Internet-Airshow, April 23

[An.Petrovich]

Virtual Flight Training Center, Russia, Moscow

April 14, 2005.

PRESS RELEASE

VFTC Aerobatic Team's Virtual Air Show via Internet.

Dear friends,
Russian Virtual Flight Training Center (VFTC) from Moscow invites all LockOn 1.1 "Flaming Cliffs" possessors to the VFTC Virtual Air Show that is going to take place in Internet on Saturday, April 23.

In our new 12 minutes long programme you will see the team aerobatics of Su-27 flight in "diamond" formation, opposing pair aerobatics and solo aerobatics.

The flight will be commented by voice (in English and Russian) with the TeamSpeak v1.5.6 (1.25 Mb). One can also hear the radio speech of the virtual pilots (in Russian only).

The Virtual Air Show will start at 18:00 (Moscow, GMT +3:00 hours).

We thank a lot our technical sponsor "Gennadich Team" for support in running the event, and hope you'll enjoy our Air Show.

Detailed set up instructions, server connection settings and the Air Show visitting rules will be published in the VFTC forum.

Yours sincerely,
VFTC Command staff

www.virtualflight.ru
info@virtualflight.ru

[An.Petrovich]

Virtual Airshow Rules

To take part in the VFTC Virtual Airshow you must install the following software:

1. LockOn v1.1 "Flaming Cliffs"

2. Optional: to hear the commentator or radio speech you will need TeamSpeak v1.5 patched to v1.5.6 (1.25 Mb).

3. Optional: to see the Airshow with the original colors of VFTC airplanes you will need the skins for airplanes Su-27.


The procedure of connection to the LockOn server

1. LockOn server will be started in test mode the day before the Airshow for everyone could check the connection and solve all technical problems (technical support will be given by the VFTC engineers in our forum). The server IP-address will be published in this topic.

2. After you have connected to the server in test mode and entered the mission as a spectator - make sure that camera control is working properly. There will be no airplanes available for piloting in this mission.

3. 3-5 hours before the Airshow the server will be restarted with password and the connection will become impossible.

4. The password for LockOn server connection will be published in this topic 30 minutes before the beginning of the Airshow, i.e. at 17:30 (Moscow, GMT +03:00) on April 23. From this moment you will be able to connect to the server and take the best sits on the stand for spectators.

5. After the Virtual Airshow is over (approximately at 18:30) the LockOn server will be shut down.


The procedure of connection to the TeamSpeak server

1. The IP-address of TeamSpeak server is 212.13.119.189, password: gt

2. When connected you will find yourself on the channel "Вход" ("Enter"). Switch to the channel "VFTC_Show_Eng" if you want to hear our commentator or to the channel "VFTC_Radio" if you want to hear the radio speech (in Russian only).

[An.Petrovich]

Instructions for connecting to the LockOn server

1. Start the LockOn 1.1 "Flaming Cliffs"

2. In the "OPT" (OPTIONS) menu set up the graphics and sound options corresponding your preferences and our recommendations (see below).

3. Enter the "NTW" (NETWORK PLAY) menu.

4. Switch to the "PLAYER" in the upper right corner and enter your nickname in the field "NAME".

5. Switch back to the "CONNECT".

6. From two buttons "SERVER" and "CLIENT" choose the "CLIENT" button (the button must become red).

7. Enter the server IP-address in the field "ADDR" (IP will be published in this topic at 18:00 of April 22).

8. Enter: 10308 in the field "PORT".

9. Choose the connection speed in the field "SPEED" corresponding your Internet channel abilities, but anyway not higher than "xDSL 128/128 Kbit/s".

10. Enter the password in the field "PASS" (there will be no password needed in the test server mode).

11. Press the "START" button in the bottom right corner of the screen.

12. After connecting to the server you will see the "JOIN THE GAME" menu and your nickname in the right field "SPECTATORS". Not choosing any other coalition press <Ctrl+F> (or "FLY!" button at the top of the screen, or "Flight/Start mission" menu) in the case if you want to just watch the Airshow; or <Ctrl+R> (or "Flight/Record track" menu) if you want to record the track of our performance.

[An.Petrovich]

Our recommendations

To get maximum pleasure from the show flight of VFTC aerobatic team please follow our recommendations on the LockOn settings and views (cameras) management during our show:


Before starting LockOn

1. In the file: ..\LockOn\Config\Network\config.lua increase the parameter "gameTimeout" value from 10 to 60 (or more) seconds to secure yourself (and us) from undesirable disconnection.

2. In the same file decrease the parameter "chat { height" from 95 to 0 to prevent the appearance of casual chat messages that could disturb you while watching the show.


Graphics settings in LockOn menu

1. We don't recommend you to set "TERR PRLD" more than 50 km because in our case in has no reason.

2. We don't recommend you to set "WATER" more than "Low" or "Medium" because there are no reservoirs in the virtual flight area near the airfield.

3. We don't recommend you to turn on the "HEAT BLR" option if our network mission will not be first you load after the LockOn started.

4. We don't recommend you to select "Full" in the "SHADOWS" option because autoshading is available only for one airplane of four.

5. Unmark the "FULL SCREEN" button to make LockOn work in window mode if you are planning to switch the tasks (Alt+Tab). NOTE: before switching LockOn to window mode make sure that Desktop resolution is equal or higher than the resolution set in the "RESOLUT" field in LockOn graphics settings.

6. All other graphical options set corresponding to your preferences and your PC performance (note: during the flight the aerobatic team will be using color smokes and flares).


Sound options in LockOn

To hear our commentator and radio speech well we recommend you to lower the
volume of "ENGINES" and "WIND" to 25% level or less.


Sound options in TeamSpeak

1. IMPORTANT: Make sure that the "Voice activation" in the menu "Settings" is switched off !!! (even if you have no mic) In other case all spectators will hear repercussions from your TeamSpeak.

2. We also recommend you to turn off "Play Notification sounds" in the "Advanced" menu.


When connecting to the server

Please don't choose connection speed option higher than "xDSL 128/128 Kbit/s" even if your Internet connection is much higher. In our case of four airplanes this will be enough but there is a danger that abusing the connection speed will considerably increase the server load and will cause lags.


When watching the Virtual Airshow

1. Demonstrational flight by the VFTC Aerobatic Team is being made on the "Kirovskoe" airfield (eastern side of Crimea).

2. After the mission has started press <F7> and you will see the car UAZ-469 standing on the grass between the runaway and main taxiway several hundred meters away to the right of the Control Tower if you're looking to the runaway. This car marks the recommended point to view the Airshow from. All show is oriented to this point.

3. Press <Ctrl+F11> to switch to the "free camera" mode. You can move camera to any other place and turn to any direction with you mouse/scroll or cursor keys and </> (forward) and <*> (backward) keys on the numpad.

4. To zoom in and out without moving a camera use <Ctrl+/> and <Ctrl+*>. Return to normal zoom by pressing <Ctrl+NP_Enter>.

5. You can lock the view on the nearest object to the center of the screen by pressing <Del> key on the numpad. The camera will automatically follow it holding it in the center of the screen. The repeated pressing of <NP_Del> key will switch to another nearest object or will release the object if there is no other objects near. You can unlock the object by pressing <NumLock> key.

[An.Petrovich]

Rules of a good form

Making the Virtual Airshow on our own initiative we will be thankful to you for following the simple rules that will let everyone to enjoy the Show.

1. Please, don't try to connect to the LockOn server if you have no v1.1 "Flaming Cliffs". It might damage the server! This Virtual Airshow is not the last one, we'll make it again later.

2. Please don't be late to the beginning of our performance (18:00, Moscow) and don't leave the "airfield" before the Show is finished. Every connection and disconnection to the server may cause freeze during the flight and lead to the collision of the airplanes.

3. Please don't abuse the server load and don't select the connection speed higher than we have recommended. We don't know how many spectators will take part in our Airshow and whether the server stays so many connections or not. In any case the recommended speed will provide you the comfortable view of the flight.

4. Please use your original nickname when connecting to the LockOn and TeamSpeak severs. We will also be thankful if you will use country ID before your nickname (f.e. "RUS_An.Petrovich"). If by any reason you want to stay unknown we hope you to use normative vocabulary in your nickname.

5. Please don't broadcast at the TeamSpeak channels "VFTC_Show_Eng" and "VFTC_Radio" from 17:30 (Moscow time) till the LockOn server shutting down on April 23. If you see familiar nickname and want to talk to someone then switch to any other channel and your conversation will not impede the others to hear the commentator voice or radio speech of the aerobatic team. And if you want to comment what you have seen then do it on our forum so that your words wouldn't vanish into thin air.

6. We also hope you will not forget to turn off the "Voice activation" in TeamSpeak to prevent the casual broadcast and repercussions (even if you have no mic).

7. Please don't write anything in LockOn chat because if some spectators will forget to set up the chat as we recommend then they will have to read your comments even if they don't want to.

8. If by any reason one of four airplanes will appear to be free then please don't occupy airplane yourself. It can delay the Show and all other spectators.

Thank you for your attention
and we wish you to enjoy the show!

[An.Petrovich]

Airshow start time

03:00 - Enitwetok, Kwajalien
04:00 - Midway Island, Samoa
05:00 - Hawaii
06:00 - Alaska
07:00 - Pacific Time (US & Canada)
08:00 - Mountain Time (US & Canada)
09:00 - Central Time (US & Canada), Mexico City
10:00 - Eastern Time (US & Canada), Bogota, Lima, Quito
11:00 - Atlantic Time (Canada), Caracas, La Paz
12:00 - Brazil, Buenos Aires, Georgetown, Falkland Is.
13:00 - Mid-Atlantic, Ascention Is., Sr Helena
14:00 - Azores, Cape Verde Islands
15:00 - Casablanca, Dublin, Edinburgh, London, Lisbon, Monrovia
16:00 - Berlin, Brussels, Copenhagen, Madrid, Paris, Rome
17:00 - Kaliningrad, South Africa, Warsaw
18:00 - Baghdad, Riyadh, Moscow, Nairobi
19:00 - Abu Dhabi, Baku, Muscat, Tbilisi
20:00 - Ekaterinburg, Islamabad, Karachi, Tashkent
21:00 - Almaty, Colomba, Dhakra
22:00 - Bangkok, Hanoi, Jakarta
23:00 - Beijing, Hong Kong, Perth, Singapore, Taipei
24:00 - Osaka, Sapporo, Seoul,Tokyo, Yakutsk

April, 24

01:00 - Melbourne, Papua New Guinea, Sydney, Vladivostok
02:00 - Magadan, New Caledonia, Solomon Islands
03:00 - Auckland, Wellington, Fiji, Marshall Island

[An.Petrovich]

LockOn server started in the test mode!
IP: 213.145.47.162
No password.

[Искатель]

For those who didn't plan to listen to the commentator by TeamSpeack we tell that before the Show there will be test flight made to check the network connection.

LockOn server is ready.
IP: 213.145.47.162
Password: start

[Искатель]

The track file of VFTC Aerobatic Team flight (recorded from the 'Armsing' club on the flight manager's PC) is published in our archive.

LockOn version: 1.1 "Flaming Cliffs".

ATTENTION! External views have been edited!
For viewing the track with the suggested views don't press any view control buttons on your keyboard.

Track length: ~45 minutes.

To handle playback speed use the following buttons: [Ctrl+A] to speed up, [Alt+A] to slow down, [Shift-A] for normal playback speed.

Don't forget to instal VFTC skins first.

Have a nice show.