Leaderboard

It becomes tiresome to read the whinging about upgrade prices from a vocal few who seem to have no respect for the amount of work it takes to develop hi fidelity addons. I bought the IXEG a long time ago nd have flogged it to death and will be very glad to see one of the most immersive addons in any sim updated and expanded upon. Anyone who expects that for free after years of usage is being disrespectful to ALL developers who spend many hours for very little reward. Big thanks to those who are bringing the 733 back bigger and better than ever.

Personally I don't like the term "study-level", and I'm highly suspicious of developers actually using it to advertise their product. My rationale: the term can mean anything - and nothing. Does "study-level" mean you have to study a manual before you can use the aircraft model? Or does it mean you can study a real POH and apply anything you read in there to the model? Or does it mean you can use the model for studying how to fly the real thing? My personal expectation would be the second definition - number one's just goofy (build some stupid quirks into your aircraft the pilot has to read up in the manual - doesn't say anything about realism IMO). Number three is illegal, at least under EASA regime - you can't use a home simulator for real flight training. Certified simulators, yes - but I doubt the majority of consumer-level payware aircraft would qualify for a certification (since we're talking about "study-level" aircraft, the applicable purpose would be a type rating training). I prefer when developers are just straight about the level of realism and the features they built into their product. In most cases I won't be able to verify claims regarding realism, since I don't have access to real world aircraft represented by the majority of add-ons available (there are a few exceptions). I do flight simming for my entertainment, not to become proficient with a certain aircraft type. I do like studying manuals and dealing with quirky aircraft systems, but let's be realistic about this - I don't know anyone who'd be able to study a dozen of different aircraft types with the same depth required for a type rating, and keep all this stuff in mind. When I look at the aircraft models most appealing to me, then I'd say what makes them attractive is a mix of deep simulation, paired with certain game elements and some helpers to get around the limitation of being just one person without tactile access to cockpit elements. Let's take a look at a few of my favorites: The HotStart Challenger 650 offers really deep systems, as well as some great game elements (HotStart FBO with all the bells and whistles, walk-around including manipulating covers and stuff on the outside of the aircraft), but also incorporates further elements to enhance immersion (particularly the play of cockpit and instrument lights vs. outside brightness comes to mind). Truth being told, I don't believe I explored more than 10-15% of its systems yet - I mostly fly from A to B, without going into the wash of failing systems. The MU-2B is a completely different beast - game elements do exist, but are pretty minimalist (chocks, covers can be toggled from the menu). In return, the aircraft is quickly set up and ready for departure. The Moo isn't the most complex aircraft when it comes to systems and avionics, but what it has, is really well modeled in the TOGA rendition. Including its tendency to kill unheeding pilots Also I appreciate the different cockpit options the Moo offers. Among airliners, I'm currently not too happy with what's currently available for X-Plane - the ini A300/A310 were pretty good in my books. They weren't complete (like the Challenger), instead they focused only on stuff that would be used by pilots in daily A to B flying, and offered some nice game elements. Sufficient for my purpose, particularly since what they implemented, was pretty much correct. I did use the real FCOM to operate it, but does that make it "study level"? The IXEG 733 has the potential to take that position, but would need to catch up with certain aspects. Currently the place is taken by the Q4XP and Rotate's MD-11 - both not study-level in any sense, but complex enough to highlight the unique quirks each of them has in store for its drivers. The vintage airliner section has some better coverage - I'd count the Felis 742 and the upcoming LES DC-3 among the really good vintage aircraft (I can't judge how close they are to the original, so that's just by gut feeling). And finally, small GA aircraft - that's where I have the most difficulty with the term "study-level". Most of them come with pretty boring avionics (like in real life) - yes, the G1000 is a useful device; once understood it takes away one obstacle to switch from one aircraft to another. Great. So how to make a piston ASEL "study-level"? I see two trends there - some developers come up with unique and interesting avionics (like the Torquesim Entegra v8, or the Thranda DGS cockpit). Others try their hand at replacing Austin's recip engine model. While I do see value in the first path, I haven't understood yet the value of a "custom" engine model (except if you're an aircraft engineer). From a pilot's perspective, it all comes down that you will face terrible difficulties in starting those engines (because they're scripted to be like that). I appreciate if things like engine flooding, vapor locks and spark plug fouling are implemented and affect the engine and its performance output, but having a script make you run the boost pump for an exact number of seconds with the throttle in exact one specific position (so the script ticks off the "engine is primed" box) doesn't have anything to do with "study level" in my book. That being said, I'd still count the Torquesim SR22 Entegra among the best GA aircraft available for X-Plane, since it still ticks a lot of boxes - unique avionics, anti-icing equipment and convincing visual effects, paired with some game elements (tie-downs, covers and blankets) still make it a good package, despite of the stupid engine start thing. Its closest challengers are IMO the LES Sundowner (big plus: the engine...) and the different Pipers from vFlyteAir.

Hello All, This will serve as an official announcement that we have released update version 1.7 for the CL650. All customers who have purchased the CL650 up till now have been sent an e-mail by X-Aviation with complete instructions on how to obtain your update. We have made this a very simple process! For those that purchase the CL650 from today forward, your purchased download will already be updated to version 1.7 for you. What if I didn't get the update e-mail? If you did not receive your update e-mail don't fret! X-Aviation has updated our system to allow all customers to update with ease, regardless of whether you received an e-mail for the update! Here's what to do: 1. Login to your X-Aviation account here: https://www.x-aviation.com/catalog/account_history.php  2. Find your original Challenger 650 download and re-download the file. It will download as the latest version! The following is a list of additions/fixes included: === Release highlights & New features === Implemented two-pilot shared cockpit Please review the included CL650 Shared Cockpit Quick Start Guide PDF Added support for X-Plane 12 for all platforms VHF COM frequency formats shouldn't allow omitting leading '1' digit You will now need to enter the leading '1' digit in radio frequency entries on the TUNE page. Leaving out the decimal point is still allowed though. DES ADVISORY If the flight plan doesn't contain any suitable descent constraints from which the FMS could anchor a descent, it will no longer give you a "TOD" point. It will instead give you a green "DES" circle on the flight plan, with a green "DES ADVISORY" in the MFD VNAV window. This is just the FMS taking a rough stab at guessing approximately where you should start your descent, so that you end up 1,500 ft AGL at 10nm from the destination airport. It will not: give you a vertical deviation from this path, capture VPATH give you a TOD indication, or aural vertical track alert This is it basically taking a guess, in absence of more accurate data Remove custom atmospheric model on XP12 On X-Plane 12, the custom CL650 atmospheric model has been removed, since X-Plane 12 now implements temperature effects on altimetry natively. Consequently, there is no option to disable temperature effects in X-Plane 12 when flying online anymore. These effects are always on. Be sure to use the latest xPilot betas when flying XP12 on Vatsim to make sure your altimeter is being reported correctly. MIC selector should enable audio even if monitoring pushbutton is deselected Even when you didn't push in the volume control knob on a radio, if your MIC selector is set to that radio, you will still hear the audio. HUD shouldn’t show selected speed in FLC or FPM in VS The HUD FMAs will no longer show the speed target for FLC or the FPM target for VS. The real HUD doesn't show them, so we removed them. Don't show ACT FPLN on EFIS when CDU is on SEC FPLN pages When SEC FPLN, SEC LEGS or any secondary flight plan-related path is displayed on the CDU, the on-side PFD & MFD will show the secondary flight plan on their map displays only. === 3D model fixes & improvements === 3D & texturing: Fixed texture issues on all liveries present with the updated mesh for the ADG door. Made some adjustments to other areas with substance painters new and extra bake maps Fixed gear bay texture issues Nose Gear Bay - Fixed incorrectly mapped object and fixed textures Fixed visible window shade behind wall light mounts Fixed incorrect mapping on DC Power door. Fixed one antenna not joining onto fuselage. Added indicator line to HUD knob. Added bumps to EVS knob. Fixes to LIT texture. Added missing “LIGHTING” text to lower lighting panels Glareshield: Moved object centre to 0, 0, 0 to fix mirrored object that was nudged to the left Cockpit Object: Plugged hole in main entry door manipulator Cockpit Interior: Closed gap behind circuit breakers on left side Shuttle: Low poly version and textures Fixed excessive shine on decals Fixed glareshield artifacts in textures. Increased width of windshield centre pillar. Fixed ATS DISC button parenting problem on left thrust lever New sun visors, textures and new visor animations. Exterior Fuelling Panel - Fixed LITs and test button manipulator. Wing Textures - Fixed ambient occlusion issues under wings Wing Textures - Fixed ambient occlusion issue on fore flaps Fixed weird ambient occlusion on 4 of the flap tracks. === Bugfixes === 3137: Overshoot arrows on secondary flight plans should be drawn blue, not white 3150: ILS approaches with magvar to the west and CF legs have their leg courses incorrectly computed 3183: Editing airframe registration in initial startup screen trips an assertion check for a bad airframe index 3185: Hydraulic actuator drag simulation was buggy, causing pulsing of nose gear door when depressurized and commanded to move 3187: Implement configurable network proxying for users with VPNs 3199: Nose door opening/closing sounds were reversed after nose door hydraulics refactor 3208: Netlink round-trip calculation overflows after 71.5 minutes 2335: VNAV CRUISE LRC is producing bunk speed values 3161: Only generate random MSNs starting at 6050 3209: Add datarefs for reading the current airframe regmark, selcal, MSN and UUID 3211: CTD when activating the approach while already on the approach leg 3216: Add extra assertion information into libswitch 3218: APU hobbs display isn't being synced over to guest 3210: CTD when entering LGKR as departure airport on macOS 3233: APUFAULT panel hobbs counter is incorrectly being reset to 0 when the ECU is depowered 3234: In case Navigraph chart subscription is renewed while MFD charts are displayed, the MFD will crash 3240: Implement fallback FCC VOR, LOC and GS mode reference distances for gain scheduling in case DME hold is set 3253: If libswitch didn't yet record a replay frame at the current time, don't assert fail 3257: Engine thermalization can run away into negative infinity if a non-zero shaft load is used during thermalization 3258: MIC selector should enable audio even if monitoring pushbutton is deselected 3221: Populate more PERF data from SimBrief during FPLN RECALL 3263: Reverse idle shouldn't spool throttle up by 6% 3262: DF leg sequences too early on ILS26 Missed Approach at EIKY 3222: Short circuit DC BUS 2 via failures menu CTDs 3264: FPLN RECALL is using too tight timeout for simbrief XML fetch 3265: Add options to customize payload, fuel and avionics in non-persistent mode 3267: CPDLC assertion logger isn't being properly set up 3268: libcpdlc crashes if multiple ATC messages pulled in one fetch contain a END SERVICE followed by more invalid messages 3269: Flap motor 2 failure is mislabeled as "overheat" 3270: Weird phrasing for collector tank in fuel system visualizer tooltip 3271: FMS should auto-switch to true heading when magnetic heading from IRSes becomes unavailable 3272: TAWS terrain rendering can induce periodic sim stutter when rendering large numbers of tiles are being drawn 3273: Automatic F/O volume isn't being restore from saved user settings 3274: Flight plan ETD edit wasn't being properly finalized with fmc_fpl_done_edit 3275: Typo in failure manager spelling for "cockpit floor" 3276: Use armed/active checkboxes in failure manager as logical AND with the name search, not logical OR 3278: ALT_DESC_AT_GS_FAF is using the wrong altitude field for drawing the constraint on the MFD 3279: Don't allow APU ECU to introduce fuel before at least 13% NG is achieved 3280: Inserting mod from a CPDLC UM80 message while in the air causes a crash 3293: Switch to double-precision floating point math for XP12 compatibiity 3294: XP12 requires adjustment to gear leg length to make the airplane look correct 3295: Implement XP12 rain effect 3149: TO waypoint should blink on PPOS map when we're getting close to sequencing 3303: XP12 fuselage drag is too high 3305: DataRefTool seems to attempt to read CL650/glass/heat_on array with bad length and crashes 3304: HUD shouldn’t show selected speed in FLC or FPM in VS 3306: 1/2BNK and DR lettering on HUD must use the same large font size as the active lateral mode FMA 3308: HUD glass could use a bit of darkening on XP12 3319: Add uncommanded flap motion failures 3281: Takeoff Reference Indicator Line should appear at rotation not 50 ft 3312: Flap limiting speed should be derived from handle position, not actual flap position 3322: Entering random stuff into FMS STATUS ACTIVE DATA BASE line when no SEC DATA BASE is installed crashes 3314: XP12 cloud layers can have equal base & tops, leading to an iter_fract assertion failure 3324: Implement APPR FOR REF ONLY FMS message 3329: Remove custom atmospheric model on XP12 3330: Retune X-Plane 12 drag model 3325: PATH mode shouldn't be available outside of FMS NAV SRC 3327: Spurious CHK SBAS SVC PVRDR message due to X-Plane nav data format change 3334: Remove altimetry temperature compensation UI elements from X-Plane 12 build 3335: Use global X-Plane 12 airspace files in IFIS airspace when available 3336: Failed TRUs shouldn't be colored on the Electrical Network screen as an active source anymore 3337: CTD due to assertion idx < fpl_get_num_rt_lines(fpl) failed in insert_via 3339: Clamp stall IAS computation at 40 knots 3310: Don't show ACT FPLN on EFIS when CDU is on SEC FPLN pages 3341: Clamp FSCU computation outputs 3338: Make ACARS network provider configurable per airframe 3342: APU negative G fuel path misaccounts fuel feeding when left collector is empty 3344: Avoid showing ATS N1 TO together with FAIL if reloading into an avionics-on state 3345: FMS-FMS N1 DISAGREE message should only show on active FMCs and cross-compare between active FMCs 3346: MACH failbox isn't showing up properly when Mach data from ADC isn't available 3348: Lock out GPS position when traveling significantly over M1.0 3350: Don't cross-compare vspeeds to standby FMS 3355: Inserting a direct-to doesn't perform proper flight plan post-processing 3356: Direct-to should construct a minimum leg length of 5 miles 3359: Current-leg TTG algorithm should simply use linear distance to the terminating fix, instead of along-track distance 3360: Implement special FAF sequencing criteria 3361: Implement UNABLE RNP FAF MAP message 3357: Approaches should draw a 15 NM line from the runway along the runway extended centerline 3365: Pushing TOGA should clear VNAV submode 3367: Runway waypoint should flash when we're about to sequence through them OpenGPWS#4: X-Plane 12 includes 1-bit earth orbit normal maps, generating nuisance warnings 3368: ALTS should recapture immediately when altitude pre-select hasn't been moved and a vertical mode is selected 3363: Popups don't match cockpit brightness in XP12 3362: Auto brightness in XP12 for iPad at night 3354: CTD when selecting option 76 TAWS 3373: Implement automatic cruise altitude determination from ALT SEL value 3144: Activating DME HOLD should force nav tuning mode to MAN and lock out AUTO 3372: X-Plane 12 apt.dat introduced a change to row code 1302 country to include the 3-letter country code in the data 3375: MFD TAKEOFF & APPROACH REFERENCE data window should automatically select based on on-ground/in-air state 3376: HUD should show AT FAIL instead of the second MSD line when MSD is showing a failure flag 3379: Don't block deicing when there's ice on the wings, regardless of outside temperature 3380: NAV CONTROL page didn't check for DME hold before toggling auto tuning 3382: FMC on-ground state should be toggled by WoW first, airspeed second 3383: Thrust modes APR, CLB, CRZ and MCT shouldn't be selectable while on the ground 3385: Refactor FMC key handling to only emit KEY NOT ACTIVE when there's an explicit reason for it 3384: Standby FMC determination doesn't work correctly when nav source isn't any FMS 3387: Cabin display system needs to be using buses LB/RB-IOC-7 not LB/RB-IOC-1 3381: Radio CONTROL toggles should be cyan, not green 3369: Nav radios start up in manual tuning regardless of previous state 3389: NRST APTS should be drawn in magenta, not cyan 3392: PPOS map should draw line of FROM leg, not just its terminator symbol 3391: Refactor FPL drawing for proper vertical stacking of elements and runway extended centerline 3395: Leg constraint type auto-picker algorithm needs to be changed and user prompting implemented 3394: Refactor CL650 menu to use bindable commands for popup windows, instead of custom menu handling 3398: Vertical mode should stay in TO after LNAV becomes active 3399: SELCAL gets stuck in cleared state once xpilot or ivao keyline-out is triggered once 3378: RA appears on HUD when on ground 3400: FPL shouldn't draw preceding leg if it was constructed 3402: Coded turn direction can get ignored when doing nearly a 180 degree turnaround and crosswind present 3401: FPL drawing can show turnaround flag in blue instead of the correct color 3403: Pushing AP ENG button when AP is on is causing a disengage and immediate reengage of the AP 3406: CMU DSP and roaming configuration is incorrectly being applied to the currently loaded airframe 3408: RNAV 24 at EDNY is causing the FMC to not transition into the LPV APPR mode correctly 3397: APTS map symbols should display "all" airports in range 3404: NEAREST APTS map symbols should be limited to 5 closest airports 3409: DIRECT-TO NEAREST AIRPORTS page needs minor layout tweaks 3410: Change byte-array word layout can cause crash when reloading an old state file with the old word layout 3411: NRST APTS must change DEST airport and for runways insert a RWY approach with a 5 mile extension 3405: Dual-generator loss causes monitored AP disconnect because the SSM momentarily isn't receiving power 3412: Passing the last waypoint on the flightplan doesn't clear the TTG value and the TO waypoint continues flashing 3413: The TO waypoint of a MOD FPLN shouldn't flash during sequencing 3418: Default state for APTS map symbols should be “OFF” 3415: DIRECT TO NEAREST AIRPORTS page title should be moved one column to the right 3148: 8.33 kHz channels should not require trailing zero to be entered into COM fields 3419: Context-sensitive ACT/SEC FPLN selection isn't correctly following the relevancy of the currently displayed FMS page 3420: PPOS map should show SEC FPLN 3421: MFD window isn't showing decimals when distances are <100NM 3422: PPOS wheel 5-degree increment ticks need to be shorter by 2 pixels 3416: Adding an origin to flight plan causes a duplicate entry on DIRECT TO NEAREST AIRPORTS page 3428: Refactor MFD ADV functionality to more closely follow real avionics 3430: Tech specs IRS gyro random noise walk seems overestimated compared to real world IRS performance 3432: Stock training scenarios are incorrectly using absolute altitude instead of height above ground for triggers 3414: DIRECT-TO NEAREST AIRPORTS's MIN RWY doesn't reset to default on FMS cold start 3424: Vertical constraints above transition should show as FLxxx on map 3434: Fallback LOC distance estimation isn't using RA and is set too low, resulting in lethargic steering 3283: PPOS PFD should be replaced by CDI when using VOR/LOC nav source 3437: CTD due to assertion "item_ref != NULL" when clicking the parent of any submenu in the Challenger menu 3440: LNAV turn prediction at high altitude ignores half-bank limits 3439: When in a hold, a coded VNAV speed constraint should be applied at all times, not just when inbound to the hold fix 3441: Implement UNABLE FPLN ALT cautions and VNAV constraint reachability checks 3438: RWY UPDATE should be present on LEGS page when on the ground 3442: DESCENT INFO page needs multiple formatting fixes since manual references were inaccurate 3443: MFD VNAV window should show amber constraints when UNABLE FPLN ALT is shown for the associated leg 3318: Crash when LWR MENU is showing MAP SYMBOLS and LWR FRMT is cycled to TCAS map while we are shared cockpit host 3152: Failures.txt: ATS servo description incorrect 3151: VFLC doesn't auto-initiate at BOC in missed approach when no more at-or-below constraints exist 3446: Reduce the missed approach target height to 1500ft and refine the missed approach leg search algorithm 3143: Inputing DELETE to COM/PRESET LSKs on TUNE page should give INVALID CHANNEL 3450: V-speeds deselected on takeoff 3458: VNAV path constructed to be too shallow on long flight plans 3460: Approach is showing RWY vertical constraint for the missed approach start leg 3454: MFD quick access memories should store map symbol selections 3452: WINDS ALOFT VIEW page right-hand lines have their caret pointing to the wrong side 3451: RA on HUD should be in fixed position when on ground 3461: HUD should show TCAS OFF 3463: EGKK DISI1G->ILS26L sequence causes spurious CRS REVERS IN FPLN message 3284: Missing GEAR DISAGREE CAS caution when trying to retract the gear with hydraulic system 3 leak 3464: Dropping a new leg onto a procedure with an IF should implicitly connect to the procedure and convert the IF->TF 3465: Performing a leg shorten to the initial fix of a (VECTORS) transition approach doesn't clear the direct-to state of the IAF 3466: Add Marshall Islands as well as Midway and Wake Island to list of territories using gallons as fuel quantities 3468: Use-after-free bug causes crash when inserting a leg before a discontinuity 3469: RWY UPDATE should be shown even when the FPLN only contains the origin runway and nothing else 3470: Single press of DEP/ARR should show DEPARTURE page when on the ground, regardless if DEST is entered 3474: GCU 2 is miswired to use GEN 1 current measurement 3476: Implement missing NO VPATH-PILOT CMD system 3478: Intercept fly-by check shouldn't produce UNABLE TO SEQ FPLN message 3480: APPR FOR REF ONLY shouldn't be shown when flying the missed approach 3481: LSK 6R on LEG DATA should go to LEG WIND, not LEGS 3475: GCU tie bus overcurrent protection is broken 3477: V-MDA approaches should stop constructing VPATH after FAF and AFCS should drop to VPTCH 3483: Need support for detecting XP AIRAC cycle on XP12 versions of navdata 3486: Offset leg segments linger behind on FROM leg even after OFFSET is changed or terminated 3487: LEGS page should show (DIR) for DF legs even when not encoding any mandatory turn direction 3491: Per-leg VPA entry should only be applied to that leg and not uptrack ones 3492: Uptrack coded leg VPA should be ignored when determining VPA limits for the current leg 3498: Attempting TOC construction on V-MDA final leg crashes 3499: FAF station passage altitude criterion was missing 3000 ft buffer 3500: Intercept sequencing can fail if the intercept overshoots the target leg before meeting track alignment criterion 3490: LP approaches shouldn't be flown angular since the avionics doesn't support them and they're marked as RNP in ARR DATA 3505: NO VPATH-VECTORS doesn't get cleared once the vectoring leg is passed 3506: VNAV path constructor needs to consider holds a discontinuity 3512: DC GPU cannot be manipulated using hand signals menu or removed when FBO SVC is in enroute state 3508: Implement missing transponder CAS messages 3516: Transponder failures missing in failure manager under 23-Comm 3517: Amber DC ESS BUS message shouldn't show on the ground 3518: Add the white DATALINK FAIL CAS message 3519: OUTBD and INBD BRAKE PRESS CAS shouldn't appear when DC BUS 2 is unpowered 3520: MFD radio control block needs to show cached tuning data in amber when radios are unavailable 3522: HF radio channel NVRAM saving and loading was completely broken 3521: CDU TUNE page data shouldn't be removed when radios become unavailable, only change color to amber 3523: XPDR 2 failure was actually failing XPDR 1 3524: NAV radio needs an outright failure that will simply make it go amber on the tuning panels 3525: When DME radio is failed, show its frequency in small amber font even when last state was in hold 3526: Normalize heading datarefs on XP12 on the front-end to work around X-Plane 12 giving negative heading values 3528: FANS UM80 shouldn't clear out PERF INIT data 3527: FANS direct-to doesn't arm the direct-to auto-update system to recompute the turn intercept at EXEC 3529: Refactor PPOS hold recompute algorithm to remove the need for explicit arming 3530: Refactor VNAV constraint determination code to get rid of broken constraint corner cases 3531: Long press on oil servicing panel test button should turn FULL lights off while held down for more than 2 seconds 3532: Regression - gear animations broken in replay 3533: FSCU channel 2 data wasn't being routed to the EFIS and FDCU 3514: Implement custom Rosen sunvisor animations and interaction 3472: Landing, taxi, strobe and nav light cores, flares and LIT textures appear too dim in XP12 3540: Don't perform UNABLE FPLN ALT checks on vectoring legs 3534: Refactor vertical direct-to functionality to match the real avionics 3539: HUD should show RNP value next to ldev scale just like the PFD 3509: Rename CAS message: DATALINK to DATALINK ACARS 3425: CTD due to EXCEPTION_ACCESS_VIOLATION in chart_download_multi 3542: FSU isn't correctly using the user's proxy settings for chart downloads 3543: Don't allow GP without VNAV being active 3544: Drop PATH and GP if VNAV is removed 3286: ATS shouldn't engage if the throttles are set above the current N1 limit 3545: TCAS is incorrectly entering SL4 due to slightly negative RA reading 3546: Inhibit beacon flashing animation when view is inside cabin to avoid beacon light from cutting through fuselage in XP12 3548: Add native ARM64 build to macOS port 3554: Implement retrieval of the alternate airport from simbrief flight plans during FPLN RECALL 3555: Refactor autopilot "holding" CAS messages to make it possible to detect persistent user inputs 3549: Magenta altitude constraint display on PFD & HUD should show nearest constraint, not the path BOD 2653: ATS indicator lights not responding correctly to bright/dim switch. 3558: Implement workaround for XP12 bug where radalt will fail if the terrain height probe is at >0 elevation 3562: FD 1/2 FAIL CAS messages weren't triggering on FCC failure 3561: XP11 model is missing HUD glass 3564: Refine in-range checklist tooltip and procedure to clarify that the TGT limit needs to be activated, not just set 3565: Add a supplement to CL650 Operations Reference describing how to conduct steep approaches 3566: Make deicing fluid color more vivid to be closer to reality 3567: Don't perform UNABLE FPLN ALT check on final approach segment 568: At-or-below climb constraint in missed approach can lead to spurious UNABLE FPLN ALT due to path construction quantization 3569: Brake energy MTOW limit table is incorrectly truncated at -25C 3570: Descent vpath construction climbs too high when there's a hold in the arrival or approach 3572: AFCS 1/2 INOP and FD 1/2 FAIL CAS messages weren't implemented properly 3560: Attempting to enter OFFSET when the FROM leg is preceded by a discontinuity crashes 3574: L/R FUEL LO TEMP CAS messages should only come on in the air 3429: (Re-)Connecting guest to shared cockpit overrides radio freqs including squawk 3575: Remove superfluous wind_turbulence_percent dataref lookup to silence XP12 warnings about is deprecation 3576: DIFF PRESS CAS message should trigger at 9.07 PSID, not 9.0 PSID 3578: DCU CAS triggers for ATA-27 should use canned bus power check macros 3579: Refine DCU CAS triggers for ATA-28 3580: Refine DCU CAS triggers for ATA-29 3581: Window heat test implementation was being too smart and wouldn't fail when tested on LOW or in hot weather 3582: Refine DCU CAS triggers for ATA-30 3586: Netlink keeps counting TCP link RTT up 3587: Refine A/SKID CAS message triggers to trip in the air, even when parking brake is set 3588: IRS POWER FAULT CAS messages need to trigger even when primary power input fails 3589: L|R FUEL LO PRESS cAS should be triggerable on the ground after all 3590: Add binds to PilotEdge, xPilot and Ivao client network transmit commands to operate the yoke-mounted PTT R/T switch 3591: Deicer should respond even if ACP receive button isn't pushed, if the mic position is matched to the radio on the ACP 3593: Race condition in replay worker accessing non-lock-protected global variable, resulting in potential crash during replay 3594: When current leg is a PPOS hold or direct-to, don't rebuild the leg after the initial edit is completed 3597: TAKEOFF and APPROACH REF entries on standby FMS should yield KEY NOT ACTIVE 3596: Do not recompute VSPDs after they have been sent 3598: Add simulation of pitot probe turbulence near the ground 3595: OpenWXR shouldn't attempt to look up temperature_tropo_c in XP12 3602: Active fpln offset should draw as dashed line on map (same as mod fpln) 3603: Offset entry field should support more formats as per manual 3604: Offset entry text should always show one decimal place 3605: OFFSET WILL END message shown on non-nav source CDU(s) 3606: OFFSET TERMINATED should not show when offset manually cancelled 3608: Offset should be removed from SEC FPLN when an active-sec swap is performed 3611: OFFSET CDU message flag should be able to coexist with MSG line 3613: DCU dual power supply implementation was broken 3614: DC ESS BUS power line "hockey stick" from APU BATT DIR BUS isn't shown correctly due to bad DC ESS SS CTCR state acquisition 3496: Stock failure scenario 1 - triggers are incorrect 3497: Stock failure scenario 5 - incorrect event triggers 3615: Stock failure scenario 2 - incorrect event triggers 3616: Stock failure scenario 4 - incorrect event triggers Fixed texturing issues on wing tips and strobe light mount 3617: Disable custom ground effect tweaks on XP12 3618: Refactor aileron PCU jam indication on the MFD FLT synoptic to avoid spurious jam indications 3619: Shorten ELEVATOR SPLIT trip delay to 1 second 3620: libacfutils - Don't stop reading chart PDF to PNG data on non-Windows when partial read is done. 3627: Do not generate UNABLE FPLN ALT on altitude-terminated legs 3625: HA legs should immediately sequence through if they become active and the altitude constraint is met 3629: FMS SEC FPLN data routing rework broke pause-at-TOD 3631: AFCS 2 pops CB1-M2 when FCC 1B is attempting to actively steer 3632: Negative d_alt in VOR slant angle computation can result in arithmetic error in distance computation 3633: Toggling FDs when very near the capture altitude can crash due to timing issue in FD pitch target not being initialized yet 3634: PI legs start course is computed incorrectly, leading to VNAV constraint picking issues 3635: Descent VNAV path shouldn't be capped by descent legs that were duplicated due to reselecting a STAR or IAP 3636: Allow PATH capture from the VNAV CLB phase 3637: Remove C-chord and flashing altitude constraint when going to level at it - doesn't happen in the real plane 3638: Gear horn trigger conditions when ROD: any should only sound when VS<0 fpm 3639: AIRAC cycle validity end date should show last valid day, not first invalid day 3081: DES ADVISORY missing from VNAV window and DES point from MFD PPOS MAP 3641: Lateral path constructor wasn't applying implict overfly rule to CD, CR, FD, VD and VR legs 3643: Deleting the leg preceding a (VECT) leg should generate a non-clearable discontinuity 3644: fpl_ser has superfluous assertion check which can crash if the leg preceding a TOD/DES has no vnav crossing alt 3107: MFD navigation data progress window should not show (DIR) as last waypoint passed 3646: Add data mode toggle to COM CONTROL page for data-enabled COM radios 3647: Oat on thrust limit page should change to n1 sat in air 3649: Shorten post-takeoff measured OAT switch delay from 45 seconds to 25 seconds 3648: CDU tune and control pages should show com frequencies to 1khz precision regardless of tuning mode 3650: DES ADVISORY doesn't change to TOD when the final leg of a flight plan is not a MAP but has a hard constraint suitable for VPATH 3651: VNAV direct-to doesn't correctly assign a DES constraint class if the target leg doesn't have a constraint class already 3652: FCC should allow VPATH capture in any lateral mode not just NAV 3653: LPV GP shouldn't be being blended into baro VPATH if we're coming in on a mode other than VPATH 3654: VHF COM frequency formats shouldn't allow omitting leading '1' digit 3658: Description code 2 "B" wasn't being checked everywhere for fly-over conditions 3659: Added new anti-icing procedures on descent to the operations reference manual 3661: Allow up to 45 degree angle-of-divergence on hold entries to better fit within the allotted hold size 3662: Zero-length hold leg crashes when attempting to fly the outbound leg 3664: Add "CLEARED TO" variant of ACARS PDCs from Hoppie 3669: Flaps underdriven to slight negative angles causes relative AoA computation to use max flaps setting notch, not min 3675: Increase assumed VOR angular standard deviation in position sensor fusion to 1.4 deg to match RTCA DO-180A section 1.4.1.1 3676: Reduce DME FOM to 0.1NM and maximum distances to 140NM to comply with RTCA DO-236C appendix C-3 3681: Do not auto-connect procedures even with matching waypoints if they have non-matching constraints 3679: Do not round speed constraint entries to the nearest 5 knots 3683: Do not perform turn anticipation onto CF legs with course reversal to avoid invalid early sequencing 3684: Clamp turn midpoint angle determination to a maximum of 160 degrees to avoid incorrect triggering on course reversals 3687: Retune autopilot flap deployment pitch preload to better match attitude changes in Ops reference 3688: Update CL650 Operations Reference manual to latest state 3690: Release ADG uplock even when handle is pulled only 3/4 of the way 3694: ATS engage lamps appear blown out when tested at night even when set to DIM 3678: Editing altitude constraints on final approach legs should be allowed 3702: Holds need to use a manually entered leg constraint as the speed target for sizing if one is present 3703: FCC should give the active vertical mode a brief grace period of 0.25s to regain valid input data before dropping the mode 3704: Disarm APR mode when a thrust mode other than TO or FLX is selected 3709: Coded turn completion needs a wider angle to allow for steep intercept of the turn target leg 3706: ISI spill light isn't being updated when the ISI is off 3715: Changing NAV freq via CCP flip-flop doesn't erase the CDU tune-by-ID Enjoy these latest updates, and stay tuned to the forum as we continually announce the latest happenings.

VNKT - Kathmandu, Nepal and VQPR - Paro, Bhutan both checks the interesting box. Neither is particularly a challenge for piston and turboprops but can pose real challenges for major airlines; I believe only 8 pilots in the world are authorized to fly large airliners into Paro. The shear beauty of the scenery makes these airports worth the trip, imo. In the US, The IFR approach to (KASE) Aspen, Co. is considered medium challenging. KTEX - Telluride, Co. at over 9000' MSL is just plain fun.

Saba (TNCS, on a neighboring island to St Barths) is infamous for its incredibly short runway, ending at a steep cliff. Courchevel (LFLJ) in the French Alps has a short, strongly sloped runway. Sitting at more than 6,500 ft MSL means the air is getting pretty thin for normally aspirated engines... Barra Airport (EGPR) on the Outer Hebrides doesn't even have a runway - aircraft just land on and depart from the tidal beach (luckily or unfortunately X-Plane doesn't simulate tides). The airport in Nepal Rick310 mentions is the Tenzing Hillary Airport (VNLK) at Lukla, Nepal. The airport is the starting point for treks towards Mount Everest Base Camp. Sitting at a whopping 9,337 ft MSL, the runway is short, sloped, and can only be used from one side (the other side is blocked by the mountain, so going around is not an option there).

I suppose I'll upgrade or change over to the Gizmo64.plugin pair once my XP12 aircraft are converted. I suspect there will be an installer that will deprecate and replace Gizmo (the current version)? If not, manually changing is straightforward. It may not be straightforward for all X-Plane users, however.

I've seen the TV series. There was a time when I was obsessed with AK. I still love that state. I've never had an interest in airliners -- I'm trying to develop an interest now. When I started back simming in 2017 my reasoning and goal was to resume training for my PPL. For the first 16 months or so I would only fly aircraft I thought I might fly IRL. That was basically the C152, C172, and the PA28 series or Pipers. Due to medical issues - a back that requires strong pain meds - I am grounded as PIC. So now I fly whatever suits my fancy. I want to fly IXEG's 737 so I've been learning to fly the ZIBO. I realize IXEG's offering is more analog than the ZIBO. FWIW, I like your realism plan. Hopefully, PropStrike Studio (or someone) will convert his Canada and AK scenery to XP12. I'd love to revisit Machmell and Quamtum River.

You can use either SimBrief as a “company” over realistically simulated VHF or SatComm “Data Link”, or FMS files from your local PC via the simulated “Disk Route” feature. Whichever you prefer.

@VirtualGAaviator

Apologies for being late again. Hard to keep up sometimes. We're looking at some kind of maintenance addition. No promises yet, but it's on the table.

@DomWin No ETA yet. Here's how it looked about a week ago.