Chair Flying News

[CraginS]

A few folks in the club have seen X-Plane flight simulator on the iPhone / iPod Touch. (Joe G uses the desktop version at work for real simulator and reconstruction work). I have just learned a bunch more about the program.

1. The site (http://x-plane.com) has versions not only for iPhone and iPad, but also for Android OS and Palm Pre.

2. There is a sailplane X-Plane Glider version available that has X-Plane Glider gives users the choice of four aircraft: a Schleicher ASK 21 composite trainer, a high performance Schempp-Hirth Cirrus, a PZL Bielsko SZD-45 Ogar powered glider, or a Cessna 172.

3. Most of the versions have 4 to 9 planes each, and cost $10 .. BUT

4. If you have an iPhone 4 or iPod Touch 4G or an iPad, there is a High Def version that has ALL of the planes in a single app, and takes advantage of the Retina screen for high res images. Right now, the HDEF version is on sale for $10. It will work on an iPhone 3GS, but not have the high def screens; but you do get all the a/c in a single app.

5. I have absolutely no clue how to control a helicopter! Gotta do some study on that one.

6. After a terrible tow where I had to pin off because I was too far off from the Cessna tug, I just successfully landed the ASK 21 on the runway, only my 2d try in a glider!

This program is just too cool! If you have any of the supported phones or pads, you really should get a copy.

[cthornberger]

haha - nice
I've got to come out of the closet myself: there is this neato 'Vehicle Simulator' that has a REALLY fun and fairly realistic hang gliding option. I've been trolling the demo version for a while now to not pay the $30 for the full version. It as a lot of meteorological functions that you can change around
If you're interested, there is a demo download (http://www.hangsim.com/vsf/)
Be careful if you get addicted to this kind of stuff

[Danny Brotto]

http://www.condorsoaring.com/

Danny Brotto

[CraginS]

Vehicle Simulator and Condor both do look interesting, but they are both Windows-only programs. Condor says it is designed to run on a "gaming PC," meaning high power CPU and advanced graphics card. Having a mobile version in my shirt pocket while hang waiting is awfully cool!
(Oh, and PC, Mac, Linux, smart phone, and iPad versions all of the same program is neat, too!)