A most interesting challenge

One of the more interesting challenges in upgrading Misty Fjords to FSX (at least for me!) is going to be modelling Ketchikan International Airport (PAKT).  It has sloping runways and taxiways, which are not supported by FSX.  So we’ll have to figure out how to fudge or approximate it.  I can guarantee right now that the representation won’t be perfect.  Courtesy of Sidney Schwartz, here’s what we’re up against.  Yes indeed, the runway level is at the top of the tower, with  the taxiways ramping up to the runway.

CYVR for FSX

Bill Womack and I have decided not to proceed with CYVR, Vancouver International Airport for FSX, for a variety of reasons.  In my case, I want to focus on smaller projects, as well as other non-FS work.  Bill gives his view in this post.  Bill will keep working on Tongass Fjords, Emma X and other eagerly awaited goodies, while I’ll be heads down for the next few months on Misty Fjords for FSX.

Somewhere in 2008, the Glacier Bay team, led by Holger, will also upgrade that product for FSX.

Call for photos and data: Misty Fjords FSX

The long conversion and upgrade process for Microsoft Flight Simulator addons continues, as we convert to FSX and enhance products in the process.  I will be assisting Holger with Misty Fjords: my task is to re-create the following airfields:

• CYPR - Prince Rupert (we’ll likely do a bit of the cruise ship docks as well)
• CZST - Stewart
• PANT - Annette Island
• PAKT - Ketchikan (likely include cruise ship terminal as well)

If you have any photos of these fields, or data, we may be able to use this information.  Even better if you live in one of those areas, and can take photos at our direction, that would be awesome.

Release date for this product is not set, and is certainly some time away.

Glacier Bay v2 for FS9 released

Holger Sandmann, along with his team (Rainer Duda, Michael Eder, Scot Fraser, Manfred Herz, Jay Langham, Jon Patch, Larry Silsbee, and Jim Vile),  has created what has become my favourite all-time scenery addon: Glacier Bay v2.  Here’s the blurb from Holger:

Glacier Bay v2 is a complete replacement of the default FS2004 landscape and scenery of more than 90,000 square kilometers (36,000 sq miles) of Southeast Alaska and adjacent areas of Yukon and British Columbia. Landscape enhancements include high-resolution terrain mesh, detailed shorelines, rivers, lakes, and glaciers, and accurate land cover data with custom seasonal ground textures. Inland water bodies can be made to “freeze over” via an on/off switch. Other landmarks include the settlements of Juneau, Haines, Skagway, Yakutat, Atlin, and Carcross as well as road and railroad networks, cabins, lodges, and lighthouses. We modeled or enhanced 16 main airfields (plus one fictitious airstrip), 20 unlisted airstrips, 16 seaplane bases, and seven heliports. We’ve also included AI ship traffic in various locations as well as optional flightplans for GA and floatplane AI traffic. Glacier Bay v2 is fully compatible with other third-party add-ons, including terrain mesh (FSGlobal, FS Genesis, etc.), ground textures (Ground Environment, BEV, FScene, etc.), and landscape enhancements (Ultimate Terrain Canada/Alaska, Misty Fjords, Tongass Fjords, Freight Dogs). A configurator panel (requires .Net Framework!) allows users to set compatibility options and to choose levels of scenery detail. We provide an autoinstaller and detailed documentation with a sectional map of the coverage area and a list of weblinks to real-world information. For feedback and questions, please visit the Glacier Bay v2 support forum at http://forums.fsaddon.eu/viewforum.php?f=10. This project is a collaboration of nine FS developers from Germany, Austria, USA, and Canada, logging more than 1000 hours of work over the past 14 months. We acknowledge the kind support of FSAddon.com. However, this project is independent of any commercial product. Enjoy!

You can download from AVSIM in two parts:

• Glacier Bay v2 Part 1
• Glacier Bay v2 Part 2

Be sure to try the many flight scenarios provided, they’ll take you to magical places.

 UPDATE: For those finding AVSIM a bit slow, try www.flightsim.com

Skagway Terminal

I’ve added to my duties on Glacier Bay: I’ll be doing some features of the City of Skagway.  I’ll include some airport buildings, the bulk terminal, and cruise ship berths.  Larry Silsbee will be doing the marina.  Here’s the first couple of screenshots of the PAGY terminal building.  We will be able to represent Skagway with some accuracy to the generous help from the Tlingit Regional Housing Authority in cooperation with the Alaska Department of Commerce, Community and Economic Development (Commerce).  They have kindly supplied recent hi-resolution georeferenced orthophoto data (airphoto) for the area.

For example, I was able to measure the footprint and locate the building below with 1′ resolution and 2′ accuracy.  I then added features and textures taken from photographs I took last summer.

Back from Alaska

I’ve posted some photos here. Overall it was a great cruise, we went on a floatplane trip from Ketchikan into the Misty Fjords area, including a landing on one of the Fjords. In Juneau we took a helicopter ride on to the Mendenhall Glacier, and from Skagway I travelled to my old stomping grounds of Carcross, Yukon.

…meanwhile back in the Real World

I’m off on Sunday for a week on an Alaska cruise leaving from Vancouver. We’ll have stops in Ketchikan, Juneau and Skagway. In Ketchikan, weather permitting, we’ll take a floatplane through some of the Misty Fjords area. We’re planning a heli trip in Juneau, and I’m planning to take the train from Skagway back to my old stomping grounds of Carcross and Spirit Lake in the Yukon. I used to live in an old cabin by Spirit Lake, but the cruises didn’t run tours up there in those days. I imagine it’s changed a bit.

We’re travelling Harbour Air from Victoria harbour to Vancouver harbour to get to Canada Place, and West Coast Air on the way back.  So that’ll be my first opportunity to fly on some of the floatplane schedules I’ve modelled.

So flightsim development is on hold until I get back. Once Holger has Tongass out, he’ll have a bit more time (between all his other projects!) to finish off his changes to Vancouver+ for version 1.1.