Between Airfield Headings For Navigation

[ampharoah]

Hi

 

I have 15 North America ORBX airfields currently, but don't have charts of the region to enable me to navigate between them in a basic C172.

 

Does anyone know of a source of 'heading to fly' information, which will enable me to easily navigate between ORBX airports ( small ones have no nav aids and C172 has basic radios) or can advise the best way to achieve this please

 

Many thanks in anticipation for any useful advice.

 

Andrew

[jabble]

Try Skyvector for charts, and Plan-G and/or SimLauncherX for flight planning and navigation.

 

Bear in mind that if you use anything other than calm weather, simple headings aren't enough.

[dominique]

Hi

 

I have 15 North America ORBX airfields currently, but don't have charts of the region to enable me to navigate between them in a basic C172.

 

Does anyone know of a source of 'heading to fly' information, which will enable me to easily navigate between ORBX airports ( small ones have no nav aids and C172 has basic radios) or can advise the best way to achieve this please

 

Many thanks in anticipation for any useful advice.

 

Andrew

 

The FAA site has the VFR maps for the US. There are a few other sites that may help you : Skyvector and FLTPlan which has a free tablet app.

 

Be aware though that the OrbX freeware airports are in default scenery which is poor in detailing the ground features. Vector helps but only OpenLC NA will permit VFR flying.

[ampharoah]

Thank you both.

 

That's given me plenty to get on with.

 

Jabble: Take your point about wind drift etc. Will take wind situation into consideration and in addition use FSXFollow to monitor my position and adjust as required

 

Dominique: Agree that ORBX regional scenery is not 'real' and therefore unsuitable for VFR Navigation. Problem is, I started out using GEX and having read scare stories about FTX Global ( https://kostasfsworld.wordpress.com/2013/08/20/ftx-global-what-is-it-really-about/) am reluctant to get sucked into the apparent  FTX Global 'trap', so cant have Vector and OpenLC I guess. Disappointing, as I have recently become addicted to the wonderful ORBX world, and partly wish I had not chosen the alternative (GEX) path two years ago.

 

Andrew.

[jabble]

Sure, while scenery isn't real, I still find the available physical geography useful for pilotage; rivers, hilltops, lakes, even road junctions (in Vector) are usually portrayed accurately enough to do this with VFR charts.  I use Pilot's Global 2010 mesh, so even outside the full fat regions it's often still possible to do that.  It's most difficult in flat areas with no features, but I guess real-world pilots find that a challenge too.  In any case Both Plan-G and SimlauncherX can act as a "moving map" to keep tabs on your flight.

[dominique]

A general rule of the FS world is to take with an enormous grain of salt all what these blogs say, including Kostas.  And be aware that some OrbX competitors play hardball.

 

OpenLC NA is not yet on the market but I already fly OpenLC EU+Vector between some freeware airports and it makes a world of difference. If you want to fly VFR with maps, that's the way to go. It is a hard choice (money wise) to shift but sticking with GEX is a dead end compared to Global which is not only a set of textures (like GEX) but a foundation stone being built upon with Vector (world coverage), the OpenLC products and dedicated airports with mini-regions.

 

 Now Jabble, flying VFR with a moving is cheating  ! Not that I don't do it   , mind you ...  

[grover149]

 

Problem is, I started out using GEX and having read scare stories about FTX Global ( https://kostasfsworl...t-really-about/) am reluctant to get sucked into the apparent  FTX Global 'trap',

 

ampharoah, I didn't read your link but no matter what, some people are always going to have issues.

 

As you can see about my system, it is only medium spec and is over 5 years old. I've been using Global and Vector since they became available and will purchase NA OpenLC when it is released. I generally fly the Carenado C337 Skymaster and it flies smoothly with the suggested settings for my computer with frame rates in the mid to upper 20's. Also, I have Global set to hybrid so whenever I want to fly locally where I am more familiar with the airports, etc.. And the scenery tops that old MS "generic" view out the cockpit windows to the Nth degree.

 

In summary, if it weren't for the way FTX Orbx products have changed the flight sim world, I would have probably kicked FSX out the door when support ceased.

[jabble]

 Now Jabble, flying VFR with a moving is cheating  ! Not that I don't do it   , mind you ...  

I know.  That's why I never ever ever do it.  Well, mostly...

[ampharoah]

Guys,

 

I must say I'm very tempted to change.

 

Would you be kind enough to offer a guide as to what existing packages I need to uninstall, to replace with FTX Global, Vector and Open LC please?

 

I currently use Pilot's Global 2010 mesh , UTX and GEX. Not completely sure what replaces what, what has to go and what can stay etc....

 

Also, if I change to Global/Vector/OpenLC, will all my existing extensive Megascenery Earth Photoscenery library work on top of FTXGlobal if I ever decided to run it again, assuming its above FTX in the FSX scenery library and I switch it on?

 

Thanks for your adfvice which is much appreciated

 

Andrew

[jabble]

Sorry, most of that I don't know - I don't use UTX (since my FSX days), GEX or MSE .  My understanding is that UTX isn't needed if you use Vector, nor GEX if you get OpenLC (which isn't out yet but expected soon for NA), but no doubt others will be able to tell you.  Similarly I don't know if you can leave in MSE; it competes directly with the full-fat regions, so should at least be excluded there.

 

For NA I have Pilot's Global 2010, Global Base and Global Vector (well, they're not NA-only - the clue's in the name ) and the full-fat regions from SAK down to NCA.  Plus a bunch of airports.  Oh, and FSAddon's Tongass Fjords which is very good and fills that gap between PFJ and SAK.

 

The only trick with those is to ensure that all OpenLC stuff stays below the full-fats in the scenery list - you can use FTXCentral to set an insertion point to do that.

[dominique]

OrbX has two lines of products :

 

- the "fat" (read detailed) regions which should be compatible with what you already have if they are laid, in the scenery library, over UTX as they encompass everything you need (mesh, textures, landclass and vectors). You may have to tweak UTX here or there but it'd work

 

- the Global line which is in frontal competition with Flight1 products : Global base = GEX and Vector = UTX (I may simplify a little here as UTX brings a little more than Vector as I recall from having it in older FS versions, not sure though). Global is required to install Vector and the OpenLC products.  Once you do the Global choice, you need to uninstall GEX. I do not know whether you can have UTX and Global together. I suspect that some tweaking would be in order.  Having both UTX and Vector together should be possible with tweakings too but it would be a sure recipe for nightmares.

 

Once you have Global Base, you have, besides Vector, two kind of payware products : the OpenLC  (only one is out for Europe but North America will follow in 2015, Asia later on). and what I would call extended airports (payware) as they have a very detailed mini-region around. Three are out or about to be out on the market : Palm Springs, Port Moresby and very soon Sedona. A Narvik airport should come to the market in 2015 A Pacific Island scenery has also been hinted.

 

You do also have about 300 free airports that mesh into the Global world palette.

 

 

.

[ampharoah]

OK, think I've got that

 

Remove GEX and replace with Global Base, remove UTX and replace with Vector. Now I  have the world covered ORBX.

 

I already have 'Fat': Pacific Fjords, N & C Rockies, PNW and N California + England and 15 American and 2 England Airports installed & working fine.

 

I would then add the OpenLC products as they become available.

 

Question: If you have Global Base + Vector + OpenLC,  - do you make them 'active' like the regional products and if so do the regions still need to be switched on in FTX Central as well ( as I do now ) or are they activated automatically as you enter them from the adjoining Global Base scenery area ( if you follow me!)

 

What about Megascenery. Any idea? Could that be switched on to overlay the Global Base textures if required  in future, assuming they are higher up in the FSX Scenery hierarchy?

 

Thanks for your forbearance!

 

Andrew

[jabble]

Question: If you have Global Base + Vector + OpenLC,  - do you make them 'active' like the regional products and if so do the regions still need to be switched on in FTX Central as well ( as I do now ) or are they activated automatically as you enter them from the adjoining Global Base scenery area ( if you follow me!)

Yes, exactly so.  FTXCentral shows "Global" as one of the settable "continents", as well as North America, Europe & Oceania so far.  There is also a "hybrid" flag you can set if you're flying between a full-fat and global, which smooths the transition somewhat.

 

Edit: I should point out that once you have selected a continent, there's no separate switching between the different regions within that continent.  So if I have selected North America, I can fly from San Francisco to Anchorage without any further region setting required.

[dominique]

.

 

I would then add the OpenLC products as they become available. OpenLC EU is already available

 

Question: If you have Global Base + Vector + OpenLC,  - do you make them 'active' like the regional products and if so do the regions still need to be switched on in FTX Central as well ( as I do now ) or are they activated automatically as you enter them from the adjoining Global Base scenery area ( if you follow me!) Once you have Global installed, it brings up a new choice in FTX Central which, if selected, will automatically activate Vector and OpenLC Europe.  If you go back to a fat region you select NA, Oceania or Europe and that deactivates Global

 

What about Megascenery. Any idea? Could that be switched on to overlay the Global Base textures if required  in future, assuming they are higher up in the FSX Scenery hierarchy? Never had it but I understand that there is an incompaibility of sort in the sense that any PR scenery covers the OrbX world whatever you do

 

Thanks for your forbearance! Been there, done that

 

Andrew

[ampharoah]

What about Megascenery. Any idea? Could that be switched on to overlay the Global Base textures if required  in future, assuming they are higher up in the FSX Scenery hierarchy? Never had it but I understand that there is an incompaibility of sort in the sense that any PR scenery covers the OrbX world whatever you do

 

Dominique, I am currently running ORBX regions with Megascenery Earth on my PC but disabled in the FSX Scenery library and ORBX regions display fine?!

 

Do you mean a Global Base incompatibility?

 

Andrew

[dominique]

Again I don't have it. What I meant (what I understand from other posts) is that even  if you have OrbX on a higher priority than MS in the scenery libray, you still have MS on display . Now, if you deselect it in the scenery library, it does not show up. It is not an OrbX issue. MS would do that on any non PR scenery.

[jabble]

Again I don't have it. What I meant (what I understand from other posts) is that even  if you have OrbX on a higher priority than MS in the scenery libray, you still have MS on display . Now, if you deselect it in the scenery library, it does not show up. It is not an OrbX issue. MS would do that on any non PR scenery.

That makes sense.  When I had FSX, I installed BlueSky's Glacier NP photoscenery as well as NRM.  Although it was lovely, I missed the trees & buildings and felt the boundary clash was too jarring, so tried to move it lower.  That didn't work, so I ended up deleting it completely.  I think that's just the nature of photoscenery in that it overrides landclass.  Maybe there's a way of excluding it in chosen areas, but I don't know.

[ampharoah]

Morning Jabble and Dominique

 

If you are still around....

 

I decided to change to Global yesterday and have done so, but am retaining UTX for now.

 

Still a bit confused however and would once again appreciate your guidance please.

 

In FTX Central, I now have Global Base installed plus North America and Europe. I have 'Fat': Pacific Fjords, N & C Rockies, PNW and N California installed within North America

 

When I am flying in say PNW, should I have Global Applied (ticked) in FTX Central or North America ticked? - it seems that both cant be applied simultaneously.

 

If the answer to the above is North America ticked, then when I fly away from there,(say into Europe) will Global apply and display itself automatically as I overfly France or do I have to stop the flight and tick Global to see the Global textures applied?

 

I had assumed that Global Base was now always automatically active in the background of FSX and that when you entered a region, the detail was further enhanced on top of Global Base and visa versa, negating the need for switching.

 

Sorry to be so dim!

 

Thanks for your guidance in anticipation

 

Andrew

[jabble]

When I am flying in say PNW, should I have Global Applied (ticked) in FTX Central or North America ticked? - it seems that both cant be applied simultaneously.

 

If the answer to the above is North America ticked, then when I fly away from there,(say into Europe) will Global apply and display itself automatically as I overfly France or do I have to stop the flight and tick Global to see the Global textures applied?

Ah, no, when you're in PNW you should have "North America" selected.  You're quite right that both can't be chosen simultaneously.

 

When you fly to Europe, that's a problem, as you'll be a) over Global territory and then over Europe, while North America is still selected.

 

This can be partly solved by using "hybrid" mode with Global and flying in and out of the regions.  That way the full-fats are partially (but imperfectly) implemented.   I've never flown from NA to Europe so I don't know how well hybrid would work with all that, but that's the theory anyway.  For better results, though, just save the flight at the boundary, reset the region, then reload.

 

I agree, it's a bit of a confusing kerfuffle, but that's how Orbx was able to get round some of the limitations of FSX in terms of regional textures.

[dominique]

This is what Holger says

 

while the difference is fairly minimal, for North America you lose more detail when flying in Hybrid mode in the FTX regions than flying in North America mode outside the FTX regions so the choice is clear: stay in North America mode. For Europe and Oceania the situation is reversed so you always want to select Hybrid mode when doing flights that move you outside the FTX regions.

 

This is what I do, hoping I do it right :

 

- For a flight within a fat region in NA, Oceania (excluding PNG which is Global) or Europe (excluding OpenLC EU which is Global), select the appropriate continent in FTX Central which deselects Global 

 

- To/from NA and a Global destination, select NA says Holger. I suppose he means a close Global destination. It is not clear what to do if you fly transcontinental from/to NA to Asia or Europe. I am not interested at all by that kind of flight but I suspect then you choose Global hybrid.

 

 - To/from Oceania or Europe fat regions and a Global destination select Global and check hybrid.

 

- within the Global world i.e. outside any fat region, select Global without checking hybrid.

[ampharoah]

Hi Jabble

 

That's a bummer! And something I didnt pick up from the forums.

 

With GEX, I could have multiple regions active and fly the world unencumbered.

 

Big ORBX weakness v GEX if flying 'Heavies' across the pond for example!

 

How do I set "hybrid" mode within Global?

 

Andrew

[dominique]

Hybrid : You've to check it in FTX Central.

[ampharoah]

Thanks again both.

[dominique]

 fly the world unencumbered.

 

 

As Holger says the difference is minimal so if you fly intercontinental flights selecting Global hybrid would do the trick (flying "unencumbered")   !

[jabble]

Big ORBX weakness v GEX if flying 'Heavies' across the pond for example!

That's the down side to it.

 

However, it does mean that there's a much more regional customisation of features, so I suppose that's the tradeoff.  If you fly tubes at 35,000 ft, you don't really notice that difference anyway, so it's more aimed at the low 'n' slow fliers who would rarely move from one region to another in a single flight.