On The Glideslope

So there’s been something I’ve been thinking about since a sim flight the other day (KWYS to KGIC). And it’s that we really have come to a new state of realism and quality in flight simulation. Yes, the hobby has built upon itself, year after year, carried along by clever developers, advancing technology, and committed users. But after completing that flight — with real-world weather that looked fantastic, high-definition mesh covered with real-world orthophotos, in a simulated aircraft with highly realistic flight characteristics, all running smooth as silk on a PC that is already no longer the fastest ship on the block — I just kept thinking, “Wow. This is a golden age.” An age that produces videos like this, and airports like this …

… and screen caps like this …

I mean, are you kidding me?

Yes, there are hassles. P3D took far too much tweaking for my taste. And X-Plane needs better ATC and AI. But whether you’re new to this, or if you’ve been with it since the Apple II (like me), I think it’s true to say that we are very lucky to be here and now. This is a remarkable time for flight simulation, and the state of things for our hobby is only going to improve. I for one can’t wait to see what’s next.

Try turning your antialiasing settings down to FXAA. SSAA can really hit your frames when working with transparent objects like clouds (which former P3D users know well). The other day when I went into an overcast cloud deck my frames when from 30 down to 7. I turned the antialiasing down to FXAA and my frames immediately went back up to 30 FPS, and then when I was in the thick of IMC, 50 FPS, with no visual change to my eye.

And time very well spent. 

Today I’m going to continue the Saratoga’s point-to-point travels with a flight from KSUN (near Sun Valley, ID) to KGIC Idaho County, via the Donnelly VOR. 182 miles and I’ll be flying at about 150 knots for a flight of just over an hour depending on the winds. You can see the route here. I hope to use real-world weather unless it’s VFR, in which case I will fly with clear skies.

If you’re on X-Plane KSUN is already in the scenery, and you can download KGIC here.

I will be doing this flight on PilotEdge. Anyone PE user who wants to fly with me can meet me on the ramp at KSUN a bit before 3:00 PM ET today on 123.45 for a briefing before we switch over to the CTAF. If you’ve not used PilotEdge, this is a great chance to try it out with their free 14-day trial and you can get started via their website. Make sure you get the Western US expansion as that’s the airspace in which I’ll be.

Hope to see you then.