GeoRender1 Scenery - Flying M Ranch and Ranger Creek

By Andrew Herd (23 August 2002)

ichard Goldstein's Flying M for FS2000 created a small sensation when it was first released, back in March 2001, but only among a small circle of simmers. For reasons which are totally beyond me, this stunning little freeware package only racked up 3000 downloads, despite the fact that it featured photoreal textures, custom elevated mesh and detailed object macros. Part of the reason may have been that FS2000 wasn't the best host for one of the most complex and artistic sceneries ever released for Flight Simulator, and users had to be patient waiting for the frames to play catch up, but there is no doubt that Richard had set a new standard. Well, I have good news and bad news. The good news is that Flying M is back in an FS2002 version, but the bad news is that you are gonna have to pay for it. Read on and find out if it is for you.

The reason Flying M caused such a stir was that it had the kind of detail that most flight simmers only dreamed of seeing at the time. Detailed buildings, fences, trees and power cables had all been seen in sceneries before, but never looking quite so natural; and never in combination with such a tough approach. The original scenery was released with summer textures only, although a winter texture package soon followed.

Richard was inspired to do Flying M by Captain Chuck's Excellent Flying Experiences, one of the most extraordinary aviation web sites I think I have ever seen. I would recommend reading this site even if you have no intention of buying the package, because boy, does it provide the goods. There is some of absolutely everything there and so many pictures of Flying M that by the time you have browsed the pages, not only will you almost feel you have been to the field, but you will have picked up plenty of hints on how to land there. It isn't easy.

The basic problem with Flying M is, to quote Captain Chuck, that it is a "one-way" strip. Landings use runway 25 and takeoffs use runway 07, though in Flight Simulator, the fact that you ain't likely to kill yourself means you can always try it the other way around. The approach isn't easy, not least because hills on 165 foot trees at the far end make go-arounds kind of interesting. The other problem is that the terrain rises steeply behind 07 and eyeballing it, I would have thought that getting a 172 out of there on a go-around starting with full flaps must be a memorable experience, given the huge trim changes that have to be coped with. Readers may be interested to know that one of the problems with the 172 is that it is possible to land it in places you can't get it out of, thanks to those barn doors it has for flaps.

If trees and hills aren't an issue for you, Flying M has more in store. A pond has been thoughtfully placed halfway down the field and there is a road which actually cuts across the grass. Unfortunately, the FS2002 version of Flying M doesn't simulate the maniacs who are inclined to scoot across the runway when aircraft are approaching, but apparently it is an all too real problem. And then, on top of that, in the scenery as in real life, there are wires and fences all around the runway - and naturally, there are no visual approach aids. Makes you wonder why anyone ever thought of landing a plane there in the first place. Captain Chuck has the following advice to pilots, "Check the pond and windsocks before landing. Excessive tailwinds can put you in the creek, or kill you if you try to go around. East winds are amplified by the ravine. Headwinds have a habit of suddenly disappearing at the tree line, waking up the pilot with a bodacious sink. Infrequent crosswinds on the narrow strip add to the fun." And he adds that someone once flew a DC-3 in. Oh yes.

By now, I guess that the heavy metal end of my audience will have drifted into a state of shock, but I can feel the bush pilots' pulses beginning to quicken; because here, for FS2002, is what is quite simply the best small field scenery ever released. The good bits of the FS2000 edition are great in the FS2002 version, the scenery blends into its surrounding so well that it looks like it is part of the default FS installation, and the seasonal changes are exceptional. If you use this scenery a lot, you will notice things like the rivers filling with snowmelt, as well as runways getting waterlogged; but the best news is that somehow, Richard has managed to do it all without killing frame rates stone dead. No, it doesn't run at 30 fps on my 1.7 Ghz PIV, but I didn't ever see less than 13 fps and mostly met my target lock rate of 17, which meant that there was lots of AutoGen and FS2002 stayed fluid - which is vital if you want to make anything like a decent approach.

If there is one snag with Flying M it is that it is a 20 Mb download from Lago's web site. Looking on the bright side, at least you get what you pay for. On payment, Lago forwards a serial number to unlock the package and then it installs using their custom screen. I had no problems with the installation, other than the fact that Flying M appears twice in the "Search Addon Scenery" section of the "Go To Airport" dialog, but what the hell. After the install, you are left with a shortcut to a 17 page pdf on your desktop and an entry for GeoRender scenery under the Lago group on your programs menu.

Did I mention Ranger Creek? No? How could I forget? If you like the idea of Flying M, then, man, wait until you see this one.

Ranger Creek is operated by the Green River Chapter of the Washington Pilots Association and is located in (guess what) a narrow valley in the Cascades, 162 nm north east of Flying M. The manual describes it as a spectacular small airport, which has to be an understatement of almost British proportions. The field is surrounded by camping grounds and has a small shop that serves the local community. If I ever have to fly in there I hope it also has a bathroom, because approaching it in real life must be shit-scary in any kind of a crosswind.

As luck would have it, this pocket airport must have one of the most complex approaches in Oregon. Either way you come in, you only get to see the field at the last minute and it pays to brush up your short field technique first. LAGO have provided a tutorial written by Steve Cartwright that shows you how to get in there, my only observation being that the default 172 handling is nothing like a real one anywhere after the flare, which makes Ranger even more exciting if you use that plane the way Steve advises. Real 172 controls retain their authority right into the stall; whereas the FS2002 172 mushes all over the place; I used FSD's Super Cub, which has truly excellent handling. Even then, I parachuted the Cub in with full flap; judging the flare is kind of tricky with the trees reaching out to grab your wingtips the way they do, but it all adds to the fun.

The only issue I had with either scenery was that they generated lots of "building crashes" on my system even when I was nowhere near a building. This is covered in the manual and only seems to be a real problem in spot view, the solution being to turn crashes off - which kind of spoils the fun, because how else can you know you managed to avoid all the trees on the way in? Richard uses cruciform trees throughout the scenery, but for some reason they work far better here than they did in Escalante and Hurricane, so I have to respect his choice this time. I don't think I would recommend anyone with a marginal PC even thinking about buying this scenery, but it is the best reason I can think of for upgrading if you are a keen bush sim pilot.

One other thing. FSSoundscape. I don't know what the guys at Lago are on, but I want some. They are flooding me with software at such a rate that I am gonna have to give up my day job just to keep up with reviewing it all. FSSoundscape is a 2.5 Mb download available from their web site for a miserly € 10.00 or US $9.82. What does it do? Well, once you install it, you can link sounds to places in FS2002 and specify not only how loud they are, but how often and where you will hear them. The effect it has on Flight Simulator's spectrally quiet airfields has to be heard to be believed - now when I land at Flying M, I can hear the dogs barking as I taxi in the the ranch and some old guy always seems to be out there cutting the grass. Unreal.

No question, Flying M you have to buy. It isn't often that I get to review anything this spectacular, so if your PC can take it and you enjoy a challenge, log onto Lago now. That way, maybe Richard will do us some more of this stuff. Respect.

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