Games For Good

Posted: Thursday, April 06, 2000 - 21:47
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CHILDREN TO BENEFIT FROM UPCOMING GAMES INDUSTRY GALA
Games for Good Announces Charity Event in Los Angeles E3 2000

San Francisco, April 6, 2000 - Games for Good, a volunteer group
of game industry professionals, announced today this year's charity dinner to
benefit children will be held in Los Angeles. The dinner and silent auction will
take place at Cicada Restaurant at 7:00 PM, May 10, 2000 in tandem with the
video and computer game trade show Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3). All proceeds
from the event will go directly to organizations dedicated to enhancing quality
of life for children.

"We have decided to pull our resources to create something really
good for kids, good for our spirits, and good for the games industry," commented
Lynne Killey, Games for Good chairperson and event organizer. "Based on the
success of the last 'Games for Good' event, we are hoping to raise $250,000 this
year to benefit various children's charities."

"The Games for Good event is a great way to give back to the
community on behalf of the interactive entertainment industry," said Paul Baldwin,
Vice President of Marketing of Eidos Interactive. "The computer and video games
business has grown enormously in the past few years. We need to step up to
the plate and give our full support to Games for Good and other organizations
that strive to improve children's lives."

The first Games for Good event was held in 1998 at E3 in Atlanta,
Georgia. With the cooperation of prominent members of the interactive
entertainment community, Games for Good raised $100,000 for the Starbright Foundation, an
organization dedicated to changing the face of childhood illness. Additional
funds were granted to Maitri, St Anthony's, Toys for Tots, and Ronald McDonald
House. Participants at the 1998 Games for Good included Sega of America, MGM
InterActive, Eidos Interactive, LucasArts Entertainment, and The Ziff Davis Video Games Group.

About Games for Good
Games for Good is a group of volunteers in the computer and video
game business that has come together with the goal of raising money for
charity. The group's goal is to raise $250,000 from within the interactive
entertainment community.

Tickets for the event are $200 per person. Table sponsorships
are also available. Anyone interested in purchasing tickets may do so by contacting
Carrie Tice at (415) 508-2708 or by email at ctice@snowball.com. People
wishing to help with the event can contact Lynne Killey at (415) 776-4454.

Gunship Keyboard Control Cover Released

Posted: Wednesday, April 05, 2000 - 16:39
NEWS RELEASE - 04.05.00

LAY IT & PLAY IT! Cockpit Collection Ltd., the makers of Keyboard Control Covers that make PC games immediately playable and Hasbro Interactive are pleased to announce the recent release of the Keyboard Control Cover for Microprose's Gunship. Please click here for details.

Jane's Releases F/A18 Patch V1.01F Readme

Posted: Tuesday, April 04, 2000 - 10:01


F/A-18 V1.01F UPDATE README
Jane's(r) Combat Simulations

TABLE OF CONTENTS

I. DISPLAY DRIVER UPDATE INFORMATION
1. 3Dfx Voodoo 3
2. Nvidia GeForce
3. Matrox G400

II. UPDATE FEATURES
1. Crash bugs resolved
2. Multiplayer improvements
3. Wrapper screen improvements
4. AI behavior enhancements and changes
5. Flight model enhancements and changes
6. Avionics systems enhancements and changes
7. Weapon system enhancements and changes
8. Miscellaneous improvements and changes

III. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

I. DISPLAY ISSUES
1. 3Dfx Voodoo 3. Using older Voodoo 3 drivers can cause graphic
anomalies and game instability. Some of these anomalies include see-through MDI screens and distorted sky, landscapes, and objects. To remedy this, please download the latest Voodoo 3 reference drivers from: http://www.3dfxgamers.com/view.asp?PAGE=V3Drivers

2. Nvidia GeForce. If sensor or weapon video is displayed on the UFC and the view is panned, drawing errors can occur. This anomaly has been fixed.

3. Matrox G400. The current G400 series drivers have incompatibility
issues with F/A-18. Problems include seeing through objects, missing polygons,and game instability. Matrox is aware of this problem so please check their web site periodically for updated drivers.
http://www.matrox.com/

II. UPDATE FEATURES

1. Crash bugs resolved - Some system configurations have been prone to crash to desktop (CTD)when the FLY button is selected, particularly in the training missions. - CTDs resulted on some systems when either a Harpoon or SLAM ER+ was released and then the player accessed the F9 (weapon) view. - In simulation CTD when landing on carrier - Mission builder CTD when Russian Mechanized Company unit is placed in world. - If a Walleye was released and it was the last weapon onboard the plane, a CTD would result.
- In simulation CTD when aircraft forced in a particular type of
uncontrolled departure.

2. Multiplayer improvements - The patched version of Jane's F/A-18 is not be multiplayer compatible with the original version. Tests have showed that some systems encounter multiplayer problems after
installing the patch file. A clean install of the game and patch resolves this issue.

- Spontaneous aircraft destruction after taking off from a runway has been fixed.
- Identification of message sender has been added to the beginning of chat messages.
- Players now have the ability to continue a mission after the end mission plaque is presented by selecting the "NO" button.
- Microwarping/nose bounce has been reduced.
- Clients now receive marshal communications.
- All mission participants now hear consistent voices and fuel states.
- All autopilot modes are now functional in multiplayer.
- Player no longer must have show subtitles cheat active to see player
chat messages.
- Repeated radio calls after taking off from carrier have been removed.
- The master caution light and fire extinguisher reset correctly after a player respawn.

3. Wrapper screen improvements
> - In the stick-scaling screen, roll and pitch were swapped. This has been
> fixed.
> - Canopy reflections can now be set independently of the cockpit detail
> setting.
> - In a campaign, it was possible to load weapons from the default loadout
> list and not have the weapons subtracted from the ship's weapons
inventory.
> This has been remedied.
>
> 4. AI behavior enhancements and changes
> - If an aircraft was assigned a FAC mission but did not have a FAC
loadout,
> the aircraft would give repeated FAC calls. FAC aircraft include the
F-14B
> and S-3B. This has been fixed.
> - Ships with deck guns will now engage other ships and land targets.
> - Aircraft will no longer fly with their landing gear down while in
combat.
> - Key functions have been added to filter communications. These can be
> mapped to a key of your choice in the custom key mapper screen. Functions
> include:
> WING_RADIO_TOGGLE This will turn on/off a filter of comms from your
wingmen
> ATC_RADIO_TOGGLE This will turn on/off a filter of comms from Strike and
> Marshal. Once you request landing though you cannot filter these comms.
> OTHER_RADIO_TOGGLE This will turn on/off a filter of comms from other
planes
> (excluding C3 types) unless they are within 20NM of you.
> - Wingmen now exit formation when returning to base.
> - Tomahawk-capable ships can now engage land targets with cruise missiles.
> - Aircraft can engage ships with cruise missiles at greater range now.
> - Aircraft will now maintain their assigned altitude when attacking a
target
> with missiles.
> - When wingmen are fired upon by mobile SAMs, they will respond with an
> appropriate SAM launch warning vice Alamo or Archer calls.
>
> 5. Flight model enhancements and changes
> - Stick input in pitch is now more symmetrical.
> - Pitch performance in inverted flight has been adjusted so the aircraft
> will try to maintain approximately 1 G flight with neutral stick.
> - Rudder authority has been increased.
>
> 6. Avionics systems enhancements and changes
> - Key functions for RADAR_AZ_SCAN, RADAR_MODE, and GUN_RATE now work
> correctly.
> - Master Mode cockpit indicator lights now respond accordingly when mode
is
> changed via master mode keys.
> - The mouse cursor is now visible while in a padlock view mode.
> - All MDI and MPCD push buttons can be mapped to key presses. The UFC can
> be mapped as well but it must be in MDI mode. These can be mapped to a
key
> of your choice in the custom key mapper screen.
> - Each cockpit display can be assigned a unique TDC activation key. These
> can be mapped to a key of your choice in the custom key mapper screen.
> - G readouts have been added to the HUD navigation mode.
>
> 7. Weapon system enhancements and changes
> - AA-9 Amos blast radius and damage values have been adjusted.
> - It is now possible to lock on to SS-N-2A Styx and SS-N-22 Sunburn
> anti-ship missiles.
> - Dropped air-to-air missiles (like the AIM-7) briefly decelerate before
> motor ignites.
> - Ground- and sea-based air defense systems have increased lethality.
They
> will be less prone to lose locks and multi-targeting capability for
> appropriate systems has been made more robust.
> - Home-On-Jam (HOJ) capability has been added to the AIM-120C AMRAAM.
> - It is now possible to steer the AGM-62 if it is the last weapon dropped.
>
> 8. Miscellaneous improvements and changes
> - VRF's Tactile Feedback System Support. The updated version of Jane's
> F/A-18 support's VRF's Tactile Feedback System, which includes the "TFCS"
> electronic controller and the "TFSU" Tactile Feedback Seating Unit. The
> intelliVIBE module for Jane's F/A-18 as well as additional product
> information can be found at VRF's corporate web site:
> www.vrf.com
> In order to activate the intelliVIBE module, your computer's registry
needs
> to be updated. We have provided a convenient shortcut for this process
which
> you must perform only once to turn it on. Simply double-click the file
> "IVIBE_ON.REG", and any subsequent F/A-18 sessions will attempt to
activate
> intelliVIBE. To disable intelliVIBE, double-click the file "IVIBEOFF.REG".
> - Runway and city lights have been set to correctly work with the
> appropriate time of day.
> - It is possible to now access the ACM views when the front view is set to
> show no cockpit.
> - The individual engine levers now respond accordingly when each engine is
> shut down.
> - Fuel dump no longer works while aircraft is on ground.
> - You can create an "f18misc.ini" file in your resource directory to
change
> the following things. The simplest way to do this is make a copy of your
> f18keys.ini file; copy it; and then paste it in your resource directory.
> Once this done, rename the file f18misc.ini; delete its contents; then add
> the lines (see below) you wish.
> HUD_R Default HUD red value
> HUD_G Default HUD green value
> HUD_B Default HUD blue value
> COMM_R Default Comm menu active red color
> COMM_G Default Comm menu active green color
> COMM_B Default Comm menu active blue color
> INACTIVE_COMM_R Default Comm menu inactive red color
> INACTIVE_COMM_G Default Comm menu inactive green color
> INACTIVE_COMM_B Default Comm menu inactive blue color
> COMM_BOX_R Default Comm menu box red color
> COMM_BOX_G Default Comm menu box green color
> COMM_BOX_B Default Comm menu box blue color
> END_BOX If this is set to 0 then the end mission box will not appear for
> mission success or failure messages.
> ESC_OPTION This is for multiplayer only and deals with how the End Game
Box
> is brought up. If set to 0 it's normal. 1 means you have to use
> "SHIFT-ESC" to bring it up. 2 means the ESC key cannot be used to end a
> game and you must map SIM_DONE to another key.
> ORIGINAL_KEYBOARD Setting this to 1 will return it to the original
settings.
> OTHER_RADIO_RANGE = 20 This is only applies when you have Toggled off
> OTHER_RADIO_TOGGLE. This will allow you to still hear other AIs nearby so
> you can be aware of things happening around you. The default value is
20NM.
> If you don't want to hear the others at all setting it to 0 should do
this.
> M_SHOW_FRIEND = 1 This will allow friendly human planes to show up on your
> TEWS. Humans with STT locks should show up regardless of this setting.
>
> The format needed to use these in the ini file is:
> NAME = value where NAME is something like HUD_R and value is a number.
RGB
> values are from 1 to 255.
>
> For example to have a white HUD you would have this in the ini file:
> HUD_R = 255
> HUD_G = 255
> HUD_B = 255
>
> For black you would use all 1's instead.
>
> - A sound has been attached with the ejection sequence.
> - The gun sound will not be heard now if the player fires the gun while
> aircraft's landing gear is down.
> - F/A-18E anti-collision lights are now visible from long distance.
> - The positioning of the IFOLS "meatball" has been adjusted for an
accurate
> 3-wire trap.
> - The force feedback gun bug, in which the gun could continue to fire, has
> been fixed.
> - Threat Padlock view range has been reduced to six miles.
> - Terrain line of sight restrictions while padlocking enemy aircraft have
> been implemented.
>
> III. FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
>
> Q: I give my wingmen the attack air defenses command but they don't seem
to
> attack SAM and AAA units. What am I doing wrong?
>
> A: Before giving the attack ground defenses command, ensure that your
> wingmen are within 30 miles of the air defenses you wish them attack and
> that they are loaded with the appropriate weaponry. Even if this is done
> properly, wingmen may not be able to immediately attack air defenses
because
> they may be defensive against enemy threats.
>
> Q: Despite the patch, the game still crashes. What do I do?
>
> A: Over-clocking of the system's CPU or the graphics card can lead to
> instabilities that may lead to a crash. Additionally, adjusting of system
> bios from default settings have also been shown to lead to game crashes.
>
> Q: I dropped a penetrating weapon on a bunker but the target was not
> destroyed. How do I destroy such a target?
>
> A: Heavily hardened structures like weapon bunkers or sub pens will often
> require two or more penetrating weapons to destroy them. Do not expect a
> single weapon to always do the job.
>
> Q: I destroyed several bunkers at a complex I was assigned to destroy but
I
> still failed the mission. How am I supposed to win these?
>
> A: In missions that your flight is assigned to destroy a fixed ground
> target, your target will always be designated as DMPI-1. You can view
this
> location from the Targeting screen. This target must be destroyed in
order
> to achieve a mission success.
>
> Q: I sometimes see blinking threat indicators on the EW page from active
> missiles like the AA-12 and AA-9. Why is it doing this?
>
> A: These missiles incorporate small radars and will attempt to lock onto
> your aircraft once they are within sufficient range. If the missile's
radar
> has difficulty maintaining a lock, you may see its threat indication on
the
> EW page blink on and off.
>
> Q: Friendly aircraft sometimes shoot me down with AIM-120 or AIM-54
> air-to-air missiles. Why are they doing this?
>
> A: Active radar guided missiles like these require the launch aircraft to
> provide steering to the intended target during the initial portion of
> flight. If this support is interrupted, these missiles will go
radar-active
> and will seek out the first contact it detects. If you have friendly
> aircraft behind you firing such missiles, the missiles may home in on you
if
> the launch aircraft loses lock on the intended target.
>
> Q: Why can't I ever seem to get an non-cooperative target recognition
(NCTR)
> identification on a target I have locked up?
>
> A: Several factors determine how well NCTR will work. NCTR will not work
if
> the target is outside 40 nautical miles; there must high aspect closure
(the
> target flying towards you); and there cannot be a significant altitude
> difference between the player and the target.
>
>
> The Jane's F/A-18 Development Team would like to thank the following
> people for helping us test Jane's F/A-18. We couldn't have
> done it without you!
>
> F/A-18 external beta test team:
> Jim "Hornit" Campisi, Sean "Eagl" Long, John "Zambo" Zambie, Pierre
> "Papadoc" Legrand, and Tom "Saint" Launder.
>
> F/A-18 Electronic Arts QA test team:
> James Grandt, Gary Ward, Colin Clarke, and Ryan Gorospe.
>
> We would also like to give special thanks to those individuals in the
flight
> simulation community that have compiled many excellent user created
missions
> and add-ons. Some of these include:
>
> Fritzdog's Resource Center
> http://fa18.sim-arena.com/
>
> Ham's F/A-18 Online Operations
> http://www.ozemail.com.au/~ldham/flynavy/superhornet.htm
>
> Jane's F/A-18E Tactical Operations & Mission Planning
> http://www.zianet.com/baldeagle/
>
> Steelcity's F/A-18 Hangar
> http://members.home.com/steelcity/
>
> Limech's Jane's Site
> http://www.limech.com/index.shtml
>
> Raptor's F/A-18 Flight Deck
> http://members.xoom.com/joshwagner/f18home.htm
>
> Viper3Two's F/A-18 Website
> http://home.att.net/~Viper3TwoF18/frames.htm
>
> Jane's F/A-18 Psycho Central
> http://www.ao.net/~chuck/fa18/fa18syco.htm
>
> Check-Six
> http://spower.free.fr/
>
> To find the latest information about F/A-18 and Jane's Combat Simulations,
> please visit our website:
>
> http://www.janes.ea.com
>
> Jane's(r) F/A-18 (c) 2000 Electronic Arts. All rights reserved.
> Reference Work From Jane's library (c) 1999 Jane's Information Group Ltd.
>

SATCO London Flyin Announced for 23 April

Posted: Friday, March 31, 2000 - 14:54
SATUK OCEANIC DEPARTMENT NOTAM

26/08/00

RE: LONDON FLY-IN 23/04/00

As you may have heard the SATUK London ACC is holding a fly-in on April 23rd. As this is a large event the Oceanic department is going to promise a controller will be manning Shanwick and Gander during 1800 and 2300 GMT. The oceanic airspace is not like any other in the world and one of the noticeable differences is lack of radar !!!!.

Controller Info

Due to the large volume of traffic expected we will open up OCA_E_CTR and OCA_W_CTR. Shifts will last one hour and must be pre booked before the event by going to the registration page. We hope to also have a separate FSS active to deal with the flighplan clearances. The flight level allocation policy will be active, so when clearing
pilots flightplans on the day they must be checked for conflicting flights. Just to clear up some problems in the past, all pilots departing from the UK must contact SHN_FSS prior to taxi to request clearance (ATC please check this before issuing taxi instructions). All of the pilots flightplans will be available via the website the night before the event. Also one note Remember that you radar is very unreliable at long ranges so I recommend Whazzup (if the servers allow it again)

Pilot Info

To ensure that this event goes smoothly we request that you read the procedures and remember to report you position at every waypoint in the NAT tracks. This is very important for the controllers as it helps if they know where you are . Flightplans must be sent in before the event by filling in the form on the WebPages, ( or via
fax or phone on 01276 516141 after 11th April from the UK). Your flightplans will then be added to the WebPages with your allocated departure time and any amendments. Please check this page the night before the event. You will be emailed if there is a problem with the flightplan.


This event is going to be a challenge for both pilots and controllers, and so before taking part you should read the procedures section here

If you have any questions email me at olly.olly@net.ntl.com phone or fax me on 01276516141.

Thanks


Gary Oliver
SATUK OCA Chief
olly.olly@net.ntl.com
www.satuk.org.uk

SimWare Simulations Announces European Toll-free Numbers

Posted: Friday, March 24, 2000 - 12:09
SimWare Simulations is pleased to announce the opening of two new European TOLL FREE numbers.
SimWare Simulations United Kingdom: 0800 974 00 00 (TOLL FREE) (England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland) - Open from Tuesday to Friday 2-6 pm and on Saturday 10 am-1 pm and 2-5 pm (GMT+1).
SimWare Simulations France: 0800 72 11 11 (appel gratuit). SimWare Simulations European Headquarters' SHOW-ROOM & SHOP Phone Number: +32 2 331 25 09 - Fax Number: +32 2 331 27 04. SimWare's headquarters is located only 5 miles from the center of Brussels: Chaussee de Ruisbroek 290 - 1620 Drogenbos - BELGIUM

Order online 24/24 through Secure Website: SimWare Simulations.

Opening these new phone numbers reflects SimWare Simulations commitment to maintaining its leadership in the flight simulation world.

Founded in 1993, SimWare Simulations is one of the largest mail order shop in the world specializing in flight simulation products. SimWare carries more than 200 products on its secure website and sends a quarterly catalog to over 7,000 people worldwide. Currently, SimWare Simulations is importing various brands of flight simulation products, including; Cockpit Collection (Keyboard Cover), Flight Link, Elite, Safeline, AETI,...

Happy Landings!

SimWare Simulations, Belgium
Full catalog at SimWare Catalog
E-mail: SimWare Information.

WILCO’S ‘Airport 2000 Volume 2’ Takes Off this Week

Posted: Friday, March 24, 2000 - 10:59
Puts Microsoft Flight Simulator on a Whole New Plane

Drogenbos, Belgium (March 24, 2000) -- Desktop pilot alert! Wilco Publishing is on deck with Airport 2000 Volume 2, its sensational new scenery for Microsoft Flight Sim 2000 and 98 shipping this week. With seven new airports rendered in you-are-there detail, special night lighting effects, 10 new adventures with fully interactive ATC, and crisper-than-ever graphics using Flight Sim 2000’s Z-buffer technology, the new edition is guaranteed to keep you flying high.

Airport 2000 Volume 2 gives you London Heathrow, Barcelona, Nice Côte d’Azur, Schiphol Amsterdam, Boston Logan, Miami International and Chicago O’Hare, complete with the actual hangars, maintenance buildings and taxiways outside as well as the real restaurants, gates, departure screens, lounges and shops inside each airport. There are also nine new airplanes with instrument panels so faithfully reproduced that you could practically learn to fly on them.

Meanwhile, out on the runway, you get realistic ground markings and major-carrier aircraft taxiing and taking off around you. No more lonely landings at deserted terminals.

Airport 2000 Volume 2 also delivers seven different flight paths from airport to airport, plus three special adventures for owners of Volume 1 that link airports between the two editions. You have to follow real flight procedures to bring your passengers to their destinations, down to triggering the seatbelt and no-smoking signs and calling the cabin crew. You get to battle engine fires and tire blowouts, and you hear all communication from tower to ground and departure control.

Also available on the Airport 2000 Volume 2 CD-ROM is a free upgrade for Wilco’s popular Airport 2000 Volume I that makes it compatible with Microsoft Flight Simulator 2000, so you can pick up right where you left off when you retired Flight Simulator 98. The upgrade gives you basic work-together functionality plus a number of extras: a new third runway at the Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris, new navigation aids at Los Angeles International and JFK airports, and new runway textures with more realistic ground markings. It also adds new graphic detail to the static aircraft in Volume 1 and enhances the night light effects on buildings and ground traffic.

Airport 2000 Volume 2 carries an MSRP of $39 (U.S.). The product is available at retailers nationwide including Electronics Boutique, Babbage’s, Micro Center, and others, as well as for purchase via the Wilco Web site here. It is fully compatible with both Microsoft Flight Simulator 2000 and 98. Minimum system requirements include a Pentium 200 MHz and 32MB RAM. A 3D graphics accelerator card is recommended.

Founded in 1997, Wilco Publishing focuses on developing and marketing flight simulators. The company previously published Tahiti Scenery, Airport 2000 Volume I, and Grand Canyon add-ons to Microsoft Flight Simulator. Hangsim, its first independent title, is a PC-based glider simulation featuring groundbreaking true-to-life flight dynamics and photorealistic terrain dedicated to the glories of unpowered flight. The company takes its name from the aeronautical abbreviation for “Will Comply.” Wilco is based in Belgium and can be reached on the Web at Wilco Publishing or via phone at 011 32 2 331 32 90.

KA-52 TEAM ALLIGATOR released

Posted: Friday, March 24, 2000 - 09:30
Climb into the cockpit of the deadliest assault helicopter in history - the Russian KA-52 Alligator. Command a squad of 16 into the guts of war-torn Eastern Europe. This is 21st century chopper combat! KA-52 TEAM ALLIGATOR is the technologically advanced, long-anticipated sequel to Team Apache. Command 16 devastating Russian Alligator assault helicopters through over 100 team-based, true-to-combat campaigns through two war torn hot spots ripped from today's headlines. Belarussia and Tajikistan! Explosive incendiary graphics, atmospheric lighting effects, real-time, dynamic weather conditions and the latest in combat helicopter simulation technology deliver the most authentic assault chopper experience ever.

Features:

- Advanced multiplayer gameplay for up to 6 players. Co-operative and Deathmatch modes with real-time multiplay chat capability.
- Complete and realistically detailed KA-52 Alligator weapons arsenal.
- Dynamic textural effects on water, grass, and cornfield
- A diverse variety of terrain and environmental textures that add greater depth to each game.
- Realistic ground explosions.
- Bomb and artillery fire craters will scar the already scorched earth.
- A fully animated co-pilot.

Further details are available at the Team Alligator web site.

FlightSoft AND Hawaiian Airlines go on a widebody jetliner experience to Hawaii for Microsoft Flight Simulator 2000

Posted: Thursday, March 23, 2000 - 14:04
Flightsoft has signed a commercial license agreement with Hawaiian Airlines to produce a major add-on product for the new Microsoft Flight Simulator 2000. The product will break new ground in the emerging importance of flight simulation products. The large retail box product will target both the mass market consumer and the sophisticated PC flight sim pilots. Targeting mass market retailers in North America and Japan - the product based in Hawaii will showcase actual ATC from the islands. More information on this ground breaking product will be issued in future announcements.

PC AVIATOR AND AEROSOFT ANNOUNCE ATC-2000

Posted: Monday, March 06, 2000 - 14:46
The First Authentic TRACON Air Traffic Control Simulator for the PC

BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, 6 March 2000: Flight simulation software publisher PC Aviator, in conjunction with Oklahoma based Aerosoft, today announced the upcoming release of ATC-2000 - the first truly-authentic TRACON Air Traffic Control simulator for the PC.

ATC-2000 is a TRACON (Terminal Radar Approach CONtrol) simulator. The TRACON is the ATC facility that controls and sequences aircraft into and out of airports. Also popularly known as approach and departure control. It's the part of the air traffic control process where the most is happening and where the greatest challenge exists.

ATC-2000 allows everyday individuals to "enjoy" the experience of being in front of the scope as a departure and approach controller complete with all the dials, flight data information and silent nail biting, heart pounding tension that gives the Air Traffic Controller's job the notoriety of being the most stressful one in the world.

President and founder of PC Aviator, Robert Ferraro, talked about the basic challenge of the TRACON ATC process.

"The basic challenge of the TRACON, specifically approach control, is that you have aircraft entering the terminal airspace at a destination airport from all directions. There may be none for a while and then 5 might hit all at once. The approach controller's role is to systematically sequence and safely separate aircraft by issuing radar vectors to a final approach point where they can fly their approach into the airport. When a controller's job is done properly, aircraft are lined up no less than 3 miles apart flying down the glideslope for a particular runway, also known as the "string of pearls."

Sounds easy? Think again! All you need is a 1 minute delay anywhere in the system or some bad weather and you're then going to have to stack them up in a holding pattern and pick them off one at a time for landing when time allows. That might sound easy too... until they start reporting that they're getting low on fuel.

The approach control part of ATC-2000 simulates this process with uncanny realism. Solving the dynamic 3D puzzle is very addictive!"

Just some of the many features that ATC-2000 will have include:

• The user can control aircraft at 51 TRACONs in the United States with an additional 130 being available through additional expansion disks
• Actual equipment in use at a particular TRACON will be simulated by ATC-2000 in the form of an ARTS-IIIa terminal to the latest state of the art, STARS or Standard Terminal Automation Replacement System
• Realistic looking "amber" scopes with fully functional dials and equipment - all the information seen on a real controller's scope
• Air traffic in the simulation is based on actual real world traffic so only aircraft that would fly into a particular airport in the real world would be seen in that airspace in ATC-2000
• Real pilot artificial intelligence has pilots behaving as real world pilots. They don't hear you every time and might not do what you tell them to.
• Voice and Speech synthesis with support for voice recognition
• Connectivity with major flight simulators such as Microsoft Flight Simulator for real-time pilot-controller interaction.

ATC-2000 will be aimed at two consumer markets. The authenticity of the product will enable it to be used effectively as a home based ATC trainer as well as an introduction to the world of air traffic control for those interested in a career in ATC.

It is also aimed at the gaming/simulation market for those wanting a simulation with some nail biting tension trying to solve the 3D puzzle and safely help aircraft with thousands of passengers arrive safely at their destination. ATC-2000 is a refreshingly unique product for the entertainment software industry.

ATC-2000 visionary and developer, Russell Davis, stated that ATC-2000 will be a constantly evolving simulator with future simulation of Center Control - the enroute phase of the ATC process, and amongst future features some innovative internet applications.

ATC-2000 will be published worldwide by PC Aviator in affiliation with Aerosoft and is scheduled for release in Summer 2000. It will be available in retail stores worldwide.

More information on ATC-2000 is available at PC Aviator's ATC2000 web site.

About PC Aviator

Founded in Australia in 1990, PC Aviator's US subsidiary, PC Aviator Inc. is based in Baltimore, Maryland. PC Aviator publishes high quality flight simulation software, expansions and add-ons including the popular MegaScenery series, Computer Pilot Magazine - a international newsstand flight simulator magazine, and also operates a direct sales division - PC Aviator Direct.

About Aerosoft

Aerosoft was founded in Arlington, TX in 1988 by Russell B. Davis. ATC-2000 is designed and developed by Mr. Davis who has a background of over 12 years of research in Air Traffic Control and Air Traffic Control software applications. He has developed some notable software titles including the European Sector Disk for TRACON II sold by Wesson International, the ATC for Windows Scenario Generator and the Smiths Industries Flight Management Computer Simulator for United States Navy E6-A navigator students at Tinker AFB, OK. Mr. Davis has also developed software to enhance Wesson International's TRACON/Pro at CAMI (Civil Aeromedical Institute) and has served as a consultant to research at CAMI in ATC data link studies. He has also worked as a consultant for companies such as Boeing and McDonnell Douglas, as well as the FAA.

AEROSOFT promises ATC-2000 to be the most realistic ATC sim ever conceived for the PC (see their web site here).

WILCO Releases Free FS2000 Upgrade
for "AIRPORT 2000 Volume 1"

Posted: Sunday, March 05, 2000 - 13:54
Scenery Update Available Online and on New "Airport 2000 Volume II," Shipping in Europe Next Week

Los Angeles Int'l Airport 2000 Vol. I Scene running in FS2000 (Click for full size view)

DROGENBOS, BELGIUM (March 3, 2000)-- Old scenery, new simulator? Not to worry. Wilco Publishing is set to release a free upgrade for its popular "Airport 2000 Volume I" that makes it compatible with Microsoft Flight Simulator 2000, so you can pick up right where you left off when you retired Flight Simulator 98.

Now available online at Wilco Publishing or with Wilco's new Airport 2000 Volume 2 scheduled to hit retail shelves in Europe late next week, the upgrade gives you basic work-together functionality plus a number of extras: a new third runway at the Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris, new navigation aids at Los Angeles International and JFK airports, and new runway textures with more realistic ground markings. It also adds new graphic detail to the static aircraft in Volume 1 and enhances the night light effects on buildings and ground traffic.

In addition to LAX, JFK and Charles de Gaulle, Volume 1 offers knockout scenery from the airports of Brussels, Frankfurt, Atlanta and Tokyo. Gamers climb into the pilot seats of aircraft ranging from theDC-10 to the ATR42, with the option to fly their own routes or take part in adventures that include instructions from multiple air traffic control centers, vocal captain calls and readbacks, and an accurate Ground Proximity Warning System with sounds recorded from actual aircraft and simulators.

Volume 2 delivers London Heathrow, Barcelona, Nice Côte d'Azur, Schiphol Amsterdam, Boston Logan, Miami International and Chicago O'Hare in fully textured glory, complete with the actual hangars, maintenance buildings and taxiways outside as well as the real restaurants, gates, departure screens, lounges and shops inside each airport. It also includes seven different flight paths from airport to airport, plus three special adventures for owners of Volume 1 that link airports between the two editions.

Frankfurt Main Airport 2000 Vol. I Scene running in FS2000 (Click for full size view)

Airport 2000 Volume 2 will ship in Europe on March 9, 2000. The product will then be available at retail stores in the U.S. market at the end of March. It carries an MSRP of $39 (U.S.). It is fully compatible with both Microsoft Flight Simulator 2000 and 98. Minimum system requirements include a Pentium 200 MHz and 32MB RAM. A 3D graphics accelerator card is
recommended.

Founded in 1997, Wilco Publishing focuses on developing and marketing flight simulators. The company has published Tahiti Scenery, Airport 2000 Volumes 1 and 2, and Grand Canyon add-ons to Microsoft Flight Simulator. Hangsim, its first independent title, is a PC-based glider simulation featuring groundbreaking true-to-life flight dynamics and photorealistic terrain dedicated to the glories of unpowered flight. The company takes its name from the aeronautical abbreviation for "Will Comply." Wilco is based in Belgium and can be reached on the Web at Wilco Publishing or via phone at 011 32 2 331 32 90.

Enviro! 1.0 Released

Posted: Sunday, March 05, 2000 - 11:09
We are happy to announce that we have completed work on version 1.0 of our freeware Enviro! utility. We have made it available for download on our website.

Enviro! is now officialy out of beta. This does not mean that we aren't working on it anymore though. We still love to get your feedback so we can make the next version even better. We would like to thank the beta users for all their comments and suggestions - we tried to implement some of their ideas into this first official Enviro! release.

Since the last beta, quite a lot has changed. In short, here are Enviro!'s current main features:

-Customizable ATC Chatter
-Five ATC Banks, allowing you to create different types of ATC
-METAR download, and integration with David Sandberg's InfoMETAR and ThinMetar tools

-Integrated and easy to use Help system
-ATC Hot Keys for use while you are flying your flight simulator
-System Tray support - for quick access to Enviro!'s main features
-Time Zone information

These are Enviro! 1.0's system requirements:

-Windows95, Windows98 or Windows2000 Professional operating system
-Fly!, Flight Simulator 98 and/or Flight Simulator 2000 flight simulator software
-DirectX 6.1 or later
-High Color (16bit) or higher desktop color setting
-Soundcard
-Internet connection and Internet Explorer 4.01 or later (for optional METAR downloads)
-HTML Help Viewer version 1.0 or later (for Enviro!'s Help system)


For more information about Enviro! - please visit its official website at the following location:

http://www.avsim.com/hangar/utils/enviro/

We hope you will enjoy flying with Enviro!, and we are looking forward to hear your comments.

The Enviro! Team Rob Visser and Rene van Dop

Dream Fleet 2000 182 Panel

Posted: Friday, February 25, 2000 - 09:07
DreamFleet 2000(tm)
"The finest instrument panels for Microsoft Flight Simulator"

Press Release 2-25-00

____________________________________________________________________________________________

Cessna 182 panel released, 172 panel is in the shop!


DreamFleet 2000 has released its much-anticipated Cessna 182S panel. "Now I need a vacation!" comment's DreamFleet co-founder, Lou Betti. He adds, " It's only version 1.0, and we plan to upgrade it once we have the SDK, but I think everyone will be quite pleased with what we have done with the good ol' 182. I would dare say that no MSFS panel has ever looked this realistic. We've basically pushed to the limit with what can be done with photo-realism within the FS2000 environment. We have the real fabric, we have dirt on the floor, and we have the scratch that was on the parking brake handle, plus much, much more. Perhaps the best part is that you are actually sitting in the pilot's seat with this panel, not between the seats, or in the back seat. My goal was to set a new standard for panel art within MSFS, and I think we have accomplished that with this panel."

"There's also a small problem too, as on a minority of systems, the panel will appear stretched out of shape, and we are most certain this is due to the fact that the user has the default Cessna 182 panel set as their default flight, and FS2000 is attempting to make our panel, the same size as theirs! Screen shots I have seen from those suffering this problem seem to prove that, and these users also had the default 182 set as their default flight, or had last flown with the default 182."

"I would consider it mandatory that before you install our panel that you make sure that your default flight contains an aircraft and panel other than the default Cessna 182; the 737, the Lear, anything but a 182. Save that new flight as your default flight, then install our 182 panel. Once installed, select our 182 from the list, and then you can save it as your default once more."

"I installed the panel on all three of my machines, without problem. On all three of those machines, the default start-up flight was not using the 182. StephenWhite, one of our members, suffered the same problem. He un-installed the panel, changed his default flight to another aircraft / panel, re-installed the panel, and all was well!"

"Right now, we need the SDK, plus more research into panel night lighting, although I think everyone will be pleased with how well the panel is lit up at night, thanks to Chuck Dome's panel-saving "Make Pink" utility. I still want to address the master switch, and add some gyro sounds when it is switched on, and I also have some other novel ideas, which will add to the realism."

The panel is also perhaps the largest file size ever for a single panel, tipping the scales at around 10 megabytes!

"Considering that we did not include a scan of the operating handbook, or an aircraft, or even sounds, that's a lot of bytes to download." Comments Lou. "I strongly suggest the use of a download manager, so that you can pause / resume download, or recover from a dropped ISP connection. As the complexity of flight simulation increases, files of this type will only grow in size, not get smaller. The 16-bit bitmaps for FS2000 are 2.25 megabytes in size, and we have many of that size, and some that are much smaller. There's a total of 14 bitmaps for this panel, and uncompressed, the bitmaps and gauges are over 29 megabytes!"

"About 1.8 meg. of it is our "DreamFleet Manager / Installer", an incredible program written by Stephen White, but this installer will serve future DreamFleet panels also, and once you use it, you'll never go back to a manual install again. It will automatically back up files that we are replacing, such as the .air, panel.cfg, and checklist files, and it will install everything neatly in place in about 20 seconds. If you decide to uninstall the panel, it's just a couple of clicks, and everything is back the way it was. After the install, those who wish to, can access the files, and move them to separate folder, if they wish to alias the panel to several aircraft. However, I felt this installer was essential, as we have many newcomers to FS2000, who are not very familiar with the sim's file structure, etc. I wanted to make the install easy for them."

The Manager is a one-time download / install, and is being included with the 182 panel in order to be sure that everyone gets it, as the panel cannot be installed without it. In the future, it will not be included with panels, but will be available as a separate download from the DreamFleet 2000 web site, and other popular web sites.

DreamFleet's 182 panel will not be alone on the ramp for long. "I've just started work on a 172 panel." Comments group member Charles (Chuck) Grimes. "It's a 1985 model, and just the opposite of what this 182 is. It has the plastic panel overlay, and that tacky, fake wood grain that used to be so popular. Right now, our biggest decision is whether to put an auto pilot in it, as the one we are simulating does not have one. I suspect that in the end, we'll spend the money, and send it off to our virtual avionics shop, for installation of one!"

Chuck also happens to be the pilot of N9521F, the real Cessna 182S that was the subject of the group's panel.

"I'm tutoring Chuck in using PhotoShop," adds Lou. "Chuck's a fast learner, and this time around he'll be doing both the main and lower pedestal panels, and I'll do the cabin view bitmaps, as I must devote more graphics time to bitmaps for the 737 project. Once Chuck is comfortable with doing this level of graphics work on his own, the bulk of the general aviation panels will be his to do, and I'll go back to working on DreamFleet's airliner panels."

DreamFleet would like to let all potential users of the Cessna 182 panel know that once they have downloaded the panel, to simply unzip the file into a temporary folder, then read the installation instructions, which will advise how to install the DreamFleet 2000 Manager, and then how to use the Manager to install the panel. It's quick, and it's easy, just be sure that your default start-up flight does not contain the default Cessna 182 before installing the panel.

Fighter Ace II Update Now Available

Posted: Wednesday, February 23, 2000 - 16:45
Microsoft today announced the release of the first update for Fighter Ace II, the MSN Gaming Zone's massively multiplayer WWII air combat game. Fighter Ace II allows more than 300 pilots to fight in a single air combat arena from the cockpit of any one of more than 40 World War II vintage fighters and bombers.

The update adds five new airplanes to the deadly Fighter Ace II arsenal. Featuring the tank-busting Ki-84 Hayate (Japan), the IL-2 Sturmovik (Russia), and the Ju-87G Stuka (Germany), the update greatly enhances Territorial Combat game play. Both the IL-2 Sturmovik and Ju-87G Stuka will be featured in the Zone's next large-scale historical scenario, the Battle of Kursk, which was the largest tank battle in history. Details on this event will be announced in the coming weeks. The Fighter Ace II update also offers new 3D cockpits, improved tank functionality, squad tags, and more.

Registered players of Fighter Ace II must download this update in order to continue play. For more information on the Fighter Ace II update, visit the Fighter Ace web site.

In Fighter Ace II, players battle for airborne supremacy by coordinating battle plans with their wingmen and squad mates. Fighter aces must defend their territory, secure new strategic positions, and blast bogies in an on-going war between British, German, United States, Russian, and Japanese aircraft. Fighter Ace II's accurately modeled World War II aircraft include such planes as the DeHavilland Mosquito, the F4U-4 Corsair and the legendary Zero. Players can completely customize the ordnance load-out of their planes including auxiliary fuel, bombs and rockets. With an entirely new physics, flight and damage model, along with aircraft mounted rockets and territorial combat with player triggered tanks, Fighter Ace II brings a level of realism never before experienced in an online-only air combat game.

Fighter Ace II is only available on the MSN Gaming Zone. For more information on the game, visit the official Web for Fighter Ace II at Fighter Ace II.
* * *

a r b u t h n o t c o m m u n i c a t i o n s, i n c.
(p) 415 431 2300
(f) 801 681 9034
Arbuthnot Communications

Dauntles Releases SimPlates 2000 World Edition

Posted: Wednesday, February 23, 2000 - 16:08

Click for full size image

February 24, 1999

SimPlates 2000 World Edition is now available! The companion product to the critically-acclaimed SimPlates 2000 - USA product is now available at Dauntless Software. SimPlates 2000 World Edition provides IFR plate coverage for the bulk of the world not covered by the USA product, including thousands of approach plates, SIDs, STARs, and more. If you're a serious simulator pilot disappointed with the high costs and/or limited coverage areas of other products, than this is definitely for you. Plates are available for over 100 countries plus Alaska and Hawaii. Purchase World Edition separately or as a set with the US product-either way, the price is very reasonable. World Edition now features even higher resolution plates as well.

Click for full size image

Approach plates are documents that real-world pilots use when flying into airports aircraft under instrument flight rules (IFR). They define altitudes, speeds, courses, and so forth necessary to make a safe approach, and the actions to take in case the approach can not be completed as planned. Flying a complicated approach accurately in bad weather is certainly one of the most challenging tasks in aviation.

Click for full size image

You may be familiar with the ILS-SimPlates 2000 World Edition features thousands of plates for ILS approaches, but also many more for non-ILS approaches using other navigational equipment. If you've not flown, for example, an NDB approach before, consider learning this as part of the challenge and fun of the hobby! FlightSim.com called SimPlates 2000 - USA "A great product that any sim pilot should have at their side" Virtual pilots the world over, including many who participate in massively multiplayer ATC environments such as Squawkbox/ProController use SimPlates to enhance realism.

Please visit our website, at Dauntless Software (a.k.a. FAA Test, or Simplates) for more information or to order.

AETI Announces ProFlight for Flight Simulator 2000

Posted: Wednesday, February 23, 2000 - 12:28
Irvine, California, February 21st, 2000

With the recent introduction of Microsoft Flight Simulator 2000, AETI and the ProFlight 98 developers have been hard at work implementing features for a new version of this award-winning product. "ProFlight for Flight Simulator 2000" is scheduled to start shipping in several months. AETI began this weekend taking pre-orders for the new version... with special pricing for existing ProFlight 98 users. Flight simulation enthusiasts who are avid ProFlight users will enjoy this new version as it will be even more realistic and packed with new features. The new ProFlight is expected to ship in April. Some of the features in the new version include:

- ProFlight 2000 uses navaid and airport information directly from Microsoft Flight Simulator 2000 for complete compatibility between scenery & adventures
- Victor and Jet routing now available, along with SIDS & STARS database
- Many more pilot and controller voices, with controller accented voices from different parts of the world
- More aircraft and livery callsign with pilot-chatter voice reflecting the appropriate accent of the airline nationality
- Improved departure and approach vectoring for more realistic flights
- Compatibility with Game Commander for direct voice response to ATC commands
- New and improved Flight Management Computer ( FMC )
- Bonus aircraft and enhanced panels

Existing ProFlight 98 users can order the full new version of ProFlight for Flight Simulator 2000 at a special price of $24.95 by going to the AETI website and clicking on the special order link for ProFlight for Flight Simulator 2000.

Please note that this is not an "upgrade," but rather a full and brand new version of ProFlight especially designed to work under Microsoft Flight Simulator 2000. Users who have kept Microsoft Flight Simulator 98 and ProFlight 98 on their system can install the new ProFlight for Flight Simulator 2000 and use both programs with their corresponding versions of Microsoft Flight Simulator to offer "the best of both worlds."

In cooperation with Flight One Software, we are also offering a special "bundle" of ProFlight for Flight Simulator 2000 plus the upcoming "Flight Director 2000."

More information on both products are available on the AETI web site.

Alexander Lawrence joins DreamFleet 2000

Posted: Saturday, February 19, 2000 - 07:43
DreamFleet 2000(tm)
"The finest instrument panels for Microsoft Flight Simulator"

Press Release - 2/14/2000

_______________________________________________________________________________

Alexander Lawrence joins DreamFleet 2000 & Project updates.

Noted FS panel designer, Alexander Lawrence, has joined the panel design team at DreamFleet 2000.

DreamFleet's executive director, Lou Betti comments: "Alex is not only a good friend of mine, but he is also one of the most capable and talented individuals in the flight simulation business. Not only is he one of the best panel artists out there, but he is also an experienced business executive / administrator. Alex will work with Chris Arrington and I to organize and run DreamFleet, so that we can move forward with our plans of re-building as much of the airline, and general aviation panel "fleet" as is possible, and to a degree of realism never before seen."

"I was willing to take a back seat to Alex, and let him and Lou run things", adds Chris Arrington, "but neither of them would hear of it. Alex is quite a gentleman, and I am looking forward to working with and learning from him".

Alex is a well-known figure in the Flight Simulation world. In his distant past, during his applied mathematics studies, he developed a full flight simulator from the ground up (in assembly). It featured full 3D graphics and simulated a GA aircraft.

Later, Alex joined the "mainstream" and started developing MSFS add-ons - commercial photo-realistic scenery and high quality freeware panels. His panels, the award winning Seneca V, Learjet 45, Dash 8-300 and Citation V, have set new standards in panel design.

With 18 years of flight simulation experience behind him, he is a member of FPDA and Review Editor at Simflight.com. Currently he holds a sales and marketing executive position at a large communications company. Among his other related hobbies - Janes' simulators, space simulators and strategy.

On the panel front, the group's Cessna 182 panel has completed beta testing, and is ready for roll out.

"Actually, I could release it tomorrow", Lou Betti comments, "but there was always an underlying issue with installation of it. Not only is the panel an 8.2 megabyte download, but it requires that several critical files be backed-up, before our files overwrite them. Right now, one of our newest members, Stephen White has designed a lovely "manager / installer". The manager will take care of backing things up, while the installer will put everything where it needs to be. Afterwards, the experienced simmers can re-arrange things to their liking, but this will help those new to flight simulation, and there are many of them out there. Fortunately, this software is a one-time download. Once installed, it can be used for all future DreamFleet panels, and updates. I would dare say that this software could also be used to handle installations from other developers, provided they follow the format Stephen has set up, and provide the required instruction files the manager needs".

For those anxiously awaiting the group's 737-400 panel, Lou adds, " It's coming! However, not as soon as anyone would like. I'm planning for "Part One" of the panel to be ready for release at the MicroWings conference on May 18th, and "Part Two" to follow, hopefully during the summer. Part one will essentially be the most advanced 737 panel yet seen, and part two will take the panel a step further, that's about all I can reveal at the moment."

General aviation panels will be back in DreamFleet's spotlight again, as group member Charles Grimes has begun work on a 1985 Cessna 172 panel, which is due for release in April.

www.dreamfleet2000.com

TRI and GoD Announce FLY! 2K

Posted: Friday, February 18, 2000 - 19:55

For Gathering of Developers Contact:
Andrea Schneider/Matt Burton
TSI Communications
212-696-2000
aschneider@tsicomm.com/mburton@tsicomm.com

For Immediate Release

Terminal Reality and Gathering of Developers
Announce FLY! 2K

Special Enhanced Version of Critically-Acclaimed FLY! Landing in Stores This April

Dallas, TX, February 18, 2000 -- Game developer Terminal Reality and developer-driven computer and video game publisher Gathering of Developers today announced FLY! 2K, an enhanced version of the technologically-advanced general aviation simulation FLY!. FLY! 2K furthers its predecessor by providing virtual pilots with the most recent enhancements made to the original and a host of new features including the SKY! Environment Exciter, Roger Wilco support for online
voice chatting, and an expanded global elevation database. The Gathering will release FLY! 2K in April 2000 for the PC and Macintosh computers. In addition, the company will offer free upgrades for current FLY! owners.

"Terminal Reality was determined to make FLY! the most realistic and detailed flight simulation experience available,? said Brett Combs, vice president of Terminal Reality and co-producer of FLY!. "Our fans are our best critics, and with FLY! 2K, we had a chance to incorporate feedback from them and the flight sim community to include fantastic user created add-ons into this enhanced version.

FLY! 2K?s new features include Roger Wilco support, the SKY! Environment Exciter and the 172 Skyhawk Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) panel. Roger Wilco is a real-time voice chat solution for online pilots, allowing players to engage in single or multiple conversations. The SKY! Environment Exciter produces hyper-realistic sun and clouds, detailed weather models including ready-made weather environments or custom weather settings, accurate night lighting and enhanced graphics for runways, taxiways and airport buildings. The 172 Skyhawk IFR instrument/cockpit panel allows simmers to fly in all weather conditions using the instruments rather than sight as the primary means of navigation.

FLY! 2K's enhancements and add-ons will be available in April via CD or download by current, registered FLY! owners at the Gathering web site http://www.godgames.com or by calling 1-877-godgame.

Several additional enhancements complement FLY! 2K?s new features. An expanded global elevation database allows for more precise elevation sample points for a more realistic re-creation of real world topography. Improved avionics documentation provides a clearer understanding of FLY! 2K?s virtually limitless functions. In addition, FLY! 2K also features improved product stability and
additional Universal Serial Bus (USB) support.

FLY! and FLY! 2K use Terminal Reality's advanced Photex3 graphics engine, developed by the company's president and Nocturne lead programmer, Mark Randel.

Released in August 1999, FLY! has consistently garnered extensive third-party support from fans and developers around the world. Terminal Reality continues the FLY! franchise with FLY! 2K, various agreements with third party developers, such as PC Aviator and its MegaScenery Pacific Northwest for FLY! and the upcoming sequel FLY! II. The flight sim community has already embraced the
franchise, creating multiple Web sites featuring new scenery, planes and aircraft add-ons and alterations.

The gaming and flight enthusiast press have also embraced FLY!. Flight simulation journal MicroWings stated, "Real pilots and flight simulation enthusiasts will be blown away with the realism and attention to detail in FLY!"

All Games Network named FLY! "Flight Sim of the Year." Apple Computer, Inc. said "FLY! provides stunning exterior scenery and extremely accurate detail in the cockpit. The only thing missing is the air sickness bag." Air & Space Smithsonian called FLY! "one of the most advanced and realistic general aviation
simulations available for your PC."

Headquartered in Lewisville TX, Terminal Reality is a technology-driven independent developer of PC, Mac and Dreamcast games. Founded in 1994, the company has created several best-selling games including Terminal Velocity, Microsoft Hellbender, Microsoft Monster Truck Madness 1 & 2, and the award-winning Microsoft CART Precision Racing. In addition, Terminal Reality
created the first 3D game for the Windows 95 platform, Microsoft Fury3. In 1999, Terminal Reality's ultra realistic flight simulation FLY!, and the 3D action/adventure horror game Nocturne were released to industry acclaim.

Terminal Reality also licenses its innovative Nocturne Engine which features real-time lighting/shadowing, cloth simulation, volumetric fogging and cinematic cameras. http://www.terminalteality.com

Founded in Dallas, TX in January 1998, Gathering of Developers is a developer-driven computer and video game publishing company. The company's mission is to be the worldwide leader in the development and delivery of commercially successful computer game software designed for a range of platforms. The company's pioneering partners are industry leaders and proven hit makers 3D Realms, Epic Games, PopTop Software, Ritual Entertainment, Terminal Reality Inc and Edge of Reality. For more information visit Gathering of Developers' Web site at http://www.godgames.com.

Start Your Engines... FSPRA 2000 Race Season Begins...

Posted: Friday, February 11, 2000 - 17:27

FSPRA recently went through a site revamp and is now accepting membership for the 2000 Race Season. FSPRA offers FREE! Single & Multiplayer Racing for Microsoft's Flight Simulator 98 / 2000 & Terminal Reality's FLY! Simulator. This new season will bring lots of new additions to the race lineup. The first of these is the addition of three new race classes. For those who like to take it a little slower, The FS2000 Adventurer Race Class is a perfect fit. This class is based on the new Piper Cub Collection series from FSAdventure. Also, after several requests we have added a High Performance Single Engine Race Class for FS2000 (Mooney Bravo) and FLY! (FLY! Piper Malibu). If you are up to the challenge for a faster, heavier twin engine you can now fly in the KingAir Race Classes that is available in both FS2000 Pro and FLY!. These classes will give pilots a faster bird, but more of a challenge as you navigate smaller airports. In total, FSPRA offers 11 different race classes to choose from.

Our Current Race, MicroWINGS Santa Catalina Fly-in/Race, offers a challenging course through the mountains, valleys, and coastline of scenic Southern California. Our host airport will be Catalina Airport, which is a great airport for all the activities planned during this event. FSPRA Members who participate in this race will be put in a random drawing for a MicroWINGS one-year membership, courtesy of MicroWINGS.Race Weekend events are planned during the last weekend of this race event. Race participants can win prizes from a growing list of sponsors all season long, some of them valued as much as $250. So signup today as we buzz the L.A. skyline with the throttle to the firewall.

For more information visit the FSPRA website!

PFD Announces Special Sales Promotion

Posted: Friday, February 11, 2000 - 12:44

Click for full size Boeing Glass Cockpit image

Professional Flight Displays (PFD, Inc.) announced today a special Sales Promotion that takes effect IMMEDIATELY and runs through February 29th.

Customers who purchase the Full Boeing Glass Cockpit, priced at $169.00, will be entitled to a free software package of Enrico Schiratti's QuickMap, a $34.95 value.

Click for full size Quick Map image

Running from February 14th (Valentines Day) through Feb 29th(Leap Year Day), this sales promotion is designed to encourage the "sweethearts" of the Flight Simmer group to either purchase for, or to allow the purchase of software that IS AS REAL AS IT GETS.

The free Registered Copy of QuickMap allows the flight sim pilot to NEVER need Approach Plates for the Terminal Airport area as it provides the necessary frequency information right on screen. The display can run on the same computer as FS2000 or any other computer and with a simple press of the Alt key and a right click of the mouse, your aircraft can be positioned to ANY point on the Map display immediately. The use of QuickMap also allows the pilot to visually see his position in relation to the airport and runway that he will be landing at, and therefore he can issue his own radar vectors for a proper ILS intercept!

The QuickMap software is also available in download DEMO at the Schiratti website.

PFD initally opened their software sales in August of 1999 and at this time counts customers in over 27 countries and 6 continents! Primarily designed for the upscale flight simmer who has multiple computers and/or multiple monitors, the Boeing Glass Cockpit allows those customers to create the feeling and size of an actual Boeing instrument panel, and at the same time unloading the CPU work of a computer running FS2000 or FS98 to only require it to provide an Outside view. This networking ability allows much faster frame rates in FS2000 and also provides for a view of the Primary Flight Display(PFD) and the Navigation Display(ND) be almost exactly the same size as in a real Boeing, when using a 15 inch monitor.

The Computer Display Unit(CDU) and Mode Control Panel(MCP) can be configured to run on additional computers for more realism or on the same computers running the PFD software and FS2000 software if space does not permit additional hardware. The CDU and MCP elevate the realism even further due to special autopilot coding that takes the simmer to new heights of precision and realism. In addition, the CDU has both Lateral Navigation(LNAV) and Vertical Navigation(VNAV) functions that allow the inclusion of SIDS and STARS to any flight plan. Also included in the CDU package is the ability to navigate to any point on the globe with unlimited waypoints and a special Holding Pattern function completes the total reality package.

The PFD software is marketed widely on the Web and prospective customers can purchase from SimMarket, 4CDS, CSI and MicroWINGS web sites at this time.

Each of those Web sites provides for a download DEMO to enable the prospective customer to try out his system and to see if that system meets the requirements of the full package. For further information with graphical presentations of current home cockpit setups and for more detail in what is contained within each portion of the total PFD packages, interested parties can research additionally at the Schiratti and PFD Team websites.

PFD, Inc.

Dauntless Software Announces SimPlates 2000 World Edition

Posted: Friday, February 11, 2000 - 12:01

February 11, 2000

Dauntless Software is pleased to announce the upcoming release of SimPlates 2000 - World Edition. SP 2000 World follows in the footsteps of the critically-acclaimed SimPlates 2000 USA, a product which provides serious flight simulation enthusiasts over 9500 IFR approach plates along with other aviation data. While the ultimate feature set for SimPlates 2000 World is yet to be finalized, it will follow along the lines of the US product insofar as the IFR approach plates go. Several thousand approach plates will be available for major airports throughout the world, along with SIDs, STARs, Airport Diagrams, tables of Takeoff, Alternate, and Radar minimums, and more. While there will be plates for airports in over 100 countries, special emphasis will be placed on Western Europe, Australia, and Asia. Additionally, the product will contain Alaska and Hawaii plates not available in the US product. The anticipated release date for SimPlates 2000 is February 21st. It will be available through our web site for individual sale or as a package with SimPlates 2000 - USA. Please monitor our website for availability and news.

FSClouds 2000 Announced

Posted: Friday, February 04, 2000 - 14:43
Flight One Software announces FSClouds 2000. FS Clouds 2000 is for use exclusively with Microsoft Flight Simulator 2000 and will be ready for release very soon. This is a completely new version written from the ground up, and incorporates new technology and functions.
Flight One Software President Steve Halpern says: "FSClouds has really evolved from the technology used a few years ago into a very unique interface. We are very excited about it! The new interface is easy to use and includes several new utilities. Of course the clouds are they key feature of the new program, and I think FSClouds 2000 users will find the new sky very realistic." Some of the other new features include different regular and 3D style cloud sets; a Great Quick Flight feature; a way to package scenarios for later use, or to upload to the internet; and a way to archive and mix and match weather files.
Please review the preview pictures. They are examples of the cloud technology we are implementing, as well as the new Quick Flight screen.
If you own early versions of Flight Simulator, the CD will include previous versions of FSClouds that work for FS98, FSW95, and FS5.1.
Release of FS Clouds 2000 is scheduled for late February or Early March.
For further information, please check Flight One Software's main site at www.flight1.com over the coming weeks.
Preview pictures can be seen here.

DreamFleet 2000(tm)

Posted: Tuesday, February 01, 2000 - 23:07
Press Release

Instrument panel designers Louis J. Betti and Chris Arrington are pleased to announce the formation of DreamFleet 2000, a design group dedicated to producing the most visually and operationally realistic instrument panels ever created for Microsoft(r) Flight Simulator.

"The age of photo realism is here to stay", says co-founder Lou Betti. "While this was difficult to accomplish in FS98, it will now be the norm in FS2000. We hope not only to provide as complete as possible systems / gauge simulation, but also to give the user a visual environment that is as close to real as one can get; the feeling that you are actually sitting in the pilot's seat of the real plane. We intend to not only raise the standards of panel design, but to foster a development environment that provides the end-user with the highest degree of quality and realism possible".

Lou adds, "The key to this is to forget the past. Scanning in a photo or poster and calling it a photo real panel is not photo-realism. Photo-realism is an art form, neither a scanned photo, or a hand painted panel. Our tools are not airbrushes, but cloning, blurring, burning, and dodging tools. The panel's perspective is also critical; you won't see the ADI and HSI over on the left side of your monitor, as you do with many other panels. They'll be as close to center as possible, as that's the way it is in real life. Think of the center of your monitor as the center of the pilot's windshield. There will be no jump seat views; and if accomplishing this means we have to put the gear lever, or some other part of the panel in a separate window, we will do it. After all, for most of the flight, seeing your primary flight instruments squarely in front of you is more important than seeing the gear lever, or part of the co-pilot's panel. We're trying to design a large 3-dimensional object in a small 2-dimensional environment. If you don't exercise proper compromise, you'll end up with bad perspective, and small, hard-to-read gauges. What we create is the illusion of being in the real cockpit, not looking at a photo of one, or of an artist's rendering".

The group's long term project is a panel for the Boeing 737-300/400/500 series, which is scheduled for release in the late spring of 2000. However, within the next few weeks, the group will release what they term a "showcase" of their graphics skills, a panel for the venerable Cessna 182S. This panel will utilize both default and custom gauges, and will feature several new outside view bitmaps, along with a replacement .air file by the group's flight dynamics designer, Steve Small.

"The default gauges for the 182 are highly accurate", says Chris Arrington, "and right now we need all our programming talents at work on the 737. We're hoping to do panels similar to the 182 for the Mooney, and perhaps the King Air. We'll produce both general aviation, and commercial airliner panels".

DreamFleet currently has an excellent set of photos for the Boeing 777, and the
group's library includes complete operations manuals for the Lockheed
Constellation, Boeing 707,727,737, and Douglas DC-9. Manuals for the DC-10, and 747 are due in shortly.

"If we had the benefit of the SDK", Lou comments, "we could have taken the 182 a bit further in this first version. However, having our lead programmer, Nick Jacobs, hack away, trying to find solutions is not our method of programming. You can be sure that we'll upgrade the 182 once we have the SDK, not that there is much left to upgrade!"

While DreamFleet 2000's work will be freeware, the primary focus of the group is quality. " We are neither pro-freeware, or anti-commercial," states Lou Betti. "What we are is pro-quality; whatever it takes to produce the best".

The group currently has six licensed pilots, two of whom are airline pilots among its 11 members. In addition, noted FS sound designer Mike Hambly has recently come on board, along with Marco Blauwhof, who brings his 747 project with him. The group's gauge programming is led by Nick Jacobs. DreamFleet is also planning to add aircraft and scenery design to its offerings.

"DreamFleet 2000 is not a country club", adds Chris Arrington. "Sure, we had to invite people at the start, but right now, if you've got a needed talent you can offer, please contact us. Needless to say, we could use a few more gauge programmers on the team, and wouldn't mind hearing from some scenery designers. It would be nice to provide a realistic airport to go with a realistic panel. We wish to foster an environment for creativity, innovation, and cooperation, both within the group, and with other groups and associations."

DreamFleet 2000 currently counts the following individuals among its members:

Chris Arrington: Co-founder, graphic artist, B-1 bomber crew chief
Louis J. Betti: Co-founder, graphic artist, licensed pilot
Gurumurthy Balasubramanian: Consulting ATP, 747 pilot
Marco Blauwhof: Graphic artist, gauge programmer
Charles Grimes: Graphic artist, licensed pilot
Mike Hambly: Sound designer
Hans Hartmann: Associate gauge programmer
Nick Jacobs: Lead gauge programmer, student pilot
Hamilton Muller: Consulting ATP, 737 pilot
Aaron Pederson: Graphic artist, licensed pilot
Steve Small: Flight Dynamics, licensed pilot

Full previews of the Cessna 182 panel can be seen at the group's web site, a long with some graphics from the 737 panel, the completed bitmaps for which will remain under "wraps" until just before release, in the late Spring of this year.

The group's web site:

http://www.dreamfleet2000.com

Empire "Comanche Hokum" Screenshots

Posted: Saturday, January 15, 2000 - 08:35
Empire Interactive last night contacted ASVIM Online's European offices and gave us the latest insight into their secret hanger. Here is the press release they sent us.

Take cover and prepare for….

ENEMY ENGAGED: ‘COMANCHE HOKUM’

Empire Interactive announces a 21st Century helicopter sim from the makers of Enemy Engaged: Apache Havoc.

After producing Apache Havoc, arguably the best 20th Century helicopter simulation of 1998/99, Empire Interactive is preparing to roll out its 21st Century equivalent, Comanche Hokum.

Building on the success of Apache Havoc, Oxford-based developer Razorworks has followed it up by giving players the chance to fly two of the world’s deadliest, ‘next-generation’ attack helicopters. In Western hangars sits the US Army’s futuristic RAH-66 Comanche gunship, a stealth helicopter with a radar signature 1/600th that of a Hellfire missile. While on Eastern airstrips lurks the Comanche’s Russian-built counterpart, the twin-rotored death-deliverer known as the Ka-52 Hokum-B. Both can deliver several varieties of death at the touch of a button.

Featuring state-of-the-art 3D graphics (both DirectX 7 and hardware acceleration are supported), Comanche Hokum puts you right into the heart of the modern digital battlefield. Three challenging war zones (Taiwan, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia/Yemen) have been closely-modelled to test your skills to the limit, each one featuring a variety of offensive and defensive missions over simulated landscapes as big as 400km by 200km. Fly low across the grasslands of Asia on search and rescue missions, attack armoured convoys by night, or escort a flight of transports on daring troop insertion sorties in the desert. Comanche Havoc is a case of bigger, better, more. A bigger range of missions and target types; better enemy and wingman AI; plus more detail, camera views and accessibility. Using a vastly improved 3D engine (there are no fixed cockpits, only virtual ones), similar avionics and familiar, dynamic gameplay, Comanche Hokum is everything a good sequel should be.

Designed to complement Apache Havoc, rather than replace it, Comanche Hokum will also boast improved stereo music, digitised speech and sound effects. While its accurately-modelled technology is only rivalled by the detail lavished on its animated crewmembers which even have face textures that you can replace like skins in Quake. Playable either as a full-blown simulation or, at its simplest, a computer-aided arcade-style shooter, Comanche Hokum also features full multiplayer functionality over serial cable, modem, LAN and Internet connections. And, if players have Apache Havoc installed on their computers, the two games can be linked together, thereby allowing the AH-64D Apache and the Mil-28-N Havoc B to be flown either alongside or against the game’s two new helicopters. The best helicopter sim in the world, just got better.

ENEMY ENGAGED: ‘COMANCHE HOKUM’ FEATURES:

Two of the world’s deadliest, ‘next generation’ attack helicopters, the US Army’s futuristic RAH-66 Comanche gunship and the Russian-built counterpart Ka-52 Hokum-B.

· State-of-the-art 3D graphics.

· Three challenging war zones (Taiwan, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia/Yemen), each one featuring a variety of offensive and defensive missions over simulated landscapes as big as 400km by 200km.

· Improved stereo music, digitised speech and sound effects.

· Full multiplayer functionality over serial cable, modem, LAN and Internet connections.

· If players have Apache Havoc, the two games can be linked together, thereby allowing the AH-64D Apache and the Mil-28-N Havoc B to be flown either alongside or against the game’s two new helicopters.

Designed for PC CD-ROM only, Enemy Engaged: ‘Comanche Hokum’ is due to be launched off of the deck of the good ship Empire Interactive. Release date April 2000

To view the screenshots at AVSIM Online! just go to the link here.

Additional information about Empire Interactive and its products can be obtained on the world wide web here.

FS Design Studio

Posted: Tuesday, December 28, 1999 - 20:09
FS Design Studio
by Louis Sinclair & Trancer Software

Description:
FS Design Studio is a general-purpose 3D-object design software package made specifically for use with Microsoft Flight Simulator 2000. It is based on the Computer Aided Design (CAD) approach to designing real world models.

FS Design Studio has a multitude of tools, powerful techniques and time-saving shortcuts that you can use to create almost any kind of accurate 3D textured object to use with Microsoft's Flight Simulator 2000.

FS Design Studio objects are created and rendered on the screen. The display screen is organized as four separate windows representing the top, front, side and 3D perspective views of the object. If you make a change to the object in one of the windows, t
While most of the design tasks are performed visually using familiar drag-and-drop methods, you may also edit the objects using precise numeric values

FS Design Studio includes the option to display your object in 3D as a wireframe model or a solid object complete with textures, allowing you to view your creation without starting FS2000.

3D objects in Flight Simulator all share a common internal structure. FS Design Studio takes advantage of this by allowing you to output your project as a stationary scenery object, a moving vehicle for use with dynamic scenery program such as FS Action!
FS Design Studio directly supports the most popular scenery design file formats, allowing it to be used as an integral part of your scenery design environment. Supported file formats are:

* SCASM source files (for the SCASM scenery compiler)
* SCASM macro files (for use with Airport & Scenery Designer and Visual Object Designer)
* Raw BGL format (for use with DynKit to make dynamic scenery object libraries)
* Standalone BGL scenery files (for direct use as FS2000 scenery)
* Aircraft MDL files (for designing flyable FS2000 aircraft - available in PRO version)

Audience:
FS Design Studio is very versatile and can be used by a wide range of users:

* Starter: this is a casual user wants to personalize the flight experience. He may want to add a house, the new shopping mall or a football stadium to the hometown scenery. He can spruce up the local airport and town by using any of the "pre-made" 3D obj
* Budding Scenery Designer: this user spends more time with flight simulator and already has some experience making scenery objects. He can now customize large scenery areas using by adding dozens of new 3D scenery objects. Each is individually designed a
* Serious Scenery Designer: this advanced user is undertaking the ultimate project. He doesn't want to use an arcane programming language to "design scenery". He wants to recreate in fine detail of the windmills in the California desert or the ancient for
* Budding Modeler: this user has always wanted to make his own aircraft. Like the hobbyist who buys a plastic model, he uses "pre-made" parts from the library and and uses FS Design Studio to "glue" them together.

* Aircraft Engineer: this user makes his own parts seemingly out of thin air. In fact, he'll probably make hundreds of parts along the way. He'll create a warehouse full of reusable parts. The finished aircraft will look and fly with the big ones.


Checklist Approach:
The breadth of the FS Design Studio main menu attests to the raw power built into this software. The dozens of available options confirm that the capabilities of this package are extensive.

To introduce new users to FS Design Studio, we have prepared a large set of checklists. A checklist is a set of step-by-step instructions for performing a single task.

For example, the checklist for constructing a perfect 3D water tower has 8 steps. When the user has completed the checklist, he will have modeled a water tower that can be dropped into FS2000 scenery.

Another checklist for designing a fuselage has 12 steps. When the user has completed this checklist, he will have modeled one of the most critical parts of the aircraft - the fuselage.

After completing the 9-step checklist for perfecting the wings he can easily "weld" the wings onto the fuselage, etc.

Using these simple checklists, we're confident that the designer will be able to complete any of the predefined tasks.


Availability:
Our schedule calls for all versions FS Design Studio to be available about March 2000. Actual delivery date is dependant upon completion of scheduled testing, parts library, templates and checklists.


Pricing:
* FS Design Studio Standard Version - makes 3D scenery objects (no aircraft MDLs) $29.95
* FS Design Studio PRO - makes 3D scenery objects and aircraft MDLs - non commercial use only - $59.95
* FS Design Studio PRO Commerical - 3D scenery objects and aircraft MDLs commercial use - pricing to be announced
* FS Design Studio PRO Upgrade -available to Aircraft Factory 99 users only - pricing to be announced


Additional Information:
Please refer to the separate document "FS Design Studio Info - Part 2" for more detailed information about FS Design Studio. Please note that all information is preliminary and is subject to change.


Contact:
Arnie Lee
Abacus Software, Inc.
5370 52nd Street SE
Grand Rapids, MI 49512 U.S.A.

Phone 616 698-0330
Fax 616 698-0325
Email arnie@abacuspub.com


(c)1999, 2000 by Louis Sinclair, Trancer Software, Abacus Software, Inc. All rights reserved.

FSTraffic Update 7 Is Available

Posted: Wednesday, December 22, 1999 - 13:41
FSTraffic F-A-Q/PATCH Update 7
21/12/99

Dear FSTraffic User, this is to let you know that a new patch (1.04) is now available!
Fixed problems:
* Import/Export compatibility problem: now there is full import/export compatibility across new and old ST versions and across FS98 and FS2000
* Solved the WEATHER.DLL bug in FS2000 - do not mix this up with the problem created by the first FS2000 patch released by Microsoft; this error occurred in FSTraffic by reordering the files in the \MODULES directory.
* Solved a problem in the ILS generator that, in certain cases, was assigning ILSs to the wrong runway

New features:
* Added checkbox in the "Traffic Parameters" dialog to activate/deactivate airport messages to avoid problems with other applications using messages (like adventures)
* Added checkbox in the "Traffic Parameters" dialog to turn ON/OFF standard FS dynamic scenery suppression
* Added an entry in the FSTRAF.INI to turn off airport registry rebuilding at FS
startup
* Added possibility to record and see "Static" tracks
* Export file name addition

Thank you for using FSTraffic

Best regards,
The FSTraffic Team

FlyVFR VOICE ATC FOR FS2000 FREE INTRODUCTORY VERSION RELEASE

Posted: Tuesday, December 21, 1999 - 21:23
San Antonio TX -- December 21, 1999 FlyVFR, the voice add-on for 2-way ATC communication, has been updated for FS2000. The first release (filename FlyVFRIn.Zip) is a freeware introductory version which supports most features of the upcoming shareware release. See, "LIMITATIONS," below. FS2000 pilots select their callsign from a list of the FS2000 General Aviation flight models. Flights start where the airplane sits and you fly from any airport to any airport with 2-way voice communications during all phases of the flight. ATC voice is provided by the Wav files included in Aafwav.Zip (a free download probably available at this site). Pilot's Voice Wav files are included, as are complete instructions on how to record files in your own voice. Background ATC chatter, a feature of previous versions of FlyVFR, may now be toggled on and off. At your destination, you can make a visual approach and landing o!
r contact Approach Control for vectors to ILS equipped runways. See, "LIMITATIONS," below. As in FlyVFR Version 2.0, voice ATIS is provided but if you want a weather report included, then you must enter the weather data manually. This is because, FS2000 does not export weather variables to add-on adventures such as was the case in previous Flight Simulator versions. ATIS reports the active runway and recites a time-sensitive alpha ID with or without weather. LIMITATIONS of the freeware. The free introductory version of FlyVFR is limited in three (3) areas: 1. Only FS2000 aircraft using default callsigns may be selected. 2. Only frequencies provided in lists may be selected for use. 3. Approach Control will provide vectors to runways 12, 13, 14, 15, and 16. The shareware version (filename FlyVFR2K.Zip) allows you to assemble a GA tail number callsign (for add-on aircraft) or configure a VA flight number, enter an exact ATC facility frequency, and makes all runways e!
ligible for ILS vectoring. Release date for the shareware is Q1 2000. Address inquiries to Ron Broyles. E-Mail RonB49@aol.com.

FIGHTER ACE II LAUNCHES ON THE MSN GAMING ZONE

Posted: Tuesday, December 21, 1999 - 00:32
******************************
MEDIA ALERT: DECEMBER 20, 1999
******************************

FIGHTER ACE II LAUNCHES ON THE MSN GAMING ZONE; FREE MONTH OF GAMEPLAY INCLUDED

Microsoft today announced that Fighter Ace II has gone live and is available for download at http://www.zone.com/fighterace/. To celebrate the game's launch, the Zone is offering the first of month of gameplay for free. Fighter Ace II is a massively multiplayer World War II air combat game that allows more than 300 pilots to fight in a single air combat arena from the cockpit of any one of more than 34 World War II vintage fighters and bombers.

In Fighter Ace II, players battle for airborne supremacy by coordinating battle plans with their wingmen and squad mates. Fighter aces must defend their territory, secure new strategic positions, and blast bogies in an on-going war between British, German, United States, Russian, and Japanese aircraft. Fighter Ace II's accurately modeled World War II aircraft include such planes as the DeHavilland Mosquito, the F4U-4 Corsair and the legendary Zero. Players can completely customize the ordnance load-out of their planes including auxiliary fuel, bombs and rockets. With an entirely new physics, flight and damage model, along with aircraft mounted rockets and territorial combat with player triggered tanks, the all-new Fighter Ace II brings a level of realism never before experienced in an online-only air combat game.

On the Zone, players can easily find games that accommodate their style and intensity of play. Fighter Ace II provides diverse types of gaming arenas, including team based games of conquest and combat, free for all games, and even arenas divided by pilot ability to make the entry into this exciting world easy and fun. With the new squadron support in Fighter Ace II, players can easily coordinate and communicate with their wingmen and allies to dominate the skies.

Additionally, for a limited time players can sign up for a subscription where their first month of Fighter Ace II is free.

Fighter Ace II is only available on the MSN Gaming Zone (http://www.zone.com). For more information on the game, visit the official Web for Fighter Ace II at http://www.microsoft.com/games/zone/fighteraceII/.

* * *



a r b u t h n o t c o m m u n i c a t i o n s, i n c.
(p) 415 431 2300
(f) 415 431 1246
http://www.arbuthnot.com

Dauntless Software Releases SimPlates 2000

Posted: Thursday, December 16, 1999 - 10:24
December 16,1999: Dauntless Software is pleased to announce the release of SimPlates 2000. This PC/CD-ROM based product is intended for both serious flight simulation enthusiasts as well as real-world pilots (student and otherwise) who also fly PC-based sims. SimPlates 2000 contains over 8000 printable IFR approach plates for the 48 States, Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands. This includes approaches of all types--VOR, DME, GPS, LOC, SDF, MLS, FMS, Visual, and more, in addition to supporting plates covering airport diagrams, SIDs, STARs, takeoff minimums, radar minimums, and alternate minimums. Additionally, it features a comprehensive Airport/Facility Directory, with a wealth of information about Airports, NAVAIDs, and preferred IFR routes.

SimPlates 2000 is intended to work with any PC flight simulation that has relatively accurate NAVAIDs and Airports. This includes Microsoft Flight Simulator 95/98/2000, Fly! (TRI), Pro Pilot / Pro Pilot 99 (Sierra/Dynamix), X-Plane (Laminar Research), and IFR-specific simulators such as those by ASA, Jepessen, and Elite. However, the data provided by SimPlates 2000 is strictly for PC-simulation use--under no circumstances should it be be used for real-world flight or flight planning. SimPlates is priced at a (we believe) very reasonable $25 shipped via Priority Mail to US addresses. As avid simmers and pilots, we believe that this is truly a utility that no serious simmer should be without. All are invited to our Dauntless Software web page for more information or to order.

Dauntless Software, a.k.a. FAATEST.COM provides the real-world and simulated aviation communities with quality software and related material. Our GroundSchool series of FAA/Transport Canada written test preparation software wins rave reviews from users for its ease of use, low cost, and convenience. Our AutoMETAR program (available as freeware, also included on the disc) is a popular add-on to Terminal Reality's Flight Simulator, Fly!

FlightSoft's TRIBUTE TO THE DC10 Version 2.0 Featured

Posted: Wednesday, December 15, 1999 - 09:23
FlightSoft's Tribute to the DC10 Version 2.0 is featured in the current issues of < i>Computer Pilot Magazine and Aircraft Illustrated Magazine. This product includes many features and many new enhancements to the 'classic' DC10 product add-on for Microsoft Flight Simulator 98. Version 2.0 The Upgrade features many new enhancements to the visual model of the DC10 aircraft and the DC10 cockpit panel. Reviewers have applauded FlightSoft for its ingenious design features in DC10. DC10 Version 2 features Flight Approaches to world famous airport destinations, and offer a complete dynamic airport scenery for Las Vegas's McCarran Intl. Airport and Honolulu International Airport. The new dynamic scenery engine offers a first peak at FlightSoft's upcoming Boeing 747-400 jetliner. Tribute to the DC10 also features an exclusive Precision Approach Vector Technology Flight Adventure from Honolulu International Airport to Maui's Kahului Airport. This flight adventure utilizes the complete dynamic airport scenery environments of both Honolulu International Airport and Maui. FlightSoft's new Honolulu - Maui flight adventure offers actual Air Traffic Control transmissions as recorded `live' from real world airliner flights.

TRIBUTE TO THE DC10 Version 2.0 The Upgrade is available direct from FlightSoft and your favorite mail order store.

To visit the PC Aviator website and view the cover photo of the current issue of Computer Pilot Magazine click here or to visit FlightSoft and learn more about Tribute to the DC10 click here.

The January 2000 Issue of IAN ALLAN Publications "AIRCRAFT ILLUSTRATED" with its lengthy review of Tribute to the DC10 is now available at Barnes & Noble Bookstores.

BT Lower British Access Charges

Posted: Sunday, December 12, 1999 - 07:03
The Internet in the UK is being held back quite substantially due to the huge cost of Dial-Up-Access. British Telecom have announced their intentions to try to alleviate this matter. A little like some of the US systems, British Telecom will provide a series of usage packages starting in the spring of next year, for a once a month fee. These range from monthly weekend access to anytime internet options. Below is the full press release with all the package details.

BT announces price packages for unlimited Internet access

BT is set to cut the cost of dial-up calls to the Internet with the introduction of BT Surftime -- the widest choice of retail pricing options for unlimited Internet access. BT Surftime will apply both to consumers and small businesses in the UK. In a significant breakthrough, BT Surftime will change radically the way Internet access is charged, encouraging more people to get on-line. It will also provide a further boost to businesses looking to take advantage of e-commerce.

BT Surftime, subject to satisfactory agreement with Oftel, will be available from Spring next year -- and will consist of a range of unlimited usage packages for a single monthly fee. They will be aimed at both heavy and infrequent users of the Internet.

Customers of Internet Service Providers (ISPs) offering subscription-based and/or 'pay-as-you-go' free access services will be able to choose the pricing package that best suits their surfing needs. Designed to expand the market overall -- now growing at more than 100 per cent a year -- the BT Surftime options will be:

Weekend Internet option - a £6.99 per month charge for unlimited access at the weekend plus any applicable ISP subscription charge. On weekdays, customers will be charged at only one penny per minute evening and night-time and two pence per minute during the day.

Evening and night-time Internet option - a £6.99 per month charge for unlimited access during the evening and night-time, Monday to Friday, plus any applicable ISP subscription charge. At weekends, customers will be charged at only one penny per minute and two pence per minute on weekdays.

Daytime Internet option - a £26.99 per month charge for unlimited access during the day, Monday to Friday, plus any applicable ISP subscription charge. Outside this period customers will be charged at only one penny per minute.

Anytime Internet option - a £34.99 per month charge for unlimited access at anytime, day, evening and night-time, and weekends, plus any applicable ISP subscription charge.

'pay-as-you-go' Internet option - Internet calls charge at one penny per minute evening, night-time and weekend as well as two pence per minute during the day, plus any applicable ISP subscription charge.
In addition, ISPs charging a monthly fee can bill BT customers through their BT account. This will be of particular benefit to new and existing ISPs, which do not have the resource to create and run their own billing systems.

Bill Cockburn, group managing director of BT UK, said: "BT Surftime is the most significant development for the Internet in the UK. It has been made possible through a major new network investment in addition to the hundreds of millions of pounds we have already invested.

"It is the first time we have been able to tailor packages and we believe it is a huge step towards Internet for everyone while at the same time not disadvantaging those that use the telephone in the traditional way.

"Customers can be in full control of how much they spend on-line and use whichever ISP they prefer. Existing users can save money, and new customers should no longer feel inhibited from using the Internet for reasons of cost."

BT Surftime will also be available to customers on Home Highway and ISDN lines.

All prices include VAT.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Additional information

BT has advised Oftel of these options and will seek its agreement for a new number range to support them. BT has agreed with Oftel that it will offer interconnection products to enable other operators to provide similar services. BT will also seek similar co-operation from other licensed operators and Internet Service Providers (ISPs). An industry forum chaired by Oftel is being set up to work through the interconnection arrangements.

BT Surftime follows the company's recent announcement of a new service provider tariff and deployment of extra Internet Protocol (IP) dial ports as well as its massive expansion plan for its IP backbone network. It will be subject to availability.

British Airways Endorses Microsofts FS2000

Posted: Saturday, December 11, 1999 - 17:53
In a press release sent to AVSIM Online, Microsoft have announced that the UK airline British Airways has endorsed the latest version of Flight Simulator. Below is a copy of the press release we recieved.

The World's Favourite Airline contributes to the World's most realistic Flight Simulation!

British Airways fully endorses Latest Version of Most Popular PC Flight Simulation product from Microsoft
For the first time ever, British Airways has fully endorsed the design and production of a PC flight simulation product. The company was amongst several worldwide leaders in aviation, who offered their support and expertise to make the latest release of Microsoft® Flight Simulator 2000, the most realistic flight simulation available for the PC.

Flight Simulator 2000 is the newest version of the best-selling PC simulation of all time. It features everything from flying lessons and accurate flight modeling in each plane to downloadable real-time weather -- all provided by experts from around the world. Flight Simulator 2000 marks the most comprehensive update in the 17-year history of the product. To mark the occasion, Microsoft is offering two versions of Flight Simulator: a professional edition that is realistic enough to be used as a complement to formal flight training, and a standard edition for seasoned and novice pilots alike.

Improvements to the simulation include the following:

Detailed, improved flight models. British Airways, Bell Helicopter, Bombardier, Cessna Aircraft and Mooney Aircraft provided Microsoft with the "blueprints" and technical assistance for rendering realistic aircraft such as the Concorde and the Cessna 182 and ensuring the accuracy of the flight models.

Real navigation aids and airport information. Flight Simulator 2000 features the Jeppesen NavData database with information on more than 21,000 airports worldwide. The information is the same as that used in airliners, corporate aircraft, GPS systems and flight-planning services. Jeppesen, a leader in providing aeronautical data, will also provide hourly feeds of real weather from airports around the globe that can be imported into Flight Simulator 2000. Systems Management built on this feature by detailed information and voice files for the automated weather observation systems simulated in Flight Simulator 2000.

A library of flight essentials from training and professional membership organizations. The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association provides Flight Simulator pilots with access to its archives and, for the first time, membership in AOPA. FlightSafety International provides aircraft operational data, checklists, procedures and other essential training information. Cessna makes it easier for virtual pilots to take the next step into a real cockpit with a "learn to fly" program featuring special incentives and offers.

Captain Mike Bannister, chief pilot and flight manager for British Airways Concorde, commented: "We are at the forefront of an ever-changing industry. Over 20 years ago, the thought of training pilots through the use of a PC simulation would be unheard of. Now, it forms a fundamental part of training and this new release is the closest you can get to flying your own plane. It enables beginners and trained pilots alike the chance to experience real-life scenarios from the comfort of their home."

Stephen McGill, product marketing manager for Microsoft, added: "We more than welcome British Airways expertise and experience in this field. Their participation in this project has been invaluable and has made our new release of Flight Simulator 2000 extra special. Along with a range of other well-known airlines across the globe, I think that novices and professionals alike will find the precision to detail quite outstanding."

Flight Simulator 2000's elite list of participating experts include British Airways Plc; the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA); Bell Helicopter, a subsidiary of Textron Inc.; Bombardier Inc., manufacturers of Learjet; Cessna Aircraft Co.; FlightSafety International Inc.; Jeppesen Sanderson Inc.; King Schools; Rod Machado; Mooney Aircraft Corp.; Systems Management Inc.; and Patty Wagstaff.

About Flight Simulator 2000
Both versions feature new aircraft. The standard edition will include the British Airways Concorde and the Boeing 777-300; the professional edition will have these aircraft plus the Mooney Bravo and the Raytheon (Beechcraft) King Air 350. An astounding 21,015 airports are featured in both editions, making it possible to "fly" out of nearly any airport in the world, no matter how large or small. More information about Flight Simulator is available at the official Web site FS 2000.

3Dfx Open Sources Glide and API

Posted: Saturday, December 11, 1999 - 16:35
3Dfx

3DFX OPEN SOURCES GLIDE API AND RELEASES HARDWARE SPECIFICATIONS

3dfx 'open sources' Glide and releases hardware specifications for its entire current range.

3dfx Interactive today announced that the company is Open Sourcing its Glide(r)application programming interface (API) and releasing hardware specifications for all its 3D hardware accelerators currently available.

By Open Sourcing Glide and releasing the specifications, 3dfx is enabling software developers and the Open Source community to better develop, support, and maintain drivers for 3dfx products across a variety of delivery platforms. Moving forward, 3dfx will focus its internal efforts on developing the industry's best Direct3D and OpenGL hardware platforms.

"Glide was originally created as a response to the industry's need for an API that would allow developers to capitalise on emerging 3D technology," said Al Reyes, director of strategic marketing at 3dfx Interactive. "Today we have taken a leadership position in 3D graphics for Linux and the Open Source community overall by giving programmers and developers the tools necessary to continue to evolve the API to keep pace with the rapid improvements in 3D hardware
capabilities."

"By providing Glide and programming specifications to the development community, we once again demonstrate our commitment to Open Source technology," said Scott Sellers, executive vice president and chief technical officer of 3dfx Interactive, Inc. "The release of the API and the hardware specifications allows for rapid tailoring of drivers and applications for 3dfx products to suit a variety of platform needs. This leadership move substantially enhances our ability to become the standard for cross-platform 3D hardware."

"3dfx has made a bold statement to the Linux community today by Open Sourcing their proprietary API, Glide," said Linus Torvalds, founder of the Linux Operating System. "With the Open Sourcing of FXT1 texture compression and Glide, 3dfx has followed through on its commitment to Linux. By releasing the specifications for all past and current hardware, developers will be able to evolve 3D graphics for the Linux platform and take advantage of the strong features that Voodoo products deliver."

"The release of Glide to the Open Source community improves the 3D capabilities of the Linux-based OS," said Erik Troan, Director of Engineering, Red Hat, Inc. "With the Open Source release of FXT1 texture compression in August followed by today's announcement of Open Source Glide and hardware specifications, Red Hat sees a real commitment from 3dfx to become the leading 3D hardware platform for Linux-based OSes."

3dfx released the initial version of Glide for Voodoo Graphics in 1996. It was developed by 3dfx to allow developers to easily take advantage of new 3D hardware features available on 3dfx products. The company continues to create new groundbreaking digital effects and features such as the recently announced T-Buffer technology, bringing cinematic effects to the PC, and Open Source FXT1 texture compression, which allows developers to increase texture complexity, resulting in a more immersive 3D experience for the user.

About 3dfx Interactive 3dfx is leading the 3D multimedia revolution in personal computers and consumer products. With its patented and award-winning graphics accelerator chips, boards and software, 3dfx provides the technology to create stunningly realistic and immersive visual experiences. The company is recognised worldwide for its ability to bring the world's finest games, educational content, interactive entertainment and media-rich business applications to life. 3dfx products are available through leading PC makers including Compaq, Dell and Gateway as well as in retail stores all over the world. 3dfx Interactive has headquarters in San Jose, California, with engineering and manufacturing facilities in Richardson, Texas and Juarez, Mexico. 3dfx also has its Europe, Middle East and African headquarters in Slough, England and regional offices in Paris, France. Visit 3dfx on the Web here.

Tribute to the DC10 Featured in Aircraft Illustrated

Posted: Tuesday, November 23, 1999 - 18:03
The prestigious British Aviation Magazine Aircraft Illustrated is to feature its longest Flight Simulator add-on review to date focusing on FLIGHTSOFT's TRIBUTE TO THE DC10. The upcoming December issue of `AIRCRAFT ILLUSTRATED' will review both Version 1.1 and Version 2.0 of FLIGHTSOFT's massive DC10 product add-on for Microsoft Flight Simulator. Aircraft Illustrated reviewer Howard Curtis says, "It was absolutely necessary to write an extremely long review of DC10 - much longer than any other Flight Sim add-on todate because of the extraordinary range of features included in FlightSoft's Tribute to the DC10." Available in Barnes & Noble Bookstores across the U.S. and in stores throughout the world - the December `Christmas' Issue of `AIRCRAFT ILLUSTRATED' is bound to capture worldwide interest with its prolific review of the `classic' DC10 add-on for Microsoft Flight Simulator. Visit the FlightSoft web site for more information.

Radar Contact 99 Generates Adventures for Flight Simulator 2000

Posted: Saturday, November 06, 1999 - 12:33
Atlanta - November 6: JDT LLC announced today Radar Contact 99 Version 1.2k, which can now produce adventures that will run in Flight Simulator 2000 as well as FS98. Radar Contact 99 can read flight plans exported from NAV 3.0, Flight Sim Planner, FSNavigator, and Super Flight Planner. Nav 3.0 can now read FS2000 Scenery files, and Flight Sim Planner now has a complete FS2000 database. Both of these flight planners can create flight plans based on FS2000 Scenery, and export the flight plan to Radar Contact 99.

Program Highlights:

The core adventure code has not changed. It is still the rock solid performer you came to expect in version 1.0. Version 1.2k is now available at Radar Contact downloads. Also you can download NAV 3.0; and Flight Sim Planner .

Important Note - FS2000 has changed the way weather works, and the information available to the adventure about the weather is broken. Until the SDK for FS2000 is released, the barometric pressure, winds, clouds, etc will not be reported correctly to the RC99 adventure. As soon as the weather can be fixed, either by the SDK, or a Microsoft FS2000 patch, or a modified compiler, the RC99 adventures will begin to report the weather correctly.

For details, contact: Doug Thompson, or visit our web site Radar Contact.

WILCO Hangsim Ships

Posted: Friday, November 05, 1999 - 09:57
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

LIFTOFF FOR ‘HANGSIM’THE FIRST LIGHT AVIATION SIM
Wilco Publishing’s 3D Ode to Unpowered Ultralight Flight Ships This Month

DROGENBOS, BELGIUM (November 5, 1999)--Just when you thought you’d seen everything there is to see in flight sims, Wilco Publishing contributes a new category to the genre this month. Now from the developer of the popular Tahiti, Grand Canyon and Airport 2000 add-ons to Microsoft Flight Simulator comes Hangsim, the first PC-based title dedicated exclusively to the art of piloting hang gliders, paragliders, microlites and sailplanes.

If you want to feel the wind beneath your wings, this is the sim for you.

Built from the ground up to take full advantage of the prodigious memory capabilities of today’s 3D video accelerator cards, Hangsim combines eight configurable gliders, real-world terrain with more detail than any simulator that has gone before, and true-to-life flight dynamics that lift and toss your craft in precise response to the movement of air produced by the topography below.

The title’s proprietary engine not only replicates the effects of the wind blowing from a given angle or a blast of air passing
quickly over uneven ground, but it also dynamically creates the sounds to match. The sound effects change in pitch and volume as wind gusts hit your wings, you’re caught in an updraft or you hit the dead “shadow” of a ridge.

It’s you against the elementsfrom 1,000 feet in the air.

You get real-world 3D mountains, cities, valleys, beaches and gorges depicted in 16- or 32-bit color and a remarkable 3 meters/pixel resolution; four different game modes, including one that allows you to compete against intelligent gliders; and a 360-degree view from the cockpit. You also get a flight record that analyzes your performance on every flight in every mode, a personal logbook that tracks all the particulars of each competitive flight, and the ability to design your own terrain as well as your own gliders.

Hangsim will carry an MSRP of $39 (U.S.). For more information check out the Hangsim web site here. Minimum system requirements include a Pentium 166 with Windows 95/98 and 100MB free hard disk space, plus DirectX 6.0 or higher, a 3D graphics accelerator and a sound card.

Wilco Publishing (the company takes its name from the aeronautical abbreviation for “Will Comply”) is based in Belgium and
can be reached on the Web at www.wilcopub.com or via phone at 011 32 2 331 32 90. Go light!
# # # #

Sybex Releases Officially Licensed Microsoft Flight Simulator 2000 Strategy Guide

Posted: Thursday, November 04, 1999 - 15:58
San Francisco, CA, November 3, 1999 - One of the best-selling series of computer games has taken to the skies again, with the release of Microsoft Flight Simulator 2000. In conjunction with the launch of this much-anticipated PC CD-ROM game, Sybex is proud to publish Microsoft ® Flight Simulator 2000 Official Strategies & Secrets™. This official strategy guide was written by noted Flight Simulator authority Ben Chiu, with chapters by Bruce Williams, a member of the team that creates Flight Simulator 2000, and Bill Hoscheit, a highly regarded developer of Flight Simulator add-ons.

"Mastering all the nuances of Microsoft Flight Simulator can be as challenging as learning how to pilot a real plane. Flight Simulator 2000 ups the ante, with a host of new features and a collection of new planes that includes the Concorde. That's why we recruited a premiere team of flight instructors and Microsoft insiders to write this book. Their real-world flying experience and inside knowledge of the Microsoft Flight Simulator series were the key to producing an in-depth, but easy to understand Flight Simulator strategy guide," said Roger Stewart, associate publisher at Sybex.

Lead author Ben Chiu is a Commercial Pilot, Certified Flight Instructor, and Advanced Ground Instructor with multiengine and instrument ratings. He's also the author of several best-selling flight simulator guides as well as a columnist on the MSN Gaming Zone. Noted aviation educator and author Rod Machado writes in his foreword to the book, "As a licensed commercial pilot, Ben knows what makes airplanes fly and how to fly them. As a Certified Flight Instructor, he knows how to talk about airplanes-both real and simulated-in terms everyone can understand."

Says Chiu, "I've dedicated my career to flying and teaching real-world and virtual pilots to fly. With this guide, we've created a book that picks up where the simulation's manual leaves off. We present the advanced concepts and techniques required to fly Flight Simulator 2000 proficiently using a format that's effective, highly informative, and fun to read."

Microsoft ® Flight Simulator 2000 Official Strategies & Secrets™ includes:

· Step-by-step instructions designed to complement the simulation's manual by covering often overlooked aspects of flight operations, from creating basic fight plans to supersonic flight procedures and Category III instrument approaches.
· Tutorial flight plans prepared by private, commercial, and airline transport pilots.
· Advice on how to use Flight Simulator as a real-world training tool, from Microsoft's Bruce Williams. (Like many members of the Flight Simulator team at Microsoft, Williams is an experienced pilot. He is also a flight instructor.)
· Tips and strategies to help you extend your Flight Simulator experience.
· Aircraft-specific performance charts and aeronautical charts including U.S. airport approach plates.
· Plus: A full-color map to help you navigate the skies of Flight Simulator 2000.

Founded in 1976, Sybex, Inc. was the first publisher to specialize in computer books. It is one of the leading publishers of books for video game and computer game players. In addition to its U.S. presence, Sybex has affiliate offices in France, Germany and The Netherlands as well as a sales office in the U.K.

Review copies of Microsoft ® Flight Simulator 2000 Official Strategies & Secrets™ are now available upon request.

For more information, please contact:

Dan Brodnitz
Acquisitions & Publishing Manager
Sybex Inc.
(510) 523-8233 ext. 625
pressinfo@sybex.com
# # #

Terminal Reality and Gathering of Developers Announce FLY! II

Posted: Thursday, October 28, 1999 - 17:14
Dallas, TX, October 29, 1999 --

Game developer Terminal Reality and developer-driven computer and video game publishing company Gathering of Developers announce the development of FLY! II, the sequel to the technologically-advanced general aviation simulation FLY!. FLY! II expands upon FLY!'s top features, such as the detailed cockpits, and includes more detailed scenery and expanded assistance for beginning pilots. The Gathering will publish FLY! II in late 2000 for the PC and Macintosh computers.

FLY! II will feature new and expanded 3D models, aircraft and scenery. New elevation scenes and higher resolution images will be included throughout the simulation. Like its predecessor, FLY! II will feature a global flight area, worldwide digital elevation terrain model, true satellite terrain imagery, and ultra-realistic cockpit and avionics systems, detailed to each aircraft's original configuration. FLY! II will also include more points of interest, improved visual effects, dynamic environments and thorough tutorials, instructions and assistance for beginners.

"With the original game, Terminal Reality worked closely with aircraft and avionics manufacturers to ensure virtual pilots the most accurate and detailed flight simulation experience," AJ Fuller, producer of FLY! and FLY! II. "For FLY! II, we are turning to the flight sim community, listening to what the players are requesting, and gathering information and 'wish list' features. As we move ahead, we consider the flight sim community to be our co-developer on FLY! II."

FLY!, released in August 1999, has consistently garnered extensive third party support from fans and developers around the world. Terminal Reality is continuing the FLY! franchise with the second title and various agreements with third party developers, such as PC Aviator and its MegaScenery Pacific Northwest for FLY!. In addition, FLY! has been embraced by the flight sim community, which has created multiple Web sites with new scenery, planes and aircraft add-ons and alterations.

FLY! and FLY! II use Terminal Reality's advanced Photex3 graphics engine, developed by the company's president and Nocturne™ lead programmer, Mark Randel.

The gaming and flight enthusiast press embraced FLY! Flight simulation journal MicroWings stated, "Real pilots and flight simulation enthusiasts will be blown away with the realism and attention to detail in FLY!" All Games Network named FLY! "Flight Sim of the Year." Apple Computer, Inc. said "FLY! provides stunning exterior scenery and extremely accurate detail in the cockpit. The only thing missing is the air sickness bag." Air & Space Smithsonian called FLY! "one of the most advanced and realistic general aviation simulations available for your PC."

Headquartered in Lewisville, TX, Terminal Reality is a technology-driven independent developer of games for the PC and Mac. Founded in 1994, the company has developed several best selling games including Terminal Velocity, Microsoft Hellbender, Microsoft Monster Truck Madness 1 & 2 and the award-winning Microsoft CART Precision Racing. In addition, Terminal Reality created the first 3D game for the Windows 95 platform, Microsoft Fury3. Terminal Reality developed the realistic flight simulation game FLY!, the 3D action horror PC game Nocturne, and continues work on two other unannounced titles. See the Terminal Reality website.

Founded in Dallas, TX in January 1998, Gathering of Developers is a developer-driven computer and video game publishing company. The company’s mission is to be the worldwide leader in the development and delivery of commercially successful computer game software designed for a range of platforms. The company’s pioneering partners are industry leaders and proven hit makers 3D Realms, Epic Games, PopTop Software, Ritual Entertainment, Terminal Reality Inc and Edge of Reality. For more information visit the Gathering of Developers web site.

Aviation Museums Feature Flight Simulators

Posted: Thursday, October 28, 1999 - 12:46
New Aviation Museum To Open - (KALAMAZOO) -
Plans to bring thousands of tourist dollars to the Kalamazoo area have been unveiled. The Aviation History Museum will build an 80-to-100-million dollar interactive center. The new tourist attraction will spread over a span of six-and-a-half-acres. The 15-story dome facility will have an aircraft carrier flight deck, a roller coaster, and 3-D flight simulations. Plans call for opening the center in June of 2003.

Leading Technology in 2000 at Exploration Place features CyberDome Theater, Simulation Center, Flight, Health, Kansas Exhibits to Enrich Families
WICHITA, Kan., Oct. 21 /PRNewswire/ -
Offering immersive environments and hundreds of hands-on experiences, Exploration Place in Wichita, Kan., strives to enrich families with its exhibit design and technology appealing to all ages and interests.

Exploration Place, a non-profit enterprise, is being driven by community support from such major business as Boeing, Raytheon, Bombardier and Kansas Health Foundation. It encompasses 20 acres, offers indoor and outdoor experiences, and is expected to open March or April of 2000, according to Al DeSena, Exploration Place President.

"Exploration Place is unlike anywhere else," said DeSena, a 20-year veteran of the science and technology centers and former Director of the Carnegie Science Center Place. "A national team of architects, headed by Moshe Safdie, and exhibit designers have helped create remarkable spaces to inspire families with tots to teenagers."

Highlights include a CyberDome Theater offering experiences such as a Mars landing navigated by the audience; encountering a powerful demonstration of simulation in the Simulation Center; experiencing a live television weather station broadcast; soaring over Kansas in a flight simulator; and a taking an unusual tour of the heart.

"Families will discover together how the world works and encourage the development of their creative skills in a visitor-friendly atmosphere," said DeSena.

Elements among these exhibits include:

-- CyberDome -- A 60-ft. domed theater where the audience controls portions of the show using a five-digit panel on each armrest seat to land a spacecraft on Mars.
-- Simulation Center -- A four-part motion-based simulation experience allows the audience's seats to move in synchronization with the film projected on a giant 25' screen.
-- Live Television Broadcast -- A weather center will permanently relocate its forecasting and broadcasting equipment into Exploring Our Only Home pavilion.
-- Flight Simulators -- Four sophisticated flight simulators will allow visitors to explore the principles of flight while soaring over Kansas.
-- Virtual Reality Heart exhibit -- Enables the audience to turn the palm of their hand into a computer mouse and explore the chambers and vascular systems of the human heart, lungs, and brain.

For more Information please write: Exploration Place, 300 N. McLean Boulevard, Wichita, Kan. 67203.

FS2000 "Where Do You Want to Fly Today?"

Posted: Friday, September 24, 1999 - 15:27
*******************************
MEDIA ALERT: SEPTEMBER 24, 1999
*******************************

MICROSOFT FLIGHT SIMULATOR 2000; WHERE DO YOU WANT TO FLY TODAY?

Microsoft today announced the kick-off of its "Where Do You Want To Fly Today" Flight Simulator 2000 promotion. From now until Monday, September 27, flight sim enthusiasts are encouraged to go to the product's official web site and submit their most sought-after Flight Simulator 2000 destination. Beginning Tuesday, September 28, and running through Saturday, October 2, Microsoft will select two winning locales a day and make them available as downloadable AVIs.

Have you always wanted to fly over Paris at sunset? Wondered what the Himalayas look like from the cockpit of a Boeing 777? Well, now's your chance. To celebrate the exquisitely detailed 3-D scenery of its new Flight Simulator 2000, Microsoft is offering flight sim enthusiasts the opportunity to select their most coveted destination and experience it weeks before the product hits store shelves. Simmers simply visit the Flight Simulator Web site and submit their
selection of airport, latitude or longitude, season and time of day. Microsoft will then choose two destinations a day for five days and create short downloadable AVIs of the selected locales.

For more information on the "Where Do You Want To Fly Today" promotion and Flight Simulator 2000, visit here

With the downloadable AVIs, flight simulation enthusiasts can preview aircraft, scenery and instrument panels in Flight Simulator 2000. Microsoft worked closely with leaders in the aviation industry; including aircraft manufacturers, training and pilot organizations, data suppliers, and flight instructors, to make Flight Simulator 2000 "as real as it gets." Flight Simulator 2000 is optimized for the Intel Pentium III processor to deliver a great visual experience and better-than-ever simulation performance.

Flight Simulator 2000, standard and professional versions, will be available domestically in late October for anticipated street prices of US$54.95 and US$74.95 respectively.

* * *

ELECTRA! - Now Available From The VIP Group

Posted: Thursday, September 23, 1999 - 11:07
****** "Electra ! - Flying Alaska & The Aleutian islands in the Lockheed Electra" is now released. *****


When is a flightsim add-on NOT a flightsim add-on? The answer is....When it is a brand-new concept in multimedia aircraft monograms from The Cielo Company, a member of The VIP Group. Reviewers suggested that it was a brand-new and unique format in FS products, and some people have even intimated that this first product is likely to become a collectors item. "Electra" indeed boldly goes where no VIP product has gone before! Although containing a very important and enjoyable flight sim element, it is far more that a flight simulation product, rather it is a true multimedia tribute to a very fine and important aircraft in North American aviation history, and is also a showcase to the skills of the pilots who fly the last remaining passenger flying examples of the Electra in the world..... up in the wilds of Alaska.

The man behind this product is Dr. William C. Schulz III, a very talented business professor and soon-to-be-published business author. But for those of us in the FS world, he's better known simply as "Bill Schulz", the designer of The VIP Electra, and creator of the Electra which appears as one of the stock aircraft in "Aircraft Factory 99" from Abacus. Bill's dad was a captain on the Lockheed Electras with Eastern Airlines in the halcyon days of that company, and right from his first few months, Bill seemed to have an affinity for and natural attraction to that aircraft.

He kept the love alive for years, and finally brought the aircraft to life in the early days of The VIP Group almost five years ago. But he always wanted to do much more, and held the goal of creating a masterly time capsule of the end of the Electra era, and this new product allows that goal to become reality.

"Electra!" comes on two CDs in a jewel case. The basic structure of the product can be accessed and viewed just like a website using your current browser. From there you can pop into windows explorer and access other individual elements. This semi-manual approach allows greater flexibility of use, and frees up more disk space on the two CDs to cram them full of actual useful material as opposed to complex programming just to make it work. On the two CDs you will find as complete a tribute to an aircraft as has ever appeared in a multimedia collection, and with a unique twist...the ability to re-live it in Flight Sim.

The product uses several different media to showcase the aircraft as it operates today with Reeve Aleutian up in Alaska. We cannot say enough about the support that Reeve gave to us in the creation of this product.

Bill and his team visited Alaska twice in order to create and compile the source material for this product in different weather conditions. They had free access to the aircraft and facilities on the ground, and an open, FAA-approved invitiation to enjoy unlimited cockpit time in the air, indeed they flew every route that Reeve operates and captured it all...from the cockpit!

The net result of this unlimited hospitality by Reeve, and co-operation by the FAA, is a product that will forever capture a unique moment in aviation history...the passing of an era in which North America's first turboprop airliner is being used for the final time in the role of a passenger carrying aircraft. As a result, even if you never use the flight sim elements of this product, it is a must-have collectors item which you will treasure.

The CDs provide you with an absolute feast of quality photography capturing forever the glorious grandeur of aircraft operations in Alaska. You can enjoy these photographs on your computer by virtue of a large number of themed slide-shows which will run on the slide show player included in the CD. You'll tour the maintenence facilities and get close-in one-on-one with those mighty Allison engines, you'll almost shiver as you scan the terrain on a winters day, watching a storm coming your way, and you'll marvel at how rugged the mountains can appear in the late spring of the year as they rise in their magnificence from the blue Arctic waters. You can also make use of our superb photographic collections as screensavers, a significant number of custom-built screensavers are also part of the collection, thus allowing you to experience the views while enjoying the practical utility of saving the wear and tear on your monitor.

Theme after theme is explored in glorious colour, taking you on a memorable photographic tour of Reeve Aleutian and their historic Electra operations. You can easily spend a whole afternoon enjoying the several hundred quality photographic images alone.

But there's more.... The CDs also provide almost 45 minutes of quality digitized video !.. You get to see what the pilots see, from the cockpit as they fly from their base in Anchorage into airports which list among the most hostile, desolate and dangerous anywhere in the world. Witness a landing at Dutch Harbor in almost 90 degrees of crosswind... from the cockpit... Listen to the pilots comments, and watch the view out the front as they guide their Electras through the kind of weather most of us don't even dare try in flight sim.... but they are doing it for real !...

See what it looks like to be number 2 on take off to a 747 cargo plane, and see if you can figure where you're going to land when you break clouds at Sand Point, Bethel, and many other desolate outposts of Alaskan civilization. There are plenty of video clips, several over five minutes in length, to keep you coming back for more.

And after you've enjoyed the photos, and marveled at the videos.... How about recreating it in Flight Sim ????

The CD includes scans of local area aviation maps and approach charts. Slide shows take you through briefings on how to make those approaches you've been watching on the videos. You'll need them..... Because this superb CD collection also includes highly detailed scenery created by Bill of the entire Aleutian chain of islands, as well as parts of Anchorage... AND of course there's the latest moving-parts version of our VIP Electra in Reeve colours, and the latest version of the VIP panel, and sound files to make your recreation complete.

"Electra !" is your complete package to Alaskan Aviation Adventure !!!! The Cielo-VIP way !!! Study the photos and take the photographic tours, read the texts, view the videos, and then make the transition from spectator to pilot !!!! Review the charts, study the approaches, and then strap yourself into the latest versions of the VIP Electra, and recreate the operations of Reeve Aleutian for yourself in Flight Simulator.

"Electra" is truly a ground-breaking multimedia aviation experience, the first of several planned by The Cielo Company and The VIP Group..... If you enjoy Flight Sim, you'll want to add this unique experience to your collection of favourite add-ons. Even if you're not a flight simmer, the historic value of this tribute to the pilots skills, and this memerobilia of the passing of an era is something you simply won't want to pass on.

"Electra" is available now directly from The VIP Group. The price is $34.99 US plus $6 US shipping and handling. OR if you are a member of the VIP-98 Pilots Club, you are entitled to a members discount, the members price is only $29.99 US plus $6 US shipping and handling.....

Very soon, the Allisons will be silent in Alaska..... Very soon, only cargo will fly in the last remaining Electras, and Reeve will be using more modern equipment on their routes. An era in aviation history will have gone forever.... Be part of keeping the memory alive..... With "Electra!" from The Cielo Company and The VIP Group.

Order today.... Don't be disappointed by missing your opportunity to benefit from our inaugural production run of this unique aviation experience. You can obtain your copy of "Electra!" in one of three ways...


1) Members of the VIP-98 Pilots Club can e-mail me direct by return e-mail. Quote your VIP number and Visa or Mastercard credit card information. If we have it on file, no need to quote it again unless either card number or expiry date have changed.

OR

2) You can visit our website and order via the order form.

OR

3) For total security, you can write to us ordering with Mastercard or Visa (remember to give details) and sending the letter to:-


The VIP Group
(Electra offer)
111 Dunlop Street East, Suite 1204, Barrie, Ontario, L4M 6J5, Canada

Fly! Ships For the MAC

Posted: Monday, September 20, 1999 - 14:54
Terminal Reality and Gathering of Developers announced today that they have shipped FLY! For the Mac nationwide. FLY! is available for the Mac at a suggested retail price of $49.95. FLY! was released for the PC on July 28th. "The Macintosh gaming community has waited too long for a quality flight simulation,? said Brett Combs, vice president of Terminal Reality and FLY! co-producer. "Terminal Reality is proud to deliver FLY! and continue our support for Mac users. FLY! should satisfy both gamers and flight sim enthusiasts by offering the most accurate and realistic flight sim experience out there."

FLY!s features include:

· A fully functional, interactive, accurately modeled cockpit. Knobs, switches, levers, and gauges on the primary and many secondary cockpit panels that you would find in the real aircraft are fully operational in FLY! Fuel levels, weight load, passengers, and cargo placement can all be adjusted for a challenging flight.

· Five distinct aircrafts to cruise the friendly skies, including the Cessna 172R Skyhawk (single engine piston), New Piper?s Malibu Mirage (turbocharged single engine), New Piper?s Navajo Chieftain (twin engine), Beechcraft King Air B200 (Dual turbo prop), and Raytheon?s Hawker 800XP (business class jet).

· Extensive communication and navigational technologies including radio stacks, and Global Position System (GPS). All radios operate using real frequencies and perform as they would in an actual aircraft. Virtual aviators will hear all real-life sounds such as radio chatter and Air Traffic Control.

· Highly detailed images of New York, San Francisco, Dallas/Fort Worth, Chicago, and Los Angeles. Each area has 3D models representing landmarks, skyscrapers, and VOR (Very high frequency Omnidirectional Radio range) towers (air navigational radio aids which uses phase comparison of a ground transmitted signal to determine bearing). Twenty-five meter LandSat and five meter IRS-C1
satellite imagery of these five cities provides 50,000 continuous square miles of high-resolution ground detail. Terminal Reality utilized a Worldwide Digital Elevation Model (DEM) with over 67 million elevation points to recreate terrain and topography.

· Real world scrolling sectional charts with marked airspaces, lists of tower frequencies and all expected information and vector (color representation of the navigational aids) maps with a 150-mile radius to guide pilots.

· Plot course in FLY!?s unique flight planner, then load flight plan into the GPS and the autopilot that make flights easier and more fun.

· A variety of weather settings including true volumetric clouds to test piloting skills. Players will be able to adjust the weather patterns of their flight area by choosing between three cloud layers and altitudes, and four varieties of cloud formations - few, scattered, broken and overcast. Players will be able to download real world weather patterns which will implement data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) METAR, the
international standard code format for hourly surface weather observations.

· Over 9500 airports from which to depart or land.

· As can be expected by Terminal Reality, FLY! has the very latest support for 3D hardware acceleration taking advantage of 32-bit rendering @ 1024 x 768 resolution.

· Open architecture to allow add-on developers and publishers to create scenery and airplanes with minimal difficulty with the use of Terminal Reality supported software tools and editors.

FLY! is powered by Terminal Reality?s advanced Photex3? graphics engine, developed by company president Mark Randel, who co-designed and programmed the engine behind Microsoft Flight Simulator 5.0?.

"By increasing the performance of the Macintosh, Apple has opened the door for gaming companies to develop more powerful and detailed games for the Mac," said Harry Miller, Gathering of Developers? co-founder and president. "FLY! takes full advantage of these advances and offers a superior general aviation sim to the Mac gaming community."

The Gathering is supporting FLY! with a comprehensive online and print advertising campaign aimed at flight enthusiasts, as well as hardcore and casual gamers. The marketing effort targets gaming, key Mac publications, flight sim enthusiast books, flying and pilot journals, as well as consumer magazines.

The gaming and flight enthusiast press have already embraced FLY! Computer Games Strategy Plus said, "FLY! looks to have the best chance of any upcoming GA flight simulation at creating its own kingdom, if not toppling the reigning king.? Computer Gaming World raved, "FLY! is set to advance the flight sim genre by two generations.? Flight simulation journal MicroWings stated, ?Real
pilots and flight simulation enthusiasts will be blown away with the realism and attention to detail in FLY!?

All Games Network named FLY! ?Flight Sim of the Year?. Apple Computer, Inc. said "FLY! provides stunning exterior scenery and extremely accurate detail in the cockpit. The only thing missing is the air sickness bag."

System Requirements
FLY! for the Mac requires a MacOS 8.0 or higher, 460 MB available hard disk space (1.8 GB for full installation), 32 MB RAM (64 MB or more is recommended), 70MB virtual or physical memory, and a 4x CD ROM (24x or faster if loading scenery from the CD). Mac pilots can also use PowerPCs with 200 MHz (G3 recommended). A video card capable of 800x600 16-bit resolution and a hardware
accelerator are strongly recommended (required on all non-G3 machines).

Availability

FLY! is available at all major software retail outlets and mass merchandisers nationwide. The product can be ordered from The Gathering via the company's Web site (www.godgames.com) or by calling 1-877-god-game.

Headquartered in Lewisville, TX, Terminal Reality is a technology-driven independent developer of games for the PC and Mac. Founded in 1994, the company has developed several best selling games including Terminal Velocity, Microsoft Hellbender, Microsoft Monster Truck Madness 1 & 2 and the award-winning
Microsoft CART Precision Racing. In addition, Terminal Reality created the first 3D game for the Windows 95 platform, Microsoft Fury3. Terminal Reality developed the realistic flight simulation game FLY!, and is developing Nocturne and two other unannounced titles. http://www.terminalreality.com.

Founded in Dallas, TX in January 1998, Gathering of Developers is a developer-driven computer and video game publishing company. The company's mission is to be the worldwide leader in the development and delivery of
commercially successful computer game software designed for a range of platforms. The company?s pioneering partners are industry leaders and proven hit makers 3D Realms, Epic Games, PopTop Software, Ritual Entertainment, Terminal Reality Inc and Edge of Reality. For more information visit Gathering of Developers Web site at http://www.godgames.com.


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Second AS2 Patch Released

Posted: Tuesday, September 14, 1999 - 16:25
The second patch for Airline Simulator 2 has just been released by Nomissoft. Among other fixes the patch adds lightning flashes to thunderstorms and increases the reception range of VORs. The patch comes in two versions - the Full Executive version (29 Mb download) addresses all current issues and updates the program to version 2.02. The Core Functions version (3.8 Mb download) also updatesd the program to Version 2.02 but does not include scenery fixes - you need the full version for those upgrades. You can download the patch by clicking here and then clicking on the onscreen "Files" button followed by the "Airline Simulator/ATP" topic area.

"Flight Gear" Release 0.7 Now Available

Posted: Saturday, September 11, 1999 - 14:28
Flight Gear version 0.7.0 is now available. This is the first release of the 0.7.x "development" tree. Even though this is the first official release of the 0.7.x branch, the code is pretty stable and most people shouldn't have any trouble with it.

Flight Gear version 0.6.2 is now available. This is the most recent release of the "stable" 0.6.x tree.

A large portion of the world (in Flight Gear scenery format) is now available for download. You can go directly to the download interface and see what areas are available here.

The Flight Gear Flight Simulator project is a free, open-source, multi-platform flight sim development project. Source code for the entire project is available and licensed under the GPL.

For more information, please visit the Flight Gear web page here.
Version 0.7.0 is the first official release of the 0.7.x branch. It includes quite a few major changes and additions, as well as all the portability enhancements and flight model updates included in the 0.6.2 release.

Here is a summary of the changes for version 0.7.0:

• Autopilot can now fly great circle routes which take advantage of our spherical world model.
• Added a flight model acceleration funtion.
• Added support for mouse yoke control contributed by David Megginson.
• FDM model hertz now setable from the command line.
• Added initial timezone support so the user can have better control and more options for setting the starting time of the sim.
• We now draw nonexistant tiles as ocean which means we only have to create and distribute tiles that contain some sort of land mass.
• Added Christian Mayer's new weather subsystem.
• Incorporated a first stab at some networking code contributed by Oliver Delise.
• Started adding support for "external" views ... still needs some work.
• Replaced basic render engine with plib's ssg (simple scene graph).
• Now expect plib to be installed in it's one true and official location.
• Added support for timegm() if it exists which explicitely expects GMT input.
• Lots of your basic code reorganization and shuffling.
• Updates to JSBsim.
• Updates to Tony's c172 model.
• Updated getting started guide from Micheal Basler.
• FreeBSD portability tweaks.
• MACos portability tweaks.
• Borland C++ tweaks.
• MSVC++ tweaks.
• Removed tools dependency on libgfc. Functionality is now covered by shapelib which has been added into the Tools tree.
• Added support for the wonderful GSHHS global land mass data set.
• Removed dependecy on process-dem.pl script.
• Created a new distributed/parallel tile build system ... hmmm kind of super computer or beowulf style stuff for getting large chunks of scenery built as fast as possible.
• Only generate tiles that have land mass data since the sim can recreate pure ocean tiles on the fly.
• First stab at a water flattening scheme to prevent oceans, lakes, and rivers from running up and down the sides of hills.
• Changed the default "Work/" subdirectory layout.
• Updates to better handle segment boundaries in preparation for real airport runway and lighting modeling.
• Updates and enhancements to my polygon management class.