437th/315th AW Charleston Airforce Base.... Need some help

commercialcobb · Post by **commercialcobb** » 29 Jan 2007, 02:33

I have noticed that the Hickam AFB C-17's are up and running but thats the only C-17 file available for Flight Simulator X?? I was wondering since im a commercial pilot in the Charleston SC area with a few friends in the 437th AW that can give me a little insight, and have the experience in writing flight plans for FS2004 and FS 2000, if I could write up the flightplans with PAI aircraft paints and someone could show me how to compile it for MAIW or do it for me if I provide all of the information in its entirety??? Charleston is the largest installation of C-17's in the world and hauls more cargo on a daily and annual basis than any other base in the world, and I feel that it should definately be in FS-X.. I already have an affcad that is exact to the "T" with all of the latest information and am working on the flight plans.... Could someone help me or let me know what to do from here if anything??

http://library.avsim.net/sendfile.php?L ... DLID=74218

MIKE JG · Post by **MIKE JG** » 29 Jan 2007, 23:38

Welcome to the forums.

Unfortunately none of our packages, including the Hickam C-17 package which I put together, are meant to be used with FSX at the currrent time. Are you able to use it in FSX?

The biggest problem is that there is not currently a version of TTools or AFCAD for FSX and it doesn't look like anyone is stepping up to the plate just yet to create one anytime soon. The original author of the FS9 version of those two utilities, Lee Swordy, is apparently "retired" from the FS business all together. So that leaves us with no way to program AI traffic files for FSX that I know of.

Unless someone creates an FSX version of TTools and AFCAD we're kinda stuck with FS9 for a while.

Since none of us that put the packages together have or run FSX we haven't really been too worried about this just yet.

commercialcobb · Post by **commercialcobb** » 30 Jan 2007, 15:22

I am aware the ole Lee Swordy has retired so to speak, I have made many custom AI traffic files with his programs for FS2004, and many afcads that are near exact with the help of personal photos and satelite photos.... I was flying FSX a day ago and there was a Hickam C-17 in Charleston but I didnt check Hawaii yet, as I am at work but I assume if its in KCHS its there also... MAIW and WOAI has allowed me to put many flight plans into FSX (Osan, Robbins, American, Delta, etc....) somehow someone has stumbled apon a way to accomplish it and doesnt realize it or not sure how they did it?? I know that your Hickam works in FSX and what I am trying to do is the same setup that you did for FS2004 and generate the .nco (or whatever file type it is .bgl??) file and see if it works?? Is it a difficult proccess, or time consuming??? If its worth a shot I would like to try it.... Let me know what you think, and if I can I'll show you and attachment screenshot of the C-17 in FSX later today....

Post by **BadPvtDan** » 30 Jan 2007, 20:08

We would appreciate any feedback. That being said, I think 99% of us who make packages do not have/run FSX. We would have no internal way of checking our packages.

I think we will be doing FS9 exclusively for a very long time to come.

GrahamS · Post by **GrahamS** » 30 Jan 2007, 20:11

Some of us are running FSX successfully and are adapting FS9 releases for FSX.

commercialcobb · Post by **commercialcobb** » 30 Jan 2007, 21:23

What I am asking is if I can put together a Charleston AFB package, can I hand it over to someone to make it compatable with the WOAI installer program for FS2004 / FSX (and I say FSX because it seems to be working) where everyone can use it including myself because I havent got the fogiest idea how to insert AI flight plans without being able to use Lee Swordy's program.. Although if im not mistaken the WOAI installer incorporates TTOOLS within itself?? Right?? Anyway what I want is A current 437th/315th AW AI package because the one from PAI is outdated being that it still uses EDDF Rhein Main/ Frankfurt, Germany which officially closed Dec 31, 2005 and all aircraft are now sent to Ramstein, with overflow going to Spangledam, Germany and Incirlik, Turkey...

Post by **btaylo24** » 31 Jan 2007, 00:14

Hello

If u put a package together I will help out with the packaging etc..
PM me and let me know.....

Cheers

Barry

commercialcobb · Post by **commercialcobb** » 31 Jan 2007, 00:43

The picture on the Front of the MAIW HomePage Splashscreen looks exactly like the AFCAD I created for the Charleston AFB in FS9. Not that I care if its bieng used.. I can see that it is charleston. I would like to know where that File image came from, and if you have a flight plan bieng developed for Charleston AFB..

Post by **btaylo24** » 31 Jan 2007, 00:45

There are no Charleston plans being developed here as far as I know.
As for the pic, no idea.

Cheers

Barry

Post by **BadPvtDan** » 31 Jan 2007, 01:15

No Charleston. No idea where the pic came from.

EDIT:
Came from Mike JG actually.

commercialcobb · Post by **commercialcobb** » 31 Jan 2007, 02:56

I will continue to work on my flight plans as I have finished most of my research and have only been able to validate the tail numbers of 51 of the original 54 jets ordered, to my understanding one was destroyed on a botched landing in the middle east and 2 were given to March AFB?? If I am wrong please let me know otherwise... And one more question before I go full steam ahead on this project, can I use the PAI C-17's without there written consent ( I noticed in the forums an announcement about copyright infringment) even if I acknowledge them as the original designers??? And Do you guys have a data base of afcad files for your military files or do I need to do them all myself (which wouldnt take to long) for the US, Middle East, UK/ Europe, Asia, Autralia, and Central and South America??? Actually If the downloadable files from many Flight Simulator web sites do not require any permission or acknowledgment for their files (as my KCHS afcad did not) then it should be no problem for me to incorporate them into my total package so long as I have tested all of them in FSX for compatablility and accuracy, as I no Longer have FS9 installed on my computer.....

RipPipPip · Post by **RipPipPip** » 31 Jan 2007, 08:03

PAI has granted MAIW a privilege to use PAI's models in MAIW packages, so if your package will go the MAIW way there will be no problem.
If you'll choose to do it independently then:
a) you may release just your textures
b) you may ask PAI if they allow you to embed their models (they are pretty friendly these days).

As to the AFCAD - it is highly probable that your work was used: http://library.avsim.net/search.php?Sea ... &Go=Search
There are many non-MAIW pieces on these pics (although pics themselves are done by MAIW-related guys), all that stuff is shown in the name of spreading Military AI to the World, however

If you allow us to use it still we will be obliged, if not, then the pic can be withdrawn (but I understand it is not your idea).

commercialcobb · Post by **commercialcobb** » 31 Jan 2007, 15:07

No everything is fine with that and actually I am going to adds some things to my original affcad anyways as things have changed slightly.... I will probably use PAI aicraft and paints that come with their complete file and thats it... All the Afcads and flight plans will be original... Do I need to continualy release a beta version to someone in MAIW to test the progress on their computers and find any flaws or suggestions before a release, and who would that be?? This I must honestly say looks like the beginning of beautiful friendship, as my next plan apon completion will be USCG Airstations on the east coast (minus the helicopters, just never could make them work)....... Well good day to you folks and I'll be in touch soon with an update or question...

Post by **BadPvtDan** » 31 Jan 2007, 15:37

Barry said that he would "sponsor" your package. I will warn you, though, that the beta process tends to be pretty long..and even getting to beta can take a long while.

The issue is that we have LOTS of packages in the works and are queued for beta and release. I encourage you to create packages but if you want them released as MAIW...be prepared for LOTS of constructive criticism and a long beta process. If I had to throw a date out there...you may be looking at an April release.

This really for anyone who would like to create and release a MAIW package. I should make some kind of sticky with this information.

MIKE JG · Post by **MIKE JG** » 31 Jan 2007, 22:35

Ya that picture is of your AFCAD I believe. (Nice work BTW) It's not from any package we've done, just randomly taken off my system from a few months back when we were trying to get some military AI pics for the website frontpage. So it's just your afcad and PAI's CHS package that are in that picture, that's all, not from any package.

I'm very pleased to hear that these packages may be working in FSX. If so that's fantastic news. Maybe that will be the bridge we will need to sucessfully transition over to FSX one of these days. But we're a long ways from that day.

Would love to see a pic of a Hickam C-17 at KCHS in FSX.

commercialcobb · Post by **commercialcobb** » 01 Feb 2007, 02:58

Hickam AFB, Tinker AFB, OSAN AFB screen shots in FSX

commercialcobb · Post by **commercialcobb** » 01 Feb 2007, 03:00

Osan AFB

MIKE JG · Post by **MIKE JG** » 01 Feb 2007, 03:16

Well I'll be darned........

Do the afcads, with all their modifications also show up?

commercialcobb · Post by **commercialcobb** » 01 Feb 2007, 21:19

The afcads work just fine and airport markings for FSX show up also, but the new FSX has more buildings and scenery that causes taxiways and ramp areas to interfere with trees and buildings, but other than that they seem to work fine...... And the answer about the beta test taking so long, is that because of availablility of the tester to examing the file?? What are you looking for when Beta testing? Smoothness, real life accuracy, aiport crowding, afcads, etc..... that sort of thing?? How can I go about avoiding lengthy delays if I want to do the whole beta testing and release deal?? What can I do to assure that problems will be minimal?? My friends and I are working together on the flight plans accuracy to about 80% or so, because military timetables and missions are not so easy to come by as you all well know.... Please give me some feedback on what I can do to stay ahead of the process and avoid common mistakes that you have seen repeatedly before.... Thanks so much for you suggestions and input in advance... If you need anymore screenshot of anything in particular dont heasitate to ask, i'll give you what you want to see, like screen shot of the ramp, runways, parking certain airports in particular you would like to verify or anything else of intrest to show you that compatability of FSX.... Also the WOAI airline packages work just fine also in FSX

commercialcobb · Post by **commercialcobb** » 01 Feb 2007, 21:24

Well actually as you can see the wings of the C-17s are overlapping but in Osan AFB the grass parking areas for the F-16s have beaten down grass texture as FSX intended with its afcad so I assume that the afcads should be fully functional...