ASchenk50 Posted February 29, 2008 Share Posted February 29, 2008 Hi guys, your FTX pictures are really stunning! I just optimized my FSX being able to run FTX from the first minute upon release. But being a pilot from Germany I am quite unfamiliar with the area. So my questions are pointed to this subject: 1. Are there any (free?) VFR charts? Like the VFR GPS charts from Jeppesen (usable in Europe)? 2. Which airports are do you recommend? I like smaller airfields with interesting approaches, preferably with airliners. Surrounding hills or thresholds near water are welcome. I think you know what I mean. 3. Are they any maps with all major airfields of (South) Australia? Since I do not know, where each airport is located only by its name this would be very helpful. 4. Is there a special database with typical domestic flights (routes) for Southern Australia? Hope, thats not too much Thank you! Jens Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maxter Posted February 29, 2008 Share Posted February 29, 2008 Welcome aboard Jens... Start here... http://www.airservicesaustralia.com/publications/current/dap/AeroProcChartsTOC.htm Also here... http://www.airservicesaustralia.com/publications/aip.asp?pg=40&vdate=22-Nov-2007&ver=1 Cheers, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mstyles Posted February 29, 2008 Share Posted February 29, 2008 Great official site... Wish more countries would make this stuff available for free in the interest of real world safety (and flightsim satisfaction ) If you want WAC and enroute charts I've not found anything free on the net. I've been recently buying lots charts from Concept Aviation at Bankstown airport. There have an online store and are the cheapest I've found including free delivery for orders over $100. NB: I am not associated with this store in anyway, just a happy customer. Here's the link http://www.conceptaviation.com.au/shopmastery_menu2.php?cat1=MAPS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Venema Posted March 1, 2008 Share Posted March 1, 2008 Jens, about 2 weeks after AU BLUE is released, we're going to make the Orbx GA Freeware airports available for download. Those are true VFR flyer's dreams, in that many don't have entries in the airports list in FSX and you will have to use charts to find them. I think there's weeks of enjoyment just trying to locate them all. Low and slow aircraft will the best to exploit those. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auzy Posted March 1, 2008 Share Posted March 1, 2008 Pardon me, but whats the GA airports pack? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Venema Posted March 1, 2008 Share Posted March 1, 2008 Pardon me, but whats the GA airports pack? It's a set of about 50 photoreal GA and small field airports through the AU BLUE region which Orbx is giving away as freeware. 100% developed in-house by the FTX team, seamlessly blended into FTX textures with full seasonal support, autogen and many ground objects, including custom gmax models. Just a small thank you present from Orbx to you all for making the purchase Most of the work has been done by Mark Lee, who loves creating obscure little airfields that are so well hidden into the surround landscape you will need good nav skills to find them. You'll enjoy the hunt! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auzy Posted March 1, 2008 Share Posted March 1, 2008 Ahh yeah, cool, read about it before (just went mindblank). Thanks john. Another link you may want to look at Jens is http://www.casa.gov.au/pilots/melb.htm (Melbourne Visual Flight guide), which is pretty much a must for us VFR guys. It covers YMMB (Moorabbin) and YMEN (Essendon Airport). Probably not as useful for messing around in flight simulation, but it has frequencies, and the approach routes. It doesn't really cover your smaller airports though. Another thing I found is that for moorabin at least, if you look up moorabbin training ground in Google Earth, it has the training ground, the circuits and structures for identifying the inbound route in the database. I'm only just starting though, so only ever flown at YMMB (and melbourne international, but I was just a passenger) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brendanstacey Posted March 1, 2008 Share Posted March 1, 2008 So I assume most of these airports will not be in the fsx 'go to' menu? In that case will we be able to use the gps to find them or will we have to search for them visually? (I suppose searching for them wont be that hard when flying with FTX because VFR is possible due to the accurate roads etc) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wolter van der Spoel Posted March 1, 2008 Share Posted March 1, 2008 So I assume most of these airports will not be in the fsx 'go to' menu? In that case will we be able to use the gps to find them or will we have to search for them visually? (I suppose searching for them wont be that hard when flying with FTX because VFR is possible due to the accurate roads etc) Ther will be directional instructions from the nearest AFCAD field for the GA fields that don't AFCAD's Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brendanstacey Posted March 1, 2008 Share Posted March 1, 2008 Uhu, what exactly do you mean by directional information? Do you mean a printable description of the heading that you must take from the nearest airport or is it in game? Also, because some are airports non-AFCAD, will they have runway textures (like what XG does) or will they just have photobased textures like the scenery for the runway? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wolter van der Spoel Posted March 1, 2008 Share Posted March 1, 2008 something like field XXXX_YSSY265,019 wich means start at YSSY take heading 265 distance to field is 19 nm this as example YSSY has AFCAD the GA field not, so now you have directions from the nearest AFCAD field to the GA field Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maxter Posted March 1, 2008 Share Posted March 1, 2008 Please excuse my ignorance, but how will the textural information be presented in the sim? With thanks, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wolter van der Spoel Posted March 1, 2008 Share Posted March 1, 2008 all needed documentation will be supplied be it as pdf or spreadsheet with the documentation as far as I know, you could look up a small GA field in Google and then check if Mark made it for FTX also just going on the discovery tour has a certain charm to it and you'll see something different along the way, I can tell you that they are all lil gems in their own right, but you'll have to wait a lil to be able to go on the discovery tour yourself I hope that this satisfies your curiosity for the moment Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VH-JLC Posted March 1, 2008 Share Posted March 1, 2008 because it doesn't have an AFCAD that would that stuff up someone using a programe like FSpassengers?? (they have a "Autumn release date for FSPX) And have a list of great new features including a scenic tour thingy... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markwlee Posted March 1, 2008 Share Posted March 1, 2008 because it doesn't have an AFCAD that would that stuff up someone using a programe like FSpassengers?? (they have a "Autumn release date for FSPX) And have a list of great new features including a scenic tour thingy... You betcha VH-JLC! Sounds like FSpassengers (if what you say is accurate), although feature-rich and very appealing to many, will have no use for most of these strips. 747s will also be useless. VOR-DMEs, NDBs and ILSs will have very limited functionality except where usable for backbearing purposes. In answer to others. There will be a Word.doc with: Ceres YCES, Geelong, VIC (YMAV227011) curved dirt strip – my fave : info like so. To fly to YCES, depart YMAV on a heading of 227 for 11NM. Bazzam is doing a beautiful annotated map in .pdf format as well. I suggest the purchase or download of paper charts and the use of compass, stopwatch and whizwheel - an autopilot can help with flying accuracy. Most are photoreal with seasonal textures, matched quite accurately to the surrounds (i.e. hard-to-see). E.g. many is the time I've spotted YCES, only to lose sight of it during the circuit! This is realistic as per bazzam's (real-life ATC) experience: pilots navigate to a bush strip then inform ATC they've gone into a search pattern to pinpoint the runway. Many of the strips are also a little bumpy and sloped and a few have trees fairly close to the ends. Careful plane selection is a good idea for the shorter fields. Aerosoft and Realair craft such as the Beaver, Twotter and Scout series are ideal as those guys really know their flight mdls (sideslippping works). One strip is only reliably-landable in the Aerosoft Beaver because it's so short, curved, sloped and tree-surrounded - as well as suffering from a constant updraft. With crashes turned on, you must steer clear of scrub/trees and not run over any markers. Vegetation groups and trees (both Microsoft Default) have crash boxes enveloping the whole group and extending past the visual mdl... and with FSX crash detection, a slight bump of a wheel over a cone means instant and total annihilation. So they're not for everyone. If you prefer the Microsoft billiard table, grey, empty airfields with their Min Min lights floating in the air and visible from 30NM out - you're already set! If you just waft around with no idea where you're going or are always following an invisible tractor beam from one navaid to the next - that's great! However, this new (OLD) way of flying will open up a whole NEW world of enjoyment, learning and purpose for YOUR sim flying - and you'll be down and intimate with the fantastic FTX world. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maxter Posted March 1, 2008 Share Posted March 1, 2008 Brilliant stuff Mark, really looking forward to getting some use out of the low and slow birds in a realistic way. Thanks Wolter for the explanation... Cheers, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wolter van der Spoel Posted March 1, 2008 Share Posted March 1, 2008 yw maxter ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rimshot Posted March 1, 2008 Share Posted March 1, 2008 It all sounds fantastic. I can imagine the fun it must be to search for all these small strips. Since they are not in the FSX database we won't be able to find them with the GPS. But how does this compare to real life? If a (spoiled) private pilot gets himself a Garmin 530, will he be able to find the small fields with that? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wolter van der Spoel Posted March 2, 2008 Share Posted March 2, 2008 If a (spoiled) private pilot gets himself a Garmin 530, will he be able to find the small fields with that? when "he" gets the coords of the fields and wacks 'm in the Dbase but as said there are no beacons or other navaids to stear to except the directions ............................... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brendanstacey Posted March 2, 2008 Share Posted March 2, 2008 So does that mean no atc for the airports? Including multiplayer? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maxter Posted March 2, 2008 Share Posted March 2, 2008 I would imagine CTAF all the way... Cheers, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vmx Posted March 2, 2008 Share Posted March 2, 2008 Make sure you check out the VTC Guide from Airservices as well... http://www.airservicesaustralia.com/pilotcentre/training/flyingaround/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maxter Posted March 2, 2008 Share Posted March 2, 2008 Thanks for that, have not see that one before, quite clever. Cheers, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CirrusTop Posted March 2, 2008 Share Posted March 2, 2008 Since FTX is so detailed, if the airstrip is not located in the GPS, you can always use google maps for the highways and follow those and have an idea where you are. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markwlee Posted March 3, 2008 Share Posted March 3, 2008 Just fly VFR Ve Follow Roads Ve Follow Railways Ve Follow Rivers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Posted March 3, 2008 Share Posted March 3, 2008 ahah that GA airfields pack will be the cream of the crop mate Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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