Flap's Flap #21

Hello fellow flight simmers! I know that this month means a lot to many of us. This means that fall is rolling around the corner to some, and to others, that means closing down our pools and putting away our barbeque equipment. However, for the most part, I believe that most remember the month of September brings back many haunting memories of the tragedy of September 11th, 2001 when terrorists took over civilian airliners and used them as weapons against us. In honor of those aircraft lost on that horrific day, I ask that we bow our heads and remember them...here is a list and timeline of what occurred on that morning according to Wikepedia.org...

American Airlines Flight 11 was the first flight hijacked in the September 11, 2001 attacks. It was an American Airlines flight aboard a Boeing 767-223ER aircraft, registration number N334AA, which regularly flew from Logan International Airport in East Boston, Massachusetts, to Los Angeles International Airport. On September 11, 2001, the aircraft on this route was hijacked, and was crashed into the North Tower of the World Trade Center in New York City at 8:46 a.m. Out of all the planes hijacked that day, Flight 11 contained the most passengers.

United Airlines Flight 175 was a morning flight that regularly flew from Logan International Airport in East Boston, Massachusetts to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) in Los Angeles, California. On September 11, 2001, the United Airlines Boeing 767-222, registered N612UA, was hijacked and crashed in New York City during the September 11, 2001 attacks. It was the second plane hijacked and flown into the World Trade Center, but was the single airline crash that morning to be witnessed live on television around the world as it happened. It was preceded by American Airlines Flight 11, which had struck the top of the North Tower 17 minutes earlier. The resultant inferno drew live mass media attention on to the scene of the impending Flight 175 crash into the nearby South Tower.

American Airlines Flight 77 was a morning flight that routinely flew from Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD), near Washington, D.C., to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). On September 11, 2001, Flight 77 was hijacked between 08:51 EDT and 08:54 EDT, as part of the September 11, 2001 attacks. On that day, the American Airlines Boeing 757-223, registered N644AA, was piloted by Captain Charles Burlingame and First Officer Dave Charlebois. Just over an hour and fifteen minutes into the flight, it was crashed into the Pentagon, killing 64 on the plane and 125 in the buildings. It was the third airliner to crash that morning, 50 minutes after the first, and 30 minutes after the second.

United Airlines Flight 93 was a regular flight from Newark International Airport (now known as Newark Liberty International Airport) in Newark, New Jersey, to San Francisco International Airport, then continuing on to Narita International Airport in Tokyo, Japan, on a different aircraft. On September 11, 2001, the United Airlines Boeing 757-222, registered N591UA, was one of four planes hijacked as part of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. It did not reach its intended target, instead crashing in an empty field just outside Shanksville, Pennsylvania, about 150 miles (240 km) northwest of Washington, D.C. The 9/11 Commission (through testimony, tapes of passengers' phone calls, and the flight data recorders recovered from the crash) determined that crew and passengers, alerted through phone calls to loved ones, had attempted to overpower the hijackers. The Commission concluded that the hijackers crashed the plane to keep the crew and passengers from gaining control.

Now, in honor of United 93 I have recreated their flight for us to complete in memory of September 11, 2001. The route would have been as follows, and built using FSBuild2.0 for FSX.

KEWR COATE J36 FNT J106 GEP J70 ABR MLD J158 MVA MOD2 KSFO

Allow yourself at least 5 hours for this flight. Also to replicate it as best as possible, you will want to do this in either Captain Sim's 757 as that was the model of the aircraft, or you will want to use Project Open Sky's 757. Both are wonderful to use, but if you preferred the freeware than download Project Open Sky's in the United Airlines old colors.

I also have another tip, on getting old planes to work in FSX. This was given to me by Dave, a member of another forum, and not the FlightSim.Com forums as far as I know. I've tested it, and it works! Here goes, in case you missed my broadcast for this topic...

Get those old planes to work in FSX. Yes, that's right - you heard me - get those old planes to work in FSX - NOW!

Well, you might say - "Sounds great, but what do I do?" Well, thanks to some one online who was able to help me, I am now able to help you. That person by the way is Dave, who is from Houston, who had sent me how to install the Flight1 Pilatus PC 12 so it would work in FSX. I must say I thought it would seem rather lengthy to do, but it's not. It's a piece of cake, and hey - if I can do it, anyone can do it. I have since been able to get my older Flight 1 Dreamfleet Cessna 310 to work successfully, being fully textured inside and out, and it flies like a dream. I plan on doing this now with my Piper Archer from Flight 1, along with some of my other aircraft that I owned before. Anyway, here's how you do it.

You WILL need to have FS2004 installed on your computer still, so that you may be able to copy the contents of the folders over. I found it best to use the default installation point, which was the main folder of FS9. Ready? Here goes! You will want to grab a pen and paper for this one for sure.

1. If you bought the downloadable version direct from Flight1, get your old key files back from Flight1. You can go to http://www.flight1.com and under support, you will want to click on get replacement keys. If you need your order numbers, which probably most of us will, you will want to get those as well. You can get them by requesting your order number under the lost order numbers link on the request key page.

2. You will install the product to your main folder of FS9. For example, I'm using Flight 1's Cessna 310. Install into C:\Program Files\Microsoft Games\FS2004.

3. You will then want to copy - yes that's right, copy, not cut, the main Cessna 310 folder over to the Sim Objects Airplanes folder in FSX. You might want to have two windows open while you do this on the desk top.

4. After you have done so, you will then want to go back to your FS9 folder and go the main Textures folder. This is not the Scenery texture folder - it is the main folder.

5. You will then want to look for files that begin with df310 - again, by my example.

6. Right click and highlight those textures. You will then want to select Copy, and paste them into both aircraft texture folders directly.

7. In order to get the plane to show up with a plane and a question mark picture to select it, you must first open up the .CFG file, and copy and paste in the following lines from another Microsoft aircraft what you will want to put in is the following:

ui_manufacturer=Flight One and DreamFleet
ui_type=Cessna 310    
ui_variation=2-Tone Blue: Authentic livery
ui_typerole=twin engine prop
ui_createdby=Flight 1 Softwrare

8. Start up Flight Sim X, then select the 310, and enjoy! You're all set to go. Looks like a beauty doesn't she? You will want to follow those steps with all the other aricraft that have missing textures. That should be the Theory for all of them!

Thanks again Dave for letting me know this, I would have never have figured it out, and would have waited and waited for an update. At least now, I don't have to and the flight sim world doesn't either - ouch - that's gonna hurt some one...except maybe for the possibilities if all the gauges don't work properly.

Until next time my fellow simmers - may we all arrive safely at our virtual destinations, happy flying, and keep that blue side up!

John J. Thuot II
ragtopjohnny01@aol.com