User manual GAMES PC FLIGHT SIMULATOR 2004

Basic KEY COMMANDS Display/Hide Kneeboard: F10 (includes a complete list of key commands) Pause Full Screen Mode (no menus or taskbar) Display Menu Bar (in Full Screen Mode) Cycle Views (Cockpit, Virtual Cockpit, Tower, Spot Plane) P ALT+ENTER ALT S W SHIFT+2 through SHIFT+9 R (press + and ­ to increase/decrease) SHIFT+Num Pad 1 through 9 or move joystick hat switch Panel On/Off Display/Hide Other Panel Windows Change Simulation Rate Look Around Display/Hide ATC menu Engine Autostart Decrease Throttle Increase Throttle Decrease Propeller rpm Increase Propeller rpm Lean Mixture Enrich Mixture Landing Gear Up/Down Retract Flaps (in increments) Extend Flaps (in increments) Slew Mode On/Off ` (ACCENT) CTRL+E F2 F3 CTRL+F2 CTRL+F3 CTRL+SHIFT+F2 CTRL+SHIFT+F3 G F6 F7 Y 0503 Part No. X09-52291 SAFETY WARNING About Photosensitive Seizures A very small percentage of people may experience a seizure when exposed to certain visual images, including flashing lights or patterns that may appear in video games. Even people who have no history of seizures or epilepsy may have an undiagnosed condition that can cause these "photosensitive epileptic seizures" while watching video games. These seizures may have a variety of symptoms, including lightheadedness, altered vision, eye or face twitching, jerking or shaking of arms or legs, disorientation, confusion, or momentary loss of awareness. Seizures may also cause loss of consciousness or convulsions that can lead to injury from falling down or striking nearby objects. Immediately stop playing and consult a doctor if you experience any of these symptoms. Parents should watch for or ask their children about the above symptoms-- children and teenagers are more likely than adults to experience these seizures. The risk of photosensitive epileptic seizures may be reduced by taking the following precautions: · Play in a well-lit room. · Do not play when you are drowsy or fatigued. If you or any of your relatives have a history of seizures or epilepsy, consult a doctor before playing. Information in this document, including URL and other Internet Web site references, is subject to change without notice. Unless otherwise noted, the example companies, organizations, products, domain names, e-mail addresses, logos, people, places and events depicted herein are fictitious, and no association with any real company, organization, product, domain name, e-mail address, logo, person, place or event is intended or should be inferred. Complying with all applicable copyright laws is the responsibility of the user. Without limiting the rights under copyright, no part of this document may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise), or for any purpose, without the express written permission of Microsoft Corporation. Microsoft may have patents, patent applications, trademarks, copyrights, or other intellectual property rights covering subject matter in this document. Except as expressly provided in any written license agreement from Microsoft, the furnishing of this document does not give you any license to these patents, trademarks, copyrights, or other intellectual property. © & p 1983­2003 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Microsoft, MS-DOS, Windows, Windows NT, the Microsoft Game Studios logo, DirectInput, MSN, and SideWinder are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. The AOPA wings logo is a registered service mark of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association. Jeppesen, Jeppesen Sanderson JeppView, Jeppesen SIMCharts, and NavData are registered trademarks of their respective owners. The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners. This product is for entertainment purposes only and shall not be used for training purposes. It is not part of an approved training program under the standards of the FAA or any other regulatory agency. Contents First Flights........................................................................ 2 Installing Flight Simulator................................................................... 3 To Start Flight Simulator..................................................................... 3 Learning to Fly.................................................................4 Experience the Dream ....................................................................... 4 A Century of Flight............................................................................. 5 Getting Started .................................................................................. 6 Flying Lessons................................................................................... 7 The Learning Center .......................................................................... 7 Create a Flight................................................................................... 8 Select a Flight ................................................................................... 8 Flight Simulator News........................................................................ 8 Multiplayer......................................................................................... 9 Settings............................................................................................. 9 Dreams Of The Sky......................................................... 10 Weather........................................................................................... 11 Instrument Flying............................................................................. 13 Historical Flights ...................................................... 14 Of Distance and Terrain........................................ 16 Crossing the Atlantic........................................................................ 16 A Flying Geography Lesson.............................................................. 17 The Scenery Below.......................................................................... 19 Technology Takes Off ..............................................20 The Pursuit of Speed........................................................................ 20 Navigation....................................................................................... 21 GPS................................................................................................. 22 The Kneeboard ................................................................................ 22 Air Traffic Control............................................................................. 23 The aircraft ......................................................................24 Expanding Your Dreams Of Flight ................26 The Web Community........................................................................ 27 Adding Aircraft................................................................................. 27 Piloting Virtual Airlines ..................................................................... 28 The Next Century of Flight ............................................................... 28 Support Options ............................................................29 F L I G H T S I M U L AT O R 2 0 0 4 A CENTURY OF FLIGHT 1 Almost four years of exhausting work and meticulous experimentation went into making the Wright Flyer's first 12-second powered flight a success. First Flights On a cold December day in 1903, after weeks of testing on the windy dunes at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, the Wright Flyer sputtered to life. At 10:35 A.M., the Flyer, propellers whirring, began to slide down its narrow track. Then it lifted from the track and rose above the sands of Kitty Hawk. The flight lasted only 12 seconds and covered a mere 120 feet. But there was no doubt--on that windy December 17, the Wright brothers had realized a human dream. They had flown! Air Force Historical Research Agency Photo Installing Flight Simulator If your computer doesn't support automatic installation, follow these steps 1. Insert Flight Simulator 2004 Disc 1 into your CD drive. 2. Click Start on the taskbar. 3. Point to Settings and/or select Control Panel. 4. Double-click Add/Remove Programs. 5. For Windows 98, 98SE, or ME, select the Install/Uninstall tab, and click Install. For Windows 2000 or XP, select Add New Programs and click CD or Floppy. 6. Follow the instructions that appear on your screen. During setup, select Express to install all necessary Flight Simulator files in their default locations. Otherwise, click Install to choose one of two installation options: Compact or Complete. If you need to conserve disk space, choose the Compact setup option. If you want to optimize flying performance, choose Complete. Just 30 years later, the Douglas DC­3 was making regular airline service comfortable and profitable. Three and a half decades after that, on February 9, 1969, the first Boeing 747 (left, bottom) thundered into the skies over Everett, Washington. Now, it's your turn to fly into history. To Start Flight Simulator · Double-click the Flight Simulator 2004 icon on the Windows desktop. Note: You'll need to have Disc 4 in your CD drive each time you start Flight Simulator. If you've chosen Compact installation, you'll also need to keep Disc 4 in your CD drive during flight. The Wright Flyer's first successful flight (above, top) was shorter than the economy-class section of a Boeing 747. 2 Corbis F L I G H T S I M U L AT O R 2 0 0 4 A CENTURY OF FLIGHT 3 Developed as a World War I bomber, the Vickers Vimy was the finest long-range aircraft of its day. In 1919 and 1920, the Vimy claimed three incredible flying records. Learning to Fly It's been a full century since the Wright Flyer's first powered flight. At first, the skies were empty and the airspace unrestricted. It was an age of slow speeds, spruce-and-fabric wings, and airfields that were also corn fields. In the following decades, aviation filled the skies with beautiful aircraft and awesome adventure, while technology allowed pilots to travel through all kinds of weather. Within a few decades of the birth of powered flight, pilots and passengers were soaring across continents, racing over oceans, and jetting around the world in less than a day. It was a century when the airplane brought distant lands closer and changed people's sense of space and time--a century when the world learned to fly. By piloting the Wright Flyer on the windswept dunes at Kitty Hawk, navigating the Ryan NYP "Spirit of St. Louis" across the dark North Atlantic, and bringing in a sophisticated Boeing 747­400 for a smooth landing in Tokyo, you can experience the range of technology that defined the first hundred years of powered flight. You'll slip into the cockpits of some of the century's greatest aircraft and pilot them on their historic flights. And once you take flight, you'll have a greater appreciation for what those early aviators may have felt as they followed the train tracks, squinted into the wind, pushed in the throttle, and roared aloft. A Century of Flight "The best way to understand pilots--even pilots who lived 75 years ago--is simply to fly with them," writes Flying magazine columnist and West Coast editor Lane Wallace in her introduction to A Century of Flight. In nine evocative stories, Wallace recounts her experiences with A Century of Flight the historic aircraft featured in Flight Simulator and reflects on their legacies. Savoring the rare opportunity to sit in Amelia Earhart's Vega, Wallace writes, "`This is where she sat,' I whisper wonderingly to myself, well aware of how few people since then have ever been allowed to sit in the silence of this carefully preserved cathedral ..." Experience the Dream The centennial of powered flight has enjoyed a healthy share of media coverage. But it's one thing to learn about history, and quite another to experience it. And that is what Flight Simulator 2004: A Century of Flight is all about--allowing you to experience the dream of flight firsthand. Posters celebrated the Vickers Vimy's nonstop transatlantic crossing. 4 Hulton Archive/Getty Images F L I G H T S I M U L AT O R 2 0 0 4 A CENTURY OF FLIGHT 5 Each Century of Flight story includes links to re-created historical flights. After reading about each aircraft, its famous flights, and its notable pilots, you can fly into history--piloting the de Havilland DH­88 Comet in the MacRobertson Air Race, or flying an early airline route through the Rocky Mountains in a Douglas DC­3. Amelia Earhart's Vega in Flight Simulator Flying Lessons Flight Simulator offers two ways for you to learn to fly: Climb into the cockpit and fly by the seat of your pants--as many of the first pilots did--or learn using the same techniques that modern pilots employ, progressing through the ranks of Student, Private, Instrument, Commercial, and Airline Transport courses by taking Flying Lessons Flying Lessons with instructor Rod Machado. Flying Lessons combines in-depth ground school tutorials with integrated flying lessons, starting in the Cessna Skyhawk SP Model 172 and moving up to the Beechcraft Baron 58 and Boeing 737­400. You'll even earn a certificate upon successful completion of each category. To learn to fly, or to earn a new Flight Simulator pilot rating, click Flying Lessons on the left side of the main screen. To read about--and fly--the nine historical aircraft in Flight Simulator, click Century of Flight on the left side of the main screen. Getting Started Early pilot training included little more than mastering a few simple rules and then giving it a try. The rest was left to instinct, good sense, and knowing the lay of the land. But pilots quickly discovered that there was a lot more to learn about flying. There's a lot to know about Flight Simulator, too, and that's part of its fun and challenge. In Flight Simulator, you can learn what it takes to fly some of the world's finest aircraft. Getting Started--with John and Martha King of King Schools--gives you an introduction to key features and a gateway to your first flight. Getting Started The Learning Center As you explore Flight Simulator--taking lessons, flying around, trying new aircraft--be sure to spend some time in the Learning Center, your source for answers and information about Flight Simulator. The Learning Center offers more than 120 articles covering the full range of Flight Simulator topics, such as basic flight instruments, using the mouse in the cockpit, and setting weather themes. You'll also learn about new features, such as dynamic weather and changes to Air Traffic Control, as well as advanced flying topics such as Flying Taildraggers, Flying Twin-Engine Aircraft, and Flying Jets. To begin exploring Flight Simulator, click Getting Started on the left side of the main screen. 6 F L I G H T S I M U L AT O R 2 0 0 4 A CENTURY OF FLIGHT 7 Navigating through the Learning Center is much like browsing the Web; each article includes related links that connect you to other articles. The Learning Center also offers three different ways to find information: Key Topics presents a visual way to explore major Flight Simulator themes, the Site Map offers a comprehensive table of contents, and the Index allows you to find articles by topic. The Learning Center Flight Simulator lets you try formation flying, aerobatic competitions, and air racing with friends and other pilots over a network, on the Internet, or on Zone.com. To set up or join a multiplayer session, click Multiplayer on the left side of the main screen. To learn more, read the Multiplayer article in the Learning Center. Flying to Australia On November 12, 1919, Australian pilot Ross Smith, his brother Keith, and two mechanics (above, center) began a journey that took them over lands no one had ever seen from the air. They planned to fly their Vickers Vimy more than 11,000 miles from England to Australia--a route many pilots had already tried and failed. Each day they covered new ground and new skies, landing on roads, farm fields, and even racetracks. On December 10, the team began their final leg toward Darwin, Australia, pushing the Vimy to its maximum range. To read more about the Vimy and to re-create this historic flight, click Century of Flight on the left side of the main screen. To visit the Learning Center, click Learning Center on the left side of the main screen. To begin exploring, you'll want to read articles such as The Big Picture, Just Get Me Flying, and Step-by-Step Guide. Settings You can modify Flight Simulator to suit your preferences or to maximize your computer's performance. The Settings screen lets you adjust your preferences for display, sound, Air Traffic Control, scenery, realism, weather, and much more. To customize Flight Simulator, click Settings on the left side of the main screen. To learn more about Settings, read the articles on Realism, General Settings, Display, and Sound in the Learning Center. Create a Flight Once you've learned to fly, Flight Simulator's skies are wide open to you. Choose your aircraft, your starting location and time, and the prevailing weather ... then start flying. To design your own adventure, click Create a Flight on the left side of the main screen. Select a Flight Flight Simulator features historical and modern flights that take you to some spectacular destinations. These flights cover a wide range of difficulty, and include detailed briefings that make your flying adventures even more realistic. To choose a flight, click Select a Flight on the left side of the main screen. Flight Simulator news If you have an Internet connection, News can download the latest information about Flight Simulator. To get updates, click News on the left side of the main screen. 8 F L I G H T S I M U L AT O R 2 0 0 4 A CENTURY OF FLIGHT 9 Hulton Archive/Getty Images Multiplayer During World War I alone, the Curtiss JN­4D "Jenny" was used to train nearly 9,000 American pilots-- 95 percent of the flyers in the United States in 1919. Dreams Of the sky For thousands of pilots who learned to fly in the Curtiss JN­4D "Jenny" during World War I, the postwar skies were an open opportunity. Barnstormers looped and swooped above gasping crowds and, for many people, airplanes were still such a new sight that nearly every flight was an impromptu air show. The Curtiss Jenny, which performed in many such spectacles during the 1920s, introduced the public to flight. It was an era when pilots dreamed of adventure. In 1920, Tex Marshall, his wife Katherine, and their friend Frank Palmer set out for Ohio from Florida in a pair of Curtiss Jenny airplanes. They had no set schedule, few certain landing fields, and inaccurate maps. As Marshall soon discovered, the sky was as full of challenge as of wonder. One challenge had a name: weather. Weather Like the early flyers' aspirations, the skies in Flight Simulator have no limits. Just as you can re-create Tex Marshall's crosscountry flight, fly a Curtiss Jenny through a barn near Findlay, Ohio, and pilot the daring "Hell Stretch" airmail route across the stormy Allegheny Mountains, you can also customize many kinds of weather--from severe thunderstorms to a clear blue afternoon--to test your skills. Clouds are one of the most marvelous and for takeoff in the "Winter Wonderland" weather theme. challenging parts of flight, and they're the centerpiece of Flight Simulator's improved weather system. Flight Simulator now features Dynamic Weather; three-dimensional clouds build and change realistically with the temperature and time of day, and even blow across the sky. The dynamic weather system also generates rain, snow, and fronts that develop based on atmospheric conditions. Flight Simulator's new Weather Themes--preset weather conditions centered on your aircraft's current location--generate challenging flying scenarios with just a few clicks. Select "Cold Fronts" to fly through fast-moving storms, "Fogged In" to test your instrument skills, "Winter Wonderland" to spend a beautiful day flying amid snow flurries, or one of seven other preset themes that let you experience complex weather conditions without having to set conditions along your flight path. The Ford 4­AT Tri-Motor prepares The Curtiss Jenny starred in many antics during the barnstorming years. 10 Underwood & Underwood/CORBIS F L I G H T S I M U L AT O R 2 0 0 4 A CENTURY OF FLIGHT 11 AirMail's Rocky Debut On May 15, 1918, the United States Postal Service began airmail service. When the first pilot, George L. Boyle, was ready to depart Washington, D.C., his Curtiss JN­4 "Jenny" refused to start: the plane was out of gas. And that was just the beginning of his trouble. Eventually, Boyle took off, following train tracks. But as the tracks circled, so did he. Then, after running out of gas, Boyle crashed in a field. To read more about the Curtiss Jenny and to re-create this historic flight, click Century of Flight on the left side of the main screen. Of course, you can still create custom weather piece by piece, defining cloud layers, winds aloft, visibility, precipitation, and temperature. Watch raindrops spatter the windscreen of your Beechcraft King Air 350 during a low-level run in coastal Alaska, or slice through a stratus layer on your climb through 30,000 feet in the Bombardier Learjet 45. With an Internet connection, you can fly in Real-World Weather by downloading current conditions. You'll confront the same weather that you'd encounter most anywhere in the world, in real time. To read more about Flight Simulator's improved weather functions, read the articles in the Weather section of the Learning Center. Instrument Flying The need to fly in all conditions eventually led engineers and pilots to develop techniques for flying without the aid of ground references. In 1929, Jimmy Doolittle made the first instrument-only flight using an altimeter, artificial horizon, and directional gyro to take off, circle, and land. Flying with instruments in Flight Simulator, you have access to the same navigation aids and instruments available to real-world instrumentrated pilots. You can create VFR (Visual Flight Rules) and IFR (Instrument Flight Rules) flight plans with the Flight Planner; selected aircraft include IFR panels, which show all key instruments, avionics, and controls on the screen. The Flight Simulator NavData database, supplied by Jeppesen, includes the world's VORs (VHF omnidirectional receivers), NDBs (nondirectional radio beacons), ILSs (instrument landing systems), low- and high-altitude airways, and intersections. To learn more about using navigational aids in Flight Simulator, read the articles on Navigation in the Learning Center. Compare the cockpits of the Curtiss Jenny (top), the Vega (middle), and the Boeing 777­300 (bottom), and see the evolution of instrumentation during flight's first century. 12 F L I G H T S I M U L AT O R 2 0 0 4 A CENTURY OF FLIGHT 13 Historical Flights Anchorage Saint John's/ Harbor Grace New York Londonderry London Clifden Paris N W E Darwin S Santiago Buenos Aires Cape Town Salt Lake City Denver San Francisco Los Angeles San Diego St. Louis Findlay Bellefonte New York Flight Simulator lets you re-create more than a dozen historical flights. To fly these adventures, click Century of Flight on the left side of the main screen. 1903 Wright Flyer Curtiss JN­4 "Jenny" Vickers Vimy Ryan NYP "Spirit of St. Louis" Vega Ford 4­AT Tri­Motor Melbourne Columbus Washington D.C. Kitty Hawk Daytona Beach de Havilland DH­88 "Comet" Douglas DC­3 Piper J­3 Cub Mexico City 14 F L I G H T S I M U L AT O R 2 0 0 4 A CENTURY OF FLIGHT 15 After a night dodging storms over the Atlantic Ocean, Charles Lindbergh crossed the coast of Ireland just 3 miles off course. Of Distance and Terrain The first pilots spent much of their time flying precariously at exhibitions and in aerial circuses. But it wasn't long before they attempted long-distance travel. In 1911, the first aircraft flew across the entire United States when Calbraith Rodgers piloted his "Vin Fiz" Wright EX biplane from New York to Long Beach, California. During the 49-day journey, Rodgers spent more than 82 hours in the air and crashed 69 times. Crossing the Atlantic For more than 15 years after the first powered flight at Kitty Hawk, no airplane had flown nonstop across an ocean. Over land, pilots could often remedy emergencies by landing for repairs. Over open water, however, any malfunctions, mechanical failures, or mistakes turned all the more critical. In 1919, the transatlantic crossing became reality. John Alcock and Arthur Whitten Brown piloted a Vickers Vimy from Newfoundland to Ireland in just under 16 hours. In the spring of 1927, aviators lined up for another challenge: flying nonstop from New York to Paris. Many had already failed when Charles Lindbergh tried a new and daring approach--simplicity-- using a single-engine plane flown by a single pilot. Lindbergh bounced down the muddy runway at Roosevelt Field in the cloudy dawn of May 20, and the world held its breath for more than 33 hours as Lindbergh's airplane was sighted at various points en route. At long last, the buzz of an engine was heard over Paris and the small silver airplane circled, landed, and rolled to a stop. Suddenly, Paris and New York were closer to each other, and pilots gained a new perspective on distance and terrain. The Spirit of St. Louis circles above Paris in Flight Simulator. A Flying Geography Lesson In Flight Simulator, pilots don't just fly above the realistic terrain of an artificial world. They fly above the terrain of this world, to and from highly detailed cities and more than 23,000 airports, complete with taxiway and runway signs. True-to-life aircraft soar above realistic ground textures that replicate actual geographic features. Enhanced three-dimensional landmarks, including the lighted signs of Las Vegas and the familiar iron arches of the Eiffel Tower, combine with stunning natural landmarks like Niagara Falls, the Grand Canyon, and Mount Everest to make Flight Simulator a unique tool for exploring the planet. Charles Lindbergh with the Spirit of St. Louis 16 Corbis F L I G H T S I M U L AT O R 2 0 0 4 A CENTURY OF FLIGHT 17 To learn more about terrain and scenery objects, read the Scenic Highlights article in the Learning Center. Flight Simulator offers the chance to re-create not only history's milestones, but your own favorite travels and flights as well. To get a sense for how real a simulation can be, try this exercise: Fly your Flight Simulator aircraft to a place you know well, and see how the experience brings memory to life. Similarly, when you re-create the Vickers Vimy's first transatlantic crossing in Flight Simulator, you'll get a sense of the distance across the Atlantic Ocean that no book or film can truly convey. Or try Amelia Earhart's transatlantic flight at the controls of her Vega, and look down as you leave the Newfoundland coast and set out across the dark north Atlantic. In a way, Flight Simulator encompasses history. The Scenery Below From aviation's early days, flying has changed the way pilots looked at the world. Topographic features you've never noticed--or needed to notice--from the ground suddenly become all-important from the air. If you're following a river, that river becomes part of your flight's navigational plan. Or perhaps you use landmarks, such as small ponds, dirt roads, or a stand of trees to gauge final approaches or estimate glide slopes. Again, the scenery below has become an essential part of your flight. And the array of scenery that lies beneath your wings in Flight Simulator can be amazing. Have you ever wanted to fly to a certain airport or over particular terrain during various seasons? It's possible in Flight Simulator. When you change the season, you also change the ground texture: In winter, snow cloaks the prairies; spring turns the hills green. Changing the season gives you a challenge, and a different feel for a place you thought you knew so well. To learn more, read the Time and Season article in the Learning Center. Island Airlines Several decades after jet aircraft first took to the skies, a small airline still flew a fleet of Ford 4­AT Tri-Motors for their short-hop, short-field circuit from Port Clinton, Ohio, to small islands in Lake Erie. Island Airlines billed itself as "The Shortest Airline in the World." The Ford Tri-Motors served as school buses, flying students from the outer islands to high school campuses. Some islands were so close that when the plane landed, its wheels were still spinning from takeoff. To read more about the Ford Tri-Motor and to re-create Island Airlines flights, click Century of Flight on the left side of the main screen. Wyoming in Summer Wyoming in Winter San Francisco at Dusk 18 F L I G H T S I M U L AT O R 2 0 0 4 A CENTURY OF FLIGHT 19 With a balance of efficiency, range, speed, and payload, the Douglas DC­3 was the first aircraft to earn a profit just by carrying passengers. Technology Takes Off The Pursuit of Speed When Transcontinental Air Transport began service in 1929 using a combination of railroads and Ford Tri-Motor flights to travel across the United States, brochures touted a miraculous 48-hour coast-to-coast journey. In the early 1930s, the new streamlined Vega became the favorite of recordcoveting pilots. Wiley Post flew a Vega during his 1931 around-the-world flight, as did Amelia Earhart when she became the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic in 1932. In 1934, the de Havilland DH­88 Comet--the first British aircraft with retractable landing gear, flaps, and variable pitch propellers--won the MacRobertson Air Race, flying between England and southern Australia in slightly less than 71 hours. The swift and reliable Douglas DC­3, which was able to carry more people than the Ford Tri-Motor and with greater speed and efficiency, became one of the most widely used transportation aircraft in the world during the 1930s and 1940s. Navigation For early pilots, the land was their chart on clear days. Just as in the real world, it's easiest to navigate in Flight Simulator by simply looking out the window and following landmarks, a technique called pilotage. Using pilotage, a clock, and a magnetic compass, you can practice dead (or deduced) reckoning. To learn more about pilotage and dead reckoning, read the Old-Fashioned Navigation article in the Learning Center. The DH­88 Comet races to Melbourne, Australia, in Flight Simulator. Until the 1920s, pilots relied on written flying instructions that described air routes using the locations of prominent buildings, hills, roads, and trees. Today's complex aviation charts contain more than 200 symbols to help pilots navigate. Flight Simulator's Map offers an improved full-color terrain display to show the location of your aircraft at any time. You can also navigate in Flight Simulator using radio-based navigation. To learn more about navigational aids, read the Aviation Charts, Everything You Need to Know about a VOR, and Automatic Direction Finder articles in the Learning Center. The Douglas DC­3 quickly became the hero of many early airlines. 20 Hulton Archive/Getty Images F L I G H T S I M U L AT O R 2 0 0 4 A CENTURY OF FLIGHT 21 GPS From the magnetic compass to radio beacons, navigational technology has made many strides. The global positioning system (GPS) is the latest landmark advancement in electronic navigation, using satellite transmissions to plot your aircraft's position. To help you navigate, Flight Simulator simulates two sophisticated GPS receivers. Both units feature terrain mapping as well as airport and facility information that you can access during flight. Air Traffic Control As the skies became busier, Air Traffic Control (ATC) evolved to make flight safer and more efficient. Flight Simulator brings you into the ATC conversation with enhanced interactive Air Traffic Control. Real-time Air Traffic Control clears you to take off and land, issues directional instructions, and lets you hear controllers speaking to other aircraft. ATC can also issue in-flight IFR clearances, handle altitude changes en route, and direct you to nonprecision and precision approaches to multiple runways at airports around the world, including airports without control towers. You might begin your flying day by talking to ATC from a 747­400 on an instrument flight from Rome, and conclude by getting landing clearance into London. To learn more about ATC, read the Air Traffic Control articles in the Learning Center. Dean Conger/CORBIS The First `Jumbo Jet' Since the first Boeing 747 (above) was built, Boeing has delivered more than 1,230 747s. Today's 747­400 features digital systems as well as greater power, range, and fuel efficiency than any previous 747 model. A Boeing 747­400 includes ... ... 171 miles of wiring. ... 6 million parts, including some 3 million fasteners. ... a tail as high as a six-story building. ... a cockpit with 365 gauges, lights, and switches. ... wings that each weigh 28,000 pounds (12,700 kilograms)--10 times the entire weight of Boeing's first airplane, the 1916 B&W. Flight Simulator models sophisticated GPS receivers. To learn more about GPS features, read the Using the GPS article in the Learning Center. The Kneeboard Early pilots sometimes pasted their charts to boards, which they strapped to their legs to keep the charts from blowing out of the open cockpit. Today, pilots use similar kneeboards to stay organized and keep important information close at hand. The Flight Simulator Kneeboard holds your flight briefing and aircraft checklists, a complete list of keyboard shortcuts for operating controls, and both a navigation log and a log of radio communications. You can display or hide the Kneeboard during flights by pressing F10. To learn more about the Kneeboard, read the Using the Kneeboard article in the Learning Center. 22 F L I G H T S I M U L AT O R 2 0 0 4 A CENTURY OF FLIGHT 23 The Aircraft Get to know the Flight Simulator fleet's historic and modern aircraft. 1903 Wright Flyer Curtiss JN­4D "Jenny" Vickers F.B.27A Vimy On December 17, 1903, the Wright Flyer became the first aircraft to achieve controlled powered flight. The Curtiss Jenny carried the first United States airmail and proved a favorite airplane for barnstormers. The Vimy astounded the world with record-breaking flights, including the first nonstop Atlantic crossing. Cessna Skyhawk SP Model 172 Cessna Skylane Model 182S Cessna Grand Caravan C208B Cessna Caravan C208 Amphibian Mooney M20M "Bravo" Beechcraft Baron 58 Beechcraft King Air 350 Bell 206B JetRanger III Bombardier Learjet 45 Boeing 737­400 Boeing 747­400 Boeing 777­300 The latest model of the popular single-engine C172, the Skyhawk SP makes a stable and trusty trainer. More powerful than the Skyhawk SP, the Skylane provides a good first step into a complex aircraft. Known as a tough, dependable airplane, the Grand Caravan flies in and out of most any airport. Equipped with both landing gear and floats, the Caravan Amphibian can fly to most any destination. The Mooney Bravo is among the fastest single-engine piston aircraft currently produced. The Baron 58 combines sleek Beechcraft design with the performance of twin engines. A workhorse, the King Air 350 is the latest model in the world's most successful line of turboprop aircraft. A winning formula for safety and value makes JetRanger the world's most popular helicopter series. The Learjet 45 holds the honor of being one of aviation's most popular business jets. Flown by many airlines, the Boeing 737­400 sees service worldwide. The 747­400's size, range, speed, and capacity rank this plane atop its class of large passenger jets. A long-range, fuel-efficient twinjet, the `Triple Seven' marks the latest development in the Boeing family line. Flying nonstop between New York and Paris, Charles Ryan NYP "Spirit of St. Louis" Lindbergh and the Spirit of St. Louis made history. Ford 4­AT Tri-Motor Model 5B and 5C Vega de Havilland DH­88 "Comet" Douglas DC­3 Piper J­3 Cub Robinson R22 Beta II Schweizer SGS 2­32 Extra 300S Nicknamed the "Tin Goose," the Ford Tri-Motor pioneered early airline and air transport routes. In the hands of pilots such as Amelia Earhart and Wiley Post, the Vega set many records during the 1930s. The DH­88 Comet won the 11,000-mile MacRobertson race from England to Australia in 1934. The DC­3 revolutionized air transportation and airline service during the 1930s and 1940s. The simple, inexpensive Piper Cub lifted a generation of pilots into the skies for the first time. The two-seat Robinson R22 is among the most popular, least expensive helicopters in the world. The all-metal SGS 2­32 aerobatic sailplane has held many of the world's soaring records. A lightweight aerobatic champion, the 300S features a 300-horsepower engine and exquisite control. 24 F L I G H T S I M U L AT O R 2 0 0 4 A CENTURY OF FLIGHT 25 The Boeing 777 was the first jet airliner designed solely using computer modeling. Computers also link cockpit flight controls to the aircraft's control surfaces. Expanding Your Dreams Of Flight Since the earliest days of flying, pilots have gathered to compare notes on weather, aircraft, landing fields, and flying techniques. It was in this camaraderie that they analyzed past flights and dreamed of new adventures. Modern pilots and others in the aviation community still gather to share information about flight and flying. Discussions cover topics ranging from the latest radios and engine-out procedures to turbine aircraft and beautiful three-point landings. This "hangar talk" happens spontaneously--in the pilot lounge, the briefing room, or the airport restaurant--whenever pilots and aviation enthusiasts gather for more than a few minutes at a time. For Flight Simulator pilots, one of the favorite gathering places is on the Web, at any one of the many sites for Flight Simulator enthusiasts. Reuters NewMedia Inc./CORBIS The Web Community For two decades, Flight Simulator has been the hub of the flight simulation community, and the growing interest in discussing Flight Simulator topics and technology led enthusiasts to take their hangar talk online. Many Web sites offer forums where pilots discuss the latest Flight Simulator technology and provide new perspectives and tips on expanding your Flight Simulator interests. Well into the age of jets, Flight Simulator offers its own hangar at a Piper Cub revives the www.microsoft.com/games/flightsimulator. roots of aviation. It's the best place to browse for Flight Simulator-related information and links to Flight Simulator sites worldwide that offer a variety of downloadable scenery, panel, and aircraft add-ons. Adding Aircraft In the past century, aviation manufacturers have produced hundreds of aircraft types, from classic biplanes and jet airliners to flying boats and helicopters. Once you've experienced the world of Flight Simulator, you may want to add more aircraft to your Flight Simulator fleet. Amateur and professional developers around the world have created thousands of add-on aircraft, which are available at computer stores and on the Web. Latest in a long lineage: The Boeing 777's rollout, April 9, 1994. 26 F L I G H T S I M U L AT O R 2 0 0 4 A CENTURY OF FLIGHT 27 Piloting Virtual Airlines Virtual airlines operate scheduled flights to most every destination in the world. Each airline has its own style--some fly passenger airliners, others fly cargo aircraft, and still others fly beat-up bush planes. Logging time with a virtual airline is a great way to structure your Flight Simulator experience. Apply for a virtual flying job and see if you can pass the test to earn the captain's seat. Once you're hired, you can download the airline's aircraft, scenery, and training materials, and use Flight Simulator to complete your assigned flights. To learn more about online Flight Simulator resources, add-on aircraft, or virtual airlines, read the article on Expanding Your Hobby in the Learning Center. support options For all of our support offerings, visit http://support.microsoft.com. In Canada, visit http://microsoft.ca/support/. To get started, try the following: · For articles targeted at specific issues, visit the Microsoft Knowledge Base at http://support.microsoft.com. · To work with a Microsoft Support Professional over the Internet, submit your issue at http://support.microsoft.com/directory/onlinesr.asp. · For your product's general support policy, visit http://support.microsoft.com. Phone Support: Call (425) 637-9308 in the U.S., or (905) 568-3503 in Canada (toll charges may apply). For paid assisted support in the U.S., call (800) 936-5700; in Canada, call (800) 688-7975. TTY Users: Microsoft text telephone (TTY/TDD) services are available at (425) 6354948 in Washington state, (800) 892-5234 elsewhere in the U.S., and (905) 568-9641 in Canada. Worldwide: Support outside the U.S. and Canada may vary. For regional contact details, visit http://support.microsoft.com/international.aspx. If there is no Microsoft subsidiary office in your country or region, please contact the establishment from which you obtained your Microsoft product. Conditions: Microsoft's support services are subject to then-current prices, terms, and conditions, which are subject to change without notice. Virtual airlines visit the world's busiest airports, as well as rural landing strips. The Next Century of Flight Celebrate the centennial of powered flight--from barnstormers to Boeing jets--as you take to the skies with Flight Simulator on your own adventures into the next century of flight. VFR aeronautical charts published by U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Aviation Administration National Aeronautical Charting Office. Generic terrain images provided by Aeromap U.S.A.; Eurosense Belfotop N.V.; The Geoinformation Group; Intrasearch Inc; Japan Geographical Survey Institute; National Aerial Resources; Walker and Associates. Custom airport and city images provided by Aeromap U.S.A.; The Geoinformation Group; Intrasearch Inc.; Japan Geographical Survey Institute; Space Imaging Inc. Digital Elevation Models (DEMs) provided by Land Info International, LLC; WorldSat International Inc. Parts of the generic terrain textures are created using patterns extracted from images taken by Japan Geographical Survey Institute. Discreet and gmax are trademarks of Discreet Logic Inc./Autodesk, Inc., in the U.S.A. and/or other countries. Photo sources: Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association; King Schools; Rod Machado; Tecmap Corporation/Eric Curry/CORBIS. 28 F L I G H T S I M U L AT O R 2 0 0 4 A CENTURY OF FLIGHT 29