The "Only good scenery" scenery map

[Mario Donick]

I know there are already several maps and websites showing and rating scenery. Most of them, however, try to show each and every available scenery.

 

Basically for my own use (to remember what I have installed and where I can fly to), in January 2013 I started to create my own map, where I only include free- and payware which I actually use and keep on my HDD.

 

Maybe this is also of use for others, so here's the link:

 

https://mapsengine.google.com/map/viewer?mid=zKdUoyDRH6j0.k7Q3rMFgZpe4

 

 

(Old version, will not be updated anymore as of Nov 23rd 2013: http://goo.gl/maps/ndsBp )

 

 

Ratings are simple:

 

- Yellow: Okay

- Blue: Good

- Green: Very good

 

You will notice that only a few airports have a "very good" rating, most of them have only a "okay" rating.

 

The rating is VERY subjective, though, and payware is rated more critical than freeware, for example:

Edited November 23, 2013 by Mario Donick

[FloB]

Great work, very useful. Thanks.

 

Flo

[john82088]

Great idea!

John

[Phantom88]

Brilliant!! Thanks for including links to each one,very handy.

[Peter T.]

We got a very good rating on KCGX, and good on LJPZ

[Mario Donick]

We got a very good rating on KCGX, and good on LJPZ

 

Yeah (and KCGX was wrongly classified as payware, which I have corrected now). I like KCGX still better; see my 2 comments on your file upload for LJPZ

[Mike Hotel]

Woah, thanks Mario. An up-to-date map would be very helpful in the future!

 

A suggestion for improvement: If you run across a good review with screenshots, can you please add the link?

Ehem, I could have said that if you spot good xsimreviews.com review...

 

I have not checked, but you did already exclude the logo-brick airports? Looks like it. Splendid!

[Mario Donick]

I might think about adding reviews, but if they have a rating contrary to mine, it might be confusing for the user.

 

But there are other websites, by others, with a bigger scope, for example http://xpworldscenery.wordpress.com/ where you can find more elaborate ratings.

 

On my map, I have included some lego brick airports, if they are done well, for example PANC (Anchorage), or ETNL (Rostock-Laage).

[svilenv]

Excellent, thank you! It's very useful to see a "critical filter" applied to the very large set of available sceneries. For me this is a very useful guide of exploring places that I would may be otherwise miss or ignore. Cheers!

[Mike Hotel]

Ah, I was just saying links to screenies would be nice - don't do written reviews, because it eats too much time. Your judgement would do for freeware airports. For payware sceneries I would read flighttime56s reviews, anyways.

 

Links to buildings and ortho-/osm-stuff are high on my list, too.

 

Thanks!

[Colin S]

I'm proud to be able to provide "Very Good" scenery I can't wait to release PHNL.

[Redfisher]

Ah, I was just saying links to screenies would be nice - don't do written reviews, because it eats too much time. Your judgement would do for freeware airports. For payware sceneries I would read flighttime56s reviews, anyways.

 

Links to buildings and ortho-/osm-stuff are high on my list, too.

 

Thanks!

 

Another review site would be a welcome addition to the community.  

[Peter T.]

Or maybe something like Skytrax, reviewing the airports for x-plane. And maybe a yearly award thing, like skytrax's airline of the year...

[Orcair]

Or maybe something like Skytrax, reviewing the airports for x-plane. And maybe a yearly award thing, like skytrax's airline of the year...

So can we pay to be rated 5 stars like Skytrax  

[Peter T.]

What? 5 star airlines pay to be 5 star rated?

[Orcair]

What? 5 star airlines pay to be 5 star rated?

http://www.travelmole.com/news_feature.php?news_id=2003847&c=setreg%AEion=2

[Peter T.]

Ouch.

[Mario Donick]

Latest changes to the map:

 

Checked more than 20 freeware sceneries in the USA and Canada, added the following:

• KNPA Pensacola NAS (Rating: Very good. This is _extremely_ well done freeware).
• KIAH Houston (Rating: Good).
• KJAC Jackson Hole (Rating: Good).
• KJMS Jamestown (Rating: Okay).
• CYQT Thunderbay (Rating: Okay).
• CYXE Saskatoon (Rating: Okay. If this was updated with some XP10 lighting, it would be rated Good).

[Mario Donick]

In anticipation of alpilotx' HD mesh freeware, I have checked some more of Tom Curtis' payware airports for Western Canada, which are part of his packages "Inside Passage" and "Canadian Rockies".

 

Both packages are rather old, but include hundreds of airports, airstrips and seaplane bases. Some of them are still good (even today), and I already had some of them on my map.

 

Today I have some more, two of them in the very north of the region:

• CYZF Yellowknife (rating: good)
• CYDW Dawson Creek (rating: okay; if X-Plane showed buildings in the city, it'd get "good" rating)
• CYOJ High Level (rating: okay)
• CYBD Bella Coola (rating: okay)

Esp. Yellowknife can look really cool, with the moon shining over the airport near the lake ...

[sqrt(-1)]

Payware uses a marker with a black dot iRatings are simple:

 

- Yellow: Okay

- Blue: Good

- Green: Very good

 

 

Subjective as they may be, exactly what criteria drive you to one rating or another.  In other words, what needs to be missing (or wrong) with a scenery package for it to be dropped from "Very Good" to "Good" and so forth.

[Mario Donick]

Subjective as they may be, exactly what criteria drive you to one rating or another.  In other words, what needs to be missing (or wrong) with a scenery package for it to be dropped from "Very Good" to "Good" and so forth.

 

In general, this map is for showing places where flying from or to is enjoyable. ALL scenery files on the map are, in my opinion, recommendable.

 

For the ratings, many small things come together.

 

For example, if an airport consists only of Lego Bricks, it will usually get "okay" or sometimes "good", but in rare cases can still get a "very good" rating if the overall appearence is very convincing.

 

Or, an airport with custom buildings maybe just gets an "okay", if the quality of the objects or the textures is not so good.

 

But maybe, this airport with not the so good 3d objects has other qualities -- such as a high quality ground photo, perfect night lighting, well-done OSM street integration or even ground traffic! Then, despite the 3d objects, it may get a "good" or "very good".

 

Being situated in an overall nice landscape helps, too.

 

 

To not overcrowd the map, an "okay" airport may fall out of the map if in the exact same region a new, better airport gets available.

 

On the other hand, if absolutely no airports are available in an area, it is likely that at least some "okay" airports get included.

[sqrt(-1)]

That helps.  Thanks!

[Mario Donick]

And we continue, this time with 4 Russian airports:

 

• UNCC Novosibirsk (incl. city), Rating: Good. At daylight, it's very well done, near payware quality, but at night, the lights are just okay.
  
• URML Uytash: Rating: Was not sure. Some 3D objects look a bit basic, but the overall impression is -- good.
  
• UERR Mirny: Rating: Good. Has a good terminal, good lightning and good ground photos
  
• UIAA Kadala: Rating: Okay. At daytime, it's nice, but at night it looks really bad.
  

[scubajuan_new]

I see you have no scenery in Mexico, that hopefully will change soon

[Mario Donick]

I see you have no scenery in Mexico, that hopefully will change soon

 

I don't know any good, but you can suggest one!