How do you guys keep the game interesting?

Quote from ApfelFlieger

In FS 4, this can be reenacted, for example, with the offshore platforms em08, em15, em16, em17 and em18, which were recently published by IPACS.

Wait, we have offshore platforms? Did I miss the bulletin?

Yes, I was already surprised that no missions came from you yet.

These are the new platforms of IPACS:

These offshore platforms are designed by me and so far with XREF objects. But I have already switched the first of them to the offshore objects of IPACS, because they look much better.

I'm fantasising I’m a seasoned pilot, decades in the cockpit, from the chaos of Vietnam to the precision strikes of the Gulf Wars. I’ve flown through it all, and these days, you’ll usually find me in the Learjet 45, that sleek grey livery cutting through the sky like it owns it.

I feel, the sim just keeps getting sharper, more real, more refined. It's a great sim to learn and master the planes you love.

yah

ApfelFlieger Do you have a list of the the new codes, names and coordinates for me? The world map is not yet picking the offshore plattforms up because they are missing from https://ourairports.com/world.html

(I will add the heliports to ourairports.com, because this is the data source for the map. I add the Aerofly codes as keywords to the airports at ourairports.com which are not found by their ICAO code. The Heligoland helicopter base at https://ourairports.com/airports/DE-0035/ will be made visible this way)

Quote from Armitage

ApfelFlieger Do you have a list of the the new codes, names and coordinates for me? The world map is not yet picking the offshore plattforms up because they are missing from https://ourairports.com/world.html

Moin Frank,

I will send you the data later - including the official ICAO codes, which IPACS has unfortunately not used so far from my point of view. However, since, according to my observation, the majority of offshore platforms have official ICAO codes, I think it is better to use them at least in the long term.

Bis später, Michael

Here is the list of actual German FS 4 offshore platforms:

• em08
  - Position: 8.731124 54.025764 / Heading: 180
  - IPACS-Code: EM08
  - IPACS-Name: Mittelplatte A
  - ICAO-Code: --
  - ICAO-Name: --
  - NOTE: 1 Helipad
• em15
  - Position: 7.740036 54.451897 / Heading: 051
  - IPACS-Code: EM15
  - IPACS-Name: Helwin alpha
  - ICAO-Code: EDYH
  - ICAO-Name: Helwind A
  - NOTE: 1 Helipad
• em16
  - Position: 7.679853 54.441387 / Heading: 046
  - IPACS-Code: EM16
  - IPACS-Name: Nordsee Ost Substation
  - ICAO-Code: -- (only RESCUE HOIST AREA)
  - ICAO-Name: --
  - NOTE: https://www.helidecks.de/files/helideck…0NSO%20V1.0.pdf
• em17
  - Position: 7.700052 54.399167 / Heading: 046
  - IPACS-Code: EM17
  - IPACS-Name: Meerwind Suedost Substation
  - ICAO-Code: EDYM
  - ICAO-Name: Meerwind S O
  - NOTE: 1 Helipad
• em18
  - Position: 7.735453 54.519813 / Heading: 046
  - IPACS-Code: EM18
  - IPACS-Name: Amrumbank West Substation
  - ICAO-Code: EDYA
  - ICAO-Name: Amrumbank West
  - NOTE: https://www.helidecks.de/files/helideck…DAY%20(red).pdf
  

Quote from ChuckMcPhuck

I don’t really plan to play any other sims for awhile because my computer isn’t great, and I love having aerofly on the go on my switch. This game is so fun and realistic, but it doesnt have working radios, multiplayer, or any missions, so how do you guys keep the game interesting? How do you give yourself objectives to keep pushing for? So far I’ve been learning the learjet inside and out meanwhile I’m doing cross country flights to see places I want to visit in the future.

The game, and most others to be fair, is severely lacking a career mode. So I made an ultra realistic one to keep me engaged. Start as a FO and work your way to to Board member of your airlines. Found your own airline and even IPO it. I just implemented AI ACARS a couple days ago which gives you real time in flight messages. I'm way more engaged now.

Check it out if you like: http://www.aviatorledger.com

Quote from Armitage

• Get into a new aircraft once in a while and really try to get the details right.
• Try out good-old VOR / NDB procedures like holding, intercepting or really complicated approaches without the help of GPS. Really trying to master these requires a supringsing amount of sessions.
• Imagine a long-range trip in a small aircraft which requires multiple stops. (My favourite trip was in an Pitts S-2 from Hamburg, Germany to Mariehamn, Åland - without GPS or any other kind of navigational equipment.)
• I also had a mission generator for approach lessons and HEMS missions. The HEMS generator was quite thrilling.

To make matters more interesting I fly with current weather, date and time.

Old aircraft without GPS, NDB/VOR procedures? The world needs more people like that 🤝

Quote from ApfelFlieger

Here is the list of actual German FS 4 offshore platforms:

Thx ApfelFlieger , I added at least the helipads with ICAO code:

Map of airports in *Offshore Wind Farms, Germany @ OurAirports

Tonight the data source of our airports will be updated, so tomorrow I can update the Aerofly Map.

Update: Helipads have been added

To keep my interest I try to find difficult/unsual approaches often with a strong visual component. Just browse the internet to find them (Madeira, Paro, Katmandu, old Kai Tak (thanks to Apfelflieger ; ) ). I recently been able, for my birthday, to "play" with a professional B737NG simulator with the real cockpit... super fun... While chatting the instructor told me that he, also for fun, tries with the sim unusual airports: he says that South America is full of unusual approaches. Staying in Europe, he said to try Lugano airport, with minimum load...

Other than planes there's the beautiful world of helicopters: impossible to get bored ;).

Quote from ChuckMcPhuck

Lugano looks really cool, I'll check out the South American ones. One that's close to me IRL is the Grand Canyon Bar Ten Ranch Airfield

Are we talking difficult approaches here? With what we have now in AeroFly, I can suggest you some classics:

LPMA Madeira (specially runway 05 via waypoint GELO)
GCLA La Palma (specially runway 01)
GCHI El Hierro (go funky and land on the very short runway 34)
LGIR Heraklion (try landing at runway 27)
LGSK Skiathos (The Greek St. Maarten - Try landing on runway 01)
LGSM Samos (The Greek Kai Tak - Try landing on runway 09)
LGKJ Kastellorizo (With just a Q400, try landing on the infamous 800-meter short runway 13, without falling straight into the sea at the other end)
LYTV Tivat (A beautiful approach between mountains - Land on runway 32 or try the cirle-to-land procedure for runway 14 in the Bay of Kotor)
LICJ Punta Raisi (Try a night visual approach onto runway 07, but don't be fooled by your eyes...)
LSGS Sion (Any runway at Sion is a challenge - just try it for yourself)
LOWI (Try the circle-to-land runway 08 procedure via the RTT NDB, and try not to crash in the attempt)
LXGB (Try the visual approach to runway 09, without ever entering Spanish Airspace at all, or you'll risk causing an international conflict)

Here are some charts to help you to prepare your approaches: Jeppesen Charts
For sure many flight simmers will prove me wrong and add their favorite approach, but this list contains some of the most epic and scenic European approaches that are really worth trying.

It is also worth trying out the newly published Helgoland airport with different aircraft, especially because of its short runway lengths.

(Q400 MPW: 29580 kg. )

Quote from AeRodri

Are we talking difficult approaches here? With what we have now in AeroFly, I can suggest you some classics:

Many Thanks for those suggestions!!! I'd say every Swiss alps airport worth a try... on a different note I'd like to have in Aerofly a plane suitable for Lukla and similar airports... I've tried with the Q400 but I'm not skilled enough to achieve a "plausible landing" it's fun though :). And if the runways become too familiar... you can spice up your session with: wind, turbulence, clouds... or you can turn off and engine...

I really like to use AIPs (Aeronautical Information Publications) to discover new airfields - both for flying and creating. An overview is for example:

• https://metar-taf.com/aip

Quote from Cicciopotamo

Many Thanks for those suggestions!!! I'd say every Swiss alps airport worth a try... on a different note I'd like to have in Aerofly a plane suitable for Lukla and similar airports...

A Twin Otter for example…

On a side note: I am really enjoying this thread. A thread about actually flying and discovering what Aerofly FS still has in store for us.