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AFDA logo 
 Aircraft Flight Developers Association presents:  
Frankfurt Rhein/Main - Nizza, Cote d'Azur 
Lufthansa flight LH4384   
Remake 2003 
A realistic flight adventure for Microsoft Flightsimulator 2002® 
Author: Steffen Gerlach 
 
 
 
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German version 

 

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How to contact us: support@afda.de
 
Click the headlines to go to the particular chapter 

Inhalt:  

1. What's new ?    

2. The flight   

3. Required Software 

4. Installation  

5. Tips for a successful flight 

6. Not implemented  

7. Troubleshooting 

8.Copyright
 
9.Credits   

    
  
 

1. What's new ? 

In 1998 I released this adventure as freeware, followed by a remake for FS2000 in May 2001. Those of you who know it already requested an update for FS2002 , well here we go... -)

- runs with FS2002 only -)

 

What is left unchanged:

- main ATC, flight plan route

- SPACE -> Mikebutton
- 2 pilot concept implemented. You'll hear 2 pilots in the cockpit -))
- a purser making the PAX announcements
- international voices , e.g. ATIS, Ramper at FRA

This adventure does not reflect the present status quo of adventure evolution. I did not rework the whole flight according to the new standard of AFDA's professional adventures released as "Airline Pilot 1" CD by Aerosoft. This remake is simply meant as a tribute to all requests of flightsimmers who wanted to have our 'classics' running in FS2002. -) Though it is a bit outdated by now, it's still the "good old flight" - now even with 2 pilots aboard....
Those who want to experience more realism should go for our "Airline Pilot 1". You can find a review e.g. on flightsim.com (particularly at www.flightsim.com/cgi/kds?CKfrB02I=main/review/ap1/ap1.htm )

 
 

2. The flight

a.) General
b.) A quick and dirty description for the experienced aviator
c.) Detailed description of the flight

 
 

a.) General

The daily Flight LH 4384 (Frankfurt/Main to Nice) is taken from Lufthansa's Summer Flight Plan (1st July - 25th Oct 1997). It was served by a Boeing 737 and started around 2105 in Frankfurt with an ETA of 2235 in Nice. The flight number and times have changed somewhat meanwhile, but let's transport ourselves back to summer of  '97 for a couple of hours...
For the crew this flight involves more than just popping over to France for something nice in Nice because it is one of the few routes within Europe involving a layover. The return flight leaves Nice the next morning.

b.) A quick and dirty description for the experienced aviator

Here is the most essential information for those impetuous souls amongst you who cannot wait to get started. If this is all a bit of a riddle to you then please consult the more detailed description below - especially taking a close look at the charts. After all, any successful flight demands the most careful preparation - it could save you your life - and other people's too.

Route:

Flight plan submitted to ATC:

EDDF/25R
SID NKR 4 F  climb 5000 ft
NKR direct KRH  TOC FL 330
KRH 
TRA 
SPR 
PAS
JAMBA TOD
KAMAS
STAR KAMAS 2
LFMN/05R

Route cleared by ATC and actually flown:

EDDF/25R
SID NKR 4 F climb 5000 ft
RID (VOR 112.20)
NKR (NDB 292)
KRH (VOR 115.95) initial TOC FL 290
TRA (VOR 114.30) TOC FL 330
SPR (VOR 113.90)
KINES TOD
KAMAS
STAR KAMAS 2
NIZ  (VOR 112.40)
LFMN/05R (ILS 110.70)

Pushback: unfortunatly the trick of having the aircraft pushed back by using a video file doesn't work anymore in FS2002. You need to perform a pushback by yourself either by using FS2002's pushback feature or using a addon tool like e.g. Lago's FSAssist

Taxiing: Do not exceed a speed of 5 kts in the vicinity of the gates. Take the second left turn onto Taxiway A,  take the third right-hand intersection, D - the waiting point for Runway 25R. Do not exceed a speed of 8-10 kts here. Your speed on bends, on particular, should not at any time exceed 10 kts - you have been warned!

Takeoff: initial rate of climb - 2500 feet/min. At 4.5 DME FFM/800 ft turn to port, intersect radial 358 of RID-VOR, overfly RID and outbound RID on radial 165 to NKR-NDB. Acceleration at 2000ft. Rate of climb: 2500 ft/min at 250 kts (standard below FL100) Maintain until FL 100, increase IAS to 300 kts and reduce climb rate to 1800 ft/min (again standard procedure). Initial level off at FL 290. Once you have managed this and have finished banking to port outbound KRH you can press SPACE to make the Captain's first passenger announcement.

On initial contact with Marseilles Control, the air traffic controller will ask us to increase our rate of descent - I would recommend a descent rate of 3000 ft/min here. When we are allowed to reduce our sink rate, I would suggest 2000 ft/min, from which point we can continue to descend until we pick up the ILS glide path, although it is easier to achieve the altitudes that ATC gives us with a sink rate of 2500 ft/min...<g>

c.) Detailed description of the flight

Our B737-300 is standing at Gate B20 at Frankfurt Rhein-Main Airport, Terminal 1. We have been refuelled, the cargo has just been loaded and all passengers are safely on board. The doors are just being closed and we are busy with out pre-start check list. We have one last listen to the ATIS (118.025) weather report and request start-up clearance from Clearance Delivery on 121.95.
Once we have received start-up clearance and our route has been cleared, we will contact APRON Control (121.70). Our copilot is still busy adjusting the instruments for the SID at this stage. We call APRON by pressing SPACE, and receive permission to push back. This is normally done through members of the ground crew, the Ramp Agent and an aircraft tug (the larger tugs even have enough power to push and pull Jumbos about). We hear the Captain telling the Ramp Agent (standing outside on the tarmac and linked to the aircraft by a microphone/headset) via a second frequency that APRON (121.70) has cleared us for pushback. We now have to ensure that the parking brake is switched ON so that the aircraft does not start to roll when the chocks are removed. Before pushback, however, we must release the parking brakes and inform the Ramp Agent accordingly. You do not need to press the speech button during pushback because the Captain talks automatically to the Ramp Agent on an extra frequency during this procedure. However, we do have to release the brakes with [stop/period] and activate the parking brake again with Ctrl+[stop/period]. Once we have released the parking brakes you'll have to push back the aircraft until it is standing correctly aligned on Taxiway G. Normally we would already start the engines during pushback, but since this was not possible in FS98/2000, we will wait until no-one is looking and do it afterwards. Unfortunately using e.g. Lago's FSAssist now it is possible in FS2002.... -))) But I left the ADV as it was... (have mercy...*ggg*)

So let's power up the engines after pushback. Press Ctrl+E or use the panel switches to switch on ignition on the overhead panel to "Start" and start  the fuel flow then by using the mouse to switch the control for Engine 2 . Once the engine speed has settled down, do the same for Engine 1 in accordance with the Captain's instructions. We will also hear the Ramp Agent again at this stage and have to reset the parking brakes.
Once we have completed the After-start check list, we must ask APRON (121.70) for permission to taxi (SPACE).


Taxiing: Your aircraft speed should not exceed 5 kts in the vicinity of the gates. 
We take second left turn onto Taxiway A. Abeam A ATC will instruct us to switch to Tower Control (119.90). This we do (if the co-pilot is activated, then he will do this for us of course). Then we hear the aircraft in front of us (LH176) being given starting clearance before we press SPACE to contact Tower.
Now we turn left onto Taxiway A, take the third right-hand turn D, the waiting point for Runway 25R. Please do not exceed 10 kts whilst taxiing, your speed should not exceed 8-10 kts on corners to prevent tyre damage. A further advantage of adhering to these speed limits (purely coincidental, of course  <g>) is that it gives the ADV sufficient time to play pack all the messages at just the right moment.
Whilst taxiing we should make any necessary final adjustments to our instruments - set the autopilot heading to approx. 178°, ALT 5000 (standard initial altitude for all departures from the parallel runway system at Frankfurt), rate of climb 2500ft/min, speed 250 kts, and also activate the auto-thrust function on the left of the autopilot. Finally, set 2-5 degrees of flap. Final check list, failure briefing, instruct cabin crew.

Now Tower asks whether we are ready to roll - we are.
We now receive permission to taxi on to 25R and to prepare for a quick take-off, in order to keep things moving, as soon as the British Airways B737 has touched down. Unfortunately we cannot see this aircraft land because  we do not have a FS2000 dynamic scenery at this stage. 
So we let our imaginations run riot for a moment and, in our mind's eye, see a rather fine BA 737 landing before our very noses. Once we have heard the Tower addressing LH3102 "after landing...line up 25L", we open the throttle a tad and gently roll out on to Runway 25R. The adventure waits for us to do this and nothing further will happen until we are in position. Once lined up, we hear Tower telling the BA flight to leave the runway and we receive take-off clearance pretty soon afterwards. Wait until the Captain gives the FO control - "you have control". 
Take-off thrust can now easily be achieved by clicking the button underneath the throttle levers and you can watch as the automatic take-off facility smoothly pushes the throttle levers forward.

Takeoff: initialially 15° climb angle with 160kts. At 4.5 DME FFM/800 ft bank sharply to a heading of approx. 180°, intersect radial 358 of RID-VOR and fly in the direction of RID. Acceleleration at 2000 ft (1500' AGL).  Overfly RID-VOR (112.20) , turning to the outbound radial 165 in the direction of NKR-NDB (292). Maintain a rate of climb of 2500 ft/m and IAS of 250 kts until you have reached FL 100 (10 000 ft) when you can increase your speed to 300 kts and reduce the climb rate to 1800 ft/min which is nothing but the standard procedure.

We continue to climb and tune into new frequencies in accordance with ATC instructions. Our first new frequency, Frankfurt Departure, is contacted automatically, all the others have to be contacted manually by the pilot with SPACE.

You first level off at FL 290 at KRH (Karlsruhe 115.95). When you have done this and banked to port towards TRA (Trasadingen 114.30), you can trigger the Captains welcoming passenger announcement by pressing the speech button (SPACE).

Really everything now runs automatically. Rhine Control (120.925) will clear us to climb to our desired cruising altitude of 33 000 ft. approx. 17 DME inbound TRA before we have to switch to Zurich Control (134.60). Climb from FL 290 to FL 330 at 1800 ft/min.
Now, after turning to starboard towards St. Prex (SPR VOR 113.90), it is time to get out the Thermos and pour ourselves a nice cup of coffee. After all, we've earned one. 109 NM behind us and everything running like clockwork when all of a sudden, after the handover to Upper Airspace control Geneva, ATC (Geneva Control 133.625) asks if we would like to drop straight down to Jamba and directly into Nice following the R168 outbound radial from SPR (VOR 113.90), instead of flying via PAS as in the submitted standard Lufthansa flight plan.
Of course we would like to do nothing more. Now things suddenly start getting active again because this small course change has not been programmed in the FMS/GPWS Wpt-Nav system.

When we reach KINES Intersection we must contact ATC since this is a compulsory reporting waypoint. ATC will then instruct us to start our descent. I would recommend 1800 ft/min (standard descent) at 300 kts initially.
Over KAMAS we leave the Geneva's control area and are passed on to Marseilles Upper Airspace Control (131.00). Contact ATC by pressing SPACE again after changing frequencies. Our French controller (the real McCoy, a real live French air traffic controller who wrote her own text! - so mind your ps and qs) tells us to continue our descent, but to hurry up a bit by increasing our rate of descent. We increase to 3000 ft/min accordingly. After a while we are allowed to switch back to a more civilised sink rate of 1800 ft/min, giving the crew the chance to push their trolleys back up to the rear of the plane.

Now is the time to start thinking about gradually reducing our IAS because we are rapidly nearing Nice and will soon have to comply with the 250 kts speed restriction which exists below FL 100. It is also time to listen in to ATIS (Automatic Terminal Information Service, i.e. weather and information service provided by airports). This will be done by our co-pilot if activated.

Whilst descending we are passed on to Nice Approach. The hand-over altitude between upper and lower air levels in France is FL 190.

We are now prepared for an anticipated approach to Rwy 05 (on the basis of the ATIS information). 

We make a downwind approach via the ONORA Intersection in accordance with the arrival charts. ATC provides us with further instructions regarding our descent and we contact Arrival Control when we reach ONORA, or perhaps a little later, by pressing SPACE and ask whether we can gradually start on the base leg because we have the uneasy feeling that we may have been forgotten. ATC promptly gives us clearance to turn to starboard and to establish ourselves on the Localizer for Runway 05R (You see? Of course they hadn't forgotten us, Steffen). To do this we should start to turn about 22 DME NIZ-VOR (refer to NAV2 - NAV1 has now been tuned into the ILS 05R). Reduce speed stepwise to 180 kts and to final approach speed, gradually increase the amount of flap and lower your gear as the Copilot calls out the flap settings and gives the commands (pilot flying!). We should first contact ATC again by pressing SPACE once we are locked on the glide path. Now we are passed onto the Tower and press SPACE to establish contact.

 We then receive clearance to land and, voilá, bon soir, Nice.
When you turn onto the taxiway Tower will advise you to hold short of runway 05L. When allowed to cross 05L tune into Apron and announce your arrival there with SPACE. After crossing Runway 05L press SPACE to activate the Captain's farewell address to the passengers.
Make your way to the Gate, and the adventure ends once you have applied your parking brakes.

Happy landings and enjoy yourselves!

3. Required software

A minimum requirement for this adventure - alongside Microsoft's FS2000 - is German Airports 2 Scenery FS2000 Edition for Frankfurt Intl. by Aerosoft -  there is no better.-)
That's it. You may use other Nice sceneries or other aircrafts just as you prefer....
On how to change the aircraft please refer to the AFDA homepage (FAQ section)

4. Installation
 

The Files: 

- LH4384.ADV,LH4384.FLT, LH4384.WX belong in your
...\FS2002\flights\fs2kadv folder 
-  FRANCE2.PLN  belong in your
...\FS2002\flights\myflts  folder

- *.WAV Belong in your ...\FS2002\ADV\WAV folder

- FRA-NCE.PDF 5 maps of the airports and SID/STAR charts in Adobe-Acrobat  format 

- FRA-NCE.TXT Flight plan as txt file
- FRA-NCE.BMP Flight plan as bitmap plan

- LH4384.HTML This documentation in German
- LH4384_E.DOC What you are reading

The files with the WAV suffix are the radio message etc (i.e. what give the adventure its unique flavour) and they belong in your...\Flight simulator\ADV\WAV folder.
This time I have stored them in the original format as used by Microsoft for the original FS98 wavs, i.e. as Microsoft 4-bit compressed ADPCM files. This means a saving of over 48% in comparison to the 11kHz/8-bit  Windows PCM format which I have used to date. This means major savings in upload/download times and hard disk space. 

As optional orientation aids, there are also maps of Frankfurt and Nice airport and the relevant Standard Instrument Departure route for Frankfurt and STandard Approach Route chart for Nice as well as the ILS-Chart for Runway 05R in FRA-NCE.PDF. A big thank you to Ralf Huerst for the hours and days of effort he put into producing these fine aids.
These documents can be opened, read and printed with Adobe's freeware Adobe-Acrobat (available there for free)
In addition, Navigator 6 and Flightplanner versions of the flight plan have also been included (also available as a bitmap file - LH4384.bmp)

The Aircraft

The adventure automatically loads the MSFS2002 B737-400. I "repainted" it to my favourite livery, there are some available for free from flightsim.com.
If you wish to respray your default B737 in Lufthansa livery, you can download some from the Internet.

Naturally you can also call up the situation file LH4384.FLT outside the adventure and select a different plane instead. You need to copy-paste the FLT-file in you folder /flights/myflts first.... If you do this, it is important you remember to store the situation file under the same name. Next you must record a new pushback video and save it under the same name as the original one. For further please refer to our FAQ section on AFDA homepage, too.

5. Tips for a successful flight

Key combinations available in-flight:

· SPACE makes radio contact, i.e. broadcasts the pilot's/copilot's message. If your Com receiver is set to the correct frequency, ATC will answer. If it is tuned to the wrong frequency they won't answer because they can't hear you. In this adventure you need to press SPACE each time the pilot contacts a new station. All the other messages are played automatically. This is in contrast to the procedure used in "Airline Pilot 1" a simplification - you do not have to press the mikebutton for every transmission.
· Ctrl+x activates or deactivates the copilot whilst the Adventure is running
· CTRL+r repeats the last radio or ATIS message.
· CTRL+i shows the heading and distance to the next waypoint, thus allowing you to correct your course independently of your instruments. The adventure establishes whether you have reached the next waypoint with a tolerance of 0.5 - 3.5 nautical miles, depending on whether you are on the ground, cruising or on final approach. You will not be given clearance for the next stage of your flight until you have reached the respective waypoint, so no messing about and make sure you are familiar with the route before setting out and keep all the necessary documentation to hand. Should you lose your way entirely, you can find your position relative to the next waypoint by pressing Ctrl+i. This adventure does not recognize if you fly the incorrect route or take off from the incorrect runway. In such cases you will simply lose radio contact with Radar Control and receive no further instructions.

Likewise, you are also asked if you would like to have the messages displayed as text (to ease understanding), or whether you would prefer to have this option switched off this and would like just to hear the messages as you would in a real cockpit...<g>
The "flowing text" option should not be deactivated in your flight simulator settings menu, otherwise the ATIS text will not be displayed correctly as it is intended to appear in this form.
 

6. Not implemented

This Adventure has no error recognition. If you fly to Marseilles instead of Nice, it is your own fault and you will receive no clearance from ATC. If you head off to the wrong runway, you will not be given takeoff clearance. If you are in doubt as to where you should be going, press Ctrl+I for heading and direction.

7. Troubleshooting

- The default ATIS 

Both FS and third party add-on sceneries generate recurrent white flowing text on certain frequencies - ATIS (Automatic Terminal Information Service) which provides automatic weather reports and other information. In Frankfurt, this occurs on the Ground Control frequency, and later in the adventure on the frequency of Geneva Control. Even if you deactivate the text option for the adventures, this irritating text still appears as long as your radio is tuned into the relevant frequency. In my LH 390 FRA-STR (Frankfurt - Stuttgart) adventure [quick commercial break, folks] I decided to alter the frequencies slightly to avoid this problem. I was not entirely happy with this solution, however, because my intention had been to try and make everything as realistic as possible. This time I have decided to stick with the real-life frequencies as given in the latest aeronautical charts.
I have chosen this option because it is possible to banish these irritating ATIS messages. The solution is one of Pete Dowson's, (CIS 100041,312) excellent little freeware tools called ATISOFF. The file can be downloaded from the Internet and is called "ATISOFF.ZIP" and is only 25KB. This is a DOS programme, which may make it a little inconvenient to use for some of you, but it is very effective. It also contains ATISON, a function which allows you to revive the standard ATIS messages should you ever feel the urge to do so.

I also decided to dispense with linking adventure functions with ground co-ordinates on the ground in Nice so that you can use any scenery here. It is just in Frankfurt where you should use the recommended German Airports FS2000 Edition because otherwise the adventure does not work properly, because it depends on the aircraft reaching certain precise co-ordinates.
 

8. Legal notice

This adventure is free software / freeware in accordance with the current legal definitions of the terms. Anyone can use it and pass it on to his or her friends (or enemies if you don't want to see them for a time... <g>). I do not mind you uploading it to any mailbox or Internet server which does not incur any extra download charges, in fact I would actively encourage you to pass it on to other flight-simmers, just as long as no alterations are made. If you wish to make changes for your own personal or private use, please feel free to do so.
However, any commercial distribution of this adventure is EXPRESSLY FORBIDDEN, especially publication on data carriers such as diskettes, ZIP, CD-ROM, DVD etc. without the author's prior permission.
This adventure has been tested by other users and myself with regard to functionality and compatibility. However, I can take no responsibility for any damage which you may feel has arisen in connection with using this adventure, especially any resulting from lack of sleep or spending too long in front of a computer screen. <g>

As far as it is humanly possible to ascertain, this software was virus-free on publication. It has been tested with several reputable and up-to-date virus scanners. Unfortunately I can undertake no guarantee as to what might have happened to the software since it left my hands.
This adventure has been tested by other users and myself with regard to functionality and compatibility.However, I can take no responsibility for any damage which you may feel has arisen in connection with using this adventure, especially any resulting from lack of sleep or spending too long in front of a computer screen. <g>
As far as it is humanly possible to ascertain, this software has been virus-free on publication. It has been tested with several reputable and up-to-date virus scanners. Unfortunately I can undertake no guarantee as to what might have happened to the software since it has left my hands
.

9. Credits

Steffen Rabenau  from Berlin as Pilot in command Bernd Campen as First officer and many, many other flightsimmers who recorded the voices for this production. 

The air-traffic controllers (in order of appearance...):
Helmut Haasler Plays Frankfurts ATIS
Gerd Winkler  An artist from Dortmund, plays Frankfurt Ground/Clearance Delivery
Andreas Hebestedt  An electronic engineer from Darmstadt, plays Frankfurt Apron
Andreas Vetter plays the Ramp Agent
Oliver Brock A fellow doctor from Northern Germany, plays Frankfurt Tower
Wolfgang Weiss A former DFS air-traffic controller, plays Frankfurt Departure and provided lots of helpful advice
Rainer Bartl  A lecturer from Frankfurt, plays Frankfurt Radar
Oskar Diez Light aircraft pilot, plays Rhine Control
Markus Bächli From Basel/Switzerland plays Zurich Control
Thomas Hulliger  From Zurich/Switzerland plays Geneva Control
Carol Professional air-traffic controller in France who has just become a mother. Carol plays Marseilles Control and provided lots of advice 
Alain Nicco  From Rouen/France, persuaded his friends Carol and her husband to help us and personally plays Nice Approach
Carol's husband  Plays Nice Tower
Dominique Lallier  Already active in Joachim Kroll's adventures, plays Nice Ground and ATIS

The pilots of the other aircraft and all the rest who have helped out (in alphabetical order):

Björn Appel  Plays the pilot of DE 1523
Dennis Arnold  From Fribourg, plays the pilot of DE 1805
Jean-Louis Belard  A fellow doctor from France living in the USA, plays the pilot of AF 336. He also recruited Richard Hughes and translated the Document into French [a brave man]
Bernd Campen From Munich, plays the pilot of LH176
Claudia From Nuremberg (Jan Tovar's girlfriend), plays the pilot of LH 3102 - at last a female pilot - a special thank you for that
Frank Dirksmeier  Plays the pilot of LH 4263
Manuel Goepfert  From France, plays the pilot of AF 691
Markus Hoelscher Plays the pilot of LH 4560
Richard Hughes  A fellow doctor from the USA and son of a UA pilot, plays the pilot of UA 6681 
Andreas Jaros  From the Munich area, plays the pilot of LH 3578
Wolfgang Kempf Plays the pilot of LH 2455
Joachim Kroll From Munich, also an Adv-author. Jachim helped me with sorting out the pushback and is responsible for the CD-ROM. He also helped Ralf with converting the charts to Adobe format
Tim New From good old England, plays the pilot of BA 1714
Tuan Ngo Anh From Vietnam, plays the pilot of Korean Air 906
Thomas Rausch  Plays the pilot of LH 4653
Christian Rippel  Plays the pilot of LH 2887
Sebastian Rückert  Plays the pilot of LTU 1211
Peter Schalk From Holland, plays the pilot of KLM 104
Wolfgang Schulte From Münster, pilot/ultralight flyer - he didn't actually say anything this time round, but helped with much of the planning
Stefan Schwarm  Plays the pilot of LH 337
Jon Shepherd  A freelance interpreter/translator from GB based in Cologne who did the English translation for me again and also plays the pilot of BA 352
Jons Siedel  Plays the pilot of LH 301
Lars Stahmann  Who lives on Lanzarote, plays the pilot of LH 4755
Jörg Steinhäuser From Stuttgart plays the pilot of LH 065 and supplied a lot of information on the background flights on the other frequencies
Jan Tovar  From Nuremberg, also an adventure author and already played a role in my Adv LH 1465. He was also kind enough to persuade his girlfriend Claudia to take part 
Graham Weatherhead  From England, plays the pilot of BA 910
André Wieczorek  Training to be a LH pilot in Hamburg and in the meantime also an adventure - author, plays the pilot of LH 4380

All other parts were played by members of the cast.

A big thank you to you all for the outstanding collaboration! This adventure would not have been the same without you. It is heart-warming to see the international co-operation that goes into such adventures, especially in such politically uncertain times. It is also good to see that the freeware spirit is not just alive and well in the flight-sim community, but that a lot of things would not be possible without it.

Many happy landings

Steffen Gerlach, 

Member of AFDA, March 2003