FlightGear Newsletter November 2012

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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.

Release preparations

The next FlightGear version will be released around February 17, 2013. In order to provide a stable and smooth release we've set up a release plan. We keep you up to date with our current state through various channels, including the mailing list, forum and Facebook page.

Coming December 17, our Git repository will be declared "frozen". This means that no new features or major changes shall be pushed. This period is for preparing the code for the release and make sure there are no major issues. It lasts for four weeks until creation of the release branches (January 17).

Aircraft in fgdata may be handled as an exception from the frozen state. Any change to aircraft may be pushed to the repository if it is guaranteed that this change does not affect any other aircraft or system and if no file outside the root directory of that specific aircraft is changed. Aircraft defined as part of the base package (e.g. the c172p) enter the frozen state and shall not undergo major changes in the upcoming period.

Keep in mind that the people that are able to commit your stuff are just as busy finishing their own work as you are! Therefore it is important that you create merge requests for everything that you'd like to see included in the upcoming release, as soon as possible. This includes new aircraft and updates to existing aircraft. This will also give everyone more time to check for bugs.

Current release: 2020.3.19 (18 Oct 2023)
Next release: 2020.3.20
See release plan for details.

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 (NAME)

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?
  • 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

Snapshot releases

Every now and then, easy-to-install development snapshots are created (usually, twice montlhy). These snapshos depict a recent state of the development version of FlightGear. By using them users can test out features that will be included in the upcoming release. Testers are encouraged to file bugs at the issue tracker.

The snapshot can be download via the links at the bottom of this page: http://www.flightgear.org/download/. Updates and feedback can be found at the forum.

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

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

Mudry Cap10B : New update of the Cap10B by PAF team. Full Rembrandt compatibility (lights, transparency, 3D), full dual control (perfect for aerobatic learning), rating system, new texture, new shader...
Download available on PAF team hangar

Liveries

Scenery corner

Airports

Aircraft of the month

Airport of the month

Screenshot of the month

Suggested flights

Driving horses with helicopter

Approaching a bank of snow-covered mountains in the south of the Hindu Kush

Yes, you've heard well. The lake of Constanz Hangar runs by DMKF1 offers you the opportunity to drive a horse by helicopter, yeah¡ ride it on through vastness of FlightGear.

Radio Range - Direction Finder Navigation over Dual Control

For those whose love the vintage's way to fly, the radio finder navigation over MP will satisfy your nostalgy of the golden years of aviation. Just try the DO-X with you friends over dual control.

Flying Banana Co. Container Steevedor

Searching for skilled pilots. A famous freighter Flying Banana Co. needs pilots for this end of year. Your task is to move containers. You can use CH47, H-21C. They'll pay well for your skills. Only FG pilots. Flying Banana Co. a company where freedom matter.

Ferry MP on a lake

So far to be a normal lake. We are in the epicentre of creativeness. MP-LODI-TABOR Demo for "ferry" action on the "Lake of Constance"

the last and funny action marc-kraus.de/fg

Aircraft reviews

Wiki updates

New articles

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New aircraft articles

<DynamicArticleList>

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Most popular newsletters

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Community news

FSweekend 2012

For the seventh year in a row, a team of FlightGear developers represented FlightGeat at the largest anual flight simulator weekend in the world. FSweekend 2012 was another succes.

FlightGear on YouTube

Who said you need a yoke to fly? With a little DIY-ing, you can control an aircraft with your bare hands!

New tutorials and screencasts

Forum news

Multiplayer

Virtual airlines

FlightGear events

Review of Flightgear

A new user of Flightgear blogged a review. Read it here Shallow Reviews.

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.

Call for volunteers

  • The FGRadar project (standalone ATC client) is looking for people to join the project, give ideas, requests or opinions.
  • The Flightgear On Android team is looking for testers
  • The Target4Today team is looking for volunteers to help improving FlightGear's combat support
  • The OpenRadar project is looking for a new maintainer.
  • The FGFSPM (FlightGear Package Manager) is looking for a new maintainer.
  • The FGTracker Web is looking for a web programmer. Details are here.

Did you know