Posts by Christopher Low

Like I stated on the ORBx forum, if they have access to high quality photoreal scenery of Germany, it would be a MASSIVE wasted opportunity if they listen to the negative nancies. In short, if you want detailed scenery for low and slow VFR flight, then high resolution photoreal with 3D objects and autogen is the ONLY solution.

Yes, I can confirm that the "shadow shimmering" is a big problem in AeroFly FS2 (and I have shadows set to ULTRA). It is very distracting and annoying.

Is there a way to create a Top Down view, and assign a keyboard command to it? I would like to be able to use "F12" as my Top Down view command (as I do in P3D).

I think this is also true of most of the airfields and airports, and it gives the impression that they are just large 3D boxes rather than actual buildings. Customised texturing (and possibly colouring) would go a long way to improve the realism. Maybe this is where third parties like ORBx can help?

...which is why we need those 100GB full fat regions that John Venema has mentioned

Another small scenery improvement that I would like to see would be the Farallon Islands (located west of the Golden Gate Bridge). I was always disappointed that they were not included in the Flight Unlimited 2 San Francisco scenery region, so it would be nice to see them in AeroFly FS2. They may only be a small collection of rocky islets and pinnacles, but it is little touches like this that make the best flight simulators extra special!

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Version 1.0 should be simple, clear and follow the published terminology, no special features. Just plain clear instructions, fly this heading, this speed, cleared ILS approach, cleared for land, cleared Whiskey 1 echo departure - climb via sid, left on bravo, hold short runway 20, XYZ - rwy 20 - cleared for take off, climb and maintain FL220... descent 5000ft - qnh 1022
It could feature ATIS information but they would probably be quite boring at the moment. KLAX infromation A, wind calm, sky condition clear., temp: 15deg C dewpoint 5, qnh 1013... everywhere

I absolutely agree with this approach. The basics (those ATC instructions that will be used by ALL pilots, whether they are flying an airliner/regional/executive/GA plane etc) need to be nailed first, and to be perfectly honest....everything else would be a MASSIVE bonus for me. I am really looking forward to seeing what you guys can deliver in this department

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Well, SOMEONE has to keep things balanced...

Don't worry, Jeroen. My comments were not aimed at you Your "review" was a factually accurate appraisal of AeroFly FS2 as it stands, and was therefore constructive criticism. However, there are some in the community who prefer to dismiss new ventures like this with hardly a second glance, simply because they don't model at least one airliner down to the last rivet and FMC entry option!

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For those of us that have never seen flight unlimited in action. Do you have a good demonstration of the ATC somewhere? Like a good youtube video or something like that?
What in particular made it so special, tell us what we should focus on. Was it variety or accuracy in the terminology? Was is the way it responds to you, how was the interface set up? (I've never seen flight unlimited)

The ATC system in Flight Unlimited 3 was very straightforward and clear. I am almost certain that Microsoft will have checked it out in order to develop their own ATC system for FSX. What I liked about it when compared to the MSFS version was the way that the controllers would reprimand you if you started doing daft stuff (like taxiing across the grass, or not responding to tower instructions when airborne). I also liked the way that the ground controllers would ask you to "hold short, runway xx" if the taxi instructions involved crossing a runway. In FSX/P3D, you are asked to wait for an aircraft to clear a runway, and then "continue taxi"....or just allowed to cross a runway without any instructions if there are no aircraft around. I much prefer the request to "hold short" at a particular runway during the initial taxiway route instruction, and then getting clearance to cross the runway when you get there.

Another aspect of the FSX/P3D ATC that can be annoying is the waiting for a landed plane to clear the runway before a waiting plane is asked to "taxi into position and hold". I am pretty sure that an aircraft crossing a runway (or waiting for departure) could be cleared to enter the runway before the landing plane has left the runway at a point further down (although I could be wrong about this). It just delays the flow of traffic, and we all know how AI traffic can back up if it doesn't flow properly.

On a final note....I hate it when AI planes disappear when they have been waiting too long. This is so unrealistic it isn't even funny. I have modified my own aiplayer.dll file in P3D so that this does not happen.

If IPACS are unable to do this, I am sure that ORBx will be able to do it

Yes, a few posts by Mitch are probably all most developers would need as far as marketing and advertising is concerned. His enthusiasm is great to see in a community that is generally rather critical of any new flight simulator that is less than perfect from day one

I posted the followiing list at AVSIM, and it is what I am looking for down the line in AeroFly FS2......

* Super detailed South Western USA region
* Consistent high resolution photoscenery terrain textures and mesh throughout
* ALL airports and airfields with customised buildings, markings and clutter
* Accurate placement (and density) tree and building autogen
* ALL important 3D landmarks (bridges/oil terminals/radio towers/water towers/fire lookout towers/wind turbines/marinas etc)
* Electricity pylon network with substations
* ATC system at least as good as the one in Flight Unlimited 3
* Realistic AI planes and flightplans
* Animated water
* Animated ships and boats
* Dynamic weather system (user selectable)

This would (of course) include detailed renditions of downtown Oakland and San Jose

I don't mind if this is all done by IPACS or (more likely) provided by third parties like ORBx, but......IF it could be done, then it would probably make AeroFly FS2 the most realistic looking flight simulator ever developed. On a personal note, I don't even care if they never add further regions. What I am looking for is Flight Unlimited : The Next Generation. The South Western USA region is a much, much larger area than I enjoyed flying around in Flight Unlimited 3 (Seattle and San Francisco high resolution scenery regions), and I used this exclusively between 1999 and 2008 (because I thought that Microsoft Flight Simulator at that time was a waste of space for VFR flights).

We have plenty of global flight simulators for the intercontinental kids. What we really need is a flight simulator that can deliver a visual, aural and atmospheric paradise to fly around, and I think that AeroFly FS2 is the best opportunity to get it!

I don't know if the tree placement in the Switzerland scenery is anything like that in the South Western USA region, but if it is....the trees need to be more densely clustered together for large areas of them, and they also need to be much more accurately positioned. The trees in the South Western USA region are currently scattered all over the place, with no real conformity with tree locations in the underlying photoscenery images. I am sure that IPACS will sort this out in time, but at the moment I keep debating whether to switch the trees off.

He has only purchased it very recently, just like myself.

Thanks for providing a link to report bugs/issues.

Aircraft "bounces up" rather violently when selecting a landing approach. A solution for this issue would be very welcome
Contact a trusted US government source for higher resolution terrain textures for Area 51

The fact that ORBx have made the decision to support AeroFly FS2 at all is a big plus as far as I am concerned. You can't really argue that the quality of their extended airport packages in FSX/P3D is second to none, so I am keen to see what they can do for this simulator.

It also seems like the Learjet 45 has some kind of inertia problem when rolling to a stop. It seems to "wobble" slightly, almost as if it has very little weight.

As a new user of AeroFly FS2, I just wanted to post details of one or two issues that I have noted after my first experience with the simulator.....

KPRC Ernest A Love Field Runway 03L displaced threshold arrows skewed off to the right
No compression of nose landing gear on Learjet 45 when braking
Autogen trees in lakes (seen near North Las Vegas, but probably also elsewhere)

I will keep providing updates as and when I see anything that I think requires your attention, but please let me know if you want me to send this information via PM or email.