ADX FirstLook: Orbx Vernonia!

FSX/P3D. He is the youngest and one of the most talented developers in the business. He started out merely curious about FS deveploment and when another developer took him under his wing, he flourished. From there, he joined and contributed to the success of OZx and the rest is history. Or is it? You see, his internal demand for a higher level of quality became far more than the level of what OZx produces. Driven by his own internal passion, he set out to develop his first payware product with highly successful results. So much so, that for his next development he joined Orbx in an effort to ensure his next project would be better than ever. And it is! I am talking about the venerable Misha Cajic from Down Under. He is 15 and he is incredible. Come with me up to the state of Oregon where I explore his latest masterpiece, 05S Vernonia Municipal Airport! Bandwidth Warning!

I decided to set out and enjoy the morning in my lovely BayTower Vans RV-7 out of Siletz Bay and headed east. Now many of you are aware that I am not a huge fan of grass airstrips. But there are 2 developers who really changed my feelings on the subject. Misha is one of these two, the other being Russ White. In order for a grass strip to be successful, it must have something truly special about it. The detail has to be better than good. The environmental immersion has to be so real, I have to be able to forget it's a simulation. The approach and departure has to be one that keeps me on my toes and never allows me to become complacent.

This is what makes Misha's work so damn good. He very carefully selects his development choices and they come out perfect every time. Airports that are highly detailed and a challenge to fly into and out of. His own MCA Designs represents one of the most challenging set of airports I currently own and he did not disappoint this time either.

This package contains 2 airstrips and both will require you to fly some loops till you decide the best approach.

As you can see here in the above shot. Vernonia is situated in a valley surrounded on all sides by hills and trees. Approaches on both ends will require a very steep angle of attack and bleeding off speed will be difficult as you attempt to set down. The bumpy terrain of the airstrip will make life quite difficult to main control of your aircraft thus speed management is key.

In my case, choosing the approach was easy as I wanted to get a look at the town of Vernonia Oregon. Misha did an excellent job modeling the town and surrounding areas and roads in high detail.

Lining up for the final!

Here we go!

Be sure to stay above those trees!

Love the creature flow!

Misha's skill here is of no comparison with his previous works. Over the course of the project he shared with me many updates of his progress. At one point, he learned methods to better his texture baking skills resulting in him scrapping all his texture works and started over from scratch. The texture baking methods he has mastered here are spot on perfect which you will see shortly.

Okay let's dock this showboat and take some pictures. I am thinking of scrapping the term 'screenshot' altogether. The work here is so good, I think it's better to call it, 'digital photography' have a look!

It looks so real! This is how grass aerodromes should be! I hail Misha and Russ as the kings! Wait, did I just see one of those people flow dudes sneeze? I almost did!

Onsite photography! The best way to go!

Nice trucks!!

Full seasonal textures included.

Just look at that valley! It's waiting for you!

Great ground textures here. The digital shurbbury, trees, butterflies, people flow, it all comes together so perfectly. Not to mention the environmental audio. This place is the perfect haven for flight simulation. Misha's hard work has paid off is an amazing way and shows his incredible talent. As for frames, you need not worry. Feel free to keep everything activated. You don't want to change the way this place is meant to be experienced. The product includes a large area of pristine ground imagery at 30/60cm resolution, fully custom modeled airport and town center, advanced rendering and ambient occlusion techniques, brand new dense vegetation and grass, a challenging setting with hills surrounding the airfield on all sides, TextureFlow optimized and includes most Flow technologies, covers entire township of Vernonia and uses latest Orbx streetlight tech for max realism and performance. It's also DX-10 comparable with the use of Steve's tool.

As if all that was not enough, Misha also included 30OR Bero field. If you like challenges, this destination will surely deliver! You will need to be very careful of the aircraft you choose to fly in here or you will fail!

The above shot is the approach direct. Can you see it? Can you land in there? Good luck!

Misha has done it again! He has gotten so good, I just can't wait to see what he will deliver next. If you are looking for an environmentally realistic airfield with a challenging approach, this is the place for you. Couple that with Misha's incredible attention to detail and you are all set! Head over to Orbx, support this young developer and have a great time! I know I am!

Get it here: http://www.flightsimstore.com/product_info.php?products_id=2704
And don't forget to pick up Misha's MCA Designs: North American Airfields:
http://www.pcaviator.com.au/store/product.php?productid=555144&cat=0&page=1

UPDATE!

I installed Drzewiecki Design Grass X based on feedback and I highly recommend it especially for destinations like this.

Here are a few shots showing a clear difference!

You can get it free here: http://www.drzewiecki-design.net/prodDD_GrassX.htm

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