freddy Posted October 29, 2015 Share Posted October 29, 2015 I have the NZSI and NZNI packages. I hadn't flown in New Zealand for a while, even though I live in Australia and it's effectively not all that far away. So I decided it was time I went back. I planned a flight and taxied out to runway 16R at Sydney International in the PMDG 747-400. Destination? Christchurch. That was about two weeks ago now, and I have since been flying the New Zealand skies and exploring everything the country has to offer. South Island. North Island. Even though I have flown in New Zealand many times, and with ORBX scenery installed ... it has been a while as I said ... and I had forgotten just how fantastic the ORBX NZSI and NZNI scenery is. The mountains, valleys, rivers, glaciers, mud-flats, and everything. Just wonderful. As I fly, I am constantly amazed at the brilliance of this ORBX work. There is always something different to see, and always something new that I hadn't noticed before. I often find myself letting out a small, "Oh, wow" as I look out the window of my aircraft. If I had one small complaint it would be that the airport taxiways and parking spots could do with a lot of work. It is annoying to see AI planes taxing in crazy unrealistic directions, often doubling-back over taxiways or parking spots that they had already been on before or were originally parked at in the first place. Watching AI taxi at many of the airports is like watching a circus. Worse, due to the way the taxi vectors have been done, the AI planes mostly never notice the user plane and it is not uncommon for a plane to taxi right through you as if you aren't even there. Not to mention the AI parking spots placed over the top of static scenery aircraft creating a "doubling" of planes at many of the airports as well. The airports look great and the attention to detail is jaw-dropping, but the taxiing and parking really ruins the realism and detracts from what is otherwise exceptional work. But, if I put aside my gripe about the airports, and look at the bigger picture - that of the scenery itself - I have to say that I am very glad I purchased this product and I am once again enjoying the land and the scenery of ORBX New Zealand. It is just "Wow!". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gumbypickett Posted October 29, 2015 Share Posted October 29, 2015 It just so happens today I purchased Queenstown to go with my NZNI and NZSI, Rotorua and Wellington packages. I too haven't been across the Tasman for quite a while, I figure a visit is well over due. cheers Gumby Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil Posted October 29, 2015 Share Posted October 29, 2015 Freddy, watch this vid, and then go buy Queenstown. Absolutely one of the best. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7mxmFCw-Dig Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
77west Posted October 29, 2015 Share Posted October 29, 2015 Now just waiting on P3Dv3 installers for NZ and were good to go lol! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rodger Pettichord Posted October 29, 2015 Share Posted October 29, 2015 I'm having fun right now making a slideshow for a friend who dreams of visiting NZ but can't afford to. Her dreams are centered on South Island, so I'm "hitching a ride" on a variety of small planes and choppers and taking her through all the South Island scenery. As is said above, it's a blast. Me too on the compliments to ORBX! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gmcallis Posted October 29, 2015 Share Posted October 29, 2015 Freddy, watch this vid, and then go buy Queenstown. Absolutely one of the best. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7mxmFCw-Dig Impressive! ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benny Posted October 29, 2015 Share Posted October 29, 2015 The NZ regions are for me the best ORBX region, second is Norway, >https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7mxmFCw-Dig Ben Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freddy Posted October 30, 2015 Author Share Posted October 30, 2015 Thanks Neil for sending that link. Just breathtaking! I had actually seen that video before, but it was great to watch it again. One of the best things about ORBX scenery (and this is certainly true of their NZ scenery) is the "accuracy" of the terrain to the point where flying the real-world (landing) charts gives you an experience in the simulation that pretty much matches what you would expect to see out of the cockpit window if you were flying the same approach and landing in the real aircraft. Queenstown is one of my absolute favorite approaches*. I have flown it often. There is something to be said for skimming the tops of the mountains, dipping in to the clouds, trusting your instruments and confirming you're right on track where you expect to be, flying down in to the valley, walled in on both sides, over shimmering water, low and heading toward the terrain, before finally a slight right turn and putting her down on the numbers ... pulling up nicely on a runway that's not really all that long. It gives me a massive adrenaline rush and a shot of emotion each and every time I do it. I have even been fortunate enough to do it four times now in an actual Boeing 737 motion simulator. And in that, the rush and emotion I get from this landing is very much magnified. I don't actually have the ORBX NZQN airport. Hmmm, Christmas is coming ... * Some of my other favorite approaches are Paro airport [VQPR], Hamilton Island [YBHM], Saba airport [TNCS], and Toncontin [MHTG]. Doing Paro in the Boeing 737 motion simulator is a sure thrill, every time. And Hamilton Island, also in the 737 motion simulator, at night, in rain and fog, with a reasonably strong crosswind, and without landing aids, is a challenge that will certainly get the blood pumping. As the title of that YouTube video says: "This is why we fly". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil Posted October 30, 2015 Share Posted October 30, 2015 Freddy, if you can get time on a full motion, try Kai Tak, Hong Kong, still one of the great ones, along with Innsbruck, Austria. I have done Hong Kong in a fixed base 737 simulator, with the old ESP based scenery, still a first time thrill! I forgot everything and just hung on, and landed. New Zealand is great, we are very fortunate to have access to home and commercial simulators of such quality. Have fun, it sounds like you know how to put it together. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freddy Posted October 30, 2015 Author Share Posted October 30, 2015 Yeah, I did Kai Tak in the motion sim once ... but, for reasons I cannot explain, it never really did it for me. Ahh yes, Innsbruck is sure fun too. I've done Innsbruck in FSX, but not in the motion sim. Me thinks on my next visit to the motion sim I will ask for that one. I agree that New Zealand is great. And you are right that we are fortunate to have access to great sims (both commercial and home-based). And I'll add, great scenery from developers such as ORBX that truly brings NZ (and the world) very much to life. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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