Alpha Trainer 3D depicts vectors and angle of attack dynamically for six different aircraft "flown" within the X-Plane program. Each aircraft has been developed specifically to work with the program, so their behavior doesn't match exactly the behavior of a specific airplane model. You can choose from a low-wing trainer, a light sport aircraft, a high-wing tailwheel aircraft, an aerobatic airplane, a light twin, and a midsize business jet.
The X-Plane program is uniquely suited to be the platform for the Alpha Trainer, says Schefchunas, because its flight modeling is based upon constant calculations of lift made at hundreds of points on the aircraft. So lift-vector generation is possible inherently with the program--the Alpha Trainer plug-in provides the vector depictions of lift (on each wing and on the horizontal stabilizer), drag, thrust, and weight, and a protractor overlaid on the wing lift vectors to show how close the airplane is to a stall (green is good, yellow means caution, and red indicates the wing is stalled at that point).
Alpha Trainer is available in two versions--a basic version has two aircraft (the trainer and the aerobatic airplane) and shows only background scenery from Florida. The Pro version contains all six airplanes, with scenery from the full X-Plane program. If you already have the X-Plane 7 program, the basic plug-in is $39.95; the Pro version is $69.95.
Price: $59.95 for the Alpha Trainer plug-in and X-Plane software; $89.95 for the Pro version plus X-Plane. For more information: 877/542-1112; www.alphatrainer.com
Sporty's Pilot's Guide to Runway Safety DVD
Rob Reider hosts this latest program from Sporty's, which is designed to educate pilots about ground operations at airports and help them prevent runway incursions. A runway incursion is defined as "any occurrence at an airport involving an aircraft, vehicle, person, or object on the ground that creates a collision hazard or results in a loss of separation with an aircraft taking off, intending to take off, or landing."
The video and animations in the DVD support each chapter covering various aspects of safe airport ground operations and takeoff and landing operations. Case studies of accidents illustrate what happens when the system fails. The DVD also features an interactive checklist displaying recommended procedures for each phase of operation on and around the airport, and the package includes a printed guide to airport signs and markings for review.
Price: $29.95. For more information: 800/776-7897; www.sportys.com
HotSeat Flight Sim chassis
The HotSeat Flight Sim chassis for desktop flight simulator programs made its general aviation debut at the AOPA Fly-In and Open House in June, and it was a popular exhibit at EAA AirVenture at Oshkosh in July. This summer AOPA staff took an extended test flight of the chassis, which provides sound and even some vibration feedback to Microsoft Flight Simulator users for a more realistic experience--and we were impressed.
The simple addition of a purpose-built, padded seat and six-speaker Dolby Digital Surround Sound (plus the platforms to hold your PC, control consoles, and display) pumped up the flight sim experience several notches. And the more realistic the sim experience, the better it translates into the cockpit. The chassis also works with other game software to help you create your own home entertainment environment. An avionics table is now included for additional equipment. Available in red, blue, yellow, and black.
Price: $899, including shipping. For more information: 877/426-3879; www.hotseatinc.com
Skyvector.com
As electronic charting matures, the days of digging through an old stack of sectionals to find a given airport are--well, we still like looking at paper charts, and they come in handy in the cockpit, but if you need a quick reference, a tool like Skyvector.com sure simplifies the search.
The Web site focuses on one thing and does it well. Type in a navigational aid or airport identifier, and the program loads the current sectional, zoomed into the fix you describe. Drag the map to scroll around, use a slider to zoom in and out, and double-click on the map to center it again. Point your mouse to a neon green circle (at airports that report weather) and the current METAR (aviation routine weather report) is shown so you can know what the weather's like at that spot on the map.
Want to order charts? You'll have to go elsewhere. But by clicking on the link "Is this chart current?" you can look up each chart in North America and see a snapshot of the front panel to determine when it expires--all charts on the site are current. As a quick reference and to get your bearings, or just to tour around the country on charts, this site is hard to beat.
Price: free. For more information: www.skyvector.com
Aerosim Cirrus Systems Trainer
Aerosim Technologies has introduced its computer-based training software package for Cirrus SR20 and SR22 aircraft with Avidyne Entegra, S-Tec, and Garmin avionics. The software features lessons combined with simulation exercises to create a ground school experience for pilots training in the Cirrus or requiring refresher or proficiency training. The software also includes training flight scenarios, evaluation flights, and free-play flights in which the user can set the flight plan.
Price: $495. For more information: 866/373-5065; www.flyaerosim.com
Related Articles
