SimPilotMagazine ()

Under Pressure: Getting your Elevation

Sat, 27 Jan 2007 19:11:17 +0000

Unless you enjoy heading for disaster, the vertical position above ground is one of things a pilot must always know. There are the two instruments that give us vertical information - they are the altimeter and the vertical speed indicator. We're going to have a closer look at both in this article.

The Man Behind VOZ: Meet John Venema

Sun, 28 Jan 2007 21:45:48 +0000

There are people who are passionate about flight simming and then there are people who are passionate about flight simming. If you spent a whole year recreating the continent you live on and building a community of 5000+ people around your scenery within just a few months, you truly know you belong to the later group. John ’Koorby’ Venema certainly does and we met him so he could tell us the amazing story behind his VOZ scenery.

Discover the Central South Island of New Zealand

Sun, 28 Jan 2007 21:54:20 +0000

Which country is the most beautiful of them all? If New Zealand isn't on your list of contenders, maybe it’s time that you paid a visit. Formed by the collision of the Australian and Pacific tectonic plates, it is home to a wide range of beautiful landscapes; from idyllic beaches and voluptuous volcanoes to rugged fiords and the Southern Alps mountain range.

Be a B737 Captain for One Day: Experience the Flight Experience

Sun, 25 Feb 2007 17:32:27 +0000

What is better than owning a copy of Microsoft's new FSX? Some people may argue their FS9 setup does just fine, but how does FS9 in a fullblown Boeing 737-800 simulator sound? Early this year, I finally found some time to visit the team from Pacific Simulators in Christchurch, New Zealand, who specialise in the building of fully functional B737 cockpits. Having growing out of homebuilt cockpit solutions, their simulators are simply phenomenal - they are approved for pilot training and qualify as FAA level 4 trainers. Some of their simulators are built especially for their Flight Experience franchise which allows simmers like you and me to spend some quality time in their B737 sims. I visited two of their franchise outlets, one in Christchurch and one in Wellington, to learn more about what Flight Experience really is and how much fun you can have in one of their sims.

Ultra High Resolution Terrain

Sun, 04 Mar 2007 19:07:09 +0000

FSX cranked up the possibilities in visual quality for scenery. Selected scenery designers are pushing the limits and are creating sceneries that have a high drool factor. Let's look at a couple of examples of ultra high resolution terrain - something the flight sim world has not seen as yet...

Building Terrain with SBuilder for FSX

Sun, 04 Mar 2007 19:30:26 +0000

Were you ever disappointed with Flight Simulator because the roads and water bodies in your area didn't look quite right? Ever had the urge to create a fix and improve the terrain in your area? Well, this is your hour, because we bring you a very easy to follow tutorial on how to create your own roads, lakes, rivers and coastlines.

Performance Issues in FSX

Fri, 16 Mar 2007 23:20:30 +0000

In our opinion column we pick a topic of interest or controversy and voice the opinion of a simmer. This issue we're looking at the performance issues that plague Microsoft's Flight Simulator X and explore some of the reasons why this happened and if Microsoft could have prevented it.

Flight Dynamics: FSX and X-Plane battle it out

Sat, 17 Mar 2007 02:19:15 +0000

Ever heard of Bruce Artwick's Flight Simulator? Geoff Cramond's Aviator? Chuck Yeager's Advanced Flight Trainer? These are some of the very first desktop flight simulators, and believe it or not, flight simulation is a quarter of a century old. Flight Sims certainly have come a long way sine then. The graphics in modern flight sims are simply stunning - you sit in extremely realistic cockpits flying over extremely realistic landscapes. But graphics isn't all what makes a flight sim, the underlying flight dynamics is what makes a virtual aircraft behave like its real counterpart - or not. After 25 years of flight simulation, we think it's time to have a closer look under the hood of two very popular ones: Microsoft�s Flight Simulator X and Laminar Research�s X-Plane 8.50.

Godzone’s Real NZ Wellington

Tue, 20 Mar 2007 19:22:13 +0000

I have to admit to that I was really looking forward to reviewing the latest package from Robin Corn's RealNZ scenery. As an expatriate New Zealander, Robin Corn's Tauranga and Rotorua sceneries are the only way I have "visiting" home with any regularity. So it was with great delight that I opened this box when it came in the mail.

Digital Aviation’s Dornier Do-27

Wed, 21 Mar 2007 23:05:18 +0000

It is very rare to come across something where the initial impression is so profound, that you instantly know that this moment will become a new yardstick for future experiences. Test flying the Dornier Do-27 for FS2004 was such a moment. In my opinion, it has set a new standard for General Aviation (GA) aircraft for flight simming � nothing less. After spending a couple of hours flying the Do-27, I became very attached to this little beauty with loads of "aero-nality".

How do you get ATC on your headset in FSX?

Thu, 29 Mar 2007 23:49:19 +0000

Were you one of the simmers who kept a close eye on the FSX feature list months before it was released? Then you might remember that in the middle of bump-mapping, the living world, and missions was another very exciting feature. This feature stated that it would be possible to split the ATC chatter from the external aircraft sounds. With FSX you could wear a headset and while the sound of the engine roared through your speakers, ATC would communicate with you through the headset. With FSX you would be able to listen to ATC through your headset just like in a real aircraft! How cool is that?

Shockwave’s Messerschmitt Bf 109E

Fri, 11 May 2007 20:30:52 +0000

Normally seen and heard scooting about in light GA craft of various sorts, I surmised the Messerschmitt Bf 109 would be like swapping the Family sedan for a Porsche 911. This aircraft certainly has a lot more power compared to what I'm normally used to, but flying in a WW2 fighter certainly made for an interesting change.

Arctic Cargo Run - Explore the Fiords of Alaska

Thu, 02 Aug 2007 08:15:37 +0000

Alaska - America�s state of extremes. It is a wild and rugged state, and a perfect location for a cross-country tour. In Alaska, you have the opportunity to fly among giant glaciers, magnificent mountains and fantastic fiords up in the pristine remote wilderness, far away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life.

Eaglesoft's Columbia 400

Sat, 04 Aug 2007 10:24:30 +0000

The guys from Sky Blue Radio have teamed up with our magazine to bring you the very best in reviews. Our first review comes to us from Sky Blue Radio�s news anchor, News Guy Larry. Larry keeps his watchful eye over the flight simulation and real world aviation communities bringing the listeners of Sky Blue Radio the best variety of news from the 4 corners of the globe. In this issue, News Guy Larry takes a look at the Columbia 400 and evaluates what the Eaglesoft Development Group has done with this sleek little general aviation aircraft.

HiFi Simulation's Active Sky X

Sun, 05 Aug 2007 08:50:28 +0000

The first flight simulator I ever laid hands on was something I wrote myself on a Sinclair ZX-81. It had no sound, and consisted of a few lines that moved up and down on screen, along with an altimeter than changed every few seconds. Jumping from that to Sublogic's Flightsim on the Apple II was amazing - color, a lot more instruments and even a hill or two! Flight Sims have evolved over the years since then to the point where they can look almost real at times. The difference between the scenery in FS2000 and that of FSX is particularly marked. The same however, is not true of the simulated sky. Although the default FSX clouds are now 3D and multi-layered, they have not gone through the same revolutionary changes as the rest of the simulation, at least to my eyes.

Tileproxy - VFR flyer's dream...

Mon, 06 Aug 2007 04:13:12 +0000

This will knock your socks off - a few weeks ago, Christian Buchner has released the beta of a program called TileProxy. TileProxy allows you to fly over high-res Google Earth imagery and we have to say it continues to amaze. Christian will tell you everything about his amazing FS tool - read on!

The Rescue Pilot Mission Pack from Just Flight: Rescue a life!

Mon, 06 Aug 2007 06:13:01 +0000

It's been 10 minutes since you got off the phone and you're heading for your Bell 206 helicopter. Somewhere in the mountains of Wales a hiker has been reported lost. You could be the person that determines the fate of the hiker, because your job is to find him. If you don't he may not make it through another night.

Do the missions turn FSX into a game?

Mon, 06 Aug 2007 10:29:12 +0000

In our opinion column we pick a topic of interest or controversy and voice the opinion of a simmer. This issue we're looking at the mission system of FSX. Does it turn the FS franchise into an arcade like video game, or is there more behind it?

A Fletcher for Flight Sim

Mon, 06 Aug 2007 12:13:34 +0000

I have always found something appealing about agricultural aircraft, the rugged functionality of their design and the exceptional skill of the pilots who fly them. Ag planes are designed for a purpose and in New Zealand, our most important export industry � agriculture, would struggle to exist if not for the aerial topdressing industry.

Pacific Simulators: Building your own simulator business

Thu, 09 Aug 2007 03:17:00 +0000

You probably heard of simmers who take the hobby to the next level and build their own cockpit replicas. Maybe you've even built your own cockpit yourself. But how about not building just one, but keeping building them and selling them for real money? Meet the guys from Pacific Simulators in New Zealand: Russell, Steve, Stuart and Mike, who build professional Boeing 737-800 cockpits, and created their very own franchise. What started out as harmless fun is now an award winning business that started to expand into overseas markets.

SibWings' Saab Safir

Sun, 12 Aug 2007 05:28:34 +0000

The Saab Safir certainly is more of an exotic airplane. Paul Kilsby had a closer look to find out if this add-on from SibWings is a worthy addition to your flight sim hangar. (Spoiler: If you don't want to miss out on must-have add-ons, better go read this review!)

How to take award winning screenshots

Tue, 14 Aug 2007 06:47:52 +0000

If you have ever participated in a screenshot competition, you probably know that there usually seem to be a couple of screenshots that really stand out from the crowd. Some people just seem to have the same gift like da Vinci or van Gogh, while others just don't seem to have a clue.

Carenado's Cessna U206G

Tue, 28 Aug 2007 06:20:20 +0000

Jason McKee has taken the Carenado Cessna U206G under the microscope to tell you if it's a worthwhile purchase. Read on to find out if Carenado's rendition of this popular aircraft is hot or not.

RealAir Simulations' SIAI Marchetti SF.260

Wed, 29 Aug 2007 04:53:44 +0000

Maurie King had a look at the SIAI Marchetti SF.260 from RealAir Simulations. With such a well known developer, expectations are high. Have a read to find out if RealAir have created yet another masterpiece. (Spoiler: RealAir have reinvented aircraft design - find out why in the article).

Create Airport Labels in FSX

Sat, 05 Jul 2008 01:22:48 +0000

FSX has a very cool hidden feature - you can enable floating airport names over each visible airport. This is really useful when you don't know the area you're flying in very well, but want to know where the closest airports are. Perfect for discovering new airports or finding airports that you want to land at. We created a little easy to follow tutorial that shows you step by step how you can enable these hidden airport labels.

Are Flight Simulators on consoles the future?

Fri, 01 Aug 2008 06:03:57 +0000

Flight Simulation on consoles is a hot topic often discussed in FS forums. I had a closer look at the hype and the facts. Read on to find out how likely it is we'll see flight sims on consoles any time soon...

Create your own FSX mission - tutorial 1

Tue, 26 Aug 2008 11:37:30 +0000

Want to add some of your own content into Flight Simulator X and become famous? The great thing about missions is that they aren't very complicated to create and you can whip one up in two to three hours. In this tutorial, we tell you how to get started...

Meet Microsoft ESP: the engine behind Flight Simulator X

Tue, 07 Oct 2008 04:40:41 +0000

You probably heard of Microsoft ESP. However, do you know how ESP fits into the Flight Simulator series? We had a chat with the ESP team at Microsoft and learned just exactly what ESP does and what lies ahead. Don't miss this if you want to learn what you may be seeing in the next iteration of Flight Simulator!

Creating High-Detail FS Ground Polygons

Thu, 23 Oct 2008 09:01:43 +0000

Want to know how to create a runway that stands out and looks truly stunning? Bill Womack walks you through step by step how he's done the runway for his Plum Island airport. This is a rare chance to look behind the shoulder of one of the scenery design geniuses - and it's easy to follow, too!

The downfall of Flight Simulator - FSX to blame?

Wed, 28 Jan 2009 04:21:29 +0000

With the Flight Simulator team slashed, questions are being asked why Microsoft made the decision. I recap what happened and bust a few myths on what really went on. Read more...

Angle of Attack Level-D 767 Training DVD

Mon, 04 May 2009 05:49:40 +0000

Now, you can learn how to fly the 767 by simply popping a DVD into your player and watching an instructional movie from Angle of Attack. Is it worth your time and money? Read on to find out...

VRi MCP & CDU panels

Mon, 04 May 2009 06:04:40 +0000

I love hardware manufacturers who build cool stuff for us flight simmers. Virtual Reality Insight is such a company. We had a look at their stuff to see if it's worth your money.

Create your own FSX mission - tutorial 2

Fri, 15 May 2009 07:52:46 +0000

In part 1 we've shown you how to install the Object Placement tool. Now, we'll get all the necessary files into place and start to set up the first parameters. At the end we'll have our first working mission...