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Burj Al Arab helipad challenge mission.


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Here's your chance to try out the Burj Al Arab Hotel helipad approach which I featured in a video, recently. The helipad is 720 above the sea, which washes around the base of this stylistic 7-star luxury hotel, south west of Dubai City

This is what the approach looks like:

Dubai_Hotel_Thumbnail.jpg

Check the mission out - it's in the Forum's Download section here:

Hope you enjoy the mission - please let me know how you get on - Thanks! :thum:

Cheers - Dai. :cool:

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Hi Sam - I use Jim Keir's FSX Mission Editor (FSXME) available here:

http://fsaddon.eu/wpfsaddon/?page_id=26

There is a Free version, which is worth downloading to get an idea how it works. The full, payware (10 USD) version, has more functions, as you'd expect. Brett and I have been using FSXME for some time - it's the most straightforward method for building missions.

Flight-1's Instant Mission Builder is not as good, in my opinion. O.K., IMM gets you off the ground quickly, but the missions you produce are a bit simplistic and certainly don't let you into the functionality of mission building that you'll probably want to learn about. Here's a link:

http://www.flight1.com/products.asp?product=instmiss

Lastly, you could, at a pinch, read the FSX SDK for Mission Building and use the so called Object Placement Tool (OPT). With this, you can develop complex missions - most of the default FSX missions were generated with the OPT - but it is not a straightforward task unless you are an experienced and disciplined coder AND know what you want to do BEFORE you start! The OPT is not for the faint-hearted - I've not used it at all as I just cannot get my head round it!

I'm sure Brett will have some advice as he's probably further down the mission building road than me. Also, if you're interested, there's a new mission development website here:

http://fsxmissionshangar.com/

Brett and I belong to the forum where there's a lot of advice, tutorials and missions to try.

Hope that helps. BTW, I am not responsible for you spending hours and hours developing missions - once you've got the bug, it's very difficult to shift! :thum:

Cheers - Dai. :cool:

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I agree with Dai on all of the above. I am not a quick study by any means but I was determined to learn how to make a mission. It was not easy for me but for someone that is familier with FSX, adding and editing it's files you will already have taken the first baby steps. There is a ton of info online.......(pause to watch Mr. Bean playing with a symphony during the opening Olympic ceremonies :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: love that guy) ......... dealing with each aspect of the mission files and the link Dia supplied for the new mission site that just started up has a host of mission makers that can answer any question that you might have. Funny thing about learning something, once you figure it out it looks downright easy. :D Good luck and hang in there Sam. :thum:

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Finally got a chance to fly this mission and enjoyed it. Short and sweet with a pretty cool looking scenery area. Came in a bit fast for the hotel landing and had to do a quick backup and then got her in safely. I do love flying missions and thank you for making this one for my flying pleasure. :D

BTW I did notice that the readme omitted a referance to installing the reward file and I had to adjust the flightplan GPS path so as not to get warning on briefing select. Not that a flight plan is even needed for this mission. :whis:

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Yep, right on both counts, Brett. I remembered about the rwd file after zipping and uploading. And the Flight Plan always gives me trouble - maybe it's an FSXME thing? Will investigate.

Glad you enjoyed meeting the Sheikh - more 'exciting' missions to come - New York, L.A., so forth... And Thanks for your kind comments! :thum:

Cheers - Dai. :cool

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Hi Dai, I see this in many missions and have even made the mistake myself. It's easy to forget about it.

Before uploading your mission you can edit your FLT file to get rid of that nasty no flight plan warning that everyone else gets except you.

In your FLT file, under the [GPS_Engine] section, an FSXME made mission will include the file name path to your Public folder when it created the mission. It is like this so it can create an installer, if you wish too, although most folks hate them. That is why ME puts your new mission in your My Missions folder in your FSX root folder(so you can fly it) and also one in your Public User folder under the Mission Wizard# folder(so ME can do it's magic).

It looks like this(from one of my missions)

[GPS_Engine]

Filename=C:\Program Files\Microsoft Games\Microsoft Flight Simulator X\Missions\My Missions\WizardMission5\Triple Tree FlyIn S.C.Plan

All you need to do is get rid of the whole path except for the actual PLN file name. After the edit, when a download user flies the mission, FSX will now just look in the mission folder for your flight plan(PLN).

When edited it will now look like this:

[GPS_Engine]

Filename=Triple Tree FlyIn S.C.Plan

If you do not want to include a flight plan in the mission folder, although your original mission was made with one, leave the file name blank but keep the GPS section in the FLT folder. This will happen if you make a mission in FSXME with a flight plan for build reasons but chose not to include the plan to coincide with your mission scenario.

Hope this helped, I tend to ramble :D

BTW The sheik commented that his camel could fly a heli better than me. :th_blush:

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Many Thanks, Brett - that point has been bugging me for ages! Now I know how to resolve it - excellent! :thum:

Right now, I'm trying to get the Sheikh out of New York. I can find his bodyguard, but the bl**dy Sheikh's gone walkabout - last seen at Grand Central Station...

Thanks again.

Cheers - Dai. :cool:

BTW, glad you made the Costa Concordia - I gave up after that little trollope told me I'd failed!

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Your welcome Dai.

Don't give up on the CCR mission, make a few saves along the way. It's a well made mission and worth the success.

As for the sheik, there is plenty of things in GCS to make you wander. He might be "Night Train" spotting, try looking around the "by the hour" hotels :P

@Keiran- Have fun and enjoy the flight. :D

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  • 6 months later...

Hi Dai, does this mission work with the Fly Tampa Dubai Rebooted scenery? I've downloaded this mission anyway for a look ... cheers :thum:

 

I tried the free limited ver of FSX Mission Editor a good while back but my attention wandered to something else, must give it a go soon.

 

I'll try the other missions on offer here soon, I do enjoy a good FSX Mission.

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Thanks for that, Colin - I tend to write missions for the default scenery as everyone's got it and no-one's left out. I'm not sure, but I think the FlyTampa Dubai scenery has a slightly different model of the Burj Arab hotel and that the helipad, integral to this model, may have a different design to the M.S default. That said, you'll find an additional helipad surface added to th scenery which may be hidden inside the FlyTampa hotel building or hanging in mid air! Be good to know - let us know how you get on. good Luck!

Cheers - Dai. :cool:

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Thanks for quick reply :thum:

 

If I don't try it tonight I will soon and post back how it works with the Fly Tampa scenery, I can always temporarily un-check the Fly Tampa Dubai scenery in the scenery library if there are any conflicts or problems.

 

Cheers.

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OK, just back from some late night flying and could not resist trying this mission in FSX with the Fly Tampa Dubai scenery ... first off Dai, enjoyed the mission very much, I'll do that flight plan error message fix that was mentioned tomorrow (I get that in some other third party missions too) good voice acting ... I take it that is your voice? for the file size I never expected voice for this mission, well done :thum:

 

As regards using this mission with the Fly Tampa Dubai scenery though ... there were bound to be conflicts, and you were quite right the conflict was with the helipad between the original FSX model and the Fly Tampa Burj Al Arab Hotel, there was also a conflict in the area at the pick up point too ... but that's not your fault, The actual take off and landing pad at the airport seems correctly placed in the Fly Tampa scenery ... next time I try the mission I'll un-check the Fly Tampa scenery entry for that instance ... great fun this way too in a surreal sort of way :)

 

I took some screenshots for you and others to see too of my late night flight test in Dubai ... as they say a picture (or 12 of them) can say a thousand words.

 

Taking off

 

Dub1_zpsdfa5d8e1.jpg

 

On our way

 

Dub2_zpsee09e95b.jpg

 

Sight spotting on the way

 

Dub3_zpsb198a5b0.jpg

 

Approaching pick up point that I guess is not where it is in default FSX scenery :)

 

Dub4_zps62d22242.jpg

 

Landed safely and picked up VIP

 

Dub5_zps87e32ecb.jpg

 

And onwards past the Fly Tampa Burj Al Arab Hotel to the default FSX helipad floating in mid air

 

Dub6_zpsb0397547.jpg

 

I could not resist landing on it :)

 

Dub7_zps692eeef2.jpg

 

Landing could have been better

 

Dub8_zps30f45bc6.jpg

 

Had to try landing on the Fly Tampa Hotel helipad too on the way back

 

Dub9_zpsd6202306.jpg

 

Taking in the sights on the way home again

 

Dub10_zps2af94f57.jpg

 

Almost home

 

Dub11_zpsdbc9d767.jpg

 

Touchdown

 

Dub12_zps580bedb7.jpg

 

And I got my reward too ... Cheers.

 

:thum:

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