How do I land/take-off from water without crashing with my sea-planes?
From FlightSim
Q:
I have downloaded a few different sea-going planes but always crash when landing on water. If I reposition to start from water, my plane will not move - as if stuck in mud or something. Is it not possible to access water in FS2000? Are there any fixes?
A:
Hi Steve,
What you are describing is probably the most common complaint about water in
FS2000. I recently answered an email with basically the same question. I hope
you dont mind if I avail myself of CTRL+C CTRL+V and paste the general contents
of that email here. It will save me about 2 years of typing:)
As far as water landing's go in FS2000, it is largely nothing you are doing incorrectly . Because of the new terrain system water has become somewhat of an eyesore both visually and technically for users. I am sure if you have flown around any mountainous areas you have noticed streams and lakes floating high above the surrounding terrain. You may have even tried to land in some spots and found your plane falling through as though the water wasn't even there.
Well the other known problem with water in FS2000 is it's "hardness", which is reliant on how the water area in question is defined by the program. Some areas will function perfectly and yet a mere mile away it will become unlandable. This can be very disconcerting after a long flight into an unknown area, as you are aware.
About the only real advice I can offer on this right now is twofold. With practice you will get to where you can pretty fairly tell if you will have problems or not, but for the meantime try this. If you know of a body that you want to land on test it first ( I'm sure the brilliance of that just swept you in amazement eh?). As you descend toward the water watch along the edges though, if they start to move, or creep along with the path of the plane you will probably not be able to land there. Or at best you can land but once on the surface the water will seem to disappear from cockpit view. If you then go to spot view you will most likely see the water return to under the craft as you raise your view of the area. But the creeping shoreline is you primary clue, at least initially.
When I create a scenery area, I create them at locations that I know are landable and so they provide a moderate solution in some specific areas. Additionally, any add-on area that includes water will be landable. This is generally because when designers create an area they use a "Flatten Switch" to allow them to place scenery as they desire. and the water stability is a by-product of that process.
Really though with some experimentation you will begin to be able to identify suitable water on a more or less reliable basis. The Mountains though are notorious for poor water handling by the terrain modeling aspects of FS2000.
I hope this helps you somewhat, and I know that while it is not a total solution for you that you will soon find a great many landable bodies in the area you prefer to fly. Once you find one you will never forget it's location as its often the only nugget of gold in a seeming rich but mostly waste area.
I hope that the information was somewhat useful if not an actual solution for
you. You are not alone though and you are certainly not the only to have his
flats stick in the waves.
Best of luck to you.
Ron A.
