Pilot Rob Diebold, #564G, is a well-known MSFS scenery designer who has recreated several Florida airports for past editions of our favorite sim. With the advent of FS 2002, he's taken the liberty of tinkering with the default version of KMIA to add Noble Air gates at Terminal H. The scenery is now available for download and can be installed in the normal manner.
Noble Air CEO Jim Cranston has announced the creation of three new ranks for high-time pilots. From now on any pilot reaching the 5,000-hour milestone will receive the rank of Senior Command ATP Captain. Master Command ATP Captain will go to those with 7,500 hours and anyone reaching 10,000 hours will earn the title of Chief Pilot.
Thanks to the efforts of Noble Air CEO Joe Fritsch, the Miami Hub has finally taken delivery of the first Pilatus PC-12 decorated in corporate colors. The aircraft will be used on a variety of short-hop flights being developed by AHC Peter Salvage. Our director of operations, Gary Hall, put the new ship through its paces last week and filed the following report:
"I have taken off, climbed to cruise, cruised, descended and landed without incident. She handles well, not too twitchy. I have also done loop de loops, and barrel rolls in her, she handles good. Also done some power dives, and climbs; she is a good flight model. She also lands like a dream. I can't find any major flaws in her, as far as performance, or handling."
The FS98 aircraft comes equipped with a full checklist that provides all the pertinent info about flap extension and landing speeds. This is a turboprop capable of cruising ~250 kts above FL200, yet it lands at about 70 kts, making it suitable for short-field work. The zip, available for download here, contains all needed textures, the flight model and the checklist. It does not come equipped with a custom panel, but it is set up to use the default Lear panel. For those looking for something better, panel designer David Durst has done a PC-12 panel that fills the bill admirably.
There is a new web site for the use of our fine Noble Air pilots. It is the Noble Air Flyin and Group Flight Web Site. The URL is: http://nobleairflyin.t-p-h.com.
The purpose/mission: Have one location for Noble Pilots to plan, get info, discuss current and planned events, etc., for any Noble Air Flyin and/or Group Flight. You can check on planned and/or other events, suggest a event, or post comments about about the "current" event and/or planned events.
(Editor's note: Judging from postings to rec.aviation.simulators and the SATCO mailing list, FS2K has become both blessing and curse for the flightsim community, depending on the horsepower of your computer. Noble MIA Chief Flight Instructor Gary Hall, #2530G, noted some recent commentary here on the site and turned in the following response. We pass it along in hopes some of you find it useful:)
For those of you that are trying to make FS2000 work as it should, help FINALLY arrived with the release of a new version of FSUIPC.dll. The author, Pete Dowson, is getting very good at cracking the FS2000 code which controls weather without an SDK being released by Microsoft for explanation. The program is now much more user friendly, and the docs are now much more useful and easy to read and use. The most recent versions can always be found by checking for them at http://www.schiratti.com/dowson.html.
He updates it about once every 2 weeks or so, as he discovers new things about FS2000 With the latest revision, he has put a new MENU option into FS2000 directly, and is located next to the HELP option, to access FSUIPC.dll directly, and makes adjustment of the options so much easier, and he also has finally been able to overcome the "minimum visibility bug" that FS2000 has, and you can now fly in bad weather and clouds and not worry about never being able to see again <g> Just please take the time to read the DOCS that come with it, it doesn't take long, is easy, and very informative.
Make sure and download the latest version of FSUIPC.DLL, ver. 1.96 or later, as it is one of the most significant updates to this program in a long time. With each new version a little more is added, but with this version a lot is added. As we all know, SquawkBox is and has been using old and outdated codes for the weather, which has resulted in the lack of thunderstorms. In this newest release Pete has been able to write a random thunderstorm generater based on the old and outdated coding in SquawkBox so that if the current METAR codes reflect thunderstorm activity now, you will most likely see it in SquawkBox weather in FS2K also. But, Pete also has taken this one step further, and has been able to make it work in FS98 as well. All you have to do is download and install this .dll file for both FS98 and FS2K and you will have thunderstorms in flight, if current conditions warrant it.
Also along a similiar front, if you are using the add-on program FS Clouds 2000 which has the ability to generate contrails, the long white trails seen behind jets at high altitudes, FS Clouds 2000 hasn't been able to generate them using SquawkBox weather, until now. With the latest release of FSUIPC.DLL now you will have Jet Trails and thunderstorms in flight simulator, and the SquawkBox weather enviroment. Overall this is a very big improvment in realism for us pilots, that I know I am enjoying immensly, and hope that you do also.
Be sure to download the new version of Squawkbox as it restores SATNET multiplayer player capability to FS2K. If anyone is new to FS2000 and has questions that are not answered by the DOCS, please feel free to ask me, as I have had it since the day it hit the shelves. I can be contacted by clicking here.
I am not "all knowledgeable" but have managed to make all mistakes possible, and lived to tell about it. <g> And in the process obtained a lot of knowledge on how to make it work well.
After the Charlotte fly in on Saturday your HC took the opportunity to fire up Pro Controller and view activity at the Miami ARTCC. Director of Operations Max Comess was flying a couple of circuits around KMIA to 9R at the same time an incoming flight was arriving from the north.The controller tried to set up a parallel approach but the pilot of the inbound craft was a bit slow to make the turn. Max photographed the result from his cockpit. I thought you all might like to see it:
The lesson here is that when the controller calls the turn, he means NOW!
(Editor's note: The following story by Ken Malaniuk circulated on the SATCO mailing list last week, after several other folks inquired about the possibility of a mid-air collision when using FS98 multiplayer and Squawkbox. Turns out that you needn't go on-line to get in trouble.)
From: Ken Malaniuk <ken_malaniuk@mail.com>
To: Satco <satco@avsim.com>
Subject: [SATCO]: collisions
Date: Thu,
When I first started simming with FS98 and learned about all the great add-ons available, I went nuts downloading everything I could get my hands on, setting it up, and then adventuring out into my new found hobby. My wife was fascinated with the whole concept and would (and still does) take the time to stop in and see what I was "up to now".
One day I finally convinced her to try an approach into
All's well, beautiful approach, beautiful weather, her confidence is approaching all time highs, when POWIE, everything goes to heck in a handbasket and the plane is falling from the sky in a million pieces! She shrieks as if hit by lightning, jumps out of the chair, swears she'll never go near this program again because she's ruined it! and bolts from the room. You guessed it. We got bowled over by a dynamic 747! Sadly she has been true to her word and hasn't come near the sim again no matter how many different ways I try to explain it wasn't her fault! LOL
BTW, that's when I learned about disabling dynamic scenery. I did catch a quick glimpse of that sucker's tail before the view changed over to our falling wreck. At least it would have been some satisfaction to see a few pieces falling off of it!
Ken
The reuse of some object-oriented code has caused tactical headaches for
Eager to demonstrate their program for some visiting American pilots, the hotshot Aussies "buzzed" the virtual kangaroos in low flight during a simulation. The kangaroos scattered, as predicted, and the visiting Americans nodded appreciatively ... then did a double-take as the kangaroos reappeared from behind a hill and launched a barrage of Stinger missiles at the hapless helicopter. (Apparently the programmers had forgotten to remove that part of the infantry coding.)
The lesson?
Objects are defined with certain attributes, and any new object defined in terms of an old one inherits all the attributes. The embarrassed programmers had learned to be careful when reusing object-oriented code, and the Yanks left with a newfound respect for Australian wildlife.
Simulator supervisors report that pilots from that point onward have strictly avoided kangaroos, just as they were meant to.
Got the following from one of my brothers...some are really, really good. Thought I'd share. I personally have used the "Whoa, big fella" one myself a couple of times on runways, as Paul and Joe will attest to, during our MP Global.
Occasionally, airline attendants make an effort to make the"in-flight safety lecture" and their other announcements a bit more entertaining. Here are some real examples that have been heard or reported:
On a Continental Flight with a very "senior" flight attendant crew, I heard: "Ladies and gentlemen we've reached cruising altitude and will be turning down the cabin lights. This is for your comfort and to enhance the appearance of your flight attendants." On landing she said: "Please be sure to take all your belongings. If you're going to leave anything please make sure it's something we'd like."
"There may be 50 ways to leave your lover, but there are only 4 ways out of this airplane..."
After landing: "Thank you for flying Delta Business Express. We hope you enjoyed giving us the business as much as we enjoyed taking you for a ride."
As the plane landed and was coming to a stop at Washington National, a lone voice came over the loudspeaker: "Whoa, big fella. WHOA!"
After a particularly rough landing during thunderstorms in
From a Southwest Airlines employee: "Welcome aboard Southwest Flight XXX to YYY. To operate your seatbelt, insert the metal tab into the buckle, and pull tight. It works just like every other seatbelt, and if you don't know how to operate one, you probably shouldn't be out in public unsupervised. In the event of a sudden loss of cabin pressure, margarine cups will descend from the ceiling. Stop screaming, grab the mask, and pull it over your face. If you have a small child traveling with you, secure your mask before assisting with theirs. If you are traveling with more than one small child ... pick your favorite.
"Weather at our destination is 50 degrees with some broken clouds, but we'll try to have them fixed before we arrive. Thank you, and remember, nobody loves you, or your money, more than Southwest Airlines."
"Your seat cushions can be used for flotation, and in the event of an emergency water landing, please paddle to shore and take them with our compliments."
Once on a Southwest flight, the pilot said: "We've reached our cruising altitude now, and I'm turning off the seat belt sign. I'm switching to autopilot, too, so I can come back there and visit with all of you for the rest of the flight."
"Should the cabin lose pressure, oxygen masks will drop from the overhead area. Please place the bag over your own mouth and nose before assisting children or other adults acting like children."
"As you exit the plane, make sure to gather all of your belongings. Anything left behind will be distributed evenly among the flight attendants. Please do not leave children or spouses."
"Last one off the plane must clean it."
And from the pilot during his welcome message: "We are pleased to have some of the best flight attendants in the industry ... Unfortunately, none of them are on this flight...!"
Heard on Southwest Airlines just after a very hard landing in
Overheard on an American Airlines flight into
Another flight attendant's comment on a less than perfect landing: "We ask you to please remain seated as Captain Kangaroo bounces us to the terminal."
An airline pilot wrote that on this particular flight he had hammered his ship into the runway really hard. The airline had a policy which required the first officer to stand at the door while the Passengers exited, smile, and give them a "Thanks for flying XYZ airline." He said that in light of his bad landing, he had a hard time looking the passengers in the eye, thinking that someone would have a smart comment. Finally everyone had gotten off except for this little old lady walking with a cane. She said, "Sonny, mind if I ask you a question?" "Why no Ma'am," said the pilot, "what is it?" The little old lady said, "Did we land or were we shot down?"
After a real crusher of a landing in
Part of a flight attendant's arrival announcement: "We'd like to thank you folks for flying with us today. And, the next time you get the insane urge to go blasting through the skies in a pressurized metal tube, we hope you'll think of us here at US Airways."