FSX - aaa8ybd2.zip and aaa8ybd3.zip

[Jack]

Are we really required to install the FSX scenery files noted above, and for what reason ?

Thanks

Jack

[Andrew Godden]

Jan 12, 2011 19:03:31 GMT -5 @Jack said:

Are we really required to install the FSX scenery files noted above, and for what reason ?

Thanks

Jack

Jack,

I apologise to FSX users for the file size, but yes.

Lady Elliot Island (YLTT) doesn't exist as default scenery in either FS9 or FSX.

Each year, attempts are made to keep required add-on scenery to an absolute minimum, or, where necessary, using readily available freeware. In this case, Lady Elliot Island (YLTT) is the only required scenery for the GAAR 2011. The GAAR 2008, GAAR 2009 and GAAR 2010 did not require any add-on scenery, whereas the GAAR 2007 did require the use of freeware add-on scenery.

Unfortunately, standard MSFS (both FS9 and FSX) are limited in terms of providing for an event that is reasonably challenging (other than having every airport with a 3000+ ft runway) and an event that people want to keep coming back for (so far, 10 years worth of wanting to come back for).

Somehow, I have to keep making the GAAR a challenge. This challenge gets harder each year when only standard versions of MSFS are used. Now that FSX is becoming more widespread in it's use, it adds further to that challenge.

FSX and it's add-ons, both payware and freeware, have proven to be heavy on file size and LARGE by any comparison to FS9.

So, unfortunately, all I can do is apologise and keep going forward.

[capflyer]

Thankfully, if you use OZX or VOZ, you get a very nice Lady Elliot Island.

[Andrew Godden]

Jan 13, 2011 1:41:50 GMT -5 capflyer said:

Thankfully, if you use OZX or VOZ, you get a very nice Lady Elliot Island.

Very true, you do.

However, VOZ is for FS9 ONLY.

OZx is for FSX and the base file for the current version, OZx 3.x, starts with a 2 GB file size.

Like I said, FSX is very costly on file size, but I guess that is something you have to accept if you use it.

[Jack]

Thanks for the explanation, Andrew. That may be a deal breaker for me.

[pterodactyl (George)]

Jack: The FSX file is indeed huge and not everyone will want to download it. I am usin FS9 so that was not a problem for me. I do have a suggestion if Andrew would be ok with it. You could subsitute Gladstone Airport for Lady Elliot Island. Now saying that when I initially looked for Lady Elliot Island I could not find it as an airport in FS9. I did look for the island using the map and found the runway unlisted as just a strip in the water. Strange as it was I was able to take off and land there with no land aroung it. Quirks of FS I guess. Anyway what I am trying to say is there are alternatives if allowed. Elliot Island is at S24 06.90, E152 43.38. You might be able to find the strip looking in that area without adding on the file. Hope to see you in the rally.

[Andrew Godden]

George,

I had an email exchange with Jack, on using the FS9 scenery, however, for him, there are also other considerations.

On the choice of Lady Elliot Island, this was very deliberate, as Rwy length is the key here. In creating this year's challenges in the GAAR, I wanted to bring Rwy length into play again. It has been a while since the GAAR had a really short airstrip, so this year I added two for good measure.

Gladstone (YGLA) at 5364' didn't cut it as a destination for the GAAR (and the local council's bribe wasn't large enough - not like the "melons" offered by Chinchilla ;D). Some people would say you could land a "747" at Gladstone. Well, in the real world, they did at Longreach (YLRE), at 6352', along with a "707" because they now reside there as part of the Qantas Founders Outback Museum.

As I say in my original response, each year of producing the GAAR becomes more difficult in delivering a challenging and enjoyable event for you guys (and I have standards and a reputation to uphold ;D) without having every airport with a 3000'+ Rwy. So a lot of work goes into developing the route for the event.

I have been looking at how to incorporate "alternates" into the GAAR format as part of increasing the reality of flying the event, but haven't been able to come up with a successful format yet. I have a solution, but I know it will involve much more work on my part.

Of course, there are some more simple approaches to incorporating the use of alternates, but the question then becomes one of how to "fairly" adjust the scoring system to cater for their use. My view is, if you use an alternate for sheer convenience, it involves a penalty to performance against the "Target Time". This approach though, could remove one of the incentives for flying the GAAR. Then, as the GAAR is an honesty event, how would I know anyway.

So, for the time being, diverting to, or using airports that are not on the route are not an option.

By the way, this option hurts my head the least.

[pterodactyl (George)]

Thanks Andrew
It was more of an option if possible so we could get more people in the rally. I have downloaded several files for different rallies and kept them only as long as needed so under almost all of the circumstances I have had sufficient harddrive space for the info. Didn't want to give you a headache. I like the challange of the short runway. It is a good thing I didn't decide to bring the Lancaster to the rally this year. I think there would have been a lot of splashing going on at Lady Elliot and it would have been all mine. I see the problem with the alternates. Stay dry my friend, we are watching the news daily on what is happening down under, it makes our snow fall and possible spring flooding pale in comparision with your countrymen are going through.

[Andrew Godden]

George,

During testing I have put a CV240, DC-4, ATL-98 'Carvair' and even an L-049 'Connie' in and out of Lady Elliot Island. Of course, with no pax and minimum fuel load for the Flight Leg and the tech crew had to go by road from Bundaberg to the Whitsundays. ;D

So that covers everything up to about a 90,000lb MTOW, which would make the "Lanc" a walk up start for the GAAR.

[flaminghotsauce]

aaaaand, that's one reason I decided to fly the 172. It's the only aircraft I have any real world time in, and I have more hours in that type in the sim than anything by a long way. Plus, I can put it down in a parking space if I have to.

Andrew, I wanted to thank you for what you do here. I know you put a lot of work into it. I appreciate already what you've done here, having only done the preflight planning.

I also want to man up and apologize for the whining I've been doing. It's really not that big a job to add scenery, but I just hate doing it. I did it, and it didn't hurt, and I'm running this year for the first time. I've followed the GAAR in the last two or three years, including all the weird chattiness and photo threads, and I'm excited to get going. I know it's not your job to hold everyone's hand and show them how to install scenery, recommend flight planning software, etc. but thanks for all you've done and are doing.

[pterodactyl (George)]

Andrew
That sounds like a friendly challange. I do not have the time this year to fly two aircraft but next year maybe the Corsair and the Lanc (my favorite). As a matter of fact I am going to try to do a few stop and goes on Lady Elliot tonight with the Lanc to see if I can do it. The old island will never be the same again.

[Ed Burke]

South African Airlines have flown two B747SP's into Rand airport for retirement as museum displays. R11 is under 5000' long and only 15m wide; with the main gear track of 11m they had to be accurate.

ZS-SAN was flown in on Sep 30 2004 and the PF stopped it about 3500' over the threshold with the nose gear straddling the white line. The strip is around 5000' ASL !!!! . On Google Earth one can see the clearing each side of the runway to keep debris out of the low time engines which were to be returned to service.

There is plenty of info on the web about this machine and the second one, ZS-SPC which was flown in a couple of years later.

Ed

[Andrew Godden]

Back in the early 2000's you could barely give away B747SPs. SAA were lucky to be able to give them away to the SAA Museum Society.

When I was working at Qantas we had two SPs on the market around 2004. They were lucky to be finally sold to a USA based concern (if I remember correctly). This was at a time when you couldn't give away aircraft and around the world, they were just being parked against fences or flown to the Mojave Air and Spaceport in the desert for storage or salvage.

[Ed Burke]

I had a flight from NZ to OZ in one of the QF SP's late in its career and it was an airborne scrapheap

[flaminghotsauce]

There's 6001' of welcoming runway at KIRK if they wanna keep giving away these "ungiveawayable" 747's! It'd make a nice apartment.