Category: Screen captures

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Flight Simulation Screen captures

A few Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 screenshots.

Below are a few Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 (MFS 2020) screen captures taken during virtual flights.

Le Mont St-Michel en France, sous MFS 2020.
Le Mont St-Michel en France, sous MFS 2020.

Mont St-Michel is a very nice addition to the France virtual scenery provided by MFS 2020. Such great sites can be found in many places in the Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 program, but many more are also available for free through the flight simulation community : they can then be downloaded and installed in MFS 2020, thus ever improving the overall experience.

Heading to KLAX from KBUR with a TBM 930 on the flight simulator MFS 2020.
Heading to KLAX from KBUR with a TBM 930 on the flight simulator MFS 2020.

The haze is quite present in the Los Angeles area and adds to the realism in the screenshot above. The FedEx livery comes from « Liveries Mega Pack Manager ».

Puerto Vallarta with MFS 2020 and improved scenery by John Lovell
Puerto Vallarta with MFS 2020 and improved scenery by John Lovell

The Icon A5 Kingfisher is seen flying along the Puerto Vallarta coast in Mexico. The scenery was hugely improved by John Lovell and is available through Flightsim.to. But it will require 5 GiG on your hard disk!

The Burbank Bob Hope (KBUR) modelized by Orbx on the flight simulator MFS 2020.
The Burbank Bob Hope (KBUR) modelized by Orbx on the flight simulator MFS 2020.

The picture above shows a small part of the Burbank Bob Hope airport (KBUR) modelized by Orbx. The screen capture was taken with the X-Box drone. This drone is a fantastic addition to what is now available to flight simulation enthousiasts when comes the time to bring back souvenirs from a flight.

Heading to Iqaluit with the flight simulator MFS 2020.
Heading to Iqaluit with the flight simulator MFS 2020.

Enroute to Iqaluit (CYFB), the jet just got out of the cloud deck and some rime icing is still visible on the nose and the wing’s leading edge. That evening, there was a sigmet reporting high level turbulence and it is exactly what I experienced during the flight, using REX Weather Force 2020 as a weather engine.

I’ll be back with more flight simulation screen captures soon. Meanwhile, have a good virtual flight!

Click on the following link for virtual flight simulation pictures on my blog.

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Screen captures

Flight simulation: a CP Air B-737 is approaching the Juneau virtual airport in Alaska

CP Air B-737 on approach for the Juneau airport in Alaska
CP Air B-737 on approach for the Juneau airport in Alaska

Here is a slightly modified screen capture showing a CP Air B-737 in a virtual flight towards the Juneau runway in Alaska. The Boeing is a creation of the Captain Sim company and the scenery is the result of the hard work of the ORBX pros.The meteorological system is a combination of three elements: Cumulus X, the “Heavy snowstorm” selection in FSX and the improvements to snow appearance obtained through PrecipitFX.

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Screen captures

Virtual aviation: the PMDG MD-11 under FSX

This screen capture represents the PMDG MD-11 inbound for the Valdez virtual airport in Alaska. The scenery is made by Orbx.  This virtual MD-11 is a real fun to fly in manual mode since it requires a lot of attention. A 6,500 feet runway is enough for a MD-11 but it does not offer much margin of manoeuver. (Edit: This aircraft is not supported anymore by PMDG).

MD11 Martinair Cargo in the Valdez region, Alaska
MD11 Martinair Cargo in the Valdez region, Alaska
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Screen captures

Flight simulation under FSX: The A2A Simulations C182T Skylane

Flying over the Eastern Townships in Quebec under MVFR always represents a problem due to the terrain. Here is a screen capture of a flight from the Quebec international airport to the Sherbrooke airport, to show what a virtual flight looks like during autumn. The terrain has been modelized by Orbx.

A2A Simulations C182T Skylane in the Eastern Townships region in Québec
A2A Simulations C182T Skylane in the Eastern Townships region in Québec

Here are the first few hills visible but, rapidly, the top of mountains will be obscured in clouds. The downloaded weather is managed by the FSGRW weather engine and the cloud textures are the result of a combination between REX Texture Direct and REX Soft Clouds. A photo software has been used to enhance the contrasts.

The aircraft is a C182T Skylane from A2A Simulations. The similarities between a real aircraft and this virtual aircraft is really unbelievable. The pilot must take care of all corrections, even the gyroscopic precession, otherwise the ADF will indicate the road to follow while the compass sends you in a totally different direction!

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Screen captures

The Graf Zeppelin over Germany (virtual flight with FSX)

D-LZ127 Graf Zeppelin au-dessus de l'Allemagne (FSX)
D-LZ127 Graf Zeppelin au-dessus de l’Allemagne (FSX)

Using ORBX Global program, I took this FSX screen capture of the Graf Zeppelin over Germany. The cloud effects are derived from REX and the Zeppelin itself was found on flightsim.com and it is a free software. For a better atmosphere, if you decide to take a screen capture, fly the Zeppelin either during the morning or at dusk while there is still enough light, and so that the sun will strike the balloon from the side.

Few videos are available on YouTube to show you how to deal with the Zeppelin. It’s not enough to apply full throttle and hope that it will rise because it will not. You first have to take care of the ballasts. But within only few minutes of watching the videos and applying the correct manoeuvers, I promise that you will be airborne and then the rest will come pretty naturally.

The picture was slightly edited with Photoshop to add some constrasts to the screen capture.

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Screen captures

An approach at the Denver international airport

An Airbus A340-500 on final for the Denver international airport
An Airbus A340-500 on final for the Denver international airport
An Airbus A340-500 is landing at the Denver international airport
An Airbus A340-500 is landing at the Denver international airport

The two screen captures show a CLS Airbus A340-500 CLS on approach for a landing at the Denver international airport. This airport has been created by Flightbeam Studios. The shadows on the ground are possible through the Cumulus X software. If you want to obtain those effects, ensure to set the cloud cover to “scattered” clouds, so that the sun can reach the ground and create thermals. FSX is the platform I used, and the clouds are managed by REX.

The CLS Airbus A340-500 replicates quite well the inertia that a pilot has to deal with in real life. The engine sound is also quite interesting. Naturally, this virtual aircraft is dating a bit, so don’t expect to obtain multiple original angles if you like to press that V key while flying.

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Screen captures

A Pilatus PC-21 in Kenai, Alaska

A Pilatus PC-21 heads for a landing at Kenai airport, Alaska, after a training session (FSX et Cumulus X)
A Pilatus PC-21 heads for a landing at Kenai airport, Alaska, after a training session (FSX et Cumulus X)

In the present screen capture, the Pilatus PC-21 is a creation of IRIS, while the background scenes (SAK) and Kenai regions are ORBX products.The clouds are being managed by REX. This picture has been slightly modified to improve the lighting. IRIS PC-21 is an excellent aircraft and numerous point of views are provided for the screen captures fans. The operating platform comes from FSX, helped by Cumulus X.

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Screen captures

A KLM MD-11 and the spectacular approach of St Maarten (TNCM)

Soon, a special flight will be added to the “flight simulation” section, under “challenging virtual flights”.  A KLM MD-11 is doing a passenger flight between  Palm Springs (KPSP)and the St Maarten (TNCM) airport, using FSX and Cumulus X, as well as Orbx Vector and Global. St Maarten is known for its spectacular approach over a beach loaded with tourists and many videos are available on You tube for those of you who would be interested.

The Palm Springs airport is an Orbx creation and the virtual St Maarten is designed by Fly Tampa. The virtual MD-11 comes from PMDG. I chose to do a virtual passenger flight with the KLM MD-11 to emphasize the termination, on October 26 2014, of this type of aircraft for carrying passengers.  KLM was the last company to use a MD-11 for that type of transport and the last flights were made from Toronto and Montreal to Amsterdam Schipol durant last October. Thanks to flight simulation, virtual pilots will always have the opportunity to fly this exceptional aircraft.

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Screen captures

A WACO at work in Western Canada

A WACO YMF5 practicing aerobatic figures over Airdrie, Alberta.
A WACO YMF5 practicing aerobatic figures over Airdrie, Alberta.

The screen capture shows an Alabeo company Waco YMF5 in action. The background scene is a creation of ORBX. FSX has been used for this virtual flight over Alberta. The Waco is easy to fly and Alabao has programmed many point of views from which the virtual pilot can take pictures in flight. ( V on the keyboard). Airdrie Airpark, Claresholm Industrial Park and High River, all created by Vlad Maly, can be found near the training area. They are all quality products. The first airport must be bought but the two others are offered as freewares by Orbx. It is an interesting point of departure for a virtual pilot who would like to cross the Rockies towards Vancouver or Victoria.

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Screen captures

A first virtual flight in Papua New Guinea

Twin Otter departing the Jacksons International airport in Papua New Guinea
Twin Otter departing the Jacksons International airport in Papua New Guinea
Twin Otter turning on final for the Kokoda runway, Papua New Guinea
Twin Otter turning on final for the Kokoda runway, Papua New Guinea
Twin Otters parked on the Kokoda airport
Twin Otters parked on the Kokoda airport

Finally,few months after the creation of the AYPY scenery, I can now do a first flight in Papua New Guinea. The complete flight, which consists of thirteen pictures, can be found in the “flight simulation” section above, under “standard virtual flights”. Why “standard”? When we know the degree of difficulty of some Papua New Guinea runways, which are short and hardly accessible, a flight like this one is considered relatively simple and allows the pilots to familiarize themselves in that part of the world. The scenery is called AYPY Port Moresby Jacksons International and it has been created by Ken Hall and Tim Harris, from the Orbx company. Details regarding the flight can also be found in the virtual flight section above. Two words only to describe the experience: totally immersive. Have a good flight!