Freedom Weekend Aloft took place this past weekend in the upstate of SC. Did I attend? No. The family and I were in Tennessee for the weekend. I'm sure Christy Lake would have loved to see balloons above, as "ballooooon" is one of her favorite words to say. Maybe next year.

Freedom Weekend has been an annual event in the upstate for as long as I can remember.  It used to take place on the weekend of the 4th at Donaldson Center.  My grandparents live in Mauldin, downwind from Donaldson, so there were many times where hundreds of balloons could be seen floating by the house. Ah, the days of my youth.

Coincendentally (or incidentally), the recognized founder of the modern-day hot-air balloon Ed Yost passed away on Sunday. One day I would like to ride in a hot-air balloon to see what the sensation is like. I hear that there is no breeze because you are moving with it.

Back to work on the CX & TC...

...RELEASED!

Yes, the Eaglesoft FSX Columbia 400 is now available! Make sure to have SP1 installed, as the Columbia 400 requires it. As a promotion for this release, we are offering a 30% discount coupon for 30 days, bringing the cost for the aircraft to $22.36 USD!  Instructions for use of the coupon are found here, and make sure to download the coupon to your computer by right clicking the coupon image before purchase. Enjoy!

Hot on the heels of the release of SP1, Microsoft announces a new partnership with Dale "Snort" Snodgrass (the F-14 Tomcat Legend) in what will be known as the "American Topgun Challenge." I recommend checking out Dale's video where he describes this concept and how Microsoft FSX will be incorporated. I think this is a really unique way to merge many different mediums together into what should be an exciting show.

News is quickly spreading around about the public release of SP1 last night - I was currently at work at the time and did not get a chance to mention it here, but better a few hours late than never, right?

Phil's posts are a pretty technical look at exactly what was addressed, but I thought that I would also highlight a few things that were fixed that I am especially excited about.
 
Remember how the wheels of the aircraft would suddenly stop rotating after the aircraft left the ground in FSX RTM?  They now rotate slowly to a stop as they should, or they will stop if you press the brakes (good habit for those who use retracts).

Remember how VC gauge backlighting worked for FS9 aircraft by using light maps? Yep! That has now been re-implemented, so expect to see the awesome beauty of those cockpits to come alive once again in FSX. Mike Z goes into more details about how SP1 has affect the SDK in SP1A.

One other thing that is pretty significant from a model standpoint - compiled models now have a significantly smaller file size, more in line with the file sizes associated with FS9 models.  There is absolutely no loss in fidelity either - every polygon is present and accounted for.  Without going into too much detail, the original compiler was doubling up on data that it really should not have been.  I didn't even realize that it was an issue, but it has created a dramatic performance increase in 3-D models, so I truly applaud the ACES team for addressing this.

ACES has also used the excitement and publicity over the release of SP1 to kick-off something that has been in the works for a long time! Membership as an FSInsider! Here's the blurb from the site describing this new exciting element to MS FS:

"Initially, we’ll let you know about product updates. We’ll pass along relevant news and information. We’ll also tell you about upcoming events, contests, and promotional offers related to Flight Simulator and things like Flight Simulator. As the program grows, being a member will include even more benefits. You’ll be able to create a Member Profile and connect with other members who share your interests. You’ll have access to exclusive content and features like: screen shots of the week, Web-based storage and recovery of your Flight Simulator X logbook, links to Virtual Earth/Flight Simulator projects, Flight Simulator-themed Windows Live Spaces...and more!

We have lots of ideas, but we want you to help us shape the experience. Just click the "Send us your feedback" link at the bottom of any FSInsider page."ACES really does want to hear feedback from users regarding this, so be sure to drop them a note and let them know what you think!

With the SP1 for FSX just around the corner, the Eaglesoft FSX Columbia 400 is very close to release! The team and I have been working very hard to incorporate the very latest technology offered by Microsoft in their latest version of FS, and will require the use of SP1 before installation.

The aircraft will include: High resolution textures with specular mapping, dynamic environment mapping, self-shadows, precise animations including independent control over all access points, pre-flight gauge, and Avidyne portrait MFDs that are fully integrated with the GNS 430 and S-Tec 55X Autopilot. In addition, the package will include 9 paint schemes, 6 of which are based on real Columbia 400 aircraft! Here are a few teaser images:

Besenyei wins wild west Red Bull Air Race
Peter Besenyei (Team Red Bull) beat Paul Bonhomme (Team Matador) in a spine-tingling Red Bull Air Race showdown at Monument Valley in the United States on Saturday, flying through an obstacle course just a few dozen feet above the rugged terrain of the iconic Western setting long used by Hollywood filmmakers. Besenyei completed his flawless run at speeds up to 250 mph and forces of up to 10G through the spectacular eight Air Gate course straddling the Utah-Arizona border at the Navajo Tribal Park in a time of 00:59.87 minutes to edge out Bonhomme, who trailed by 0,97 seconds through the circuit made treacherous by the 5,200-foot (1,600 metre) altitude.

Hot off of his performance in Rio, Paul Bonhomme is yet again the man to beat after Friday's Qualification round, edging out Peter Besenyei by .90 seconds and Kirby Chambliss by 1.85 seconds.

My friend Mike Goulian had an unfortunate mechanical error with his airspeed indicator, which only allowed him to make one pass in qualification. Here is what he said about it:

“Unfortunately it wasn’t problem of my own doing. The air speed indicator wasn’t working. For some reason they decided not to let us do the first run. So all my job was to make sure I was there for the Saturday for the race. I went out there and just did a leisurely pace and put the airplane solidly in the pack for tomorrow. It’s a shame I didn’t really get a chance to see how fast I could fly. I was just out there taking a cruise to make sure I got into top 12. It’s hard. How much do you back off? I backed off just enough. Now that everyone’s flying very close times you can’t back up too much. I could have easily have flown a 1:01. I’m happy with being able to crank up in the morning.”

This is a reprint of Thursday's RBAR Newsletter:

Besenyei rides western fairy tale

Peter Besenyei (Team Red Bull) of Hungary set the pace in Thursday’s training ahead of Friday’s qualifying session for the Red Bull Air Race World Series at Monument Valley, completing a difficult course against the breathtaking western scenery ahead of championship leader Paul Bonhomme of Britain (Team Matador) and 2005 champion Mike Mangold of the United States (Team Cobra). Beseneyei, who won the season opener at Abu Dhabi, is in third in the standings behind Bonhomme and Mangold and said he was quickly adapting to the thin air, the 5,200-foot altitude that has posed special challenges to the 13 pilots.

The race in Monument Valley, an iconic western setting that has served as a backdrop for scores of films and commercials over the last half century, marks the first time in this Red Bull Air Race World Series season that the pilots are flying over land rather than water. The awe-inspiring vistas have been included in films from John Wayne’s 1938 classic "Stagecoach" and Stanley Kubrick’s "2001: A Space Odyssey" to Steven Spielberg’s "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade" and "Thelma and Louise". Even Tom Hanks halted his long cross-country run in front of the red-hued buttes of Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park in "Forrest Gump." The rugged terrain has also long been utilized by advertisers as a backdrop for the macho Marlboro Man image.

Picture courtesy of Christian Pondella (Red Bull).

Some findings regarding the number 33...

• 33 is the largest positive integer that can not be expressed as a sum of different triangular numbers...whatever that is. 
• Alexander the Great died at the age of thirty-three.
• 33 is the atomic number of Arsenic. (I am a chemist by degree, so I just had to throw that in)
• Famous athletes who’ve worn the number 33 include: Larry Bird, Patrick Ewing, Patrick Roy, and Tony Dorsett
• A normal human spine has 33 vertebrae when the bones that form the coccyx are counted individually
• Anyone born on May 11, 1974 is 33 today. Oh wait, I was born May 11, 1974.

Images courtesy of Jörg Mitter (Red Bull).

It appears that the original runway has been widened and extended. Have a look at this satellite imagery (courtesy of Google Maps) where you can see the original strip was partially pavement and dirt.