shift+n combination. The GPS is a Garmin
GPSMAP 295. The gauges on the panel are those normally found in The flight was beautiful. I downloaded the actual weather and had
FS2004 aircraft. The Second Panel brings up the Radio, Manifold, light clouds and a moderate wind from 276, which wasn’t a bother. In
EGT, Fuel Flow, RPM, and Fuel Tank gauges. The Overhead Panel about an hour and a half I saw the coast of Portugal. I thought what a
has the Light switches, Magneto switches, Prop Feathering switches, welcome sight it must have been to those refugees of long ago. The
Main battery switch and battery meters. The Flight map, GPS, and Spot view of the Electra in flight is great. FS Design did a good job.
Kneeboard panels are self-explanatory. Note the details, every thing is there, even the Bendix Loop antenna.

I started the engines with a manual start procedure (and was I came in a little high on my approach to Lisbon and, as a result,
pleased with their sound), received permission to taxi IFR and started touched down slightly beyond the first third of the runway. The Electra
pushback. I recommend unlocking the tail wheel for pushback and is easy to taxi and responds well to the differential brakes. After
taxi. Remember to lock the tail wheel before your takeoff roll or parking I pressed Shift+E to open the main exit and lower the stairs.
you may “ground loop”… not a pretty picture. I taxied to the active
runway and obtained permission to take off. I set the flaps (there is Fly the Electra and enjoy a great airplane! My thanks to FS Design
LOOKIN G SO EAST.
UTHand
only one setting and no gauge),M gave herPAR
FOREST fullK,throttle, rich mix, Berlin, Arik Hohmeyer, Kens Aviation, and PBS-Chasing The Sun for
OVER PRINCE WILLIA
props. The plane responded very well to the rudder and yoke. Once the historical references.

25

cpm1003.indd 25 2/9/2006, 7:38:33 PM

 Radar Contact v4 Review
BY DOUG HORTON

W
hat is Radar Contact? Simply the most
authentic, realistic, varied, and full-
featured ATC experience available for
Microsoft Flight Simulator pilots. Yes, it’s better than
the default FS2004 ATC, and yes, you can still have
AI traffic flying (with chatter) in your FS skies...
The Radar Contact series is a true “labour of love” for developers
John Dekker and Doug Thompson. Their work together began about
eight years ago as an effort to improve the WinPlanner adventures,
resulting now in the impressive fourth version of Radar Contact
(RC4). John learned computer programming in high school by
reading the book Basic Basic, worked his way through programming
in FORTRAN, and came in second at the Florida State Science
Fair for his program to predict hurricane paths. He graduated from
Georgia Tech, worked at Vincennes University, then moved back to
Atlanta and began working at a cellular phone company that became
Cingular. Currently, he’s a Strategic Systems Architect at BellSouth. RC4 DEVELOPER JOHN DEKKER

26 CPM. V10I3

cpm1003.indd 26 2/9/2006, 7:38:40 PM

 REVIEW
RC4 co-developer Doug Thompson is a veteran air traffic controller • ATC may direct new transponder settings while enroute.
at the Memphis Air Route Traffic Control Center – Memphis Center. • Aircraft are now identified by type in traffic calls and during ground
Doug combines 24 years of air traffic control experience with detailed operations.
knowledge of current U.S. FAA procedures and regulations. He says • More realistic ground operations are provided, including “Follow
his mission with RC4 is, “putting you in the left seat where you will the…”, “Give way to the…”, and “Monitor tower….”
fly under today’s ATC jurisdiction.” Also, when you ask for flight • RC4 includes “pilot’s discretion” descent clearances.
critique at the end of RC4 flights, it’s Doug’s voice you will hear • Crossing restriction altitudes are based on arrival runway in use.
praising or scolding your efforts. By the way, in early experience with • Enroute holds can be always On (for practice), Off (for quick,
the program, scolding was more common than praise, which reflects uneventful flights) or, most realistically, based on current weather
the level of knowledge and realism that’s embedded in the program conditions at the arrival airport.
and the challenge to learn and conform to real procedures. • New Departure Procedure (DP) options are included, with or
without altitude restrictions.
• Controllers are aware of Minimum Safe Altitude (MSA) data for
airports in user’s flight plan, and control the lowest altitudes based
on this data.
• RC4 has an option to have no speed restrictions below 10,000 at
non-FAA controlled departure airports.
• Each enroute air traffic control center is classified as a FAA
or ICAO center, depending on location, resulting in different
procedures and phraseology.
• RC4 provides more consistent downwind, base, intercept, and final
vectors.
• Users can check for RC updates via the Internet, so that new code
and data can be downloaded and installed with the touch of a
button.
• A debug option is provided, to create a log that can be analyzed to
see why something happened.

Operating Radar Contact

Operation of RC4 is incredibly simple, and it works with FS98,
FS2000, and FS2002, as well as FS2004. Here are the key steps:
RC4 DEVELOPER DOUG THOMPSON
1. Start Flight Simulator, generate an IFR flight plan and load it into
FS. Accept the FS offer to move your aircraft to the departure
Here are the improvements included in RC4, relative to the airport, then for more realism, slew your aircraft to a gate or apron
previous versions: area.
2. Start RC4, after which you’ll see the main screen. Load into RC4
• There is a quick and easy registration process. the same flight plan you loaded into FS. Alternatively, RC4 has a
• The RC4 airport/runway database is built from the user’s scenery feature that allows resuming a flight by generating *.flt, *.wx, and
files, including modifications contained in the user’s add-on *.rcd files. So instead of loading a new flight, you can load a *.rcd
AFCAD files. file by pressing the button in the upper right-hand corner of the
• Using the semi-colon key (;) from within Flight Simulator, in main RC4 screen.
addition to saving flight and weather information in *.flt and *.wx
files, also saves Radar Contact flight data in a *.rcd file. This
feature allows resuming at any mid-flight point of user’s choice.
• AI interactions include “freezing” ground traffic as necessary to
prevent runway incursions while you’re on final.
• Higher flight altitudes are consistent with Reduced Vertical
Separation Minimums (RVSM) procedures.
• RC4 plays aircraft chatter appropriate to pilot actions.
• RC4 detects AI aircraft that may cause a future conflict.
• The program provides speed direction on final approach, to slow
faster planes behind you and speed up slower planes in front of you.
• RC4 provides easy selection of pilot, copilot, and controller voices,
with sample audio clips available.
• For non-FAA airports, you can specify the transition altitude and
the transition level will be calculated based on the local pressure.
• International (ICAO) phraseology and procedures are provided for
operations at non-U.S. airports.
• Audio files include names of “centers,” 109 of the developers’
favorite airports, and hundreds of aircraft and airlines.
• Centers are now divided into horizontal and vertical sectors,
resulting in more realistic enroute frequency changes and
controller handoffs. MAIN RADAR CONTACT V4 SCREEN AFTER LOADING FLIGHT PLAN

27

cpm1003.indd 27 2/9/2006, 7:38:41 PM

 3. Press the Controller Info button to display next screen, on which
you can check controller frequencies, change cruise altitude, select
one or two alternative airports, and specify a few other options.

VOICE SELECTION SCREEN FOR PILOT, CO-PILOT,

CONTROLLERS, AND CHATTER PILOTS

6. Finally, on the main RC4 screen, press Start RC. This will
generate the RC4 script and menu elements, which you’ll see in
RC4 DIALOG BOX FOR CONTROLLER FREQUENCIES AND the Adventure Display box, which you can position and modify
OTHER INFORMATION as needed.

4. From the main screen, press the General button, specify airplane
data, then select other options, such as holding choices.

DEFAULT LEAR 45 PANEL WITH RC4 ADVDISP SHOWN

IN UPPER LEFT-HAND CORNER

RC4 AIRPLANE INFORMATION AND OPTIONS SCREEN 7. Start your engines, conduct your pre-flight, and select RC4 menu
options. On the AdvDisp screen shown, you’d select menu item #1
to get your clearance from Clearance Delivery and item #2 to get a
5. From the main RC4 screen, press Voices to select voices for pilot, weather briefing, which would be the ATIS broadcast in this case.
co-pilot, controllers, and AI chatter. Continue to follow the menus and enjoy RC4!

28 CPM. V10I3

cpm1003.indd 28 2/9/2006, 7:38:43 PM

 REVIEW
AI plane comes too close. RC4 will also move AI aircraft before
they become a conflict, slowing or speeding up AI planes while you
are on final, and freezing ground traffic so it doesn’t cause runway
incursions. In short, the developers believe that RC is as close
an approximation of what real pilots experience flying IFR as is
currently possible, and I agree completely.

Flight Planning
A key step for using Radar Contact is loading an IFR flight plan
into both FS and RC4. Flight plans can be imported and loaded from
a variety of flight planners, such as:

• FS2000/FS2002/FS2004 Flight Planner.

• Flight Manager, by Josef Dirnberger.
• FlightSim Planner/FlightSim Commander, by Sascha Felix.
• FSBuild, by Ernie Alston.
• FS Navigator, by Helge Schroeder.
• IFRPlan 2000, by Jürgen Becker.
• Jeppesen FliteStar.
• NAV 3, by Ted Wright.
• Super Flight Planner, by Alessandro Antonini.

Documentation
The extensive RC4 manual is provided in both Adobe Acrobat
Reader *.pdf and Microsoft Word *.doc files. In addition to complete
ADVDISP BOX SHOWING INFORMATION AND
MENU AT STARTUP FOR TUTORIAL 1 discussion of user interfaces and operating RC4, a comprehensive
primer on ATC procedure occupies 26 pages of the *.pdf version.
The tutorial flights are important resources for learning and
I’m impressed with the number of options on the RC4 menus that practicing with RC4, and each flight is accompanied by manual
are not available in FS2004’s native ATC feature, such as: pages that describe all steps of each flight. Together, the tutorial flight
instructions occupy 138 pages of the *.pdf version! These flights take
• Requesting “direct” to a subsequent waypoint. a while to complete, though working through them is intended to
• Declaring an emergency. acquaint you with all RC4 options. For example, the tutorial flights
• Diverting for weather or turbulence. include departures and arrival at combinations of towered and non-
• Flying to either of two pre-selected alternate airports. towered airports, airports with and without approach controllers,
• Declaring “field in sight” and changing from an instrument to visual aborted takeoffs, enroute holding, missed approaches, and much,
approach. much more.
• Not always getting enroute clearances as requested, such as altitude
changes. International Features
• Option to receive enroute holding clearances. RC4 includes ICAO procedures and terminology for operations
• NOTAMs feature for terrain avoidance. outside the U.S. You can sample this feature in the ninth tutorial.
• Option to fly published departure procedures. Along with the international operations capability, RC4 includes a
wide variety of voices, including numerous accents of English. Voice
What’s included in FS2004, but not RC4? Not much, though there are selection includes audio clips, so you can choose voices that match
a few features RC4 users must do without: your operating area.
• Taxi direction via designated taxiways, including adherence to
taxiways (and runways) modified by added AFCAD2 files. Conclusion
• Progressive taxi feature (though paint-stripe graphical feature in FS The Radar Contact series has always been a work in progress, and
is not realistic). given the extensiveness and details of the program, I don’t know
how John and Doug find time to work at their regular jobs! Along
RC4 covers a very wide range of instrument flight and ATC topics. with dedication, another secret of their success is combining the
There is significant learning available from nine well-planned tutorial talents of a very strong beta team, whose profiles you can read at
flights, each of which builds on previous flights, to expand the range of http://www.jdtllc.com/companyinfo.htm
ATC experiences in RC4. Surprisingly, as an instrument rated private You’ll see many familiar names, including many flight simulator
pilot in the U.S., I learned from the nine tutorial flights more than I veterans, as well as real pilots and controllers. John and Doug make
knew about several finer points of flying with ATC, including: continuous improvements to the program, and they post updates and
new voice packs, making Radar Contact an ever growing and greater
• Pilot’s discretion (PD) descents. add-on. Highly recommended!
• Requesting “short final” on an instrument approach.
• Reporting emergencies to ATC. Radar Contact is available direct from the developer at
http://www.jdtllc.com/
How does RC4 relate to your AI traffic? If Flight Simulator’s AI The package costs US$44 for new customers, or US$34 for existing
traffic is active, RC4 controllers will give you traffic calls when an customers owning a previous version.

29

cpm1003.indd 29 2/9/2006, 7:38:46 PM

 Building a “Boom Box”
for Flight Simulation
What you need to know…

BY JOHN TAVENDALE

A
dvancements in technology have come a long
For years the industry standard way of comparing, rating and
way in the last few years. The pace seems to ranking CPU’s has been by measuring their clock speed. Seems
be ever increasing as competitors try and simple enough, but speed isn’t the only variable that makes for a
out-do one another by adding that small thing that better performing CPU. There are many variables – raw CPU power
might see them gain an edge over their rivals and get makes up for some, but more importantly there are factors such as
cache speed and size, memory bandwidth and file system architecture
consumers to spend money on their products. The
market is huge and the stakes are high, and we, the AMD have shifted their focus and have dropped out of the GHz vs.
consumer benefit from that with the ability to make a GHz race in favor of developing a better performing CPU with lower
choice in what powers our computers. clock speeds. Intel too have done the same for their mobile range of
CPU’s, but are yet to do so for their desktop products.
Central Processing Units (CPU)
It doesn’t seem like all that long ago that CPU manufacturers Intel Dual-Core CPU’s are the latest craze in the processor industry.
and AMD were struggling to reach that ever elusive 1 GHz milestone, AMD were first to introduce and release their Dual Core desktop CPU
now Intel are closing in on 4 GHz and it doesn’t seem like it will stop by way of the AMD64 X2 series. Basically the dual-core architecture
there. AMD have changed the focus from GHz vs. GHz to design and puts together two slower cores onto a single die (CPU). The chip
build better performing CPU’s at slower clock speeds. uses both cores to deliver a performance that’s greater than the higher

30 CPM. V10I3

cpm1003.indd 30 2/9/2006, 7:38:47 PM

 single core x86 processors available today. Intel have also released their
own dual-core series of CPUs.

Most applications found on today’s PC don’t take full advantage of the

performance factor of both cores. However, providing a separate core for
the operating system to perform its internal functions allows delivery of
a performance greater than a single core CPU can provide. Hopefully the
new Flight Simulator X will take advantage of this new technology!

As I’ve mentioned, the two major players in the CPU industry

are AMD and Intel. Intel is probably the most recognized brand of
processor around the world. Their processsors provide the backbone of
just about all the large producers of branded PCs, such as Dell, IBM,
Compaq etc. Most of us can lay claim to owning an Intel CPU at one
point or another. The other player is AMD D (Advanced Micro Devices
The majority of their sales are generated by enthusiasts and gamers.

Don’t be too confused, there are easy ways of identifying exactly what AMD’S ATHLON X2 PROCESSOR
you need when building or upgrading your machine.

When you set out to build a new machine you should really think about
what types of things you will use it for, aside from the obvious. This will help
in choosing the correct parts to suit your needs. Be prepared to shop around
for the best prices too. There is a lot of competition these days and you can
save a lot of money by spending a bit of time and doing a little research.

Because technology is moving at a rapid rate, it won’t take all that long
before your computer is no longer the beast you thought it was. This is
why I suggest you don’t spend money on a dieing technology like AGP.
Upgradeability should always be primary consideration for the future. Unless
you don’t mind spending lots of money I would also steer clear of the impulse
of buying the ‘latest and greatest’ hardware. Keeping away from the newest
of new doesn’t mean you will sacrifice any quality or performance.

There are a few reasons for not jumping into buying new releases. The
first is that the cost of the hardware will drop considerably after a few
months following release. You can save quite a bit of money by waiting
a little while. Another reason is that early releases can, in some cases,
suffer from issues with other hardware. This isn’t always the case, but it
CREATIVE’S ITRIGUE 5600 SPEAKER SYSTEM
can happen. It also provides time for the hardware manufacturers to get
feedback and correct issues with new revisions. It also allows for them to
build a list of hardware that may cause issues with their product, this is
important for you to know so you can avoid creating problems for yours

It’s important to take note of hardware and be aware of the compatibil

of the components you select. Obviously it’s no good if you buy a certain
CPU that has a different socket type to the motherboard you’ve got. The
same can be said about your graphics card.

Toldedo, Opertrons, Clawhammers, Newcastles

Oh My! What does it all mean?
Buying a Processor can be a daunting task if you’ve never done it befo

Manufacturers like to use names to identify certain models in their CPU

range – much like car manufacturers do when naming various models.

AMD is leading the way when it comes to gaming and just about
every other application you can throw at it. Their CPU’s do very well
over a broad range of different benchmarking tests and fair well agains
Intel. And for the most part they are cheaper across the board. There ar
a number of variations of CPU’s in the AMD range; Socket 754, Socke
939 and Socket 940. The number indicates how many pins are on the CREATIVE’S SOUNDBLASTER AUDIGY 2 ZS
CPU itself. The 940 is less popular as it tends to require more specific
expensive hardware to support it.

cpm1003.indd 31 2/9/2006, 7:39:01 PM

 The AMD64 comes in a variety of speeds such as “Athlon 64
3000+” or “Athlon 64 3400+”. Don’t be fooled by the “3800+” part
this doesn’t reflect the true speed of the CPU, it’s more of a guide as
which Intel P4 it matches. For example an Athlon 64 3800+ would b
similar performance wise to an Intel P4 running at 3.8GHz.

To make things interesting there are a variety of cores in the AM

939 range: Newcastle, Winchester, Venice, San Deigo, Toldeo and
Manchester.

Let’s break them down.

NEWCASTLE: Single core, 130nm process. Higher clock s
smaller cache.
SLEDGEHAMMER: Single core, 130nm process. Slower
speed, larger cache. (Available in FX models.) INTEL’S PENTIUM 4 PROCESSOR

WINCHESTER: Single core, 90nm process. Higher clock

smaller cache.
VENICE: Single core, 90nm process. Higher clock speed,
smaller cache. (Uses a new memory controller.)
SAN DIEGO: Single core, 90nm process. (Uses a new memory
controller. - Available in FX models.)
TOLEDO: The same as the San Diego but with dual (X2)
processor cores.
MANCHESTER: The same as the Venice but with dual two (X
processor cores.

Since MSFS and most applications currently do not benefit from

X2 processors they aren’t really worth the money. Perhaps the futu
version(s) of MSFS and other software will take advantage, but un
such time you are better off keeping with the single cores.

Now, let’s not forget about Intel. In their own right they make
a fantastic set of processors and as I’ve mentioned above are the
backbone of a lot of PCs around the world. Like AMD, Intel has a
released dual core processors known as the Pentium D. They too a
have 64Bit processors with both 1Mb and 2Mb caches ranging fro
3.0GHz – 3.8GHz.

Motherboards ABIT AA8 SERIES MOTHERBOARD

Your motherboard is a vital piece of hardware, so you really nee
to ensure you buy a good quality one. It is important to have a reli
motherboard which is stable and supports a broad range of memory and
processors at different speeds. These days it is fairly standard to see
motherboards that come with onboard Audio, LAN, USB 2.0 and IEEE
1394 (FireWire). Depending on which brand the number of USB ports
can differ, as well as the quality of the onboard sound. You will also find
most boards support both PATA and SATA hard drives.

When it comes to Intel I’d recommend using the Intel chipset

for the best stability. Intel offers their own branded boards which
are reasonably priced and, of course, work well with their CPU’s.
There are a few variations of chipset for Intel: The i915, i925 and
the i945. The i915 chipset offers support for standard and PC-3200
(DDR400) DDR Memory. Both the i925 and i945 make use of PC2- 2
4200 DDR2 memory.

For AMD, I’d recommend the NVIDIA NForce 4 series of chipset.

They are widely regarded as a very stable chipset and are the choice of
most enthusiasts today.
OCZ XTC DDR2 RAM MODULES

There are other chipsets out there such as VIA, but I wouldn’t
recommend them.

32 CPM. V10I3

cpm1003.indd 32 2/9/2006, 7:39:15 PM

 Remember, stick to quality brands such as Abit, Asus, DFI, Gigabyte
and MSI. They are all widely regarded and produce a broad range of
products.

Memory
SDRam is a thing of the past. Today’s systems all run on DDR
(Double Data Ram) with the standard being PC-3200 (DDR400). Y
will find most AMD and Intel boards require the use of PC-3200 a
minimum – this is because the processo ors bus speed runs at 200MH
Of course, there are exceptions to this. Some of the Intel CPUs run
at 266MHz and require DDR2 memory. There are many different
brands of memory, so it’s important to stick to a quality brand such
Corsair, Mushkin, Crucial, OCZ, G.Skilll to name a few. You will f
that you can purchaser higher rated mem mory such as PC3500, PC37 ABIT BE7II SERIES MOTHERBOARD
etc, but unless you wish to overclock yo our PC there isn’t much poi
in buying them.

I’d recommend a minimum of 512MB, but would encourage you to

purchase at least 1Gb of memory. If you are running Windows XP you will
notice the extra memory really helps.

Graphics Cards
As with the CPU manufacturers there are two players in the graphics
card world – ATI and NVIDIA. For years these two giants have battled
to gain the upper hand in sales. For the past few years ATI has done well
with their 9700 and 9800 based graphics cards. NVIDIA struggled to keep
up. ATI released their X800 series and NVIDIA kept up with the 6800
series. The introduction of PCI Express saw a shift again and you guessed
it, a new series of cards. First blood went to NVIDIA as they released
their hugely popular 7800 series. ATI has only just caught up with the
release of the X1800 series of cards.

Now, because I’ve suggested not buying into a dieing technology I

suggest you stay away from AGP based cards. You can purchase mid-
range cards such as the ATI X800 and NVIDIA 6600GT for reasonable
prices and they will provide suitable performance in flight sims. The next
step up is the X800 Pro or 6800GT. They are probably the better choice
for simming and have come down quite a lot with the introduction of
the latest cards. The next step from there is the X850XT and 6800 Ultra.
These cards provide excellent performance and aren’t as costly as the XOXIDE’S UNIQUE CASE DESIGN
newest ones.

Of course, the top of the line is the X1800 and 7800 series. There
are two variations available – ATI’s X1800XL and the X1800XT and
NVIDIAS 7800GT and 7800GTX. 256Mb is the standard size on onboard
memory these days, but the X1800XT and 7800GTX come in both
256Mb, and a whopping 512Mb version has also been released.

Hard Disk Drives

Over the last few years the space needed to install the latest software has
grown considerably. No longer do we view 80Gb as a big drive. Flight sim
add-ons are no exception and it’s not uncommon for a lot of users to have
installations in excess of 30Gb and more. And if you use photo-real scenery
such as MegaScenery you no doubt have even larger installations. The good
news is hard drive prices have dropped a lot in the last few years and the
price we pay per gigabyte isn’t too bad now.

Tradition PATA drives had made way for SATA drives. SATA, or Serial
ATA, is a little quicker than the older PATA drives. Drive prices are quite
similar, so you’d be well advised to go with the SATA drives. There
are benefits to using them, such as airflow in your case. It will be better
thanks to the small cable size. Cache size on the SATA drives is a standard
8Mb where as a lot of PATA drives still use 2Mb.
ATI’S RADEON X1800 GRAPHICS CARD

33

cpm1003.indd 33 2/9/2006, 7:39:29 PM

 SATA II is on its way and should see an increase in speed overall. They
are backward compatible too, so if you purchase one now, you can use it
on today’s motherboards and be ready to take advantage when it becomes
the new standard.

Soundcards and Speakers

If you are anything like me, you enjoy listening to good sounds.
While most onboard audio is suitable, there are other solutions. Creative
for many years have been the leader in PC soundcards. Their Audigy
range has been hugely popular and is relatively inexpensive for a basic
model. With a third-party soundcard you can enjoy the benefits of 5.1
surround sound.

You don’t need to pay a fortune for a decent set of speakers either. Logitech
have some great solutions for around the $100 mark. With the fantastic
soundsets available to download you will appreciate good, crisp sounds.

Cases and Power supplies WESTERN DIGITAL ENTERPRISE SERIAL ATA HARD DRIVE
When selecting a power supply you should think about the type of
system you are building and take into consideration the number of drives
you will be using and the requirements of the Video Card. These days a
300W PSU won’t cut it.

Newer systems require a lot of power, that’s why I would suggest you
look into 450W – 500W as a minimum. Depending on which motherboard
you choose you may need to select a power that supports certain things.
AMD boards for example might require a PSU with a 24pin connector.
A lot of the new PSU’s however already include this. Some of the newer
PSU’s come with whats called Modular Cables. Basically they are already
tied into small manageable sections allowing for better airflow. You can
also select which types to plug in. Some come with SATA and SLI cables
installed to allow for easy installation of the latest hardware.

It’s best to check the requirements of your new hardware before

purchasing a PSU so you don’t have to deal with problems.

When it comes to selecting a case, there are a lot of different options.

Depending on your preferences you could be happy with a basic beige
coloured case, or you could select a nice silver aluminum case. Some
cases come with a PSU, some do not. You shouldn’t worry too much
about this as you will more than likely be replacing it with your own more
powerful PSU anyway.

Come cases come with a removable motherboard tray. This allows THERMALTAKE’S PURE POWER
600W POWER SUPPLY
for easy installation of your hardware. Some don’t. It depends on your
preferences as to what you would select. I prefer one with a removable
tray as it’s a lot easier to work with when installing drives, etc.

Take into consideration the space in which your case will sit. If you
have a desk with a hutch, be sure to measure the height so you don’t buy
a case that’s too tall. Some cases come with USB and sound plugs on top,
this is handy if you use removable USB devices and a headset. It would
be best to take a look at the different offerings and find something suitable
for your own needs.

CD Drives
CD burners are a thing of the past. These days most people jump in
and get a DVD Writer instead. This is what I would suggest too. Don’t
worry, you can burn both CD and DVDs with them! I’d also look into
getting second drive, a basic CD drive or DVD player allowing for easy
duplication. They are fairly cheap, so that shouldn’t be an issue. Dual
Layer drives are handy as you can purchase blank DVDs which can fit up
to double the space of a standard one. CORSAIR’S PRO SERIES DDR2
MEMORY MODULE

34 CPM. V10I3

cpm1003.indd 34 2/9/2006, 7:39:33 PM

 VFR around Washington, D.C.
BY DR. DAVID WILSON-OKAMURA

O
n Wednesday, May 11, 2005, Troy Martin
and Hayden “Jim” Sheaffer took off from
Lancaster, Pennsylvania, leaving the airport
at around 10:30 a.m. Their destination that morning
was Lumberton, North Carolina (KLBT), where
they were going to volunteer at the Mid-Atlantic
Sheaffer and Martin had wandered into the prohibited airspace
Fly-in and Sport Aviation Convention in Lumberton, around Washington, D.C. By this time, the aircraft had been identified
North Carolina. It was going to be a long flight, as a small, single-engine Cessna. Fearing a repeat of the attack on the
about four hours. An hour into the flight, it was Pentagon three and a half years earlier, the Secret Service and Capitol
clear that something had gone wrong: seemingly Police evacuated the White House, the Supreme Court, and the U.S.
Capitol Building. Flares were fired by the F-16s and, with 20 seconds
out of nowhere, a Blackhawk helicopter appeared,
to spare before they started shooting live rounds, the Cessna made
accompanied by a Citation jet and two F-16 fighters. radio contact. Sheaffer and Martin were directed north, to Frederick,
The Blackhawk was signaling for the two men to tune Maryland (KFDK), where they landed at 12:39, two hours after
their radios to the emergency frequency. There was leaving Lancaster. They were escorted there by the two F-16s, and
interference. Using hand signals now, the Blackhawk when they left the airport it was in handcuffs. After it was determined
that there was no threat to national security, both men were released,
gave them a new frequency (123.45). Meanwhile, the but Sheaffer’s pilot license was suspended for one year, a penalty of
F-16s were getting ready to fire. unusual severity.

35

cpm1003.indd 35 2/9/2006, 7:39:37 PM

 you don’t need permission to enter, you just need to have a mode C
What went wrong? Sheaffer and Martin were flying under Visual
transponder on-board, and make sure it’s working. As we’ll see, it’s
Flight Rules (VFR), so to find out, I used MegaScenery Mid Atlantic
different around Washington.
to recreate their journey in Flight Simulator. Lancaster is just outside
the coverage area, but for most of the flight I would be able to follow
The next ring in as we approach the airport marks the boundary of
the same roads and landmarks Sheaffer and Martin used, as depicted
the actual class-B airspace. How far it is from the airport varies, but
by satellite/aerial photography. The cities in this new release are
the rules about crossing that boundary are universal: you can’t go in
particularly detailed, so when I arrived in Baltimore and Washington I
until you get permission from air traffic control (ATC), which will
would be seeing the same sights, too.
issue a transponder code and directions for entry. While inside the
class-B airspace, you must comply with all ATC instructions, even
Basic Class-B Airspace
though you are VFR. It’s also possible, if the airspace is exceptionally
Because they were flying under VFR, Sheaffer and Martin were
busy, that you will be refused entry altogether.
under no obligation to file a flight plan. Their departure airport,
Smoketown (S37), had no control tower, so there was no need to
In practice, however, VFR aircraft can get fairly close, even to a
request take-off clearance: traffic permitting, they could go whenever
class-B airport, without actually entering class-B airspace. The trick
they liked. So far, everything was going to be easy.
is to fly low. This is because the rings of airspace narrow as they get
nearer to the airport. From above, class-B airspace looks like a circle.
The problem lay to the south, in Washington and Baltimore.
But viewed from the side, it looks more like an upside-down wedding
Visitors will know that the main airport closest to the capital is
cake, with the widest layers at the top.
Reagan National (KDCA), on the west bank of the Potomac River,
across from the Capitol and various monuments. But there are also
two more class-B airports in close proximity: to the northwest,
Washington Dulles International (KIAD) and, to the northeast,
Baltimore Washington International (KBWI). Each of these three
airports is surrounded by concentric circles of controlled airspace. Put
the three circles together and what do you get? Mickey Mouse… with
Reagan as the head and Dulles and Baltimore as the ears.

AIRSPACE TYPES

Let’s assume, for the moment, that Dulles (KIAD) is a normal class-
B airport. (It isn’t, but since we’re here let’s pretend.) The top layer of
class-B airspace, as marked on the chart, begins 20 nm from the airport.
Vertically, it extends from 10,000 feet down to 4,500 feet. This is
indicated on the chart by a fraction: “100/45.” The top number gives the
upper boundary of class-B airspace in this layer of the wedding cake;
the bottom number gives the lower boundary. So, if I want to avoid
class-B airspace, I have two options: I can either fly over it (by climbing
above 10,000 feet), or I can fly under it (by staying under 4,500 feet).

The next ring in is narrower, but also lower. It begins 15 nm from the
airport and extends from 10,000 feet down to 2,500 feet (indicated by
“100/25” on the chart). This time, if I want to get closer, I have no choice
but to go under 2,500 feet. Why can’t I just climb up to 10,000? Because
I am already under the class-B airspace of the outer ring: if I were to fly
straight up, I would be violating class-B airspace. So I go lower.

WASHINGTON AIRSPACE AND THE PILOT’S INTENDED Going lower has its limits, too. Most class-B airports are in major
AND ACTUAL ROUTES FLOWN cities, and when they’re flying over densely populated areas, VFR pilots
are required to remain 1,000 feet above ground level (AGL). There’s
another limit, too. As the layers get narrower, they also get lower,
That’s as viewed from above. Viewed from the side, it gets more until finally they go all the way down to ground level. At Dulles, for
complicated. The outmost circle around each airport begins 30 example, the innermost ring of class-B airspace has a radius of 7 nm
nautical miles (nm) out and marks something called the “mode C and extends from 10,000 feet down to the surface (“100/SFC” on the
veil.” Normally, this veil begins at the ground and goes all the way chart). I suppose you could fly lower, but only if you dig a hole - which
up to 10,000 feet. As veils go, this one is also transparent: normally an airplane can do, though it won’t be good for much afterward.

36 CPM. V10I3

cpm1003.indd 36 2/9/2006, 7:39:48 PM

 Special Rules for Washington Airspace Sheaffer and Martin’s Cessna was intercepted by the Blackhawk
What I’ve just described is the airspace system around class- ten miles north of downtown D.C. By now, they had broken a
B airports as normally configured in most parts of the United second special airspace boundary, the Flight Restricted Zone
States. If you want to learn more, the AOPA has a tutorial at (FRZ). Pronounced “freeze,” the FRZ extends in a circle around the
http://www.aopa.org/asf/publications/sa02.pdf, which is clear, Washington Monument, approximately 15 nm in every direction. In
precise, and well illustrated. But that’s not what got Sheaffer and addition to Reagan airport and Edwards Air Force Base, it covers the
Martin in trouble. entire Washington mall, including all of the famous monuments, the
U.S. Capitol, the White House, and the national museums, as well
In point of fact, Sheaffer and Martin did violate the class-B airspace as the Pentagon and Naval Observatory. On a color chart, the FRZ
around Baltimore International, unintentionally. But that happens stands out because it is colored a bright white.
every day, and doesn’t ordinarily merit a Blackhawk intercept or an F-
16 escort. Then again, this wasn’t just any class-B airspace. The area Incursions into the FRZ are relatively rare, and far more
around Washington, D.C. has always been subject to special flight serious than ADIZ penetrations. Whereas permission to enter the
restrictions, but since September 11, 2001, these restrictions have ADIZ is granted on a routine basis - it is not much different from
become more numerous and more strictly enforced. obtaining clearance to enter a class-B airspace - clearance to enter
the FRZ requires a special waiver from the Transportation Safety
Administration (TSA). These waivers are obtained only after a
comprehensive background check; generally they are reserved for
the airlines, and are not issued for general aviation (GA). This policy
has generated numerous complaints, not only from leisure pilots but
also from charter companies and U.S. congress members (many of
whom, before September 11, used to bypass the congested roads by
commuting in private planes).

By the time radio contact was finally established with the Cessna,
Sheaffer and Martin had almost reached the Capitol building. Another
15 or 20 seconds and they would have been shot down by the F-
16s. Sheaffer, who (as the only person in the plane with an actual
pilot’s license) was pilot-in-command, panicked when he saw the
Blackhawk and froze. Fortunately, Martin (who had about 30 hours
of flight time and was training for his pilot’s license) kept a cool
head and turned the aircraft west, away from the Capitol, and toward
Frederick, where he landed fifteen minutes later.

AIRSPACE RINGS, ADIZ, FRZ Prohibited vs. Restricted

Enroute to Frederick, though, Martin steered through yet a third
forbidden airspace. Not that it made any difference at this point,
Sheaffer and Martin broke three of them since he was already subject to military escort. Still, on the way to
The first and least serious is called the Air Defense Identification Frederick, Martin passed over the vice-president’s residence at the
Zone (ADIZ). It begins at the mode C veil, 30 nm out from the Naval Observatory, which is part of the protected airspace known
cluster of three airports we described earlier (the ones that form a as P-56. The P stands for “prohibited,” and designates an airspace
Mickey Mouse head). On color charts, such as the VFR sectional that is continuously off-limits. P-56 extends from ground level up
or the terminal area chart that’s included with the full version of 18,000 feet and also includes the White House and the capital mall.
MegaScenery Mid Atlantic, the outer boundary of the ADIZ is This is why, if you visit Washington’s famous National Air and Space
marked by a white band. But whereas the mode C veil is easy to Museum, you will never see VFR flights overhead: below 18,000 feet
enter (you just need a working transponder) and extends from is a no-fly zone, and above 18,000 feet everything is IFR anyway.
10,000 feet down to the ground, the ADIZ requires prior permission
to enter, and extends all the way to 18,000 feet (FL180). You can’t Also off-limits, though not inside the ADIZ, is Camp David, the
fly under it and, if you’re flying VFR, you can’t fly over either presidential retreat. The immediate airspace around Camp David,
(since VFR in the United States is restricted to flights below 18,000 a circle 8 nm in diameter, is known as P-40 and is permanently
feet). So, either you obtain permission or you go around. The prohibited. Around that, there is a larger circle of restricted airspace
purpose of this restriction, obviously, is to prevent an air attack on called R-4009. The R is for “restricted” and designates a more
the center of national government. flexible category of airspace than “prohibited.” Whereas prohibited
airspace is always off-limits, restricted airspace can be entered
Sheaffer and Martin meant to go around, but crossed over, with the permission from air traffic control. For example, there is a
unknowingly, into the ADIZ. Again, this was not unusual: on glider club that operates out of Mid Atlantic Soaring Center (W73)
average, it happens about three times every day. Most of those in Fairfield, Pennsylvania. This field is outside of the prohibited
incursions are minor - like dipping your toe into a wading pool and area, but inside the restricted area. Even for the gliders, however,
pulling it out again. What prompted the evacuations and summoned permission to operate in restricted airspace is far from automatic.
the F-16s was the fact that Cessna N5826G never pulled its toe Indeed, when the president is staying there, the prohibited airspace
out. Instead, it turned south, toward the capital. That’s when the around Camp David actually expands and the glider field is closed.
Blackhawk helicopter was dispatched, along with two F-16s from These expansions are called Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) and
nearby Andrews Air Force Base. are announced on the FAA website tfr.faa.gov

37

cpm1003.indd 37 2/9/2006, 7:39:51 PM

 ENTERING BALTIMORE’S CLASS-B AIRSPACE PROHIBITED AIRSPACE OVER NAVAL OBSERVATORY (IN CIRCLE)

BALTIMORE ROAD SYSTEM PROHIBITED AIRSPACE OVER PENTAGON

APPROACHING BALTIMORE INTERNATIONAL (KBWI) CAMP DAVID BELOW

FRZ IS CENTERED ON THE WASHINGTON MONUMENT WASHINGTON’S DISTINCTIVE BOULEVARDS

cpm1003.indd 38 2/9/2006, 7:40:10 PM

 What Went Wrong
Jim Sheaffer was an experienced pilot. Contrary to some
reports, he knew about the various airspace restrictions
and planned accordingly. The night before he flew, he
checked for TFRs around Camp David and then checked
again the morning of his flight. As you can see from the
chart, they intended to fly between Camp David and the
ADIZ, steering the narrow channel of unrestricted airspace
that divides them. And yet, somehow, they ended up far
south, only three miles from the White House. What went
GAITHERSBURG, NORTH OF WASHINGTON wrong?

What went wrong is they got lost. So lost, in fact, that

when he first saw the Blackhawk helicopter, Sheaffer
thought they must be near Camp David, when in fact they
were flying over Washington itself. That’s an error of
about 30 nm.

Several factors contributed to the confusion. First, the

route is not well marked on the ground. There are no rivers
to follow and no major highways. This changes rapidly as
one nears Washington itself: for rivers, there is the wide
Potomac and for roads there is interstate highway 270,
which passes through Frederick and leads south to the
capital. I am assuming, therefore, that even though their
flight was conducted under visual flight rules, Sheaffer
was intending to use instruments. This segment of the
flight would have required him to intercept a VOR radial,
FOLLOWING INTERSTATE 270 NORTH TO FREDERICK turn and retune to a second VOR station, and then make at
least two more heading changes. Whatever the plan was, it
didn’t work.

Why not? Martin, the student pilot who actually landed

the plane, says that he will never fly again without a
GPS onboard. (The Cessna 152, which is owned by their
flying club, didn’t have one.) Still, how did they get lost
so quickly? By their own admission, both pilots became
disoriented almost immediately after take-off.

The reason, I suspect, has little to do with technology or

understanding charts and everything to do with weather.
One of my favorite features of weather programs like
ActiveSky and WeatherMaker Pro is the weather archive.
You can also use archived weather in the freeware
program FSMetar, but you’ll need to supply your own
archive; there’s a good one for U.S. weather at the
DETAIL ALONG INTERSTATE 270 Plymouth State Weather Center vortex.plymouth.edu
With ActiveSky’s archive, I was able to recreate the
weather in Pennsylvania for the morning of May 11, when
Sheaffer and Martin began their ill-starred journey.

Smoketown airport (S37), where they departed, doesn’t

have its own weather service. At nearby Lancaster
(KLNS) airport, only 6 nm away, the sky was clear but
visibility was only 7 miles. This probably accounts for
how the two pilots became lost so quickly, even though
they were flying out of their home airport. VFR depends
on identifying the terrain in front of you: if you can’t
see it, you can’t navigate. When I took off under these
conditions, I could see the terrain below me, but not
much in front of me. Within two minutes, I was on the
wrong heading. Fortunately for me, the AI traffic in Flight
Simulator is unarmed and does not include F-16s.

FREDERICK AT LAST
39

cpm1003.indd 39 2/9/2006, 7:40:25 PM

 More than the
eye can meet
Impressing with items, gadgets, and gizmos

BY BILL STACK

Y
ou know you’re an avid Consider the “dynamic shine”
flight simmer when on a jetliner offered online for free
you see something that downloading. Now there’s something that
really makes the aircraft more valuable and
reminds you of flight simulation desirable. If that’s not enough, this jet also
even though it has no direct features “opening doors” and “all normal
relationship. animations.” Gosh, if anybody doesn’t
download this aircraft, what aircraft would
That happened to me recently in the they download?
grocery store with my wife. I noticed that
the “healthful” bread she buys sports tiny How about the old engine-
seeds sprinkled on top, as though that makes manufacturer’s logo on the inside of the
it more healthful. Then I noticed that all the engines on another jetliner? Now that’s
“healthful” breads have sprinklings of seeds, really impressive. A must have item if I
flour dust, oatmeal flakes, and the like. The ever saw one!
black seeds on one brand look like mouse
droppings to me. Then there’s a jetliner with fuzzy
details for a “more weathered look.”
“How does sprinkling these accoutrements Even though weathered looks don’t
on the tops of breads make them more really enhance flight simulation, flying
healthful?” I asked my wife. Her shrug sparkling new aircraft all the time
answered my question for me: All that doesn’t seem realistic, does it?
stuff sprinkled on top has nothing to do
with inherent quality or consumer benefits. Here’s a jetliner that beats them all: It
Instead, it has everything to do with has “all moving control surfaces, flight
hoodwinking the consumer into believing and ground spoilers, rotating engine fans,
the bread is top quality and better for their engine reversers, rolling wheels, steerable
health. After all, the cheap breads have nose wheels with landing lights, transparent
nothing sprinkled on top of them. flight deck windows, flight crew and opens
passenger and cargo doors, moving front
You must be wondering how bread in the stairs and wings landing lights.”
grocery store relates to flight simming or
why it made me think of flight simming. In addition to the usual, such as
“animated control surfaces,” a turbo prop
It’s simple: All those paraphernalia added offers “independent suspension, opening
to flight-sim objects contribute little to doors, visible protective covers, etc., rolling
their value and a lot to the impressions they wheels, animated sun glare, reflective
make on viewers, in my opinion. textures, accurate flight dynamics.”

It’s all summed up in this description of Independent suspension seems like

several downloadable aircraft for Microsoft something an automobile manufacturer
Flight Simulator 2004: “This aircraft has all would herald. Only one feature mentioned by
the usual animation and detail worthy of this developer piques my interest: “accurate
any flight simmer’s desire.” flight dynamics.”

40 CPM. V10I3

cpm1003.indd 40 2/9/2006, 7:40:42 PM

 BILL STACK

Nothing is realistic about an aircraft “Exact positioning of all airport One website’s most downloaded
with inaccurate flight dynamics. I believe objects” is important for realistic use of scenery, which also won an award, features
flight simulation should be realistic in its the airports, but details on each building enhancements to the default runways,
performance. The “eye candy” is a nice to make the place look like we’re actually taxiways, airport buildings, and airport
treat, but I can’t simulate flight realistically there or watching the actual scene via lighting for airports around the world. It also
with a aircraft that doesn’t perform properly video are not necessary. features reflective windows and seasonal
no matter how snazzy it looks. runway effects.
For visual flying, any objects that can be
That’s where the real realism is, in my used as reference points from aloft such as Another often downloaded scenery features
opinion. shopping centers, stadiums, and factories airport vans in the liveries of their airlines
make a lot of sense. Trees and power lines parked near their respective terminals.
Most of the eye candy seems to be on jet in the climbout and approach areas beyond
airliners. Apparently, developers and users the runways make flying in and out of Reviewers also love extras. The more
of jet airliners are more impressionable than small airports more realistic. But boats, items available in a scenery, aircraft, or
developers and users of propeller-driven car parks, and fire stations don’t do much panel, the better the review it will get.
aircraft. Maybe flight simmers would for me.
naturally have to be more practical if they “Everywhere you care to look you are
found excitement through simulating flight A scenery of movie star John Travolta’s treated with bright lights, vivid reds and an
in slow, humdrum aircraft. private airfield in Florida has been array of individual windows in buildings,”
“extensively redeveloped, realistically writes an enthralled scenery reviewer. “This
A general aviation aircraft featuring “full portraying the area,” according to its really puts zip into your nighttime city
moving parts including undercarriage developer. The site is “accurately covered hopping adventures.”
suspension, fuel gauge, compass, control including detailed scenery of the Travolta
surfaces and reflective textures” is alone in house.” What’s next? A movie-star-tour Another awed reviewer writes: “The
this regard. Most GA simmers seem willing adventure? landing gear in particular is a sight to
to accept the mundane and are unimpressed see and the gear retraction sequence pays
by power and dazzle. The same appears true Some instrument panels are filled with watching once or twice.” That would
of flight sim military aircraft, which are so many miscellaneous items such as sun be more than enough for me. I can’t
generally Spartan except for their accurate visors and grasp handles that insufficient simulate safe flight while fixated on
paint jobs. space is available for gauges and controls. landing-gear movements.
What good is a panel with gauges so tiny
Sceneries are also favorite targets for the that nobody can read them or switches and In addition to the impact that
superficial. A screenshot of a developer’s knobs that don’t work? objects and details have on many
creation shows a mansion and its grounds simmers, I also suspect that many
so cluttered with object that it would One panel I downloaded has a lovely developers simply get carried away
be more suited to Sim City than flight weather-radar screen showing areas of with their accomplishments. They
simulation. rain ostensibly ahead. Unfortunately, create one dazzling object, then
this radar doesn’t reflect the simulator’s another, then another. Before they
An airport contains “a lot of options current weather. It shows rain ahead even realize, their creation is cluttered with
like moving vehicles.” If simmers want in clear skies! Although it looks snazzy, it accoutrements, much like baroque
ground realism, then avoiding fuel trucks consumes so much space that important buildings but not as classic.
and baggage buggies while taxiing would instruments and controls are squeezed
be sensible, but this scenery’s buses, beyond usefulness. This clearly exemplifies Whether it’s stuff sprinkled on bread
limos, and airport vans that are outside the a feature that’s added to impress the or stuff added to flight sim products, I
airport’s movement areas make no sense to impressionable but does nothing useful. look beyond the surface and examine
me at all. the crucial characteristics such as flight
The plethora of small objects added modeling and general accuracy. Does
Some developers believe more is better. to sceneries, aircraft, and panels imply the bread make good sandwiches?
Features in one scenery package include infatuation with minutia by some Does the aircraft fly properly? Those
“parkable hangars, accurate control tower, developers and simmers. I suspect these characterize objectives of my desires.
accurate buildings, many vehicles, car developers add all that stuff to impress
parks, cargo terminal, fire station, boats, simmers into believing their creations
nearby villages and more.” Such scenery are superior, just like those healthful
is ideal for simmers whose idea of flight breads with their flower seeds and
simulation is limited to sightseeing at the oatmeal flakes.
airport. But for those of us who like to fly Bill Stack is an expert flight simmer, a
from airport to airport, such collections To wit, the instrument panel management consultant and a professional
of ground objects comprise clutter that downloaded from one site more than any writer, speaker and trainer based in Knoxville,
Tennessee, USA. He has authored several
hinders frame rates. other panel features “on board music,
books and numerous articles about flight
passenger cabin, seat, passenger overhead, simming. His books are available from
A scenery of a sawmill, replete with open/close meal tray, movie screen, quality flight sim suppliers such as PC Aviator
stacks of milled lumber, does nothing for lavatory with toilet flush sound, galley, at www.pcaviator.com, and he can be
my flight simulations. speaker announcements...and more!” contacted at [email protected]

41

cpm1003.indd 41 2/9/2006, 7:40:43 PM

 42 CPM. V10I3

cpm1003.indd 42 2/9/2006, 7:40:44 PM

 “SOMEBODY’S WATCHING...”
Photograph by Glenn Alderton

43

cpm1003.indd 43 2/9/2006, 9:42:01 PM

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 puterpilot.com
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Reviews • Microsoft’s Combat Flight Simulator 3 • Lago’s FS Maintenance • Creative Audigy 2 + Reviews: Flight 1’s Cessna 310 • Aerosoft’s My Traffic 2004 • Just Flight’s Battle of Britain. Crosscheck Reviews: PSS Concorde • Abacus FS Flight Ventures • Bryan York’s FS2Crew • REALAIR SIMULATION’S
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cpm1003.indd 45 2/9/2006, 9:43:05 PM

 HORTON’S HINTS for FS2004
BY DOUG HORTON

H
ere are more hints for FS2004, collected
from various sources, including my own
discoveries in “flying” the simulator. In this
ue, I offer two hints that describe features that
not well known or well documented. The second
t relates in part to a recent commercial airliner
ident in Chicago. I offer these hints for your flight
ulation enjoyment, so give ’em a try, because
actice makes perfect!”
AI Traffic Parameter Display
Selecting Options, Settings, Traffic from the FS2004 menu reveals
the accompanying dialog box, which displays several options. On
the right-hand side, seven checkboxes provide options for selecting
components of aircraft labels that appear sequentially on the screen
next to all visible AI aircraft. On the dialog box, you can also select a
color and cycle rate for the labels.

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 HORTON’S HINTS FOR FS2004

“Going Around” and “Missed Approach”

In real pilot training, student pilots are taught that if any aspect of
a landing doesn’t look right or feel right, they should “go-around”
or report a “missed approach” and try again. Pilots of an airliner that
recently overran the runway in snowy weather with poor visibility
in Chicago probably wish in hindsight that they’d “gone missed”
for another try. If weather is a factor, the next try might even be
at another airport. If this occurs when the pilot is flying in visual
(VFR) conditions, with a stiff crosswind, for example, it’s a matter
of reporting (at a towered airport) or announcing (at a non-towered
airport) “going around,” going to takeoff power, stopping the descent,
and when positive vertical speed is attained, retracting landing gear
and flaps. Go-arounds are fully implemented in FS2004 ATC for VFR
flights at both towered and non-towered airports.

MODIFYING A SECTION OF YOUR FS9.CFG PROVIDES ADDITIONAL

OPTIONS FOR AIRCRAFT LABELS

Unknown to many FS2004 users is the fact that six additional

options can be selected by modifying text in your FS9.cfg file, which
is found in folder c:\Documents and Settings\(user name)\Application
Data\Microsoft\FS9. All fifteen label options can be found in the
[AContain] section of your FS9.cfg file. The lines shown in green
control the options settable from the dialog box, while the lines shown
in red can only be controlled by modifying the respective text lines.
As you can see, by changing the last number from 0 to 1, I’ve added EXAMPLE: USE ATC MENU OPTION 2 TO REPORT GO-AROUND AT A
display of the AI airline and flight number. TOWERED AIRPORT

[AContain]
ShowLabels=1
ShowUserLabel=0
ShowLabelManufacturer=0
ShowLabelModel=1
ShowLabelTailNumber=1
ShowLabelDistance=1
ShowLabelAltitude=1
ShowLabelAirline=0
ShowLabelAirlineAndFlightNumber=1
ShowLabelFlightPlan=0
ShowLabelContainerId=0
ShowLabelAirspeed=0
ShowLabelHeading=0
LabelDelay=1000
LabelColor=FFFF0000

Some of the additional lines are quite helpful for troubleshooting.

EXAMPLE: USE ATC MENU OPTION 8 TO ANNOUNCE GO-AROUND TO A
For example, suppose you see an AI aircraft with missing texture NON-TOWERED AIRPORT
files, meaning that it will appear as all white. By adding display of the
ContainerID to the labels, you can find out in which aircraft file this is
occurring. Note that those who are familiar with use of Lee Swordy’s Under instrument (IFR) conditions in FS2004, pilots execute a
free TrafficTools program could identify this aircraft displaying the “missed approach” by selecting the ATC menu option “Declaring
flight and tail numbers, decompile the applicable traffic*.bgl file, then Missed Approach.” After the pilot declares a missed approach, Tower
search for the flight number in the related flightplans*.txt file and find will typically hand the pilot off to Approach after a climb is established
the tail number in aircraft*.txt file. as part of the missed approach procedure.

47

cpm1003.indd 47 2/9/2006, 9:43:13 PM

 Where do you find the missed approach procedures for instrument If you’re flying an instrument approach as part of an IFR flight
approaches? They’re found on the applicable instrument approach plan in FS2004, missed approach procedures are fully modeled
chart. Consider as an example the ILS approach to Runway 9 at my in both the ATC procedures and the Garmin GPS 500 instrument.
home airport of Chicago/Aurora Municipal (KARR). Here’s the Importantly, though you should assume that you’d fly the published
current approach chart, which can be downloaded from the member approach after going missed, ATC may ask you whether you want
section of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) vectors to be positioned for another try of the same approach, or
website, or other source. whether you wish to “fly the published missed.” The ATC menu
offers these options after going missed in FS2004.

To practice missed approaches in FS2004, use the Flight

anner to file a short IFR flight plan from Rockford (KRFD) to
icago/Aurora (KARR), at 3000 feet altitude with GPS–Direct
ecked. Agree to be relocated to the departure airport when the
x with this question pops up, then select the Cessna 172 for this
ercise. Follow the usual FS2004 procedures to get your departure
arance, taxi, takeoff, climb, etc. After handoff to Rockford
parture on 126.0, you’ll be told to expect vectors for the ILS 9
proach at Aurora.

Pop up your Garmin 500, and press the PROC (procedure)

tton, then press ENT (enter) to select the defaults for the KARR
S 9 with vectors transition. The GPS will change to the flight
an display, and if it doesn’t, press the FPL button. You’ll see that
e listed waypoints take you all the way to the holding pattern at
AINS. Finally and importantly, use the GPS controls to activate
e approach in the GPS. We’re not going to engage GPS tracking
t, so your GPS/Nav button should be in the Nav position because
’re going to use the autopilot Approach feature to track the ILS.
gage the autopilot in HDG and ALT mode on the last heading and
itude directed by ATC (in my trial case, 150° at 3000). Press the
L button again, if needed, to return to the GPS navigation screen,
d notice that there are two tracks. The track in red is the direct
ck to Aurora. The white track is the approach (with vectors) track,
cluding the published missed approach and holding pattern. By the
y, the initial approach fix shown on the GPS as WOLFF, has been
named DITKA, for the former Chicago Bears coach.

INSTRUMENT APPROACH CHART FOR CHICAGO/AURORA ILS RWY 9

There are three places on the FAA version of the approach

chart that provide directions for the missed approach procedure.
As highlighted by the upper red oval, there are text instructions,
which read “Climb to 1200, then climbing right turn to 3000 via
heading 120° and ORD R-235 to VAINS Int and hold.” In the
lower red oval, there are symbols that provide a quick reference
for the three principal components of the procedure. Finally, the
center-right red oval shows a top-down (horizontal) view of the
procedure - diagram of standard right-hand holding pattern and GPS NAVIGATION SCREEN SHOWING (RED) DIRECT AND
related entry sectors. (WHITE) ILS 9 APPROACH TRACKS TO AURORA

48 CPM. V10I3

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 HORTON’S HINTS FOR FS2004

As you proceed, you’ll be handed off to Chicago Approach on

133.5. I experienced an error in my ATC dialog box on this handoff,
as it initially read “Rockford Approach on 126.0,” to which I had
already been tuned and communicating. When I selected menu item
1 to make the handoff, it correctly went to 133.5. As you continue,
dial in the ILS frequency of 108.9 on your Nav1 radio.

The next radio transmission indicated (in my trial) that I was 16

miles west, then directed a turn to 120°, descend and maintain 2800
feet until established, cleared for the approach, and call Tower on
120.6. At this point, engage the autopilot NAV feature and your
aircraft will turn onto the localizer. At WOLFF the autopilot should
catch the glideslope and begin descending. Notice that your ATC
menu now displays an option for “Declare Missed Approach,”
which we’ll do shortly. Meanwhile, we’ll follow the ILS until
we’re at the decision altitude of 906 feet, then declare a missed
approach. Tower will respond with a handoff to Chicago Approach
during climbout. After check-in with Approach the ATC menu
will contain options for “Report missed approach” (which means
you’ll get vectors to another approach) or “Report missed approach
published.” Select the second option to fly the published missed
approach procedure.

At the missed approach point, go to full power and climb on

runway heading to 1200 feet. Above 1200 feet set your autopilot
altitude to 3000 and change the autopilot source to GPS (flip the
GPS/Nav switch to GPS). The autopilot should control your climb
to 3000 feet and your heading should follow the GPS track to
the holding point at VAINS. This published hold may have been
revised or there’s a small database issue in FS2004 because in my
case, Chicago Approach requested that I call after reaching 4000
feet, and will not provide a “Finished with Missed Approach”
menu choice until you climb above 3800 feet. After you select
this option, report “finished …,” and ATC will provide vectors
to try the approach again, or there’s a menu choice for “Standby
– [Select Another Approach].”

GPS TRACK SHOWING ENTRY TO PUBLISHED

HOLDING PATTERN AT VAINS

Try “going missed” on an instrument approach and you may see

capabilities of FS2004’s ATC and Garmin GPS 500 features that
you haven’t tried before.

49

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 “Over Flanders Fields” A New WWI Theatre for CFS3
BY IAN HOWLETT

W
hile most combat flight sim fans will Much more than just an add-on package of new scenery and
always thoroughly enjoy turning back the aircraft, Over Flanders Fields (often referred to simply as “OFF”)
clock to August 1940, taking the controls uses the CFS3 engine as its backbone but is otherwise driven from
a totally new user interface that allows the user to manage and
of a virtual Spitfire or Me109 and battling it out configure pilots, missions and all-new dynamic weather systems and
high above the white cliffs of Dover, there hasn’t historical campaigns.
been much recently available for those enthusiasts
who would rather step back a little further in time To run the OFF add-on package you must first have a copy of CFS3
installed, since the OFF installer makes a fresh copy of your existing
and follow in the footsteps of WWI aces such as CFS3 files then modifies and adds its own to create Over Flanders
Albert Ball or the legendary “Red Baron”, Manfred Fields. From then on OFF runs totally separate to your original CFS3
von Richthofen. so the two versions can co-exist in harmony. While not necessary for
Until now that is... With a one-click automatic the new user interface, OFF does require that you have CFS3’s CD2
installation you can now immerse yourself in the in your CD drive when running the actual game.
astounding detail that is the world of “Over Flanders First Impressions:
Fields”, the exciting new World War One simulation Immediately upon entering the world of Over Flanders Fields,
for CFS3. you find yourself being enveloped by the atmosphere of World War

50 CPM. V10I3

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 REVIEW
One. As the main menu unfolds before you a sepia-toned intro
movie begins to play and the sombre sound of Samuel Barber’s
“Adagio for Strings” fills the air, setting the tone that this is not
just a “game”, rather a step back in time into a world where death
shadowed your every move and the average flying life of a pilot
measured a mere 17.5 hours.

Everything within OFF strives to build on this atmosphere,

with the sights, sounds and action that surround you all carefully
crafted to capture your imagination and foster that feeling of
“being there” in a living and breathing environment. It’s clear
an enormous amount of effort has been made in placing the user
right into the history of WWI, such as pilots belonging to “real”
squadrons, at times flying alongside “real” aces, logging flight
details of every mission and a dynamic campaign that follows
the action of the Great War. And another reality check – in
OFF, if your pilot is shot down or crashes then his death, as in
real life, is final.
RUNNING THE GAUNTLET OF SOME HEAVY FLAK
The music or “soundtrack” that has been matched to the
OFF interface also plays a big part in setting the mood and
capturing the imagination of the user. For example, on
returning to the Mission Manager screen to learn the fate of
a young pilot who had sadly stalled his aircraft at a fatally
low altitude, the lonely strains of somebody quietly playing
Beethoven’s “Moonlight Sonata” on the Officers’ Mess piano
began to echo through my speakers and it was difficult not to
feel genuinely sad for the poor departed soul.

Features Included:
Aircraft
Naturally, a WWI sim would have to come with suitable
period aircraft, and with OFF Phase 1 you get the following
– all with detailed 3D virtual cockpits fully compatible
with TrackIR and beautiful external models optimized for
smooth in-game frame rates:

Central Powers (Germany)

• Albatross DII
• Albatross DIII
• Albatross DVa
• Fokker Dr1 EARLY MORNING LIGHT CATCHES AN ALBATROSS
• Hannover CIII twin seater
• Zeppelin L30

Allies – French Aircraft

• Hanriot HD1
• Nieuport 17
• SPAD 7
• SPAD 13

Allies – British Aircraft

• RE8 twin seater
• SE5a (several versions)
• Short 184 Seaplane
• Sopwith Camel
• Sopwith Triplane

Oh, and in case you want to check out the scenery

in the villages surrounding your airfield a little more
closely, the OFF team have thoughtfully supplied you
with a “flyable” bicycle … but be careful, it has no
brakes!

AN ALBATROSS DOWNS A SOPWITH CAMEL

cpm1003.indd 51 2/9/2006, 9:43:44 PM

 AN ALBATROSS ON A MORNING
ALBATROSS GOES DOWN IN FLAMES! RECONNAISSANCE MISSION COCKPIT INFERNO

A GOOD EXAMPLE OF THE DETAILED

LIGHTING UP A CAMEL … WOODEN AIRCRAFT SURE DO BURN BRIGHT! NEW TERRAIN AND SCENERY

HANRIOT HD1 OVER FRANCE LINE-ABREAST TAKEOFFS ARE NOW THE NORM OFF’S MAIN MENU SCREEN

ENLISTING A NEW PILOT IN OFF

NO CHANCE OF GETTING OUT OF

THE PRETTY NIEUPORT 17 THIS ONE ALIVE…

cpm1003.indd 52 2/9/2006, 9:44:39 PM

 Terrain and Scenery
It is in this area where OFF really starts to exploit the capabilities
of the CFS3 graphics engine, boasting new and rescaled terrain, all
new textures and scenery objects with a level of detail not seen before.
Detailed villages and towns are shown logically laid out with proper
roads, telegraph poles and street lights; buildings typical of the WWI
era are nicely detailed and subtle effects such as building lighting and
smoke from chimneys combine to bring the French countryside alive.

In the war zones you’ll see WWI period grass airfields consisting
of a mixture of hangars and tents, campsites showing tents and resting
infantry brewing up a cup of tea, as well as early model military
vehicles, tanks and artillery. Shattered trees, barbed wire, sandbags
and trenches decorate the barren shell-scarred landscape of no man’s
land and observation balloons float high above the scene. ISSION DETA
ILS
MAP AND M
THE ALL NEW
Historically researched front lines stretch all the way from Nieuport
to Switzerland, hundreds of airfields are accurately placed and named
and the mission map has also been improved and updated to reflect ace pilot as your wingman. All flights are logged against your
the front lines and place names relevant to the Great War. currently active pilot, records kept of claimed and confirmed kills and
awards granted as they are earned.
Weather and Effects
Weather systems have been greatly improved with reworked Gameplay and Action
sky and clouds providing a striking backdrop for screenshots. In the standard CFS3 game, the only takeoff option available is
Atmospheric haze has also seen some work and an all new user- line-astern with yourself as flight leader. OFF however, provides a
configurable dynamic weather front generator ensures that you get much more satisfying experience with line-abreast takeoffs from
plenty of variety for your flying conditions. Within the four main its grass airfields – and if you’re slow in getting started you’ll find
seasons there are a further seven seasonal variations, plus you can yourself following your wingmen rather than the other way around.
adjust several other weather variables such as “days between fronts”,
“duration of fronts” and even the thaw rate for snow! Flying the older aircraft that are a part of OFF takes a little getting
used to, coping with features such as engines that falter and fail under
OFF also includes many new and improved sounds and effects, negative-G conditions (having only simple gravity-fed carburettors),
such as new explosion and bullet effects, artillery shelling, night a noticeable loss of performance at higher altitudes and having
lighting in villages and dynamic local sound effects such as air raid no brakes when landing! It’s no good jumping out either, since
sirens and church bells. Shooting down an observation balloon or parachutes weren’t issued to WWI airmen - once you’re up there it’s
Zeppelin produces an impressive fireball that it’s wise to steer clear up to you to land safely or suffer the consequences.
of, and the fiery end that some of these frail wood, wire and fabric
aircraft experience is almost frightening at times. In addition there is no audible radio contact with your wingmen in
OFF (viable 2-way radios not being available until years after WWI);
User Interface however you can still use the normal CFS3 wingmen commands to
Rather than use the existing CFS3 facilities, OFF is driven signal the rest of your flight - kind of like waving hand signals from
and controlled from a completely new user interface running your open cockpit. You’d just better hope your wingmen are looking
independently of the CFS3 game engine. Colour schemes, sounds and when you need them!
music within the new interface have been carefully selected to reflect
the environment and mood of WWI, and small extras such as pop-up Flying much slower aircraft also means it can be difficult to achieve
news articles about recent events add to the feeling of reality. the 120-130MPH speed needed to activate CFS3’s “warp” feature, so
sometimes it’s a case of putting your aircraft into a dive and hoping
From the Main Menu you can access the “Workshops” page to the wings will hold!
adjust the weather and game parameters, select “Pilots” to create new
pilots and review your pilots’ flight logs, “Quick Flight” to try a few A Typical OFF Session…
practice flights or “Missions” to hone your battle skills. After accepting your assigned mission and selecting “Go to
Hangar” to begin your flight a clear voice yells out “Contact!”,
F It is within the “Campaigns” section however, where OFF begins to “Clear!”, the sound of orchestral strings swells to a stirring crescendo
realize its full potential. Here you can carve out a career in the RFC, and you feel your heart skip a beat as the sound of a vintage aero
Escadrilles or Jagdstafflen as the all new dynamic mission generator engine sputters, then roars into life.
selects from up to 14 different mission types and over 450 targets to
assign historically based sorties applicable to your squadron’s aircraft After the main CFS3 game engine has loaded, you find yourself
and current location. sitting on some crates in an open field with your own aircraft waiting
nearby and some WWI-era tents in the background. Sometimes you
Sometimes your mission may be to “just survive”, avoiding enemy hear only the sound of birds singing sweetly in the distance, a barking
aircraft and ground fire before successfully navigating back to your dog and aero engines being run up nearby, while at other times the
home airfield, while at other times you could be sent on a dawn raid or sound of nearby shelling and explosions reverberate around the
scramble to intercept incoming enemy aircraft with a “real” historical airfield, prompting a quick takeoff.

53

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 AN SE5A ATTEMPTS A FORCED LANDING
SE5A AT SUNSET IN NO MAN’S LAND SE5A TAKES A HIT OVER THE FRONT LINES

A SHORT 184 SEAPLANE SOPWITH TRIPE MAKES A CLIMBING ATTACK

APPROACHES A ZEPPELIN SOPWITH CAMEL BLAZING AWAY ON A ZEPPELIN

THE BEAUTIFULLY DETAILED COCKPIT

WHEN THEY GO UP, THEY REALLY GO UP! IN THE SPAD A CLOSEUP SHOT OF THE SPAD GAUGES

THE ZEPPELIN’S FLIGHT DECK

A SPAD MAKES A TURN OVER FRIENDLY TERRITORY A HIGH-FLYING ZEPPELIN

cpm1003.indd 54 2/9/2006, 9:45:38 PM

 Start the engine in your chosen aircraft and it pops, stutters and clatters
into life - before you realize it you’re bouncing across the open fields in
a raggedy line abreast takeoff with your wingmen. At a surprisingly low
speed you leave the earth behind with the wind in your face, a fine spray
of castor oil already beginning to mist up your goggles and your silk scarf
flying proudly behind you. Well … at least that’s how it feels!

As you climb away from the airfield and the magnificent scenery of
OFF unfolds before your eyes you begin to realize what a truly great job
INES
this dedicated team of enthusiasts has done. Approaching the front lines,
you spot the dark stain on the horizon that is the muddy, bloody horror
of no man’s land, and flying closer you can make out the trenches zig-
zagging through the mire, pockmarked from endless shelling. Even as
you pass overhead the artillery opens up again and smoke and flame from
their explosions dot the barren landscape. Directly below you a column
of military vehicles bumps along a dusty road toward a dirty campsite THE NEW WOR
where some infantry are taking a break from the trenches, and away in KSHOPS SCRE
EN, INCLUDIN
G DYNAMIC W
the distance some refugees from a village sadly too close to the action are EATHER
dragging along their meagre possessions, looking for a safe haven.

Suddenly, tracer is whizzing past your ears and the once-empty sky With an upcoming “Phase 2/3” release the development team is
is filled with a myriad of aircraft wheeling and diving in an effort to promising us an even more dynamic “living environment” setting a
ATTACK
K stay alive. You violently stab at the rudder pedals and wrench the stick new high for immersion and believability in the combat sim arena.
back into your stomach, your head swivelling in the slipstream to get a It will cover the earlier period of the Great War (1914 to 1916) and
glance of your attacker … but already he has gone. Your eyes search the include additional aircraft, further expansions to terrain and scenery,
sky for enemy aircraft hiding above your broad upper wing … and you enhanced damage modelling for scenery objects and, of course, all
can image the rest. new campaign content. Special attention will be paid to the historical
aspects of the missions, including exclusively WWI phenomena such
Developing the OFF Concept as mustard gas attacks and mass “over the top” infantry charges at
So how did this all come about? significant dates and times.

The concept of developing a fully-fledged WWI combat simulator

using CFS3 (which is after all, clearly a WWII sim) was the brainchild Conclusion
of Mark “Winding Man” Andrews of OBD Software. So what is it that drives the OFF project team members to donate
so much of their own time, effort and even finances to produce such a
After completing a comprehensive scenery and terrain upgrade for terrific product for the rest of us to enjoy? Mark Andrews puts it very
CFS3’s WWII environment, Mark was so impressed with CFS3’s simply - “Passion”… and the satisfaction of creating for ourselves
scalability and potential for further development that he decided the and others an authentic environment that truly feels “alive”.
AUGES next (big!) step would be to indulge his passion for WWI aircraft and
develop a complete WWI theatre for CFS3. And that is indeed what this excellent add-on invokes in the user
– each time you start your engine there is a feeling of anticipation that
Late in 2004 he signalled this intention on the Sim-Outhouse forums something new is going to happen and even on “quiet” patrols you
and sure enough, other talented members of the CFS3 “modding” never tire of the detailed scenery, weather and lighting effects that
community were willing and eager to contribute their time and expertise inexorably draw you deeper into the exciting, yet sombre atmosphere
and the project began to take flight. that was The Great War.

Passionate not only about correctly modelling the aircraft and scenery Creating a completely new WWI theatre for CFS3 was always
details but also about drawing the user deeply into the history and going to be a bold venture but even as a “Phase 1” release, Over
atmosphere of WWI, the team settled on the title of “Over Flanders Flanders Fields appears to have thoroughly captured the hearts and
Fields”, instantly recognizable as the scene of one of the bloodiest minds of those who choose to take to its skies and is a quality add-on
battles the world has ever seen. package I can highly recommend.

Just before Christmas 2005 and after twelve long months of hard Pay a visit to the OFF website at http://off.oldbrowndog.net
work, OFF phase one was finally ready for release, covering the period to download a free copy of the current “Phase 1” release (approx
from late 1916 to 1918 and including a selection of aircraft historically 650MB) or watch for news of the upcoming “Phase 2/3” package due
appropriate for this timeframe. Since then OFF has been met with for release on DVD later in 2006. Alternatively you can check out the
an enthusiastic reception by existing CFS3 users and still others who OFF forum at http://www.sim-outhouse.com for the latest news and
purchased CFS3 specifically to install this new add-on package. views of those already enjoying the sim or to request a free CD copy
of “Phase 1” from another user in your area. Just remember you’ll
Initial support for the release was astounding, with a number of also need a copy of Microsoft’s Combat Flight Simulator 3 if you
patches quickly made available to address minor issues brought up don’t already have one.
by users and development team members alike. These have now been
rolled into a single “super-patch” that is installed over the main package As Biggles would say, “Watch out for the Hun in the sun” … and
and together this represents the complete “Phase 1” release of OFF. I’ll see you in the skies Over Flanders Fields.

55

cpm1003.indd 55 2/9/2006, 9:45:52 PM

 EZ-Scenery Review
BY AL PELLETIER

W
ay back, in the late 80’s, Microsoft a .bgl compiler and, when completed, uploaded on bulletin boards
released the codes to allow flight simmers (our way of communicating and storing files before the Internet was
born). Many a night was spent working just to have a new hangar at
to design their own brand of scenery, a familiar airport. One of the best known designers at the time was
aircraft, panels and sounds. This business decision Alfred Gretch of Toronto, who now resides in Malta. Alfred did the
is believed to have been a turning point and the entire planet, usually programming at night while living on pizza in
principal reason for Microsoft’s huge success with his North York apartment.
Soon the name of Konstantin Kukushkin was also a familiar
Flight Simulator, while others, like Air Transport
name amongst flight simmers. His name was associated with a lot of
Pilot (ATP), who would have no part in releasing freeware scenery that could be found on AVSIM or Flightsim.com.
their codes died a slow death.
So, it is no surprise that Abacus would have commissioned
Back then, I got involved in programming and creating scenery Konstantin, along with the help of some other great talent, to come up
of some Canadian Military Air Base(s) and other airports. It was a with an “easy” way for us simmers to create some of our own brand
long and laborious process that involved typing out hundreds of lines of scenery into MS Flight Simulator, and to do it without having to
of codes, just to add a hangar, runway, or other objects at a place become an expert programmer along the way. And so, EZ-Scenery
where there were none. The coded lines would then be compiled with was born.

56 CPM. V10I3

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 REVIEW
REVIEW

The Package and Installation

EZ-Scenery designer is available as a download/purchase or in
boxed format on CD from major sim retailers. My copy installed
flawlessly with the usual prompts that guided me through the
installation. Once installed, it showed up under “All Programs/
Abacus”. In there I found a great tutorial. The program itself is run
from within Flight Simulator, so you’ll find it in there under a newly
added menu titled “Abacus”.
JAY LANGHAM’S SAMPLE SCENERY 1
The Program and Help Files
I first started by reading the help file which you’ll find under
“Abacus/EZ-Scenery/Help”
This is an excellent reference document. After reading it I started
Flight Simulator and found a new item on the top menu bar “Abacus”
and a start button for EZ-Scenery designer. Note: Printing the entire
reference/help guide is a good idea. It is only 26 pages long and well
worth having at your finger tips.

I then proceeded, with the help of the printed guide, to experiment

and start adding objects and create scenery files. The key here is “with
the help of the guide”. It is almost impossible to figure it out without
it, yet so easy with the guide.
JAY LANGHAM SAMPLE SCENERY 2
How it Works
First we enter slew mode and go to the location at which we want
to create new scenery by adding some “objects”…

A few tips on using the “slew mode”:

1. Enter slew mode by pressing the “Y” key.
2. Use the “Q” to gain altitude and the “A” to decrease. This can
be done by keeping an eye on your vertical speed indicator. The
more times you press the “Q” the faster you go up. The same
goes for the “A” except, now, in the downward direction. Once
at the desired altitude, keep hitting the opposite key until the
rated of climb indicator is at zero
3. I use my yoke to move forward and sideways while in slew
mode. If you start tilting, just hit the spacebar and that will JAY LANGHAM SAMPLE SCENERY 3
level you out.
4. Remember to click your mouse on to the active window to
access a different view or to decrease/increase view.

Back to the program

Once at the chosen location you can select a number of objects
from the object library included that can be “deposited” in
front of you. An easy to use menu with sliders for range, size,
orientation and elevation allows you to manipulate the object to
its final place and in a correct size and orientation. Slewing the
airplane around will also move/drag the object while in the initial
selection. This takes a bit of practice, but I became a guru at it
after about 3 hours of use and experimentation.
JAY LANGHAM SAMPLE SCENERY 4

The FS2004 Libraries and EZ-Libraries (with

the help of Abacus)
Fight Simulator FS2004 keeps most of its 3D scenery objects
in one or more libraries. A library contains from several to
hundreds of 3D objects. For example, the Empire State Building
that is part of the New York City scenery is actually a 3D object
from one of the FS2004 libraries. The Eiffel Tower that is part
of the Paris scenery is also a 3D object from one of the libraries.
Along with these two highly specialized 3D objects (Empire State
Building and Eiffel Tower) are many more generic 3D objects:

JAY LANGHAM SAMPLE SCENERY 5

cpm1003.indd 57 2/9/2006, 9:46:01 PM

 square buildings, rectangular high rises, single family homes,
multiple family dwellings, sports stadiums, transportation vehicles,
and much more.
The beauty of EZ-Scenery is its ability to use this huge built-in
library of 3D objects to create entirely new scenery. Using EZ-Scenery,
you precisely place 3D objects at different locations in the FS World.
For those of you who want to add their own custom 3D objects, you
can create your own library by importing several popular formats to use
with EZ-Scenery, including 3D objects made with FS Design Studio v3
and Gmax.
Note: Some objects in FS2004 are geographically limited. I tried
to use some of these at different locations, other than that originally
intended, and was unable to do so. But it was worth a try.
COMOX HARBOR BEFORE…
Now, in addition to the default FS2004 libraries, Abacus has included
hundreds of additional 3D objects for you to have fun with. You’ll find
them in 4 different individual libraries:
• AB_Buildings: houses, mobile homes, tents, trailers, warehouses etc.
• AB_Misc: fences, gravestones (yeep!), mailboxes.
• AB_Signs: freeway signs and supports, international signs, road
warning signs, regional highway signs.
• AB_Vehicles: aircraft, ambulances, boats, buses, trucks, rafts.

My Creations
I added a few houses near the Comox Air base which aren’t
included in any scenery. Then I proceeded to downtown Comox
and brought the harbor and town alive by adding to the normally
seen sail boats, docks, shopping mall and schools. It was a real
fun thing to do and in just a couple of hours I had some scenery
that I could share with friends. It also makes it so much more
fun to fly around your home town when the main and familiar
landmarks are visible.

Bonuses
COMOX HARBOR AFTER… There are tons of freeware materials appearing on AVSIM
and Flightsim.com to be used with this program - more objects,
textures, tutorials and scenery created with EZ-Scenery designer.
If you buy this product, go to these sites and do a search for EZ-
Scenery. It will enhance this program and kick it up another notch.

What I like about Abacus EZ-Scenery

1. What an awesome program! I just love it. I could play around
with this for hours and hours.
2. I am sometimes, and as you probably are also, skeptical of
the word “Easy” with add-on programs, but there is no miss-
representation here. It is an easy to use scenery designer, just
as advertised (you must read the guide though).

Note that the package is good for adding scenery objects, but
you cannot build scenery from scarcth with it, i.e. terrain, coast
forming, runways, navaids etc.
You can share your creations with others, even if they do
not have the product because Abacus make the object libraries
available to everyone with a net connection to download them.
The program is similar to what Lago released a while ago with FS
Scenery Enhancer, however, you needed to own the package to use
other’s creations.

Well done Abacus! I predict this will be a very popular program

and a must for most flight simmers. Priced at just US$29, this
package allows anyone to enhance their local area, or any part of
the FS world with more objects for greater realism, no coding skills
needed! Check your favorite flight sim retailer for product availability,
or head on over to www.abacuspub.com for further details.

CPM. V10I3
THE USER GUIDE IS A MUST READ!

cpm1003.indd 58 2/9/2006, 9:46:06 PM

 Subject:

one fee upgrade with their products to avoid users having to throw away
products shortly after purchase.
arst” ILOT
“Jay He OMPUTER P !
TH C XTENSION
Jay Hearst
Boulder, CO
M O N
12 /E
WINS BSCRIPTION
[Jay, Thanks for your letter. In the ideal world, every add-on would work
with every simulator. But of course, simulator software is not immune SU
from that infamous thing called “technology” and our sim software
advances just like computer hardware does. With these advancements So, it is understandable that some add-ons cannot easily be upgraded, or
come changes, and some of these changes are made from the ground up, their developers choose not too, for whatever reason. But there are some
meaning that software made based on the rules of an older base platform companies that will readily patch their products for the new simulator
(FS2002/FS2004 etc) may not work with a new base platform (ala version assuming a lot of the internal code remains somewhat similar to
FS10/FSX). In some cases, it is relatively straight forward for a developer earlier versions. Each add-on is different of course so there is no one rule
to modify their software to make it run on a new simulator version. In that applies to all products currently on the market. It’s another case of
others, it is very difficult because particular aspects of the base code have wait and see what happens when FSX is finally released near the end of
changed that make it almost impossible for developers to “patch” their the year. Until then, you have a good six months of use of your current
product without totally re-writing their add-on from scratch. When this titles before you have to worry about whether the developers will be
is the case, some choose not to undertake the challenge as there is a LOT releasing a patch! Like computer hardware, software also does not have an
of time and expense involved in the process, and the developer may not unlimited life, particularly if you demand the most realistic sim experience
even break even, and it could end up costing them dearly for the attempt. possible – Ed].

Subject: Rotary Wing Epiphany

Good evening Computer Pilot. I decided that during the recent holiday the computer peripherals to match helicopter controls. That is, your
period I would do some serious flight simming of the kind that I usually joystick and pedals - change their function (joystick with separate throttle
don’t have time to enjoy. Maybe some full-blown flight planning, multi- control is a must, pedals almost a must). The joystick becomes the “cyclic”
engine, multi-leg IFR with the proper Jeppesen approach charts, or which controls the lift vector of the rotor disc, the throttle’s axis is reversed
perhaps brush up my aircraft carrier landings in Flight Deck III. I did not (check the box in Controls/Assignments) to become the “cyclic” which
get to any of these. Instead I was born-again as a heli-sim pilot! controls power and the pedals control the tail-rotor to maintain direction.

A conversation with an acquaintance who had recently completed the After a few hours the reflexes become trained and I found it was possible
theory exams for a helicopter license got me interested in rotary-wing to take off and fly, land on a given spot, hover - including hover-taxi,
aircraft. When I originally installed Flight Simulator 2004, I had a go at the which is the most difficult maneuver of all, and even land on the tops
Bell 206 Jetranger helicopter, promptly lost control, crashed and burned, of buildings (San Francisco MegaScenery is great for this). The final
and like any sensible fixed-wing pilot, decided that if God had meant challenge is operating from an aircraft carrier. AlphaSim’s beautiful USS
helicopters to sim, he would have programmed them with wings! Enterprise scenery and Aerosoft’s USS Boxer are the ultimate in helo flying
and FS eye-candy. Most of the time, fixed-wing pilots whiz through these
Now, I took another look and spent some hours trying to handle the and other add-on sceneries with scarcely time to look at the beauty and
peculiar beasts. FS9 has two default helicopters, the Robinson R22 and detail. A helicopter changes all that and there is time to take in the sights -
the Bell 206. There are a few freeware helos on the Flight Sim community if you can handle the cyclic, collective and pedals. I can recommend rotary-
websites, the most interesting one I found being the Bell 47 (early bubble wing as a new adventure in the hobby. Give it a try!
canopy, MASH chopper). I also purchased the sophisticated Seahawk/Boxer
package from the PC Aviator Shop. Rowan Partridge
Queensland, Australia.
It has been said that flying a helicopter is like balancing a broomstick
on a fingertip, and the analogy is correct. At first it seems impossible to [Rowan, All I can add is… “yes”. Give it a try. Flying helos is a great
maintain attitude, handle the power and judge the machine’s movements. challenge, and a lot of fun once you have it mastered – Ed].
The secret is to stop thinking “aeroplane”, and a good step is to change

Write To Computer Pilot INBOX

If you have something you want to share with fellow flight simulator enthusiasts, then Computer Pilot INBOX is the place to be heard. Each issue, we’ll choose the best
letter as the letter of the month and reward that reader with a prize!
The easiest and quickest way to submit your letters is by e-mail to: [email protected]

cpm1003.indd 59 2/9/2006, 9:46:22 PM

 NaturalPoint’s TrackIR4 Professional
BY MATTHEW ‘SNAKE122’ EDWARDS

T
he TrackIR has revolutionized how many to your head movement, i.e. if your head is moved a single degree,
simmers view their virtual world. Most users the TrackIR normally moves the view several times more in the sim.
now consider the TrackIR just as important as This results in the eyes never leaving the screen but the head turning
their yoke or HOTAS. The TrackIR has come a long specific amounts for distinct views. It quickly becomes second nature
and you wonder why you tortured yourself for so long with that slow
way and now NaturalPoint is offering a new version, panning hat switch or difficult mouse panning control.
the TrackIR4 Pro. Let’s see what it offers, and how it
compares to previous models…
If you haven’t heard about the TrackIR then you are missing a major
improvement in flight sim and gaming technology. Basically, the
TrackIR involves infrared LEDs and a ‘camera’. The camera follows
special infrared reflective dots that can be placed in several different
ways on the user’s head. This movement is then translated into view
changes in sims that support the TrackIR device. In basic terms, it
allows you to control panning movements in games or simulators with
your own head movements! It is a very natural way to control the view,
and it makes hat switches and mouse view control obsolete.

Most people new to the TrackIR concept first wonder how they will
still see the monitor when they turn their heads more than 30 degrees
or so. This isn’t a problem since the TrackIR’s output is not linear
THE RETAIL “BOX”

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 REVIEW
What’s New in Version 4?
The TrackIR4 Pro offers several new enhancements/improvements
over the previous TrackIR models. Instead of it being an add-on,
TrackIR4 Pro now comes with the Vector expansion. This allows
for movement in 6 degrees of freedom in some sims. It also has a 46
degree viewing angle versus a 33 degree with the earlier TrackIR3
Pro. This is a very nice addition and permits more movement to be
achieved before the camera loses track, especially in Vector titles that
use side-to-side and up-and-down movement. Previous Vector owners
will notice this improvement the most. IR4 also has double the
resolution that IR3 has, allowing more accurate tracking, even with
the increased camera area. Response time has been increased by 25%
as well. As a result, the TrackIR4 Pro is much smoother and more
precise than previous TrackIR models.

THE TRACKIR4 SPORTS A SMALL AND SLEEK PROFILE!

The new stand rotates and one side will split apart to make a more
stable base or to latch onto a monitor. All of the size, stand, and
hardware improvements give the TrackIR4 Pro a big advantage over
earlier TrackIRs, even the TrackIR3 Pro.

THE TRACKIR CAMERA IS MUCH SMALLER THAN PREVIOUS MODEL

THE NEW STAND DESIGN AND ITS VARIOUS CONFIGURATIONS

The Software
THE CLEAR CASING ON THE BACK SIDE GIVES YOU A LOOK AT THE IR4’S
PROCESSING CHIP AND CIRCUITRY.
The TrackIR4 Pro‘s software is similar to the TrackIR3’s but is a
major change for earlier TrackIR users. Opening the program presents
you with a window that displays information on the TrackIR’s status.
The TrackIR3 Pro and TrackIR4 Pro There is a news tab that will download the latest information about
Prior TrackIR owners will be surprised with how much support and special offers from NaturalPoint. The profiles tab will
NaturalPoint has shrunk the unit. They even reduced the thickness of bring up a list of games and their assigned profiles. Unlike earlier
the USB cable! The TrackIR4 Pro takes up less space, partly due to versions, the software now will automatically load assigned profiles
an ingenious smaller stand that will allow users to secure it on top of when supported sims are opened, or you can have one exclusive
their LCD monitors. profile active all of the time.

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cpm1003.indd 61 2/9/2006, 9:46:31 PM

 Editing or creating a profile is simple and user friendly on the
surface but also allows for more advanced settings for the technically
minded. When you select a profile to be edited, the head, gauges, and
tracking windows pop up along with an edit window. The tracking
window shows what the TrackIR is “seeing”. It is very useful to see
if you are near the center of the screen when you are looking straight
forward so you can have the most amount of travel in each direction.
The tracking window also lets you make sure your movements are
not outside of the TrackIR’s field of view. A settings button on the
tracking window controls options like the TrackIR’s LEDs, light
filtering, position, and type of tracking dot. The head window shows
the TrackIR’s guess of your actual head position along with the
corresponding position that the profile would give you inside the
game. The gauge window shows the curve of each axis, where you
are physically tracked on the axis, and what value you would be in the
sim due to the curve. These three windows are quite useful for editing
your profile, but if you would like to tidy things up a bit, you can
select which ones do or do not appear with associated check boxes.

THE CURVE EDITOR

6 Degrees of Freedom
NaturalPoint added the Vector expansion for the TrackIR3 line. The
Vector is included with the TrackIR4 Pro. This adds four new axes in
which to move and manipulate the view. You can zoom in and out, lean
left and right, move up and down, and roll your head left and right. Add
in the original yaw and pitch axes that the TrackIR has always supported,
and you have 6 Degrees of Freedom (6DOF). This is achieved by a
new clip that attaches to a hat or even to some headset bands. The
clip has three curved reflectors that allow the TrackIR to track in three
dimensions. Full Vector support is not in all of TrackIR titles, but the
sims that do have Vector support add a whole new outlook.

GAUGES, TRACKING, AND HEADS WINDOWS

Profiles are adjusted in the TrackIR software through curves.

The curves control how much your movement in magnified by
the software. Preset acceleration curves are included for quick
adjustment. These curves do a good job but they can also be used as a
basis to create a custom curve via the Curve Editor. The Curve Editor
allows for the whole curve to be shifted or specific points’ values to NATURALPOINT’S TRACKCLIP
be changed. Curves can also be made asymmetrical by disabling the
mirror option.
TheTrackIR4 Pro with Vector support really shines in FS2004. If
Like previous versions, the software allows the TrackIR to be you want to see a switch normally blocked from view by the yoke,
controlled by the use of hotkeys. These hotkeys allow the unit to be you can use the extra axes to change your view point and lean around
temporarily disabled if needed, re-centered if your view is off, or the yoke to see it. Checking what frequency you have in the radio is
allow you to switch to precision mode to focus on that tiny switch accomplished by leaning right and then moving slightly closer to the
or line up that elusive bandit. Keyboard keys, or the new option screen. Now you are looking at the radios up close and personal. Vector
of joystick buttons, can be assigned to these functions. You can completely revamps how view systems can be done since you are no
also control if the press is a toggle and if it is trapped, meaning the longer tied to a single point from which to only rotate your view. 3D
TrackIR software will not let the sim receive the button press. cockpit with Vector enabled is more useful since you can move your

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 REVIEW
view to zoom in on a specific switch and give you a feeling of actually
being inside the cockpit. It made me think I almost didn’t need to have
built my home cockpit. However, a sim must have a robust 3D cockpit
system in order to take full advantage of Vector. Some of the other
titles that support all 6 axes are Aces High 2, Battle of Britain 2, and the
not yet released Lock On: Black Shark add-on. There are a few other
sims that are Vector enabled but don’t support all six axes, like Combat
Flight Simulator 3, that has the head roll axis disabled.

While you won’t get to have outrageous fun looking at minute

parts of the cockpit or leaning around that canopy frame blocking
your view of the bandit, Vector does help in regular 2 axis only sims.
This is due to the TrackClip providing 3 points to track instead of
the single dot point of earlier releases. As a result, tracking is much
smoother and accurate with the Vector TrackClip, making it handy in
all TrackIR enabled games.

THESE TWO IMAGES SHOW HOW THE TRACKIR4 CAN ROTATE UP AND
TrackIR supported titles: DOWN TO ACCOMMODATE DIFFERENT MONITOR HEIGHTS AND ANGLES

Aces High 2 (Vector)

Rowan’s Battle Britain NaturalPoint Support
Battle of Britain 2: Wings of Victory (Vector) Overall, the support form NaturalPoint is very good. The online
Colin McRae Rally 2004 (Vector) manual included with the TrackIR4 Pro covers most users’ questions
Combat Flight Sim 3 (Vector) and issues. NaturalPoint does have public forums to post bigger issues
Condor Soaring and chat with fellow users. Their support staff are helpful and quick
Cross Racing Championship (Vector) to respond in most cases, both on the forums and via email. Software
Enemy Engaged: Comanche vs. Hokum (Vector) updates are quite frequent as well, so most bugs are squashed
F1 Challenge rapidly and new games are supported when they are released. Most
Falcon 4.0 with TIRF4 utility or BMS .exe sim developers have worked with NaturalPoint to add, at the very
Falcon 4.0 Allied Force least, basic TrackIR support. NaturalPoint is active in persuading
Flight Simulator 2002 developers that Vector’s 6DOF is the way of the future, so look
Flight Simulator 2004 (Vector) for better support for it in new software titles coming soon. While
GTR (Vector) TrackIR support is here to stay with the flight and racing simulation
GT Legends (Vector) communities, NaturalPoint is looking to break into the first person
Grand Prix Legends with GPLshift add-on (Vector) shooter market as well. So those of you that aren’t above taking a
IL-2 break from flying to run around shooting stuff may soon find looking
Jane’s F/A-18 with Ultimate Patch add-on around while running and gunning much easier.
Live for Speed
Lock On: Modern Air Combat A New Outlook…
Lock On: Flaming Cliffs add-on (Vector, zoom only) The TrackIR4 Pro is a great new piece of hardware. NaturalPoint
Lock On: Black Shark add-on (Vector) continues to improve their TrackIR line. While it may be frustrating
Micro Flight to some new TrackIR3 owners to see that they no longer have the
Rowan’s Mig Alley latest and greatest, it is refreshing for a controller company to develop
NASCAR Racing Season 2003 (Vector) better products and not rest on their laurels for years. The TrackIR3
NASCAR Sim Racing (Vector) Pro now lists for US$119.95. Then throw in an extra US$29.95 for
Pacific Fighters the Vector expansion and it makes the package only US$30 less
Richard Burns Rally than the TrackIR4 Pro. At US$179.95, the superior capabilities
rFactor (Vector) that the TrackIR4 Pro brings to the table are worth the extra $30
Silent Wings (Vector) in my opinion. It is a great upgrade for anyone that has an older
Star Wars Galaxies: Jump to Lightspeed TrackIR. Understandably, unless they have money to burn, I wouldn’t
Strike Fighters: Project 1 anticipate too many fairly recent TrackIR3 Pro owners with Vector
TOCA Race Driver 2 (Vector) running out to buy the TrackIR4 Pro. However, the TrackIR4 Pro may
Trainz still be worth it for a TrackIR3 owner that has limited space, a LCD
Virtual Sailor monitor, or uses mostly Vector titles. The hardware improvements,
Warbirds 2004 especially the larger field of view, make Vector more polished and
Wings of War (Vector) precise. For someone who is still stuck with the old point of view, the
Wings Over Vietnam TrackIR4 Pro will greatly enrich your flight sim experience. I promise
World War II Online it will become a required item on your before-takeoff-checklist.
X-Plane 8
The TrackIR4 Professional can be purchased from all good
Many titles can have work-around support through utilities such as flight sim retailers globally, or direct from NaturalPoint at
TIR2Joy, Keymapper, and Mouse Emulation. http://www.naturalpoint.com

63

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 Air-to-Air Combat in the Viper
BY MIKE GLYNN

O
ur series of tutorials thus far have been
solely related to the ground attack weapons
and targeting modes available for the F-16
in Falcon 4: Allied Force (F4AF). While there is no
doubt that ground attack is useful - solid work and
a secret guilty pleasure for a lot of pilots - it would
not have escaped anyone’s notice that the “F” in F-16
actually stands for “Fighter”. So, this month we are
going to look at air-to-air fighting in the Falcon.
No one ever wants to fly a fighter just to drop bombs…
Modern fighters are brute power beasts that have sexy lines and
missiles that can reach out and really touch somebody. The “chicks”
really dig them!
Yes, we know that they can drop bombs BUT, the challenge of IS THAT ALL YOU GOT?
the manly (and increasingly womanly) art of air combat is the real
attraction of these warbirds.
These battles always go to the pilots with superior tactics,
Air-to-air combat is sometimes referred to as the “Sport of Kings”. knowledge and firepower. But like everyone else, they have to start
Who could argue? Where else can you pit multi-million dollar fire- with the basics and build from there. Let’s start with the main tool that
breathing monsters against each other in a three-dimensional, high you must master to have any hope of counting yourself amongst the
speed, close quarter knife fight? elite of the virtual fighter world, the radar.

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 There are four radar modes you can use for a BVR kill. Each
of these modes has sub-modes which you will also need to have a
working knowledge of. The first two are search modes used to find
bogey’s in preparation for engagement. The modes offer search
options in Range, Azimuth, Bar Scan and Radar elevation tilt.
RWS: Range While Search - The Range While Search mode
provides all-aspect (nose-on, tail-on) and all-altitude (look-up, look-
down) target detection. This is the most commonly used mode upon
nearing a hostile environment. It is a good balance of wide volume
and fairly rapid scan. This mode is often called “Raid” mode as it is
used to resolve (detect) multiple targets separated by less than the
antenna beam-width at long range.
A sub-mode of RWS is the Situational Awareness Mode (RWS-
SAM). In RWS mode a target can be “bugged” by placing the cursor
over the target and designating it with the “0” key in a similar
Air-to-Air Radar Displays fashion to designating a ground target. This places the radar into
The APG-66 radar fitted to the F-16 displays to the pilot via SAM mode: this mode allows you to track an individual target while
the MFD’s. Because the MFD’s are square and the radar beam continuing to monitor other targets within the radar cone.
emanating from the nose appears conical in plan form, the display LRS: Long Range Search - is used for larger, high value
must adapt, and hence the pilot must be aware of this adaptation. airframes (Tankers, AWACS, J-STARS) etc, out to a range of 160
The display is called a B-Scope display and it basically flattens out nautical miles. Most fighter sized targets, however, will not show up
information and radar returns close to the aircraft across the bottom in these modes until below approximately 40 nautical miles.
of the square MFD. Thus, a target on the top right of the screen will You also have an option of how much of the sky you can search in
be to the right of the aircraft and some distance away, but a return in these modes in azimuth. By pressing the F11 button you can toggle
the bottom right corner of the MFD may actually be on a collision through +/- 10, 30 or 60 degree wide portions of the sky. Be aware
course and just about to enter your cockpit! that these larger searches take time and you need to weigh their
effectiveness against the time taken.
Air-to-Air Radar Modes The airspace can also be scanned in steps or “bars.” A one bar
Contrary to popular belief, the close-in dogfight is a dying art form. search simply goes back and forward in azimuth. Stepping the
Ever since the advent of missiles in the late 50’s, the percentage of search up in bars takes longer, but a much greater area of sky is
kills achieved by cannons or even visual range missiles such as the examined. A two bar search will take twice as long as a one bar
AIM-9 Sidewinder is in solid decline. There are two main reasons search, and half as long as a four bar scan. Fighter pilots will
for this. One is the development of long range BVR (Beyond Visual generally use a four bar scan unless they know where the bandits
Range) missiles such as the AIM-120 “Slammer”. The other is the are, and then they switch to a two bar scan.
advent of sophisticated airborne radars that can pick up, identify and The final option you have is to tilt the radar using the F5, F6 and
facilitate the shooting down of intruders long before resorting to crude F7 buttons. Use F5 to point the radar down, F6 to center the radar on
gun-play is necessary. the aircraft’s current altitude and F7 to tilt the radar upwards.
TWS - Track While Scan or “Twiz” mode is used to
Whilst an AWACS (Airborne Warning and Control System) aircraft simultaneously track 16 targets whilst scanning for more. You enter
is always the ace-in-the-hole for modern aerial combat, the aircraft Twiz mode by toggling the F1 button. Twiz allows a smaller area to
carrying these advanced missiles must also have an advanced radar in scan than RWS, and a less solid lock on more distant targets. Targets
order to point their missiles in the correct direction. need to be individually designated by the radar cursor before the air-
to-air missiles will point at them. Once again, they are designated
There are modes on the F-16 radar for both BVR and Air Combat or “bugged” by using the “0” key on the keyboard. Once a target
Maneuvering (or visual) engagements. ACM modes help to point or is bugged, it receives a TD (Target Designator) box over it on the
cue the weapon at the target; BVR modes do the same thing but also HUD, or a locator line if it is not on the HUD.
help you find the target. The final BVR mode is VSR - Velocity Search while Ranging.
VSR mode is entered by toggling the F1 key and it turns the MFD
BVR modes are designed to fire the AIM-120 and AIM-7 Sparrow. B-Scope presentation into a modified A-Scope. An A-Scope simply
Since the Sparrow is not modeled in F4AF, let’s have a quick look at shows closure or “overtake”. There are two scales on the left side
the premier BVR missile, the AIM-120 Slammer. of the A-Scope - 1200 and 2400. Targets locked in VSR mode show
azimuth but no range. Their rate of closure can be judged by their
AIM-120 “Slammer” relative position against the scale.
The AIM-120 was developed from a requirement to replace the AIM-
7 Sparrow. The missile is faster, smaller and lighter, and has improved ACM or Visual Modes and Weaponry
capabilities against low-altitude targets. It incorporates active radar The AIM 9 Sidewinder - Two versions of the heat-seeking AIM-
with an inertial reference unit and micro-computer system which makes 9 are modeled in Falcon 4 AF, the AIM 9M all-aspect version
the missile less dependent upon the fire-control system of the aircraft. and the AIM-9P rear-aspect version. The M model, compared
Once the missile closes on a target, its active radar guides it to intercept. to earlier models, has improved defense against infrared
This enables the pilot to aim and fire several missiles simultaneously at countermeasures, enhanced background discrimination capability,
multiple targets. The pilot may then perform evasive maneuvers while and a reduced-smoke rocket motor. These modifications increase
the missiles guide themselves to their targets. Used effectively, the the ability to locate and lock onto a target and decrease the
Slammer has a 95% PK (Probability Kill). missile’s chances for detection.

65

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 Vertical Scan Mode
.
Dog fighting involves high g maneuvering in an attempt to get on
the tail of an opponent for the optimum shot. Vertical Scan mode is
therefore a highly useful mode in this kind of tail chase as it allows
the radar to lock up targets on the aircraft’s lift vector. The radar
sweeps from 10 degrees below the gun cross to 50 degrees above it
and 10 degrees either side. This mode can also be used when your
energy state is such as to not allow getting the nose to bear on to
a target. This mode will let you lock up a wily opponent in such a
situation and let loose a missile at him.
I

h
AIM-9M AWAY!
t

The AIM-9P in real life is either a B/E or J rebuild or all-new “

Pe
and offers a new motor, fuse, and better reliability. It has greater
engagement boundaries enabling it to be launched farther from the
target. The more maneuverable P model also incorporated improved
solid-state electronics that increased reliability and maintainability. ro

ACM Radar Modes

There are also four ACM radar modes. The main difference for the
pilot when you use these is that you are now in visual contact with the
bogeys and wish to ruin their day with a Sidewinder shot.

HUD Scan Mode S

This mode sweeps through 30 X 20 degrees, basically the area of sky
that the HUD covers. It is a slower scanning mode than say, Boresight,
and hence less useful when time is of the essence in a dogfight.

Slewable ACM Mode

This is a useful mode that is mainly used to clear an area you are
about to fly into, instead of locking up targets. The mode provides
a moveable or slewable area of some 20 X 60 degrees. When you
enter the mode you get a vertical cross, similar to Boresight mode,
but somewhere on the cross will be a circle that represents the center
of the scan pattern. This mode is entered into in the same way as
described above. Once there you can move the scan pattern by A
operating the arrow keys on the keyboard. The circle on the cross
will show you the center of the search area. The radar takes time to
complete a search so move the circle slowly or else some targets D
p
might be missed.
The main use for this feature would be to clear your egress airspace
after a fur-ball, or possibly for when you receive a RWR (Radar H
SIDEWINDER LOCKED ON TARGET Warning Receiver) indication that is within 60 degrees of your nose.
Modern fighter pilots spend a great deal of their non-flying time in
the simulator or in special purpose-built radar simulators in order to
ACM radar modes are called up in the following way:- bring up the hone their radar useage skills. It is an intrinsic part of their arsenal.
Combined radar mode by pressing one of the three middle buttons on A pilot with good radar skills cuts down the need to showcase his
the bottom of the MFD. Then push OSB1 until ACM appears. The dogfighting skills by using modern radars and weapons to hold the
modes can be cycled using the F11 button. enemy at arms length. Falcon 4 AF has excellent training missions
packaged to allow you to develop mastery of this invaluable tool. I
Boresight Mode commend them to you as time well spent.
This is a commonly used mode that points the radar beam straight Next time we will get in to the real nitty gritty of BFM and ACM.
out from the nose and locks, precisely, any target within 10 nautical I hope to give insights from some real fighter pilots in how they go
miles. This mode has an extremely tight scan pattern and once a target about the business of modern air combat. Until then keep your heads
is locked, a TD box is placed around it. on a swivel and lock up those bandits!

66 CPM. V10I3

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 COMING UP...
...in the April 2006 Issue

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Modding the Cougar why!
you already subscribe – to Computer Pilot. Each month, we will choose the
Matthew Edwards continues our cockpit building series of articles. This time out best letters with the best angle/take on a flight simulation topic and publish
he takes a look at how you can make modifications to the Thrustmaster Cougar to them in our Inbox column.
achieve better functionality and easier control of your virtual fighter jets. Some of
Stearman
the theory can be applied to applying “mods” to other branded controllers as well.
Kaydet Have Your Say!
FS2002/FS2004
Many Aircraft/Panel/Scenery
articles appearing in Computer Pilot magazine are a direct result of
Flying the Memories
“It was April 1, 2001, “April Fool’s Day”, but for Lt. Shane Osborne, Senior your emails and feedback. If you have a topic you would like us to cover, or
chief davstea1.zip
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Petty Officer Nicholas Mellos, and the other 22 members of Squadron Authors:
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Louis Sinclair
the “World Watchers” it was a serious business day. Earlier in the dayAvailable we will do
they hadFrom: www.flightsim.com our best to address request/feedback. Send your comments,
departed the USAF Base at Kadena, Okinawa on an aerial surveillance mission. article ideas or suggestions to [email protected]
They were flying an U.S. Navy EP-3E Aries II Electronic Surveillance Plane While we may not be able to personally answer them all, we do read every
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magazine!
showing the Kaydet in Army Air Corp colors, and there are five other liveries included in
The Theory of Ground Effect the FS2004 version. The military trainer versions include little in the way of avionics - true
We have covered this to some degree before, but Chuck Bodeen re-explores
the theory and ground effect in more detail and shows some very interesting
examples of the effect in process, even for helo pilots!
Exploring the Flight Envelope
So, you download a new type and find that the documentation isn’t so hot. How
do you find out what the numbers are? The V speeds, the cruise speed,
power settings and fuel consumption? You test fly it to a schedule and create
performance charts and graphs. You end up with a set of performance figures
just as real world test pilots do…
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cpm1003.indd 67 2/9/2006, 9:46:56 PM
 FLYI N G T H E H E A V I E S !
ENGINE OUT
ASYMMETRIC FLYING

2. YAW 1. THRUST

CAPT. CHARLIE VICTORIA

RESULT IS
LEFT YAW

I x
n a multi-engined aircraft ‘Asymmetric Flight’
occurs when the thrust from each wing differs. CENTER OF
We call this ‘Asymmetric Thrust’, and this GRAVITY
will happen if you experience an engine failure. ENGINE FAILURE!!!
This month we take a look at the challenges of
Asymmetric Flight.
During a takeoff with full thrust applied (or in a missed approach
and climb out with full thrust applied) the result of an engine
failure may be dramatic! The aircraft’s nose will try to yaw (right
or left, depending upon which engine has failed), and the aircraft’s
performance will decrease (i.e. climbing performance will decrease;
ENGINE FAILURE WILL CAUSE A YAW UNLESS YOU COUNTERACT THIS YAW
airspeed may decrease).

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 FLYING THE HEAVIES

If the engine failure occurs when you are cruising at a high level
with lower cruise thrust applied (i.e. not takeoff thrust), you have
more time to sort things out in terms of:

• attitude (pitch and roll);

• airspeed; and
• altitude.

Losing altitude at cruising levels (e.g. 35,000 ft) is not as critical

compared with flying at a low altitude during the takeoff or approach,
or flying just above high mountains.

In preparation for a possible genuine engine failure (which you

hope will never occur, but it may), we often practice these sorts of
emergencies in the flight simulator. In thirty years of flying, a friend
of mine has never experienced an engine failure, not even one, yet KEEP THE AIRCRAFT IN BALANCE BY KEEPING THE BALANCE BALL CENTERED

another friend has had 10 engine failures in 10 years! Be prepared.

Practicing ‘Asymmetric Flight’ is often referred to as ‘ASSY’. In Stability

my experience, every flight simulator session includes at least one A stable aircraft is easier to fly and is more comfortable for all
engine failure. onboard. An aircraft’s stability is its ability to return to its original
attitude (e.g. pitch attitude, roll attitude, direction) if for some reason
its attitude has been disturbed.
Normal Flight
The term ‘Normal Flight’ means ‘all engines operating’ (AEO) ‘Lateral Stability’ is an aircraft’s stability in its rolling plane (also
with the thrust being provided symmetrically, i.e. equally to both known as its lateral plane). It refers to banking or rolling the wings
engine pods. For example, a twin-engined Boeing 737 normally uses around the aircraft’s longitudinal axis (i.e. the axis from nose to tail,
equal thrust from Engine 1 (on the left wing) and Engine 2 (on the passing through the CG).
right wing). A three-engined Boeing 727 normally uses equal thrust
from Engine 1 and Engine 3 (the outer engines), plus thrust from the ‘Longitudinal Stability’ is an aircraft’s stability in its pitching plane
central Engine 2. A Boeing 747 normally uses similar thrust from (also known as its longitudinal plane). It refers to pitching the nose up
Engine 1 and Engine 4 (i.e. B747’s outer engines), and Engine 2 and or down around the aircraft’s lateral axis (i.e. the axis from wingtip to
Engine 3 (i.e. B747’s inner engines); which means symmetrical thrust wingtip, passing through the CG).
from each of the two wings.
‘Directional Stability’ is an aircraft’s stability in its yawing plane
(also known as its directional plane). It refers to the aircraft yawing
its nose left/right around the aircraft’s normal axis (also known as its
vertical axis, which is vertical when the aircraft is flying straight and
level). The normal axis passes through the CG and is perpendicular
(i.e. normal) to the other two axes, i.e. the normal axis is perpendicular
to the lateral axis and longitudinal axis.

YAW

ROLL
LONGITUDINAL AXIS
NOSE TO TAIL
(ROLLING PLANE)
LATERAL AXIS
WING TIP TO WING TIP
(PITCHING PLANE)
PITCH

NORMAL SYMMETRICAL FLIGHT PITCH

NORMAL AXIS
PERPENDICULAR TO THE OTHER TWO AXES ROLL
In normal flight the pilot tries to achieve a comfortable flight for (YAWING PLANE)
the passengers and crew, with everyone sitting firmly on their seat
and not being thrown to the left or right. The pilot achieves this by
keeping the aircraft ‘in balance’, by manually using foot pressure YAW
on the rudder pedals to keep the ‘balance ball’ in the center, or
automatically by using the autopilot. STABILITY

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 Moments The yaw caused by an engine failure in a three-engined aircraft
A ‘moment’ is a force which tries to rotate an object. The strength depends on the position of the failed engine. Failure of either Engine
of a moment’s levering effect depends on the strength of the force 1 or Engine 3 will cause more asymmetric thrust than the failure of
and its distance from the fulcrum (i.e. the point where the lever is center Engine 2.
supported, balanced, or turned around). A force acting on an aircraft
tries to rotate it around its Center of Gravity (CG). The rotational The Cessna 337 has two engines which are in line, with no
effect of a force is known as its levering ‘moment’. distance between the two engines and the aircraft’s longitudinal axis.
Therefore, the failure of either engine will cause little asymmetric
MOMENT = distance from the CG x force thrust, and therefore little yaw. Engine failure will, however, cause a
decrease in the C337’s performance in terms of airspeed, and possible
The term ‘yaw’ means to rotate the aircraft left/right around its climb rate.
normal axis (also known as its vertical axis). The stronger the thrust,
and the longer its distance from the longitudinal axis, the stronger the Engine failure in a B767 results in asymmetric
yawing moment. thrust
Failure of the left engine allows the operating right engine to yaw
Thrust from a B737’s Engine 1 tries to yaw the aircraft to the right the aircraft’s nose to the left. Failure of the right engine, however,
(i.e. clockwise). allows the operating left engine to yaw the aircraft’s nose to the right.
Thrust from a B737’s Engine 2 tries to yaw the aircraft to the The pilot can prevent the yawing left or right by using appropriate
left (i.e. counter- clockwise). If the B737’s Engine 1 provides the rudder inputs.
same thrust as its Engine 2, the two moments will cancel out and
the aircraft’s nose will not yaw, i.e. the aircraft is in balance. In this
situation, the resultant moment is zero, causing no unwanted yaw. NOSE YAWS TO THE LEFT
The term ‘balance’ means ‘a state of equilibrium’ or ‘state of rest’.

NO RESULTANT YAW YAW CAUSED BY

ENGINE 2
THRUST

YAW CAUSED BY YAW CAUSED BY ENGINE 1 ENGINE 2

ENGINE 1 ENGINE 2 FAILED!!! THRUST
THRUST THRUST MOMENT
EQUALS
ENGINE 1
THRUST
ENGINE 2
THRUST
MOMENT
x CG FORCE
MULTIPLIED BY
EQUALS
DISTANCE
FORCE RUDDER PEDALS
CG
MULTIPLIED BY
DISTANCE FROM
RUDDER PEDALS CENTER-OF-
GRAVITY
ZERO RUDDER

ASYMMETRIC THRUST CAUSES YAW

ZERO RUDDER

If Engine 1 fails, the clockwise moment will be reduced, maybe

to zero. The moment from the operating Engine 2 will try to yaw
NORMAL FLIGHT WITH BALANCED MOMENTS
the aircraft’s nose to the left (counter-clockwise, as seen from the
cockpit). You can counteract this by applying right rudder pressure
(maybe a lot of right rudder) to avoid unwanted yaw, and you can use
Engine failure in a multi-engined aircraft can ailerons to still fly wings level.
cause asymmetric thrust If you apply too much right rudder however, the aircraft will yaw to
In a four-engined aircraft, engine failure of an outer engine will the right. If you do not apply enough right rudder, the aircraft will yaw
cause a stronger asymmetric thrust moment than the failure of an to the left.
inner engine, because an operating outer engine has a stronger The pilot’s skill lies in the ability to apply the exact amount of right
moment. The tendency of a thrust force moment to yaw the aircraft rudder, not too much, not too little… finding the balance is the key.
depends on: ‘Moment’ = thrust x distance from CG. The further the Maintaining magnetic heading after an engine failure requires good
thrust is to the aircraft’s longitudinal axis, the stronger the moment, pilot skills! If Engine 1 fails, you need right rudder; if Engine 2 fails,
and therefore the stronger the yaw. you need left rudder.

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 FLYING THE HEAVIES

NO RESULTANT YAW Minimum controllable airspeed (Vmc)

‘Vmc’ is the ‘minimum airspeed at which a pilot can maintain both
YAW CAUSED BY
YAW CAUSED BY directional control and lateral control with one engine inoperative’.
AERODYNAMIC
ENGINE 2 During the certification flights (before the aircraft is cleared for
FORCE BY
THRUST normal use) Vmc is demonstrated by the test pilot with the aircraft’s
RUDDER
critical engine inoperative, and with the other engine operating at full
thrust (i.e. providing maximum yawing moment). Without changing
ENGINE 1 ENGINE 2 the thrust situation, the pilot gradually reduces the airspeed and uses
FAILED!!! THRUST the flight controls (rudder and ailerons) to try to counteract the yawing
moment from the operating engine and prevent rolling. The lowest

x CG
MOMENT
EQUALS
speed at which directional and lateral control can be maintained is
Vmc, the Velocity Minimum Controllable. On the AirSpeed Indicator
(ASI) in the cockpit, Vmc is shown by a red radial line.

FORCE
RUDDER PEDALS MULTIPLIED BY
DISTANCE

RIGHT RUDDER
AERODYNAMIC FORCE BY
RUDDER (CAUSES YAW TO
THE RIGHT)

FAILURE OF B737’S ENGINE 1.

LEFT YAW CAN BE COUNTERACTED BY RIGHT RUDDER
Vmc
If, for some reason, you reduce the thrust from the operating
Engine 2, you will have to reduce the right rudder to maintain
heading. If you increase the thrust from the operating Engine 2, you MINIMUM CONTROLLABLE AIRSPEED (VMC)
will have to increase the right rudder to maintain heading.

NO RESULTANT YAW FLYING WITH ASYMMETRIC (‘ASSY’) THRUST

YAW CAUSED BY Wings level: using rudder to counteract
YAW CAUSED BY AERODYNAMIC
ENGINE 1 ‘Assy’ yaw
FORCE BY If you decide to fly wings level after an engine failure, you must
THRUST RUDDER counteract the asymmetric thrust with rudder. You would have to
keep the wings level with ailerons. With the right engine inoperative,
ENGINE 1 ENGINE 2 you would need left rudder, and right aileron. With the left engine
THRUST FAILED!!! inoperative, you would need right rudder, and left aileron.

MOMENT
EQUALS
CG
x
FORCE FORWARD RIGHT
RUDDER PEDALS THRUST ENGINE
MULTIPLIED BY
FAILED!!!
DISTANCE

LEFT AILERON x RIGHT AILERON

LEFT RUDDER
LEFT RUDDER

RUDDER (CAUSES YAW TO

THE RIGHT)

FAILURE OF B737’S ENGINE 2.

RIGHT YAW CAN BE COUNTERACTED BY LEFT RUDDER USING RUDDER TO COUNTERACT ‘ASSY’ YAW

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 Using side slip (not rudder) to counteract Optimum Vmc with asymmetric thrust occurs
‘Assy’ yaw with 5 degrees bank into the operating
With an engine out, you can still fly your aircraft in a straight engine, with no side slip, with rudder force
line without the use of rudder, by side slipping the aircraft into the balanced by part of the aircraft’s weight
operating engine, i.e. bank into the operating engine. You could do At 5 degrees bank into the operating engine the lateral rudder
this by using the ailerons to lower the wing of the operating engine. forces are balanced by part of the aircraft’s weight, and there is no
The aircraft’s natural directional stability is for the aircraft to drop side slip. Therefore, there is no extra drag, and there is no need for
in the direction of bank. In the case of an engine failure, the yawing aileron input.
force from the thrust from the operating engine would be opposed by
the aircraft’s natural directional stability to pull the nose in against the All of the rudder deflection is used in a useful matter to counteract
asymmetric thrust. However, using ailerons to lower the wing of the the asymmetric thrust. This is the best setup in critical situations,
operating engine, and side slip the aircraft without rudder is not the e.g. engine failure during takeoff, in terms of aircraft performance
most efficient way of flying with one engine inoperative, because: and Vmc.

• the positioning of the ailerons reduces the aileron movement Conclusion

available to you to control the aircraft laterally; If both engines on a B737 fail, you are having a bad day!
• it increases drag; and Parachutes are not normally provided. Of course, you would try to get
• it decreases aircraft performance. at least one engine operating, or both. If this is not possible however,
you would have to glide down for a forced landing, hopefully on
a prepared runway with ambulance, fire trucks, etc. available. Of
MOMENT DUE course, having no thrust is worse than having asymmetrical thrust
RESULTANT YAW ZERO TO THRUST from a still operating engine.
SIDE-SLIP
A good example of total engine failure is the “Gimli Glider” – a
B737 which ran out of fuel at an altitude of 40,000 ft in Canada
LEFT WING in July, 1983 (for various reasons which we will discuss in a later
DOWN
article). After some basic crew resource management (CRM) errors
(LEFT
AILERON (e.g. ‘running out of fuel’) the captain and co-pilot did a good job
UP) MOMENT DUE to glide the B737 without thrust to a safe landing at Gimli Airport,
TO SIDE-SLIP a former airbase in Manitoba, Canada. The term ‘glider’ means the
escent without the use of power’, hence the name “Gimli Glider”.

RELATIVE
AIR-FLOW
RIGHT
ENGINE
x Keep on smiling!
Charlie Victoria
FAILED!!!

RIGHT WING
UP (RIGHT
AILERON
DOWN)

AERODYNAMIC FORCE
DUE TO SIDE-SLIP
RIGHT
USING SIDE SLIP (NOT RUDDER) TO COUNTERACT ‘ASSY’ YAW
ENGINE
FAILED!!!

FORWARD
THRUST x
LEFT RUDDER
AERODYNAMIC FORCE
DUE TO LEFT RUDDER

BEST SETUP FOR A B737 AFTER ENGINE FAILURE DURING TAKEOFF

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 A Wishlist for FSX
F S X
BY PETER DODDS

A
grown man of my extended years (as a baby I and went, with no news of a new release for Christmas 2005. Then
could hear bombs dropping on Birmingham) in early January this year, Microsoft announced that a new version
shouldn’t really do such things, but on the would be released in late 2006.
So it’s a bit late for a wishlist, I suppose, but a look back at
morning of 2nd August 2003, the day that FS2004 was what has happened in the last few years ought to be a pointer
launched I was on the doorstep of my local computer to what ought to be in the new FSX, if development has been
store the moment it opened. I had been running FS98 customer led, as it should be. The three main areas of development
until only a couple of months previously, because my in recent years have been the expansion of photographic scenery,
more and more complex (and realistic) aircraft, and multiplayer
PC wasn’t man enough for anything more. I already
systems.
had FS2000, which my wife had bought me for my
birthday, and I upgraded my PC just afterwards and That’s My House Down There
installed it. But everyone was by now saying how good Photographic scenery is a big resource load, needing a computer
FS2002 was. With FS2004 around the corner, and no with a lot of grunt in just about every department. For VFR flight
over familiar country, though, there really is no equal. Virtual
price reduction for the almost superseded FS2002 pilots can explore views they only otherwise see from the ground;
anywhere to be found, I was forced to wait until the real world pilots can use it to practice accurate VFR navigation.
date of release, when wild horses wouldn’t stop me. Surely, the pilots of stratospheric aircraft, though, have no interest
in such detail? Do they bother with it at all, or do they buy it
It is Coming! because, homeward bound from some far flung cyber-nation, they
Throughout 2005 I had heard no whisper of another new FS, descend through the cloud base on the ILS to see a familiar and
which hitherto had been published at approximately 2-year comforting landscape? The reasons may be many, and though as
intervals since I first bought FS4 in 1989, so I wondered what Gigabyte-hungry as it may be, expect to see more and more parts
was going on in the Microsoft design shop? August 2nd 2005 came of the world covered by such scenery.

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 I suspect there will be changes to the way scenery is built,
moving, large parts of FS2004 to XML form. If so, then for third
party scenery designers the learning curve will start once again, as
it has before, and new design software will have to be developed.
Fortunately, this never seems to have been much of a handicap in
the past because there is no shortage of fine software writers who are
also FS enthusiasts willing to take on such tasks. One positive aspect
in recent years to help in this task has been the release of Software
Development Kits (SDKs) from Microsoft explaining the structure of
FS and how to write software to hook into it. No longer do we have
to sweat for hours over hexadecimal printouts of the code, trying to
reverse engineer the software.

We Want the Hump In The Middle

Finally, may I echo a plea from thousands of Flight Simmers. Can
we have runways which follow the terrain please? Pretty please?

1000 FPM CLIMB - NEVER IN A MONTH OF SUNDAYS!

For aircraft design, Gmax has been the tool of choice, but now that
Discreet have stopped supporting it, MS will probably be forced to move
on to a new design tool. If so then I hope that they will be generous enough
to include this in the package as they did Gmax in FS2004. Oh – and can
they please give us both sides of an aircraft in the default aircraft textures,
so that if we do our own repaints, any asymmetric tail logo or lettering
we choose to use doesn’t come out as a mirror image if you happen to be
looking at the right hand side of the aircraft.

BIGGIN HILL - BUT NO HILL - JUST A FLAT RUNWAY AND CLIFFS

Aircraft for Rivet-Counters

When almost every aircraft ever built that is still worth flying has
been modelled for FS, what do you do? You make them better, that’s
what. In the model railway world they started with simple tinplate
clockwork engines, and ultimately built perfect scale replica steam
driven locomotives, in which every lever, valve and gauge worked,
and which took years to build. Some of today’s FS aircraft are almost
to that standard, the limitation being largely FS itself, although there MIRRORED TAIL ART
are many undocumented things you can do with it if you “know”.
Almost beyond the technical and time resources of single designers,
many of the more complex aircraft are now often built by teams of Build Your Own Office
experts – I was going to call them “enthusiasts” but today they are Under the overall topic of aircraft design, there is a slightly
much more than that. Be assured that computer aircraft builders will different specialist branch - the cockpit builders. If you have never
be creating models right up to the technical brink of the software they had the opportunity to sit at the controls of a life size, fully working
run on for a long time to come. replica, then you must get yourself to a Flight Simulator Exhibition
Top of my wishlist in this area though is the plea for more accurate somewhere. In the UK, for example, there are two national events
aerodynamics in the default aircraft. The default Cessna 172 is far annually, and invariably someone brings a replica cockpit. I have
more lively in the climb than a real one, and dives like a brick in flown a Cessna 152 and a Piper Cherokee that were so real I had to
a turn unless you hold the yoke back quite a bit, and then bounds pinch myself, with genuine Cessna and Piper parts, including those
up again when you straighten out. This is wrong, and I can say so trademark rudder pedals. I have sat in the left hand seat of a 747 in
with authority since I fly real ones too. FS doesn’t use aerodynamic which everything in “the office” was replicated. It cleverly used small
mathematics to create its flight models, and although it’s a subject computer monitors to reproduce the ‘glass cockpit’ instruments, and
way outside my expertise, I have to ask, why not? The aircraft the builder made the seats, control columns and instrument consoles
designers I know tell me that the flight models have actually gone individually. A good cockpit is as good as a scale model locomotive,
backwards since FS2002. Again, why? to repeat the model railway theme, except that it is usually full size.

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 Multiplayer - The Flight Simulator World-
wide Community
In 1991 with FS4, an Air Traffic Control program called TRACON,
a small office switchboard with 6 incoming lines manned by a young
genius for connecting telephone lines and modems, five friends and
I all flew Cessna 182s into London Heathrow. We could see each
other’s aircraft and “talk” to ATC via text, albeit just one aircraft
at a time. It was the first multiplayer ATC session in the UK to my
knowledge and was so technically complicated it was sadly never
repeated. However, since then, multiplayer has been my favorite FS
feature, and with the Internet and dedicated software, it is orders of
magnitude easier than in 1991!
As the Internet was born, so were the gaming zones. The FS ones
were OK but the joining process was a bit tricky and often FS crashed.
When the idea of on-line Air Traffic Control was finally tackled in
1996, ATC and Pilot Client software to allow multiplayer AND live
ATC outside of a Microsoft environment was finally created. This
software effectively launched both the world of virtual ATC and the
virtual “Airlines” such as Noble Air.

FSInn – Another On-line Pilot Client Package

FS moved on a couple of versions, but unfortunately the connectivity
and the Pilot Client software, written for FS98, didn’t for some years.
Several patches and interface utilities were needed to keep it all
working, making multiplayer activities increasingly and frustratingly
difficult and fragile. Finally, when the major online communities
launched new software in 2004 and 2005, multiplayer sessions
immediately became significantly easier and more robust. We reviewed
Squawkbox 3 for VATSIM in CP June 2005 and a newcomer in the
field, FSInn, also for VATSIM, was launched about the same time.
VATSIM is therefore unique among the on-line ATC communities, in
having two Pilot Client applications doing virtually the same job.

A REASONABLE BUT EXPENSIVE AVIONICS HARDWARE FIT

You might think that this is pipe dream for all but a handful of dyed
in the wool simmers with big garages. Not so it would seem, for a lot
of the equipment and avionics required is commercially available,
so the demand must be significant. Pushbutton panels such as radio
stacks are perhaps relatively straightforward to make, but to create
analogue gauges which function accurately using FS data linked to
stepping servomotors is another step nearer the frontier. These FS-
linked hardware goodies aren’t cheap, and the cost of building some
of these replica cockpits approaches the cost of building the real
thing.
On my list in this area would be the wish that demand for this
hardware increases such that the cost comes down, and more and
more units become available. I would also dearly love the makers
of control yokes for FS to make specific Piper, Cessna, Airbus and
Boeing models, but I guess that’s four times the tooling cost just for
starters. But beware – it is even harder to convince your wife that a
cockpit “is for our son” than to convince her that a model railway is! I
tested the idea out on my wife with predictable results. ALL THE FSINN SCREENS LOADED UP

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 SQUAWKBOX’S PAPER PLANES -
A SPITFIRE AND A CHIPMUNK, ACTUALLY.

DISCREET FSINN MINI-PANEL

So which is better? I will divert from my main theme for a moment

to explore this newcomer, and perhaps provide an answer to that
question. There are more similarities than differences between SB3
and FSInn, as you might expect, particularly since an update in late
2005 integrated the voice module into FSInn, as did SB3 from launch.
The screens of FSInn are quite different, using a themed display to
perhaps represent some piece of hardware, rather like FS2000 did. I
dislike this way of displaying computer data, but that’s just my view.
Mercifully, MS dropped this idea, and perhaps in time FSInn will.
However, FSInn does have a very neat mini-panel which tucks away
in a corner of the screen rather than the large green-bordered box of
SB3. If SB3 doesn’t recognise an aircraft type it displays a large and
very annoying paper airplane whereas in FSInn you can configure the
default aircraft type you wish to see.

FSINN FLIGHT PLAN

I prefer the way SB3 displays available ATC frequencies as a

simple list in the main window, whereas FSInn has a separate window
with added symbols to indicate various attributes which are not
actually important when flying. SB3 has a transponder window, with a
SQUAWKBOX MINIMIZED DISPLAY AND TRANSPONDER INTRUDE transmit light which is useful to check that you are indeed transmitting

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 on voice. FSInn does not, which I miss. It could so easily be added in
the ATC frequencies window, and perhaps will be in a future version.
The flight plan form in FSInn tries to mimic the real world but the
“form” is rather a scruffy piece of paper, not at all like the ICAO
standard Flight Plan Form, so I prefer the SB3 standard computer data
entry screen style. If you only use text to communicate with ATC you
might prefer SB3 in which typing ATC messages is a little simpler
than in FSInn. If you are using two computers, with FS on one and
the ATC software on the other, most of these differences become
unimportant. At the end of the day you just have to try both and stick
with the one you like best.

On-Line ATC in FSX?

FS2004’s ATC system is clever, but unrealistic outside the USA
because the dialogue is different and so are some of the flight rules.
However, the main disadvantage is that you can’t talk back, only
press keys to select from a HUD-type menu display. So will Microsoft
acknowledge the large number of on-line pilots using virtual ATC
over the Internet and build in a virtual ATC facility in FSX? Will they
also improve aircraft recognition across a network by passing out
more data so that the receiving FS user at least sees the correct type
of aircraft? Can we please see the registration correctly shown on
the side of other aircraft and under the wings instead of nothing as at
present? But please, MS, if you do this, make it configurable to access
all the world’s on-line flyers, not just those on Zone.com.

It would be very nice if one could really “sit” in another player’s

aircraft in FSX, and take control. For pilots who would like to fly
a complex aircraft with a First Officer, or for a newbie with an
Instructor, two players being able to fly one aircraft would be a logical
extension of the Multiplayer facilities. It would be a nice touch too if
the No. 2 crew could be positioned in the right hand seat, at least in
virtual cockpit mode.
NO REGISTRATIONS ON OTHER AIRCRAFT
I’d Pay More for More, Would You?
Of course, we must recognize that the majority of FS sales are
Multiplayer Problems and Enhancements to people who don’t want to get in too deep, and never go much,
On the ground you almost always see the other players’ aircraft if anything, beyond what comes in the box. So maybe there is a
either “hovering” or “sinking into the tarmac” by anything from a few good case for two versions – not the “hardly any different but more
inches to a few feet. It was there in FS2002, still there in FS2004! expensive” so called Professional version introduced for FS2002, and
This can sometimes be corrected by tapping the ‘Y’ (slew) key dropped again for FS2004 – but a truly different version with all the
twice, but not always. Can we have a key (Shift-Y?) to “calibrate” an added features I have mentioned for the enthusiast who would almost
aircraft’s contact points to the scenery? certainly be willing to pay extra for them.
The “Join as Observer” mode in Multiplayer is supposedly the
ability to sit in a connected player’s aircraft cockpit. Well, I can’t Moving Platforms?
get it to do that. It isn’t documented in the Learning Center either, And then there’s the rumour that FSX might be introduced in a
so I suspect it’s an earlier feature which has disappeared, perhaps parallel version for Xbox, Microsoft’s gaming console, to try and get
replaced by the Instructor mode. Instructor Mode does allow you ahead in the race with Sony’s Playstation. We already know that FSX
to watch another player’s flight on a map with a digital display of will be optimised for Windows Vista, the forthcoming 64 bit operating
flight parameters, but compared to sitting alongside the pilot in the system on the PC, but porting it to Xbox? Is that what the X stands
cockpit, as in FSNet, which we reviewed in December last year, it is for? I suspect I will have to stand in line outside my local computer
a poor cousin indeed. store on the morning of launch day to find out.

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 The “Ins and Outs” of Sim Flying
BY HANS BIGGELAAR

T
here is a near infinite variety of flight doesn’t take very long, the fascination quickly wears off. The next
step up is to add the first piece of hardware, like a joystick or yoke,
simulation programs, as well as flight simmers.
which may also include a throttle, etc. At least you can now “fly”
The former cover the range from the simplest the airplane. The ailerons for bank control and the rudder for yaw
and most inexpensive, to full-motion, multi-million control are usually still coupled, and although that makes all turns
dollar simulators as used for airline flight crew coordinated, i.e. just the right amount of rudder for the amount of
training. But your flight simulation experience is a aileron deflection, in other words, it keeps the ball nicely centered,
you cannot handle crosswind landings or slips. The upside (pun
journey, one which can be a roller coaster ride. Join intended) is that it prevents inadvertently entering a spin, which is just
me as we explore the “Ins and Outs” and “Ups and as well since few simulators can handle the complex flight dynamics
Downs” of sim flying… of a spin with any kind of realism. Even the airlines’ simulators
cannot do that, but then they don’t train their B-747 and A-340 flight
Your introduction to flight simulation may start with just a software crews in spin recovery! So pretty soon you’ll want independent bank
program and the default airplanes, which must be “flown” with mouse and yaw control and thus need to add rudder pedals or a joystick you
and keyboard. That is obviously very unrealistic, and unless you are can twist. There is an option for that somewhere in the programs to
a six-year old who just likes to see the airplane crash, which usually calibrate and test that hardware.

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 DON’T TRY THIS IN THE REAL WORLD! SWINGING THE DOOR OPEN
DURING A FLIGHT OVER ENHANCED PHOTO-REAL SCENERY PROVIDED
BY THE MEGASCENERY PACIFIC NORTHWEST TITLE.

You have just discovered one of the characteristics of flight

simulator programs. The computer that handled action games so
easily appears to be inadequate for flight simming! It turns out that the
latter programs are by far the most demanding in terms of computer
performance. If you are seriously getting into flight simming in a big
way, you’ll be laying out some money for hardware upgrades, and that
means for the best video card and as much memory (RAM) as you
can afford. That’s even more important than processor speed, although
CARENADO’S F33A… JUST ONE EXAMPLE OF SOME QUALITY AIRCRAFT there again, the faster the better. Check out John Tavendale’s article on
ADD-ONS AVAILABLE FOR MICROSOFT FLIGHT SIMULATOR. building “Boom Boxes” elsewhere in this issue.

Back to the software. Scenery upgrades come in both freeware and

So what now? Just fire up the program, somehow stagger into the air payware versions, and you should make sure they are compatible with
and enjoy the scenery? If that’s your main interest, you’ll find there your flight sim program. What may work for FS2004 (FS9) doesn’t
are many ways to make this more enjoyable. There are lots of scenery necessarily work with FS2002, and wont work in X-Plane, and vice
add-ons that can significantly enhance the default scenery. The versa, in many cases anyway. Also, just in case you are not satisfied
amount of terrain detail you’ll see is usually expressed in terms of with the add-on, make sure you can uninstall it completely or de-
the mesh resolution, like the hole size in a screen, and the area that is activate it. There are also more specialized programs of this nature,
covered. This can be a small one, such as in any of the MegaScenery such as USA Roads, which is great for doing some “finger on the
titles or whole continents such as in FS Global 2005, or just the chart” flying from point to point at a relatively low altitude using road
Americas as in the RealScenery 2004 product. In the latter two, you’ll data or maps, e.g. 1500 ft AGL (Above Ground Level). What chart
be dealing with very large files, between 3 - 12Gb. That’s right… you may ask? And although you could do this with a road map or,
GigaBytes, so disk space is something to be concerned about. And by better yet , with a topo map, to put some real flying flavor into it you
now you may also be running into computer limitations. These files should get a Sectional Chart for the area you are interested in. Any
come on DVDs, not CDs, so you’ll need at least a DVD drive that pilot shop will have those. These cover large areas, typically several
can read DVDs. Ready to fly and enjoy all that very detailed scenery? states, and are named for the largest city in that area. Products like
What a disappointment. It looks more like small worms crawling over MegaScenery or VFR Photographic Scenery allow you to fly VFR
the screen and the whole thing is very jittery. with excellent accuracy in your sim.

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 You may find that kind of flying surprisingly difficult, and if so slow One more thing of great interest to flight simmers is the type of
down to 90 kts or so. Incidentally, this is typically the altitude and aircraft they want to fly. This may range from the small ones like
speed at which outfits like CAP (Civil Air Patrol) do their searches. the Cherokee 140, Cessna 150, Beech Bonanza to name just a few,
You may have seen the add-on, Civil Air Patrol Pilot, which has some to the B747 and A380 and everything in between. That includes
demos showing the different search patterns and allows you to fly floatplanes, flying boats, gliders, and even helicopters. If you think
them yourself. What makes this kind, actually any kind of flying in a the fixed wing ones are a challenge to fly, try a rotor type! Some of
sim difficult is that sims typically lack the inherent stability of the real these aircraft are included in the basic program or available from the
airplane. The latter tend to keep the attitude you put them in, at least for plethora of companies that supply every conceivable type of aircraft.
a few minutes. If you find yourself too occupied with the routine tasks Make sure though that they are compatible with your simulator
of flying, use the autopilot. Most programs have one, but you may need platform. Many such companies tend to concentrate on the visual
to read the manual first. By the way, how did you get your engine(s) aspects, what is somewhat condescendingly called “eye-candy”,
started? Most programs come up with the engine(s) running so you instead of on the flight dynamics.
don’t have to worry about that. However, if you want to make your
sim flying more like the real thing you’d want to start from scratch, All this, however, has only covered flying over terrain you
i.e. from pre-flight through landing and tie-down, and you really want can see, in other words flying VFR (Visual Flight Rules). If you
to do it right. Use a checklist and go through the whole routine, the inadvertently or intentionally end up in weather where you have
complexity of which you may find surprising. Having hardware that poor visibility and/or low ceilings, you’ll have to rely on just
allows you to throw actual switches and turn real knobs is much more the instruments, which you may have largely ignored so far. IFR
real than doing it all with keyboard and mouse commands. Several (Instrument Flight Rules) flying, as it is called, is a whole new world
companies supply that kind of hardware, such as Elite, ASA, GoFlight and involves becoming familiar with navigation equipment, both on
and others. That, however, involves some real money, typically several the ground as well as on board. This requires learning quite a few
thousand dollars. things and it should be done right or not at all. Incidentally, in real

SO YOU WANT TO FLY LIKE THE PROS HUH? WHERE DO YOU BEGIN WHEN FACED WITH A FLIGHT DECK LIKE THIS!

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 life the instrument rating, an add-on to your private certificate if
you wish, is considered by many to be the most demanding one to
obtain. If you are curious about what’s involved in real flying take a
look at the FAA’s PTSs (Practical Test Standards). Some programs
concentrate on that aspect, e.g. Elite and ASA and therefore their
programs provide only very sketchy scenery, although the runway
environment (especially the lighting) is usually rather accurate.
Well, in IFR you cannot see the ground most of the time anyway.
It’s interesting to note that if you have a sophisticated program, a
PCATD (PC Aviation Training Device) that is approved by the FAA,
which means software and hardware, you can actually log some
of your sim time as instrument time provided you do it under the
supervision of a CFI (Certified Flight Instructor) with an instrument
rating. This is a marvelous way to practice IFR including departures,
arrivals and approaches from and to airports for real life flying, and
it’s a lot cheaper and very forgiving when it comes to mistakes that
could be very serious in a real aircraft.

THE INSTRUMENT PANEL SHOWS THE SITUATION ALMOST AT DA

(DECISION ALTITUDE), JUST BEFORE THE AUTOPILOT IS DISCONNECTED.
NOTE THE DESCENT RATE, AIRSPEED, FLAP SETTING. THE DME SHOWN
IS FROM A NEARBY VOR SINCE THIS LOCALIZER DOES NOT HAVE DME
CAPABILITY. ALSO COMPARE THE COMM RADIO SETTINGS WITH THE
FREQUENCY LISTINGS ON THE APPROACH PLATE.

THE USUAL ARRANGEMENT OF THE PRIMARY INSTRUMENTS,

IMPLEMENTED WITH “STEAM GAUGES”

It is not at all unusual for seasoned instrument-rated pilots to

practice on their sim an approach to an airport they are unfamiliar
with or which requires a particularly demanding procedure before
they do it for real. You may want to take some ground school or at
least study that material before you take off in the “soup”. FS9 has a
lot of that built in which is taught by Rod Machado, an experienced
instructor. By the way, you’ll have a need for some more charts,
Low Altitude and especially Approach Plates. The latter come in two
flavors, NOAA and Jeppesen. They convey the same information,
even their format is very similar so the difference is in the details,
and which you use is largely a matter of personal preference. You can
THE APPROACH PLATE FOR THE ILS TO RUNWAY 5 AT KMHT, INCLUDED
buy those of course, any pilot shop will have them and you may have FOR COMPARISON WITH THE INSTRUMENT PANEL DEPICTING THAT
heard of Sporty’s, or get some from a pilot, since the charts expire APPROACH ABOVE.
every 56 days and real instrument flight is supposed to be done with
current charts, but for sim flying you can relax that rule. Jeppesen
makes a product called SIMCharts for flight simulator users that For VFR and for IFR flying, navigation is an important issue and
contains a stack of charts for selectable regions around the world. today, onboard GPS is becoming the standard. The latest aircraft
The charts are older ones, but they do match the same older database equipment, the so-called “glass cockpit”, doesn’t even include the well-
that FS9 used when it was first released. A very nice source for known round gauges, also referred to as “steam gauges”, except that
individual plates is the Airnav website, which allows free downloads the three most important ones - the AI (Attitude Indicator), Altimeter
in PDF format. When it comes to information in general, another and VSI (Vertical Speed Indicator) - are tucked away somewhere on
great source is the AOPA (Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association) the instrument panel in case the power goes off in the LCD panels.
website, although some of the more interesting information is for In real IFR that makes for a very rude awakening, incidentally. The
their members only. You don’t have to be a pilot or aircraft owner to so-equipped aircraft are referred to as TAAs (Technically Advanced
become a member though. Aircraft) and becoming familiar with their equipment means studying

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 several hundreds of pages of manuals. You’ll find that a sophisticated If you find VFR flying is getting too easy in your sim crank in
autopilot is part of the package, so make sure you study that manual some gusty winds and the challenge will increase significantly. You
as well. Some of these navigation equipment manufacturers offer don’t have to stop there and you can add low ceilings which vary in
simulators of their own. For instance, the Garmin company provides altitude as you fly along, as well as rain, haze, snow, etc. Better yet,
very good ones for their modern GPSs, which are all free downloads. the programs often allow including the current weather for your route.
Skirting the edges of a Kansas thunderstorm or a Florida hurricane can
be a real eye-opener and will convince you never to do that for real.

When flying along, be it VFR or IFR, are you distracted by the TV,
radio, kids, etc? Isolate yourself in a cockpit-like enclosure. These
are becoming more and more popular and there are companies that
supply these, and not just to flight schools. Turn your search engine
loose on cockpit enclosures and you’ll find a lot of them. You can see
an example on the Elite website. Now you are talking about some
serious money though. Part of this “environment” issue revolves around
how realistic the view is with just a single screen in front of you, with
instruments below and the forward view at the top. Dual screens, three
screens, many screens may help a lot with that. There are some extreme
examples of such setups, e.g. 13-screens connected to 7 networked
PCs! However, for just a dual screen configuration you won’t need that
much. Windows XP allows that and all you need is a double-headed
video card or two single-headed ones. Be sure though, if you buy a flat
screen monitor for the main view to get one with a fast response time,
THE “NEW LOOK” AS IMPLEMENTED IN THE “GLASS COCKPIT”. SHOWN like 8 ms or so. Once you have more than one screen you’ll find you
IS THE PFD (PRIMARY FUNCTION DISPLAY) OF THE GARMIN 1000. can “undock” many of the gauges, the radio stack for instance, or a GPS
and then move those over to the second monitor. Once you go beyond
that, you may prefer an FIP (Full Instrument Panel) which, as the name
implies, shows only the instruments and another screen with just the
outside view. How about side views as well, so you won’t need the left
and right arrow keys to take a quick peek out the windows? That means
more screens and PCs which must be networked. If you can afford that,
but it is beyond your level of computer expertise, don’t be discouraged,
there is a lot of free information available on the internet and be sure
to visit the various hardware builders’ forums online to find it. In order
to “post” your questions and not just read other people’s posts, you’ll
probably have to become a member of that group, but that usually just
means registering your email address.

As you can see… Flight simming is often not just a case of sitting in
front of your screen and flying carefree wherever you like. Well, you
can do that, but you are missing out on a much wider experience. The
trouble with expanding your sim is that it offers greater potential for
new issues to arise, requiring time to address them, and it empties your
THE MFD (MULTI FUNCTION DISPLAY) SHOWING THE “MAP” AS wallet a little more, but ask anyone that has gone beyond the basic sim
DEPICTED IN THE GARMIN 1000. THE TERRAIN CLEARANCE IS SHOWN setup and they will tell you the time and dollar investment has been
FOR 2000 MSL, WHICH IS AT LEAST 1500 FT ABOVE THE ELEVATIONS very worthwhile. The sim experience triples! Give it a go, and shape
OF THE DEPARTURE AND ARRIVAL AIRPORTS AS WELL AS THE ENROUTE
WAYPOINT. THE YELLOW COLOR INDICATES THE TERRAIN THAT IS your own flight simulator experience for the better.
BETWEEN 100 FT ABOVE AND BELOW THE FLIGHT PATH ALTITUDE.
SO, ALTHOUGH THAT MAY SEEM TO BE A COMFORTABLE ALTITUDE,
THE FLIGHT PATH GOES THROUGH SOME YELLOW AREAS AND THUS
IT IS POTENTIALLY HAZARDOUS AND AT BEST GIVES 100 FT TERRAIN
Some websites and companies mentioned in
CLEARANCE. THIS IS A TYPICAL PROBLEM WITH “DIRECT TO” FLIGHTS this article:
THAT DON’T USE AIRWAYS THAT HAVE CLEARLY INDICATED MEAS MegaScenery - www.megascenery.com
(MINIMUM ENROUTE ALTITUDES) FS Global 2005 - http://fsim.net/fsglobal2005/indexfsg.htm
USA Roads - www.flight1software.com/showcase/USARoads
PC Aviator - www.pcaviator.com
Now, there is another thing to consider. In the clouds, you don’t see Elite - www.flyelite.com
the other traffic unless of course you have TCAS, but in any case you ASA - www.asa2fly.com
must have filed an IFR flight plan and be in touch with ATC (Air Traffic FAA PTSs - www.faa.gov/education_research/testing/airmen/
Control). If not, you’ll lose your pilot’s certificate if you are caught. test_standards/
ATC can be part of the simulation too and it can be in the form of text Airnav - www.airnav.com
appearing on the screen or with voice. For the ultimate in that kind of AOPA - www.aopa.org
flying, fly your sim with other sim pilots over the internet. There are Garmin - www.garmin.com
kind souls out there who will provide (simulated) ATC in real time
using specific flight sim ATC software.

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