FLIGHTSEEING / FIRST FLIGHT

One of the activities available to users in the Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 career mode, is to run "flightseeing" tours. These are relaxed flights that take passengers on a sightseeing tour of various important POI around the world, giving a new perspective on famous places as they are seen from the air. The setup for the flightseeing activity is also the same as that used for the "First Flight" activity, which is an activity novice pilots can participate in and is a relaxing flight taking passengers for a flight from a local airport. If you wish your aircraft to be used on these activities you will need a preset that has been appropriately set up as part of the Modular SimObject, as explained below.

 

For more information on the various career activities and how to prepare your aircraft, please see here:

• Career Activities

 

 

Flightseeing Constraints

Aircraft that are to be used for Flightseeing (and First Flight) activities must be small in size with the following basic requirements:

• The aircraft will need to have the navigation_graph_pilot.cfg (as explained here).
• The aircraft will need to have the ApronWithoutCovers.flt file (as explained below).
• The operating_status must be either "in_service" or "experimental".
• The aircraft cannot be flagged as military.
• The aircraft cannot be flagged as premium.
• The aircraft cannot have a copilot.
• The aircraft ui_max_range must be greater than 1.
• The passenger navigation graph must be set up for more than 1 and less than 7 people (ie: between 1 and 7 nodes with the SIT tag, as explained below), and - additionally - have the RTC_TOUR_EXTERIOR_WAIT_PAX and RTC_TOUR_EXTERIOR_START_PAX nodes.

 

Additional constraints exist for planes:

• The object_class must be "Airplane".
• The plane must be a light aircraft with a piston or turboprop engine_type.
• The number of engines cannot be greater than 1 (as defined by the number Engine.N parameters).
• The aircraft complexity must also be simple, as explained here: Note On Aircraft Complexity.
• The plane can have wheels or big wheels, for landing gear.
• The plane cannot have skis or floats for landing gear.

 

Additional constraints exist for rotorcraft:

IMPORTANT! Rotorcraft can be used for flightseeing only. First flights will always use a plane.

• The object_class must be either "helicopter" or "tiltrotor".
• The rotorcraft can have skids or wheels for landing gear.
• The rotorcraft cannot have Floats.

 

Following these constraints will give the aircraft the COF_Cabin type. See here for more information:

• Note On Cabin Codes

 

 

Navigation Graph Setup (All Aircraft)

For all appropriate aircraft types (planes and helicopters) the navigation_graph_passenger.cfg file is set up the exact same:

 

• RTC_TOUR_EXTERIOR_START_PAX

  This node is the node where the passenger will spawn into the world at the start of the activity. For Flightseeing and First Flight activities there is a short RTC animation that will play of the passengers moving from this point to the RTC_TOUR_EXTERIOR_WAIT_PAX node, before entering the aircraft. As such there should be one of these nodes for every passenger SIT node, and the nodes should be placed close together but not on top of each other. These nodes should be on the left side of the aircraft, approximately 4m away from the corresponding RTC_TOUR_EXTERIOR_WAIT_PAX node, and be connected to that node with an edge.

 

• RTC_TOUR_EXTERIOR_WAIT_PAX

  This node defines the end point of the introduction walking animation before the passengers enter the aircraft. There should be one of these nodes for every passenger RTC_TOUR_EXTERIOR_START_PAX node, and the nodes should be placed close together but not on top of each other, and you should ensure that the edges between the nodes do not cross any other edges. It should be a straight line from the corresponding RTC_TOUR_EXTERIOR_START_PAX node to this one, and this node should be placed by the side of the aircraft with enough room for the model to stand beside the apparatus without clipping into it.

 

The image below illustrates an "ideal" placement for the nodes mentioned above:

 

 

FLT Files

When a user starts a flightseeing activity they will not be going through the usual Preflight checks, and so they will need to have an ApronWithoutCovers.flt file in the aircraft preset for the activity instead of the Apron.flt. This file should be set up like a regular apron FLT file, however you should ensure that the following parameters and sections are setup correctly:

• Section [SimVars.0] must have the parameter SimOnGround set to true.
• All [Covers] needs to be set to false.
• Section [Controls.0] must have the parameter ParkingBrake set to 100.00 (if the aircraft has a parking brake).
• Aircraft electrics and engines must be turned off.