Hello once again and thank you all so much for taking the time out of your busy schedule to read my blog postings. I truly appreciate it. With each leg completed, we’re getting closer and closer to reaching our final destination and of course where it all started waaaaaaay back in early June. I’m still hoping to complete the tour either slightly before or around the same timeframe the official WorldFlight 2018 tour will be completed. Keep in mind that what has taken me, or should I say will take me five months will all be done in about a week. Let’s get started with this tour update.
History of City
Fairbanks is the largest city in the interior region of Alaska with a population of 32,751 within the city proper and over 100K in the greater Fairbanks region which makes it the second most populous metro area in Alaska after Anchorage.
History of Country
The United States of America, is a federal republic composed of 50 states, a federal district, five major self-governing territories and various possessions. At 3.8 million square miles, the US is the world’s third largest country by total area and just fractionally smaller than the entire continent of Europe. With a population of over 325 million, the US is the third most populous country.
History of Airport
Fairbanks International Airport is a state-owned airport located three miles southwest of the central business district of Fairbanks, Alaska. Fairbanks is the smallest city in the United States with non-stop service to Europe via Condor Airlines and their weekly flight to Frankfurt during the summer season.
History of Airline
Alaska Airlines is an American airline headquartered in Seattle, Washington. Founded in 1932 as McGee Airways and offering flights from Anchorage. Today, Alaska Airlines has flights to more than 100 destinations in the contiguous United States, Alaska, Hawaii, Canada, Costa Rica and Mexico.
Our group spent a few extra days in Sitka (as planned) and are now ready to fly to Fairbanks. Our stay in Fairbanks will be flexible. We have a confirmed two full days for sure, but will be keeping an eye on the weather for our next destination due to a short runway and no ILS. Meaning, we’ll need good weather conditions for landing. However, no need to worry about all that now as we still need to fly from Sitka to Fairbanks.
We’re getting right into the action and have taxied our Boeing 737-800 in Alaska Airlines livery out to the active runway and are just awaiting take-off clearance.
With our take-off clearance granted, we’re off.
Making our turn to the northwest to resume the departure course out of Sitka.
Southern Alaska is mystical.
We’ve reached our cruising altitude and on our way to Fairbanks.
The weather is quickly changing as we’re descending into the Fairbanks area.
We have a mix of rain and light snow in the area.
On final with runway in sight.
We’ll be on the ground shortly.
Simulator Specifics
Prepar3d v4.3 ActiveSky Weather Engine ActiveSky Cloud Art Envtex & Envshade PMDG Boeing 737-800 (Alaska Airlines livery) FSDreamTeam GSX Level 2 Orbx Global Texture Orbx FTX Global openLC North America Orbx USA/Canada Pacific Northwest Orbx Southern Alaska VATSIM
My apologies as some how the screenshots taken on the ground in Fairbanks didn’t save. But we’re here and our travelers will soon be taken to the hotel. We’re monitoring the weather for our next destination which is Provideniya Bay, Russia. We’re fairly certain we will need to stay at least one extra day (perhaps two) in Fairbanks as we wait out better weather. But hey, our travelers will have plenty to do to keep them entertained. See you next time.
Happy Friday to all. This is the last Friday in the month of September which just brings us even closer to the 20 November release of Farming Simulator 19. Today I present to you the 4th installment of #FactSheetFriday and of course my overall opinions of what we’re seeing.
If you’re like me and found the #FactSheetFriday entries last week to be a bit boring, you’re not alone. Many of the folks I interact with felt the same way. I believe most will find this weeks version to most certainly be more exciting than last. Especially if you are as excited about harvesting cotton as I am. Let’s dive in.
We kick things off with a bit of the same old, same old with the Challenger MT800E Series tracked tractor. This was the tractor I was excited about in the early days of FS17. But simply due to the nature of how it handled with Courseplay, I eventually learned just not to even try. If you remember back to #FactSheetFriday week 1 (7 September) where we were introduced to the Fendt version of this tractor I once again felt hopeful. Time will tell…but at least we can say we’ll have a bit of variety for this type of tractor in FS19.
In addition, the Bednar cultivator shown attached to the Challenger is a 6m cultivator which will seed and fertilize and will require a tractor capable of 500HP. While I’m not sure if everything is purchased as one unit, according to the Bednar website the trailing unit is a Bednar Presspack which in the real world can either be used separately or combined with other equipment as shown in the photo.
Now we’re talking. The second photo released today by GIANTS in their #FridayFactSheet media promotion is the Case Cotton Harvester. Honestly, there’s a lot about FS19 which excites me….but this is at the very top of my list. The Case Cotton Harvester will feature a 6m working width and is capable of producing 20,000 liter cotton bales (or modules). While I realize we’ve had the ability to plant and harvest cotton since at least FS15 (with mods), this will be cotton done right and that excites me.
Finally we have the entry for the Case Maxxum Series tractor. But more importantly, we see the attached cotton bale (or module) trailer attached. While we have no specific information on this trailer, it would appear the large cotton bales are winched onto the trailer. As another virtual farmer posted on Twitter, this trailer may also be ideal for transporting a skid steer.
While this weeks #FactSheetFriday only contained three images and identified four pieces of equipment, simply because of the subject matter (cotton) I’m highly excited and like many, I’m counting down the days until the 20 November release of Farming Simulator 19.
Everything I’ve seen, everything I’ve read all indicate to me that GIANTS are moving the needles all in the right direction and doing their part to not only make their Farming Simulator franchise the best of all agricultural based simulations, but also keep it at the top for years to come. What more could we ask for?
I’m sorry…I’ve just been triggered by something. My friend Duckzorly spent some time during one of his recent Farming Simulator 17 Livestreams standing on his soapbox talking about the madness some in the FS community seem to be showing/exhibiting after it appears there will only be ONE (1) John Deere combine in FS19.
For the record, it wasn’t Duckzorly’s livestream video which triggered me to write this piece. Actually it was another video I stumbled on where the YouTube content creator just seems to be really upset, disappointed…but mostly upset with the fact that only one John Deere harvester has been announced for FS19. Really??? Geez dude….you really have your priorities out of whack and you need to take a chill pill STAT!
Patience Grasshopper
Let’s take a deep breath and try to put things into perspective. First, Farming Simulator 19 is the first of the long running agricultural based simulators by GIANTS to include John Deere in the base game. In other words, FS19 is the first to include an “officially licensed” John Deere piece of equipment in the base game. Something that many of us believed would never, ever happen.
Second to that point. We’re still two months away from the release of Farming Simulator 19. While I understand those who are studying the FS19 Fact Sheets are drawing conclusions that there will only be one JD combine in the game, we’re still two months away from release. So really…anything can happen.
Third, because this is the first time John Deere has been officially licensed into Farming Simulator, perhaps the John Deere company is taking a “wait and see” approach to determine what the next phase will be. Or perhaps it’s GIANTS who are taking the “wait and see” approach…or equal parts of both. Or…here’s an idea! Stop the presses…unfortunately I can’t say you heard it here first (as Duckzorly was the first I heard suggest this idea) that the usual DLC we see GIANTS release a few months down the road will be a John Deere themed DLC. From a marketing perspective…that right there ladies and gentlemen is a brilliant idea. Take my money now!!!
As it stands on Tuesday, 25 September…we’re getting six pieces of John Deere branded equipment. This includes one JD weight, one JD 7.6m grain header, one JD 6.0m corn header, one JD 8R series tractor and ONE JD T560 harvester. There appears to still be one (yet to be revealed) JD vehicle (believed to be the JD Gator) that has not been announced. If this is all the JD equipment we see on release day, then be thankful and shut up about it. In the days, weeks, months after release of FS19 the internet will be full of John Deere mods which may or may not work well for FS19.
Bottom Line
We all have opinions, complaints and plenty of hopes and dreams for what Farming Simulator will deliver to us on 20 November. Later this week (perhaps tomorrow) I’m going to share some of these with you and discuss whether or not GIANTS have lost the plot with the direction (or at least the perceived direction) they are taking FS19.
But until then, if you want to talk about Farming Simulator 19…join me as I say farewell to Farming Simulator 17 on an upcoming YouTube Livestream on the South Mountain Creamery map with Seasons. In the mean time, please consider also visiting my good friends and excellent YouTube content creators Duckzorly Gaming and Eustace Pharmer. If you’re not familiar with these two channels, you are missing out on some of the very best and family friendly Farming Simulator entertainment on the entire interwebz.
Remember! One John Deere combine is better than NO John Deere combine.
While vacation now seems like a distant memory, both my wife and I are officially back in our groove with regards to our normal sleep schedule and daily routines. Not sure why exactly, but the jetlag from this trip seemed stronger and lasted much longer than previous trips abroad. Perhaps it’s that age thing! Anyway…it’s good to be back.
As you can tell from our progress map below we’ve reached the final third of our long tour and will soon be turning west, then south as we head back to the starting point of Sydney, Australia. Let’s get started with this tour update.
History of City
Originally settled by the Russians in 1799, Sitka was the site of the transfer ceremony for the Alaska purchase on 18 October 1867 and served as the US Government Capital of the Department of Alaska between 1867 – 1906. Today, Sitka has an estimated population of just under 9,000.
History of Country
The United States of America, is a federal republic composed of 50 states, a federal district, five major self-governing territories and various possessions. At 3.8 million square miles, the US is the world’s third largest country by total area and just fractionally smaller than the entire continent of Europe. With a population of over 325 million, the US is the third most populous country.
History of Airport
Sitka Rocky Gutierrez Airport is a state owned, public use airport located west of the central business district of Sitka. The airport is named after Sitka’s former mayor Rocky Gutierrez. It features a single terminal with air service operated by Alaska Airlines and seasonally by Delta.
History of Airline
Air Canada Rouge is a low-cost subsidiary of Air Canada and is fully integrated into the Air Canada and Air Canada Express networks. The airline launched in 2012 with services beginning in 2013. Air Canada Rouge has a fleet of over 50 aircraft and serves 50 destinations.
After a few days in Vancouver, our travelers are now headed northwest to the small Alaskan town of Sitka. Once again we’ll stay here a full week to allow our travelers a bit more R&R in the area before we head to Fairbanks. For this flight we’re once again in the Airbus A319 as we shuttle and Air Canada Rouge flight to Sitka.
Myself along with our crew have arrived at the Vancouver airport.
As you can tell it’s a bit rainy in Raincouver today. The last of our cabin crew is about to step onto the aircraft. Our travelers are soon to follow.
Bags have arrived and are being loaded onto the aircraft.
And now for our passengers.
With the aircraft now fueled, loaded and ready to go. We’re also ready to blast out of Vancouver.
Goodbye Canada
A cloudy, wet and bumpy departure.
Things are starting to smooth out once we climb above the clouds.
Nothing but smooth skies at flight level 380.
A beautiful landscape as we descend towards Sitka, Alaska.
The Alaska region has some of the most spectacular scenery we’ve seen during our long journey.
The view from the flightdeck.
Nice and green down there.
The Sitka airport and runway in sight.
Cleared to land
Parked at the gate in Sitka, Alaska.
Simulator Specifics
Prepar3d v4.3
ActiveSky Weather Engine
ActiveSky Cloud Art
Envtex & Envshade
FlightSimLabs Airbus A319 (Air Canada Rouge livery)
FSDreamTeam GSX Level 2
Orbx Global Texture
Orbx FTX Global openLC North America
Orbx USA/Canada Pacific Northwest
Orbx Southern Alaska
VATSIM
Another leg down and we’re just that much closer to the completion of this tour. Once we leave Sikta, our stay in Fairbanks will be dependent on weather for the Provideniya Bay region of Russia. This airport has a gravel runway with no ILS system. We’ll need good weather conditions to safely land and as summer is quickly turning to fall, the weather is also becoming less predictable. Stay tuned…
Hello ladies, gentlemen and children of all ages…I’m back from vacation. At the time of me flying this particular segment and writing this article, we’ve been back for a week. We’ve been back to work for a week as well and boy did we both need this weekend to recuperate. Both my wife and I generally do pretty well getting back into our schedules once we get home from our two week stay in Europe, but this particular trip really seemed to take a much greater toll on us and as a result it took us slightly longer to get back into our normal schedule. As an example, we’ve been back for a week and I just had my first full nights sleep.
Our vacation was sheer joy and we both enjoyed it immensely. But equally, I think we are both really glad to be home. The saying “there’s no place like home” is so very true. Upon our return, it’s been a busy week for me. My long time YouTube viewers will know that I’ve published my first Farming Simulator 17 video in almost 90 days and I recorded another just last night. With regards to YouTube, I’m doing things much different and won’t place any added pressure on myself to adhere to any type of schedule. Things will just happen when they happen and I’m happy with that. But enough about all that…you’ve landed here to hear about leg 30 of our long worldwide tour. Let’s get started.
History of City
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city in western Canada, located in the province of British Columbia. As the most populous city in the province, the 2016 census recorded a population of 631,486. Vancouver has the highest population density in Canada with over 5,400 people per square kilometer. Often referred to as Hollywood North, Vancouver has become one of the largest film production centers in North America.
History of Country
Canada is a country located in the northern part of North America. Canada is comprised of ten provinces and three territories which extend from the Atlantic to the Pacific and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering 3.85 million square miles, making it the world’s second-largest country by total area. Canada’s southern border with the United States is the world’s longest bi-national land border. The capital of Canada is Ottawa.
History of Airport
Vancouver International Airport is located on Sea Island in Richmond, BC (about 7.5 miles from downtown Vancouver. It is the second busiest airport in Canada by aircraft movements and passengers, just behind Toronto Pearson.
History of Airline
United Airlines is a major United States airline headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. It is the world’s third-largest airline when measured by revenue, after American and Delta. United operates a large domestic and international route network with a fleet size of 754 aircraft serving 342 destinations in 60 countries across Asia, the Americas, Europe and Oceania.
Our travelers have enjoyed their extended stay in Jackson Hole, Wyoming and enjoyed the daytrips exploring all the areas around this beautiful place. But it’s time to once again move on as many more interesting and exotic locations are waiting to be explored.
We’re back in the Boeing 737-800 flying a United jet over to Vancouver. The ground handling teams here in Jackson Hole have been most accommodating in helping get us going for an on-time departure.
While KJAC has several commercial airlines operating into and out of the airport, a lot of GA or general aviation aircraft also operate here. We’re holding short while a Cessna 172 is on final approach.
With take-off clearance received, we’re blasting out of JAC on our way back towards the Pacific Northwest and Canada.
The views of the beautiful Rocky Mountains just off the starboard wing.
I’m sure the early season snow is much appreciated.
Our United Boeing 738 at flight level 360 (36,000 ft).
It’s a bit of a grey day in the PNW region. We’ve begun our descent through the clouds and fog.
Ahhh, that’s a little better.
On final approach into YVR.
Runway in sight.
Our Boeing 738 parked up at the gate. Our passengers will clear customs and proceed to the busses. Our stay in Vancouver will be short, then we move on to our first of two stops in Alaska.
Simulator Specifics
Prepar3d v4.3 ActiveSky Weather Engine ActiveSky Cloud Art Envtex & Envshade PMDG Boeing 737-800 (United Airlines livery) FSDreamTeam GSX Level 2 Orbx Jackson Hole Airport (KJAC) Orbx Global Texture Orbx FTX Global openLC North America VATSIM
With this leg in the books, we’re down to the final 16 legs of this massive 46 leg journey. Over the next few weeks our travelers will make two stops in Alaska, then proceed towards Russia with three stops, then two stops in Japan and so on. It’s been a fun journey.
TGIF and welcome to another GIANTS #FactSheetFriday blog update from GrizzlyBearSims. Today is Friday, 21 September and we have four brand new fact sheets of equipment we can expect to see in Farming Simulator 19. FS19 is scheduled to release in less than two months. OK…if you are reading this on the day of release, it’s only one day less than two months. But hey….every day counts when we’re as excited as a child on Christmas morning right? Let’s get right into my review.
All the items featured in this #FactSheetFriday from GIANTS are all related to forestry. Before I dive in too deep, I must state for the record that forestry in Farming Simulator is not what keeps me coming back for more. Said in another way, while it does add other things to do…I wouldn’t be disappointed if at some stage GIANTS decided to remove it from the base game. And to be perfectly honest, one of the reasons I feel this way about the forestry concept is down to how poorly the timber handling characteristics have been in previous versions of Farming Simulator. Of course, my first experience came in FS15 and yes, things were a little better in FS17. I think time will tell just how much the game physics related to handling of logs, bales and pallets have improved in FS19. I’m just really thankful for auto-loading trailer mods which have really helped to improve my overall enjoyment.
Earlier this week we were treated to a video from GIANTS which featured the Komatsu Tree Harvester. It was a great video which compared real life footage and FS19 in game footage of this awesome tool. While I don’t do a lot of forestry, I’m looking forward to trying this piece of kit out on my virtual farm.
Next up is the Komatsu 875 Forestry Forwarder. I’m not real sure what’s up with those blue tracks as in looking at photos from the Komatsu website it appears the tracks are black. But never mind that.
Next up is the MAN TGX 26.640 Timber Truck.
Finally, the Steyr Profi CVT tractor and the Fliegl Long Neck Combi Plus timber handling attachment. I think we’ll just have to wait and see how beneficial this setup will be for our virtual logging efforts.
Final Thoughts
And perhaps a question to ponder. I’m as excited about FS19 just as much anyone else. But after viewing this #FactSheetFriday I’m somewhat left with a question. It appears the Komatsu equipment will be an addition to FS19 and the Ponssee equipment we’ve had in both FS15 and FS17 will stay. As the primary concept of the Farming Simulator franchise by GIANTS is about…FARMING! For no other reason than variety, I’m curious as to why the Komatsu equipment line is truly needed in the game?
Now this is what I’m talking about. I’ll leave you with a brand new video featuring gameplay footage of harvesting crops in FS19. Cotton…I can’t wait. Enjoy and thanks for reading.
While you’re reading this posting in mid to late September, I performed this flight just a few days prior to leaving on my European vacation. Hopefully, we’ve arrived safely back home and I’ve been back at work for almost two weeks and also hopefully have had some time to resume flying the tour legs. I promise I’ll provide you some of the details of our trip in the posting for leg 30 which you can read about in just a few days time.
While I can’t quite see the light at the end of the tunnel, we are halfway through the North America portion of the tour and upon resuming the flights will be down to the final 16 legs. During these final 16 legs we’ll visit Vancouver, two stops in Alaska, three stops in Russia before heading to Japan (two stops), Shanghai, Hong Kong, Brunei, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea and finally the final legs of our 46 leg journey back in Australia. Or said in another way, we still have over 13,000 more miles to travel before we find ourselves back in Sydney sometime around early to mid November.
To be honest, when I began planning this tour and planning the articles…I wasn’t sure how popular they would be. In other words, I really wasn’t sure anyone would be interested in reading them. While I was committed to seeing the tour all the way to the end, I’m actually surprised they have become quite popular and it has me thinking and planning for the future.
A few weeks ago, during the blog update for leg 20 I mentioned a virtual airline which I had recently joined. I’ve been flying for various VA’s for over 20 years, but this is the first United Airlines VA I’ve been a member of. I’ve been having a lot of fun flying for virtual United Airlines. Anyway, vUAL has various awards which members can achieve. One of the awards I’m interested in is the 50 State Capital Tour. Of course this tour consists of flying to each of the United States capital cities. I’ve begun mapping out how I might do this and I’m considering doing a similar blog style to report progress of the route segments. Most likely I won’t start this until after the WorldFlight tour has been completed. I guess what I need to say next is, time will tell. Let’s get on with this update.
History of City
Jackson is a town in the Jackson Hole valley of Teton County, Wyoming. The population of Jackson is approx. 10,000. The area surrounding the town was originally populated by Native American tribes including the Shoshoni, Crow, Blackfeet, Bannock and Gros Ventre. John Colter entered Jackson Hole during the winter of 1807/1808 during the return journey of the Lewis & Clark expedition. Various points of interest make the Jackson area a popular year-round tourist destination.
History of Country
The United States of America, is a federal republic composed of 50 states, a federal district, five major self-governing territories and various possessions. At 3.8 million square miles, the US is the world’s third largest country by total area and just fractionally smaller than the entire continent of Europe. With a population of over 325 million, the US is the third most populous country.
History of Airport
The Jackson Hole Airport is located seven miles north of Jackson, Wyoming. In 2015, it was the busiest airport in Wyoming by passenger traffic with 313,151 passengers. Jackson Hole is the only commercial airport in the US located inside a national park, in this case Grand Teton.
History of Airline
Delta Airlines, is a major United States airline with its headquarters and largest hub at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. The airline, along with its subsidiaries and regional affiliates, operates over 5,400 flights daily and serves an extensive domestic and international network that includes 319 destinations in 54 countries on six continents. Delta is one of the five remaining legacy carriers and is the 6th oldest operating airline by foundation date and the oldest airline to still be operating in the United States.
Another semi-early flight out of Minneapolis should have us arriving into Jackson Hole, Wyoming just about lunch time. Our travelers are anxious to arrive in Wyoming as that will once again mean a slightly longer break (much like we had in Madeira) and the hope of some cooler weather. The high temperature forecasted for Minneapolis today is in the low 90’s compared to Jackson Hole where the temp will struggle to break into the low 70’s.
Our flight today will be flown in a Delta Airlines Airbus A319. We’re loaded, the doors are closed and we’re just waiting for pushback.
We’re ready to blast out of KMSP.
Up, up and away and goodbye to the Twin Cities.
Our little Airbus quickly climbs to our cruising altitude of 36,000’ and we’re headed pretty much due west across Minnesota, South Dakota and Wyoming.
As we fly further west, the clouds are starting to build.
Beginning our descent. Hoping we’ll have a clear view of the approach into Jackson Hole as it’s really spectacular.
Ahhh…beautiful as we descend through the cloud layer.
See what I mean? The beautiful Grand Teton’s
Gear down with the Snake River in the background.
While our tourists are a bit early for the ski season, there’s plenty to do in the Jackson Hole area during the summer months.
On final approach into KJAC.
Short final view.
Quite a busy day today at the Jackson Hole airport. A company 757 along with an American and United Airlines flight are getting ready to push back and head to their destinations while a few small Cessna aircraft are doing some pattern work.
Simulator Specifics
Prepar3d v4.3
ActiveSky Weather Engine
ActiveSky Cloud Art
Envtex & Envshade
FSLabs Airbus A319 (Delta Airlines livery)
Flightbeam KMSP Scenery
Orbx Jackson Hole Airport (KJAC)
Orbx Global Texture
Orbx FTX Global openLC North America
VATSIM
As mentioned in the last update, our travelers will spend the next week exploring the Jackson Hole area of Wyoming including both Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks, the Shoshone National Forest and will take a trip over to Idaho to explore the Craters of the Moon National Monument. The weather forecast over the next several days will be a nice change and I’m sure will be enjoyed by all. We’ll soon depart Jackson Hole for Vancouver (or also known as Raincouver), British Columbia Canada.
As a follow up to last weeks article on “Learning a Study Level Aircraft”, I thought I would follow it up with my recommendations for your first payware, study level aircraft purchase. Because not all virtual pilots are interested in jet tubeliners, I’m going to throw out two recommendations with the first being a GA or General Aviation type and the second being a jet tubeliner.
The Fine Print
The recommendations I will provide are add-ons that I own and enjoy very much. Neither are overly complicated assuming you approach both with an understanding that their operational characteristics vary greatly from the freeware/default type aircraft you may be accustomed to flying. In addition, I will also just (as a reminder) encourage you to conduct your own research just to make sure your PC meets the recommended specifications to run the payware add-on aircraft. While it really makes very little difference regarding the flight sim platform you use (FSX, FSX:SE, P3D v2, P3D v3 or P3D v4) just keep in mind that if you are running something other than P3D v4, you may be required to repurchase the add-on when/if you upgrade. Let’s get started…
A2A Cessna 172 Trainer
I’m almost of the belief that every virtual pilot should own this aircraft. I think it just makes sense. After all, pretty much all the basics of flight can be learned and that knowledge finely tuned in this aircraft. The A2A Cessna 172 Trainer is available from A2A Simulations and most will agree is the finest study level general aviation aircraft you can purchase. Depending on your sim platform, this wonderful aircraft will run you from $49.99 – $79.99. The A2A Cessna 172 Trainer is feature rich and designed to be flown by the book. I’ve spent hours and hours and several more hours just flying around. It’s the perfect airplane for really taking in all the eye candy available in Orbx sceneries.
PMDG 737NGX
My readers shouldn’t be surprised that the PMDG 737NGX is my recommended and truly “must have” jet tubeliner. Much like the A2A Cessna, the PMDG 737 is one that should be in everyone’s virtual hangar. Yes, I know it’s extremely difficult to perhaps not choose the beautiful PMDG Queen of the Skies Boeing 747-400 or the incredibly beautiful PMDG Boeing 777. Likewise, the QualityWings Boeing 787 Dreamliner is also gaining a lot of traction in the community. But if you’re a Boeing fan, and you are interested in jet aircraft…then the PMDG 737NGX really should be in your hangar.
Once you master the 737 and understand the “Boeing Way”, the rest of the Boeing family of aircraft will almost be a piece of cake. The other advantage with starting with the NGX is this aircraft truly is the workhorse in the airline industry. Just about every major airline has (or have had) a fleet of Boeing 737’s and it’s the perfect short to medium haul aircraft.
Depending on your flight sim platform, the PMDG 737NGX (-800/900) will run you $69.99 – $89.99. The 737-600/700 expansion will run you another $24.99.
In Summary
As I often say, there’s no right or wrong way to do things. The hobby of flight simulation is no different. There are virtual pilots who only prefer general aviation and there are those who only enjoy flying the jets. Of course, there are lots who enjoy both and the A2A Cessna 172 and the PMDG 737NGX are the best in class for these two flight sim areas. Get one or get both and enjoy the experience. Thanks for reading!
As I pointed out early on in our WorldFlight tour, most of the airports we’ve landed/departed from are default scenery airports. While for the most part, the runway and taxiway configurations are somewhat accurate…the other buildings and such are not. I use the word “somewhat” because much of what we see in default Prepar3D is all based on FSX scenery. Or said another way, much of what we see in P3D, is how things looked waaaay back in the 2006 timeframe. Once we depart Ottawa, the next several destinations including Minneapolis/St. Paul (KMSP), Jackson Hole (KJAC), Vancouver BC (CYVR) and Sitka Alaska (PASI) will be payware scenery which very closely represents the true look of the airports.
To sync things up with my current real world schedule, I’m writing this blog update on the 12 of August and it will appear for you to read on the 15 of September. We’ve yet to leave for Europe and when you’re reading this we’ve been back at home about a week. I plan to fly and write up one more update post before leaving for vacation as this will give me some buffer and give me time to settle back into the work/life schedule once we get back.
History of City
Minneapolis/St. Paul, also known as the Twin Cities is a major metropolitan area build around the Mississippi, Minnesota and St. Croix rivers in east central Minnesota.
History of Country
The United States of America, is a federal republic composed of 50 states, a federal district, five major self-governing territories and various possessions. At 3.8 million square miles, the US is the world’s third largest country by total area and just fractionally smaller than the entire continent of Europe. With a population of over 325 million, the US is the third most populous country.
History of Airport
Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport is located 10 miles of both downtown Minneapolis and downtown Saint Paul, it is the largest and busiest airport in the six-state Upper Midwest region of Minnesota, Iowa, Nebraska, North and South Dakota and Wisconsin. KMSP is the 17th busiest airport in the US and the 49th busiest in the world.
History of Airline
American Airlines is a major United States airline headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas. American is the world’s largest airline when measured by fleet size, revenue, scheduled passengers and number of destinations served. American, together with its regional partners, operate an extensive international and domestic network with an average of nearly 6,700 flights per day to nearly 350 destinations in more than 50 countries. American Airlines fleet size is approx. 955 aircraft.
Over the past few flight legs, our travelers have been accustomed to afternoon, or late afternoon departures. However, today we’re getting an early start out of Ottawa and plan to arrive in Minneapolis before lunch. Our travelers will clear US customs here in Ottawa which will significantly reduce the time normally required before we can proceed to the hotel. Our aircraft for this leg is an American Airlines Boeing 737-800.
We can’t leave until all the bags are loaded.
Push-back and taxi complete, we’re clear for take-off. Let’s GO!!!!!
Goodbye Canada, next stop the USA.
Climbing out of Ottawa.
The Rideau River in the background as we continue our climb-out to our cruise altitude.
I’ll admit, I wasn’t sure how much I would really care for the new American livery. I had always been a fan of their shiny aluminum look. But the more I fly their new livery, the more I do like it.
Flying over Lake Michigan as we cross from Michigan into Wisconsin.
Flying over the mighty Mississippi River as we begin our approach into the Minneapolis/Saint Paul Airport.
Looks like pretty descent farm land.
Just a few of the 10,000 lakes that can be found in the state of Minnesota.
Hazy conditions on final approach.
Clear to land.
Please remain seated with your seatbelt securely fastened until I turn off the seat belt sign.
Simulator Specifics
Prepar3d v4.3 ActiveSky Weather Engine ActiveSky Cloud Art Envtex & Envshade PMDG Boeing 737-800 (American Airlines livery) Flightbeam KMSP Scenery Orbx Global Texture Orbx FTX Global openLC North America VATSIM
Another flight leg is officially in the books. We’ll next fly down to Jackson Hole, Wyoming where our travelers will spend a week exploring the area including Yellowstone National Park, Grand Teton National Park, Shoshone National Forest, Craters of the Moon National Monument and many other sites in the area.
As always, thanks for reading this tour update. Have a wonderful day!
We’ve officially reached the point in the calendar where GIANTS Software will begin releasing weekly updates on the quickly approaching release of their much anticipated (and hopefully not over-rated) Farming Simulator 19. Each week (or thereabouts) a #FactSheetFriday update will be available from GIANTS and will feature information and specifications on the over 300 vehicles and tools to be included in FS19. While I’m sure most of us just wish 20 November would hurry up and get here, I actually enjoy the way GIANTS pumps up the hype on their new updates.
As I’m in the process of easing back into producing Farming Simulator 17 content on my GrizzyBearSims YouTube Channel and after an almost three month hiatus, I plan to discuss many of the new features we can expect to see in FS19 and have decided to do much the same here on my blog site. So each week after GIANTS releases a new #FactSheetFriday announcement I’ll provide some opinion and discussion regarding what we’ve learned as we patiently await the release of Farming Simulator 19. I’ll try to release these on Friday (or as close as time permits). Today I’m enjoying my lunch while writing this posting for you. Finally, As I was on vacation last week when GIANTS released the first #FactSheetFriday, I’ll include both last weeks and this weeks announcement in this posting. Let’s get started…
#FactSheetFriday Week 1 – 7 September
GIANTS Software kicked off their popular #FactSheetFriday weekly updates by showing the first of four fact sheets on equipment we can expect to see in Farming Simulator 19 which releases on 20 November.
The first of the four fact sheets covers the AGCO IDEAL Combine Harvester and matching header. If memory serves me, the IDEAL Combine was one of the first images GIANTS published many months ago regarding equipment that might be included in FS19. She’s a beauty and will most certainly look great on your virtual farm.
The next image shows the Fendt 1100 MT and the Elmer’s Manufacturing HaulMaster large auger wagon. While I do like Fendt tractors, I’m certainly hoping this tracked version handles a bit better than the Challenger provided in FS17.
Next up is the Samson Slurry Tank and matching drip hose boom attachment. I think what excites me most about this entry will become a bit clearer in the next photo.
In the 4th image from #FactSheetFriday week 1, is of course the John Deere 8R series tractor and the Garant Field Container for slurry and digestate. If I had been a betting man, and someone offered a wager a year ago if I thought John Deere would ever make it into Farming Simulator, I would have said NO WAY! I’ve actually said “No Way” many times when folks asked my opinion. But…I would have lost that bet as GIANTS managed to pull it off and this is great news for all of us. Plus it’s not just the JD 8R we’ll see in game.
Final Thoughts
Of the four images featured in the first week of #FactSheetFriday it was hard to narrow the list down to one favorite. I can say that perhaps the one I’m least excited about is the Fendt tracked tractor and Elmer’s auger wagon. While I’ll certainly use them in FS19, we’ve had similar in FS17.
As for most excited, it’s a tie and for different reasons between the John Deere 8R and the Samson Slurry Tank. I know everyone fell over backwards when it was confirmed that John Deere would be in the game and yes…that’s absolutely fantastic news. But the reason I’m pleased about it is because while JD tractors are common mods for FS17, most of them are absolute junk. There are a few which both look and perform really well…but the vast majority are just junk. So having JD as an officially licensed partner to GIANTS should open the door for other models produced by GIANTS and this will be a good thing.
The Samson Slurry tank….I know…it’s main purpose is to spray liquid poo onto the field. How exciting can that be? If you look at the image just above, you see the boom reaching out from the slurry tank to the field container? Yep…that’s immersion folks and I like it.
#FactSheetFriday Week 2 – 14 September
Alright, so hot off the presses for the week ending 14 September Giants has once again teased us with four new fact sheets. These are all in the category of “Go Big, or Go Home” and you know how much I enjoy big time farming.
The first image shows the mighty Case Quadtrac and Wilson Pacesetter grain trailer. The Case Quadtrac has been one of my favorite “in game”pieces of equipment since FS15 and I am very much looking forward to tearing up some ground in FS19. I’m going to further discuss the Wilson trailer at the end of this section.
Image two shows off the Vaderstad Seed Hawk in all her glory. This will really help make quick work of what will hopefully be some massive fields to come to FS19.
Farming Simulator just wouldn’t be the same without some Grimme equipment and this isn’t the same old potato harvester we’ve had in FS15 and FS17. I look forward to growing some spuds and putting this girl through its paces.
The 4th and final image of the week two #FSF is the Hardi Rubicon 9000 self-propelled sprayer. While the sprayer itself isn’t all that exciting since we’ve had these types of equipment in previous versions…it’s the idea that this rig will spray herbicide products that will kill weeds. While the weeder in FS17 was cool for about 5 minutes, it really lacked immersion. Now that we have weeds that grow in our fields, this little sprayer is going to help you maximize your virtual profit like never before.
Final Thoughts
My final thoughts for the week two #FactSheetFriday announcement was fairly easy for me to rank from most excited to least excited. The Vaderstad kit and the Grimme are at the bottom of my list simply because we’ve had variations of both before. While I’m totally excited about controlling weeds on my virtual farms, it’s actually the Wilson grain trailer that truly has me excited and here’s why.
Until now, all the “in game” trailers all look European. While there are modded versions of the Wilson and other brands commonly seen around USA farming operations, much like the John Deere mods…they all seem to have issues. While I absolutely love mods and use a ton of them. The one thing we can be guaranteed of is the reliability of the Giants models and it’s that little point that has me excited about the Wilson grain trailers being added to FS19. Remember, key word immersion and they’ll look awesome on our US virtual farms.
Well there you go folks. Am I right or am I wrong in my opinion regarding these two #FSF announcements? What are you the most and least excited about? Leave a comment or join me on the GrizzlyBearSims Discord Server and we can talk about it.
