Development

When did you start developing for flight simulators?

I started my first project in 1997 with a Cessna 172 panel for Flight Unlimited II. The second version of the panel received a full page review in PC Pilot magazine.

How many designs have you done?

I have done about two dozen panel projects. That includes updated versions of prior projects as well.

What do you consider your best or most popular work?

I would consider my best, which happen to be my most popular project, the SHRS F-111 Aardvark. I started updating the panel when Alphasim first released the FS2004 F-111 and I have continued to update it ever since. The project really became popular when the aircraft was released as freeware and I could offer a whole aircraft package to everyone.

What do you find to be the most challenging aspect of a project?

Sometimes it is just getting that last tweak just right. Other times finding good reference material. Also the limitation of FSX presents its own challenges.

What are some of the unique or special things your designs have or can do?

I try to create a 'feel' so your experience is fun. Realism is important, but not at the expense of the average flyer not wanting to fly it again.

The project we are currently working on, the SHRS F-111 Aardvark, has some things that have never been done before in flight simulator. It has a fully functional Terrain Following Radar system that looks at the ground ahead of the aircraft and relays that information to the autopilot. It is pitch and roll stabilized so the aircraft attitude does not affect the operation. This allows you to fly 200 feet above ground level at 0.75 Mach hands off. It actually works a little better than the real aircraft F-111 TFR.

The next release of the F-111 will included air refueling. When creating your flight plan you can add a refueling leg. Then as you approach that leg's waypoint, select Tanker Rendezvoused mode and this will spawn an AI tanker for you to navigate to. When in the correct position behind the tanker, you will start to take on fuel.

What are your favorite projects?

My favorite projects are the SHRS F-111 Aardvark and Pease AFB. These are a labor of love. I was an Integrated Avionics Systems Specialist on the FB-111A at Pease AFB from 1976 to 1980. It was a great aircraft and being able to recreate them for FSX has been really enjoyable.

What software packages and tools do you use to develop?

My favorite tools are FS Panel Studio, Paint Shop Pro, and Airport Design Editor. I also use Notepad.

Who would you consider to be your mentors or inspiration in the development world?

No one in particular, but everyone that has created a panel, aircraft, or texture has given me ideas of how to make my work better.

The Team

How many people work with you or your team?

I don't have a team for most projects. The SHRS F-111 Aardvark is the first real team project for me. That team consists of Roman Stoviak and me.

What do the various members of the team do?

Roman Stoviak joined the team in November of 2012. He is the gauge programmer. I was looking for a way to feed fuel from tanks in a certain order. He answered a question for me in a forum and jumped right in creating a gauge to solve the problem. We started brain storming and we were off and running. Roman's gauge programming skills are unbelievable. He always finds a way to make something work. Our current project has so many gauges that you cannot see, like three separate flight data computers, just to juggle the data around between the autopilot, instruments, and TFR. Skills aside, I cannot think of a better person to work with.

I do the panel creations, repainting, gauge and panel artwork, editing config files, and planning.

Real Life

What other activities are you involved in?

My hobbies include photography, building and flying radio controlled aircraft and helicopters.

Do you have any experience, interest in real aviation?

My experience with real aviation is limited to being an avionics specialist on the FB-111A, Other than that, when I was younger I had a roommate that had a Cessna 177RG and we used to go flying in that. My dad flew gliders.

Any memorable flights in real life?

When I was in the Air Force, at Red Flag, as a thank you I got to join a Search and Rescue mission on a CH-53 Super Stallion. We had two helicopters and set out to find a downed aircrew in the Nevada desert, their penalty for being 'shot down' the day before. The high lights of the mission were air refueling from a C-130 and firing the 7.62 Mini gun into the desert. Then hanging out of the chopper to make sure we did not land on any unexploded bombs in the desert. Finding the aircrew and not being 'shot down' ourselves was completed the mission as planned.

Would you like to share what you do in real life?

I am a service technician installing and repairing digital photo labs.

Have you ever considered doing flight simulator development full-time?

I do not have the skills necessary to make this a full time career, but it sure would be nice.

Future

How do you choose your next new design or project?

I just find something I like to fly and try to make it into what I want. Then I share it with anybody that would like it also.

What simulators do you design for now and what ones do you plan to develop for in the future?

I just work with FSX now. I use to design for Flight Unlimited II and III. It was a very good flight simulator for its day.

Your Thoughts

What can sites like FlightSim.Com do to support you and the hobby better?

I cannot thank enough the people that create freeware aircraft for the flight sim community. They keep the hobby alive and fresh. Payware developers also deserve a thank you. Providing a way to share developers' work with the flight simulator community really helps. Reviews are important, but I would like to see them written by somebody more familiar with the real aircraft.

How do you feel about the future of flight simulation in general?

My concerns are the market changes causing the PC hardware to give way to tablets and other game consoles, severely limiting new flight simulator development. I hope the PCs can hold out. Flight Simulators don't seem to generate enough money for software developers to want to create new ones compared to other games. I think the best hope for the future of sims going to be good open source flight simulators.

What are some of the most important things a site or community can do to help the developers?

Feedback is everything. If a developer never hears about bugs or other mistakes, they may never be corrected. Look to see if there is a support forum, email address, or web site for the developer. That is the best way to communicate with the developer. Reading the documentation that comes with a developer's package will make your flying experience more enjoyable.

What would you like people to know about you or your team and work?

I and the Team are trying to push the limits of what FSX can do so that others may push further.

Steve Hess

View Steve Hess add-ons in the FlightSim.Com file library