Orbx Felts Field : Hot test

 

FSX/P3D. What to say ? Jarrad's latest work with all Orbx technology flows : leavesflow, peopleflow, Staticflow etc.

ORBX FELTS FIELD KSFF
 

HOT TEST

Version tested :  FSX V.1.0
File size : 1,09 GB
Pre-requisite : Orbx FTX Northern rockies mountains (NRM).
Installation : Very easy.
Manual : 22 pages with 3 charts.
Utility : Orbx Control panel : setting static aircrafts, volumetric grass levels, peopleflow, animated trees etc.
Framerate :
20-40 FPS with a single or twin propeller (Carenado and others).
13-18 FPS on PMDG B737-600

(Configuration : I5 / 3,4 ghz / ATI HD6570 / 6 MB / (UTX, REX)


The bad : 

* Flow technologies could be used in some better ways. More AI aircrafts for instance.

* No lights in hangars. The main hangar near the tower is great and enhanced by a Peopleflow cinematic but it's rather dark inside. At dusk or night, i would have loved lights.


The good : 

* Very interesting location between western airfields (Monroe, Orcas, Diamond, Skagit...) and new eastern airports (Jackson Hole, West Yellowstone..).

* Amazing quality of the main terminal. You can  land here any time, all the time, you will always be stunned by the amount of details here on this building. It's a masterpiece.

* Runway length is long enough for a (small) liner. Even if this an sbsolutely nonsense to land a Boeing here...

* The size of the scenery : the Big eddy waterfall along the Spokane rivern, the railways installations and buildings etc.

Introduction :

What is Felts Field KSFF ? Jarrad Marshall latest project is a real nice stop for general aviation and regionals. You are approximately 200 nm from Long view ranch, 160 nm from Kelowna, Canada, and 200 nm from Seattle area. Spokane also rings some bells. A city of aviation pioneers and the proximity of Rockies Mountains. If you try an approach from Seattle or Vancouver in order to catch the 21R runway, beware of the mountains. The altitude can reach 4 500 feets here.

So, if you don't know Orbx sceneries yet, this might be the good place to start, provided that you already bought Orbx Northern rockies montains giga scenery.

The impressive railway station. Dozen of trains are included although i did not see any animated one, like in Monroe-Harvey.

 Just look at this terminal ! The small ladder, the signs, wires, ledges and air ducts !

Probably the first time i see two PeopleFlow cinematics in the same place. As i wrote in the "bads", i only regret that open hangars are not enlighted, especially at dusk or night time. Here is an idea maybe like a SoundFlow. Maybe you could hear some voices, some discussion when you are near the hangar, engines cut off ?

You will probably count more than a dozen of static aircrafts. They are all coming from the new set of G. Eccleston North American GA AI Traffic V.1.10.

The airport during summer season. The scenery includes four distinct set of textures.  

The surroundings of the Felts Field KSFF display many old style bricks buildings. It's a large area crossed by the Spokane river. 

* * * * * 

I really like the rusty roof here (look at the reflections too) and the details around this scene : wires, small vegetation.

Some figures ? More than 70 hangars of all sizes have been designed and you will discover more than a dozen of static aircrafts or PeopleFlow cinematics. As usual, textures quality and framerate are very optimized. When you take off, you don't feel these hangars, they are not slowing down your performances. All around the airport, there is a large fence showing many signs : signal us any suspicious activity ! Beware of the dog ! Access restricted ! Etc.

 

Dusk lights with FTX Night lights activated. I did not even install UTX since Orbx yellow poles are perfectly doing the trick.

In the opposite, i think that roads lights are rather weak. The 2 or 3 main road near the airport should be much more enhanced by including more lights, static cars, signs.. Orbx should also get rid of these real cars shadows. It's impossible to do on all roads but maybe on the closest roads from the airport.

Okay, you see this Boeing 737-600 and you shout "heretic ! How can you land this thing here !"

But i cannot resist. The 21R/03L runway length is around 4,400 feets. That's really enough for a 737-600 with a short package installed. In fact, i am founding a new line between Vancouver and Felts Field, the Mason fair cost airlines ! 250 nm. A 45 minutes flight !

This view was taken in october. So this is under automn season textures.  The aircrafts, over there, are statics. No special rain effects on the apron, though. That's still an Orbx limitation apparently, or a choice ?

The trees near the terminal are almost all made with LeaveFlow technology. Here the screenshot has been taken in automn.

Conclusion :

 Felts Field is a nice crossing point between North-West USA, Canadian rockies and the eastern side of the rockies (Yellowstone etc.). And Orbx has planned more airfiels in this region like Cle Elum, Bonners Ferry and Ellerport WN54, a few nm from KSFF.

But most of it, Jarrad Marshall skills are getting better and better each time. As a matter of fact, this one is its fifth airport for Orbx after Cairns, Jandakot, Anacortes or Jackson Hole. I am weighing my words but the old terminal of Spokane Felts Field is possibly the best building modelized in FSX. Maybe not the most complicate to design but the nicest one. And each time you land there, you stop at one of these places that counted in aviation history. Congratulations.

 

 

 

 

Possibly one the best work from Jarrad, YBCS Cairns in Australia.

Thanks !

Airdailyx January 2013 copyrights

Dom Mason