[MSFS] Flying Boats Era's Hydrobases (Ongoing Project)

[SkyLane]

Hello CalClassic!

A little bit about myself:

I am SkyLane, 26 Yo as of today, and I live in French Guiana. I my first sim was FS2004, then switched to FSX and now MSFS. I am more into Modern airliners, but I met someone a few years ago (still is my friend today) who ONLY flies Classic planes, he is the one who got me into flying Classics. my First attempt at a classic was on FSX with the Freeware DC-3/C-47, had a Rough time hehe, Now on MSFS I do have the PMDG DC-6 and I Love it . My wish would be to have Airports sceneries in their older configuration (like CalClassic sceneries for FS9/FSX)

About the Project:

I started this little project following the release of the Latécoère 631 and these Flight plans: fr.flightsim.to/file/58468/latecoere-631-commercial-flight-plans .

While the Laté631 destinations are completed, I plan on expanding this pack with more hydrobases:

Download Link: fr.flightsim.to/file/58643/flying-boats-era-s-hydrobases

Due to the lack of information available, I decided to register here, first to share my project with you all Classic Flyers, and also to get any informations on more accurate locations etc if you happen yo have some knewleges of these .

I am not great at using Blender and MSFS SDK, so my pack is Only Hydrobases start locations, no custom buildings nor docks (but never say never )

Included as of now:
-Fort de France TFHB
-Fort Lamy (N'Djamena) FTFL
-Léré FTLH
-Douala FKHD
-Abidjan DIAH
-Bizerte DTBH
-Dakar-Bel Air GOBA
-Port Etienne (Nouadhibou) GQPE
-Sansanding GASH
-Southampton (Hythe) EGS1
-Geneva LSGH
-Marignane LFM1
-Montevideo SUMH
-Rio de Janeiro SBRH
-Maracaibo Bella Vista SVMH
-Bahrain OBBM
-Cartagena SKC1
-Trincomalee VCTH
-Saigon VVSH

-Biscarosse Hourtiquets LFH1

I hope you'll find interrest in the project Feel free to give me more accurate location if the "runway" is misplaced, and even propose Commercially used Hydrobases ideas!

Regards, Skylane

Pics:

[SkyLane]

Heyyy

I updated the pack, including some B314 destinations in the Pacific

Enjoy!

Pointe Macouria SOPM
Rose Bay YSRB
Ile Nou NWIN
Lord Howe Is YLHH
Apia Harbour NSAH
Treasure Is KSF1
Pearl City PHPC
Guam Is PGGH
Manila RPL1
Midway Is PMDH
Wake Is PWAH

[Erik]

Hello Skylane and welcome. I cannot offer any direct help, but you may be able to find resources in the Vintage Flying forum here. The former member Mikeh started this topic on flying boat bases there. He does not give coordinates but he does describe his methods and provided screen shots.

Another very knowledgeable member of this community (Bernard), who does not have an active account at this time but will hopefully be back later, is a specialist on the vintage era. You will come across many of his topics as well in the Vintage subforum, mostly covering a single theme in a very informative way.

For me, the main problem with 'flying in the past' in MSFS would be the all-modern environment. This is probably also the main reason I stick with FS9, like many others: everything and anything can be tweaked and backdated in the good old sim. The visuals do not match the latest technology of course (although they can be hugely improved nowadays by tweaking and add-ons) but everything in FS9 fits together. It has the same look and feel all over, apart from probably photo scenery, which I never use for that reason.

The above may a reason why there could be not too much response to your endavour here, although there are several MSFS flyers here with a classic passion. I hope it works out for you and wish you a ton of fun with the mighty flying boats!


Erik

[Jorge]

Wecome Skylane!

I've done some bases for my PW project, but things are different in the older FS9 than they are in the newer ones.

For one, I believe the new FS2020 engine actually has water runways and taxiways, while in the older sim we had to create a "zero-width" runway and taxiway system which was ONLY able to be done with a program called AFCAD. If 2020 doesn't have this feature, please let us know.

My system is old, so I'm sticking with FS9 until I can't anymore.

If you want, you can look at my photo album of screenshots to see if there is something there that you could use fore reference. Some are generic, but some are based on old maps. Wake Island, for example, was based on a 1943 USMC tactical map I found online which I then used in conjunction with old photos of the pre-war era. The same thing with Midway.

My album:

Platinum Wings for FS2004

Keep us updated!

Jorge
Miami, FL

[Tom/CalClassic]

Actually FS9 (etc.) can create water runways, they just can’t be used by AI aircraft. I don’t know the situation with FS2020.

[Erik]

Jorge, sorry that I forgot to mention 'Mr. Platinum'!
And thanks for resharing your album link, that looks really fascinating.

Cheers,
Erik

[retroavia]

As I can remember there was a thread here about a Late 631 flight to Lake Léré in Chad some few years ago.

[SkyLane]

Hello all athat Thanls for the welcome messages

I entirely agree with you all about Flying in the past on MSFS, it's impossible (unless unsing Offlines textures and reworking everthing: vectors, polygons etc), too much modernity, even tho I would love to make what CalPlassic sceneries made for FS9/X: Airports is previous configurations (I just suck with 3D haha) Making the Seplanes bases is the easiest, even tho I wish I could add some accuracies with models and docks

I actually Got Inspirations from Mikeh's Topic, actually helped me finding locations!

Platinium Wings Album is verry inspiring too, especially for Land Based airfields!

For Informations, I got 20 additional Hydrobases planned: Canton Is, Bora Bora, Aitutaki, Motu Tahiri, Mechanics Bay, Hong Kong, Funchal Bay, Cabi Ruivo, Port Washington, Darrel Is, La Guardia, Karumba, Townsville Harbour, Evans Bay, Kingman Reef, Nukualofa Harbour, Fornebu, Dinner Key, Pago Pago Harbor


Regards, SkyLane

[Erik]

Aug 5, 2023 15:11:40 GMT -5 SkyLane said:

I actually Got Inspirations from Mikeh's Topic, actually helped me finding locations!

O haha, then you know your way around already. Keep up the good work and have fun!

Cheers,
Erik

[SkyLane]

Thanks Yeah, actually when I looked for Flying Boats bases, Google sent me to that topic so if there is anthing else, Im all open

Regards, SkyLane

[retroavia]

An impressive list of seaplane bases. Most of them are already used with FS9 too in a way or an other (classic or vintage eras). So how do you intend to use them with MSFS? Are you planning to create flight plans or AI traffic and which aircraft will be involved?

[SkyLane]

Hi retroavia

It's is more basic than that, I'm simply adding "selectable Starting Locations" for takeOff, each bases got a Parking too, to load in Cold and Dark (That's better than Translating from Land Based airport ), but it's free to the user to choose what planes he want to use to any destinations they will like
For now we have the Laté631 and B314, that was may focus first: bases where these planes flew! for the Laté its Done, so I added some bases where others seaplanes flew like Lord Howe Island where Shorts flew.

I am not familiar with AI Traffic, and even if I was, my bases are not optimised with "taxi paths" etc.

Regards, SkyLane

[retroavia]

Aug 2, 2023 14:04:56 GMT -5 Erik said:

The former member Mikeh started this topic on flying boat bases there. 

I still have the basic folder. But it's almost useless without having FTX Orbx Global and Orbx Vector. Most objects aren't shown. Obviously that's the trend: needing a lot of supplementary addons, and MSFS won't be an exception. 

[Erik]

Hm, well, I'll stick with scenery largely supported by the CalClassic Custom Scenery Library Files for time I think. But thanks for the additional info!

Cheers,
Erik

[jacklyon]

Hi Skylane

I just see your post
Wonderfull news
I also buy the great Latecoere 631 (and the Wal also, and the Boeing 314.


wondefull news, i just downloading right now, your "water runways", i will test it.

PS: Actually, i start to work (some time ago), in the both Seaplanes Bases at Montevideo (Uruguay), for MSFS (actually first was a project for P3D, but i stop developping for P3D, and i am think continue the work, to make it for MSFS)

The terminal of C.A.U.S.A. seaplane Montevideo Terminal, and also the "Isla Libertad" a Uruguayan Navy seaplane base, in a island in the middle of the Montevideo bay.

I am finishing right now, another project (a dam model) for France, but once finish it, i think to continue to work and finish the Montevideo CAUSA Terminal and the old dock.

I will contact you, so, i can upload it to flightsim.to (as a complement for your "seaplanes runways)

PS2: I planned to make some others "seaplane terminals", in a near future (the one at Buenos Aires Docks (in the 50s/60s),

and also, i would like to do the Miami Pan Am seaplane terminal.

PS3: For "classic scenery" for MSFS, i bought a lot of scenerys (for spain, france, and usa), from REDWING at MSFS Simmarket
(there are a nice project, payware but not so expensive right now (because there are some bundles)

the scenery USA 1935, and FRANCE 1935, change a lot of thing, to make this aereas, to look, more "classic", off course, not change all, but it's a good start. Please if you are interested you can read my post in this site.

Cheers