This Beechcraft Baron, a twin-engine aircraft is another excellent default-package aircraft. Here it is parked on the tarmac at a gate at an airport. Taxiing safely and efficiently at airports from parking spots to the runways is an important component of good aircraft management.

Even though the simulation package has a Boeing 747 as one of its default-package aircraft, this is actually a freeware add-on aircraft, with an Australian livery that I wanted to include. Ansett Australia is no longer operating in Australia, but I used to enjoy flying with that company when it was operating here.

Almost fully functioning 3D cockpit. There are more controls and switches on the roof between the pilot and the co-pilot, and on the panel below the throttle quadrant between the the two seats. It is fascinating to learn about the procedures and checklists used in such aircraft.

This is one of the default-package 747s, presented in a fictional company colour scheme. You can see that the modelling and detail is excellent – it gives a good sense of the real aircraft.

These cockpit panels are from a freeware add-on Boeing 747 aircraft (under the name of “iFly 747-400”) with an amazing amount of operational detail. The calculator-looking panel that is shown in the top left corner of this screen capture, is the extensively programmed Control Display Unit (CDU) of the Flight Management Computer (FMC). Many aspects of the flight are entered through this unit, including the starting airport (and runway), the destination airport (and runway), the expected cruising height, total weight of the aircraft, amount of fuel loaded, etc. The main panel shown behind the CDU panel is the pilot-side section of the main instrument panel (left forward panel), with the main autopilot controls at the top and various electronic and analogue gauges shown (for backup in the event of the electronic displays failing).

Other panels that can be flipped up on-screen, include the overhead panels (electric, hydraulic, lighting and fire control systems), the primary flight display (PFD), the right forward panel (in front of the co-pilot), Control Stand (with CDUs, throttle quadrant, speed brake and flaps lever), and the Aft Aisle Stand Panels (with radio controls and passenger signs).

There are working controls for many systems on the aircraft, such as the air-conditioning system, the pressurisation system, the inertial reference system (IRS), engine starting system, etc.

I was looking for a suitable hot air balloon to take a ride in. I tried a number of freeware hot-air balloons, but I wasn’t really happy with the ‘realism’ of the way they behaved. Eventually, I found this blimp. It does offer very smooth flight that is similar to a hot air balloon, it is affected by wind strength and direction, and it includes a very interesting and highly detailed gondola interior (one view of the interior is shown below). The model includes about 10 different preset starting views of the gondola interior.

Very interesting interior, including sleeping bunks, pilot’s seat, co-pilot’s seat, navigator’s seat, radio communications’ seat, rear observer’s seat, and several other positions. The crank in the middle of the floor is used to raise the large landing wheel.

A Diamond Twin Star DA-42 flies at an altitude of around 8,000 ft, over high mountains that are east of Seattle in the USA. The Diamond Twin Star DA-42 is quite a modern aircraft with a carbon fibre-glass shell, sophisticated electronic instruments and navigation, and highly efficient engines. When I was working near Parafield Airport, north of Adelaide, I would see many Diamond Twin Star DA-42 aircraft flying to and from the airport.

The left electronic panel provides the critical flight readings, such as air speed, altitude, direction currently being flown, rise and fall amounts, etc. The second electronic panel shows a GPS screen with the current course indicated, known air boundaries, and indications of the terrain. The systems have been well programmed and give the simulation pilot a very good idea of the systems used by real world pilots.

The A2A Simulations' C182 Cessna Skylane is a superb simulated Cessna Skylane. There is an enormous amount of work that has been put into the development of the whole aircraft simulation, such as the exterior model, the interior cockpit, the sounds, the realistic flight modelling, the realistic aircraft operation procedures, etc. With a range of about 770 nautical miles (approx. 1,420 kms) and very stable flying characteristics, I have flown this aircraft non-stop between Adelaide and Sydney, as well as every leg of the 1919 Great Air Race between London and Australia (originally flown by Ross and Keith Smith in a slightly modified World War 1 Vickers Vimy Bomber).

The A2A Simulations' C182 Cessna Skylane comes with four very fine paint schemes and registrations. However, by using a "repaint kit" supplied by the manufacturers (actually a Photoshop document with many layers that can be used or hidden) one can produce repaints that may have special meaning on a personal level.

This particular "paint scheme" shows a Cessna Skylane with large regions of polished metal. The shininess of various areas of colours can be controlled by looking at the interactions of alpha channels, specular channels, and reflection images. The region of black between the propeller and the windscreen is rendered as 'matte' black, or black with little or no sheen. The black on the tail is rendered as a gloss black enamel. The dark yellow regions are gloss paint, but not as reflective as the polished metal.

This repaint relies on a foundation of very pale cream and a burgundy red. Aircraft can be repainted to look new, aged with 'weathering', or anything in between.

To show how you can produce repaints that may have special meaning on a personal level, consider the real aircraft that my wife and I flew on between Port Lincoln and Adelaide. We both really enjoyed the flight, and I got some excellent views of the cockpit as well as the views outside the windows.

After finding an excellent freeware Embraer EMB-110 Turboprop aircraft (thanks to Edgar Guinart Lopez) for Microsoft Flight Simulator X , I decided to try to produce a repaint to reproduce the same aircraft my wife and I had flown on. The project required coming up with the 'ASA' (Airlines of South Australia) logo on the tail fin. I used the same registration as the real aircraft, "VH-LNB". I was very happy with how accurate the aircraft now looked.

Apart from the way this aircraft now looked, it was interesting to work with the procedures that were specific to this aircraft, as well as the programmed replica Garmin 150 autopilot.