May 2006 VOLUME 10 - ISSUE 5 - This is the full magazine in digital form!
Traversing the Atlantic
So what does it take to make a trip across the Atlantic and how’s it done? Well contrary to what you might imagine, just because an aircraft has the range to make the trip does not mean that they would be allowed to do so. Special equipment requirements and certification are required to enter the airspace over the Atlantic.
Getting the Most from PMDG’s 747-400 Queen of the Skies
More than half a year has passed since the 2005 release of PMDG’s 747-400, Queen of the Skies, and since my initial review, the product has matured considerably. The developer has released service updates, containing over 80 corrections, fixes and improvements. This article will show you how to get the most out of the “Queen” incorporating these new updates…
ATC Etiquette
A recent series of articles in Computer Pilot Magazine dealt with the detailed interactions between pilots and Air Traffic Control (ATC) and laid out some of the “rules of the world” as to how the job gets done. This follow-on article will delve into the relationship of pilots and controllers in regard to online ATC.
Bill Stack’s Column
Are there any of us who haven’t played nonsense with our flight simulators? Has none of us ever simulated the preposterous?
Those Flight Simming Seniors…
Tech tips for the technology challenged! But being an “older” simmer doesn’t mean you can’t be wiser when it comes to simulator technology. Francois has some tips that will help keep you up in the air.
Hardware Corner
Sound card, speakers and a ButtKicker? It’s all in this issue’s Hardware Corner!
Flying the Memories
We recreate the flights of the C-54 Skymaster in the Berlin Airlift of 1948-1949.
Going Glass - Using Multiple Monitors for Flight Deck Instruments
Instruments are a predominant way pilots receive information on what exactly is happening with their aircraft. Since they are so important to flight, many flight deck builders have adding instruments to their cockpits near the top of the list of things to do…
Editors Comment
Welcome to the May issue of Computer Pilot Magazine. Firstly, I must mention a credit from the April issue. In the article “Emergency!” by Hans Biggelaars, the photo of the Alaskan mountains was taken by Rosida Coowar, Ph.D. We thank Rosida for the great picture! Be sure to check out Part II of “Emergency!” in this month’s issue for more great tips and information on what to do when things go wrong. Onto something a little different now… if, like me, you notice your frame rates slowly dropping and your system performance degrading, you might need to undertake some system maintenance. I’ll admit that I am a little lax in this department, probably because I never seem to find the time to get to it. My hard drive hasn’t been defragmented in years, and now I am suffering for it. As you use programs, save and delete files, chunks of data get spread all over your drive in weird and wonderful ways. This is basically called fragmentation. A defragging software program helps to put these data chunks back in order so your programs can access them faster in one spot rather than searching all over the hard drive for pieces it needs. This searching for data chunks at separate locations of a hard drive can slow down performance markedly, and lead to choppy frame rates and poor system performance. Ideally, you should defragment your drives once a week (not once every 3 years!) to keep things running at optimal speeds. Microsoft Windows has its own defragmenting software built-in, or there are a number of other software packages (usually with more features) that can be purchased online or from good software retailers. Whichever you use, do use them often. Now I must endure perhaps a 24 hour defragmenting process on my system to get things back in order whereas the process should only take an hour or two at most on a regularly defragged drive. Better late than never I guess! That’s my tech tip for the month at least. It will pay dividends though, and it is somewhat of a free boost for system performance. Enjoy this month’s issue. There is lots of great content for everyone, and be sure to make that trip across the Atlantic in David Ison’s article this month. It is an interesting experience in navigation.
