Microsoft Flight Simulator 2004
 

Time to upgrade those machines Flight-Sim fans! :p

Flight Simulator 2004

Don't see a compelling reason to upgrade. Screenshots seem to show little radical change.

Like the clouds though, they are the worst bit on 2002.

Flight Sim help
 

Hi there Folks,
I am interested in getting all the gear for my computer(a compaq laptop) so i can keep the old instrument skills up to speed.Can anyone give me any advice on programs,control yokes etc.Where are the best deals around town?Does anyone want to off load some gear?Any help will be really interested.
Cheers FM

Hi Flying Mechanic,

Not sure about best deals, but I use MS 2000 with a Microsoft Sidewinder force feedback joystick. Very good. Not 100% realistic by a long way, but if you want to practice instrument flying it should be fine.

FWyg.

PS. MS Flightsim 2004 has just come out.

http://www.microsoft.com/games/fligh...or/default.asp

How much did you get that Joystick for?

Anyone know if they've sorted out the stall and spin characteristics yet?

Anyone tried Train Simulator yet? Apparently you can ride as a passenger - or rather simulate riding as a passenger.

I wonder if it can simulate leaves on the track.

Wonder if the new version still has Meigs in it?

This link contains info on what's in FS2004:
http://205.252.89.42/fs2004press/HAN...ct%20Sheet.doc

Some things that look appealing to me:
* Better weather system
* Enhanced ATC
* Garmin GPS simulation

So I'll upgrade... alternatively I could buy GTA3 Vice City :D

I am an avid Flight Sim user, have been for ages. I always upgrade to the newest version. I get excited about a new one coming out, use it for a year, learn everythying, downlaod everything, fly everything, do the lessons up to ATPL, create videos, do long hauls when im bored and then, when I hear about the next one, get all excited, buy it, and explore all the new thigns. Be happy, and enjoy using it, and wait for the NEXT one. Its a logical pattern you see :)

I cant wait for this one to come out. Take a step back in history, n fly around much more complex scenery and use more advanced features. I thkink Flight Sim is great personally. (note: I do have a life too).

Flying online can be fun too! I wonder why MS FS never ever have Airbus as default aircraft. Do they not want to advertise their craft through flight sim? Its always boeing, cessna and a couple others. Fortunately tho, I can downlaod anything I want from simviation and fs20002.com so thats good.

Smooth skies all :)

Dan :O

Nvidia drivers and MS Flight Sim.
 

Owners of Nvidia based graphic cards might like to update to the latest set of detonator drivers. My old drivers were dated January, but the new ones are giving a 15 to 20% increase in fp/s on my P4 system.

Get them here.

Tim

Thats very handy. Thanks very much :)

Dan

NB: Its an 18.4 MB download just so people know...

Tim,

The latest DetonatorFX Drivers do give a boost in performance, but they sacrifice a little quality in doing so. The best looking drivers I have seen lately are the 41.09s. If your system needs the boot in performance, get the 44.03s, if you have more than enough power try the 41.09s.

Take Care,

Capt. Richard J. Gentil, Pres.
Naples Air Center, Inc.
Custom Computers of Naples, Inc.

Richard (Naples...). Thanks for your comments.

My system is a P4 2.53, 512mb ram, but with a pretty basic 64mb MX420 card. I was running the 41.09 set prior to this upgrade, and overwrote them in the normal way as I always think it's pretty good practice. You are right, on my reasonably quick system, I did'nt really need the frame rate increase, my very minimum being 30, normal around 60 -80, and max well into three figures.

Do you suggest I roll back to the previous set? I havent noticed any 'quality' difference, but perhaps not too sure what to look for.

Cheers

Tim

Tim,

It comes down to how you set up your Drivers.

Set your desktop resolution to 16Bit and remove any files you have on your desktop.

No need for you to keep rendering your desktop in the background while playing a game.

If you want to be able to have the hidden functions, create a file with notepad and put this in it.

Save it as agpsetting.reg to your desktop or anywhere you like. Then run it and it will give you all the hidden options from nVidia which include extra Resolution settings for your desktop and overclocking for both the memory and core.


When after Max Performance I use these tweaks:

Performance & Quality Settings
Performance - Aggressive
Antiailiacing - Off
Anisotropic Filters - Off

Direct3D Settings
Enable Fog Table Emulation - On
Mipmap Detail Level - Best Performance

More Direct3D
Vertical Sync Mode - Always Off
Render no more than - 5 Frames Ahead

OpenGL Settings
Default Color Depth - Use Desktop Color Depth
Buffer-Flipping Mode - Auto-Select
Vertical Sync - Off by Default

When looking for Quality over Performance I use these tweaks:

Performance & Quality Settings
Performance - Aggressive
Antiailiacing - Off
Anisotropic Filters - 8X
Texture Sharpening - On

Direct3D Settings
Enable Fog Table Emulation - On
Mipmap Detail Level - Best Image Quality

More Direct3D
Vertical Sync Mode - Always Off
Render no more than - 5 Frames Ahead

OpenGL Settings
Default Color Depth - Use Desktop Color Depth
Buffer-Flipping Mode - Auto-Select
Vertical Sync - Off by Default

The Registry Hack above does open the overclocking section, you can use it at your own risk. (Note: They performance gains are greater overclocking the RAM vs the Core.)

Take Care,

Capt. Richard J. Gentil, Pres.
Naples Air Center, Inc.
Custom Computers of Naples, Inc.

Flight sim' questions of B757/767
 

Hi,

I have a couple of things that I feel need clarifying on B757 / B767 operations. There are quite a many of these, but any help & additional information is really appreciated!

1. VNAV

After engaging VNAV passing 1500, how quickly does the AFDS command lower pitch attitude for acceleration (ie. passing acceleration altitude) ? Is it sharp or does it take time after the acceleration altitude for the horizontal F/D bar to move down ?

2. Lights operation

I have failed to find any documentation on what is the correct procedure for operating the lights.

I know that the red anti-collision light is put on prior the engine start.

At what point are the position lights, white ac-lights and wing lights put on ? When are they turned off then ? My belief is that only the Position and Red Anti-Collision lights are kept on during the entire flight ?

What about Landing, Taxi lights and Runway Turnoff lights ? I suspect that different operators have different ways of handling the lights, but at least one example of the operation would be nice :).

3. EEC operation

Is CLB automatically set after takeoff, or does one need to engage clinb thrust manually on the TRP(TMSP) after takeoff ? I think I read somewhere that the older models need the manual engagement, is it so ? Is the automatic version more common today?

4. At what point is the landing gear lever turned to OFF position ?

5. manual MCP speed selections

Is the MCP speed bug always put to the maneuvering speed for the existing flap position in approach / landing, or are "intermittent" speed settings used often ? I know that the ATC often instructs to fly different speeds, and pilots may also need to use speed intervention / speed select in various phases of flight, but is it generally so, that when slowing down only the maneuvering speeds are used in approach, ie. no speeds like Vref+55 ? This may sound like a very dumb question, but a comment in a B767 FCTM raised my eyebrows, which basically said that only maneuvering speeds are set.

6. Flight directors

Are flight directors always turned off on both sides when conducting a visual approach ? If not, what are the cases when they remain on ?

7. Seat Belts sign

Is the AUTO position always used instead of OFF at the flight levels, when pax are allowed to move ? Is there any situation (except after arrival at the gate) when the OFF position is used ?

8. Hydraulic panel setup

Are the L&R primary pumps always left ON ? Are the L&R demand pumps and C primary & demand pumps turned ON not before than in preflight ?

9. Electrical panel setup

Are the utility buses left ON or OFF in parking ? Are the L&R GEN CONT swithces always kept ON ?

10. Trim Air & recirc fan

Are Trim Air & Recirculation Fan switches always ON ? What are the situations where they are turned OFF ?

11. Apu bleed

Is APU bleed ON all the time, or is it turned off after APU shutdown ?

12. APU shutdown

When is APU shutdown commenced. Immediately after engine start or during taxi ?

13. Yaw dampers

Are Y/Ds always ON in normal ops ? Are they also left ON in parking ?

14. IRS alignment

What is the procedure for checking the IRS position during turnaround ? Or are they always turned OFF and realigned before the next flight ?

15. Fuel system

The crossfeed switch. Does the fuel actually flow from one tank to other when crossfeeding, OR does it only mean that the engines draw fuel only from the tank that has more fuel than the other. The end result is the same, but is actual crossfeeding taking place ?

16. DH

Is the DH set only for CATIII operations, and the orange DA bug used for CATI/II ops (and DH turned to zero or negative) ?

17. Flap operation

Why is it that the Boeing-recommended standard procedure for extending/retracting flaps is such that the retracting should be done 20 kts prior to the NEXT flap setting maneuvering speed when accelerating ? Extending the flaps 20 kts prior to the PRESENT flap setting maneuvering speed makes sense, but retracting seems a bit funny. Is it because the actual selection & retraction takes that much time, that when the setting is actually achieved, the aircraft is already above the maneuvering speed ?Does any airline do this differently, ie. retract only AFTER the NEXT flap settings maneuvering speed ??



regards
Tero

Too difficult questions, eh ?

Just kidding :).

Tero

No shortage of 75/76 folks on the forums but your 'couple' of questions are far too tedious to answer when you give no reason for needing the questions answered.

Most will assume you are a flight simmer and the effort needed to answer so many questions is not worth the bother.

On the other hand there may be someone working on a future sainthood application....:} :} :}

Regards
Rob

Hi,

Oh, I forgot that one about us simmers... We're not "worthy" ?

Seriously, although I am a simmer, why can't I be interested to know some details that are unclear to me ? If no one cares to answer, that's fine, but the everlasting flightsimmer -stigma at PPrune is tiring.

Tero

ps. maybe not a simmer forever

Check your PM's teropa.


Application for sainthood in post.:cool:

It was a very long list of questions, think you scared people off. Might be worth breaking them down into little chunks next time. Or just buy a 767 from boeing I'm sure they will throw in a set of manuals.