Question for Jomni, PanzersEast or other Flight Simmers

[JudgeDredd]

This is what I see when I click the links

[jomni]

I also don't see them and I'm also logged in.

[PanzersEast]

For some reason I guess flightsim.com will not let you link direct.  I have added the names of the .zip files so you can do a search from the file library.

Search for the names below

Lockheed L-188 Electra
Name: l-188_electra_x.zip

BT-67
Name: basler_bt67_v2.zip

C-47
Name: c47basepack.zip

Interior
Name: c47_interior.zip

C-117D
Name: c117d_v1_beta.zip

AN-32
Name: antonovan-32.zip

Pilatus PC-6C_H2
Name: pc-6c_h2turboporter.zip



PE

[Tuna]

Have any of you guys tried this company's Scenery packs? Just wondering if it's worth it!  ;)


http://www.fspilotshop.com/megascenery-earth-massachusetts-p-4384.html

[Toonces]

Judge,
You're supposed to fly IFR in you're under instrument conditions, or if you're above 18,000 feet.  Airliners and such always fly IFR and I usually take the Lear up to FL35 or so where I can get 450+ ground speed so yes, I usually fly IFR.

However, if you're IFR then ATC is going to give you vectors to an approach.  This is fine usually, but it seems like if I'm flying a multi-leg flight, like a positioning flight to get cargo followed by the cargo flight to a third airport, sometimes ATC will get confused and think the intermediate stop is just a waypoint and won't vector me to land.  This happened twice last night.  I haven't had it happen under instrument conditions yet, which is good.  Under visual conditions I just canceled IFR and flew a visual approach into the field.  For a small airport this is no big deal and still fairly realistic.

In the Mooney I'm only climbing up a few thousand feet for a short leg.  If the weather supports it I just fly VFR.  That way I'm not under any restrictions from ATC and can just cruise at my leisure to my destination, staying clear of weather and controlled airspace.  It's just another, in some ways more efficient way of flying.

Last night I had one leg that was really short in the Lear, something like 60 miles or so.  In that case I canceled my flight plan and flew VFR at like 8,500 feet since it was so short.

The key to flying the Lear in my opinion is managing the autopilot.  The plane is just a beast to get under control until it's settled down.  I use the autopilot to fly the plane on vectors until I'm about 10nm and at or close to course on final.  If the last vector you get is to decend to, say, 2,000 feet and intercept the localizer, I'll dial in 2k and 180kt on the autopilot, flaps to 20 and at 5-10nm gear down.  Let the plane get settled and trimmed at that setting and then click off the autopilot and hand fly the plane to the runway.  You can probably get the autopilot to fly it to minimums for you but I haven't figured that out yet.  At any rate, the plane is much easier to fly once the AP gets it settled and trimmed at approach configuration.  You might want to try that and see how it works for you.

If I get behind the plane it is almost impossible to recover an approach.  I have had to take several missed approaches the last few missions into these small fields.

[JudgeDredd]

So how do you find your way to your destination on VFR?

IFR you are told by ATC at what level to fly and what heading. And it changes.

My problem with the Lear the other day was closure rate - I have been so used to flying Cessna's I had no idea I was going to close so fast with the airfield

[jomni]

Mega scenery earth is nice buy you have to buy it per state so it gets expensive.

[Yskonyn]

By VFR you use landmarks and a map to navigate. Plot your course on the map and time your legs. Then use landmarks to keep adjusting your flightpath to stay on track.
Unless you have high quality scenery, it might be hard to do VFR flights in FS. Especially in unknown territory. ;)

[Toonces]

I just pull up the GPS.  I imagine most pilots at least have a hand held GPS in their cockpit they can use to navigate...even my wife's iPhone has a GPS in it.   ;D

I like to pull up the GPS and then shrink it so it's pretty small.  I move it to the top right corner of the screen where it's out of the way.  I have it mapped to a key on my hotas so I pull it up, check position and course, then minimize it until I need it again.

When flying VFR, remember to fly at increments of 500 feet.  Even+500 if going west, odd+500 if going east.  Although FSX doesn't really care if you don't follow those rules.

[Toonces]

Oh man, JD!  I am so hooked on this it is not funny.  I have to thank you man...I was out of civilian flight sims for years.  There is just so much going on with FSX and I'm totally into it.

So I bought PMDG 737NGX last night and then just now picked up PMDG J41 to go with it.  I think I can afford a loan to lease the J41 now, so I'm going to get familiar with it and then add it to my fleet.  I'm having so much fun with Air Hauler, but I wanted to take my simming to the next level.

What I REALLY want to fly is an L-1011 or DC-10.  But what I've found is that I need a REASON to fly.  So I joined Virtual Delta Airlines and got hired as a 737 First Officer.  So I'm going to work on getting qualified in the 737 using the PMDG 737 and work my way up to the Delta L-1011. 

I'm having a blast man.  This is so great!

[jomni]

I totally forgot about military flying once I got hooked into FSX. No more DCS or Strike Fighters. Just FSX every other night.

Good going in joining a VA.  I am member of VAs as well.  Next step for you is to fly online in the Vatsim networ.

By the wy Just Flight . com is selling the Tristar at a special price of $8.

PMDG 777 coming out in the weekend (hopefully).

Flight simming is a money sucker. But time you spend flying and forgetting about all the latest games makes it worth it.

[JudgeDredd]

Glad my advice for once ended in someone's happiness...just don't let it ruin your life...remember to drink, eat, shower, go to the bathroom and family. Get out now and again for some fresh air  :D

I never thought about Virtual Airlines. How do you join? Do you have to "prove" yourself? Also I can't fly jets yet - so are there smaller aircraft VA's? And what happens? They give you jobs or something or you check their job board and do stuff? (no real need to answer unless you want - I'll go look em up).

[jomni]

There are different rules for different Airlines.  Some assign planes by rank (hours), some do not.
Some have strict training requirements and some do not.. Key is something that has the planes and routes thatyou want to fly.

Flying VA is just a matter of picking a route and flying it. Then your hours are logged and you get paid virtual  money (that does nothing) and you get promoted.  :)

Judge, if you like small planes and want to fly with a purpose, check out FSEconomy. It's pretty much like Air hauler but a bit more detailed and does passengers in a multiplayer world. It is also free.
http://jomnisgames.blogspot.com/2013/06/bitten-by-ga-bug.html

[Toonces]

Just to pile onto Jomni's post, each virtual airline is different.

Way, way back in the day I was a member of Westwind Airlines.  The way they worked it is that you got assigned to a hub and then were assigned routes from that hub and you were required to fly a certain amount of flights per month.  You started in a small plane like a CRJ and you could promote to a bigger plane after a certain number of hours.  I flew for them back in 1998 or so and it looks like they are still around.

I picked Delta because they should like they have a pretty big community and they just seem to be polished.  However, after getting my application approved and access to their website, there are some things I don't like.  They assigned me to the 737, although it is possible to start out a level lower in the EMB's or ATR's if you want to stick with props.  You don't get assigned to a hub, but have to fly a route that Delta historically flies within their database.  You log each flight and submit it and after you accumulate enough hours you can upgrade to Captain or to different planes.  I would actually prefer more structure; I would prefer to be assigned to a hub and then assigned a route that I HAVE to fly, but I'm going to give this a try and see how it fits anyway.  I might self-impose myself on a rookie hub and then find flights strictly out of there, or flights that originate there and have several legs...I would prefer it feel more like a job and have less flexibility if that makes sense. 

Once I log some flight time for Delta I'll let you know what I think.  Without a reason to fly the L-1011 I'm just not as interested in booting it up.  Structure is the key for me personally enjoying FSX which is why Air Hauler is such a sweet find for me!

[Toonces]

By the wy Just Flight . com is selling the Tristar at a special price of $8.

Wow, nice find man!  Thank you so much for posting that, I almost paid the full $44 the other day!  No brainer- downloading now.

The only add-on that I've been eyeing hard, except for the B-377 from A2A is My Traffic 2013.  I downloaded a freeware traffic program called World of AI or something like that, and all of their US routes.  It was a pain to download everything but I thought I'd give it a try and if it doesn't work I'll do payware.

I'm pretty stoked.  The PMDG 737 is no joke; there is a ton of meat on that add-on.  I think it is the 3rd most expensive piece of software I've purchased behind WitP:AE and Steel Beasts Pro.  I had no idea how much the flight computer drives everything about the jet.  In that sense I'm looking forward to upgrading to an older jet; I'd really prefer less automation and more hand flying.   On the other hand, learning to operate the 737 properly challenges me intellectually.  It's a steep learning curve, but different from a military jet.  I'm looking forward to figuring it all out and then applying it in a structured environment on VATSIM or something, earning hours towards my upgrade with Delta. 

I like how this is all tying together.  I hope I stick with it.   ;D