Ultimate Traffic
By Victor Knight (3 August 2004)
y original version of
Microsoft Flight Simulator came on one 3 1/2 inch floppy disk, and
was played on a Macintosh SE computer with a 9 inch black and white
screen. The amazing thing was, we users were all thrilled! Never in
our wildest dreams could we have envisioned anything like FS2004.
Real world weather with great fleecy clouds, beautifully modeled and
textured aircraft with virtual cockpits, air traffic control and
wonderful scenery. Amazing thing now is a lot of folk complain,
especially at the introduction of a new version. This is somewhat
unfair as Flight Simulator is now a very sophisticated piece of
software. However, it is this restlessness that has caused a whole
smorgasbord of free and commercial add-ons that have unquestionably
added a whole new dimension to flight simulation.
 Main Screen |
 Rush Hour At Heathrow |
I must confess to being one of those who are never fully satisfied. I don't know how many add-ons I have downloaded, but most are those available for free. Now retired and having developed bad habits like living indoors, eating, buying prescription drugs, etc. I purchase commercial software programs only when I just can't live without them. Ultimate Traffic by Flight1 Software definitely falls into this category. I have never heard of Orbit and Gaia and the rest. Whatever happened to Delta, United, and Air France? The flight simulator world is just not real with false name airlines flying around in unrealistic loops. Plus, the textures on the default AI aircraft are awful.
To remedy this situation I downloaded Ultimate Traffic and have discovered a whole new flight environment. Now I hear traffic control using names like Speed Bird, Cactus and even UPS. My only disappointment being that all over the world one hears the same old Microsoft voices, even in Paris. I can also see real world airliners on the ground and in the air. Ultimate Traffic does this by using real airlines, including regional commuters and freight carriers - over 800 of them, flying real world schedules to more than 3000 airports. Using 40 different aircraft types with over 700 nicely textured repaints creating some 400,000 scheduled flights!
 Waiting to depart |
 Assigned Parking |
I purchased the download version (212 Mb). If you do not have high speed internet, a CD version is also available. Installation is straightforward using the normal Flight1 registration key method. Installation takes quite a while, so don't attempt it before going to work if you are running late. First UT assigns parking spots for all the aircraft and afterward installs the different aircraft types. You will be asked which GA aircraft and airlines you wish to install. For the airlines it is best to press the "Select All" button, this way you won't leave anything out. If you select them, UT will keep GA aircraft out of major airports so you won't find yourself on short final at La Guardia following a Cessna 172! (The UT program is highly airline oriented. It does not add additional GA or any military flights.) Next, it is necessary to compile all of the flights using the "Compile" button. Basically, what this does is use Lee Swordy's incredible TrafficTools program to compile all of the flights and then decompile them for use by flight simulator. There is nothing technical or difficult about this, the UT program does it all so don't worry. However, it takes time. You are now ready to experience a whole new dimension to your flight simulator world.
 Final |
 Landing Lights |
Before going to an airport, or setting up a flight plan, first adjust a couple of settings. For UT to work properly you must set AI traffic to 100%. I feared this would drastically reduce frame rates, but in fact it did not. Also, if you are using FS2004, be sure you set the target frame rate at "Unlimited." In FS2002, setting a high target rate soaked up computer power; this is not true for FS2004 which will find the best setting. Trust me, I've tried all the angles! Also, I suggest you uncheck the "Show Manufacturer" box if you wish to display aircraft labels. Failure to do so causes a "Flight One AI Aircraft" label to show up on all the UT aircraft.
A good way to explore your new UT world, is to use the
Mobile Control Tower
(right) program at a busy airport. Slew to a good spot (probably near
the real control tower), and take a look around. The Mobile Tower has
Eric Marciano's F-16 radar gauge, so you can readily see all of the
traffic in the area. It will take a little while for flight simulator
to spawn the aircraft, so if things look a little deserted just run
at a 4X simulation rate for a few minutes. Tune in ground and tower
ATC, and you will hear real world airlines receiving instructions,
and most times the pilots will announce their destination. The tower
rotates but the best view is provided by using the "Virtual Cockpit"
setting. This way you can take a real good look at all the airliners
in their parking spots or taxiing for take off. At a busy airport you
will soon have a long line of aircraft waiting to depart. Sometimes,
aircraft simply disappear while waiting without warning! This is not
Harry Potter at work, Microsoft decided in FS2004 the best way to
avoid congestion was to cause any aircraft on a runway or taxiway
that did not move in a five minute time period be erased. In FS2002,
the aircraft get 15 minutes.
Another feature of UT is taken from the original Ultimate Airlines
program. You may select any airport and see and hear all the real
world arriving and departing flights (left) on an airport-style board
for the time period you choose. There are even reflections of people
walking around the airport in the board's glass front! It is also
possible to view and print any airline's schedule. Updated flight
schedules are available for a small fee on the Flight1 web site.
Before too long, you will find yourself asking for more, and UT
delivers. Go to the "Utilities" screen (right) and numerous options
are at your fingertips. You may add more AI aircraft from Project AI
(This is where all of the UT aircraft originated and Flight1 provides
the bandwidth for this great resource), or elsewhere. You may assign
parking spots, even import whole new airlines. To import a new
airline you will need to get everything just right. Be sure to read
the instructions carefully. I recommend that you first go to the main
FS folder/Flight One/Ultimate Traffic/Last Compile backup. Copy this
folder somewhere outside of Flight Simulator. If you mess up trying
to tweak things, simply copy the contents of this folder into the
"Data" folder and you will be back in business.
You will be amazed at the number of updates available, and what is even more amazing, it is only a mouse click away. This feature is unique to Ultimate Traffic. You will find an "Update" button on the Utilities Screen, plus the program will have placed a shortcut on your desk top. Use either one and do this as soon as you can. There is a lot to be gained: new repaints, AFCAD2 files and more. One airline in particular will not allow its name to be used in a commercial package; you will miss it in UT early on. Do not despair, it is available for free along with hundreds of others and the Update button will find them all.
Incredibly, there is still more to the Ultimate Traffic program. You may easily install a Traffic Collision Avoidance System (TCAS) in all of your flight simulator aircraft ready to be called up with a keystroke. Also a "Palm Pilot." This looks like a hand held arrivals and departure board for the airport you select. A quick note about AFCAD files. These are handled quite differently by FS2002 and FS2004. In the FS2002 version of UT there is a AFCAD button to help you manage them. This button is inoperable in the FS2004 version. The UT home screen has a Route Generator. Select an installed airline and all of its routes will be displayed on a map of the world. So comprehensive is this program, you may even assign particular tail numbers to individual aircraft.
 Two for Landing |
 Update Screen |
Now remember, I said at the beginning, flight simmers are never satisfied. You will find yourself trying to add all sorts of things using UT. If you run into difficulty, log in to the UT page at Sim Forums. Folk complain about all manner of things there, such as "Why is my flight leaving an hour early? (Daylight Savings Time!). The moderator, John Bispham, has to be one patient man. He has just posted his 2000th reply to user's questions. I asked a dumb question to test the waters, and received a tongue-in-cheek reply within the hour. Very impressive. Read the forum to discover how flight simulator spawns aircraft and a whole lot more. It is a priceless resource. In addition to all the above, there are buttons for the Flight1 Text-O-Matic program, and once you get the hang of things you may use the program to upload creations of your own.
 Arrivals |
 Variety of Airlines |
To sum it all up, Ultimate Traffic is one of those rare programs that
delivers all that it promises and more. Everything is true to life,
accurate, and pleasing to the eye. It is a bargain. Go without lunch,
starve the dog, forget your lady's birthday, do whatever it takes,
but get Ultimate Traffic. Once you've used it you'll wonder how you
ever lived without it.
Victor Knight
VictorKnight@msn.com
