Flight report and 1st Sedona Orbx test : from Cottonwood to KSEZ

Program of the day : join cottonwood (P52) to Sedona (KSEZ).
A very short hop of 14 miles.

Aerial view from… Prepar3D (and not Google Earth) !

With Foreflight, first check NOTAM and info from chart and any other requirment

OK, the price is fine at Red Rock (Sedona FBO) ;-)

Also checking destination weather and any usefull stuff

On the ramp at Cottonwood (P52). Engine running onboard the Cessna 182 Turbo (CT182T) from Carenado. Weather is fine.

The scenery of P52 Cottonwood is basic but free and included in the Sedona package. Basic ? Ok, but flow objets make the job and provide life to this small airfield.

Takeoff runway 14 Cottonwood

Expect left turn after departure. Let first avoid and not overfly Cottonwood city.

Climbing 7’500.
I’m still in love with the cloud shadows of Prepar3D 2.5

Approaching the more detailed area with all these red colors

Unfortunetly and as usual in the sim, the PAPI lights are really too much visible in the sim. I barely only see this white lights which reveal the exact location of the field ;-(

Not as much as “red” as in my memories, but Jarrad (Orbx’author) as defended his point of view and choice for global color of his scenery. Check his post on Orbx forum : http://www.orbxsystems.com/forum/topic/94782-welcome-to-sedona-americas-most-scenic-airport/page-4#entry860889

Pretty red isn’t at the end of the day ? By the way, I guess this pic was my first time in Sedona with Florent in 2008 !
Awesome souvenir !

Less red early and cloudy day with (the two) Alex  plane called “The crow” (check the STOL appendices at each wings)

Ground view of Red Rocks around noon

Despite the recommanded settings (“Mesh should be set at 5m and ground resolution at 7cm”) from the author (Jarrad Marshal), I regret the surrounding rendering. Check the Jarrad post on Orbx forum : http://www.orbxsystems.com/forum/topic/95230-ksez-sedona-arizona-mesh-and-texture-resolution-settings-in-p3d-v24/#entry864447

The mesh do as much as he can

Ok, it’s hard for a FLIGHT simulator and not a SCENIC simulator, to be the-best on this matter but the location is so great we would like to have it exactly as it is ;-)

Another example of the surroundings with the recommended mesh settings. A part from a work of the expert developper Frank Dainese (see his Monument Valley rendition) I don’t see any other solution ;-)

Aerial view from the back seat of a virtual C182

Aerial view from the back seat of a real C182 ;-)

Entering left downwind (thanks to the AWOS).
A Mooney (P3D AI aircraft) in on long final visual 21.

I didn’t even noticed that Foreflight + FSXFlight was able to display AI aircrafts as ADSB trafics, exactly like in real with my Stratus receiver. Here’s the Mooney on final 21 while I’m on the left hand downwind.

Overflying the Poco Diablo resort ?

Approaching turning final, with the TrackIR I can keep an eye on the runway (which doesn’t prohibite me to overshoot anyway ;-)

Turning final and enjoying the surroundings. What a unbelievable place to fly !

Is it really a stabilized approach !? ;-) Look at details on the ground. The texture resolution is great !

Stabilized… Too high… Continue… As my last video onboard C182 was really a flat and low approach, I’m practising and practising again ;-)

The small hill that you encountered on short final is pretty well depicted in Orbx scenery. On this shot, you can also easily recognized the road climbing to the airport. In 2009, I remembered a (private) story on this road… Hum… don’t think it should be public ;-)

Short final… Big thanks go to the 4-PAPI Lights

And now… Too low ! Keep the speed. Thank to the sim. Great platform to train and be more precise on the real world for my next trip to Sedona.

In one of his post Jarrad (Orbx author) mentionned that, by coincidence he watched some of my video at Sedona and use them to cross-check the label ;-) I’m a little proud to be part of his work ! Check Jarrad post : http://www.orbxsystems.com/forum/topic/94782-welcome-to-sedona-americas-most-scenic-airport/page-4#entry865828

Runway vaccated. A lot a visitors on the ramp. I gave way to the Mooney which vaccate on A4 ;-) and taxi ground much more.

As usual in Orbx scenery, the ground ambiance is unbelievable. All this object, make you think of real-word-good-sense : Stay on the line to cut off engine then push the plane ;-)

It’s time to pick-up the rental car. Which hotel have we booked ?

Once again, no it’s not a Google Earth view but a screen capture of Prepar3D ! Great job Jarrad !

For those interested in comparison between the flight sim + Orbx scenery and the reality, check this post : http://20-100-video.blogspot.fr/2015/03/orbx-sedona-airport-in-prepar3dfsx.html

Orbx Sedona airport in Prepar3D/FSX compared to the real world

The Sedona (KSEZ) scenery has just been released today by Orbx (check here), I play with copy & paste to make a quick comparaison of Sedona from Prepar3D v2.5 and reality.

First, the main terminal. It was more windy in 2010 with my family, just after the landing arriving San Diego :

Same year, have a look at the transcient parking. In 2010, I was coming with the Skyhawk N1955L second in the row. Obviously, Prepar3D/FSx has more difficulty to virtually recreat the surrounding terrain, its color and detailed elevation :

Still the same year, with a difficult angle to reproduce. On board the Cessna Skyhawk and landing runway 21. To make a more closer view, I remove the cockpit view from Prepar3D. As usual (I know it’s bad and I have to practise), on this field I’m still too low and flat on approach. Back to the picture comparison, it seems the road climbing to the field is more visible in real, more detach from the background. As usual, the surrounding terrain is hard to reproduce finely on FSx.

Edit 04/04/15 : some complain - in comment of this post - about the lack of shadow for static aircrafts. My fault ! It was a bad P3D setup. Here it is :

And finally for today, my first landing in 2008 in Sedona Airport. Picture captured from a video and again the landing on runway 21. Don’t know why the 4-light PAPI (on left) doesn’t work in Prepar3D v2.5 :

Les fans de Farwest vont pouvoir rejouer Sedona dans Flight Simulator

Jarrad d’Orbx vient d’annoncer que sa prochaine scène sera Sedona (KSEZ) bien connue des Farwest’iens. Voilà une bonne nouvelle pour commencer la journée. Les premières images sont alléchantes et j’ai hâte de me pointer en vent arrière main gauche, au raz des montagnes, pour la piste 21.

L’annonce sur le forum d’Orbx : http://www.orbxsystems.com/forum/topic/94782-welcome-to-sedona-americas-most-scenic-airport/#entry860328
Pour rappel, proftiez d’une approche trop plate (j’assume ;-) avec le Cessna 182 N2462P de PlusOne :

Est-ce-que Franck Dainesse modèlisera les Red Rocks comme il a fait Monument Valley et Yosemite ? Orbx suivrait-il les traces des Farwest’iens ?

C’était moins-pire (rapport à l’approche plate) en 2009 avec un Cessna 172 :

Souvenir d’un Farwest en famille
avec Camille et Béa arrivant avec les bagages.
Comprenez que je ne peux pas trainer les valises et faire les photos ! ;-)