AFG Heads-Up Guidance System 2.0

By Victor Knight (4 June 2003)

In Microsoft's FS2002, a virtual pilot has the option of pressing "W," causing the aircraft's main panel to be replaced with a set of instruments at the bottom of the screen. (Just where you need visibility the most!) Furthermore, if you are piloting a big Boeing 777 and press "W" to land, your aircraft's sophisticated glass displays are replaced with a beautiful set of gauges plucked directly from a Cessna 172. This is a severe culture shock to say the least.

The problem of "Where am I?" exists in the real world, too. Situational awareness is the biggest need of a combat pilot who wants to stay alive to fight another day. To this end, the military equipped their combat aircraft with Heads-Up Displays, (HUD's). In the fifties, the only display of this type I saw, was the sighting reticule of the gun sight. Today, modern HUDs display everything the pilot needs to know. They are also present on many of today's airliners and business jets. Wouldn't it be great if us virtual pilots had similar equipment? Evidently panel designer Jon Gibbs thought so.

One day, Jon sat down to produce a virtual display for us simmers based on the Heads-Up Guidance System (HGS) made for the Boeing 737 by Flight Dynamics. Six weeks and 3,200 lines of code later, he presented us with the first fully functional HGS for the FS2000 and FS2002 flight simulators.

Jon's HGS adds a totally new dimension to the flightsim hobby. Now, virtual pilots can look through the transparent glass of the HGS and see everything outside the cockpit clearly, while at the same time viewing all the important information we need to keep those virtual passengers happy and alive! There is so much to this HGS system of Jon's that it would take pages to describe it all. Not that the display is complicated, it's very simple, it's just that it does so much. The file includes a 21-page manual in pdf format that explains it all.

Installation is straightforward. However, you will need to modify the Panel.cfg of any aircraft in which you wish to use the HGS. I found it simple to make the necessary changes following Jon's directions. The file comes complete with new pre-configured Panel cfg. files for a number of FS2000 and FS2002 default aircraft, as well as for the DreamFleet 737-400, where the HGS is on the landing panel. There are replacement files for Chris Arrington's 737, Richard Probst's 737, and others. What's more, if you have a problem, send the Panel.cfg. to Jon and he will make the changes for you!

Using the HGS, you have three display modes at your disposal. First, is the Primary Mode, (PRI). This is an all-purpose mode that is used to taxi, for takeoff, go-arounds, etc. In flight, this mode displays all critical information. You will see the barometric altitude, airspeed, MCP speed and altitude, (you can change the autopilot settings right on the display), plus a horizon, magnetic compass heading, a wind vector, flight path vector, turn coordinator, guidance cue, DME, and more. Pretty impressive, huh? Well, that's not all. In this latest version the flight path vector now takes into account any wind factor. You can follow the guidance vector right down to the runway no matter how big the crosswind! So accurate is this display (it can detect changes as small as .04 degrees), Jon challenges you to test it using the "landing blind at Heathrow" flight. Jon recommends this as a good start!

The second mode, accessed by clicking on the display, is the Instrument Meteorological Conditions mode (IMC), used for instrument approaches. This mode presents a less cluttered layout, and makes the guidance cue even more sensitive. A glide slope reference line set to an average slope angle of 3 degrees is also displayed. If you stray off course, or off glide slope, the letters "AW" appear to give the pilot an "Approach Warning." If this warning is displayed for more than five seconds, a return to the PRI mode is advised to become re-established. If all goes well, however, at thirty feet above ground the letters "FL" will appear to command the flare.

The third view available is the Visual Meteorological Conditions mode (VMC). This mode is used for visual approaches. It is identical to the IMC mode minus the localizer and glide slope lines.

Basically, the aim of the pilot using this panel is to keep the small circle of the guidance cue centered within the slightly larger circle of the flight path vector. Ironically, the RAF aircrew selection center at Hornchurch, used just such a test in the fifties to test wannabe aviators. I found this to be more difficult than I expected back then and I haven't improved that much in the fifty years since. It definitely takes practice. We armchair pilots can take some consolation from the fact that this guidance system is so sensitive, even the FS2002 autopilot can't follow it exactly!

A final feature, not part of the real world AGS, is the ability to AUTOLAND. Properly set up this feature will flare the aircraft and set you gently on the centerline of the runway, no matter what the crosswind, while you relax. Your virtual passengers will probably appreciate your taking the trouble to deploy the spoilers and applying reverse thrust!

The HGS display is intended for airliners and small business jets. However, I liked it so much I couldn't resist using it in something from the general aviation pool. Installed in the default Cessna Skylane RG it worked flawlessly!

The HGS display does not mean you never view or use the main panel. However, do not display both at the same time. In the real world you can't view both at the same time either. It should be mentioned that use of this panel does cause a significant drop in frame rates. On slower machines it may be necessary to move some of the sliders back a little. I measured a drop in frame rates of approximately 4 fps.

I am constantly amazed at the amount of effort many developers devote to this hobby of ours, only to make their ultra-high quality work readily available for free. They are setting a standard many professional developers should emulate. Recently, I downloaded a payware program that freezes the sim, and two appeals to the company for help have been ignored. In addition, I downloaded two payware aircraft. The first was pure junk, and the second was truly unique: it doesn't fly! It is just impossible to get the thing off the runway. What a difference with Jon Gibbs and his fellow members of the Allied FS Group. Everything they produce is absolutely first class, and help is just an e-mail away. AFG are always working on a number of different projects, to check on them visit their website at www.alliedfsgroup.com

If you haven't yet tried this panel, you owe it to yourself to do so. This version has several improvements over the previous one, and that vas voted a well-deserved FlightSim.Com Developers Award.

Victor Knight
VictorKnight@msn.com

Download version 2 of the Heads Up Guidance System for FS2002.

Download a patch that substitutes the HGS for the mini panel.

Download the original version for FS2000.