FlightGear Newsletter November 2010

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 projects such as for example updated scenery or aircraft, please do feel invited to add such news to the newsletter.

Call for volunteers

The OpenRadar project is looking for a new maintainer.

Development news

Anders Gidenstam has continued to develop Walkview which opens up all sorts of exciting possibilites. Here is a short video of Walkview being used to give a different perspective on starting the Sopwith Camel [1]. In addition to the rectangular plane that we have had for some time, we can now define the area in which we can "walk" as a line, polyline, or circle.

We use the new definitions in Multi Player Carrier Carl Vinson to move around the Goofer's deck while we are goofing, or to seek a more advantageous view from PriFly, or to inspect the Flight deck as the Flight Deck Officer [2].

Meanwhile, in other news, Tim Moore has fixed the condition tag in the Material Animation. We can combine these two facilites to generate some more interesting views - [3]. Alexis Bory has said that he will see if he can produce some more models with which to populate the hangar. Let's hope he finds something!

Known problems

Though working perfectly for years, the "live weather" feature in FlightGear 1.9.x and 2.0 is now broken. Unfortunaltey, the FlightGear code of past releases contains minor problem which so far remained undetected and without effect. Since early November, probably caused by a server upgrade at the weather services, the FlightGear weather requests are now being rejected due to this problem. To revive live weather you have the following options:

• As a workaround, configure a proxy-server on the fgfs command-line. Relaying the request through a proxy solves the issue (see forum topic).
• Experts being able to patch and recompile FlightGear may try to apply a patch (also see forum).
• Developers can use FlightGear's latest developer version from GIT, which already contains the required bugfix.
• Otherwise please stick with manual weather configuration and wait for the next FlightGear release (won't be too long).

In the hangar

ZF Navy free balloon

The ZF Navy free balloon with the envelope shader enabled.

The ZF Navy free balloon has been updated with a custom shader effect that changes the shape of the balloon envelope according to its gas content.

Scenery corner

Jack Mermod has released the first of many NASA Interactive Launch Complexes. This first release is based on the Launch Complex 5 and the Mercury Redstone 3 Launch.

Mercury Redstone 3 Rocket ready for launch.

For now, you can download the scenery here. The model should be in terrasync soon.

Airport of the month

Mike (aka D-Sky1) is busy again: This time he is working on VTBD (New Bangkok International Airport, Thailand) as the architecture of the airport buildings is very beautiful. It will sure take some time but a first glance at the work in progress is already possible. Discuss the progress with us in the forum: http://www.flightgear.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=10075 After the airport is finished, placed and available, AI traffic will follow (mainly Thai Airways).

Bangkok Int'l Airport - work in progress.

AI traffic arrives at RPLL (Manila, Philippines): Mike created a comprehensive list of AI traffic of Cebu Pacific Airlines. Soon available via GIT, Cebu Pacific Airlines will provide domestic and international flights to the most important destinations. AI for the second big carrier of the Philippines (Philippine Airways) will follow later.

Wiki updates

New articles

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New aircraft articles

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Most popular newsletters

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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.

Reminder: Google's Summer of Code 2011

We would like to remind all readers that the FlightGear project is planning to participate in GSoC 2011. However, doing that really requires a fair amount of work, planning and organizing. This is not something that can be done by a single person. It really needs a coordinated team effort, or otherwise FlightGear won't be able to apply/participate at all.

So all users are invited to help us progress further with our preparations for GSoC 2011. If you have any questions or other feedback, please use the forum to get in touch.

FlightSimPro

You're probably aware of the rip-off, FlightProSim. (Wiki article here.) A bunch of us are trying to figure out how to take this guy down. Help us here.

Did you know

-You can play ATC in the multilayer server by downloading the ATC aircraft?