Ilheis SBIL, freeware airport

Monday, Jorge Amengol (Terra-Brasilis, OZX developer) has released its last freeware, the brasilian airport Ilheus (SBIL) in Bahia region. The terminal (here on the picture) is a fineness work and includes a lof of objects. Previously, Jorge made one other FSX airport, Cachimbo (SBCC), and several FS9 airports (Sao Luis..). Updated 10/02 : include in the scenery, ground textures, very detailed city with houses, bay and some skycrapers. Several typical aircrafts, well positionned, with My Traffic X, one animated person at the terminal, customs car traffic.

Lose-Lose situation / comment by Francois Dumas

François "Navman" Dumas (Fsaddon) has the courtesy to send me a comment about my article on FS9/FSX backporting cost. Here is his full remark.
"Hmmm..... I think it takes a LOT more than just two weeks to build the same airport or scenery for 'the other' version. Ben Gurion for FSX took more than 10 months of hard work to build. The designer is now making an FS9 version upon many requests from the customer base.. and it will take him at least 2 months. There is NO additional cost involved in either of the products. We basically built ONE FSX airport and are charging (too little) for that. We could argue that the FS9 version takes a lot less time and hence, should be cheaper, also because many parts of it have already been designed for FSX. But since the FS9 market is now much smaller than the FSX market, that would be commercial suicide. Pricing in this niche market and industry is not as simple as it may seem ;-)

As a matter of fact, when i wrote my article, i was only thinking about backporting from FSX to FS9 which is now the largest and common way amongst developers (writing vice-versa was my mistake). In some cases, two weeks are even too much. On Fly Tampa's site, George told that it only took 4 days to backport Buffalo on FS9. Mason Dominique.
Thanks Francois.

New projects at Indonesia Scenery

After FSMugari and some FS9 airports (Juanda, Adisucipto...), Budi Santoso's team wished to work on FSX platform. Their first project, a depiction of the Djakarta city and skyline, has been released in december and they have already started to convert Adisucipto and Soeckarno-hatta for FSX. These airports will come with photoreal scenery. Soeckarno, a heavy intl airport is 470 nm away from Singapour and 1100 nm from the incoming scenery Samui. A lot of screenshots and informations can be found http://www.iscenery.net/ (I am shure my friends from Malaysianwings already now them ?)

Who is Flightbeam ?

Flightbeam is almost ready to release its first scenery (KSFO), just awaiting the AES support. But the interesting thing is that now, we know a little bit more about this team. "Mir", who is the administrator of its own website, is apparently developing alone but he works along with a consultant and four beta-testers. Except two of them, they all live in the San Francisco bay... Good news, there is a bunch of airports to make around. Updated March 2 ; Flightbeam is managed by Amir Salehi aka "Mir". In this project, he has been helped by David Aquino (Mexsim, MMMX project), and by four beta testers ; William, Edward, Daniel and Boaz.

OrbX quality in FS9 ?

A new flight sim developer has just shown its first work, the McCall airport (KMYL) in Idaho. Jim Robinson, the author, is really gifted at texturing houses and hangars and he already added a photoreal mountain and photoreal-based ground textures. Jim is now trying to finish its scenery and has planned to release a freeware version. If you know the airport and got some real pictures of its hangars, dont hesitate to send him on Fs Developer's forum, showroom. As this is still a personal project, i cannot publish any screen here but a small preview.

San Jose del Cabo

These guys from Bajasim know the tricks of the trade. I really doubt that this is their first shot. The scenery (25 mb) has been released for FS9 but a FSX version will follow. San Jose del Cabo is a good choice. This city in the Baja state, south of California, is growing rapidly thanks to booming investments in large resorts. The airport is also growing fast and the scenery shows foundations of a futur terminal. Buildings, ground textures, runway and terminal are near to perfection (almost too perfect maybe). Trees are photoreal and a lot of houses and objets have dynamic shadows as often in FS9. In the opposite, i did not like how Bajasim put some grass around the taxiways. On ground, the effect is nice but when flying over the airport, you can see awful crosses. The night lights are not very effective neither. Its a bit too dark. Anyway, this first airport is a serious work and i am eager to see futur projects.

Quality : 8/10 FPS : 10/10 (FS9...) Interest : 8/10 Overall package : 7/10 (expensive price)

A lose-lose situation

Nobody complains about that but this is really a lose-lose situation. Most designers are selling their airports for FS9 AND FSX both. What they dont tell you - because they really gave up to try- is that it takes them up to two weeks to backport a scenery to FS9 and vice-versa. I let you run the numbers just for one week work. Of course, they charge you that in the product's final cost, even if you only use one flight sim version.
So, this is cool, all these "FSX is the best", or "no, no, FS 2004 forever", or "'forget it, its gonna be Flight !". The fact is that we will keep paying for 1, 2 and maybe 3 different versions. This is definitely a lose-lose situation for them AND for us. Its a lose situation because we pay too much while they could spare much more time for newer projects, more projects...

Another Dash-8 under construction

We are so focused on PMDG's NGX that this is eclipsing some nice projects. If PMDG has already announced a Dash-8, we should not forget Majestic software Dash-8 Q400 which seems pretty much advanced according to their last screenshots. Majestic is a portuguese designer who made a Q300 version. The Q400 will be available in several versions, including a high-end one for airliners training. The "simmer" version will have a weather radar. The release date is sill unknown but the VC cockpit is likely finished.

Latin VFR's LIMA SPIM

Very first screens from next Latin VFR's hub ; Lima Intl airport. Will be available soon on FS9 and FSX and will complete three others airports in this region ; Sucre SLSU, La Paz SLLP and Cuzco SPZO.

Nice week-end ! more news very soon

Pragua Ruzyne airport, LKPR. There is also a famous freeware LKPR airport on the web.

http://lkpr-scenery.wz.cz/en/index.php

Captain Sim GOT HIS GUN

Include, a catalogue of military Ai aircrafts models.

"Weapons for FSX " IS the product X. This new feature adds different kind of armaments to a range of aircrafts, including Captain Sim previous military aircrafts ; CS jet F/1-18 and armed version of the Learjet 45. Are also include in this package sophisticated 2D/3 HUD, radars and a special weapon control panel to choose between armaments and acquisitions. Different kind of rockets are available, like the well known Sparrows and ASRAAM. Airdailyx, today, is the very first to announce that at 17h UTC. More news to come tomorrow. Captain Sim warned us : "this product has never been done in FSX". Partly true. Several features, mostly freeware, were tested these last years and last month, VRsimulations showed off VRS TacPack . With this new WFF, that might be a real breakthrough and an amazing come back for the FSX platform. Editors will design more and more military aircrafts and - who knows, maybe Weapons For Fsx will become a sort of AES enhancement for... WAR.

Updated/05/02 : Armaments include all kind of weapons from gun and rockets to missiles (Captain Sim still working on bombs feature). Any defaut FSX aircraft can be equiped with the weapon loader. WFF adds military traffic "sceneries" of major conflicts from 40's to 90's of the 20th century. These "sceneries" only include AI traffic, no buildings. According to community feedback and commercial success, Captain Sim will push further developments like multiplayers.

Flightbeam studios recognition

Fs Dreamteam and Fly Tampa are not alone anymore. With their KSFO, the unknown members of Flightbeam studios have prouved the strongest skills in 3Dsmax and GMAX scenery designing. First feat of all, they managed to build this first scenery in less than a year. Second, despite the size and complexity of San Francisco airport, the scenery is going to be smooth (this is important because there are others products around the bay ; KOAK & KSJC airports, US Cities SF, plus Ultimate terrain USA layers). Third, their screenshots and videos are showing innumerable textures effects ; photoreal ground mesh, dirt/wear, static shadows (and dynamic ?), shine, dynamic shining effects, transparent textures, static and dynamic reflective textures etc... Not to forget custom animations ; moving birds, cars, shuttles, plus the AES feature (moving jetways etc.). After FSX, Flightbeam studios will also release a FS9 version. The product will be downloadable from their website, as soon as AES is implemented and this will be a payware. Some of us might show apprehension about the framerate. But even if a lof of american simmers are now I7-core possessers, Flightbeam launched a poll to figure out what is the actual average processor type.

Updated 08/02 : we know a little bit more about this team. "Mir", who is the administrator of its own website, is apparently developing alone but he works along with a consultant and four beta-testers.

The long quest for the holy graal of Fly-by-wire...

all rights reserved, Airdailyx 2011, credits D.C.

A first KLAX comes alive

Blueprint Simulations : imminent release of its KLAX airport.

More screenshots on :
http://www.blueprintsimulations.com/Galleries/BluePrint_GalleriesKLAX.html

Fight over Corsica island

With its montains and coastline, Corsica island has becomen a first choice for visual flights in France and Mediterranean sea. Its not astonishing if three french designers are developing sceneries of the so-called "french beauty". France VFR, the forerunner, launched a Corsica VFR for FS9 with a LOD10 mesh in 2005. This scenery was completed by several personal works, like Tony Agramont's autogen.

Back in 2011, three different products are about to be available AT the same time. France Touristique Scenery completely overturned this market last year with its Corsica North, designed from a 50 cm/pixel resolution (maximum resolution offered by IGN french cartographer). Then came SceneryBox with a full range of departments sceneries. Now, the commercial fight is to reach its height with two imminent release : France VFR new generation Corsica and France Touristique scenery South. In the upper right of this post, a table shows and compare these products. I will just add two things : first, mind the weight of the files (the higher the quality, the heaviest the file) and second, we must ask ourself ; what is my style ? VFR or IFR ? Scenery beauty or detailed airports ?

nb : France Touristique Scenery will release Corsica South between mi-february and march. France VFR is preparing several regions. Rhone-alpes shall come first, folllowed by Corsica in spring.
SIRX project was also about to release photoreal "tiles" of Corsica but they dont communicate any more.

Torreon MMTC hot test

Taxi2gate's eigth airport, is Torreon in the Coahuila region of Mexico. The airport has two runways, one for the international flights (American Eagle, Aeromexico, Click Mexicana...) and a second for local and propellers. The scenery (28 mb) includes the Corona stadium and several home blocks around the airport. I tried differents aircrafts and scenery densities just to check the smoothness and it looked very good. Be warned, its not a huge airport and there is just one jetway but the place is exotic and somehow, we are lucky that a designer chose this airport lost in the Altieplanicie Mexicana. Ground textures are not photoreal but realistic and based on recent images and there are a lot of details in the airport vicinity. Two regrets : no wet runway (but does it ever rain here ?) and i would have liked car traffics around the airport, which was the case in Mexico MMMX airport. This team are technically progressing and will release Varadero in February. Updated 03/02 : i did not see a lot of AI aircrafts neither.

A selection of pictures on

http://airdailyx.blogspot.com/p/scenery-test-torreon.html

Serial scoops in Europe

Hush-Hush, In its pre-order page, Aerosoft confirms its wish to distribute FreeZ Zurich scenery as a "Mega airport Zurich". The german editor has also planned (for the end of the year) a Mega airport Lyon scenery (LFLL). This plate-form is the fourth french airport and has been renamed as Saint-Exupery airport in memory of the illustrious pilot and writer. Well done Aerosoft.

Some tips on the AES NG project

Oliver Pabst, developer of the appreciated Airport enhancement system has posted some tips about its next AES rehash, the - Next Generation -. Planned to be released in a couple of months, the NG will much better cope with aircrafts types and will offer a greater positionning of vehicules around doors, wings and noise. Cargo loads management will be implemented and vehicules will be chosen accordingly with the geographical regions. Meanwhile, no doubt that the competition will be harshed between AES flow and OrbX PeopleFlow (if you still dont know what is PeopleFlow, run watch that on OrbX website).

Miami City scenery, firsts screens

Intersim Studios has shown us its first image of the incoming Miami City scenery. These are from the payware version and will be available for FS9 and FSX both (thanks Junior ! you comment will be published 02/01). In the meantime, Intersim is still working with Taxi2gate on the KMIA airport.

2012 / Market Survey

Airdailyx will conduct a market survey of the FS market
with payware editors and developers.

Some of the most popular teams already answered to our questionnaire.

They will receive our stats on april 27 th exclusively. Only those who responded will receive the extensive stats based on 8 questions, some on economic others or technical trends.

If you are among payware developers, it's not too late. just ask the questionnaire at
airdailyx@gmail.com

Some of the stats will be published later, in early may, in our blog.

Dom and D'Andre
Airdailyx

About vertical integration in flight sim market

I will never cease to write that i really like Aerosoft products, and i usually buy my products at Simmarket, just because i found them on the web a long time ago and i appreciate the service. But i am a consumer and a citizen. I would like to point out what looks like an advanced vertical integration on the sim market. Aerosoft, Simflight and Simmarket are privately own companies. There are no any known official links between them (no common shareholders to my knowledge), but everybody can look at subtles connections (see the picture).

Aerosoft makes and distributes products, Simflight provides "information" (but we dont see very much critizism) and Simmarket sells the product. As they need the fourth level - credible information - the next stage is to buy a good newspaper (may be they already did). Of course, this is not specific to the flight sim market and industry has the same tendancy to accelerate vertical integration. Updated 02/02 : Francois "Navman" Dumas clarifies that Simflight and Simmarket never made a secret of their relations at all. Simflight is beeing funded by Simmarket and Simmarket news prevails on any other news (Mason : including interesting ones).

Good luck and good day.

Incoming this week...

Will Imagine simulations respond to our interview request ?
Fight over Corsica island.
Where is Mexsimulations ?
A complete review of the incoming KSFO (Flightbeam)
Fukuoka (Aerosim), almost finished.

And much more.. Thank you for your fidelity !

PMDG 737 NGx : new set of screenshots

http://forum.avsim.net/topic/325428-externalities-and-the-ngx/page__st__425

News about Miami

Screenshots to be released tomorow on Miami KMIA by Intersim Studios and its partner, Taxi2gate.
Release date in early march. Updated 30/01 : KMIA will be for FSX and FS9.
AES Airport Enhancement system : ongoing negotiations.
The same designers will also release a Miami city (2 versions, one freeware, one payware).
Stay tunes ! Help Airdailyx by tweeting around, thank you.

Nice Week end !

Free of right.

Oh yeas, Munich !

At last, first external views of the NGX

A FSX full Native B-757

A new aircraft project from Enigma Simulations team. This FSX native Boeing 757 will benefit latest possibilities in bump and specular maps. Below, one of the very early shots of the project now conducted by Jordi Blumberg and Tom Koffeman.

Bern-Belp LSZB, aviation paradise

Located at the foot of the Belpberg hill, the small Belp airport is a pure sample of aviation ; a concentrated of choppers, gliders, light aircrafts, turbines, and sometimes even some Boeing 737-400 or small Airbus are landing here. This is also a formidable base for swiss Alps trips. I usuall fly over Thunersee (heading south-east), then, Reichenbach airport, toward some cirques.
The flylogic airport (180 mb exe. file) is a model of meticulous work and 70 % of the buildings are covered with a high quality photoreal textures. The framerate is good and the scenery includes a traffic utiliy, seasonal textures, AES-Lite and a 18 page manual, english and french. According to this manual, the ILS 14 approach, near the hills, is thrilling. I tested the scenery with My Traffic and i got plenty of turboprops, Cessnas and two Dornier of the Belp base airline Flywork.
Useful ressources :
http://bernairnewslszb2000to2010.blogspot.com/ (wonderful pictures)

http://www.vacc.ch/
http://www.flylogicsoftware.com/

The V-tail V35B Bonanza

I am going over the Bonanza V35B again because this Carenado aircraft was barely noticed by flightsim medias. The V35B was the last version of the Bonanza 35, with the V-tail profil inherited from polish engineer Jerzy Rudlicki works. In two words, the V-tail lighten the aircraft weight and reduce the drag but need finest adjustments on pitch and yaw. The higher mechanical stress also requires structural strenghten. But i am not going any further, a lot of real pilots can explain that better. I dont know if the V-tail gives a better flyability but at least, i made really nice shorts turns. In the opposite, i did not feel the famous waggle effect on landing. Did Carenado really improve the flight model in this version, that's the question.

On graphics side, its all about high defintion textures except on the exhaust. The propeller can be animated, antennas are vibrating under the wind and there are the same navigation modules than in the previous version : the intuitive alt and vertical speed selector and the Garmin GNS430. I regret that its always the same guy on the yoke and the same basic fade liveries. I would have liked 1 or 2 real paintings and frankly, its time to add passengers. Also great would be the tool to auto-convert our face and put it on the animated pilot...Cars makers want to personnalize our futur cars, maybe its time...

Updated, By the way, Flightsim international developers team (http://www.fsd-international.com/), designed their own B35 with nice liveries and inside cast shadows. (nice price too).

Incoming...San Jose del Cabo (FS9)

New mexican editor Bajasim has just disclosed a hundred of new screenshots of its incoming San Jose de Los Cabos MMSD. The scenery for FS9 will be released within 2 weeks, promised. A FSX version shall follow. At last, news from Mexico !

Overland's rising sun ?

Just received this morning an email from Yorihisa Kageyama, venerable chief of Overland Japan (Simmer's sky). Responding to a request, Mr (Mrs ?) Kageyama confirms that Overland is still having sceneries projects (and maybe aircrafts) for FS 2004 and FSX. Overland developed a lot of japanese sceneries packages and is mostly recognized (on my point of view) for its amazing Seoul Incheon airport. Wait and See. (Up : Empire of the Sun, Spielberg movie, sharing the same passion for aviation. Down, Seoul Incheon FS9 & FSX).

Make me 3000 3D cars please

(legend : rendition of this screenshot is bad. Cars are really in 3D dim.)

A lot of websites just announced UK2000 Bristol V3 Extrem. Oh that's nice but where are the real news ? Eh bien oui, il fallait juste acheter la scène pour le savoir. (Oh yes, next time, just buy the product and you'll now).

Gary Summons, less than a month after EGKK release, has found some time to polish (with new high definition textures), the main airport of this old venerable city of England. Ok, the airport is nicer, we appreciated the new set of ground textures and some new photoreal front buildings textures and the rain effect. But the huge thing is to add about 3000 three-dimensional cars around the airport. UK2000 warns you though, this is very FPS "glutton" but depending on your settings, you shall try it. I am a FS amateur for 20 years and for the first time, i discover this airport. And cherry on the cake (do you say that in english ? cerise sur le gâteau), Bristol is perfectly positionned 150-250 nm away from Cork, Shannon, Paris, Manchester, Bruxelles, Amsterdam etc.

Good luck and goood night

Fly Tampa Athens LGAV : new screenshot !

Presenting... the cow-boys

I like to tease Pacific Island Sim 's team but i hope they liked my last bubble from Star Trek. The good news is that they are not shy anymore. Proudly presenting developers of VFR Appalachia and Ingalls Field ;

Michael Graham, lead software, design and development ,

Jonathan Devers , terrain mesh,

Aaron Sccoter for Photoscenery textures, and finally,

Kyal Scanlon & Ken Alger for paint & textures schematics.

I am puting these names in my "Who's Who" page. These guys, they must not be too old and i hope they've heard of Spock hein ? Respectfuly, Mason, fan of VFR Appalachia.

How to discourage honest buyers

Of course, i agree with coded-protection systems. But adding a second or third protection layer, its just killing its best friend (or dog ?) to be shure to catch the prey. I am not against Aerosoft launcher, but i do not bear the fact i am submited to a first checking with a webshop and then, submited to a second checking from Aerosoft.

UK2000 also established an amazingly heavy procedure : 1. you get the download link. 2. you must enter your password 3. as you dont remember it, you must receive a new email. 4. Re-enter your personal datas. 5. In your product list, you must find and give the product key. 6. You dont even know where is the exec. file to download...so, you return to step 4...

Virtuali (FSDT) has another protection system. You must load the addon manager but if dont have the up-to-date version, your airport buildings disappear.. just like that. If you uninstall a scenery and then reinstall it in a different order, you screw up the whole thing. But its your fault. Its your fault if you cannot cope with three, four or five completely different protection systems. So, maybe, largest companies could start to talk each other like adults and find minimum stan-dar-di-za-tion. Updated: they might even find a new way to spare some cash..

The British Aerospace ATP project

Jordi Blumberg and the Enigma Simulations team has disclosed one of their next project : the ATP turboprop, manufactured by British Aerospace. The aircraft could be released in the end of this year (so lets say in early 2012). It is planned to work under FSX and WILL be totally FSX native. The team took around 1600 high res. pictures from real - still operating - ATP. First screenshots disclosed on their website are just thrilling...

Blueprint Simulations's interview

This is the full response from Blueprint Simulations to our interview (part one). Part two can be found on my pages. I want to express my thanks to Ignacio and will not permit dumb comments as readers and visitors, are here, educated people from all over the world.

1) Blueprint Simulations has its fans and regular customers. What kind of qualities and values they appreciate in your sceneries ?

B.S. : The level of detail and technical accuracy that I have tried to achieve with each and every one of our products is what makes BluePrint Simulations sceneries unique. My intention from the very beginning was to fill what I perceived to be a gap in the type of sceneries already available. While most developers moved toward increasingly complex animations, I wanted sceneries that were accurate enough to allow for published procedures to be used under instrument flight conditions. I also wanted more realistic terminals featuring more three-dimensional details. With those goals in mind, I decided to create my own sceneries. Today, the feedback from an overwhelming majority of our customers appears to indicate not only that others felt the same needs that I did, but also that I have accomplished my original goals.
I must say, however, that MSFS enthusiasts either love our sceneries or hate them. I am also aware of the fact that our customer base represents a very, very small fraction of the flight simulation community. Nonetheless, I am pleased that my sceneries arouse strong responses, a characteristic of products do not fit within pre-established boundaries but dare to explore new options.

2) Blueprint Simulations is based in California. For the preparation of KLAX, can you tell us how did you work, how did you pinpoint elements, objects of the airport ?

B.S. : In order to create the KLAX scenery I relied heavily on close-up pictures and high-resolution satellite images obtained from public sources on the internet as I have done for all the other sceneries. Close-up pictures are absolutely necessary to achieve the highest level of detail. On the other hand, pictures are not enough to capture the real character of an airport. Each terminal and each concourse is unique and has a very distinct atmosphere. Having the opportunity to experience firsthand most of the airports portrayed in my sceneries by either living nearby or visiting very often has been my most valuable tool during the creative process. This is particularly true for KLAX. Having lived in LA for nearly a decade has given me the opportunity to truly experience LAX, from every one of its terminal to the surrounding areas. Needless to say, having the opportunity to just drive to the airport when a detail is needed is quite useful. It has, however, made it very difficult to bring the project to a “temporary” conclusion by enabling me to become obsessed with capturing every detail.

http://airdailyx.blogspot.com/p/blueprint-sims-interview.html

About SceneryBox, Blueprint Simulations and Captain Sim

SceneryBox 17 is a product of Gaiddon Software. This french editor, from Toulouse, has developed a range of photo-aerial ground textures covering the hundred of french departments. Specialized in images processing, the editor reworks the airports and runways in order to set precise geographical positions. A hand-cut work also re-shapes lakes, rivers and ports.

Charente-Maritime area is the first product sold via webshops. It has been released in october. This week, it has been released again with a slight difference : image definition has reach now 1,2 meter (2,4 m 3 months ago). The scenery does not include any specific autogen nor airports buildings. On this market, in France, two others companies are fighting on photoreal ground textures, the main one, France VFR, which is about to release Rhone-Alpes region and France Touristique Scenery, which has already released Reunion and North of Corse for instance.

Updated! Blueprint did accept the interview.

Captain Sim has reached a new record : more than 15 000 hits on its forum to announce its incoming Product X. The idea is pretty smart : " guess what will be our next coolest product ". And it works so well that visitors, fans, are giving a lot of very nice ideas for futur products. I will say that what Captain Sim did here, is an experiment or sort of... Well done Captain.

Nice week end, visitors, friends. I will post some nice pictures and come back tomorrow.

Live in FSX, Zakynthos Zante X

The Zante X scenery (260 megabytes. !) is not totally new stuff. But, bad luck, it was launched at the same time that Larnaca, Holidays airports, Mega Munich and Olso etc, during the october rush. The scene covers 25 square miles around Zante airport, Zakynthos city and the montain Skopos, improved by a special mesh. The main terminal is brought out by very interesting photo-real textures, giving a crazy in-depth optical illusion. Everything is smooth (full autogen is suggested) and the ground textures are very effective, especially the tires marks on the runway. Live In Fsx team, on its forum, is showing a first video of its next airport ground textures. Corfu is on the way, we will be patient.

Oh, one more thing. There are some birds (again !) in the sky, around Zante X. So, i am going to open a blog on virtual birds ornithology in FS world.

How they make you pay twice ?

Inserting some adds on a forum to upkeep it or pay the rental is okay. But inserting wild adds or hideous ones in a forum that is no longer responding to its customers, that is a bad practice. On consumer side, its paying a first time for the scenery (or the aircraft) and paying (sort of) a second time to bear this.

Mexsim's forum is not following its customers (these last weeks at least) and some people are still waiting for answers, 15 days, a month later. Aero files had also put an add on its homepage although its forum was temporily closed. This morning, this hideous add has been removed. Thank you. Billund is a really good scenery, by the way.

Simmarket has also developed a new habit : to re-launch the same product months later, which is giving it the right - no doubt - to update the official launching date. We mentionned the fact last month and it has just happened again. I cannot give the name of this product but you can check on internet what sceneries were launched on october 8. Sooner or later, if we are not watchful, we will buy the same product twice...
Mistakes happen. These people have top priority to give an answer.

Just an email from a customer (2)

Ariane Design, designer of the B-737 series, has fairly answered my questions yesterday. I am transcribing its content.

Airdailyx : I asked you about the navdata and your answer was ‘should be out in quarter 3, 2010”. You did not announce anything about it since.
Ariane Design : If you look on our forum we did. Its a running story between Navigraph* and us. We are hoping that Navigraph will create a cycle and if not that our tool will do it. Either away, we make Boeing 737 aircraft and Navigraph make data so best to fire this one at them.

Airdailyx : Can you confirm that you are indeed still working on such a navdata and what will be the release date ?
A.D. : Navigraph are working on the data side. Yes we are also finshing a tool to make data. We never release dates.

Ardailyx : Can you confirm that your new hubs products include full FMC support with all the waypoints and navaids ?

A.D. : "All" depends on your opinion and between it, there will likely be a huge assumption so be specific on what you expect and we will do what we can to confirm in more detail for you.

My last question was about the new hubs packages. As this product's conception seems to be totally original on the market, i was wondering if pre-formatted flight plans were including "all" realistic waypoints and navaids. Let's hope for an answer on Ariane Design's website. In the meantime, i must say that i really appreciated their fair play.
* : There is also a running story with Mc Phat Studios.

Nice tool from Aerosim

The japanese editor, who is now working on Fukuoka RJFF airport, has developed months ago a waypoints coordinates search utility. This tool is available online for free (no need to register) on their website http://www.aerosim.co.jp/. I tested rare french waypoints and it found them out easily...

MWCR Owen Roberts revamped

Latin VFR has released a major update for its Caymans islands scenery. The modifications are strictly limited to the main airport, Owen Roberts, which have been renovated. Ground terminal has got high definition textures and a better rendition of wear and oil marks. Some front buildings have been improved with photoreal textures, and -hourra - the hideous "playmobils" marshallers have also been removed. Around the runway, old and bad photo-like textures have been replaced by nice-looking grass fields and during departure, you will have to watch out for the turned on seagulls* dancing around 80 feets over the runway. This free update is a nice addition for those who already bought the Caymans. If you want to buy the product, check first if it has been duly updated to the V2. It was not the case in my usual webshop.

* Ok, that's new, someone wrote me to explain that they are not Seagulls but Snowy Egret or maybe the red-footed Booby...

A new interesting option in Vroute

In its last december update, Michal Rok, developer of Vroute flight plan generator has implemented a new function : the .KML file export for Google Earth. This option, available in both versions (freeware and payware Premium) of Vroute gives us the opportunity to watch the flight plan path on the real 3D satellite map, including the vertical profil (theorical flight level). This new option might be followed by new ones : fuel consumption pattern, speed etc.

KCSG Columbus airport

9 months ago, a guy started a new FSX airport project but he didnt know too much things about scenery programming. 9 months later, KCSG Columbus is almost finished and reach very good paywares qualities (we don't know yet if this will be a freeware). This man is Michael Badger. As it is still a personal project, i am not showing off any screenshot here but you will find these materials on FS Developer.com : http://fsdeveloper.com/forum/showthread.php?t=19283

News from Blueprint Simulations

American designer Blueprint Simulations just disclosed its new project :

KLAX Los Angeles

Updated
There are some risks that this choice will be misunderstood, considering the fact Fs Dreamteam is working on the same project. But Blueprint Simulations - even knowing FSDT project - had the right to target this airport too (The designer is homebased in CA).

We will request an interview to understand their motivations but there is one thing that cannot be denied : Blueprint Simulations airports are usually FPS friendly (not to say that FSDT sceneries are usually really FPS friendly too..). Anyway, some simmers dont have a I7 core processor and are attracted to Blueprint products... We might also expect some new improvments... To be continued.

PS : initial information released at : 19H00 UTC, january 18.

VFR Appalachia

After the excellent Ingalls field, we had some expectations from Pacific Island Simulation's next project. Their first draw was about making a single airport, Eastern West Virginia Martinsburg (KMRB), but fortunately, they decided on the way to add some airfields.
VFRAppalachia.exe is a 580 mb file which includes seven airfields plus the Ingalls field bonus in FSX\webshop\. P.I.S. also made a special retail for those who previously bought KHSP. The installation process works nice and auto-set the scenery in the libray. I was mean last time when i compared Pacific island team with "cow-boys" but as a matter of fact, that's it, these people really like to add meadows, horses and harvesters.. EVERYWHERE. I suppose that they'are just trying to give a realistic depiction of Appalachias. Technically, ground textures and buildings photoreal-near textures are really astonishing and i got an average 25-40 FPS all along with my quadcore 2,33 Ghz.. Airfields are not too far from each others and are completed with country sounds and a lot of eye-candies and resort hotels. In Cheat River, i would have chosen Elkins county though, rather that an old decommissioned terrain. In Brief, VFR Appalachia is a great work and its a great opportunity : "majors" designers (FS Dreamteam for instance), are usually not interested in these small size VFR terrains.

Just two pictures here to show high quality textures but P.I.S. gave webshops a hundred of screenshots, so its really no use to add some more...