A Flight Sim Enthusiast's Notebook
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X-Plane ATC System Manual-1
With the official release of the X-Plane 12 ATC System Manual, let’s take a moment to study it and translate it into Chinese along the way. (Actually, this is a paraphrase by ChatGPT)
Overview
The ATC (Air Traffic Control) system is designed to ensure your safety and that of other air users by coordinating aircraft movements and transmitting necessary information. Whether you are using a flight plan and flying along a predetermined route, or flying randomly, you can use ATC services. ATC is an indispensable component of almost all real-world flight scenarios. Please remember that to operate an aircraft in reality, you need a flight radio license and a pilot license.
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Playing Flight Simulation on a Large Screen
Recently, Xiaomi in Japan has been running a sale, so I picked up a 42-inch monitor for 29,800 yen to put in the bedroom. Usually, I just use it to watch YouTube or Amazon Prime videos, but then I wondered if flight simulation would look better on a big screen, so I connected it via HDMI to give it a try.
In the X-Plane 12 graphics settings, I set Monitor 1 (the Xiaomi display) to full-screen simulator mode, and designated the main display (the MacBook Pro screen) as the Instructor Operating Station.
I plugged in the Yawman Arrow Handheld Controller,
started up the Cessna 172, and took to the skies immediately. -
From Haneda to Itami Airport
Over the weekend, I hooked up the miniCOCKPIT miniFCU and Yawman Arrow Handheld Controller to the computer.
After enjoying some free flight around Narita and Haneda, I decided to fly the route from Haneda to Itami.So I opened simbrief.com and checked the flight plan as follows: LAXAS3 LAXAS Y56 TOHME Y54 KOHWA Y546 AGPUK MIRAI ABENO IKOMA
Immediately entered it into the FMS and took off from Haneda Runway 05.
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Test X-Plane 12.1.0
Upgraded X-Plane to 12.1.0-beta-2 over the weekend and flew around Yosemite for a while. Found it to be fundamentally stable, with no bugs appearing, so I’m quite satisfied.
The startup screen has changed to a KLM Boeing 737, and the startup time seems a bit longer.
Check the version info
Opened the settings screen; it doesn’t feel like much has changed. Turned on RCAS to see how it works. Also selected the new HUD.
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X-Plane 12.1.0 (Beta 1) Release Notes
X-Plane 12.1.0 Beta 1 is finally here. Looking at the lengthy Release Notes, there are quite a few feature improvements. Below is a translation of excerpts that I am particularly interested in.
General Updates
- Clouds are now blended at the voxel level rather than the METAR level, fixing issues with pyramids, cubes, and other distinct shapes.
- Weather near METAR stations uses softened Voronoi diagrams for blending instead of the lever method, resulting in METAR conditions at airports that are closer to reality.
- Refactored internal code to streamline the interaction between envelopes, moments, and simulation.
- The downloader has been rewritten to download current weather faster.
- Enabled new weather servers that make METAR data more resilient and allow for debugging of past weather via replay support tags.
World Space Cloud Shadows
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Yawman Arrow Handheld Controller
I recently purchased a new flight simulation peripheral – the Yawman Arrow Handheld Controller. The experience feels pretty good, so here is a brief introduction.
First, I used ChatGPT-4o to translate the instructions from the Yawman Arrow Handheld Controller product website:
Full-Function Handheld Cockpit The Yawman Arrow is a fusion of traditional handheld game controllers and the unique flight control systems found in various aircraft. To achieve precision and versatility, the Arrow integrates flight controls such as traditional joysticks, desktop throttle controls, and rudder pedals into a single handheld device.
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A One-Day Spotting Trip in Los Angeles: Flight Museum, Santa Monica Airport, Los Angeles International Airport, Van Nuys Airport
I haven’t really been out to spot planes much since the pandemic. This Golden Week, I took a trip to the U.S. and had a buddy show me around three airports in one day.
First, we visited the Museum of Flying, a private non-profit aerospace museum located in Santa Monica, California. It was founded in 1974, closed in 2002, and reopened in a new facility in 2012. The museum showcases aviation history, focusing on Donald Douglas and the Douglas Aircraft Company of Southern California.
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XP12 A330 Takeoff Configuration
I’ve been reviewing the A330 in X-Plane 12 for the past few days in order to use the miniFCU peripheral. Here are a few notes I’ve written regarding the takeoff setup.
First, check the upper ECAM status section as follows:
So, set the Auto Brk to Max;
To arm the spoilers (GND SPLRS ARM), pull the handle up;
The Flaps Config T.O. setting is located in the FMC’s Prop page (R3 position); set it to deploy the flaps;
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miniCOCKPIT miniFCU Peripherals
The miniFCU (Flight Control Unit) I ordered from miniCOCKPIT a few months ago has finally arrived. I immediately installed it on X-Plane 12 to give it a try.
First, I registered the device on the official website to activate the one-year warranty service.
First, install the Plugin. According to the instructions here, download
DLS miniCOCKPIT_mac_1.0.0.zipfor X-Plane 12, and then copy the Plugin into X-Plane’s plugins folder. Due to the issue where the Mac.xpl Plugin doesn’t start on MacOS, I also needed to allow Mac.xpl in the system’s security settings. -
A Look at ACARS in Satellite Communication
An old article from ten years ago, A Chat About Methods for Personally Receiving ACARS Signals, introduced receiving VHF ACARS signals. I looked up some information on what ACARS over Satellite Communication (SATCOM) looks like.
First, looking at the Wikipedia page for the Malaysia Airlines MH377 disappearance event, the information regarding satellite communication is as follows:
Flight time 01:30 The Inmarsat-3 F1 satellite received the first of seven handshake signals Flight time 07:30 Inmarsat-3 F1 satellite captured the last complete handshake signal sent by the aircraft's ACARS, indicating it was still in flight Flight time 07:38 Unscheduled, via an unexplained "partial handshake" signal sent by the aircraft, the reserve fuel required after arrival in operational procedures should be running low Flight time 08:34 Inmarsat's scheduled next handshake time received no reply from the aircraft
Inmarsat is the International Maritime Satellite Organization. Similarly, via Wikipedia, you can see satellite services provided by Inmarsat:
The coverage of the Inmarsat-3 F1 satellite is the Indian Ocean region. It was launched on April 3, 1996, and has been operating in space for 28 years. -
Detailed Explanation of 12.1.0
As everyone knows, the X-Plane team is growing at an unprecedented rate. One result of this is larger updates with more content covering more aspects of the X-Plane experience, and 12.1.0 is no exception!
While initially envisioned as a graphics-focused release, our team has also implemented new aircraft systems, flight model improvements, weather, ATC system improvements, enhancements for X-Plane Professional, and a physics-based camera that makes you feel like you’re truly moving along with the aircraft. This version is currently undergoing internal testing, and we look forward to releasing it as a public beta as soon as possible.
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Regarding the Upcoming Versions 12.1.0 and 12.2.0
The development plans for versions 12.1.0 and 12.2.0 have been disclosed on the official website. Below is the translation. Blog Post Walk of Shame
Two Quick Store Notes:
We announced the X-Plane store plan in Montreal; Dellanie has a great FAQ there, but for developers, I want to highlight two points:
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We will not wall off X-Plane. I fully understand why people might think we would, since the iPhone App Store is (1) a very prominent way to do in-app purchases, and (2) the iPhone is a walled garden. But we won’t do that. Your way of importing everything into X-Plane will still work, including addon installers, dragging folders, etc. Purchasing through the store is not mandatory, and all existing ways of working will continue to function. You won’t have to pay for free software or re-buy anything.
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Introduction to the X-Plane Store
The X-Plane official website introduced the upcoming “X-Plane Store” feature. This is great news that will save users the trouble of managing Addons, and it is something to look forward to.
Introducing: The X-Plane Store
Below is a translation of the original text using ChatPGT, with the following Prompt:
You are a professional Chinese-English translator. Please prompt the questioner and translate the English question into Chinese. The translation process involves two steps: first, translate using literal translation, and second, paraphrase the literal translation result into natural Chinese.
Introducing: The X-Plane Store!
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分類
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歸檔
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Haneda Airport Terminal 2 for the First Time in Half a Year
The high temperatures persisted for 3-4 months this summer; I had no desire to go out taking photos, so I haven’t touched my camera for over three months. Entering October, it finally cooled down a bit, so I came to Haneda Airport on Saturday to relax. As always, the observation deck was crowded with aviation enthusiasts, but I noticed that mirrorless camera users have become the mainstream, making DSLR users like myself a minority.
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Features of X-Plane 12.0.8, Prospects for 12.1.0, and Pricing Plans
Coming in X-Plane 12.0.8 and beyond - Roadmap Update
Our team is currently preparing the beta for X-Plane 12.0.8 - we expect to have something ready within the next week or two. This update focuses on improving X-Plane’s flight model (the math used to determine how planes actually fly in the sim), networking/multi-monitoring, and tools for using X-Plane with projectors.
Projector Correction/Blending Using multiple projectors to display the world around you is the gold standard in flight simulation. But there is a catch - when you aim multiple projectors at a curved screen, the image from each projector looks weirdly distorted. We solve this by rearranging the pixels X-Plane sends to the projector itself - resulting in a visually correct image. Behind the scenes, this is powered by various trig and calculations, but the end-user just needs to align a grid pattern with their display, and they are good to go! This feature will be available in our X-Plane Professional Licenses.
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Massive New Features in X-Plane 12.06
X-Plane 12.06 Is Full of Many Things
The content was translated from English to Chinese with the assistance of ChatGPT.
I tested it after the upgrade.
I am very satisfied with the new clouds; they display more realistically and perform well, with no drop in frame rate.Clouds and Weather Since the release of X-Plane 12.0, we have been working on improving the performance, accuracy, and quality of the cloud and weather systems. Version 12.06 implements the first two stages of this multi-step process:
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X-Plane12 A330 POH 5
Check Lists
The following checklists are designed for the convenience of simulated pilots and customized according to the X-Plane A330-300 aircraft. These differ from the checklists of the real aircraft.
Cold and Dark to Engine Start The following checklist is a subset of real procedures and includes only the essential steps required from Cold and Dark to Engine Start: PARKING BRAKE - ON
TRANSPONDER - STANDBY
BAT1 - ON BAT2 - ON
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X-Plane 12 A330 POH 4
Glareshield Panel
Annunciator Panel
MASTER WARNING: Illuminates and flashes to indicate a Level 3 severity warning. The crew must cancel the warning. MASTER CAUTION: Illuminates to indicate a Level 2 severity caution. The crew must cancel the caution. AUTO LAND: Illuminates if the aircraft is performing an automatic landing that cannot be completed. The crew must take control of the aircraft and cancel the warning. SIDE STICK PRIORITY: Illuminates if a conflict arises due to both pilots making sidestick inputs simultaneously.