Comments on FS2010

stanshear (1/25/2010)

Hi guys

Well, they've done it again. A splendid effort. I've only been playing around for about a week, but this is really a good product and the additions to FS2009 are worthwhile. They really keep you on your toes. I won't go into detail because this isn't a review, but basically I would recommend this product to anyone who really wants to improve their flying skills.

Criticism? Well yes, a little. I felt that the landing criteria are STILL too stringent. Unless you land virtually perfectly, which is not easy flying a GA aircraft in FS, you're going to be severely penalized. Frankly I have not succeeded yet in getting ANY score for landing, although the positive comments would indicate that my landing was pretty good. If you don't hit the correct glide slope from the start of landing, land perfectly on the centre line, and maintain a constant heading, you won't get any score. I thought this a little severe. Also, the instructor didn't seem to be too sure about when to switch on and off the lights whilst taxiing and landing. For instance, he constantly tells me to switch on my landing lights just before take-off in broad daylight. A little annoying, but I can live with it.

I still have the problem that FSFS doesn't capture the plane immediately after connecting. You have to press Ctrl-Shift-Z/X to get it to recognize the plane. Also not serious when you get used to the program.

Another small one which I drew attention to with FS2009, is that it would be nice to have a hot key to bring up FSFS whilst you're flying. You still have to go back to the desktop (which minimizes FS), make whatever adjustments are necessary to FSFS, and then go back to FS.

A small one is that I enjoy the humorous comments - just my personal taste- and would have liked more of this. After all, you can select whether you want them or not.

Oh yes, the moment you connect, the instructor starts yelling instructions at you, whilst you're still communicating with ATC and setting up frequencies. "Its a good idea to check your control surfaces ..... you need to switch on the nav lights... etc." Hang on Mr Smith, I'm getting there .... just give me a chance!

I haven't gone into the circuits and other features deeply enough to comment yet.

Well done you genuis designers out there.

Stan

If this is not a review - then I would surely like to see you reviewing something (else) BigGrin

The landings and the points: You certainly dont have to land perfect to get a score. I frequently land somewhat sloppy and still get a landingscore above zero. Not always high above zero, but still.
You dont have to follow the glideslope perfectly from the start of the landing, and you dont have to land on the stripe to get a positiv score - but of course it all helps. What is very important though is that you land (non ILS landings) within a very close range from the landing spot (edge of runway or a spot you pick yourself (see manual)) failing to do so, will cause severly damage to your points. But the keyword is to practise and to do it as perfect as you can. I myself (bragging a little here) have made landing scores above 200 points, in hard crosswind, and that was not perfect executed. Tongue

The instructors ability to tell when you need lights on/off: The instructor tells you when you need landinglights on. There are rules to small planes to have landinglights on even in broad daylight, and the instructor just follow those. So far as I know he does a pretty darn good job of that. Try flying big planes and he wont "bug" you with landinglighs on takeoff in daylight. Neat huh? Cool

Recognition of planes: I dont know what issues you have, but its not a common thing for FSFS. Very very few people have problems in that department, so this seems to be a problem on your PC-system. It takes FSFS just a little while (I´d say 10-20 seconds) to pick up what plane is used, so perhaps you need to be patient - I dont know, but I certainly dont have any problems with FSFS recognizing planes of any kind. Its done swift and utter right - every time. w00t

Switching between FS and FSFS: As FSFS is a program running besides FS and not in FS, communicating with FS via FSUIPC, you cannot bring up FSFS via a button in FS. It just dosent work like that. But I have written on this forum, many times now, that you dont have to minimize FS to bring up FSFS. If you run FS in a maximized window, you can put a shortcut to both FS and FSFS on your task bar. Then you can bring one up in front of the other as often as you like, without minimizing anyting. This way there is no delay. The operation is instantaniesly. Exclamation Mark

The instructor yelling at you the moment you connect: First of all, the instructor dosent yell, if you ask me. He speaks gently and coherently, with the exception of when he yells that you are too close to a plane in the air, and need to pass - to the right! Then he yells - and should!

He dosent start talking to you the moment you connect. He actually waits a little before starting to talk, but if you dont think its enough time, (and this is a personal preference) then why dont you just finish your ATC talk, the tuning of frequencies before you connect? This way you wont get stressed, and can pay attention to the instuctors keen words.

Rats - this sort of became a review too - sorry for that. Pinch

I hope you can use some of this to take your pleasure with FSFS to an even higher level. Its the best God-darn FS addon out there. (imho) Hehe