Question for X-Plane users

[yeagermeister]

Bought X-plane the other day to keep me vaguely IFR current without spending heaps of $. Have found that there appears to be no Auckland, Whenuapai or Wellington ILS in the database!!! Anyone else had this problem, and if so, how did you get around it?

Cheers.

[Voidhawk]

The NAVAID database isn't complete world wide, so you have to manually add the missing ones you want to use.

You need to use the program "World Maker" that comes along with X-Plane. The program file World-Maker.exe should be in the directory you installed X-Plane into.

Once it's started up, go to "NAVAIDs" and "view ILS localisers" (or glideslopes). From there you can "Add Navaid", typing in the name, frequency, location (decimal coordinates), ident, elevation etc.

It might seem a bit cumbersome at first, but it works well. Definitely the best PC sim I've tried :)

[PCav8or]

Ever tried PS1 matey? Check it out at http://aerowinx.de/.
It's by far the very best 744 sim ever.

Features Overview:

- Complete Autopilot / Flight Director mode logic and accurate Thrust Management System.

- Simulation of the entire 744 FMC: HOLD, VNAV, FORECAST, OFFPATH DES, FIX INFO, All INIT/REF pages, LEGS, RTE DATA, WINDS, ROUTE 1 & 2, DEP/ARR, PROGRESS, etc. All pages are fully functioning.

- IFR Training on “glass”. All EFIS symbols are being generated, e. g. Trend Vector, Energy Management Circles, Offset Route, Fix Info etc., incl. Failure Flags.

- Highly accurate aerodynamics simulation. Exact 744 pitch/power/path and fuel flow ratios etc.

- Precise and highly detailed Systems Simulations: Electrical, Hydraulics, Fire & Ice Protection, Gear & Flight Controls incl. alternate controls, Doors, EEC, IRS incl. alignment simulation and drift errors, Fuel System Management, Pneumatics, etc.

- Random or user defined malfunction scenarios.

- Fully functioning EICAS message logic with hundreds of alert, memo & status messages.

- Secondary EICAS: All Synoptics & Displays.

Video recorder/player: Training videos may be created! Text bars and sounds can be added.

- TCAS (Traffic Alert & Collision Avoidance System) with authentic Resolution & Traffic Advisories. External traffic can be simulated to demonstrate the various aural and visual TCAS alerts and system logic.

- GPWS (Ground Proximity Warning System).

- The simulator can be switched to specific airline configurations. This affects engine types (GE, RR, P&W), fuel system, hydraulics and other aircraft systems, also EFIS/EICAS symbols (Cross-Bar or V-Bar Flight Director, TDZ etc.), GPWS sounds, as well as copilot call-outs.

- Weather generator: Fog, CBs, rain, windshears/microbursts, volcanic ash, ice and more.

- Flying area is the entire world (ca. 1500 runways).

- Navaid & airway world database by Swissair.

- Semi-random ATC model: Pushback, vectors, step climb & descent clearances, holdings etc. Different accents, recorded by real controllers.

- User programable ATC vectors scenarios.

- Copilot Simulations: Specific checklists & calls, recorded by 744 pilots of different airlines.

- Analysis functions: Take-off & approach profiles, and zoom-able track plotting across the world.

- Data output for external add-on programs.

- Comprehensive Operations Manual (English, 350 pages, robust glossy paper in sturdy wire binding).

[jtr]

Quote
"Highly accurate aerodynamics simulation. Exact 744 pitch/power/path and fuel flow ratios etc. "

Not exactly. PS1 is good, however the RR engine model is a bit off on EPR's, and the FMC is missing certain (useful) functionality.

Overall, it is a useful trainer for the -400 though.

[Kestrel_909]

Isn't PS1 ruled out after he said, without spending heaps of $.

[jote]

This may help

http://x-plane.org/home/robinp/

[Carrier]

What database does X-Plane use for its navaids and airports? I believe Microsoft uses the Jeppesen database for its Flight Simulator. I have MS FS2002 and can confirm that a number of errors in the Jeppesen database of the GPSs in various aircraft that I fly are faithfully reproduced in FS2002. Yes, I have pointed out these errors to Jeppesen but they will not correct them until they receive an official publication or NOTAM from the aviation administration of each country concerned.

Where can the X-Plane list of airports and navaids be viewed? I would like to be able to check the list to see that it will include the places that I currently fly to and might fly to in future. Like the original poster I would be interested in using X-Plane for IFR currency. I find that FS2002 is great for practicing one’s scan and keeping familiar with procedures. Before flying into a place for the first time it is quite useful to be able to view it and try its approaches on FS2002 first. It is of little help to giving one a feel for the aircraft but I expect this would be the same for any flight simulator costing less than a seven-figure sum.

How easy is it to add navaids and airfields to X-Plane? I am no computer fundi so anything remotely complex will probably be beyond my limited computer skills. I did manage to obtain and install the Canadian navaids that were missing from FS2002 and its predecessor. These are needed for the ILS and NDB approaches at places such as London and Kitchener/Waterloo.

I should mention that I am expecting to change back to a Mac in the not too distant future so all my queries apply to the Mac version of X-Plane. Thanks for answers and any additional advice.

[Carrier]

Is there a proper flight planning function in X-Plane? The Microsoft FS2002 flight planner has some problems. A number of the reporting points, intersections and many airfields in this part of the world are missing. Both high and low level airways seem to be non-existent. FS2002 does not allow users to insert these or their own waypoints. It is therefore incapable of producing a flight plan anywhere close to what would be used for a particular flight in the real world.
I would like to know how complete and realistic the X-Plane flight planner is, assuming it has one. Thanks for any information.

[AppleMacster]

Carrier: there isn't a flight-planning function as such built into X-Plane, although you can program the FMS and then save the file.

The best way is to download a companion application called Goodway (http://www.xpgoodway.com/). This will save it as an FMS flightplan, which you can upload into XPlane. Some aircraft models have performance data in them, which Goodway uses to plan the flight (or use your own data).

AppleMacster