Meigs Field: Revisiting the Default Flight in Microsoft FS2004

[HardCub]

For no particular reason whatsoever yesterday evening, I decided on a sudden impulse to visit the "Windy City" of Chicago, Illinois USA. I loaded the flight based on real time, and let the ASE software refresh the current weather conditions in the Chicago area. So, if you're interested, this is what ASE says the region looked like yesterday in the early evening hours of Friday, June 22, 2012.

I rarely ever fly the default MS Cessna 172SP, but decided it would be appropriate for the flight since I had spent so many enjoyable hours in the plane honing my flying skills when FS2004 was first introduced. With the addition of the GEP textures the scene looked great. It could have looked even better had I taken the time to let the GEP software preload ground textures that were custom matched for the weather, but I didn't... I just selected the "original MSFS default flight" from the SELECT A FLIGHT menu, and went flying. If I had taken the time to properly setup the flight environment, GEP would have installed a cooler/shaded set of textures to match the cloud cover overhead. But, it's all in fun, right? No worries! haha!

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This screenshot to me is incredible in terms of visual realism when you think how bland this picture might have looked back in 2004 using a stock installation of the FS9 simulator, and without having all the amazing add-on programs we are currently able to enjoy on our systems today. This is a stock MS airplane folks! HA!



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Yes, I know I am way too high turning onto final approach to the airport. I was busy making pictures!


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Thanks for viewing! :)


Microsoft FS2004 / 9.1 update
HiFi-Simulations ASE (Active-Sky-Evolution) Weather
REX_FS2004 Textures loaded into the ASE software
GEP (Ground-Environment PRO) Textures
Ultimate Terrain USA
FSGenesis 19m terrain mesh Illinois
envmpfs9.zip (http://www.flightsim.com/vbfs/content.php?108-Copyright&fid=125589) Reflection effect by Bob Rivera
EBNseries add-on
FSScreen + EZ-Thumbnails v3.0
1920x1200x32m pixels original .bmp converted to .jpg (resized / NOT edited)

[Adam24]

You did a great work, I enjoyed watching your screenshots. Sadly, those good days at Meigs are gone... forever:(. At leats we still have it in FS2004.

[918JC]

Terrific flight. You really do make FS9 look great.

[ps76]

Hi!

I too still fly Fs2004 a lot and have also recently purchased the ground environment textures (not the pro version though). Although I liked the default MS ground textures I'm also very happy with the ground environment ones and must admit they do make things look more realistic. A good example of this is in your first shot which really highlights ground environment I think.

Anyway nice to go back to Meigs. I should fire up Fs98 again!

Many thanks,

Pierre

[maddog80]

I remember flying from there back when I had FS II back in the mid 80's running on my Atari. Chicago was the default scenery. Wow things have changed from slow frame rate 1:1 to 20 plus today. I remember when city closed it down. I wonder how many other flight simmers wrote emails.

[Adam24]

I remember flying from there back when I had FS II back in the mid 80's running on my Atari. Chicago was the default scenery. Wow things have changed from slow frame rate 1:1 to 20 plus today. I remember when city closed it down. I wonder how many other flight simmers wrote emails.

You saw only the frame rate changes?? :D

[HardCub]

Adam24: :) Thanks man. I can't believe no one has ever made a detailed FSX version. Maybe one day I will create one to upload for the Library.

918JC: :) Thank you so much Jesse. I really love FS9. I just keep going back to it for almost every flight.

ps76: :)Thank you so much Pierre. I really like the Ground Environment products. They use a lot of disk storage space when you build a whole set of textures for all of the different cloud types.... but, the finished onscreen results are so worth every MB used. If done right, the software builds/selects a unique set of ground textures perfectly suited to the weather & environmental lighting conditions, providing maximum realism for your flight. I highly recommend these products for all users of FS9, providing they have the extra hard disk space.


maddog80: :cool: I never flew the Atari systems, but I did learn to fly on the very old IBM x86 computers using a 5-1/2" floppy disk, a (huge) 14" RGB monitor and a keyboard. I never dreamed one day I would be able to fly using an actual flight-yoke and rudder pedals! The computer was located in the office of the business I worked for @ the time, and I was graciously allowed to use it for flying after working hours, providing I didn't break anything.

It looked something like this> 128897

[pchmck]

Nice set !!

[HardCub]

:) Thanks Peter!

[Adam24]

Im sure somebody did a scenery for meigs, we just need to search for it ;)

[ps76]

"ps76: :)Thank you so much Pierre. I really like the Ground Environment products. They use a lot of disk storage space when you build a whole set of textures for all of the different cloud types.... but, the finished onscreen results are so worth every MB used. If done right, the software builds/selects a unique set of ground textures perfectly suited to the weather & environmental lighting conditions, providing maximum realism for your flight. I highly recommend these products for all users of FS9, providing they have the extra hard disk space."

That's the great thing about Ground Environment 2005 which I have. I never really wanted the different cloud/environment options and having to load up a program before every flight and 2005 suits me perfectly. It doesn't take up much disk space and is just a one click change and your done. You never load it up again until you want to uninstall it which is also very easy. The pro version probably looks even better but for me it was just too much.

What I like most about it compared to default is the autogen lines up with the textures which really does make things much more realistic from the air.

Many thanks,

Pierre

[HardCub]

What I like most about it compared to default is the autogen lines up with the textures which really does make things much more realistic from the air.
Many thanks,
Pierre

I agree with you completely about the autogen placement. It's definitely much more realistic looking. I've never had Ground Environment 2005. It sounds like a really nice program, and much simpler to use too.

I don't always take the time needed to preload ALL of the GEP textures into the simulator every single time. Using the ASE program, that would require me creating a separate flightplan in the "FS9 FlightPlanner" for every flight, then importing it into ASE, then requesting ASE to let GEP inject the ground textures to match into FS9... then starting FS9 from within the ASE interface. This produces amazing & totally realistic visuals, but it takes several minutes to complete the tasks.

On most flights (as long as I have a set of "Partly Cloudy" textures already installed), I just create a flight within FS9 using the flight startup screen, and let the ASE software download the latest real-time weather and inject it... and I'm off flying! :pilot:

[adamb]

Man it's been a long time since i've been there Glenn, thanks for the memories. Fantastic shots of Meigs.:)

Adam

[HardCub]

:) Thanks Adam. I just thought a nice little trip back in time might be a great idea for "old times" sake.

[aircav1970]

Ahh Glenn,these do bring back the memories....I believe Meigs was my second flight after trying LAX to SFO...man,everything was so "new" and amazing to me back then!Hahahh,now I'm so jaded by REX and Orbx....:rolleyes::D

[peer01]

I also thank you for the memories Glenn, great job! :cool::cool::cool::cool:
The freeware Meigs FSX scenery isn't that bad btw.

[HardCub]

:D:cool:@ aircav1970: LOL I totally feel you man! I know exactly what you mean about the amazing Orbx FTX stuff. It can be an extremely intoxicating experience. I still haven't flown around in mine very much... just been having lot's of fun with FS9 for the moment. But, I do have the FSX files ready-to-go whenever I might want to hop over the FSX fence for a bit. :p


:cool:@ peer01: Thanks Jan! I just thought I'd mix things up a bit... share some old memories again ya know. I saw the FSX version; it looks very nice indeed. But, I don't fly in FSX enough yet... Still loving my FS9 too much.
:pilot: Just having fun.