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Adam Errington

Aerosoft Madeira X Evolution: The FSElite Review

Developer
MK Studios
Publisher
Aerosoft
Price
20.13euros
Version
1.0.1
Provided by
Aerosoft
Sponsored by:
We want to ensure that you make the most informed decision you can. We will always put the Simmer First as per our Community Charter. When reading, please use of Review Guidelines to help you understand how we review products.

In early 2015 MK Studios posted a cryptic terrain mesh of an airport that needs no introduction and asked the community if they knew the airport. This would lead to months of excruciating anticipation for the community. However almost two years later the saga was brought to an end and we welcomed Madeira Evolution X with open arms.

I think you’ll be hard pushed to find anyone who hasn’t heard of this infamous airport or its toe-curling approach so much like the majority of the community I was itching to get my hands on a copy. Madeira Evolution X is available on simMarket for £22.79 Inc VAT or if you were the owner of the previous versions an upgrade fee is payable. Like most products on simMarket the file is a direct download with an approximate size of 1.2GB and once purchase is complete you will receive an activation key for a straight forward installation. There is no customization tool available which isn’t a major issue given that this is a small airport. It may seem common sense but I personally recommend reading the user manual. I was so eager to fly that I skipped the manual and ran into a few issues that due to my negligence took a few days on the forums to identify. I’d also like to say that the support team are very good and attentive so if you have any issues go straight there after the manual of course.

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RFSceneryBuilding Turin-Caselle Airport (LIMF): The FSElite Review

Turin Caselle Airport is one of their latest scenery packs to be developed for the Flight Sim community by RFscenerybuilding. The airport is located 16km north-northwest of the city of Turin in the Piedmont region of northern Italy. The airfield opened in 1953 on the site of a WWII air base and has seen many renovations in preparation for several major sporting events which thrust the Turin into the limelight. In both 2007 and 2008 the airport won the ACI Europe Best Airport Awards in the category 1-5 million passengers. The airfield has one runway designated as 18/36 with a total length of 10,827ft. Runway 36 is equipped with Cat III-B ILS to help with those low visibility approaches.

The airport caters for many airlines including cargo operators. To name but a few Air France, Alitalia, British Airways, easyJet, KLM and Lufthansa respectively. You really are spoilt for choice when it comes to deciding a carrier for your simulated flights.

Passenger figures through the past five years have been steadily increasing, in 2015 the airport was visited by 3,666,582 people from all over Europe. All of this ensures that many people will benefit from flying here within the Sim.


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JustSim Barcelona (LEBL): The FSElite Review

As part of our Community Charter, we provide full disclosure at FSElite.

JustSim’s Barcelona was provided free of charge to FSElite for the purpose of reviewing for the community.

DEVELOPERJustSimPRICE20.64eur (+TAX)
PUBLISHERSimMarketBUY FROMSimMarket

JustSim Barcelona El Prat Airport is the latest release from this developer who has had a prolific string of notable releases such as Nice, Klagenfurt, Innsbruck and most recently Barcelona. In this review, we will cover my opinions surrounding this scenery and I aim to give you the most accurate viewpoint on this major hub.

Barcelona El Prat is located approximately 12km from the centre of Barcelona City and is the second largest airport in Spain following on behind Madrid Barajas. Barcelona airport is a major transport hub for 5 airlines including Vueling, Air Nostrum, Norwegian Air Shuttle and Ryanair. In addition to this the airport also serves as a focus city for Air Europa, easyJet and Iberia whose main hub is Madrid Barajas. Barcelona mainly serves domestic European destinations but also has selected flights to North America, South America, Middle East, Asia and Africa. By the end of 2015 the airport had handled just under 39.7 million passengers just to give you an idea of scale.

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UK2000 Scenery Aberdeen (EGPD): The FSElite Review

DEVELOPERUK2000 SceneryPRICE£16.99
PUBLISHERUK2000 SceneryBUY FROM UK2000 Scenery

Aberdeen is an airport I’ve been waiting to be developed for what feels like a lifetime and I was overjoyed when UK2000 finally announced it. Aberdeen Dyce as its formerly known is a major industrial hub for the Scottish offshore oil industry with the majority of its traffic being helicopter traffic by Bond, Bristow CHC-Scotia and NHV Helicopters.

With that being said it is also a destination for many domestic and international carriers. Notable operators include easyJet, British Airways, Aer Lingus, Flybe and Eastern along with other scheduled carriers and during the summer months charter services by Tui and Thomas Cook to name a few. Aberdeen is of particular interest to me due to its relatively short runway and its at times challenging weather conditions that frequent the north eastern coast of Scotland.

Aberdeen is available to purchase through UK2000 website and as with all products by this developer a full try before you buy demo is available giving the consumer the opportunity to see if its really a scenery for you. As if there was any doubt. I believe UK2000’s pricing structure to be the most realistic in terms of quality vs. cost. The download takes moments and comes in the form of a zip file with installation via an executable. In typical UK2000 fashion its very straight forward and any kinks can soon be straightened out by taking a look at their forums for support.

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JustSim Klagenfurt: The FSElite Review

DEVELOPERJustSimPRICE16.80
PUBLISHERSimMarketBUY FROMSimMarket

As part of our Community Charter, we provide full disclosure at FSElite.

JustSim’s Klagenfurt was provided free of charge to FSElite for the purpose of reviewing for the community.

When JustSim announced Klagenfurt my immediate thoughts were fantastic: another Austrian scenery to add to my collection. Granted I had absolutely no idea where it was located, but another winter wonderland nonetheless. I’ll be the first to hold my hands up and say that I was a little dubious of the quality based on previous releases which seemed rushed. Much to my surprise I was taken aback by the quality, and JustSim have really excelled and I personally think these kind of airports and areas are where the developers true talents lie.

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Orbx Narvik Airport (ENNK): The FSElite Review

DEVELOPEROrbxPRICE$39.95AUD
PUBLISHEROrbx / Flight Sim StoreBUY FROMThe Flight Sim Store

Narvik is a port town located in northern Norway with an approximate area of 2,022.94km squared. It served as an industrial hub due to its location and still remains a vital location for the Iron mining industry, providing employment to the inhabitants. Narvik Framnes Airport is a small regional airport located on the outskirts of town with a very short runway. Due to its short runway measuring just 3,166ft Narvik is very limited on the type of aviation traffic it receives, That being said there is a regular service operated by Wideroe on a De Havilland Dash 8-100 to Bodo.

Orbx are well known for not just modelling accurate representations of airports throughout the world, but often an entire region or cityscape. Truth be told when ORBX announced Narvik I had absolutely no idea where it was and I found myself eager to learn more. Despite the amazing screenshots on the Orbx website I was initially dubious as to the versatility of the product.

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Orbx Dubrovnik (LDDU): The FSElite Review

DEVELOPEROrbxPRICE$39.95 AUD
PUBLISHERFlight Sim StoreBUY FROMFlight Sim Store

The Croatian Coastline in my opinion is an area that has been neglected for many years with the exception of a few extremely talented developers. You can imagine then that I was overjoyed to hear that Orbx had announced Dubrovnik, one of the most prominent tourist destinations in the Mediterranean.

Dubrovnik is a Croatian city located on the Adriatic coastline nestled between the high terrain of the Dinaric Alps and the Adriatic Sea. Boasting luscious terrain, shimmering blue seas and a stunning cityscape to boot, along with its combination of old world charm and quirk. Dubrovnik Cilipi Airport, as it’s formerly known, is the third busiest airport in Croatia in terms of passengers – welcoming 1,693,934 passengers in 2015 alone. As a result, it is home to the countries longest runways. Dubrovnik is a major tourist destination for leisure flights with over 40 airlines operating flights during the European seasonal period. Taking all of the above into account I can’t help but wonder why it’s taken so long for a developer to model this incredible region.

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JustSim – Nice Cote D’Azur Airport: The FSElite Review

DEVELOPERJustSimPRICE€23.88 (inc vat)
PUBLISHERSimMarketBUY FROMSimMarket

I think I speak for the entire FS community when I say that Nice has and always will have a special place in my heart. The challenging terrain, harsh Mediterranean winds and of course the visual approach that ignited my passion for the French Riviera. You can imagine my delight when JustSim announced their latest project Nice Cote D’Azure and that it would tie in with FTXs Nice Region. I couldn’t wait – An even more detailed and realistic representation of the airport I had learned to love.

Nice Cote D’Azure is the gateway to the French Riviera, being just a stones throw from the Principality of Monaco and is the playground for the rich and famous. You can’t help but be enchanted by its beauty. Nice air traffic mostly consists of heavy airline traffic from the Middle Eastern three. You’ll also find carriers from the United States as well as inter European carriers, including easyJet, Ryanair and of course flag-carrier: Air France. Nice benefits from a booming executive Jet trade as well as an impressive helicopter terminal standing by to whisk you off to your yacht. As a result, Nice is a busy, vibrant and varied airport, with some stunning infrastructure for pilots to behold.

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