EARLIER UPDATES (FOR THE REALLY INTERESTED!)

14-Sep-03: Update to Neat Things To Try, pointing out that the TCA Home Page is a great source of hints, tips and things to try. Many of this week's updates to the TCA Hints & Tips files came from there.

31-Aug-03: Updates to What's New in FS2004?. And don't miss the extraordinary performance tip in the FS2004 Setup TCA Hints & Tips File (but make sure you've got plenty of time to read into it!).

19-Aug-03: Finally, I have managed to catch up with the backlog of TCA hints & tips for FS2004, and some other updates on this page for FS2004. See here.

4-Jul-03: With the NDA lifted, a new TCA Hints & Tips File has been started for FS2004, describing differences from FS2002 and some first impressions from beta testers (Rainer Labie in particular). Later on this file might develop further. A link to this file has been added from section "What's coming in FS2004?".

18-May-03: New easier layout for summary of Pilot's Assistant Directory. People interested in A.I. aircraft will find an interesting new link here in the PAD. People interested in VFR Flying will find an interesting new link here in the PAD.

5-May-03: New section on Weight / Payload Planning added to Flight Procedures referencing a new tutorial by Hal Stoen.

24-Apr-03: New section added: Hints, Tips & FAQs (Summary). I have also released a new version (V1.6.6) of my Pilot's Assistant Toolset this week.

15-Apr-03: Links to the AVSIM discussion forums have been fixed.

13-Apr-03: I have caught up with a largish backlog of TCA Hints & Tips files this week - many of them from March. Among the PAD updates, there's a new entry here for VFR Photographic Scenery England & Wales, and an entry here which will be of special interest to Windows XP Users.

23-Mar-03: No updates to the TCA Hints & Tips files this week, however there's a small update to "What's coming in FS2004?" and several updates to the PAD (see Pilot's Assistant Directory Main Menu).

14-Mar-03: Update to rules of thumb for descent planning. Update to notes on Initial Approach and Final Approach. Several updates to the PAD, including an update for Enditall and Windows XP.

17-Feb-03: A small new section has been added: "What's coming in FS2004?". You can reach it from the contents table or look up FS2004 in the A-Z Index. The intention is to update it as reliable info becomes available.

1-Feb-03: Apart from some great new tips, you may like to know that the Oxford University Cancer Research Project supported by United Devices and by many flight simmers, now has over 2,000,000 PCs sharing the workload, truly awesome computer power being used in one of the most worthwhile causes. Why not download the screensaver-type program and join in? You can leave it running even during flight simming and you won't notice a thing. Details here in the PAD. 

20-Jan-03: Links to John Deakin's articles fixed, e.g. here.

18-Jan-03: Update to section Where Do I Start?, and a few other minor things.

2-Jan-03: Update to section Use of TO/GA for Takeoff (thanks to Chris J for his input). Update to Discussion Groups.

7-Dec-02: New section Bush Flying added to section Neat Things To Try.

2-Dec-02: I have released a new version (V1.6.5) of my Pilot's Assistant Toolset this week.

17-Nov-02: There have been a number of updates to the Pilot's Assistant Directory this week that are worth checking out.

10-Nov-02: Flying in the State of Florida has just improved out of all recognition (both day and night) - see the November 2002 section of the TCA Scenery Hints & Tips File. Update to Usenet Newsgroups, Etc..

27-Oct-02: New section Using the FS2002 Autopilot and TO/GA. Update to Aircraft Carrier Landings in Neat Things To Try. New section Using FS2000 Aircraft in FS2002 added to section Using FS2002.

18-Oct-02: Updates (format and content) to section Rules Of Thumb (Quick Calculations For Speeds, Turns & Descents/Climbs). Updates to notes on KIAS, MACH Numbers, QFE, V-speeds. There is a great new facility in FSMeteo 5.2, noted here in Flight Procedures. Update to Getting Started section. Links to information at the NATS Site (e.g. VFR for the UK) have been changed because of a reorganisation at that site (see here in the PAD for details). Also, check out this new mountain flying entry in the PAD. Other minor changes scattered around...

4-Oct-02: Users with some older browsers (e.g. Netscape 4.6) may notice that most text on this page has reverted to your browser's default variable-width font, although many users will not see any difference. I have made this change in order to reduce the size of this file and conserve bandwidth. Netscape users who are affected can change their default variable-width font (if they want to) using the Edit, Preferences, Appearance, Fonts menu. You could try Comic Sans MS, for example, if you liked the previous appearance.

26-Sep-02: New section Rules Of Thumb (Quick Calculations For Speeds, Turns & Descents/Climbs) added to Hints on Real-World Flying.

30-Aug-02: New section added to help newcomers, and some things have been moved around for the same reason. A new tips category for Download Sites created. New tips this week include a great one from Bob Dodge for on-line flyers in this TCA Hints & Tips file. Update to Approach section of Flight Procedures. Updates to Sightseeing Trips in Neat Things To Try. Update to Cowl Flaps and V-Speeds notes.

23-Aug-02: New facility added to access and search Usenet newsgroups (via Google) and other forums. New entry added to section Using FS2002. Update to FREDA checks.

17-Aug-02: Among other updates, a neat explanation of FSLandClass and its relationship to the scenery engine by Fr. Bill Leaming has been added to this month's section of the Scenery Hints & Tips File.

9-Aug-02: This site contains several links to the excellent information provided by UK National Air Traffic Services (NATS) Ltd, including locations of excellent free charts for UK airports and definitions of UK VFR and IFR. These links have all been changed to reflect a restructuring of the NATS site, although you won't notice any difference. A few other small changes have been made, including addition of information on GetWeather to Flight Procedures, and an update to this "neat thing to try".

26-July-02: You can now search the TCA Hints & Tips Files (and other parts of this Web Site) for specific words and phrases. Updated QNH and CAT III notes.

21-July-02: Two great additions to Hints on Real-World Flying, from Katy Pluta and Isaac Conwell, and corresponding updates to Flight Procedures. Rainer has added a new tip on Updating an aircraft to FS2002 (Standby Radios) to the Aircraft Hints & Tips File. Addition to the lights tips. You will also notice among other things that all the green cells in the contents table no longer appear in italics - this is because they now all behave the same way, as explained here.

14-July-02: Addition to Fly Floatplanes section in Neat Things To Try. Among many good inputs to the TCA Hints & Tips Files this week, there's one from Rainer in the Aircraft Hints & Tips File on Updating an aircraft to FS2002 and having fun at the same time. Minor updates to Flight Procedures. The PAD has had something of a shake-out this week, with some obsolete or less good stuff weeded out, as well as new additions.

7-July-02: New section Navigate Long Distances Over Water Without GPS added to section Neat Things To Try.

23-June-02: New section Increase Taxi Speed of A.I. Aircraft added to section Neat Things To Try

9-Jun-02: Several sections now have references to articles and tutorials by Hal Stoen. Additions to Fly Floatplanes section in Neat Things To Try. New helicopter entries here in the PAD.

12-May-02: New section Flightsim's How To... Collection added, see the contents list. New section Ballooning added to section Neat Things To Try. Updates to Introduction, GPS section, Fly Floatplanes section, and several other places.

Also, I have released a new version (V1.6.4) of my Pilot's Assistant Toolset this week. 

5-May-02: new section Fly Floatplanes added to section Neat Things To Try. New entries added to VFR notes. Some exceptionally useful FSVC Tips (e.g. FPS slider - the full explanation) are now linked to directly.

28-Apr-02: many sections have had some updates this week, including the FSVC Tips.

31-Mar-02: sections Setting Up Your PC and AVSIM File Library & Reviews added, see the contents table.

17-Mar-02: link to FSVC Tips updated to new location.

2-Mar-02: new item Fly "Jump Seat" In An A.I. Aircraft added to Neat Things To Try.

20-Feb-02: update to FS2002 Pushback (alternative version from Lago).

15-Feb-02: you can now hear the Marker Beacon sounds if you want to, see notes on Marker Beacons. Minor correction to notes on Carb Heat and other minor updates to Notes Section and to A-Z index. Addition of section on A.I. Aircraft.

8-Feb-02: several direct links to Charles Wood's excellent tutorial on Flight Simulator Navigation have been added, e.g. in Flight Procedures and in notes for ILS, VOR, NDB. Initial construction of the A-Z index is finished, but occasional updates will continue.

1-Feb-02: addition of notes on Marker Beacons, Aircraft Approach Categories and ILS Approach Categories. Update to the A-Z index.

27-Jan-02: the A-Z index has had a major update, although work on this is still on-going. You will also find a few other minor changes scattered around.

23-Jan-02: the direct links into the Pilot's Assistant Directory which are provided here have been fixed.

20-Jan-02: new section added Neat Things To Try In FS2002. Further updates to A-Z index. In the contents table, green cells that go first to the A-Z index are marked with text in italics, as explained here

13-Jan-02: updated Flight Procedures and A-Z index (further updates expected). New section added Adjusting throttle, props and mixture. I am also starting to make some changes to the behaviour of links shown as green cells in the contents list - see the introduction for details. As time goes on, more of these green cells will link first of all to "topic areas" in the A-Z index, and from there to the hints & tips files.

1-Jan-02: updated and corrected the GPS section, updated Flight Procedures and A-Z index (further updates expected).

28-Dec-01: first publication of this page.

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