The Million Dollar Ride

ViperPilot2 said:
Personally, I think the 'Vark is an ideal choice for something like this; she's ideal for the Mission!

Deacon & NC - At one time, SV had a Print option, but due to the FlightPrep deal they had to disable that feature.
FYI there's another neat site that gives real time Aviation Wx, with METARS and the ability to track the Wx along your entire route:

www.avnwx.com

I have a stock Install of FS9... nothing like UT, or REX running in the background. I have a couple small LC areas around Denver and Moab,
but that's it. I'll post screenies at the WP's so you can see if there's a difference in views.

:wavey:
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Very cool and I agree that the F-111 is a great choice for low altitude stuff. I looked over at Simviation and there are a few recent choices for 70-90s era fighters, with VCs. The latest freeware F-16 looks pretty good.

I'd love to see what this route would look like in ORBX PNW...spot on I'd imagine and an improvement over my FTX/FSG setup.
 
I decided I needed a FAM run before I do a timed run. I made a flight plan in Plan-G from the VR-1553 route on Sky Vector. This was a bit of a pain as the checkpoints were not all easy to locate. I did not use that plan in the Sim using the GPS, but tracked my progress while connected to Plan-G, and looked out the window for the checkpoints. This is not easy! I found myself flying cross-ways over valleys thinking “I think I'm supposed to go down there into these valleys, and pop up over the next ridge, which comes up pretty darned fast (*gulp*)... Also, the Royal Navy Sea Venom, while a fine machine, doesn't have enough gas to make the entire run (oops). I got my strip charts all set up with times and courses in big red letters ready to go for the "real" one. Anyhow, here's some kodaks of my FAM flight.
 
Nice one PRB! Those are beautiful shots. Is that ORBX PNW?

It is a bit of a challenge, but that's part of the fun. ;)

Just a general note to anyone who gives it a go. You don't need to stay 500ft even in the valleys. I actually think that it'd be near impossible. Ideally, if you were planning this route, you would put some terrain between you and any known radar site, so as long as you were below the crest, you'd be masked.

In the videos, some guys are flying down the valleys, then popping over the ridges. You can certainly do that, but it will require some really good route knowledge and Zen to stay more or less on the route proper and on your timing. A moving map is huge for this and most tactical jets have some groovy timing software that takes most of the guesswork out of it.

LOL, having said that, I have gone off into BFE a few times as a nugget and looked down to see that making my TOT required a speed that defied the laws of God and man. :D

Deacon
 
Thanks Deacon. Yep, that's ORBX PNW. Rgr on terrain following. Might try this with the A-7E. It has a moving map, and a HUD, which also comes in handy in this sort of flight.
 
PRB said:
Thanks Deacon. Yep, that's ORBX PNW. Rgr on terrain following. Might try this with the A-7E. It has a moving map, and a HUD, which also comes in handy in this sort of flight.
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That A-7 looks nice. I'd been thinking of giving it a try myself. Same, same PNW. The only thing holding me back is that I tend to fly all over, so I was leaning towards FTX Global and just picked up FTX Vector last night.

Still, the PNW is always a place I return to (for obvious reasons) and the idea of some of those hand crafted airfields really drags me in.

How is it on frame rates?
 
Deacon211 said:
That A-7 looks nice. I'd been thinking of giving it a try myself. Same, same PNW. The only thing holding me back is that I tend to fly all over, so I was leaning towards FTX Global and just picked up FTX Vector last night.

Still, the PNW is always a place I return to (for obvious reasons) and the idea of some of those hand crafted airfields really drags me in.

How is it on frame rates?
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I think there is a bit of a frame rate hit, but not enough to worry about, at least on my computer, which is fairly new. I have both PNW and FTX Global. I like the new textures for flying all over. The upgraded airports are nice in the PNW region. Spent a couple years at Whidbey Island (IRL) and it is beautiful up there!
 
Paul,

Thanks for reminding me about Plan-G! I downloaded it, and will install it later on today. It certainly is a powerful piece of software.

The Razbam A-7E Corsair II is a favorite of mine. Framerates, leastwise for me, are great! I will attempt making a flight plane or two with Plan-G, and hopefully give this challenge a go!

I have PNW, but not installed. Need to do that! Pete
 
Bjoern said:
Ah, "DogFights". The CGI is pretty nice, but there's something about modern documentaries that's just an incredible turnoff. Must be the "louder, faster, flashier" thing.

Gimme "Wings" with its cheesy 80s/90s tunes and rather toned down narration any day. :)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ZhMVG2W_QQ <- F-111s!
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The old "Discovery Wings"... very nice! The episode with the F-14 Tomcat is still one of the best docs on that airplane ever done.

But, you have to smile (a little) with Dogfights, when the voice over guy emphatically replies, "Then, all of a sudden... here comes the Cavalry!"

:biggrin-new:
 
I'm not too familiar with Plan G. When it says that it will display your position on the map screen, are you using a separate monitor, an iPad, or is it in the sim itself?

The in sim flight map is :banghead:

As I posted elsewhere, I only got to visit Whidbey. What I wouldn't have given to have been based there rather than lovely Yuma. :biggrin-new:
 
Deacon211 said:
I'm not too familiar with Plan G. When it says that it will display your position on the map screen, are you using a separate monitor, an iPad, or is it in the sim itself?

The in sim flight map is :banghead:

As I posted elsewhere, I only got to visit Whidbey. What I wouldn't have given to have been based there rather than lovely Yuma. :biggrin-new:
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I ended up at NAS Whidbey Island for my last duty station, but not by choice. I had gotten orders to VQ-1, which at the time was based on Guam. I wanted orders there because being married at the time, and a "Geographical Batchelor", they had to provide me a barracks room at NAS Agana Guam, at no charge to me, since my wife was not accompanying me to the island. Well, shortly after reporting there, I was told, "Don't get too used to living here, because BRAC is closing NAS Agana. Sure enough, 10 months later the squadron was moved to Whidbey. I had heard about the beauty of Whidey my entire career, but never could get orders there. Most folks, when they got stationed there, never wanted to leave. They simply went from sea duty to shore, and back again. Homesteading! So when I finally got to Whidbey I truly understood why. It was, hands down, the most beautiful place I had ever lived. From Oct 94 to April 97, I lived in that piece of paradise. NC
 
Navy Chief said:
I ended up at NAS Whidbey Island for my last duty station, but not by choice. I had gotten orders to VQ-1, which at the time was based on Guam. I wanted orders there because being married at the time, and a "Geographical Batchelor", they had to provide me a barracks room at NAS Agana Guam, at no charge to me, since my wife was not accompanying me to the island. Well, shortly after reporting there, I was told, "Don't get too used to living here, because BRAC is closing NAS Agana. Sure enough, 10 months later the squadron was moved to Whidbey. I had heard about the beauty of Whidey my entire career, but never could get orders there. Most folks, when they got stationed there, never wanted to leave. They simply went from sea duty to shore, and back again. Homesteading! So when I finally got to Whidbey I truly understood why. It was, hands down, the most beautiful place I had ever lived. From Oct 94 to April 97, I lived in that piece of paradise. NC
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I totally understand. As I wrote in Paderburgess's thread, the difference between closing the canopy in Yuma and opening it in Whidbey was dramatic.
 
Deacon211 said:
I'm not too familiar with Plan G. When it says that it will display your position on the map screen, are you using a separate monitor, an iPad, or is it in the sim itself?

The in sim flight map is :banghead:

As I posted elsewhere, I only got to visit Whidbey. What I wouldn't have given to have been based there rather than lovely Yuma. :biggrin-new:
Click to expand...

Plan-G is a separate application. I have two monitors, and put Plan-G on the other one. When you have the sim running, go over to Plan-G and hit the "Connect" button, and you "see" your plane on the map, along with all the AI planes as well. It's pretty cool. When you first install it you have to build the database, but that's easy, just click a button and it "sucks in" all your FS database stuff, airports, nav aids, GPS points, etc. You can export plans made in Plan-G to either FSX or FS9 format. The only thing I wish it would do is add the "user created waypoints" to the FSX flight plan. For example, when making the VR-1553 route plan, I had to make several "custom waypoint" which are added to Plan-G's database. But, when exporting the plan to FSX, all you get for waypoints are the ones that also exist in FSX's database. It's still a great tool.

Yeah, Yuma is not exactly the same as Whidbey Island :) I spent all of my active duty time at Lemoore, CA, but was sent to Whidbey in my civilian job to help support EA-18G training. I was shocked at how beautiful it was! Reminded me of where I grew up (Maine).
 
ViperPilot2 said:
But, you have to smile (a little) with Dogfights, when the voice over guy emphatically replies, "Then, all of a sudden... here comes the Cavalry!"

:biggrin-new:
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And the endless recaps after a commercial break...and in between and...:dizzy:
It's almost like an insult.


The documentaries about some english stuff from the early 90s are also very watchable with some pretty dope bits of music. Especially the first few minutes of the Tornado documentary (note to self: UKMIL Tornado!) and the last few of the one about the Hunter.
 
I liked the "Dogfights" series. It's the new "Great Planes" series that drives me nuts. With the "real dude" fighter pilot hosting, and the remarkably annoying drum/disco/whatever it is sound track that goes on and on... I liked the old Great Planes series, with the more subdued music, more old footage, and the British guy narrating, and imparting actual information.
 
PRB said:
Plan-G is a separate application. I have two monitors, and put Plan-G on the other one. When you have the sim running, go over to Plan-G and hit the "Connect" button, and you "see" your plane on the map, along with all the AI planes as well. It's pretty cool. When you first install it you have to build the database, but that's easy, just click a button and it "sucks in" all your FS database stuff, airports, nav aids, GPS points, etc. You can export plans made in Plan-G to either FSX or FS9 format. The only thing I wish it would do is add the "user created waypoints" to the FSX flight plan. For example, when making the VR-1553 route plan, I had to make several "custom waypoint" which are added to Plan-G's database. But, when exporting the plan to FSX, all you get for waypoints are the ones that also exist in FSX's database. It's still a great tool.

Yeah, Yuma is not exactly the same as Whidbey Island :) I spent all of my active duty time at Lemoore, CA, but was sent to Whidbey in my civilian job to help support EA-18G training. I was shocked at how beautiful it was! Reminded me of where I grew up (Maine).
Click to expand...

Paul, is the flight plan you created with Plan-g exportable? Maybe upload to the library? Just wondering! Pete
 
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