Final Boarding Call
By Bill Smith (19 October 2004)
It's been nearly three years since I was moved to write a breathlessly enthusiastic assessment of FS2002. Now after logging 1331 hours (don't tell my wife), circumnavigating the globe far too many times it's at last time for me to put this toy back in its box and to start behaving like a grown-up. 'Cos now I've got FS2004!
My copy of FS2004 was presented to me courtesy of the organizers of the first Australian FS Expo, as a thank you for attending as a guest speaker. (Guys, I would have come anyway, with or without any of my books to sell):
www.toomuchfs.com/getreal/get_real_SO.htm
Improvements:
It's hard to believe that a few subtle improvements could add so much more realism to the best computer game ever invented. But if anyone's still wondering whether it's worth upgrading from FS2002 to FS2004 "A Century of Flight" then take it from me; it really is! The improvements were apparent even before I left the ground.For example, so many more airports are now equipped with taxiways and parking areas and the taxiways now have signposts to assist pilots to and from the runways. The heavies are now parked more realistically at the gates. No more angle parking! The default traffic jets now reverse out and turn around just like the real thing.
ATC now clears me incrementally to my cruise altitude. As I pass through the transition height (18,000 feet) I am prompted to reset the altimeter to the standard pressure. And I don't even have to manually set it to 29.92 inches of mercury, I just have to press 'B'. (Same process during the descent to set it to the local altimeter setting.) Want to change to a higher cruise altitude to reduce fuel consumption? I can request it! Don't fancy dealing with landing in a crosswind? I can request an alternative runway for landing! Allow me to demonstrate how this flexibility with ATC has so many practical advantages.
Case Study
A certain unnamed pilot with 1331 hours experience on FS2002 was hired to fly Malaysian flight 134 from Brisbane, Australia to Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia on FS2004. He completely miss-read the flight schedule, and only loaded enough fuel for a 6 hour flight. Incredibly, he failed even to read the estimated time and fuel requirement as printed out on his navigation log. The flight departed Brisbane but by the time he reached cruise altitude and began comparing fuel flow with fuel remaining and the current speed over the ground, he began to suspect that something was wrong. Firstly, instead of just canceling his IFR flight plan, he was able to request a new cruise altitude of FL390, thus reducing fuel consumption. Then, about halfway through the flight he grabbed a piece of paper and began furiously scribbling down all the available information in order to calculate his chances of actually reaching Kuala Lumpur.Let's see now...1966 nm left to fly. Ground speed (according to the latest read-out) 415 kts. 44,000 lbs of fuel remaining and the 777-200 was consuming 13,800 lbs per hour. Well unless he suddenly experienced a massive tail wind, it looked like he would run out of fuel about an hour and a half before he got to KL.
In FS2004, it was possible for him to create a new IFR plan "on the run" and plan an alternative landing at Bali. Here of course the plane was refueled, the airline was slugged with unscheduled landing fees, some of the crew had to be replaced because they would have exceeded their duty period by the time they got to KL, and some of the passengers missed their connecting flights. But by dawn the next morning the flight was ready to continue on to KL.
Visual Effects
Just as in FS2002 the best time to fly is at dawn or just before sundown, when the other traffic is most visible in the sky. But the skies in FS2004 are even more beautiful, complete with "lens flare" effects. What else? Well even in my far-flung part of the world, Microsoft has fixed up the scenery so that Perth Airport (YPPH) no longer nestles down in a basin. What's more, Perth City's major tourist spot "Kings Park" is now faithfully represented as a raised area to the west of the CBD, right next to the Swan River. ATC now refers to the local training airport not as "YPJT" but by its real name "Jandakot".
More Realism
 
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All of these subtle improvements add up to one thing; More realism! As I have said before, the more realistic our simulated flying experiences become, the greater chance we have of immersing ourselves in our flying fantasies, thereby (paradoxically) losing touch with reality! And isn't that what we're all aiming for?
FS2004 is not as good as real life. It's better! The fact is, in spite of all the extra aircraft and panels I've accumulated in FS2002, I haven't gone near it since I started flying FS2004. My wife always said I should get a life and now at last I have one, buried deep inside FS2004. I'll try to remember to send her a post card form time to time!
Cheers
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Bill Smith
Perth, Western Australia
leesmith@ca.com.au
www.toomuchfs.com
