FlightGear Newsletter March 2013

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Welcome to the FlightGear Newsletter!
Please help us write the next edition!
Enjoy reading the latest edition!


We would like to emphasize that the monthly newsletter can not live without the contributions of FlightGear users and developers. Everyone with a wiki account (free to register) can edit the newsletter and every contribution is welcome. So if you know about any FlightGear related news or projects such as for example updated scenery or aircraft, please do feel invited to add such news to the newsletter. Core developers are encouraged to add news about their latest work to the newsletter's development section and the changelog of the upcoming release.

Development news

Note to all contributors: Please also copy your newsletter additions to the changelog of the upcoming release: Changelog_3.0.0.

Random Buildings

Project Rembrandt

Canvas System

High Level Architecture

FlightGear an Android

Usability Improvements

Mailing list digest

(by far the easiest option to populate the newsletter with contents is copying/pasting stuff from the forum and the mailing list or the git logs)

Forum digest

Git digest

Getting involved as a programmer

Please see Howto:Start core development

Release ChangeLog

This section lists changes committed this month that will be available in the next release, these will be copied to the release changelog shortly before a release (for each month), so that we hopefully get a comprehensive list of new features.

Interview with a contributor James Turner

In each edition we have an interview with a contributor. Suggestions for possible questions are available on interview questions, you are invited to come up with new questions and interview ideas obviously! Anyone is free to write an interview (with him-/herself or others) for next month's newsletter! If you'd like to help interview a contributor or get interviewed, please do consider adding yourself to the list of interview volunteers! To keep this going and less awkward, we are currently trying to come up with the convention that former interviewees become next month's interviewers.

  • How long have you been involved in FlightGear?

Since 2008 as an active developer, but for years before as a casual user.

  • What are your major interests in FlightGear?
  • What project are you working on right now?
  • What do you plan on doing in the future?
  • Are you happy with the way the FlightGear project is going?
  • What do you enjoy most about developing for FlightGear?
  • Are there any "hidden features" you have worked on in FlightGear that new users may miss?
  • What advice can you give to new developers who want to get started on their first aircraft/new feature/Nasal script?

More questions are being collected here: Interview questions.

Stay tuned for next month's interview, featuring FlightGear contributor XXXXXXXX

Translators required

En.gif The FlightGear Wiki still needs help for translating it into various languages. If you are interested in making the FlightGear Wiki multi-language then start at Help:Translate.
De.gif Das FlightGear Wiki benötigt immer noch Hilfe bei der Übersetzung in verschiedene Sprachen. Wenn Du Interesse daran hast, das FlightGear Wiki Mehrsprachig zu machen, dann fang doch mit Help:Übersetzen an.
Nl.gif De FlightGear Wiki kan nog steed hulp gebruiken bij het vertalen van artikelen. Als je interesse hebt om de wiki meertalig te maken, raden we je aan om een kijkje te nemen bij Help:Vertalen.
Es.gif La FlightGear wiki todavía necesita ayuda para traducirla a varios lenguajes. Si estás interesado en hacer la FlightGear wiki multilingüe, entonces comienza en Help:Traducir.

Nasal for newbies

New software tools and projects

FlightGear addons and mods

Hollywood at the EDDF -Triangle

The regular ATC-events at the "EDDF Triangle" have been enriched by taking "movies" during each session, showing all ongoing actions from different points of views:

ATC-tool "OpenRadar" in action
The First- and Main-View shows the “actors” on the newly designed OpenRadar. In the example you see the following “acts” in parallel:
  • Captain alberto (left) is just intercepting the EDDF RW07R ILS.
  • Captain Sbyx (center) just Takes Off from the EDDF RW07C
  • Captain D-Leon (right) is accurately following the SID SOBRA towards ELLX
  • Captain SK-407 is coming in via VOR TAU

This picture shows already the now upcoming version II of OpenRadar. In that one you can define (yourself!) any "additional markings" you consider needed for (your) ATC-job. In this example are added:

  • SID's (Standard Instrument Departures) (in green)
  • STAR's (Standard Terminal Arrival Routes) (in rose)
  • Holding Patterns (e.g. over RID)
  • Hazardous areas in red, e.g. to the north of EDDF where the minimum altitude needs to be 4000/5000 ft, while the airport is on ~400 ft.

For a complete guide to OpenRadar see the OpenRadarGuide

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The Second View shows the actions within the whole “Triangle Area”. Here you see as an example:
  • in the center the “Camera Location” at EDDF (Frankfurt)
  • at the left many targets are getting ready at ELLX (Luxembourg)
  • also at the bottom at EDDS (Stuttgart) several targets are getting ready
  • the traffic from/to the right is heading for EDDP/EDDC (Leipzig-Halle/Dresden), etc.

For this view we use the general MPmap Utility. It is just for keeping an eye on the overall situation for estimating the upcoming workload.

Add caption here
And last but not least the Third View shows CloseUp's onto the most impressive scenes of the leading actors, e.g. at TouchDown, TakeOff, Taxiing etc.



For this “view through field-glasses” we use the ATC-ML tool. You find that in the list of available models for FlighGear: http://ftp.linux.kiev.ua/pub/fgfs/Aircraft-2.10/ATC-ML_20120519.zip

(For explanations see the README.pdf inside that Package.)

With these movies (see http://www.emmerich-j.de/EDDF/Films/Films.html) we try to initiate a little more understanding between pilots to pilots and ATC's - and thus improve all our performances. We especially hope to increase the sensibility for

  • it makes sense (and is even fun!) to “fly controlled” when in an Multiplayer environment
  • everybody notices “nobody is perfect” (at least not always!)
  • we do not need to laugh about or insult others when (is “bullshit happens” allowed?) things go wrong – we always may “smile” about the others – and about ourselves!
  • and most important: Although we do not just “play” but try to “simulate” → we should have fun together!


A word to all pilots, captains, and trainees:
Please don't be afraid to try it – there are no major prerequisites needed, BUT:

  • You should be able to control your model in regards to altitude, direction, speed, landing, starting. ATC will charge all mistakes against you – ATC will not accept excuses like “the autopilot did...” (nor will your (dead?) passengers accept such excuses)!)
  • You must communicate with ATC and follow his advise (you may request a deviation from the advise – but you must follow the advise until the deviation is granted)
  • We urge you to use FGCOM – but also accept communication by MPchat. You always should have an eye on the MPchat-messages, in case a FGCOM communication cannot be established!
  • You should have a layout of the airport(s) – especially one for the more complex EDDF (see http://www.emmerich-j.de/EDDF/EDDF-Layout.png)


Some technicalities:
You will notice that the films are not in "Best of Quality" - but they are in full HDTV (1920*1072 px), so that you can read all text-informations! Considering that such a format in good HDTV-Quality would need a size from more than 5GB and above → we assume that such a high Quality is not needed - it is just for us to judge and improve ourselves (pilots and ATC) - not to win an Oscar! Also we will not edit - because that would add a huge amount of daily workload – which is not really required for a “working tool”.

The movies

  • are recorded on Linux/Ubuntu with RecordMyDesktop (Video/Sound Quality ~50, FpS=4, “Encode on the Fly”)
  • are tested on Linux/Ubuntu with Firefox ver.18 and on Windows XP with InternetExplorer 8
  • show the following Colors for the targets:
    • blue = under EDDF-ATC control
    • yellow = must be watched closely
    • green = no concern
    • white = selected
    • gray/invisible = neglected or MP-timed out

You achieve a “Best Quality Viewing” if you use the "Full Screen" option of your browser (or VLC or MoviePlayer, etc.)!

In the hangar

All the way back in May 2011, we addopted a new status-rating system for aircraft. So far, only a few have actually been rated, as can be seen in the list 'hockenberry' set up at Google Docs. If you're an aircraft developer and your aircraft is/are not on the list, please consider rating their status. All you'll need to know/do is described at Formalizing Aircraft Status. If you'd just like to get started contributing to FlightGear, this would also seem like an excellent way to get started.

New aircraft

Updated aircraft

Liveries

Scenery corner

Airports

Aircraft of the month

Airport of the month

Screenshot of the month

Suggested flights

Aircraft reviews

Wiki updates

New articles

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New aircraft articles

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Most popular newsletters

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Community news

FlightGear on YouTube

New tutorials and screencasts

Forum news

Multiplayer

Virtual Air Traffc Organization

The newly founded Virtual Air Traffic Organization promises to create a different dimension to the way FlightGear multiplayer events were organized so far and to also provide more realism within ATC and pilot operations.

vATO is a complete overhaul and re-brand of Air H5. Air H5 was an organization in FlightGear which consisted of two main event-based virtual airlines, Eurfly which operates in Europe and Fremont which operates in North America. Air H5 was originally founded by Rick Ace in July 2010 and its activity had to end after a few months of success. Air H5 was then reorganized in May 2012 but due to the low standards and lack of pilots and ATCs, it ended its operations in January 2013.

vATO's new goal is to increase the standards even more and create the best and most realistic multiplayer event experience FlightGear has to offer.

Virtual airlines

FlightGear events

Useful links

And finally ...

Contributing

One of the regular thoughts expressed on the FlightGear forums is "I'd like to contribute but I don't know how to program, and I don't have the time". Unfortunately, there is a common mis-conception that contributing requires programming and lots of free time. In fact, there are a huge range of ways to contribute to the project without needing to write code or spending days working on something.

For ideas on starting to contribute to FlightGear, you may want to check out: Volunteer.

To learn more about how the project works, please see this short essay written by Thorsten, for a more detailed article see How the FlightGear project works.

Call for volunteers

  • The Flightgear On Android team is looking for testers
  • The Target4Today team is looking for volunteers to help improving FlightGear's combat support
  • The FGFSPM (FlightGear Package Manager) is looking for a new maintainer.

Did you know