MV Challenges for Flight Simulator
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

What are MV Challenges?

The MV Challenges for FS2000/2002/2004 provide exciting flights under conditions that are moderately to very difficult.

They are mostly based on real-world flights.

What is challenging?

The flights offer various combinations of the following challenges:

Do the MV Challenges for FS2000/2002 work in FS2002/2004?

It depends, because there are many variations among MV Challenges! So far, the situation looks like this:

  • FS2000/2002 flights that require add-on aircraft or sceneries for FS2000/2002 may not run in FS2002/2004, unless those aircraft or sceneries are updated for FS2002/2004
  • FS2000/2002 flights without flight plans can be used unchanged in FS2002/2004
  • FS2000 flights with flight plans often work in FS2002/2004 (but without ATC in IFR mode), except in some cases: if FS2002/2004 refuses to load the flight plan, the characters "PILOTS\" must be removed from the .FLT file to enable FS2002/2004 to load the flight plan
  • in FS2002/2004, to use ATC in IFR mode, it is necessary to reload the flight plan after loading the FS2000 flight (so as to "file it with ATC"); in FS2002 this will normally reposition the aircraft on the departure runway (unless this repositioning is cancelled through the add-on program FSUIPC)
To install FS2000/2002 flights in FS2002/2004:
  • place the Challenge's *.FLT, *.WX and *.PLN files in FS2002's FLIGHTS\MYFLIGHTS\ folder (or in a new subfolder of this folder to group a Challenge's flights together, for example in FLIGHTS\MYFLIGHTS\Concorde flights\); or place these files in FS2004's MY DOCUMENTS\FLIGHT SIMULATOR FILES\ folder (or similar path)
  • to make FS2000 flights automatically load a FS2002/2004 aircraft, you may need to update the aircraft's name in the *.FLT files; in the FS2000 *.FLT files, look for a line like

    Aircraft=FS2000name

    where FS2000name is the name of a FS2000 aircraft; then insert the exact name of a FS2002/2004 aircraft, such as

    Aircraft=FS2002name

    you find an aircraft's exact name in its aircraft.cfg file, after the word title=

    for example, one version of the FS2002 Grand Caravan has

    title=Cessna Grand Caravan Paint1

    in its aircraft.cfg file, resulting in

    Aircraft=Cessna Grand Caravan Paint1

    in the *.FLT file;

    alternatively (but only if the files are in the FS2002 FLIGHTS\MYFLIGHTS\ folder or the FS2004 MY DOCUMENTS\FLIGHT SIMULATOR FILES\ folder rather than a subfolder), you may use FS2002/2004 to load an FS2000 flight, then change the aircraft and save a new version of the flight files

Do the MV Challenges for FS2002/2004 work in FS2000/2002?

I have not tested this.

Do the MV Challenges require the Professional edition of FS2000/2002?

Most MV Challenges work with the Standard edition of Flight Simulator.

Some MV Challenges require the Professional edition, because they are designed to use an aircraft (like the King Air or the Mooney) that is available in the Pro edition. However, you could still fly such Challenges with the Standard edition, if you load a similar aircraft before flying: it could be another default aircraft (such as a Cessna replacing the Mooney), or an add-on aircraft (such as a downloaded freeware King Air replacing the Pro King Air).

What is included in an MV Challenge package?

Included in each MV Challenge are:
  • extensive documentation to handle the challenges
  • flights (*.FLT files) positioning the appropriate aircraft at an airport or in flight
  • preset weather (*.WX files), which sometimes is "real weather" from Microsoft/Jeppesen
A Challenge may also include:
  • flight plans (*.PLN files), usable in the FS2000/2002 GPS
  • FS2000 videos (*.VID files) or FS2002 videos (*.FSR files) to be played back
  • maps of departures, approaches, flight tracks

Are the MV Challenges "Adventures"?

The MV Challenges are meant to be "adventurous". But they are not the same as FS2000/2002 "Adventures", which have on-screen or spoken instructions.

The MV Challenges provide written instructions in their detailed documentation (and sometimes on maps), which you should print out, and then read before or during the flight.

What kinds of flights are included in MV Challenges?

An MV Challenge may involve any combination of:
  • one-way or round-trip flights with any number of intermediate stops
  • difficult departures and approaches
  • simulations of real-life and historical flights

Can MV Challenges be flown with other add-ons?

Generally: yes, but at your own risk.

FSUIPC is actually recommended as a constantly running add-on program (but note the solvable problem with FSUIPC in the Trouble page): it improves a number of aspects, such as smooth weather transitions.

Add-on sceneries are usually acceptable. However, some (especially mesh sceneries) may change the local landscape enough to cause crashes, or collisions with new buildings: just be careful! Add-on sceneries and mesh sceneries can also cause "floating" or "buried" runways: if that happens, turn off the add-on scenery for that region.

Add-on software is generally acceptable, such as FS Clouds, FSNav, etc. However, the MV Challenges have not been tested for compatibility with such add-ons: the MV Challenges were designed for the default FS2000/2002/2004.

Add-on aircraft are also generally acceptable (load one after starting a flight, so as to replace the aircraft assumed by the Challenge). However, pay attention to whether the replacement aircraft has the necessary instruments (such as the default GPS used in many Challenges) and the necessary performance (altitude, speed) to accomplish the Challenge. Note again that the MV Challenges have not been tested for compatibility with other aircraft: use them at your own risk.

May the MV Challenges be copied and redistributed?

The MV Challenges are copyrighted freeware. They may only be distributed if no money or other exchange is involved, if they are unmodified, and if written (e-mailed) permission has been obtained from Michael Vone.