User Guide

Simulation
Simulation
beyond your maximum visibility range. Visibility settings range from
0 to 20 miles. This setting can affect system performance but will
have no effect on aircraft performance. Note that this setting is limit-
ed by the Maximum Visibility setting in the Graphics Options dialog
(p. 11).
Temperature: External temperature can have profound effects on
your airplane. Cold temperatures increase the chance of icing. Hot
temperatures, on the other hand, render the air less dense and less
able to support a plane in flight. Temperatures range from -50°F to
120°F.
Pressure: Indicates the outside barometric pressure at sea level.
Pressure can impact the accuracy of altitude readings - if pressure is
high, actual altitude will be lower than is shown on instruments. If,
for example, you land at an airport that is at a different elevation than
your airport of origin, you will have to adjust the Kollsman window
on altimeter from the primary cockpit panel. This is particularly
important in IFR (Instrument Flight Rules) flight. Pressure settings
range from 28.0 Hg to 31.0 Hg.
Wind
Few things have more impact on flying than wind. Wind
affects speed adjustments, fuel efficiency, and take off and landing
directions. You can manually set the direction of the wind by
clicking on any point within the compass.
Variable Wind Direction: Click in this box to randomize the direc-
tion of the wind for greater realism. Activating this feature overrides
any settings made on the Wind Direction dial. The dial sets the pre-
dominant wind direction. Selecting variable winds allows the wind
to “blow” from more than one direction but it still maintains the pre-
dominant direction.
Average Speed: Slider establishes the average wind speed in the sim-
ulation. Wind will change speed constantly, occasionally rising
above or below this average, but this figure represents the general
steady airspeed. Speeds range from 0 MPH to 50 MPH.
Gust Speed: You can set the peak level for wind gusts with this slid-
er, establishing the maximum spikes for wind effect.
Clouds
You can set the cloud count at three layers of atmosphere
with these text boxes and pop-up menus. Cloud layers can be set
to your preference (in feet) and cloud density can range from Few
to Scattered to Broken to Overcast. To activate these features, first
click on the Sun icon to the left of each layer to activate clouds at
that level. You may then set cloud density and altitude manually
in the pop-up menu and text box respectively.
Name, Type, Weight: These fields act as both an alternative way to
insert people and cargo into your plane and as a means of modifying
items already placed. To place a new object, choose its Name (i.e.
Co-Pilot, Left Rear Passenger) and Type (Pilot, Passenger, Cargo or
none) and specify its weight. To change an already placed object,
select its position from the Name pop-up menu or highlight it by
pointing at it and make any changes in these boxes. Most often, you
will want to raise or lower the weight of objects to balance out the
weight load. Keep in mind that the pilot (you) cannot be removed
from the plane.
Total Weight/Max Weight: Numerically indicates the total weight
currently loaded on your aircraft (including fuel) and the maximum
weight your aircraft can carry. Note that you cannot exceed the max-
imum amount and that heavier loads will affect airplane perform-
ance. The dial shows red to indicate serious weight or balance prob-
lems
Setup Aircraft: Returns to Setup Aircraft (see above).
Load Out Fuel: Links to Load Out Fuel (see above).
Flight Planner: Links to Flight Planner (p. 32).
Environment: Links to Environment View (p.38).
FLY: Takes you to the cockpit of your plane. Be sure all settings in
this section as well as Environment and Flight Planner are to your
liking before embarking on your journey.
Environment
Ever wanted to control the
weather? With the Environment
interface, you can. Keep in
mind that these settings will be
established worldwide and will
not change no matter how long
or where you fly. For greater
realism, however, you can
allow Environmental settings to
be established with real weather data by activating the METAR fea-
ture, described below.
Options
These sliders allow you to alter various weather attributes,
each of which can dramatically impact on aircraft performance.
Visibility: Visibility is the distance the pilot can see from the cockpit
- the higher the visibility, the farther the pilot can see. As visibility
decreases, objects in the distance will be shrouded in haze if they are
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