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Old 01-08-13, 04:24 PM   #31
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One year old, but still:

http://www.flightsimworld.com/forums...d-academic-50/

There have been three or four release versions since then.

I like this comment by someone: "It'S smoother, it is FSX looks with FS9 performance".

If I ever run into FSX problems again and need to reinstall FSX, I might try this one instead.
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Old 01-09-13, 07:33 AM   #32
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Wow I gotta say Prepar3d looks promising. But if I were to get it, Id be tempted to get proffesional for the more diverse aspect. Chances are if its being developed by LM that the birds should be realistic?? Hopefully they multi core support it so I can make use of all this POWAAA!!
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Old 01-09-13, 08:38 AM   #33
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I really think the Academic version makes more sense, even to someone like Sky who flies accurately (or does he?* ) with IMC shelling out four times as much seems a bit OTT for features that the casual sim pilot will never use.

And it's certainly not worth it to remove the small, unobtrusive watermark.

*I wholly understand that I have no room to take the piss here!
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Old 01-09-13, 08:55 AM   #34
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Herr-Berbunch View Post
I really think the Academic version makes more sense, even to someone like Sky
Öh - did I even mention the versions, not to say: objected to your hint? The full license costs 200, the academic license just 50 dollars. And 200 is a little hefty for just a small watermark being removed.

I had doubt about that a year ago or so, when I had not seen it on pics.

This is what it looks like, top right corner:

http://h13.abload.de/img/2012-4-14_21-11-47-61wheb0.png

No concern at all.
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Old 01-09-13, 08:59 AM   #35
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Alles klar, Herr Berbunch, I did not realize that Casey has posted and that you were answering to him.

Addendum: I occasionally stumbled over rumours that they are working on a Prepar3D 2.0, which may have DirX11 support, and maybe even multicore support. If my FSX holds out that long, and if that new one promises to run my many addons, I probably will wait for that.
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Old 01-09-13, 09:01 AM   #36
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Quote:
Originally Posted by USNSRCaseySmith View Post
Wow I gotta say Prepar3d looks promising. But if I were to get it, Id be tempted to get proffesional for the more diverse aspect. Chances are if its being developed by LM that the birds should be realistic?? Hopefully they multi core support it so I can make use of all this POWAAA!!
Keep in mind that this is in principle FSX with code optimizations. It is no new flight sim with all out new content. It looks and probably feels like FSX, but performs better on most systems. Addon planes made for FSX work with P3D, usually, this also idnicates that there is no all-out new flight model (more realsim") included. Although some new planes were added to it with various releases, on which I canot comment, I do not expect the FSX default birds to behave different.

Consider one or two really good plane addons for more realism. Say, one small-to medium and one medium to big sized aircraft, depending on your preferences. There is a reason why serious simmers avoid all FSX default planes completely. Save the 150 bucks for the pro P3D version and use that money on one or two planes, REX, ASE, and if you want: two or three sceneries of your most favourite destinations. Planes first, weather second, scenery and traffic third.

Buit first see if P3D works flawless on your system.
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Old 01-09-13, 09:14 AM   #37
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I use REX, do you know how Active Sky compares?
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Old 01-09-13, 09:30 AM   #38
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Okay so I just had an awesome experience.


Decided I wanted to fly in crappy weather so I flew from KLAX to KNTD (I think, it is actually Point Mugu, California) in fogged in weather. Wow, quite a pea soup at ground level. Quite interesting to take off in and fly above. And then I got to Pt Mugu, they directed me inland and to descend. . . riiiiight into a mountain.

That was more my fault though, I had it on autopilot to descend and hold 2,400 and should have known better but started messing with my GPS.

But they talked about the localizers and holding onto them. I know what they are from a quick google search, but how do I really use them with the ILS? Better yet, can either of you give me a quick run down on using ILS to land?? Usually I just use my GPS and look at the instrument feathers for the runways and try to get as close as possible to center.

The way they made it sound though, it seems like you should be able to use it with something in the cockpit??


And I looked in the FSX learning center and found nothing on the ILS and how to use it to land.
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Old 01-09-13, 09:31 AM   #39
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Herr-Berbunch View Post
I use REX, do you know how Active Sky compares?
REX for the main replaces textures, AS translates downloaded METARs into a weather environment in FSX. It does so in a way that I like more than in REX 2.0, which has a more rudimentary function on this. I bought AS evolution since it was a cheaper offer, but I would buy AS again and together with the new REX version, even for normal price. Of REX, I only use the texture randomizer, I think most users do not use any of its other functions.

ASE gets started before you start FSX. It then runs unobstruzsive in the background. By habit I then switch on default option to download weather in FSX every 15 minutes, but that possibly would not be needed, with ASE overwriting it anyway.

ASE creates more complex weather scenarios and more weather layers than FSX. REX+ASE imo is a must have combo like TrackIR or a realistic airplane addon.

---

For Flightplanning, I use FlightSim Commander 9.2. It alows online flyers to have their tracks saved and threedimensionally displayed in Goodle Earth.

Interesting for Casey, maybe: global scenery in FSX is altered in three ways: manipuilating the mesh, the te3xtures or the ölandclass. Mesh is the wireframe of the Earth surface, textures repalces the patterns by which it's locations are "painted", landclass is the structure in which these texture tiles are arranged to meet the layout of towns, streets, rivers, coastlines, woods, etc. The mesh can be improved by decreasing the distance between the nodes. This makes the modelling of the 3D surface smoother and more detailed. The title to look out for would be "FS Global". A general texture replacement would be "Ground Environment", available per continent. A general improvement of continental landclass would be "Ultimate Terrain". Of all these three, "Ultimate Terrain" easily - depending on settings - becomes the most hurting to frames, and I use it no more (but did in FS9 on my old rig with no problem). Decent hardware probably has no big issue with the other two. Ultimate Terrain is said to have quite a problem-rising potential for quite some users. I would not use it or the other two until you have some really strong hardware. An d even then it can cause troubles. That'S why it never became as popular again for FSX as it has been with FS9, where it was considered to be a must have. When it works, and in combination with Ground Environment, it however looks spectacular, especially the night light effects.

For high altitude flying, none of these addons is of big interest, however. I save the frames, therefore. Weather improving addons and airports sceneries are of more noticable value for IFR flyers.

These addons are no local sceneries, but have global effects on the FSX default scenery.
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Old 01-09-13, 10:03 AM   #40
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Quote:
Originally Posted by USNSRCaseySmith View Post
Okay so I just had an awesome experience.


Decided I wanted to fly in crappy weather so I flew from KLAX to KNTD (I think, it is actually Point Mugu, California) in fogged in weather. Wow, quite a pea soup at ground level. Quite interesting to take off in and fly above. And then I got to Pt Mugu, they directed me inland and to descend. . . riiiiight into a mountain.

That was more my fault though, I had it on autopilot to descend and hold 2,400 and should have known better but started messing with my GPS.

But they talked about the localizers and holding onto them. I know what they are from a quick google search, but how do I really use them with the ILS? Better yet, can either of you give me a quick run down on using ILS to land?? Usually I just use my GPS and look at the instrument feathers for the runways and try to get as close as possible to center.

The way they made it sound though, it seems like you should be able to use it with something in the cockpit??


And I looked in the FSX learning center and found nothing on the ILS and how to use it to land.
First: the radio and traffic control are really - messy in FSX. They can get you killed if you trust them blindly in a region with mountains. I fly a lot in the Alpes, so take my word for it. It's an AI - never forget that. However, when manually demanding a descend for lower flight level over mountains while dropping an IFR, they usually will reject any altitude you demand that puts you in reach of the mountain peaks. I do many approaches to Zurich, and often they call me for approaching from the SE to the NW. There are high mountain in the descent path.

The AP itself does not check for obstacles in your flightpath. If you tell it to descend and there is a mountain in the way, then the AP will get you diving right into it.

The only way is what the real guys do in real life, too: check a printed map before takeoff. Form a mental image of the destination's vicinity and what it looks like in elevations. Do not trust AP or TraCon blindly.

Some addon planes have a functional terrain radar. That'S nice. Others have a functional digital terrain map on their glass displays. You have the map option in the FSX menus. Adn then there are final approach charts, often by Jeppesen.

ILS approach: in brief. Tune in ILS frequency to NAV1 radio, and make it the active frequency. On your HSI tune in the precise (!) landing course of the runway. Then fly by the needles exclusively. If you want a full autoland, bring plane to intercept course for the landing course, and make sure it gets intercepted before you intercept the glideslope. Then hit the APR (Approach) button on the AP.

If it is an airliner, it might be different with the default ones, but I do not remember the default airliners, so keep that in mind. You usually have CMD-A activated, and do final approach via HDG mode. When ILS data has been entered, you set HDG course for loaliser intercept, hit the LOC button and LOC gets armed. The plane intercepts, and lines up with the runway, LOC message no longer armed but active. Once LOC has been intercepted you wait until you get signal for Glideslope being received (marker shows up), it should be ABOVE you (always intercept glideslope from below, never from above!), you are then ready to engage the APP mode and add the second autopilot for better redundancy (you cannot engage both autopilots outside the approach phase of the flight). Once the plane has intercepted the GS, it will start to sink to stay on the glideslope, and the APP mode changes from armed to active. You then only handle flaps and speed and gear yourself, also manually arm spoiler and chose an autobrake setting, the latter and flaps are choosen according to the tables (that you do not have ) - landing the plane does all by itself. Normally, autopilots get disengaged however, somewhere after sinking below decision height and beginning of flare. Autobrakes will be engaged by themselves if you armed them, but I'm not sure right now about the reversers. Switch off reverser when having reached 70 knots or so.

Switch off autopilot, flight director and or autothrottle once you are on the ground. I do not remember which of these the default airliners have. You will have problems taxiing when you leave them on.

If you use the GPS, as I know it from my addons the AP must be told - via a switch - that it should use the GPS as signal source, not the radio. Don't know how that is with default airplanes. Look for a switch on the panel reading something like "NAV/GPS". In airliners in FSX that by default have no functional FMC I think , it might be different - check the learning centre, I know that ILS and GPS get explained in there.

Localiser refers to the lateral orientation of the plane. The vertical orientation is called the Glideslope. For security reasons it is standard procedure that the localiser must be intercepted BEFORE you intercept the glideslope. If you are on glideslope before properly aligned to the runway, you may go into a descend while still doing heavy manouverings, and slam into the ground beside the runway. So: localiser first, glideslope second.

A proper FMC will take care of that by itself usually.


FSX -> Learning Centre -> Flight Planner
FSX -> Learning Centre -> Navigation -> several of the according sub chapters
FSX -> Learning Centre -> Autopilot
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Old 01-09-13, 04:34 PM   #41
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This is a comparison between the huge differences between the default 737 and the PMDG, the differences in autolanding the plane should be obvious and self-explanatory. Both also serve as nice tutorials.

This is the simplification used in FSX for the default 737.

Now autoland by using the GPS of FSX.


This is how it really is being done.
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Old 01-09-13, 08:22 PM   #42
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@Casey,

http://www.flightsim.com/vbfs/conten...g-ILS-Approach
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Old 01-09-13, 09:52 PM   #43
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Hmmm I just skimmed and Im kind of lost. Im going to re read in depth tonight and try to see if I can do your way of ILS landings. Wish me luck
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Old 01-10-13, 03:51 AM   #44
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Hmmm I just skimmed and Im kind of lost. Im going to re read in depth tonight and try to see if I can do your way of ILS landings. Wish me luck
Use the vids in posting #41, and the article I linked to last.

A good pilot does not react to but he is ahead of the present events, with his mental focus I mean. Forsee. Prepare in advance. Know what you will need to do in a couple of seconds, minutes. Know what the needles will show soon, do not just sit and watch them moving and then reacting. Prepare the plane in advance for the coming actions that you anticipated. Imagine your descend path. Imagine how your plane'S nose is rotating inside the compass circle. Imagine where the VOR, the NDB, the airfield is. Imagine how the strip is lined up in relation to you. Always have a moving map inside your head.

There are even rules of thumb by which pilots calculate/estimate how much distance they need to achieve so and so much climb or sink, or to decelerate or accelerate. I most of the time call Control for manual descend ahead of the flightplan's beginning of descend (which Control bases on), in order to avoid to excessive conflicts between what the flightplkan says and the more precise calculation my FMC is giving me. Else it all too often ends up with the plane needing to dive excessively to make it for the gliodeslope in time, and overspeeding the final approach limits.

And make this a rule for a beginning: First decelerate, then sink and keep the speed constant, use spoilers when needed, that is normal. Below 10000, your speed is limited to 250 knots, where airliners use 250 in climbs and 240 in descends. So: first get slower, then go into the descend. Set flaps according to what the PFD (the left display in the Boeings) is indicating in the speed tab. Flaps 1 you can give quite early, this setting needs the most time of all flap settings anyway to be reached. Have the plane lined up with the runway at minimum 5 miles, better 10, or even more when approach allows. Lower gear only when being lined up witgh the runway and having intercepted glideslope - or being close to intercepting glideslope. Have the spoilers armed so that they engage automatically on touchdown. Have the wheel autobreak armed (RTO during taxiing, as a rule of thumb for your purpose: 1 for long runways and light planes, 2 for heavily loaded planes and shorter runways, add one notch for wet runways, use setting three in extreme conditions, weather very bad or runway extremely short. However, I am not certain that the default Boeings simulate these differences. Reverse thrust after touchdown is used until the plane slowed down to 60-70 knots, then switch reversers off and start manual whell braking.

Descend speeds of more than 3500 feet vertical can lead to you being assigned for some serious cabin cleaning duty. Try to fly civil, try to descend with 2200-2500 ft/min maximum. I prefer to stay in the one-thousands and hundreds. While the airframe can take much more, passengers will be thankful.

Stay with the preset limits of the autopilot - try to avoid manual turns with more than 30° bank angle. Again, passengers will appreciate that.

Be prepared to go around. - Happened just yesterday to me, at Bari, so - even when you have routine, you can get struck by fate. I touched with the wheels while already being in TOGA and accelerating again. While unintended, it still was a perfect touch-and-go indeed. I messed up the flare and was too fast, couldn't get the nose down while there still was runway enough. I declared go around while still being in th air of course, hit TO/GA, HDG and SPD, and off I went again. - Lesson of it: when being on final approach, set your speed window on the MCP to the ref speed and your heading window to the course of the runway, so that when you need to go around, you just need to hit the TOGA and HDG button and the plane stays on course but automatically accelerates and climbs. Be ahead of the present moment, be prepared!
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Old 01-10-13, 06:14 AM   #45
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I'm going to have to stop flying VFR!
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