Water Runways and Lights

[Deleted]

I have posted the question etc at FS Developer but thought it may be worth a try here see if anybody has any ideas. While busy putting together a whole bunch of flying boat stops or bases etc I was aware from all my reading that in the era of widespread flying boat use night landings and take offs were quite common. The technique (floating flare pots strung together) had been developed about 1937 and was in frequent use until the 1960's I can even find references to the issue and guidelines in the various FAR's etc.

I had reasoned that if ADE would create a water runway that it should be capable of having runways lighting added to it (just edge lighting) and could see no immediate reason why if you created the runway and added lights as part of its construction they would not show. I have tried it several times and while ADE shows the runway and confirms that it has lights, that is it does not seem to care that it is a water runway, but when you fire up the sim go to night time and active runway, nothing shows at all, well just water. Yet it is possible to have a buoy with a light or a tower with a light in water but I guess the difference one has a significant elevation and while a light on flat water does not.

Any scenery gurus ever tried to do this? I am surmising that it actually may be a texture issue also because lights are an effect or shader so there may be a clash with a light effect even a small one with water polygons.

Fascinating if it could be made to work.

In the meantime I am going to try a different tack and use instant scenery and create a string of lights because I can alter the elevation using instant scenery of the object and create strings and if done carefully they should be capable of being lifted just above the polygon surface.

[Deleted]

My supposition was correct it is the elevation that is the trick, only trouble is in day time the lights are there, they are not on but I think the selection of the right runway light type would minimise the effect, but it would be a permanent flare path.

Here are two shots of the aircraft in the same position DAY



In this shot from the copilot side you can see the objects on the water:



Now NIGHT




and same view with landing lights on you can clearly see the water reflections.



Any views gentlemen what do you think great to have the row of lights, I could live with the lights by day if they were lower after all once you get any distance from them they will disappear anyway.

Is this a first?

[Deleted]

Quick note - they work fine for the take off phase and very helpful in the dark. The approach back is a different matter as basically these lights do not show up until you get to about 300 feet above them so you cannot pick them up visually in the circuit so positioning yourself to use them for landing could be very tricky. Brighter lights needed. Then again I actually did some flying a long time ago with flare pots not electric lights for real and they were also really hard to find at night as well, still some brighter lights might do it. Proof of concept anyhow, lot of work needed to get it right but it can be done. Amazing!

[Jorge]

Mike,

Have you tried the Airfield Lights Toolbox? It's over at the "Stuff4FS" website. I made some perimeter lights for an airfield I created in Cuba, and it's what I'm using for the FSX update of the Platinum Wings thing I've been working on for a while now. It allows you to use BGL-type as well as Effect-type lights. You basically create a Library from the MDL files you get and then place them normally with IS or ADE. Good manual and refereneces are provided and if you read through it should allow you to have something in a fairly short time.

Let us know how this is going since I'm hoping to get the Pan Am flights done in FSX:SE using water since that seems to work (unlike FS9) with the AI.

Good Luck!

Jorge

[Deleted]

Thanks Jorge. Using the the objects and then setting a spaced string works fine, the problem is luminosity at the moment you just cannot see them above @ 300 ft. If I use another tool ORBX's light configurator it operates universally so if you brighten up a light type it does all of them and I have my lights small and low because that is more realistic. I will have a look at the lights Toolbox, thanks for the suggestion and tip.

I was aware of this night flying with flying boats but I had not really thought too much about the times etc. I was just getting ready to give some of my flying boat scenery a final run by doing the England to Australia run and looking at the schedule I was dismayed to find that probably 3 out of the 8 day/sectors were done at night with a midnight departure and early morning arrival or a late day departure (about sunset) and a night time arrival at the next stage. TEALs Coral Sea Route always left Suva late and arrived late at Samoa and departed Samoa about one o'clock in the morning to Aitutaki to get there just after dawn.

I shall spend a bit of time on this seem if I can come up with a workable solution.

I am going to do the Pan Am Clipper bases across the Pacific, I have sorted out locations precisely, got pictures etc but it is down the list at the moment. I had been hoping for the Pilot B314 to be finally released but nothing heard now for ages so I guess one could substitute George Diemers Sikorsky, which are great models anyway.

[Erik]

Mike, Jorge's suggestion is no doubt a good one, I have used AFLT successfully as well. Caution though, pilot controlled lighting crashes my FS9 if I try to open a bgl containing them with Instant Scenery.
Alternatively, I am thinking of placing rows of objects (an Instant Scenery feature) and using a single light, without fixture, as the object. I place individual ones of these as red obstacle lights in my FS9 sceneries. I suppose it should work in FSX as well and I am not aware of having to be low in order to see them. These lights show in the dark only and I _think_ bright enough ones can be used, but I'd have to check on that. Be aware I have no FSX experience though and am away from my FS pc the coming week, so cannot test anything.

Erik

[Deleted]

Thanks Eric, yes that is the same approach I am taking. I will add in a single row with IS at places I know they used to do a lot of night ops from.