Tailstrike Designs have been previewing their upcoming scenery for a little while with us, and we’re delighted to be able to share even more exclusive shots with the community of Orio al Serio International Airport (LIME).
Browse Author
Calum Martin
Website Admin. I have been an avid fan of Flight Sim since the release of '2000 and have been developing my love for aviation ever since. Currently working for a UK airline, I have the knowledge and experience to really deliver an excellent aviation community. Although no real life flying experience, I have a good understanding and always learning more and more.
Support a Local Airport Documentary – Durham Tees Valley Airport
Here at FSElite, we have a huge passion for the flight simulation world, but that doesn’t stop us from having the same amount of passion for developers who want to take their creativity to the outside world. You may remember a few months ago, we introduced a relatively new developer on the scene Soarfly Concepts. The team were behind some awesome UK freeware scenery as well as the conceptual circular runway project. They’re a neat team and their latest project has nothing to do with flight sim.
Mark is looking to raise an ambitious £7000 for his project to be able to create a free to watch documentary around the history of Durham Tees Valley Airport. As it’s home to the Great North Air Ambulance, it’s an airport full of history and ‘potential’.
On his GoFundMe page, he said the following:
I would like to raise some money to create a free to watch documentary about Durham Tees valley Airport, a site full of history and great potential, home to the Great North Air Ambulance, Cobham and the international Fire training centre.
The documentary (if sucessful) will focus on the strong history and the current events at the airfield,
Completly free to watch on YouTube.Help spread the word!
We asked Mark about what he needs £7000 to complete the project. He said as this is a much bigger project than your typical photoshoot at an airport, this requires professional equipment, media passes and have several people help him put together the detailed documentary. He wants to make sure this project is as professional as possible, so he’ll be bringing over a team of people, buying microphones and more – all over the course of 4 months. He hopes the money will stretch far enough to make a mini-series looking at different areas such as the flight school, airfield ops and more.
FSDreamTeam Louisville-Standiford (KSDF) Previews Continue
Over on Facebook, FSDreamTeam have given a sneak peak at what to expect when they release Louisville-Standiford (KSDF). The preview shots highlight the terminal structures, the car parks as well as some of the ground texture and clutter. The detail is look pretty sharp with plenty of neat little features scattered around.
Other than the few previews, not much was announced or revealed. When we find out more, we’ll let you know.
Aerosoft Releases German Airport Stuttgart Professional
Aerosoft are rapidly releasing their ‘professional’ pieces of software to bring their products to the 64-bit era. Following on from the release of Frankfurt Professional comes German Airports – Stuttgart Professional.
Similar to Frankfurt’s release, Stuttgart comes with a host of features including high resolution ground textures, accurate runway and taxiway lights and dynamic vehicles on aprons and motorways (thanks to AESLite). In the new ‘professional’ version, you’ll also have access to 3D PAPIS, objects optimised for shadows and CTRL+J jetways. Of course, as this is a Prepar3D V4 product only, it has been compiled with the P3DV4 SDK and also features dynamic lighting.
If you own the original Stuttgart X. then you can upgrade for €4,99 (incl. 19% VAT) or €4,19 (excluding VAT). Of if you don’t, then you can purchase it for €25.16. (Tip: If you buy the old version for €18.10, and then upgrade for €4.99, you actually save a little bit of money).
The Future of FS2Crew Products – PMDG 747 QOTS II, Ultimate Ground Crew X and More
The team at FS2Crew have updated the community on their plans for their future products, time frames and more. With the completion of porting their products over to the 64-bit sim, Prepar3DV4, they can turn their attention onto bringing out new products. Allow me to summarise what they shared on their Facebook page.
PMDG 747 QOTS II Version
The project is nearly completion with voice sets being finalised. They’re working hard to ensure that the product is as bug-free as possible. They’re currently testing on Windows 10, but if you Windows 7 still, send them a message as they’re looking for testers. Both pax and freighter versions are supported, as well as supporting both FSX and P3D (including P3DV4).
Ultimate Ground Crew X
Still working on patching up some issues, but due to the complexity of the project, they want it as ‘perfect’ as possible. Like the PMDG 747 Queen of the Skies II FS2Crew project, it will also support both FSX and P3D (including P3DV4). No word on release date other than “it’ll be ready when it’s ready”.
Pilot Assist Pro for Apple IOS (iPad/ iPhone)
The team are also developing a new ‘revolutionary’ Apple app, designed for real-world aviation. Despite that intention, simmers will also be able to use it. FS2Crew are describing it as one of the “best and most modern IOS apps for pilots”. They’re hoping that in 8 to 10 weeks, you’ll be able to use one of the most ‘beautiful and modern’ apps available. No word on an Android version.
And Finally…
The team are also busy working on a few other projects as well. Firstly, they’re interested in developer a P3DV4 64-bit version of FS2Crew for the Level-D 767 and the iFly series of aircraft. This all depends on time. Finally, they’re also working on a secret project which will enter full development once Ultimate Ground Crew X is released. They’re saying it’s neither flight or ground crew related, which sounds interesting.
That’s all for now. Don’t forget, you can re-buy the 64-bit versions of the PMDG 737 and the PMDG 777 FS2crew bundles direct from their site.
Flightbeam Releases KSFOHD Version 2 – Free Update
After the shock announcement from Flightbeam stating they would be releasing a version 2 of their incredible KSFOHD, they have today released it. The free update brings added functionality, features and further optimizations to the US scenery. If you don’t own it already, you can buy it now from Flightbeam’s webstore for $29.99.
The biggest change to the KSFOHD package is the fact that it uses the brand new Flightbeam Manager, with Couatl and Addon Manager being dropped. This means easier installation as well as the chance to be able to adjust settings to suit your PC spec. Speaking of performance, the new update sees a 10-40% increase as well as the issue of stutters on approach being resolved.
Furthermore, just like Flightbeam’s KMSP (review coming soon, by the way!), SODE jetways have been implemented so you will be able to operate dual jetways. Additional new features include water puddles, enhanced ground textures, gate revisions and new floodlights. Of course, it also brings dynamic lighting for P3D V4.
New FSLabs A320X Screenshots in Prepar3D V4 – In ‘Early Beta’
After a long period of silence from the team at FSLabs, they’ve come forward with some new screenshots for the A320X in Prepar3D V4.
They were one of the first developers to confirm that they would be bringing over their popular Airbus product to the 64-bit platform, but since then, it’s been back and forth with whether the product is in beta testing. Andrew from the development team confirmed they’re in ‘the early stages of beta’.
The screenshots show off the new high resolution textures for the aircraft, which will only be featured in the Prepar3D V4 version of the product.
No further information is available right now, but be sure to check back with what Lefteris said a few months back. You can also see the first shots which were publicly shown off back in May.
Aerosoft Release Mega Airport Frankfurt V2.0 Professional for P3DV4
Aerosoft have today released their Mega Airport Frankfurt V2.0 Professional for P3DV4.
Following on from yesterday’s announcement, the scenery has been designed specifically for Prepar3D V4 and comes with a range of new features. Such features include snowfall for winter, automatic season changes, optimized 3D runway lights and apron lights that use the new dynamic lighting technology. Of course, this version of Frankfurt V2.0 has been exported using the P3DV4 SDK for maximum optimization.
Whether these features which aren’t specific to P3DV4 make it to other sims is yet to be seen.
The new upgrade will cost you €5.95 if you’re upgrading from the normal version. If this is a brand new product, then it will cost you €29.37 (+VAT). You can buy Mega Airport Frankfurt V2 Professional from the Aerosoft shop.
Mega Airport Professional is a new lineup from Aerosoft that is specifically aimed at Prepar3d V4 compatibility. You can read more about this in our recent article on it.
Orbx Kern Valley (L05): The FSElite Review
Developer
Orbx
Publisher
Orbx
Price
$24.95AUD 
Version
1.00
Provided by
Orbx
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.
When Orbx revealed they were working on Kern Valley, I personally had no idea what airfield it was or why anyone would be interested in it. As the previews rolled in, my attitude towards the tiny Southern California airport had changed. It looks pretty good, is set in a nice location, and had complimentary scenery around it. As soon as it was out, I went ahead and downloaded it and have been enjoying some awesome GA flying ever since.
What’s important to remember with L05 Kern Valley is that this is more of an expansion of Orbx’s fantastic FTX Southern California. You need the aforementioned scenery to be able to use Kern Valley, which already begins to add up in terms of cost. If you’re interested in the region, then I recommend you purchase SOCAL, fly around and enjoy that before you invest any further. You’re probably thinking, “but why?” The answer is simply because Orbx have designed to integrate into the region. Everything from the vector to the landclass has been designed so that the airport fits in perfectly.
Orbx is Hosting a Massive Sale – But What Should I Buy?
If you don’t know already, Orbx is throwing a massive sale. Products that were released before July 1st 2017 are getting a huge 48% off of the usual price until August 22nd AEST (Australian Eastern Standard Time). The question is: what product do you buy? With the huge catalogue of products on offer, we figured this would be a great opportunity to look back on some of our past reviews, as well as recommend the must-haves to really boost your flight sim experience.
FTX Global
Without a doubt, this is the first purchase you should make if you don’t own it already. FTX Global is a world-wide texture replacement tool that generates beautiful looking replacement textures for the entire globe. It may be the most expensive item on the list, but when you consider it’s the base package for the majority of FTX airports, it really is a must. Even if you don’t buy any of the airports on offer, FTX Global breathes a new lease of life into the sim. Furthermore, you get a bunch of freeware airports included to make the product even more appealing.
FTX OpenLC (Europe or North America).
Whilst FTX OpenLC South America has just come out, for me either Europe or the North America packages are your best value for money – mostly due to the number of airports in these regions that are available. OpenLC SA is a great product, but either of these two will add plenty of new land class data to make your flying more realistic. Similar to the FTX Global package, it is a great package to buy to cover a large number of area amongst the regions.
