I have reviewed and edited my list of the Orbxfreeware and payware airports, with runway
description and airport elevation. It includes most airports that were
created as of March 27th, 2020.
I have added many airports based on what Orbx has
released since last year on its “OrbxDirect Release Announcements” section. I have
also corrected some mistakes that I noted on my list. Every new virtual airport
for X-Plane, P3DV4, AFS2 and FSX has been added to
this list.
Payware airports often come with secondary, smaller virtual
airports included in their package. I reviewed several payware airports and
added those smaller airports with their runway description and elevation.
I use the list to plan my virtual flights and find
possible challenging situations. The list might
not be perfect but it is certainly good enough to be enjoyed by most flight
simulation enthusiasts.
You have access to a free download PDF file
on my website. Just click on the following secured link:
Winter photography
holds great surprises during snowstorms.
The picture above was taken on February 27, 2020, a day when Quebec City
received between 30 and 35 centimeters of snow.
This little street in Quebec
City still has its old wooden posts from which hang many electric wires. In
several new neighborhoods, the wires are now buried and the lampposts are no
longer made of wood.
The photographic composition did not require much effort, because everything attracted me to this traditional winter scene: the people, the diffused light at the end of the day, the horizon obscured by snow, the steeples in the background, the traditional architecture of buildings pressed against each other and the cars buried under the snow.
As for people, there was only the person shoveling her
entrance when I took my first photo. Then a man walking his dog appeared in the
distance. I took the photo when he was well in view but not in the foreground.
The scene was captured with a Canon 5DSrfull-frameDSLR camera. Image processing software was then used to refine the final result.
February 7th 2020 snowstorm at Place d’Youville in Quebe City.
The photo
above shows Place d’Youville, in Quebec City, during the February 7,
2020 snowstorm.
The
original color photo practically showed only a general white veil. The
processing in black and white photo helps
to accentuate the effects of blowing snow in this winter scene. Transformation
into black and white is a very useful photography
technique when it comes to highlighting elements that are difficult to
detect.
The
subsequent enhancement using an image processing
software also helped to highlight otherwise secondary elements.
Between the snow bank in the foreground and the buildings on the right, the cars are moving slowly along what is still visible of this entrance to Old Quebec.
The St. Louis street and the La Bûche restaurant in Old Quebec.
The scene
above shows St-Louis street partially obstructed by snow. On this Friday
evening, the Quebec carnival has just started. However, not everyone is
celebrating. The driver of the snow blower in the background is immobilized.
The trucks in which he would normally blow snow have been delayed.
In the foreground, the restaurant La Bûche. I’ve been there a few times since it opened. Always the same excellent recipes, impeccable service and an extra kilo after the meal. A very good restaurant in Quebec, near the Chateau Frontenac. And for those interested, what is happening in the kitchen is visible to some of the customers. (No I am not paid for this advertisement!)
A cyclist in a snowstorm in Old Quebec on February 7th 2020.
For the bravest, winter cycling is an alternative way to
travel in extreme weather. The
reduced visibility forces the cyclist above to use the sidewalk for his own
protection. However, beware of walking down sidewalks at the corner of streets
where ice sometimes accumulates. Having often been in Old Quebec to do night and day photography, I witnessed spectacular pirouettes that would make the
elastic acrobats of Cirque du Soleil jealous.
The photos were taken with a Canon 5DSr full-frame camera.
