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The Navigraph Flightsim Survey results weren't ready last time round and I was going to put the results here but then this happened: Navigraph bought SimBrief. That news doesn’t sit right with me but maybe I’m concerned over nothing.
They have confirmed the SimBrief flight-planner system will still remain free to use. Needless to say (but I will anyway) that the free system will not be an up-to-date one, for that you will need to have a Navigraph subscription but it's like that already so why did they purchase SimBrief then?

It was about 18 months ago they were dropping the AIRAC only subscription and ‘forcing’ simmers to pay for the full charts & AIRAC subscription. That plan was dropped after an on-line customer backlash made them re-think it. Thanks Navigraph.
Older flight-simmers may recall a time when the AIRAC cycles were released as freeware, then Navigraph acquired that service - now we pay them for it. Thanks Navigraph. On the flip-side I’m sure there are plenty of simmers who won't care and will think it's well worth the cost.

When a former freeware service is bought by a commercial interest it's rarely good news for the consumer, unless you can afford it. I may be wrong, they may have altruistic motives for the buy-out, watch this space!

Big MSFS news is that with the help of Aerosoft, additional default aircraft will be coming to the sim, the ATR 42-600 and ATR 72-600. These models have been very popular in previous sims and will make a nice addition here too, providing a popular turboprop for those shorter commercial routes.

Recognising the growing numbers of X-Plane enthusiasts I have updated the Fleet page to host some repaints by our own members. I believe Mike Baker has painted the majority of them so kudos to him. Due to lack of time and not owning the models I haven't given them the proper showcase they deserve but rather than have nothing I have added ‘raw’ links ahead of an overhaul of the whole Fleet page.

Another long overdue update was inflicted on the roster page. I don't have a way to automatically do this so I have to tot up everyones hours, using toes as required, and then make the changes, so if I've missed anything please let me know. F1 Tour badges are awarded to anyone who completes the F1 tour in that year, which leads me nicely onto....

Phil’s Annual Formula One Tour has been updated to include a calendar of the races although you can fly them at anytime convenient for you.
Some of the routes exist already and I’ll be adding future ones as the time arrives but you can always use the new FSA Charter flight option. For those unaware the Charter flight option appears at the top and center of the page after selecting the usual ‘Book a Flight’ button. Then you can select any destination you desire.

Squeezed into this issue are details of a small enterprise based in Reus, Northern Spain by Glenn and an explanation of how the FSA Package system works.
There is plenty of other news but I won't spoil the surprise. Oh go on then, just one, there is amazing Hawaii freeware - photo-scenery, airports pack and AI traffic for FSX/P3D and X-Plane - full details including links are somewhere further down.
 

Newshound aka Mark UKD171

Flying is the second-greatest thrill on earth. Landing is the first.
 

Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner at San Diego.


Do you have a screen shot you are proud of? Please send it in and share it with us.
To enter in the next e-magazine send your entries to Newshound: mark[at]planecrazy.me.uk 

Don't worry about editing pictures, sending them as a full size bmp is best and I’ll edit them for Directions

All the X-Plane 11 models have been painted by Mike Baker. UKDirect Embraer ERJ-195, G-UKDG City of Glasgow, a repaint of the Wilco Feelthere v3 model. All are freely available for download from the Fleet page.

Boeing 777 engine failure

Flight 328, a United Airlines plane bound for Honolulu, suffered a failure in its right-hand engine, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said. The Boeing 777, with 231 passengers and 10 crew on board, was able to return safely and land at Denver airport. No injuries were reported.
Police in the town of Broomfield posted pictures of what appears to be the front of an engine casing in the front garden of a home.
Passengers on board described a "large explosion" shortly after take-off.

One passenger who was on the flight told AP news agency that the pilot was giving an announcement when there was a loud explosion.
"The plane started shaking violently, and we lost altitude and we started going down," David Delucia said.
He added that he and his wife placed their wallets in their pockets so that "in case we did go down, we could be ID'd".

Images posted online showed smoke trailing from the engine. One video apparently shot from inside the plane shows an engine on fire and stripped of its casing.

On the same day as the Denver incident, an engine failure on a 30-year-old Boeing 747 freighter saw debris fall on a town in the Netherlands. Parts of what appeared to be turbine blades landed on the town of Meerssen. Two people on the ground, one a child, were slightly injured.

The aircraft, which had left Maastricht bound for New York, landed safely in Liege in neighbouring Belgium.
 

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The Flawed Inspection Process Under Scrutiny in Boeing 777 Engine Failures | WSJ

A type of Pratt & Whitney engine on Boeing 777s has failed catastrophically three times in a three-year span. Federal investigators are trying to figure out why.

 

Big FlyBe News Revealed

FlyBe Limited, as it'll be known now is set to return to the Aviation Industry following the selling of major assets and is eyeing a relaunch sooner than you might think! In today's video, I take a look at the latest Aviation news surrounding the airline returning!

Major A380 Retirement News

Airlines within the Aviation Industry are currently reviewing their Airbus A380 aircraft and what their future plans are for the type. In today's video, I discuss British Airways, Qantas and also China Southern and how they'll be utilising or not utilising their Airbus A380 moving forward.

Pilot loses tooth and flight attendant breaks arm in mid-air brawl
 

A fight broke out in mid-air that resulted in a pilot allegedly losing a tooth and a flight attendant suffering a broken arm.

The incident happened on a Donghai Airlines flight between the Chinese cities of Nantong in Jiangsu province and Xian in Shaanxi province on 20 February.

According to posts on Chinese social media, an argument between the pilot and flight attendant broke out 50 minutes before landing.

It’s understood the argument centred on a passenger who was queuing to use the toilet in the first class cabin.

The South China Morning Post reports that the pilot was using the first-class toilet when a passenger wanted to use it. The pilot reportedly told the passenger to wait in their seat, which they ignored.
Upon leaving the toilet, the pilot told the flight attendant that he should have sent the passenger back to their seat rather than leave him waiting outside, telling him he wasn’t doing his job properly.
The argument then became physical.

In a statement on Chinese social media site Weibo, Donghei Airlines apologised for the incident and said the pair of flight crew involved had been suspended immediately following an internal investigation.

The Shenzhen-based airline said it was “carrying out comprehensive safety rectification” to improve its service.

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09 JAN 2021   Boeing 737-524 (WL)    Sriwijaya Air   PK-CLC   C/n: 27323/2616  First flight:  1994-05-13 (26 years 8 months)
Total  Fatalities: 62 / Occupants: 62       Aircraft fate: Destroyed

Sriwijaya Air flight 182 crashed into the sea, shortly after departure from Jakarta-Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, Indonesia. All 56 passengers and 6 crew members died in the accident.
The aircraft, a Boeing 737-500 registered PK-CLC, arrived at Jakarta-Soekarno-Hatta International Airport at 12:11 hours local time after a flight from Pangkal Pinang. The subsequent flight for the aircraft, SJ182, was due to depart at 13:40.
Weather at the airport was poor with heavy rainfall and low clouds due to a thunderstorm in the vicinity. This caused a delay in departure. At 14:18 the aircraft was cleared to taxi to runway 25R. Take-off from runway 32R was commenced at 14:35 (07:35 UTC).
At 14:36:46, the pilot contacted the Terminal East (TE) controller and was cleared for an unrestricted climb to FL290. Five seconds later, at altitude of 1,980 feet, the Autopilot (AP) system engaged.
At 14:38:42, as the aircraft climbed past 8150 feet, the thrust lever of the left engine started reducing, while the thrust lever of the right engine remained in position. FDR data showed that the left engine N1 was decreasing whereas the right engine N1 remained the same.
Nine seconds later flight requested a heading change to 075° to avoid weather conditions, which was approved by the TE controller.
At 14:40:05, the aircraft reached the highest altitude of about 10,900 feet. The autopilot system disengaged at that point with a heading of 016°, the pitch angle was about 4.5° nose up, and the aircraft rolled to the left to more than 45°. The thrust lever position of the left engine continued decreasing while the right engine thrust lever remained in position.
Five seconds later the the auto-throttle (A/T) system disengaged and the pitch angle was more than 10° nose down. The aircraft had entered a high speed descent and impacted the surface of the sea about 20 seconds later.
The wreckage was located and appeared to be distributed across an area of about 80 by 110 meters on the seabed at a depth of approximately 16 meters.

The Indonesian NTSC reported on February 10 that the aircraft had a repeating issue the auto-throttle in the days before the accident.
On 3 January 2021, a pilot reported that the auto-throttle was unserviceable. An engineer rectified the problem by cleaning the auto-throttle computer's electrical connector. After re-installation, the Built-in Test Equipment (BITE) test result was good.
On 4 January 2021, a pilot again reported that the auto-throttle was unserviceable. An engineer tried cleaning the auto-throttle computer's electrical connector but the problem remained and it was transferred to the Deferred Maintenance Items.
On 5 January 2021, an engineer rectified the problem by cleaning the auto-throttle Takeoff and Go Around (TOGA) switch and conducted a BITE test on the auto-throttle computer. The BITE test result was good.

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19 JAN 2018  Boeing 737-4Q8 (SF) West Atlantic    G-JMCY    C/n / msn:25114/2666   First flight: 1994-10-20 (26 years 3 months))

West Atlantic UK flight NPT05L, a Boeing 737-400 cargo plane, suffered substantial damage during a hard landing at Exeter Airport, U.K.
The aircraft operated on a flight from East Midlands Airport and touched down on runway 26 at 02:34 hours. After parking on the apron, significant wrinkling of the fuselage skin was noted on just behind the overwing emergency exits on both sides of the fuselage.
 

FSA NEWS

Packages and Cargo in FSA

The package system in FSA has been causing some confusion, so here I will try to explain what is happening.
If you can’t load a package onto your aircraft it might be because of the package size (ie. weight).
If you look at the aircraft details such as this one to the left. It is a Boeing 777F freighter.
I've highlighted the cargo space and maximum package size.
For a 777-F you will note near the bottom it says max. package size. 2,000kg
So a 777-F can't take 20t packages (2t is the maximum for a single package), it can carry 103 tonnes in total but must be made up of smaller packages.

You have a maximum cargo space (dependent on aircraft type) and it can be split between cargo and packages. The more packages you carry the less space there is for cargo, whatever space is left will be filled with regular cargo - if you fill the holds with packages there will not be any room for regular cargo.


Another thing FSA assumes you know is that the price shown per package is only paid if it's delivered to it's destination. If you take it part way you receive nothing.
You can load packages for multiple airports and fly to each in turn, unloading as required.
At the end of each flight If you have packages for airports other than your destination then a little 'check' box appears on the FSA client at the end of each flight asking if you want to unload all packages.
If you tick the box everything is unloaded. If you don't tick it, any package destined for another airport will stay loaded on the plane when you fly to your next destination. You can also load more packages for that next leg. The package will stay on your aircraft until either its delivery time expires or you take it to its destination.

A package is considered delivered if you land within 50 miles of its stated destination. The pay-out is proportionate to the distance from its destination..
E.g. If you unloaded a package 25 miles from it's destination you will receive half the money (25 being half of 50). If the destination airport is more than 50 miles away the package will still be unloaded at your current airport but not delivered. This can be picked up by you or anyone else from UKD and delivered later but be mindful of the expiry time.
Expired packages are canceled but UKD will be charged a compensation payment for each one.

All aircraft details can be checked by clicking this link

• One point of interest to some is the Statistics page - Packages don't seem to count towards the cargo carried!
   
• Note there is a difference between packages and cargo! Packages are usually more lucrative but only if delivered to their destination and on time. Cargo doesn't have a time limit and can be delivered anywhere.
   
• Think of packages as 'time-sensitive cargo' - they have a delivery date which if you don't meet will result in financial penalties.
   
• Packages don't need to be loaded when you book the flight - just click on Book a Flight a 2nd time when your ready to go.
   

Worth mentioning is that airports have limits on cargo and passenger numbers. If too many flights have departed recently (from all VA's) they may have depleted the number of available passengers and/or cargo. In this case you wouldn't have a full plane load.

This graphic shows the details for Birmingham - the info panel shows how many passengers and potential cargo is available to carry. There are variables that effect the potential cargo and passenger numbers including airport size and destination type (ie. normal, tourism)  - as usual FSA does a sterling job in explaining this to it's users.

The table does show how many passengers and how much cargo is waiting - it doesn't matter where you're flying! They will happily board your plane.

Packages are the exception and have specified destinations.

Larger airports are unlikely to run dry with loads for your plane but smaller ones may (although I've never experienced it). There is also a limit on how much cargo an airport will receive, but again I have never had a problem.

Passenger numbers are also affected by the ticket price which until now we always set around 110% of the FSA default price. Recently we have started raising ticket prices to around 150% and have not noticed any negative results - i.e. empty seats. If you do see this please let us know and we'll investigate it.


Airport  look-up feature.

Below is the page you see when you have booked a flight and clicked on SELECT PACKAGES. In this example the 737-800 is flying to Brindisi and you may notice the package limit is the same as the cargo limit. Any packages carried will be at the expense of cargo carried. The first package is the only one going to Brinisi (in Southern Italy). The second package if taken would earn just under 50% of the $695 offered. Any other packages caried will not be considered delivered when we land at LIBR. If we had loaded the packages for Kerkira we would have the option to keep them loaded (ie DONT select UNLOAD ALL) and then fly onto Kerkira (Corfu) and also collect any packages from LIBR to Kerkira (if any).

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Phil’s F1 Tour 2021

The first race started 20th March in Bahrain. The flights are meant to be flown as the season progresses in real-time however they can be flown as your own schedule permits, so start when you want, take a break and pick-up from where you left off. If routes don't exist then fly a Charter flight.

When you've finished let me know and I’ll add an F1 award on the roster page: here


A full calendar for the F1 season and the airports to fly between are on the F1 page here

Reus Airport

 
Reus Airport (IATA: REU, ICAO: LERS) is located by the beaches of Costa Daurada, approximately 8 km (5.0 mi) from the city centre of Tarragona, in Catalonia, Spain. The airport receives a large amount of tourist traffic from passengers destined for the beach resorts of Salou and Cambrils as well as for the center of Barcelona, which is approximately 88 km (55 mi) to the northeast.

Flight plans are already in place to popular Spanish destinations. A roster of smaller aircraft types are based there so you can fly in with your 737 or A320 and pootle about enjoying the scenery in some props or use it as a base for your larger aircraft. Plus, we also have the Canaries hub too, with flight plans if anyone wants to jet down there for some nice scenic flying?

P3D Freeware scenery for Reus is available by clicking here

Time to get that grey matter working!. Email answers to mark “at” planecrazy.me.uk or use the message facility on FS Airlines.  Answers will be posted in the next Directions but if you email me your guesses I will reply straight away (in confidence - so no need to worry about embarrassment).

1. Airplanes Are Regularly Struck By What?
   
   a) Turkeys
   b) Flocks of Starlings
   c) Meteorites
   d) Lightning
    
2. What Is The Oldest Electrical Coding System Still In Use?
   a) ASCII Code
   b) Morse Code
   c) Baudot Code
   d) Unicode
    
3. The City Of Glasgow Spends £12,000 A Year Keeping What Off Their Most Famous Statue?
   
   a) Drunks
   b) Pigeons
   c) Traffic Cones
   d) Graffiti
    

Answers are at the bottom of the page.

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Flightsim News

Aerosoft CRJ for Microsoft Flight Simulator

Aerosoft has released their CRJ 550/700 for Microsoft Flight Simulator. The long-awaited airliner is the first complex third-party airliner released for the brand new simulator and comes packed with features that extend beyond anything included by default.

The aircraft comes with a comprehensive suite of modelling features that take advantage of the all-new technology found in the new simulator. The extensive 3D modelling is covered with high-resolution PBR texturing, whilst also featuring fluid and smooth animations for gear, flaps and doors. The cockpit has also been developed to a high level of detail with realistic materials and other texture effects to add a new level of immersion. This level of detail also extends to the sound engine, which features a full suite of sounds using the latest Wwise technology.

Aerosoft has taken full advantage of the new modern Flight Simulator aerodynamic model for more realistic behaviour of the CRJ in all flying conditions and is reactive to published specs of the plane. In terms of systems, the aircraft comes with a detailed Flight management System and is paired with Honeywell ProLine Avionics including Advisory and Coupled Vertical Navigation. The built-in EFB gives you detailed performance calculations based on the actual weight and balance of the aircraft, the ability to transfer weight, fuel and V-speeds directly into the FMS and also run through checklists for all flight situations.
Included in the package is both the CRJ 550 and the bigger CRJ 700 and comes with a total of 9 liveries.

Aerosoft CRJ550ER & CRJ700ER - First Look - Microsoft Flight Simulator
 

FSLabs Teases A320/A321 Sharklets Update

Being one of the more anticipated releases of the year, high-fidelity aircraft developer FSLabs has recently shared a promotional video on their official YouTube channel, showing off their upcoming Airbus A320 / A321 Series Sharklet product line.

In addition to the video showcasing breathtaking footage of their new Airbus A320 / A321 Sharklet product, the promo also features their soon-to-be-introduced EFB (Electronic Flight Bag) feature. As can be observed from the video, the newly introduced EFB will come with a significant number of features, including custom programmed takeoff and landing performance calculation applications that can factor in-flight failures into their calculations, an integrated GSX application allowing you to control ground services from the comfort of your cockpit, as well as a connected ACARS system, allowing you to evaluate your latest flight release and loadsheet from the EFB rather than the aircraft’s FMGC.


In addition to introducing the EFB, the video also teased other new features, including novel LED exterior lights and both new LED cockpit lights and ACP lights, to name but just a few.

Although seeming to near completion rather quickly, the developer has neither officially committed to a formal release date nor a pricing schedule for the upcoming Airbus Series Sharklet update. As always, we will keep you updated on any future developments regarding this matter.

Finally, while the recently released promotional material is mainly focused on the developer’s upcoming Airbus Series Sharklet update, fans of supersonic flight should rejoice as well. The developer made sure to include a pleasant little surprise towards the end of the video that should make their hearts beat a tick faster.
 

TOGA Projects Updates Envshade to Feature Improved Global Lighting

Owners of the TOGA Projects Envshade will be able to download a new update of the utility software and take advantage of improved global lighting for within Prepar3D v4 and v5.

The new update includes fixes and changes that will prevent objects to bleed through clouds and fog when Enhanced Atmospherics is enabled. In addition, those who are using EA will also get more realistic night lighting and improved terrain brightness in the simulator. TOGA Projects also say that you will now experience thicker fog and the sun will not reflect on your aircraft when cloud and fog coverage is too thick for it to really have an effect on your aircraft.

Those still using Prepar3D v4 will also be able to take advantage of the update as metallic parts of the aircraft will no longer have this gold effect anymore during dawn/dusk and that the PBR will react more realistically to weather conditions.

Current owners of TOGA Projects Envshade can download the update through Envupdater for free. Alternatively, you can download and patch the update manually via simMarket.

If you don’t own Envshade already, you can buy it from simMarket for €5.60.

Changelog

• Dynamic shadows tweak depending on weather conditions added
• Dynamic reflections tweak depending on weather conditions added
• P3Dv5.1+ Object bleeding through clouds fix added
• P3Dv5.1+ Enhanced terrain brightness at night with Enhanced atmospherics enabled
• P3Dv4.5+ PBR surfaces showing more realistic colors at dawn and dusk
• P3Dv4.5+ PBR surfaces metallic parts displaying black at night fixed
• P3Dv4.5+ PBR surfaces now dynamically react to weather conditions
   

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Honeycomb Aeronautical Throttle Pack for A319 – A380

In an email sent to customers who own Honeycomb Aeronautical’s Bravo unit, it has been confirmed that the Throttle Pack for Airbus A319 – A380 will release on April 19th 2021.

The email also confirmed that the throttles are open to pre-orders for customers prior to its April 19th 2021 release. What isn’t made clear is whether the release date is the day people can expect to receive them or when they’ll begin to ship.

The new Throttle Pack, which is designed to be used with the Bravo Throttle Quadrant (which is sold seperately), includes 4 Airbus throttle modules and a new spoiler and flap mechanism.
 

Flight Simulator 2020 MUST-HAVE Freeware | 12 Addons that YOU NEED!

Make the new Flight Simulator even more amazing without spending a single buck! In this video I will show you 12 of the best, in my opinion must-have, free additions to your simulator. These are mostly global improvements to the sim, enhancing content that is already included by default. You can expect mods for better visuals, some neat little tools, as well as avionics and aircraft improvements.

Captain Sim Releases 737 Classic for P3D - Read the Warning!

The newly released aircraft features a range of functionality including a working FMC complete with LNAV and VNAV autopilot, a working weather radar and also a EGPWS. In addition, the aircraft has cockpit states, a payload manager and rain effects using Captain Sim’s very own GlaCS technology.
However CaptainSim has ‘very limited’ plans to actually make the EICAS retrofit promised on their product page.

To quote the actual post from Markoz on the Captain Sim team: “I’m not so sure that the EICAS retrofit will happen any time soon, if at all! So good luck with the waiting.” This is in response to a question from another user who asked about the EICAS retrofit and contradicts the product page which clearly states that the EICAS option will come in the future.

My response to CS’ post is ‘Good luck getting any money from me’. Captain Sim’s website embodies a few marketing techniques that are illegal in the EU.

QualityWings Simulations Releases Ultimate 787 SP4

The new service pack adds all-new features and many tweaks and fixes based on bug reports and feedback.
The new EFB update adds a route entry system, allowing you to copy and paste coded text routes from various sites and input it directly into the EFB. The EFB will then interpret the coding and create a flightplan which is then uplinked to the FMS of the aircraft.

DME Arc to an ILS Approach Tutorial - TBM 930 - Microsoft Flight Simulator [13.05]

Using Microsoft Flight Simulator, the basics of a DME arc are covered along with descriptions and how to fly a DME arc. After the DME arc is intercepted in the TBM 930, the arc is flown until the lead radial where the localizer is intercepted and the ILS is flown.

TIP: To determine when to turn on to the arc, use 1 nm lead per 100 knots of speed.  So, 150=1.5NM.  1.5 miles from the arc, start the turn to intercept the arc.
 

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