So, I want to cover adding some NAS scenery to your sim.
If you're hell-bent on crashing into the fan tail or the island, skip this post
BUT there's a reason I keep harping on the training aircraft.
Like the B-52, there's a LOT of flying you need to do using the seat of your pants.
You can memorize procedures and carrier landing patterns until the cows come home, the harsh truth is that there will be a LOT going on in a very short time span when its time for you to catch a wire. I'll cover the special tools you can use (your best buddy, the AOA Indexer) later on, but for now you HAVE to get used to flying and maneuvering at a high AOA and being able to touch down
where you intended. Forget the "ideal AOA" for now, concentrate on staying in control when the gear and flaps are out and the nose is pointed up. Can you maintain level flight? Can you maintain a glide slope? How does your aircraft feel just
before you stall? This kind of training is done best over land. Aircraft carriers operate on tight schedules, which is why you need the NAS scenery and the close-by NOLFs.
Finding NAS scenery isn't that tough. You could opt for a MAIW "full monty" package including scenery and AI traffic. This is the easiest way to go. Its also the least efficient in terms of your hardware and storage. Still, for modern systems MAIW won't hurt you. What it
will do is dominate your your set-up
if you allow it. I really like the MAIW packages. Its good scenery and accurate AI traffic. The downside is that (I suspect) MAIW packages are designed for you to taxi to a good viewing spot then shut down and watch the show. Things can (and will) get complicated if you want to take off and fly around in the pattern. Still, I rank the MAIW packages at the top of the list.
You could also search for "SDB" or "Team SDB" and see what turns up. This is older scenery and AI but it works just fine. AVSIM has a good selection of their old payware scenery. The AI traffic
can look like refugees from FS2K, but you need to ask yourself if its
really that important- as long as you don't crash into it.
You always have the option of upgrading (mix and match) your older AI traffic to newer MDLs and textures.
Your next option would be searching for stand-alone AFCAD BGLs. You know what base you want, take a minute to do some digging and find its ICAO code. Now you can go to your favorite download site and start digging. AFCADS can be found as "one offs" or in groups. Sometimes its your only option, and they work just fine.
While I harp on using NAS scenery and traffic, you should also have a plan on
how you'll use it. After all, at the end of your training you'll be going off to the fleet and your soon-to-be home squadron. Keep some notes on what you installed and where its located, for when its time to dump it all. Or, maybe you'll figure out that being an Instructor on land
ain't so bad and you'll want to keep this stuff installed for when you complete your sea tour.
There's one last thing to keep in mind. Every now and then I'll mention that "Life begins at 60 (FPS)".
I'm not being a snob (mostly). You WANT to keep your FPS as high as you can. Outside of hovering in a helo, this is some of the most demanding flying you can do in FS. You want to keep your FPS at 60+ (or as high as your system allows)
because you'll need it.
