Installing CumulusX! And Sim_probe In FSX

In a previous post I wrote that two add on modules for Microsoft Flight Simulator X can indeed make it a very decent full scale soaring simulator. I also mentioned that it was a little difficult to get both add ons up and running smoothly, and promised to write another blog post on how to do it. Well finally here it is!

Peter Lürkens and CumulusX!

CumulusX^! creates thermal lift with appropriate clouds either on the fly, or every time you load a new environment, or glider with a wide variety of characteristics. Or you can choose from a custom-tailored list of thermals. Both allow joining in online sessions, with the guarantee of equal conditions for all participants. It adapts automatically and continuously to the FSX internal weather conditions even under real-weather-mode. Unlike regional static thermal generators, Cumulus X! Is dynamic and works the world over in FSX. Clouds are substituted for the "natural" or shall I say invisible birds circling in FSX.

It is a module which resides in your FSX folder and is activated either manually or with an autorun feature. Autorun is the way to go and necessary if you add the other companion module Simprobe.

Forster Lewis and sim_probe

Sim_probe is the other half of a realistic glider simulation in FSX. It adds slope lift in any suitable location. By setting wind velocity and direction in the FSX program sim_probe automatically provides realistic slope lift for your soaring pleasure. Using the FSX programmable API called simconnect, sim_probe can sample the terrain around the users aircraft and with the prevailing wind calculate the appropriate lift factor to apply to the user aircraft.

The end result is continuously variable highly detailed lift and sink affecting the user aircraft increasing the reality of the user experience. For ridge-soaring flights in gliders the sense of the lift within the flight simulator is almost tactile. For technical information and to down load both programs visit the following links.

http://carrier.csi.cam.ac.uk/forsterlewis/soaring/sim/fsx/dev/sim_probe/

http://carrier.csi.cam.ac.uk/forsterlewis/soaring/sim/fsx/dev/sim_probe/

Getting them both working can be a little difficult for the average guy or gal, and this is complicated by the fact that a few key bits of information are hidden or missing from the installation instructions. In one case there are three sample copies of an XML file to get the programs to autorun, all three are different, and one works if you edit it properly!

These programs are running on my computer with Windows XP service pack 3, service pack two is REQUIRED or neither will operate.

Install CumulusX! First.

Installation of CumulusX!

You need to be logged in as an administrator.

Important: Make backup
copies of the original "AirObjectVisuals.xml" in the Flight Simulator X root folder and the DG808S panel-configuration file at SimObjects\Airplanes\DG808S\Panel\Panel.cfg.

If you have previous installations of the new cloud model, named cloud2z.bgl, cloud2t.bgl, or cloud2t1.bgl, please remove them from its scenery folder, since Flight Simulator X maybe confused otherwise.

The distribution archive contains a sub-tree "Modules", containing two other sub-folders "CumulusX!" and "SlopeDataBaseTool" with the components of the program, some settings files and the manuals. The sub-tree "SimObjects" contains modifications for the shipped DG808S. The root directory of the archive contains a new version of the file "AirObjectVisuals.xml". In addition, there is an "Addon-Scenery"-sub-tree, containing a cumulus cloud model, effective for Simulator X built-in thermals as well. In combination with the new file "AirObjectVisuals.xml" this shows a 3D-cumulus-cloud model instead of the default bird animations. In order to have this effective the Addon-Scenery folder has to be activated in the Flight Simulator X scenery manager.

Extract all files into the Flight Simulator X root directory. If you have made backup copies of the above-named files you can safely accept "Overwrite" for the files being replaced.

You need to activate the "Addon-Scenery" folder in Flight Simulator X if it is not yet active, in order to let the 3D cloud model appear. In addition, check that the "Thermal Visualizations" in Options/Settings/Display, Weather-tab are set to "Natural".

It is recommended to deactivate the built-in thermal engine in Flight Simulator X by renaming "ThermalDescriptions.xml" in root folder of Flight Simulator X for example to "_ThermalDescriptions.xml". Otherwise you will get a weird mixture of thermals from Flight Simulator X and CumulusX^!.

After you do all of the above, which is by the way the instructions supplied on Lurkens help file, you have to go to the modules folder in FSX root directory, open it, open CumuusX!, and look for the readme files, and most importantly the following information:

Enabling AutoStart

Fig. 20: Enabling AutoStart

It is possible(desirable ed.) to use CumulusX^! in AutoStart mode. This means that after start of the program, it automatically connects to Flight Simulator X and enable lift. This is particular useful, if you want to start CumulusX^! through Flight Simulator X by means of an "EXE.xml"-file. A sample "EXE.xml"-file is given in the appendix.

ED. Note:Don't use this one,and don't try to initiate autostart at this time, wait...until AFTER you install sim_probe, there is yet another xml sample in the sim_probe readme .txt file with the script necessary for both CumulusX! and sim_probe. Use this one, and remember only edit the destination folder where you would like the igc files stored. What you say is the igc file? Well sim_probe auto logs igc files of every flight you make so you can use them with a data logger such as SeeYou or several other free ones available.

Remember to both insert the xml.exe file AND click the auto start button in the program window.

Then the program starts in minimized mode, so if you are not planning to change your settings, the main window of CumulusX^! remains invisible throughout the entire session, but You can open it by clicking on the modules header in the task bar in windowed mode. By the way if you want to open CumulusX! and edit settings on the fly in FSX You will have to set FSX in windowed mode. In AutoStart mode CumulusX^! will terminate with Flight Simulator X, in normal mode it will remain active(you will have to close it manually).

The next time you start, Flight Simulator X will ask you to start CumulusX^!, and if you trust the source. If you click "Yes", the next time CumulusX^! will start fully automatically. If you check "AutoStart" in the CumulusX^!-tools menu, CumulusX^! will from now on connect automatically and enable lift.

Don't activate the autorun feature until after CumulusX! is running ok in manual mode, then after installing sim_probe add the following xml.exe file here: C:\Documents and Settings\your user account name\Application Data\Microsoft\FSX.

:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="Windows-1252"?>

<SimBase.Document Type="Launch" version="1,0">

<Descr>Launch</Descr>

<Filename>exe.xml</Filename>

<Launch.ManualLoad>False</Launch.ManualLoad>

<Launch.Addon>

<Name>CumulusX</Name>

<Disabled>False</Disabled>

<ManualLoad>False</ManualLoad>

<Path>Modules\CumulusX!\CumulusX.exe</Path>

<CommandLine></CommandLine>

</Launch.Addon>

<Launch.Addon>

<Name>sim_probe</Name>

<Disabled>False</Disabled>

<ManualLoad>False</ManualLoad>

<Path>Modules\sim_probe\sim_probe.exe</Path>

<CommandLine>log="C:\\Documents and Settings\\Ian\\My Documents\\fs\\igc_files\\"</CommandLine>

</Launch.Addon>

</SimBase.Document>

Change the line in red above to suit yourself any folder where you would like the igc files stored.

Install Sim_probe

(1) INSTALL THE VISUAL C++ 2008 RUNTIME LIBRARY (vcredist_x86.exe)

Download and install the file from Microsoft:

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=9B2DA534-3E03-4391-8A4D-074B9F2BC1BF&displaylang=en

A copy of the file vcredist_x86.exe is included in this zip file if for some reason you have a problem

with the above link.

(2) INSTALL THE SIM_PROBE.EXE FILE:

From the Windows 'start' menu, open "My Computer" and navigate through the folders to

"C:\Program Files\Microsoft Games\Microsoft Flight Simulator X"

Open the sim_probe zip file (i.e. the file containing this readme)

with Windows Explorer

drag the 'Modules' folder

into your base FSX program folder, i.e. you should end up with

"C:\Program Files\Microsoft Games\Microsoft Flight Simulator X\Modules\sim_probe\sim_probe.exe"

(3) INSTALL THE SIMPROBE OBJECT:

From the zip file window,

drag the "SimObjects" folder

into your base FSX program folder, i.e. you should end up with

C:\Program Files\Microsoft Games\Microsoft Flight Simulator X\SimObjects\Misc\SimProbe"

(4) ADD SIM_PROBE.EXE TO YOUR FSX AUTOSTART FILE "EXE.XML":

SEE ABOVE

If you understand all the above and do it in the proper sequence, it should all work fine. If not back yourself out and start again.

Some notes:

The stock FSX DG 800 vario is erratic even with the new gauges supplied, better are the Cassiet gauges in Wolfgang Pipers sailplanes. Available at segelflug.de. or try the SOAR modified DG800.

FSX vs: X-Plane 9

This not a comparison per se. Both FSX and X-plane 9 are excellent flight simulators worthy of anyone's attention. Consider that Microsoft FSX is an effort of a large team of the best programmers money can buy, and X-Plane has its humble beginnings in the mind of one dedicated man, Austin Meyer, and you might guess my bias. That said, I use FSX at least as much as I use X-Plane simply because of how I have chosen to configure FSX for my own purposes, more on that later. The real point is these two programs are both flight simulators using the latest geographical mapping tools available and using similar but actually entirely different flight modeling systems. How can something be similar and different at the same time? To the casual user, the flight modeling will seem similar in the two programs. To a serious or engineering oriented user, then the similarities become superficial. FSX and X-Plane approach flight simulation from quite different angles.

FSX is a mass marketed high end PC game with easy to use graphical interface. Its forte is the availability of consistently good aircraft from many third party sources, as well as literally hundreds of add on modules, landscapes, and tools. It simulates commercial flying with a sophisticated ATC and GPS(as well as other avionics). It has many bells and whistles that add functionality and "glitz" to the interface. If you love FSX, you will probably not be impressed with X-Plane. If you are a plane designer, like to know what airfoil your plane has, its Reynolds number, drag coefficient and a hundred other flight conditions and parameters X Plane will be attractive to you. If you want to drop bombs, fire guns, and rockets, scoop up water with a tanker and put out forest fires, again X-Plane will be interesting to you. If you want to fly on Mars, simulate and control three different space shuttle re entries, analyze a plane design real time in flight, then again X-Plane will be of interest to you. Want to get dropped from a B-52 at 30,000 feet, land on a carrier, catapult launch from same, get aero towed or winched in a sailplane? Then X-Plane will be your sim.

FSX, is a relatively compact installation of, in my case, 15 Gigabytes. And I said that in one breath! Compact? This includes Cumulus X, simprobe, a dozen add on planes, Cassiet gauges add on, several scenery add ons, and an auto gen enhancement. FSX is a decent sailplane sim with these additions.

My X-Plane install includes only the stock U.S. scenery plus Europe so far, plus about two dozen add on aircraft. It occupies 22 Gigs of space. A complete install of X-Plane with all the worlds scenery will take 70 Gigs, with a few add on programs and aircraft can eat up 90 Gigs! Space is a consideration.

X-Planes scenery is more detailed in some ways than FSX. There are more buildings and given scenery settings, the airports tend to blend in more with surrounding terrain, giving a more natural look. But X-Planes roads and other items seem less accurate as compared to real life. FSX roads are more reflecting actual roads, but are not high res at close proximity. You can land on the roads in Xplane, and they are sharply in focus. I think the water effects are better in X-Plane, but so much depends on the user and your equipment blanket statements are difficult to make.

A little about the system I am running so you can have an idea of what is required. I don't have a super gaming system. The motherboard is an Asus M2N68-CM running an AMD X2, 2.6 GHz processor with 1mb L2 Cache. The graphics card is a 1 Gig Nvidia DDr2. I have 1 gig of system memory, and two 160 Gig Sata hard drives. What I can say is that on the same machine running graphics almost maxed out, X-Plane delivers consistently higher frame rates. Not a precise statement, but observed in my case. The control of graphic settings is different in FSX and X-Plane, so to say the rendering options are equal is impossible. My impression is that Microsoft uses a lot of resources for the slick user friendly graphic interface while X-Plane has a simple drop down menu interface, in exchange for a better sim experience. Honestly X-Planes menu system is clunky and difficult to use until you get used to it. X plane uses a lot of hard drive. The drawbacks to X-plane are that there are not as many third party planes and applications available, and the stock planes are not particularly impressive to my tastes. I have managed to add a few dozen planes to my X-Plane folder, and many are top notch. Beware that if you download the free planes from the X-Plane forum, many are done by amateurs and are not so great. Payware planes are available from many sources and offer a better choice.

X-Plane is a designer tool and offers an airfoil design and analysis program embedded. Airfoil data for the flight model is derived from lift polar data for each airfoil, you can choose appropriate Reynolds numbers and edit any selected airfoil. It also has a sophisticated plane designer program embedded. This requires previous design experience to use, and there is a bit of a learning curve. That said with my previous design experience I was able to concoct a crude unpainted aircraft in a few hours with no manual. And it flew! I can't list all the X-Plane features here but there are many tools available to test almost any aircraft component or system. FSX gets high marks for mass appeal, ease of use, and airline simulation. It has marketability. X-plane I would say is a techno geek tool and simulator. You have to judge for yourself which one suits you. I can't live without either.

Note red plane pics are screen shots from X-Plane 9, white plane is FSX. both taken at Innsbruck Austria. from approximately the same spots.

The following slideshow depicts some shot taken in both FSX and X-Plane 9 at the Grand canyon. The graphics setting are what I think are about equivalent. Note the frame rate difference. 50 in X-Plane, 25-30 in FSX.

Making FSX a Decent Soaring Simulator

Microsoft Flight Simulator 10 is a powerful flight Sim. With its decided bias towards commercial aircraft and civilian power planes, it rather neglects the soaring enthusiast with its one sailplane offering. The stock Dg 800S is a decent flying sailplane with realistic flexing wings, however the thermal modeling in FSX is rather unrealistic and thermals are sparse. The aerotowing is completely ridiculous with straight out tows to altitude.

There are thermal add ons available at the various free download sights. These merely add additional stock thermal to selected global regions, a vast improvement but still rather static and there is no real slope lift except for the missions in FSX.

Enter Wolfgang Piper and Max Roodveldt.
These two guys have dedicated themselves to converting FSX into a fairly decent Soaring simulator. Wolfgang Piper has designed models for FSX that represent nearly every significant modern and vintage sailplane in Europe, as well as a few Schweizer models.

These sailplanes fly extremely well, have GPS, and (unlike the FSX vario)a compensated vario, and a neat realistic working yaw string. The gauges are designed by Max Roodveldt and are Caiset gauges. representing a step up compared to the stock FSX gauges. Way points in the GPS.nav file located in the FSX main folder are editable so you can add your own way points. not as easy as popping up the GPS in FSX though, which is disabled in the gliders. Everything you need to know to get these gauges working is contained on Wolfgang Piper's web page FS Glider.de. This includes installation instructions, files needed, and the tweaking guide.

This is only the beginning. Now that you have these nice gliders and gauges, where will you get realistic thermals and slope lift?

Cumulus X! is the module you will want to add to FSX. It creates realistic thermals using a thermal graphic that looks more like a real cloud than the default spirals in FSX. Invoked under the natural thermal selection in "weather" they self generate, are adjustable by the user for multiple parameters and include several default modeling presets for your use. but wait, it gets better, you can use real time downloaded weather files from various sources to generate lift info. The coup de gras is the nesting module called Sim probe. Sim prob is an add on for cumulus X that provides slope lift in realistic locations based on how you set up wind velocity and direction from within the FSX weather set up window.

I have been using these programs for about a month, and while a little sensitive to set up and glitchy at times, represent a step forward in thermal soaring in FSX.

Be warned if you are not capable of editing your registry files and or are not confident in editing you FSX directory files, don't try these add ons. It is not difficult but you have to follow the instructions carefully and make back ups as you go. In addition, there are some small unclear areas in the instructions with regards to editing your registry for autorun (which is desirable). I will write a detailed update for dummies (like me) in another article.

You will need a clean FSX install service pack two running on XP. Add on planes are OK. Vista users need to do some additional tweaking outlined on Wolfgang Piper's web site.

An additional program that adds more realism and flexibility is "Aerotow" from Paavo Pihelgas that makes it easy to change tow planes , and also to get the tow to fly a selected pattern.

TOWING AIRCRAFT allows one to select a towing aircraft. Lists all aircraft from SimObjects\Airplanes folder. Please note that not all aircraft are suitable for towing. Some are too fast (Learjet 45) and some are too slow (Piper Cub) for most gliders. Towing aircraft are flown with throttle at 75%.

PITCH OF TOWING AIRCRAFT allows to set pitch for the towing aircraft. The resulting rate of climb also depends on performance of the aircraft, so it may require playing around a bit with this value to get an acceptable result. Values between 5 and 10 should be fine for most aircraft and glider combinations.

PATTERN DIRECTION allows to choose the general path of towing. The towing aircraft is currently being flown by flight sim's AI and so the aircraft may not always fly exactly the selected path.

MINIMUM TURNING ALTITUDE is altitude above ground level, below which towing aircraft keeps flying runway heading. In case of left or right hand pattern, higher value means longer INITIAL CLIMB leg.

PATTERN DURATION specifies the duration of one CLIMB PATTERN. Values below 120 seconds may result in unexpected behaviour.

SAVE CHANGES saves all modifications made to towing settings. Modifications take effect after flight sim is restarted (if it is running).

So as you can see, we now can tell our tow pilot how to tow us and what plane we would like to use!

This program comes packaged with the redo of the Microsoft FSX DG 800S by virtualsoaring.org. This plane comes with two missions using the cumulus X and simprobe modules mentioned above.

With these additional modidifications to FSX, the program becomes a workable soaring simulator. If you fly the SOAR DG-800S, you can design your own tasks with way points in the flight planner window and they wiill automatically show on the Caiset GPS.

Sources:

CumulusX! from http://luerkens.homepage.t-online.de/peter/

For the full soaring experience you should also have:

sim_probe from http://carrier.csi.cam.ac.uk/forsterlewis/soaring/sim/fsx/dev/sim_probe/

Microsoft Flight Simulator X For Pilots Real World Training

Authors: Jeff Van West and Kevin Lane-Cummings

Publisher: Wiley (http://www.wiley.com/)

ISBN: 978-0-7645-8822-8

Price: $29.99(USD): $35.99 (CAN) : £19.99 (UK) Street price $16.99 USD

Self promotion text

“It’s the next best thing to being up there – Why use Microsoft Flight Simulator for real world training? Because it gives you the best possible head start and enables you to learn at your convenience. Flight Simulator provides scenario-based training that lets you practice handling in almost any situation. It offers advantages you don’t get in a real plane – the option to set up any kind of weather or equipment failures, stop midway and redo a procedure, or get the view from outside the airplane. FSX isn’t a game. It’s a training mission for virtual and real aviators alike.”

What you get

You get a hefty 725 page paperback book, downloadable flights to do in conjunction with your reading, along with the necessary charts in PDF format. Also available for download are two bonus chapters and the practical test standards for each of the license ratings discussed in the book.

First impressions

The book is huge. Just the amount of paper and ink makes it seem like good value. The book’s illustrations are all black and white. Color versions of the images used are available on the web site. The number of chapters and subjects is impressive taking 13 pages to list. Looking through the subjects covered is daunting, but the work is obviously comprehensive.

Starting out

You will want to download the 3 zipped files of missions / charts / details etc from the publisher’s web site. The books introduction tells you exactly where to get the files from and where they need to be installed. The first chapter deals with getting FSX set up properly for the purposes of the book. It discusses PC specs and how these affect the performance you can expect to achieve within FSX, the different types of controllers used for simulation flying and the best settings within FSX to use with the tutorial flights. The book also assumes that you will be using it in conjunction with lessons at a real world flying school and so also gives hints and tips on finding the best school and instructor for you. The authors do suggest that finding an instructor with FSX experience would be beneficial especially so if they can set up scenarios for you to go through that you will be dealing with on your next lesson. FSX now has support for multi-players within the same aircraft if rain stops play and your instructor is amenable you could go through your lesson virtually with you at home and them at the flying school.

First Flight

Chapter two discusses the principles of flight in sufficient detail and explains the basics without getting too technical. Then it introduces us to the default Piper Cub.
The authors explain that the main shortfall with using FSX as a training aid is the lack of peripheral vision which real world pilots rely on to inform them of the attitude of the aircraft in flight. Simulator pilots rely much more on the instruments because they lack the real world cues. The reason for using the Piper Cub is the distinct lack of instruments to look at and a more open uncluttered cockpit so you can focus more on the horizon and get used to relying on it as you would do in a real aircraft.

The first flight within FSX raises the initial bad point, unlike the missions included in FSX or Rod Machado’s training flights there are no in-flight instructions included. The good side is there are none of the patronizing verbal compliments permeating the FSX missions. You basically load the saved flight and then have to fly with the book in one hand and your joystick in the other. Concentrating on both at the same time is impossible so prepare to become acquainted with the pause key. On the plus side the authors do include saved video’s of many of the flights so you can get an idea of what you are expected to do and how to do it prior to undertaking the flight yourself.

As an undertaking the concept and its execution are remarkable. Intensely detailed down to specific FSX recommendations for best performance, it is an awesome undertaking. Given the limitation of simulated flight, you could easily learn to fly with this book. In my mind it would be especially suited to learn systems and procedures where actual flying is secondary to learning navigation, radio use, and cockpit procedures.

Wings of Power for FS 2004

Wings of Power Heavy Bombers and Jets for FS 2004

Microsoft flight sim 2004 is a very powerful program which allows for a wide variety of entertainment, and even serious flight simulation for aspiring pilots. It has a decided bias towards commercial and civil aviation as purchased. Not everyone wants to fly airliners carrying 200 passengers on long flights, nor do some enjoy flying sailplanes, or single engine light aircraft.
Enter Wings of Power Heavy bombers and jets add on pack for FS 2004 and adaptable to FSX. For those interested in flying World War II aircraft with unmatched realism, I highly recommend this addition to Microsoft Flight Simulator 2004. Wings of power is the product of Shockwave Productions.

Features

Unsurpassed attention to detail
153-page manual including rare data and the real operation of these amazing aircraft.
Gorgeously constructed aircraft, inside and out, down to the last rivet.
Fully clickable cockpits with authentic working gauges.
3D cockpits so real, they look just like their 2D rendered counterparts.
The latest wind-tunnel technology helps to create for the most authentic,fluid flying qualities, including complex spins and stalls.
Enhanced visual effects and lighting.

Aircraft
B17F and B17G "Flying Fortress"
B29a "Super Fortress"
B24D and B24J "Liberator"
PB4Y-2 "Privateer"
Lancaster BIII and "Grand Slam"
Ar234 "Blitz Bomber"
Ta183 "Huckebein"
He162 "Salamander"

The aircraft are meticulously modeled with attention to artistic historical detail, and more importantly, dynamic flight performance exactly matching the original aircraft. Extreme pains were taken to make these aircraft perform exactly like the prototypical real examples. This means that at 20,000 feet at 46 in manifold pressure, with the throttle at 85%, the B-17G will fly and behave like the real one. You can over drive the engines over boost the supercharges, and see the effects on performance. The staff actually flew real surviving examples of the aircraft to get it right. In theory you can take the original flight manual and fly the aircraft using these as guides.

This add on is for flight sim enthusiasts who enjoy realism and historical accuracy. Set to the proper degree of difficulty as recommended, the aircraft are not easy to fly. Do something wrong and it will come to haunt you.

For those wishing to experience the world of historical war planes, this add on is a must.

Silly Aviation sim...

OK, so not quite a sim, but it is addicting. No instructions, have fun!
You can turn off speaker to view additional blog posts in silence.

BD 5 microjet for FSX

Had to share this great sim plane for Microsoft Flight Sim X. The BD-5 series includes three complete aircraft, a BD-5 piston engine model and two BD-5J models. the jets are the Coors Light edition and the James Bond movie model. This one was used in the film Octopussy.

I have been a fan of the BD-5 since its beginnings, was even on the original mailing list for kits. As it turned sour for kit builders due to powerplant problems and other issues, the BD-5 concept was simply too cool to die. Still available in kit plane for a prop, turbp prop, and jet version from BD Micro Technologies.

I had the thrill of seeing the Bud Light version do a demo at an airshow circa 1990's. Not sure which of their pilots was flying it at the time, but it was unlike anything I had seen before, almost silent at full thrust, you never saw it coming, and didn't hear it until it was long by. The pilot would sneak in low and fast, pull up slightly and roll one wingspan from the ground.
I have included two clips I found on You Tube to give an idea of the awsome performance.

The sim versions are excellent flying, realistic, and very cool. The jet is fully aerobatic with good vertical, the piston version is fun as well, but does not have the vertical performance of the jet.

The BD-5 Home Built Experimental aircraft collection featuring a new Prop version designed with the co-operation and help of the aircrafts original real life owner. This package also includes an all new version (new model, dynamics and paint) of the 'Coors Light' Jet and a new paint of the 'Acrostar' featured in the 1983 James Bond Movie 'Octopussy'. The flight model was co-developed/tested by D. A. Beebe (Original owner and builder of the real N340DB) and both aircraft flight tested by Peter Browne. Available at fs-freeware.net.

cool hang glider sim

Dan Burton from the UK has made this little Java applet simulator. He is a hang glider pilot and simmer. It is the equivalent of the bubble popper game for flight sim nuts, simple but addicting. See if you can get to the goal and beat the other gliders. Very cool, and surprisingly realistic.

http://www.danb.dircon.co.uk/hg/hg.htm

Here is a screen shot, not so clear, but gives you an idea.

Philippine Flight simmers Group

Just found and recently joined this dedicated Philippine flight sim group forum.

These guys are on top of their game with backgrounds, landscapes, and add ons for local airports around the Philippines. They even have plane repaints for their own airline, Philskies. Many are using Microsoft flight sim, if not all of them, and are avid supporters of the hobby. So if you are a flight sim enthusiast in the Philippines check out their forum.
http://www.philskies.net/forum/

Nardi FN-333 Riviera for Microsoft FSX

Simviation has a good list of add on planes for Microsofts Flight Simulator X. One in particular is nicely suited to flying around the Philippines and island hopping.

FSX Nardi FN-333 Riviera Package. Meticulously modeled and featuring animated gear, dampers, propellers, doors, and control surfaces, Dynamic Clickable VC (virtal cockpit). The classy looking Riviera amphibian is "Seabee" in Italian style... Built by Nardi and Siai-Marchetti, supposedly only 23 were built during the early 1960ies by Siai-Marcheti, the majority of them being sold to America. As every italian design, it is built to go fast. It seats 4 people including the pilot, the reversible propeller gives it superb manouverability in water (and taxi). It is a high-wing anphibian aircraft with double tailfin and pusher propeller. Read notes before flying! (FN333_check.htm, FN333_ref.htm & panel_FN333.htm, plus the document you are currently reading. This model features advanced flight dynamics, detailed external model, detailed photreal virtual cockpit and virtual cabin with night lighting, custom effects, etc. Design & Artwork by Mario Noriega. 15MB.

This description is acurate, and after downloading, I fell in love with this amphibian. Perfectly suited for tooling around either from land strips or water, it flys fast, and is very realistic. A sexy Italian design would not be complete with out a beautiful woman. So the authors have given you a nice up scale female copilot. Be careful don't get distracted while flying! This is a full featured aircraft worthy of anyones hangar.

Microsoft Flight Sim X

Microsoft Flight Simulator X

Flying a good flight sim like the unparalleled Microsoft Flight Simulator X is a great way to get a sense of flying in the Philippines. Whether you are a seasoned pilot or a beginner, the realism offered in Flight sim X gives real time experience with accurate geophysical features.

For example if you are a VFR pilot flying an ultralight, it is easy to navigate by landmarks to find your way around. The limitation in the latest version is that the generic features assigned to rural areas do not give you accurate vegetation and or buildings to use as landmarks. That said, there is a third party add on that will allow you to use Google Earth terrain mapping with Flight Sim X. This will require two computers to run each program on a network. Plans are already in the works for Microsoft Flight Simulator 11, as they are calling it now, and this will include the Google Earth feature as part of the program. There are no details on what kind of system you might need to run such a resource intensive program. You can bet that a dual core 2 gig processor with 2 gigabytes of ram would be a minimum!

Siquijor fly by

As a test flight, I flew a DC-3 from Dumaguete Negros Oriental to Bacolod in Negros Occidental. Both small airports with limited infrastructure, I was able to easily set a VFR flight plan and do a stick and rudder flight using the compass and topographical land marks. Even set on low resolution on my laptop, I was able to pick out the prevalent landmarks to find my way across the Island. Of course if you use the ATC function everything is there for you as well.

As a potential pilot in the Philippines The Microsoft Flight sim X is a good way to familiarize yourself with the topography and the proximity of the various islands in the Philippines. The Dehaviland Beaver on floats would be a super way to explore all the nooks and crannies of the Philippines. On towards Negros Oriental

Here included are some screen shots of a flight from Siquijor Island to tiny Apo Island, part of Negros Oriental. Descent to Apo Island.