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TN to GA


Wiley

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06-12-07

Chilhowee (92A), Benton, TN to Monroe-Walton Co. (D73), GA

Free Flight, Discus 2B, default lift/Realtime weather

VFR plan distance 106nm, 2:12.

Actual ~ 175, 2:09.

Notes: Landed at D73 about 1/2 hour before the weather alert radio went off. Severe thunder storm warning for the northern half of GA. Tried to upload the .pln file but was rejected. Have to zip it?

Track

93AD73track.jpg

Launch

2007-6-12_18-44-19-15.jpg

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Hello Wiley, I noticed your towplane is not the default so I just thought I would ask. Are you using any of the towing methods Thomas Murr has come up with?

sf4JC

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Hello Wiley, I noticed your towplane is not the default so I just thought I would ask. Are you using any of the towing methods Thomas Murr has come up with?

sf4JC

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Cautionary note! I spent 20 years as a computer programmer. If you are not completely comfortable dealing with parameter files follow all of Mr. Murr's instructions EXACTLY. The tutorials are on Avsim.com in the FSX tutorial section.

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Changing the tow plane, sort of. Since I only wanted one different tow (the SF25C) I made changes directly to the aircraft.cfg files with appropriate comments. It is still selectable and flyable as an independent airplane. I may modify the flight dynamics parameters to be a little more realistic in tow mode as set out in Mr. Murr's customizing tutorial.

The last of Mr. Murr's tutorials requires that you have the Deluxe version of FSX as it has the SDK (system development kit). When one calls for a tow (Ctl+Sft+Y) it activates an AI aircraft that follows a set course. To change that you need to use the SDK and for me it's not worth the time and effort. I can see someone using it for some specialized task.

All three are valuable to read and understand if for no other reason than to get a feel for the internals of FSX.

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How to make any FSX powered aircraft into a glider.

*** I've done it on a couple of airplanes but if you try this, I ain't resposible for nothin'. ***

(This example is from the FSX C172 aircraft.cfg file)

1. Locate the following section in the chosen airplane aircraft.cfg file.

[GeneralEngineData]

engine_type = 0 //0=Piston, 1=Jet, 2=None, 3=Helo-Turbine, 4=Rocket, 5=Turboprop

Engine.0 = 2.4, 0.0, 0.0 //(feet) longitudinal, lateral, vertical distance from reference datum

Make the following changes shown in red.

[GeneralEngineData]

engine_type = 2 //0=Piston, 1=Jet, 2=None, 3=Helo-Turbine, 4=Rocket, 5=Turboprop

//Engine.0 = 2.4, 0.0, 0.0 //(feet) longitudinal, lateral, vertical distance from reference datum

Save the file.

(The method is to set the engine_type to none and comment out all engines.)

Fly as you would a normal glider, including being towed.

Unless you save the chosen airplane folder under a a new name, you will have to undo the changes above to return it to normal.

I don't know if it will work on FS9. A couple of us on simouthouse came up with the methodology. It's apparent we need to get lives.

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Thanks for the comments. I've been wanting to try one of his methods since I have the Deluxe Edition. I just didn't know if others were enjoying his methods, or if it is too much work to go back and forth, which would sorta take away from the enjoyment. I've never flown in a real glider, and have never seen the operations of such, but thought it would be nice to get close to simulating it.

Do you fly real-world weather a lot in FSX?

sf4JC

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I've never flown in a real glider, and have never seen the operations of such, but thought it would be nice to get close to simulating it.
Assuming you are in the US, go to the Soaring Society of America (ssa.org) and find a club near you and buy a ride. SSA has an interactive map showing gliderports around the country and their services. As a caution I would email or call before just going out. If you are not in the US, your country should have some similar organization that you can get in touch with. Every club is looking for more interested people. The SSA also has the requirments for Silver and Gold badges (I've accomplished the Silver distance and gain requirments.)
I've been wanting to try one of his methods since I have the Deluxe Edition. I just didn't know if others were enjoying his methods, or if it is too much work to go back and forth, which would sorta take away from the enjoyment.

The only one of Mr. Murr's tutorials that requires the SDK is changing the tow plane path as it requires building a new AI. Changing the tow plane is a one or two line change in the Maule aircraft.cfg and a one or two line change in the chosen tow plane aircraft.cfg. I'll put up what I did to change the default Maule to the SF25C tomorrow (Also, I think we need to move this stuff to the Tech thread.) Mr. Murr has set up more tows than I want. Changing the performance of the tow seems to just require some editing of the aircraft.cfg.

Do you fly real-world weather a lot in FSX?

If at all possible, yes. I want to sim as close to reality as possible. When I said my notes that the weather alert radio went off just after I landed, I was flying thru the approaching real world weather!

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I'll look into the ssa.org site and look for any nearby clubs and gliderports. I live in Waterloo, IA so I am sure there are a few near here maybe. I'd really be interested in seeing a wench system work since I've only seen an R/C system work.

As far as the badges go, I had no idea what they meant, and still don't totally, I'd have to do some more reading. I think I remember seeing SOAR having somewhat the same badges for flight simmers. Since the menu change, I'm not sure if it's still available or if the interest is still there or not.

Now, on to the weather, I love how the current weather can be simulated inside FSX. I sorta got to use realworld weather in FS2004 when I had the time to use it. I still think it would be awsome to run a contest using this option, but I realize some of the limitations to this, one being that competetors on the opposite side of the world would have to wakeup in the middle of the night to compete. Being a part of a sim community like this is nice. You can be a part of it to whatever time allows you to be. At first glance when trying to download some old contests, I thought the time frame to enter your own race results were a little much. But then I thought, if I were to compete, I would have to set a convenient time that I could devote to the contest, so the time frame became more clear to me. Just wish there was a way to get everybody together for an online event, though my participation may be pretty novice to say the least. Not sure how bad it would bite into my framerates as well.

sf4JC

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Wow! I was just looking through some old threads that I thought that I had read in the FS2004 section and found out multi races have been done, or at least one that I skimmed through. That is awsome to think about. I've only competed online in a different sim (NR2003), so that old thread really excited me. Now I REALLY hope CCS or something simular can work soon.

sf4JC

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  • 1 year later...
I'll look into the ssa.org site and look for any nearby clubs and gliderports. I live in Waterloo, IA so I am sure there are a few near here maybe. I'd really be interested in seeing a wench system work since I've only seen an R/C system work.

As far as the badges go, I had no idea what they meant, and still don't totally, I'd have to do some more reading. I think I remember seeing SOAR having somewhat the same badges for flight simmers. Since the menu change, I'm not sure if it's still available or if the interest is still there or not.

Now, on to the weather, I love how the current weather can be simulated inside FSX. I sorta got to use realworld weather in FS2004 when I had the time to use it. I still think it would be awsome to run a contest using this option, but I realize some of the limitations to this, one being that competetors on the opposite side of the world would have to wakeup in the middle of the night to compete. Being a part of a sim community like this is nice. You can be a part of it to whatever time allows you to be. At first glance when trying to download some old contests, I thought the time frame to enter your own race results were a little much. But then I thought, if I were to compete, I would have to set a convenient time that I could devote to the contest, so the time frame became more clear to me. Just wish there was a way to get everybody together for an online event, though my participation may be pretty novice to say the least. Not sure how bad it would bite into my framerates as well.

sf4JC

You have probably seen many wenches, but maybe didn't realize it. They come in all sizes, shapes, and colors. Some men even marry them.

Now, launching a glider with a winch, that's something else.

binky9

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  • 3 months later...

Yep blush.gif , little embarrassing!? That happened to me in another thread, too, I think.

Scott

Although any wench capable of hauling a 500kg glider into the air at 60kts is probably not someone you would actually refer to as "wench" to her face, lest thou desired a right old punch in the moosh.

Sorry, this area of the forum seems a bit quiet.

I've just ordered a copy of FSX-Deluxe, primarily in anticipation of the upcoming [no idea when] release of the FSX version of SSTSIM (Concorde-X), but also because I seriously want to get back into flying gliders albeit on my PC rather than in reality (I used to fly at Lasham in the UK, got as far as one Bronze C leg, but had to give up due to time/money commitments). As and when my PC proves that it can run FSX at a speed somewhat faster than a tortoise I expect to acquire the Aerosoft Discus X.

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Although any wench capable of hauling a 500kg glider into the air at 60kts is probably not someone you would actually refer to as "wench" to her face, lest thou desired a right old punch in the moosh.

Yea, I hear that!

Glad to hear another person getting into gliders in FSX. The developement of simulating thermal and slope lift in FSX has been exciting to say the least. It is also great to have another real life glider pilot to possibly give feedback if can.

Scott

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Yea, I hear that!

Glad to hear another person getting into gliders in FSX. The developement of simulating thermal and slope lift in FSX has been exciting to say the least. It is also great to have another real life glider pilot to possibly give feedback if can.

Scott

Hi Scott

My real-life gliding was quite some time ago now - started 1986, solo 1989, last flight 1994. Mostly flew K13s at Lasham (with one year at Carlton Moor in North Yorkshire doing slope soaring while at Uni), and had a single 6-minute flight in a K8; longest flight 2h 08m in a K13 (picking up some afternoon thermals between Alton and Basingstoke) Happy days. So I'm no expert at cross-countries, I'm afraid, but my circuit-bashing training from Derek Piggott's crowd in Hampshire has stuck with me.

Getting half-decent thermals and therefore vaguely-realistic cross-country soaring has changed my entire outlook of FS - up until now I have been all about "virtual commercial aviation career" (belong to 3 VAs flying all sorts from Cessna 208s up to Concorde). But seeing as the only aircraft I have flown solo in real life is a glider, that really is where the heart is. Not that I shall abandon the commercial VA stuff of course (got over 1000 hours at BAVirtual, and studying the Concorde manuals intensely), but (what appear to be) very high quality gliders and add-ons like CumulusX and WinchX mean that virtual-soaring has finally become a genuine hobby. Hoorah to that.

As an aside, I hope to make all my glider flights online (whenever time constraints allow) - in particular doing the IVAO Belgium Sailplane Tour. Are there any guidelines anywhere to "Gliders and ATC" that would assist me? (I have flown online as a commercial-aviator and the procedures are very clearly laid-out, but if you are flying a glider with no transponder and perhaps no official registration, when and how do you liaise with ATC?) Might be a question for the IVAO forums, but just thought I'd ask.

I've got my Jeppesen "Low Countries" VFR 1:500,000 chart and FSX Deluxe (so Amazon tells me) is "in the post", I am raring to get out hunting thermals.

Regards

Simon

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The ATC question is probably best asked over at the server you are using at the time, being as not all servers/organizations have the same guidelines and strictness in both flight and ATC. I for one have sadly not learned much about ATC and the lingo used, I should probably make time for it one day, not that it could be even crammed into one day of study. I used to know call letters years and years ago, but have since lost that very useful knowledge.

Scott

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