FS2004 - several questions / Scenery etc

[EHM-2483 Marcus]

Hi,

I am not sure if this is the right place to post this but I did not find any better.

I am using FS2004 with only one add-on with some updated scenery for a few airports. My PC has just 1GB but the Fs is running well even if I am flying online on Vatsim.

My problem is that on no airports I have any signs for the taxiways, runways etc. In addition the scenery of FS2004 does not seem to be up-to-date for example for LPPT and LEMD. During my last two flights (online at Vatsim) to LEMD and LPPT I had problems with ILS approaches as I was not led correctly to the runway, at LEMD I descended much to fast and at LPPT when approaching RWY 21 i was much too far left. I am not sure what the problem is and if it has anything to do with outdated scenery but maybe someone has an idea.

Thanks a lot
Marcus
EHM-2483

[EHM-1465 Dominic]

Hi Marcus,

The basic problem is that FS2004 was not designed to offer completely accurate real world coverage of all the world's airports - it has basically accurate representations of most major airports' runways but outside the USA many of these are now out of date (as airports may have changed a lot in the 6 years since FS2004 was released) or just a runway with little extra or the ILS approaches are missing etc

Fortunately, if you search websites such as www.flightsim.com and www.avsim.com (unfortunately the library here is not working at the moment) you will find huge freeware file libraries which offer new runway and facilities files, called AFCAD2 files for FS2004, which will upgrade the runways, navigation aids and approaches for most airports in the world. You can also find complete sceneries for loads of airports which will make the buildings and ground layout much more accurate to the real world. There is a worldwide listing of freeware sceneries at walhalla.mine.nu/fs2004.php.

Check these out and follow the installation instructions carefully and you will find you can make your FS2004 world much more realistic, more complex and more rewarding

If you have any problems with this please let us know too 

[EHM-2483 Marcus]

Hi Dominic,

Many thanks for your reply and suggestions. I will look into this and report back to you how it will work. As to the approaches I might have also made mistakes by pushing the approach button too early and at to high altitude. I will check this out as well.

However, when I had tis trouble last Sunday I at least had the great experience of a extremely friendly and cool controller (VATSIM) at LPPT. Since I had to go around I was running low on fuel and for safety reason declared an emergency. The guy immediately asked all other pilots to go around or hold so that I could land safely after a second go around. Nobody complained so that I could still finish my flight. Great experience!

Marcus
EHM-2483

[EHM-1465 Dominic]

Glad to be of help Marcus

As to approaches, you should generally get lined up with the localiser first then hit the approach button once the glideslope indicator starts to move down so that it captures it in time. Your speed is also important so that the aircraft isn't trying to adjust its position while racing really fast towards the runway 

[EHM-2483 Marcus]

Dominic,

Yes, like always: the devil is in the details and whenever I did it that way it worked but if done in a rush everything goes wrong...
By the way: I have just installed some updated airport sceneries but the problem is now that although the buildings look pretty there are no taxiways and sometimes even no runways anymore. Any idea what the problem could be?

Thanks again
Marcus
EHM-2483

[EHM-1465 Dominic]

Each scenery should come with a Readme file that explains how to get it installed correctly so first thing is to check that for any known issues

Very important is to check whether there is an addon AFCAD file - normally "AF2_XXXX.bgl" where XXXX is the four letter ICAO airport code - as this is the bit that gives you taxiways and runways. This should come with your addon airport scenery and be included in the instructions as you have to put it in the right place so that FS2004 will 'see' it...

Where did you download your sceneries from? The main sites should have up to date files that don't cause such problems

[EHM-2483 Marcus]

I went via Walhalla but now realized that I downloaded an update file for a commercial Aerosoft file. Anyway, now I found a scenery for LPPT which I will try. The manual says one strange thing:
"QUOTE:
1 - Create a folder in your hardrive where you want and with the name you want, like "LPPT" or "Lisbon Airport" or
    something else

2 - Move the folders you have just unzipped named "scenery" and "texture" into the newly created folder
    on the previous step

3 - Move the file AF2_LPPT.bgl to your       ...\Flight Simulator 9\Addon Scenery\scenery\           folder

4 - Now to activate the scenery you need to do one of two things. If you are confortable with how the scenery.cfg
    file works, you can had the new scenery entry there. If not, start your fs9, go to SETTINGS, SCENERY LIBRARY.
    Then click in Add Area, find where your new scenery folder is and activate it. And it's done!
UNQUOTE"
I am not sure if step 1 is correct that I can put such folder anywhere I want. shouldn't it be put in the FS9 folder???

I am sorry to bother you but you are talking to a beginner in this field...

Thanks

[EHM-1465 Dominic]

That's no problem Marcus, it can all be a bit confusing

The instructions are correct - you can put a scenery folder anywhere you like as long as the simulator knows where to look for it (when you add it to the Scenery Library). However, most people find it more convenient to keep all scenery folders together in the Addon Scenery folder within FS9, this way you can check instantly what sceneries you have got.

Let us know if it works ok