How do you keep FSX interesting?

[miatamariner]

The new GPS gauge by G. Munro has certainly livened FSX up for me. In particular, having all the various approachs to a given airport available right in front of you.

[briansommers]

Fly with FSPassengers and set the failure rate at 65-75% - then fly your normal flight. Get read to put it down soon!

[ScatterbrainKid]

Challenging landing?- Odd-looking airfield in North Carolina seems to be running through a golf course-

 

http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g64/PoorOldSpike/sub2/Nth-Carolina.jpg

[MBKHOU]

That's Mountain Air. 2NCO

The runway is sloping, and the airport is pretty much on top, or on the side

of a mountain. The default FSX scenery is not very good because the runway is

flat. But I think one of the ad on packs has it with the sloping runway. There are real

world videos on utoob of pilots flying to and fro there. Nothing particularly hard about

flying there that I can see.. Scenery is better than usual though.

[scottb613]

Hi Folks,

 

Yeah - Mountain Air is unique and I've watched the videos as well... It's certainly not a beginners airport in real life as they require special training before you are permitted to land there... What would make it challenging is the the sight picture is completely different than most flat landers are familiar with - it's sloped - it's relatively narrow and short - and the winds can get really squirrelly on top of a mountain such as this... I believe they recommend only one way in and flying out in the same direction so you really need some benign winds... I've landed at Ingalls Field (highest public airfield east of the Mississippi) and while not hard it was definitely different from what I'm familiar with... I'd love to try Mountain Air in real life...

 

Regards,

Scott

[mrzippy]

Just did the landing at 2NCO-Mountain Air using the King Air and runway 14. I also used the updated Harry Patten scenery which worked well! Definitely a nail-biter!:eek:

[cavalierjan19]

Hi,

I see that the topic is 'alive' once more.

To be honest I sometimes just need to simulate a crash.

Other than that, not fl;ying with the correct procedures is a thing I really like, especially, lineing up with the runway when you're 2-1 mile away from the airport. Always epic :pilot:

[alverthein]

I recently have been using the Advanced Flight Sim Fuel Planning with my PMDGs and that adds more realism to my commercial flights.

[MBKHOU]

I believe they recommend only one way in and flying out in the same direction so you really need some benign winds...

 

Yep, they always seem to land and takeoff from the drop off side.

On landing, you land going up the hill. Takeoff is going downhill and the ground

falls out from under you mighty fast after takeoff. :cool:

[Rupert]

Just did the landing at 2NCO-Mountain Air using the King Air and runway 14. I also used the updated Harry Patten scenery which worked well! Definitely a nail-biter!:eek:

 

Tried that myself this afternoon, same plane. Used real world weather and there was a pretty heavy overcast at about 4,000'. Right about the time I was going to wave off and go around Mountain Air popped out in vivid sunshine. As I was already setting up to go around, I was coming in a little hot. RW I'd have done the go around, simming what the heck! Got it down and kept it on the tarmac but it was close! :cool:

 

Then I got brave and tried it with the default Lear 45. Didn't work out so well! Realized we weren't going to get stopped too late and slow to take back off. Turbojet lag crashed us!! :o

[Jim Robinson]

I have been obsessed with the LDA 25 approach into KEGE Eagle County (Vail) since watching this video a couple months ago:

 

 

Supposed to be one of the most dangerous approaches in the world (assuming IFR conditions, it's not too scary if you can see where you're going). You really have to nail your altitudes for each waypoint, if you're too low you'll find yourself scattered across a mountaintop, if you're too high or fast you'll float right past the runway and end up on the missed approach.

 

Here's the chart for LDA/DME 25 at KEGE:

 

http://www.airnav.com/depart?http://155.178.201.160/d-tpp/1513/06403LDAD25.PDF

 

Here's a saved flight if someone wants to try it in IMC, this loads the Lear 45 at Centennial KAPA (Denver) on Jan 7, 2012 at 21Z (14:00 local) which is about the only day I could find where the airport was IFR. It's hard to find an IFR day at KEGE so that's why I'm attaching these flight files, the Wx saved with the flight is from ASN with historical wx synced to sim time and visibility at KEGE is 3 nm. Put the included files in your Flight Simulator X Files folder and then load KAPA-KEGE from the "Load" menu.

 

http://www.cat-tamer.com/flightsim/atchmnts/KAPA_KEGE.zip

 

EDIT: Use ATC if you want to, but when they start vectoring you into KEGE tell them to "standby" and select the RNAV D approach with the RLG transition (don't load it in the GPS though), they'll give you a bunch of "circle to land" nonsense but the tower will clear you for straight-in when you finally get there.

 

The metar is:

 

KEGE 072050Z 00000KT 3SM -SN FEW009 SCT013 BKN023 M01/M03 A2989

 

As the waypoints come up in the GPS these are your altitudes:

 

RLG > VOAXA: 13,800' or above

VOAXA > AQUILA: 12,900' or above

AQUILA > WEHAL: 12,200' or above

WEHAL > AIGLE: 10,400' or above

AIGLE > WASHI: 9,800' or above

 

Beyond WASHI hopefully you'll be able to see the airport, if not maintain about -1200 FPM and 140 kts until you can, you'll either crash or land successfully, one of the two. :) Hardest part for me is hitting 10,400 at AIGLE, you have to drop like a rock so slow it down to about 165 kts with a couple notches of flaps when you cross WEHAL and then descend at about 1500 FPM.

 

Only takes about 30 minutes.

[ScatterbrainKid]

Hi, I see that the topic is 'alive' once more...

 

It never died, it simply kept getting pushed further down the forum as new posts came in, and people missed seeing it. However with a stroke of genius, mod Dominic has just stickied it so it'll remain at the top of the forum forever..:)

It's currently run to 29 pages so i'll write an index and post it here soon, but meanwhile for our interest there's a list of notable airfields and flights on page 2 called- 'Interesting FSX Airfields and Flights'

[StringBean]

It's currently run to 29 pages...

 

????

 

[Jim Robinson]

Something's wrong Bean, I'm seeing 29 pages

 

http://www.cat-tamer.com/flightsim/atchmnts/29_pages.jpg

 

Are you ignoring half the forum, lol?

 

Are you ignorin' half the forum...

 

Look at that, I'm a poet and didn't know it :)

 

EDIT: Somebody's hoggin' my login, normally I don't post stuff like this.

[ScatterbrainKid]

Here's a screenshot I took 2 minutes ago, I'm seeing 29 pages!

I think if people are seeing another number it must mean they've got their forum display settings set up differently, I'm not sure, I'll ask a moderator about it.

Anyway we could alternatively reference posts by noting their number in the top right corner of the blue band, for example this post of mine should be #290.

Is everybody else seeing '#290' too, or are they seeing a different number?

We'd better make sure we're all singing the same hymn number before I start writing an Index for this thread..:)

 

EDIT- ok Stringbean just explained that the "Number of posts to display per page" setting affects what we see.

I use the default 10 posts per page and I assume that's what most other people are using, so i'll stick with that..:)

 

http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g64/PoorOldSpike/ExIS/FSX-page_zpswm1kyqea.jpg~original

[StringBean]

The forum software has settings to change the number of posts displayed per page.

 

So comments such as "x number of pages" mean nothing unless we all have the same settings, which obviously we do not.

 

peace,

the Bean

[ScatterbrainKid]

INDEX update of this thread showing members main posts.

(Note the page numbers are with the Default forum setting which gives 10 posts per page)

 

p1- Swampy puddles (also pp33/34)

 

p2- Photoreal cross-country.

Interesting Airfields and Flights.

Bell X-1.

 

p3- Glider assault.

 

p4- Thermals (also p5).

Map printout and bad weather flying.

 

p5- Earhart's last flight.

Livery art.

Hang glider.

Thermals (also p4 and 8).

 

p6- Glider tow.

Carrier (also on p7,18 and 35).

Multiplayer.

 

p7- Carrier (also p6, 18 and 35).

 

p8- Dole air race.

 

p14- Terrain mods.

 

p15- Aspen approach in snow.

 

p16- Default NY.

 

p17- Boeing 737.

 

p18- Helipads.

Iris Texan with FTX and XOPI.

Carrier (also p6,7 and 35).

 

p19- Turbo Duke avionics.

 

p20- Intercepting AI aircraft (also p22).

 

p22- Following roads.

 

p25- Photothread link.

Flight 19 final flight route.

 

p26- Leadville high-altitude takeoffs.

 

p27- Parachute jumper.

Jurassic flight.

 

p28- Archaeology.

Yosemite.

 

p29- Landing into Eagle, Colorado.

 

p30- Trike ultralight.

 

p31/32- Chopper roofpad landing.

Hiller H-23 heli writeup.

 

p33- Overheated engine blows.(also p42)

Sextant navigation.

Swampy puddles (also pp1/34).

 

p34- Swampy puddles (also p1/p33).

Kingsford Smith trans-Pacific flight.

STOL operations.

 

p35- Eyepoints and seat raise.

Carrier (also p6,7 and 18).

Dials HUD-style.

DME flying.

 

p37- Zoom and viewpoint examples

 

p38- juggling Fuel and Payload weights to affect handling

 

p42- Hot stuff: engine fire (also p33)

 

p46- Pacific atoll navigation

[cavalierjan19]

Doesn't anyone like to fly the Trike Ultralight from time to time?

Landing on a beach near Skagit River, Washington.

[dog4zero]

I downloaded all the scenery airports of Mexico, the bigger cities, and do a hop around Mexico. Ending at MMZH which is where I am now living. I will keep a log of all flights and flight time.

[Rupert]

It is indeed a Concorde - flying in formation with a company 777. I recall it was approaching KEWR. Flying the Concorde (which is already difficult enough to fly by itself) in formation with a subsonic airliner on approach was definitely challenging! It was 30 minutes of fun though!

 

You might get out handled. But I'll bet you don't often get outrun!

[Rupert]

I like flying IFR, or aka I Fly Roads. :cool:

 

Just perusing this old post as a friend of mine likes to say "Reminds me of the time!" or my case "times!" We navigated at low altitude by compass & road maps,in the mid 1960's BGPS!!

 

When I flew H-46 choppers cross country from Pa. to So.Cal., it was long Before GPS had even been dreamed of. We were thrilled when we could follow a major highway going to and from where we needed to go! We said "ifr", or "I follow roads," so as not to be confused with flying in IFR conditions.

 

A satchel full of VFR Supplements & AAA Road maps were the best friends we had. With a mandatory hard ceiling of 1,000' AGL on non-certified aircraft we often were too low to receive VORTAC or even dependable ADF signals from AM radio stations. Tx, Ok, Ar, etc. are pretty huge states when navigating with a compass and a AAA map! And they're all hugely filled with Restricted Areas! ATC isn't at all friendly when a delivery flight of two or three choppers wanders into them either!!

 

I still really enjoy flying with no GPS or VORTAC! It always reminds me of the times I did it for real! BTW: It's still a good way to keep your mind and reflexes sharp, like not using autopilot.

[Rupert]

Scatterbrainkid, thanks so much for your index!! I've had a great time perusing it and being reminded of situations I've not flown in a while. And others I didn't even know existed.:cool:

[ScatterbrainKid]

Scatterbrainkid, thanks so much for your index!! I've had a great time perusing it and being reminded of situations I've not flown in a while. And others I didn't even know existed.:cool:

 

Haha yes, mod Dominic gave me the go-ahead to do an index..:)

Indexing all 300 posts is not really needed, so I've stuck with the meatiest ones that usually have screenshots in them.

As new stuff gets posted, I'll keep editing it into this page 30 index above, then every 5 pages from now I'll re-post the updated Index..:)

[PhantomTweak]

When I flew H-46 choppers cross country from Pa. to So.Cal., it was long Before GPS had even been dreamed of. We were thrilled when we could follow a major highway going to and from where we needed to go! We said "ifr", or "I follow roads," so as not to be confused with flying in IFR conditions.

 

A satchel full of VFR Supplements & AAA Road maps were the best friends we had. With a mandatory hard ceiling of 1,000' AGL on non-certified aircraft we often were too low to receive VORTAC or even dependable ADF signals from AM radio stations. Tx, Ok, Ar, etc. are pretty huge states when navigating with a compass and a AAA map! And they're all hugely filled with Restricted Areas! ATC isn't at all friendly when a delivery flight of two or three choppers wanders into them either!!

Good thing the H-46 has such a great payload capability! All those charts...:D

ATC's are a lot friendlier if part of that payload includes a bottle of good single malt scotch or three...

Pat☺

[MBKHOU]

Doesn't anyone like to fly the Trike Ultralight from time to time?

Landing on a beach near Skagit River, Washington.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]185605[/ATTACH]

 

I fly it quite a bit. I like flying over the country side at tall weed altitude, which the

trike was made for. I've got a Yosemite video in the video area which I made using

the trike. Doing the falls on the trike is a hoot. :cool: