My impressions of FS2004 after an hour of flight time

O

OBIO

Retired SOH Admin
I have finally been able to rack up an hour's worth of time in the air in FS2004...short flight with the stock aircraft and some installed aircraft. Just getting the feel of the sim. Just did my first ATC type flight....where I requested permission to taxi to the runway, requested permission to take off, flew to another airport, requested permission to land....and landed at the wrong airport LOL!

My impressions thus far: It has no guns on the planes, and I keep wanting to fire off some rounds. The reflective textures are SWEET! The ground scenery detail is nice. The flight dynamics are touchier than CFS2. I am totally lost with the key board commands....I really need to print the key board command template and study study study. I have no clue how to use the navigation tools...so I really need to spend some time learning that.

I like it....just feel like a fish out of water at the moment. I am sure that once I get the feel of the sim and learn the ins and outs of it, that I will be as comfortable in FS2004 as I am in CFS2.

OBIO
 
Hey All,

OBIO I'm glad your enjoying it. :ernae:
I would strongly suggest that you at the very least get a joystick as it makes FS life far more bearable and enjoyable.

-Ed-
 
Hey OBIO

There are a lot of models for 2004 out there that have firring machine guns, some of mine do. You can even install a nuke to bust up some folks ya don't like:costumes:

Chris
 
As a former CFS2'r I also felt like there was nothing to shoot at (but on the same token at least no one is out there trying to shoot you up either). After about a month I really got into the light GA stuff (Lilski's Champ is still to this day an incredible aircraft :ernae:).
I also liked flying from an airfield not far from my home; most of my flights take place over Michigan now, not Guam or Midway).
I really enjoy the ATC as well. I still remember the first time I was denied takeoff because it was IFR conditions and I didn't file an IFR plan. Heck, lately I was denied landing at KMKG because I didn't have an IFR plan and it was near zero visibility...but that's another story.
I'm starting to come back to the military hardware and that IRIS Hawk 200 has a lot more panache than a Lear 45.:costumes:.
Lately the Pitts Specials have really caught my fancy. Not only is my mother's side of the family named Pitz, I distinctly remember a time when I put Mikko Malenemi's Pitts S-1-11b in CFS; I added a couple .30cal machine guns, put on a modded Zero's DP and added about 70 or so pounds for the gun and I could outmaneuver anything in the sky. Brings back many fond memories. I say memories because the current rig I have has a dual core processor and IIRC CFS2 and dual core processors don't mix well.
As for the fish out of water feeling, don't worry; give it time. You've taken a step into a much larger world.:ernae:
 
nice to hear :)

does anyone remember that really nice environment update someone released? hmm i have it on my other comp at home... but you should really get it!

another thing i think you might like is the picnic grass texture pack... just avsim them, and i think the environment update is there too.

o yea and dont forget to get the 9.1 update!

now go nuts on the warbirds :isadizzy:

:wiggle:
 
I have a joystick.....trying to fly without a stick is like trying to fish without a rod and reel. Just need to get used to the keyboard commands for flaps, dive brakes, after burner...that sort of thing.

One plane that really through me a nasty loop was Milton Shupe's Howard 500. I have the plane converted to CFS2, and love it. The thought of having that stunning plane in its native FS2004 was more than I could resist. So, I installed it, fired it up. Went to give the plane some power to begin my take off roll and all the plane would do was turn to the right. The more power I gave it, the faster to the right it turned...I ended up spinning in a nice tight circle. So, I leave Spot View and go into VC view....and watch the throttle levers as I gave the plane some go juice...and only the right throttle moved. So, I had to think, scratch my head, and remember how to select individual engines. Once I got to where I could give engine one some juice, then give number 2 and equal amount of juice, the plane performed a nice roll out and lift off. And the Howard is even more breath taking with reflective textures WOW.

I have the Airport Environment Update 7.0 (or something like that) downloading from AVsim as I type this.

It will just take time for me to learn this sim to really get the full enjoyment that it has to offer. Most of the planes I am adding to the sim are either very early military aircraft or GA aircraft from the 20s, 30s and 40s. I love those old radial powered aircraft....they are the main reason I got FS2004. Now I can fly them without having to convert them to CFS2....saves a lot of time that I can spend flying or skinning.

OBIO
 
I fly in both FS2004 and CFS2, and many of the keys are either the same or can be assigned - f5-f8 for flaps, spoiler for dive brakes, tab for tailhook, a joystick button to cycle views etc. Make as many as possible what you are used to and you'll soon make progress.
:wavey:
 
PhilRamone said:
nice to hear :)
does anyone remember that really nice environment update someone released? :isadizzy:
:wiggle:
Click to expand...

'Real Environment Professional'?
Do a search at Avsim and it should turn up.
A very good very simple, but well featured freeware addition.
:applause:
 
OBIO said:
I have finally been able to rack up an hour's worth of time in the air in FS2004...short flight with the stock aircraft and some installed aircraft. Just getting the feel of the sim. Just did my first ATC type flight....where I requested permission to taxi to the runway, requested permission to take off, flew to another airport, requested permission to land....and landed at the wrong airport LOL!

My impressions thus far: It has no guns on the planes, and I keep wanting to fire off some rounds. The reflective textures are SWEET! The ground scenery detail is nice. The flight dynamics are touchier than CFS2. I am totally lost with the key board commands....I really need to print the key board command template and study study study. I have no clue how to use the navigation tools...so I really need to spend some time learning that.

I like it....just feel like a fish out of water at the moment. I am sure that once I get the feel of the sim and learn the ins and outs of it, that I will be as comfortable in FS2004 as I am in CFS2.

OBIO
Click to expand...


That is how I feel when I fly CFS and X-Plane. I know a few of the commands but not all of them. I usually change over some of the keyboard commands to FS format.

Learning to work with ATC can be cool, but for some, it drives them nuts, like when they keep you over to other centers during a flight, even to their own centers... (32Foxtrot, LA center, please contact LA center for flight following. LA center out).

The GPS and Map are pretty cool. So much you can do with those, such as doing a direct quick flight plan in the GPS (direct-to), or in map mode, when exploring, you can drag and drop your plane in terrain or on airports, then OK out to see where you are.

I wouldnt rush it. There are built in tutorials on how everything works in FS9. I found them massively helpful when first getting the sim.

Bill
 
I might suggest the flying lessons by Rod Machado (included indefault FS9). The checkrides are bugged, but the lessons and reading material are first-class. You'll feel much more at home in the sim once you've all that knowledge under the belt.
 
Ah, talking about CFS2, OBIO I would recommend you to tranfert the CFS2 default planes to FS9. They look great inside that sim (especially the textures) and are a joy to fly. This is of course also valid for the CFS2 addon airplanes as well, but the default ones had this special sentimental value for me :)
 
I can understand your feelings OBIO. The main thing I like about FS9 is the fact you can make this Flight Sim look amazing. However flying from A to B is often quite boring. Therefore I always had a Combat Sim installed next to FS9, to do someting more active.

I'm afraid can't say I'm a Flight simmer. Like many here I like to modify myFS9 and FSX installs and create repaints for models I like.

Cheers,
Huub
 
For the keyboard commands just just go through and reassign the keys to the same keys you used in CFS2. It takes a while but once its done, go to the FS9.cfg, find the [keyboard main] section and save it in a text file then put somewhere safe where you'll remember it. If you ever have to reinstall FS9 just cut and paste that into the new fs9.cfg


The Howard 500 in FS9 is great. As are the calclassics propliners, RealAir Cessna 172, the F16 Viper by Kirk Olsson. All freeware.

I agree with going through the Flying Lessons in FS9. And watch all the videos in the learning center when you come across them.


James
 
I will begin reassigning key commands soon...to something that is more in line with what I am used to....but then again, FS2004 seems to have a lot more key commands to use.

I will also be doing the flight training...but right now I am like a kid in a candy store...downloading all those beautiful early General Aviation and early Commercial planes that I have been drooling over for so long. Just did a short flight in the Vultee V-1 (can't remember who it is by) and Lionheart's freeware Fairchild 24W Bubble Cowl....I have it converted to CFS2, but it's not the same when the air file I used is from the Zero.....looks great but flies too fast and too nimbly.

I burnt up my 2 hour time limit on Flightsim.com downloading aircraft...and will do that as often as it takes to grab all the planes I have been yearning to fly. So many planes, so little time.

Huub, I know the feeling about not really being a flight simmer...I too spend more time painting, tweaking and otherwise messing with planes than I do flying them. But with the addition of FS2004, I can now fly so many aircraft in their native sim instead of spending hours and hours converting them to CFS2. Time saved will be put to use flying the planes...or that is the plan already. But then again, two of the planes that I just installed have already been sent to the paint shop for new skins (A-8 and A-12 Shrikes...those 512 by 512 texture sizes simply don't do the plane justice in the detail department).

OBIO
 
Hear Hear OBIO has done CFS <-> FS9 :ernae::applause:
I hope you have in the future more and more joy with the FS2004 :D
 
Hello OBIO
welcome to the FS2004 flying club / family !

1.
if you want to have something super cool to discover FS2004
buy Iris's Beechcraft T-6 Texan II / Harvard II.

its just like a Spitfire or a P-51D Mustang but with modern
avionics, engine and ejection seats.

2.
Another interesting quality of FS2004 that you will enjoy in the
future are "close to reality" Sceneries.

As an example of Topic 1+2 above here is "my" Harvard II parked
on the ramp at "my" local Airport of Rimouski ( CYXK ).

Greetings
:santahat:
VaporZ







 
wombat666 said:
'Real Environment Professional'?
Do a search at Avsim and it should turn up.
A very good very simple, but well featured freeware addition.
:applause:
Click to expand...

yea thats the one! :isadizzy: i always get mixed up between thatone and the payware one (that does the same :p) haha

i have FS9 out of the box with the .1 update and REP+picnic and it looks great.... i cant have mmuch bc my comp wont handle it... but imhappy.... try that with FSX hahaha :icon_lol:

man OBIO get all the Rick Piper birds, check the classic british files, ted cook's page...oh man there's so many niceones haha :cost1:
 
Obio,
You'll want to check out Paul "PutPut" Clawson's inventory of pre-WWII aircraft and the repaints that Mick Morrissey has done for them. :)
 
OBIO said:
I burnt up my 2 hour time limit on Flightsim.com downloading aircraft...and will do that as often as it takes to grab all the planes I have been yearning to fly. So many planes, so little time.

OBIO
Click to expand...


One of, if not THE best purchase I have made was ,(and will be again) the purchase of the premium membership in Flightsim.com. (I also support SOH and AVSIM during their fund drives.) Unlimited, faster downloads, and no time limit. Also, no waiting to get in. IF you have the spare change, you will never be sorry.

The only site I haven't gone premium is simviation.com. Their search system sucks, and they don't seem concerned or interested in fixing it. (The local library's is easier, lol.)
 
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