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.

Example Of Aircraft Performing Flioghtseeing Activities

 

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

 

 

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 Apron.flt and ApronWithoutCovers.flt files (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 targeted_specializations must include the FIF-PLN dressing code for it to be eligible for the first flight missions, and/or it can include the TOR-PLN to be available for flightseeing missions.
  • 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 targeted_specializations must include the TOR-ROT dressing code.
  • 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:

 

 

Mission Flow

The flow for both firstflight and flightseeing missions is as follows:

Mission Flow Chart

This flow will also require the aircraft to be setup for - and follow - the General Career Mode Requirements.

 

 

SimVars

While not directly influencing the mission flow, the following SimVars are important for ensuring a smooth user experience without frustrations. These are what are used in the simulation code to decide whether the user should receive a penalty on their mission score or not, and as such, particular attention should be paid to ensure that these are always returning correct values.

 

Penalty SimVar Description
Smoothness Score PLANE BANK DEGREES This is used to check the banking angle of the aircraft while performing the first flight / tour.
PLANE PITCH DEGREES This is used to check the pitch angle of the aircraft while performing the first flight / tour.
G FORCE This is used to check the G forces applied in the aircraft to passengers while performing maneuvers.
ROTATION VELOCITY BODY X This is used to check the bank rotation speed of the aircraft while performing the first flight / tour.
ROTATION VELOCITY BODY Z This is used to check the pitch rotation speed of the aircraft while performing the first flight / tour.
PLANE TOUCHDOWN NORMAL VELOCITY This is used to check the vertical speed at touchdown of the aircraft when landing.
Sightseeing Quality DESIGN SPEED VS1 This is needed to compute the best speed to do the sightseeing fly around for the tour.


 

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:

Placement Of The RTC Nodes For A Flightseeing Activity

 

Additionally, for every RTC_TOUR_EXTERIOR_START_PAX there needs to be a SIT node in the aircraft, positioned at the feet of the seats where passengers can sit. This node is not created in the navigation_graph_passenger.cfg, but should exist in the navigation graph of the passeneger seat logic object, as explained here:

 

For example, here we have two passengers entering the aircraft, and so we spawn two seat logic objects - SEAT_C172_PAX_1 and SEAT_C172_PAX_2 - and each one will have the SIT node:

[NODE.1]
name= PAX_START_1
pos = -5,-3.48502,-1.323018
pbh = 0,0,0
tag = RTC_TOUR_EXTERIOR_START_PAX
projectOnGround = true
[NODE.2]
name= PAX_START_1
pos = -5,-3.524884,0.547803
pbh = 0,0,0
tag = RTC_TOUR_EXTERIOR_START_PAX
projectOnGround = true
[NODE.1]
name= PAX_WAIT_1
pos = -5,-3.48502,-1.323018
pbh = 0,0,0
tag = RTC_TOUR_EXTERIOR_WAIT_PAX
projectOnGround = true
[NODE.2]
name= PAX_WAIT_2
pos = -5,-3.524884,0.547803
pbh = 0,0,0
tag = RTC_TOUR_EXTERIOR_WAIT_PAX
projectOnGround = true
[NODE.4]
name= SEAT_PAX_1
modelNode = ATTACH_SEAT_PAX_1
interactiveObject = SEAT_C172_PAX_1
massSection = Left_pax
[NODE.5]
name= SEAT_PAX_2
modelNode = ATTACH_SEAT_PAX_2
interactiveObject = SEAT_C172_PAX_2
massSection = Right_pax
; More passenger seats here if needed
[MassSection.0]
name = Left_pax
stationLoadName = TT:MENU.PAYLOAD.PASSENGER_LEFT
maxMass = 300
fillProportion = 1
[MassSection.1]
name = Right_pax
stationLoadName = TT:MENU.PAYLOAD.PASSENGER_RIGHT
maxMass = 300
fillProportion = 1
[MainGraph]
nodes= ATTACH_SEAT_PAX_1, ATTACH_SEAT_PAX_2, PAX_START_1, PAX_START_1, PAX_WAIT_2, PAX_WAIT_2
coordinate_system = relative
edges = 0, 1
massSections = Left_pax,Right_pax,Copilot
[EDGE.0]
nodeStart = PAX_START_1
nodeEnd = PAX_WAIT_1
[EDGE.1]
nodeStart = PAX_START_2
nodeEnd = PAX_WAIT_2

 

 

FLT Files

When a user starts a flightseeing activity they will be going through the usual Preflight checks, and so they will need to have the Apron.flt setup in the activity preset as follows:

 

  • Section [SimVars.0] must have the parameter SimOnGround set to true.
  • All defined [Covers] need to be set to true (see here for more information).
  • 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.
  • The aircraft flight parameters (trim, flaps, etc...) should be set for a cold and idle aircraft.

 

An additional FLT file is required - the ApronWithoutCovers.flt file - for those occasions when the user may skip the preflight phase and there is an RTC event, or when something causes a Back On Track event after preflight. This file should be set up like a regular apron FLT file, however you should ensure that these changes are made:

 

  • All defined [Covers] need to be set to false (see here for more information).

 

Finally you will also need to ensure that you have the climb.flt defined, as this will be used during the climb phase of the skydiving mission, or if there is a Back On Track event that requires it. This file should be configured as follows:

 

  • Section [SimVars.0] must have the parameter SimOnGround set to false.
  • All defined [Covers] need to be set to false (see here for more information).
  • Section [Controls.0] must have the parameter ParkingBrake set to 0 (if the aircraft has a parking brake).
  • Aircraft electrics and engines must be turned on.
  • The aircraft flight parameters (trim, flaps, etc...) should be set for an aircraft climbing in altitude.

 

 

Related Topics

  1. Career Activities
  2. The Navigation Graph Editor
  3. navigation_graph.cfg
  4. Apron Services
  5. Navigation Services And Interactions