Please note that this is not a VFR Review. I got the product before we formalized the group. Anyway, all my reviews after this ought to be VFR

SkySim’s Andrew’s AFB


     Andrew’s AFB is famous for one reason; the president’s Air Force One regularly flies in and out of there, as well as staying there while not in use.  Additionally, it’s located in Washington D.C., so I’m sure that it’s under quite a bit of stress keeping up the airspace security.  Other than that, it’s unremarkable.

     First Impressions-
           The download from the SkySim shop was about 30MB’s.  The server gave me a nice, fast, connection and it was on my hard drive quickly.  When I opened up the folder I found, to my surprise, that there was no installer.  Instead, it gave you directions to unzip it into the FSX folder.  With some confusion (make sure you follow the directions) I got it installed, and then ran the traffic download that was linked in the readme.  The traffic is from Military AI Works, and works quite well with the scenery.  Upon my first flight, I went to Andrews from the airport list; trouble is, it wasn’t there.  I knew that I installed it right, so I started up and flew around D.C. looking for it.  After a while, I spotted it, but one wonders why they didn’t make it available from the menu.



     

     While there aren’t a whole lot of objects at this airport compared to some, the ones that there are are fairly nicely portrayed.  On the eastern side, there are three interesting hangars which have some nicely modeled support struts going over the building.  There are quite a few hangars lined up around the field, and these are just your standard half-barrel-with-two-doors-stuck-on buildings.  One of the most notable buildings is the hangar where Air Force One is kept.  It’s quite a well done representation.  However, it’s not quite spot on; the walls are lacking some details, and the roof is a bit darker than represented.  It’s fun to fly over this building, however, as it has some soldiers standing on top as well as some light poles.  It would be neat if they modeled some of the inside.  Additionally, you’ll be hard pressed to find the 747 which is currently being used as Air Force One.  The only planes that you’ll find around the scenery are the ones included with the AI, and there is no 747 among the fleet that I could find; however, there are 737's in the Air Force One scheme.  

     Some googling reveals that the objects to be found in the scenery look quite a bit like what you’d find at Andrews.  The hangars, for instance, are all lined up with a taxiway running through them.  Also, there are some interestingly shaped buildings that I can’t discern a purpose for.  One looks like a hangar, and sort of looks like the Air Force One hangar cut in half with a door stuck on.  There are some office buildings (I guess) with nice, pavement-like black roofs and tan sides.  Overall, it certainly embodies the feel of an air force base; no frills like what you’d find at a civilian airport, and a certain difference in layout.  I did notice one terminal with jetways, so you won’t have to call over a stairway for the president.  


img]http://www.simviation.com/yabbuploads/2008-6-28_8-40-33-812.jpg[/img]


     The traffic, while not being designed by SkySim, is quite nice.  Generally it’s a pain installing traffic when you haven’t done it before, but the link that SkySim includes takes you right to a download, which installs easily.  You do have to modify the name of one of the files that the SkySim package installed.  Included in the package are F-16's, E-4's, 737's, Gulfstreams, and C-130's.  The F-16's are my favorite.  The place where they park is sort of a zigzag, and when they do park, the cockpit opens.  The F-16's perform flybys of the base, as well as patrol the airspace.  The C-130's have a bit of a problem; the prop effect looks sort of weird, with edges around it.  I find it hard to describe, but you’ll see what I mean if you get up close to one of them.  When the E-4's park, you’ll find some ground servicing around them (well, I think it’s an E-4     :p )Also, in flight, they lower their refueling booms.  

     There are few bugs to be found in this scenery, largely because it’s rather simple.  First and foremost (and I’m not sure if this is a bug) there’s a taxiway that just stops in the middle of the field.  Perhaps there’s a building at the end, and I didn’t turn my settings up high enough to see it.  Also, there’s a taxiway in between two runways that AI like to get stuck at.  They just sit there, menacingly rumbling their engines, warning the other to get out of the way.  Also, the lights in the lampposts stay on all day.  This isn’t noticeable from every angle, however.  When does get dark, it looks like some of the concrete bulges on the Air Force One hangar didn’t get a night lighting texture, and they look a bit out of place.  

     To wrap it up, Andrews AFB by SkySim is certainly a decent attempt as one of their first packages.  While it’s not on a photoreal base like a lot of scenery, I prefer that to a blurry mess confusing the landscape.  There are a good few custom objects scattered around, and this airfield is right in the heart of DC.  After a long, bottom-numbing flight in your F-16, it’s nice to go back home at the end of the day to a well-lit base.  On that note, what with the tall light poles and uniquely shaped buildings lit up at night, the night lighting is certainly OK.  It’s a scenery, without a lot of thrills, but considering it’s SkySim’s second scenery, I think we can look forward to them making some fine military addons.  Location, Location, Location as they say, and Andrews certainly has that.  If you want a simple, decent, and relatively inexpensive scenery for one of the US’s major security freaks, I’d recommend this.