FlightGear Newsletter February 2010
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Welcome to the February 2010 edition of the FlightGear Newsletter. The big news this month is that preparations are under way for the next FlightGear release, popularly called Version 2.0.0. Plans indicate that it will be relased around this month.
What's new in CVS
In the hangar
Scenery Corner
Community News
TransGear Airways holds its largest gathering yet
TransGear Airways is a cross between a virtual airline and a monthly multiplayer event organized by Rob Shearman (aka "MD-Terp"). It was founded last summer as a means to bring together pilots who are interested in flying passenger transports in a simulated environment containing a moderately busy controlled airspace. It began by utilizing typed multiplayer chat messages to issue Air Traffic Control directives, but thanks to further development of FGCom, the event has moved exclusively to voice-to-voice communication.
Starting with modest origins, the monthly events have steadily grown in popularity. This past month's event featured a total of eighteen participants (fourteen pilots and four Air Traffic Controllers) with operations spanning the entire continental United States. Currently two hubs each serving nine cities are in operation; a third hub based in Europe is currently in the planning stages.
No membership is required to participate, and beginners are always welcome. The events have been praised as a great learning ground for people interested in flying jet transports, and particularly for learning about the interaction between pilots and controllers. Some have even credited the increase in popularity in the events as a significant driving force behind FGCom's revival in the FlightGear community.
TransGear's events are held on the second Saturday of each month. For more information, visit its website.
Virtual Airline News
After the failure and underpopulations of former virtual airlines, the majority of major FlightGear Forum members teamed up to start discussing terms of a new, merged superairline. The superairline is still under structure at the time of writing.