Flight Sim Adventures!!

[heeshung]

Well, if you were picturing an African safari or something in a bush plane, it isn't quite that. Just some screenshots, if you will.

The following flight, however was an adventure...sort of...

This was a charter flight from KDTW (Detroit) to TNCM (St. Maarten). I recently downloaded Project Opensky's new NWA CRJ-900 ('Soaring Eagle'), so I took her for a flight. I loaded up with 85% of fuel at DTW for the flight, where I had to reduce the payloads so I wouldn't go over the Max. Gross Weight. Around the time of the 70& point of the flight, I did a calculation, and I realized that we were running low on fuel for my location. I then upped the altitude 2000 feet, from FL390 to FL410. I could've diverted before I left the U.S. mainland or to a closer island like Puerto Rico, but pressed ahead, knowing that the chartered tour group was eager to get to their destination.

I purposely cut the approach paper thin, locking onto the ILS for runway 09 about 5 NM out. With a hard left bank, I finally touched down with the softest landing I had ever done on that plane.

At the point of touchdown, there was roughly 80 seconds of flight time in terms of fuel left in the tanks. During shutdown at the gate, only about 55 seconds was left.

(Wow, that story was much longer than I had planned...)

I finished this flight about 15 minutes before this post. This is on the same computer as all my other screenshots were taken from. Enjoy!


Turning final.


Over the famous Maho Beach. (Look closely; Miller Lite anyone?)




About to touch down


Touchdown!


More to come.

[MarkLawrence]

NICE!!!!...is that FS9 or FSX???

[flyboy 28]

Since when does SXM have an ILS?

That's the FlyTampa SXM right? I absolutely adore that pack. With TFFJ and SABA, it should really be worth triple what it is.

[heeshung]

Oops, lol I guess they don't. Didn't notice when I typed out my post.

I love FlyTampa's SXM as well.
And yes, this is FS9.

Here are some more: Enjoy.

Over the beach from another perspective


Lovin' the centerline!


A view of the Sunset Beach Bar


Last second adjustments

[MarkLawrence]

Just downloaded this puppy...I have to take a little run this evening! :)

[T-Bird76]

Nice graphics! I haven't used FS in ages.... I wish my PC could run FSX the way it should be run but the PC is three years old.

[nwafan20]

Hey... so you were the pilot for my charter???? Very cool!

:D

[heeshung]

Heh, did you have fun when we climbed to 10,000 feet in about 2 minutes and 45 seconds where I put the 300th episode of MADTv on? :borat:

(So now you know what I watched during the flight on my second monitor.)

[kc2aqg]

Question for you guys - I'm not a frequent FS'er, but I have FS2004 with a bunch of custom sound packs I both downloaded and tried to create for myself from some of my recorded movies (don't ask, some of them are disasterous like my MD-80 one - don't say a word Kenny LOL j/k). Anyway, how is FS2004 compared to FSX? Worth the investment? How about availability of freeware models and soundpacks, and are they significantly better on FSX than FS2004? Very curious about your opinions. Also, anybody else a real sound buff when it comes to FS?

I just did a few runs this weekend with my DL 763ER model and custom PW4000 soundpack which is pretty sweet, running JFK-CDG-JFK-TLV-JFK.

[Matt Molnar]

Question for you guys - I'm not a frequent FS'er, but I have FS2004 with a bunch of custom sound packs I both downloaded and tried to create for myself from some of my recorded movies (don't ask, some of them are disasterous like my MD-80 one - don't say a word Kenny LOL j/k). Anyway, how is FS2004 compared to FSX? Worth the investment? How about availability of freeware models and soundpacks, and are they significantly better on FSX than FS2004? Very curious about your opinions. Also, anybody else a real sound buff when it comes to FS?

The latest FS is very disappointing, IMO. I was hoping for more realistic ATC in particular, but no such luck. The game play, unfortunately, is pretty much identical, with maybe a few more inconsequential buttons to play with in the cockpit. The graphics are a bit better, but you need some serious hardware in order to see them. You have more planes and adventures out of the box, but of course that takes up space, I think my install is well over 2 gigs. I installed one freeware plane and it was just as buggy as many from previous versions.

Bottom line: if you have a powerful rig and some torrent software, get it. :)

[Lezam]

I was hoping for more realistic ATC in particular, but no such luck.

Vatsim :twisted:

[SengaB]

Awsome shots heeshung,
I agree with Gotham.
I have been using MSFS since like 1989 and find this latest version to be extreamly disappointing for all the reasons gotham mentioned.
There is not much change in FSX that FS9 had. The only thing they really did in this version was beef up the graphics (A LITTLE). I mean why is it when I am above a solid cloud deck can I still see the ground? When I am in IMC and on short final the runway is still visible when you are inside the cloud layer. They added loads of bells and whistles and adventures witch has little use to me and failed to addres the core issues that needed to be addressed. The ATC is even worst that previous and fairly buggy. The performance was so bad that they had to come out witch a batch that addressed the issue. The patch increased performance of FSX greatly but the prodect as a whole still falls short. Very buggy and unpolished game. Its almost like a beta. They never evnen bother to address the AI aircraft flow control. They STILL fly on top each other and you cna have liek 10 billion planes going missed afetr once another.
I'll stop now before I rant for hours. If you have FS9....stay with it. Its just as good and better than FSX in MANY ways. I have both installed. Since I got FSX I need to get my moneys worth out of it.
Its raining and its foggy...why is there a lightsource and a strong shadow under my plane! When it was cloudy or foggy in FS5.0 they killed the lightsource! and the shadow. Somehtign so basic as this can't be resolved?

Senga

[flyboy 28]

They never evnen bother to address the AI aircraft flow control. They STILL fly on top each other and you cna have liek 10 billion planes going missed afetr once another.

Senga,

http://library.avsim.net/esearch.php?DL ... CatID=root

-James

[heeshung]

I also have wondered about the shadows in FS9, but I always assumed it was something I would have to live with. All other screenshots I've seen from FS9 have it. There may be a way around it, but as far as I know, it's normal in FS9, meaning it's not just you.

[cancidas]

senga, you really do like those Yak-42s don't you. good old eastern metal!