The latest Chapter for the on going story, New World Order is now available for everyone's viewing. It can also be found at https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13535599/21/New-World-Order
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‘Did you really have to threaten to open fire on one of your fellow countrymen?’ I hear Jensen ask via an overhead speaker.
“Jensen,” I start, wincing slightly as I readjust my position in the makeshift bed, I had been forced into despite my many protests, “I don’t make threats. If I say I’m going to do something, I’ll make it happen.”
‘That doesn’t help,’ Jensen replies, ‘It also doesn’t help that you delivered that statement to an Enlisted Officer.’
“He’s lucky that’s all I did,” I reply, “Mark was a self-entitled bully back when we were at school. And his attitude certainly hasn’t improved based on our brief encounter the other day.”
‘They’ve lodged an official complaint,’ Jensen states, ‘Apparently they want know why a Nazi flagged ship entered the harbour, threatened the Coast Guard and then simply sailed off.’
“They don’t want to know anything about the attempted air raid, or the battle just off the coast that repelled that air raid?” I ask.
‘There is no mention anywhere in their complaint of seeing any aircraft above the harbour,’ Jensen replies, ‘Although they are also wanting to know about the mystery figure they spotted skating around one of the islands in the harbour.’
“Out of interest,” I ask, “Has anyone from the Chinese Government made a statement about this?”
‘Not officially,’ Jensen answers, ‘Although there have been some back-channel discussions. From what they have disclosed to us, they did witness the air raid and the defensive actions your fleet took. As to their inaction. They were unable to verify our warning to them in time to be able to raise the warning with their boats.’
“That entire engagement lasted almost two hours,” I say shaking my head in disbelief, “If they want answers, I’ll answer them if they can tell me why their only response was to send a single Coast Guard cutter out to investigate.”
‘As I said,’ Jensen begins, ‘They make no mention of seeing any of this in their complaint.’
“Then they are either covering it up, are incompetent or both,” I state, “The lack of action from the Chinese ships that were in the harbour can probably be explained as not wanting to start an International Incident. But I’m not buying the story that no one else saw what was going on that morning.”
‘It certainly does seem that someone is trying to cover this up,’ Jensen agrees, ‘However, without a full investigation into what happened, it’s your word against theirs. And being as you withdrew from the area almost as soon as the battle was over you can see why it doesn’t look good.’
“They’ll have a hard time explaining away all the evidence from the battlefield,” I say, “The boys at the lab are going to be busy for a while documenting everything.”
‘What evidence?’ Jensen asks.
“Well aside from numerous parts from the aircraft that attacked Darwin,” I begin, “The reason I withdrew as fast as I could was, we were able to recover one of the enemy boats.”
‘Have you learned anything about how they work?’ Jensen asks.
“I haven’t been aboard,” I admit, “I’ve been confined to bedrest for the last week.”
‘Its not like you to follow doctors’ orders,’ Jensen comments, ‘You normally ignore most medical advice.’
“What doctor?” I ask, “I still have to be given the all clear from the medical team once we get back to Midway.”
‘Sounds serious,’ Jensen replies, ‘What happened?’
“A concussion of some sort and what I believe to be at least two broken ribs,” I answer, “The ship came under direct attack and Eugen was forced to make some rapid course changes, which sent me bouncing through a hatchway on my way to the deck.”
‘So how long until you reach Midway?’ Jensen inquires.
“Probably two weeks at best guess,” I reply, “Between the slow speed we need to maintain due to having a heavily damaged ship under tow and the rough weather down here it’s making for a slow return voyage.”
‘Well keep in briefed,’ Jensen comments before I hear the audible click as the phone connection ends.
**
As the skies slowly began to illuminate marking the start of another day, I found myself out on deck during one of the rare moments I had been allowed to leave my quarters.
In the distance the outline of the main laboratory building came into view as Eugen skilfully navigating her ship around the atoll towards the area reserved for offshore mooring of large ships that visited Midway.
As the ship rounded the western most edge of the atoll, the details of the upgrades the team had been working on became apparent. The barge which had been used to transport the huge generator from Darwin had been beached not far from the main power station.
Another larger building had also started to take shape not far from the main laboratories although its purpose was lost on me given the last reports, I had read indicated that we were only using around sixty percent of the facilities storage and research spaces and under forty percent of the living areas.
“It would seem that the team has been busy in our absence,” I comment aloud.
As I say this the rising sun clears the top of the main building, bathing the waters around the atoll in light. Taking in the sight I spy Bogue’s ship moored in the distance. My gaze is soon captured however as in the growing light across the waves a pair of large, heavily armed gun boats lay at anchor.
As Eugen slows her ship and in the near distance I hear the rattle of numerous anchor chains, I take in the details of the closest ship. From the stern flag post a white flag with a red pattern hangs limp in the still morning.
As I scan across the length of the ship, I take note of the numerous sets of gun turrets spread along the length of the main deck from just below the bridge structure running back to just ahead of the number four main battery.
My attention however is soon drawn away to the second of the gun boats, this ship despite from the distance appearing to be slightly smaller in size projected more fear despite fact that like the other ships anchored around the atoll was simply floating at anchor in the low morning swells.
I put the additional sense of projected fear down to the fact that the entire ship appeared to be painted in a flat black paint from the waterline all the way to the very top of the super structure. The only hint of another colour was the flag hanging from the stern post.
**
“Do you have any lingering effects from the hit to your head?” the doctor asks.
“No,” I reply with a shake of my head, “The headaches cleared up about three days after. The burly vision and ringing in my ears cleared up around the same time.”
“Well,” the doctor says turning off the torch he had been using a moment before, “I’d say you have a minor concussion. But if you aren’t suffering any of the after effects now, you should be fine to return to your regular duties. As for your ribs.” He continues turning to a scan pinned to a light board on the wall. “They are healing well. But you definitely broke two. There’s not much else we can do to speed up your recovery there. Just take it easy.”
“That’s easier said than done,” I retort sarcastically.
“Yes,” the doctor agrees, “You do have a habit of being right where the action is.”
“Speaking of action,” I say changing the subject, “What have I missed here?”
“A lot,” the doctor admits, “However the Professor said he’ll brief you once we were finished here.”
**
Five minutes later, after the doctor signed off on my medical reports, I enter the main research room to find the Professor sitting in front of his usual multi monitor setup rapidly scrolling through an endless stream of what appeared to be computer code from a distance. “Pull up a chair Nathan,” he says, “We’ve got a lot to discuss.”
“It would seem so,” I answer remaining standing a short distance away next to a table littered with pages of reports. “Can we begin with an update from the Global Explorer. Surely Jim has reported in by now?”
“He sent a pair of video data folders yesterday,” Professor Strickland answers, “Two separate files he says are from two different locations. He labelled them with the co-ordinates.”
“Anything interesting in the videos?” I ask.
“Plenty if you’re interest lies in the contour of the ocean floor,” Strickland answers with a slight chuckle, “But aside from that. Nothing of importance. I still don’t know why you sent him to either of those locations.”
“Because I needed to confirm a theory,” I reply, “Both of those sites he checked out are where the wrecks of the Akagi and Kaga were found.”
“And that proves a theory?” Strickland asks.
“It certainly lends a lot of support to my theory,” I reply, “Whoever is behind the attacks out at sea has been testing us. Well testing our military at the very least. So far, they’ve employed tactics from our history against us, and are using weapons from our past against us as well.”
“To what end though?” Strickland asks, “None of that makes any sense.”
“I agree,” I say, “But look carefully at what we know. Pearl Harbour was attacked in very similar fashion to how the Japanese did at the start of the Pacific War. And what do we find floating in the middle of the Pacific Ocean but a ship that matches perfectly to one of the very ships that was involved in the original battle. A ship that by rights should be on the bottom of the Pacific a couple of hundred nautical miles away from this atoll.”
“But we still don’t know the who or the what,” Strickland insists, “We also don’t know how far this goes?”
“I think we can safely say it goes as far as every ocean on the planet,” I reply, “I’m certainly no expert when it comes to warfare. But whoever is behind this is playing for keeps. They’ve already openly attacked at American Naval Base, a British Fleet out at sea and conducted two Air Raids on major ports in Australia. Plus, there’s enough evidence to believe they ambushed an American Fleet as well.”
“So, your theory is that we are at war with an unknown enemy?” Strickland presses.
“Yes,” I answer, “So far though. I believe they have only been testing our abilities. Otherwise, this would be on every news network around the globe. Right now, the only reason we know anything is through sheer luck.”
“It would seem that you are not alone in thinking that,” Strickland admits, “One of our newest arrivals is of the same opinion.”
“Yes,” I begin, “I meant to ask earlier about the two ships anchored off the atoll. Care to fill me in on that?”
“Do you remember the briefing before you left,” Strickland says, “Where we covered our theory on what those cubes we keep finding are.”
“I remember,” I reply, “The theory is that they contain data of some sort. Only the scanners could not complete the scans due to overheating.”
“The new generator solved that problem,” Strickland announces proudly, “With the extra power, we were able to stabilize the power supply and run additional cooling. We’ve also been able to read quite a few of those cubes now. We found a few of them to be blank however.”
“Blank?” I ask.
“Yes,” Strickland confirms, “Blank. Nothing on them at all. So, one of the junior programmers wondered what would happen if we tried to load data into a cube.”
“What sort of data?” I ask in a worried tone.
“It started off simple,” Strickland admits, “The team transferred about a dozen different ship designs into a couple of cubes. Then transferred data about various types of weapon systems, radars, tactical data from reports that we obtained from Jensen.”
“Does Jensen know about that?” I ask.
“He said it was okay,” Strickland answers, “He said most of the reports were public knowledge already and those that weren’t, were not subject to any privacy laws.”
“Okay, so now we have a bunch of cubes that contain technical and tactical data,” I say, “How does any of that equal two ships anchored off shore?”
“We subjected some of them to a large electrical charge,” Strickland answers simply.
“You didn’t,” I say feeling the colour drain from my face at the prospect.
“We sure did,” Strickland admits, “In fact your timing is perfect. Our first arrival from those experiments has just arrived.”
Turning towards the door, I notice a tall woman with long brown hair step through the open door to the lab. As she makes her way towards us a feeling of familiarity hits me. Everything about her appearance feels oddly like someone I had met before. From the prominent fox-like ears, numerous tails lazily waving behind her, even the style in how she wore her hair.
Then it hit me. Aside from the lighter shade of colour in her hair and the more modest choice of clothing, she nearly was identical in appearance to Akagi. Someone who for the last several weeks had barely been out of my presence as she had insisted on making certain I had remained in the makeshift medical bay to recover from the injuries I had sustained during the battle.
“Please forgive my lateness, Professor,” she says in a voice that despite its calm nature, hints that should the occasion require, could dominate the room. “I lost track of the time studying the history papers you gave me.”
“No need for apologies,” Strickland replies, “I was just briefing the Captain on the latest progress the research team had been making.”
Turning to me, “Allow me to introduce our senior Captain, Nathan Harrison. He oversees our research ships and is one of the teams leading theoretical researchers.” Strickland announces, “Nathan, this is Amagi. Her presence here is the result of one of the experiments I mentioned a moment ago.”
“A pleasure to meet you,” I say with a smile.
“The Professor has spoken of you often,” Amagi says, “He mentioned that you lead from the front and take a very hands-on approach to the projects you oversee.”
“I certainly try to keep myself busy,” I reply, “Being able to have full control of the ship certainly makes the research side of my job easier given I have a greater control over the variables.”
Amagi nods silently in agreement.
“Would I be correct in assuming that the larger of the two cruisers anchored off shore is yours?” I enquire.
“You assume correctly,” Amagi replies, “Are you familiar with Japanese Naval History, Captain?”
“I have a very limited knowledge when it comes to naval history or even tactics for that matter,” I admit, “However I’m certainly learning a lot recently given the events of the past several months.”
“From how the Professor explained my arrival here and the arrival of the other members of the fleet,” Amagi explains, “It would seem that the cubes used in my creation have taken the form from my original design.”
“Your original design?” I ask.
“My ship was original designed to be a battle cruiser, before an attempted conversion to an aircraft carrier was halted due to my hull being badly damaged,” Amagi replies.
Before I can reply, the phone on the table beside the Professor buzzes. Picking it up, the Professor listens in silence before speaking, “We’ll be over in the minute.”
“Problem?” I ask seeing the worried look on the Professors face.
“Maybe,’ he replies, “The radio guys are picking up a radio call from the Global Explorer. They say it sounds like a distress call.”
**
Crossing the room to where one of the team’s radio operators was listening closely through a headset. As we approached, he held up a hand to prevent any of us from speaking. After a brief pause, he removed the headset and turned to face us. “I have cleaned up the recording as much as possible. But there is a lot of static.”
“Play it,” Strickland says.
‘Glo..l Explorer .. Midway. Encount.. hostile ….. Attack.. Sink… Host… head… fo. Mi..ay. Se..nt..n hour. No..h w.st. R.n’
Sharing a look with the Professor as I mentally replayed the message in my head filling it the blanks with the most logical word. As I realized the full message my eyes widened in shock. Going to the nearest computer and sliding the operator out of the way, I rapidly log into the facility’s secure server.
As the opening page loads on the monitor, I take note of the spinning icon in the lower left corner of the screen. Double clicking on the icon, my worst fears are confirmed. “The Global Explorer is dumping its logs onto the server,” I report.
“What does that mean?” I hear Amagi ask in confusion.
“It’s the last action taken before abandoning ship,” I reply, “It’s either manually activated by one of the senior crew before they leave the bridge, or automatically triggered if the ships internal sensors detect multiple compartments flooding.”
“Any chance that it’s a false alarm?” the Professor asks.
“None,” I reply, scrolling through the data logs, barely giving them time to finish loading before moving to the next. “I don’t know what happened out there. But the engine room temperature spiked to over a thousand degrees before dropping down to eleven. Both the forward cargo compartment and rear loading deck compartment sensors are indicating flooding. And the trim sensors are showing a forty-degree list to starboard.”
Looking away from the computer and taking a deep breath to compose my thoughts, “That and the radio message,” I say, “It was definitely Jim. He clearly said hostile and attack and that whoever they were, are headed this way.”
**
Standing in the conference room fifteen minutes later, the realization that with the apparent loss of the Global Explorer and the loss of the Intrepid and the very real possibility of a hostile enemy closing in on Midway, the team stationed here had lost both main pre-planned escape options we had prepared for in situations that required the rapid evacuation of the atoll.
Behind me I hear various people entering the conference room and taking a seat. As the scrapping of chairs being moved dies down, I turn to face those gathered. Before I can speak, a couple of late arrivals step in through the open door.
The final member of this group is a young woman with short, light peach coloured hair. Who on seeing me, turned away from the group and ran straight for me. On reaching me she wrapped both arms around me drawing me into a tight embrace.
“I see you’ve met Roon,” I hear the Professor call from the doorway as he enters the room.
“So it would seem,” I struggle to reply, “I take it she is the second result of your experiments,” I add.
“Yes,” Strickland replies joining me at the front of the room, “It would seem that she’s a hugger.”
“Would it be possible to have my body back please?” I ask.
Slowly releasing me, Roon steps back, before silently re-joining the others seated in the room.
“I think she likes you,” The Professor comments.
“What makes you say that?” I ask gently feeling my ribs which feel like they are on fire.
“The fact she followed your request,” Strickland answers, “You’re the first who’s been able to get through to her.”
“That’s great,” I mutter sarcastically, “We just need to work on her introductions then. I swear she just re-broke my ribs.”
“If its any consolation,” Strickland begins, “Her combat prowess is second to none based on what little we’ve learned to date.”
Shaking me head in quiet disbelief at the Professor’s continued unyielding push for results rather than showing any concern for how those results were obtained. I scanned the room to find that everyone was looking in my direction.
Everyone save for Akagi. Who was staring through narrowed eyes towards Roon sitting a few rows away.
Clearing my throat, “As some of you may already know. We have received a warning of a possible hostile enemy that is heading straight for us,” I explain, “To those of you who are in senior positions. I need you to wind up any work your departments are working on. And execute our evacuation protocols.”
“Where are we going?” someone from the back of the room calls out.
“The team will evacuate towards Hawaii,” I reply, “There they will either report in to the Navy Yard. Or if advised carry on to the main land.”
As I finish this brief explanation. Over half of those gathered, stand up and walk out to begin the evacuation. As the door closes behind the last of them Professor Strickland speaks up, “Do you really intend to run?”
Looking across at the Professor I reply, “I intend for you and the others to run. In case the rest of us fail to stop the enemy from reaching Midway.”

SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING ISSUED: 12:53 PM MAR. 21, 2023 – NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE The National Weather Service in The San Francisco Bay Area has issued a

• Severe Thunderstorm Warning for... Central Santa Cruz County in northern California...
  
• Until 130 PM PDT.
  
• At 1248 PM PDT, a severe wind storm was located over the ocean is providing strong southerly wind gusts over Santa Cruz County.
  

THIS IS A DESTRUCTIVE STORM FOR Santa Cruz County.
HAZARD...Wind gusts up to 80 mph.
SOURCE...Radar indicated and observations in Santa Cruz of 59 mph. These winds are expected to intensify down to the surface over the next hour
IMPACT...Expect considerable damage to roofs, windows, and vehicles. Extensive tree damage and power outages are likely.

• Locations impacted include... Santa Cruz, Scotts Valley, Capitola, Live Oak, Aptos, Twin Lakes, Opal Cliffs, Ben Lomond, Eureka Canyon Road, Felton, Soquel, Rio Del Mar and Day Valley.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a building.
This is an EXTREMELY DANGEROUS SITUATION. This storm is producing widespread wind damage across Santa Cruz County. SEEK SHELTER NOW inside a sturdy structure and stay away from windows!
&&
THUNDERSTORM DAMAGE THREAT...DESTRUCTIVE; HAIL THREAT...RADAR INDICATED; MAX HAIL SIZE...<.75 IN; WIND THREAT...OBSERVED; MAX WIND GUST...80 MPH
Source: https://www.wunderground.com/severe/us/ca/santa-cruz

Take me back to the start. 2001, the last of the good times for a lot of us who were relatively grown up and not tiny kids at that point due to a certain horrific event we would all witness that year. Watching this season was a nostalgia trip for so many reasons; social media wasn't a thing, cell phones were still in their infancy especially compared to now, the internet was a thing obviously but not to the point where there was a massive presence for any of the contestants, the show was in standard definition, Phil?... actually, that dude hasn't aged much, WTF lol. It's almost like this was just a big experiment, considering all the changes made since and in some cases the very next season. The overall aesthetic was peak 90's - early 00's, the editing, cinematography, etc felt very much like The Real World (makes me wonder if there was some crossover in terms of people working on both shows), and as a 90s kid this made me smile. You get the sense there was a general attitude of "To hell with polish, just film it and whatever shakiness there is we'll leave it, even if it's an awkward super zoom into a contestants face). Plus, another ode to the time period is that there was a particular focus on the interpersonal dynamics within the teams and between them as opposed to more strict focus on the race itself which happened later on, which has its good and bad merits. Bottom line is this felt like a gamble that the producers and network took to take advantage of the reality tv boom, I remember how Survivor premiered and EVERYONE was watching it at some point, even I wound up watching the final few episodes of that first season. After that, it just exploded and how ironic that a few decades later, out of all that came from that time specifically that it is these 2 shows that are still going. One very creepy thing which almost happened was the finish line being the top of the World Trade Center, but they couldn't get the needed permits, and the show premiered 6 days before 9/11, so as I alluded to at the very start, it really is like watching a completely different world when you watch this season for many reasons and the nostalgia hit me hard a lot of times in good and bad ways. But what about the season itself?....
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Rob/Brennan - The first winners are photogenic attorney friends. I have to admit, these 2 didn't make much of an impression on me at all. It's not that they were bad racers, or bad people, as they actually seemed rather kind and intelligent (lawyers, so of course), but I felt they were rather bland TBH. After they won the first ever leg in show history thanks to the fastforward (which was available in every leg, something they thankfully changed), they hit a snag in Tunisia and were on the verge of being eliminated and were one of the teams which got infuriated at airportgate (which I will get into later), but then they really hit their stride once they hit Asia, and wound up winning 4 of the last 5 legs. I know it doesn't seem like I have a ton to say about them, but the truth is they weren't particularly charismatic or even featured in a starring way til it got down to the end legs. A great all-around team, but not really one I ever got behind. I found it interesting that post-race, Brennan was with Emily for a time, unlike other seasons I never got those vibes from any interactions between them but they must have been there. I do know they had befriended both Nancy and Emily during the race and were a part of the airportgate situation and were pretty pissed off about it; like they said, you don't treat women like that if you're a guy.
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Frank/Margarita - Maybe the loudest team, at least he was. Seriously, the guy must have been a mute when he was a child, cause his natural tone was LOUD lol. Anyway, they were the top team going by the composite average score and by the fact they were either 1st or 2nd in the final 8 legs. Their story was an interesting one, while at the same time not ridiculously frustrating. A separated couple with a small child who part of the reason for getting on this was to work on their relationship. You immediately saw why there were issues with them; as he is constantly yelling and flexing, ultra-competitive, making alliances which last just a few minutes before his massive pride has him essentially saying to hell with that. And at times, he even shouted and yelled at her, not necessarily out of anger but his way of motivating, and she showed her disdain for that often. But; there was actual growth from him, as he wound up apologizing when he reached maximum dickhead mode, something I am not accustomed to seeing on here. And, they wound up falling for each other all over again, which was shown more than once, which even if you weren't a fan of theirs, was a bit heartwarming. I thought they had it in the final stretch, going to their literal backyard for the finish line, and they felt it too which may have been their undoing. Thanks to the production and camera work, you literally saw as they were jogging to the finish line the emotions on their faces go from joy and relief to downtrodden when they saw the team they were head-to-head with for what felt like most of the race with how the final legs were strung out, already there. I was not surprised to find out they did indeed reconcile, but then split for good and remained friends, which is cool to know.
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Joe/Bill - Team Guido, sigh. I love that they named their team after their dog, but beyond that, ugh. The ego and smarminess oozed off these guys almost from the start. They made multiple alliances but were so full of themselves that they would break them almost instantly, constantly bragging about how they had lived in Paris, they spoke French, they had traveled a lot. They truly thought they were better than everyone else, even saying out loud at one point that they had no competition. This behavior would be obnoxious enough from a team that was winning constantly, but they weren't. They actually only won 1 leg. Namecalling the New Yorkers by referring to them as 'The Fatties' wasn't exactly classy either. But the moment which cemented them as true douchebags was airportgate as I call it. They flip out when they find out that 3 teams managed to get a flight which would get them to the next destination first, ahead of them, when they had just been beaming over getting what they thought was gonna be the earliest flight. And their response was the mature thing to do obviously; going to the entrance as they were getting ready to board and blocking them and causing a massive commotion to try and keep them from getting on the plane. Security gets involved and at some point one of them pushes/physically restrains the smallest and oldest member of those 3 teams in Nancy, almost knocking her down. That was a scummy and cowardly thing to do, bottom line. They tried to retcon it afterwards, talking about how Kevin/Drew started it with their sarcastic yet threatening talk of breaking their legs earlier that day, and yes that was a bit much and I would be inclined to give them some benefit of the doubt there, except they didn't put hands on either of them and just so happened to target the physically weakest member in that crowded confined space. Now, due to it being so confined, we could only see so much and thus didn't experience the whole thing, but at this point it went from these guys are jerks in terms of strategy or whatever to they are massive pieces of shit. And they were treated as such basically the rest of the race, except by Nancy and Emily of all teams (I don't get that, Emily seemed like she wanted to push them off a cliff and then a few legs later they are hugging?). Their egos were their downfall, as they won a fastforward in Thailand and proceeded to almost get eliminated anyway by taking their sweet time to get to the pitstop. After that, they were hours behind the top 2 teams and as far back as an entire day before getting the clue that told them the race was over as they were still out in the wilderness. They were good sports about it, and even when they won the fastforward, tried to help out Nancy/Emily a bit which was shocking, but they left a bad taste in my mouth, and at times it seemed like they were a little too inspired by the first Survivor winner in fellow gay man Richard Hatch, they even talked a lot like him in terms of vocabulary and their approach to the race. I know they did pop up again in another season, and I admit they were certainly memorable, though not for good reasons.
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Kevin/Drew - I know from looking into this season afterwards that they were the fan favorites this season, and while they weren't my favorite I can see why. They weren't deceivers, they didn't hide their true feelings, they were who they were and loud about it. Their preferred form of talking to each other was insults and putdowns, true guy friends there lol. They were all over the place in this race; at the bottom, at the top, in the middle. Their elimination basically came from the dreaded luck of the taxi driver, even if they had survived they were destined for third place with how far apart they were from the top 2 teams. There was a charm in their upfront attitudes, but some things made me shake my head, like saying Paris was nothing special, being a little too upfront about their disdain for India and them jokingly (maybe) telling Team Guido they would break their legs. But also, like Rob/Brennan, they befriended Nancy/Emily and almost saw them as their own mother and sister. I know they said it would be more beneficial to keep them around than one of the stronger teams, but you could tell by basic body language it wasn't just strategy and that they truly liked them. They were infuriated more than anyone after airportgate, and they made sure Team Guido knew it. I know they came back for an all-star season and also know Drew has had a variety of ailments and injuries unfortunately.
​
Nancy/Emily - They might have been my favorite team. Nancy reminded me a lot of my Mom in terms of her kindness but was really most similar to a great Aunt of mine, extremely faithful, prudish but not in a judgmental way but more of a hearing so much cursing and such made smoke go out her ears cause she is that innocent lol. I got to admit, Emily was someone who if I had been watching at the time I would have had a major crush on and even now I thought she was really cute and before anyone comes at me, I am actually several years younger than her and she was an adult at the time and is now a 43 year old wife and mom (way to make me feel old after seeing her be like a kid at times on here lol). Maybe the original underdog story, they even had a little faction on the show they called 'The Underdogs'. It was an interesting switch on the usual dynamic, as Emily took the lead role on the team as Nancy was rather meek and got flustered easily, though as the end neared for them they both were showing signs of having nothing left in the tank. I pointed out Emily was quite cute, even when she had that drastic hairdo change a few legs in (my biggest remaining question of this season is did she do that herself or did someone else do it and if so, why? Boredom? Early-00s fashion? I wasn't a girl at that time, I was busy dressing like a nu-metal punk with spiked hair and playing Playstation, female fashion trends didn't come on my radar lol). She pulled it off, but I remain curious. Anyway, the point I was trying to make was about her being the attractive one there, and it played into things in a good and bad way. Good and sweet when in Tunisia a whole horde of guys her age and younger volunteering to help the team out and Nancy being quick to point out it was probably because they thought she was cute (they weren't nearly as enthusiastic to help out any of the other teams). The bad coming in, sigh, India, where Emily gets propositioned on the street by a guy asking how much she charges. Holy shit, India was a major issue from the very beginning on this show in regards to female contestents, as they were repeatedly refused train tickets as well just because they were women and women are below rats there in terms of rights and importance. And this was where the beginning of the ned came for them, as they were both being swarmed by these males with zero boundaries as well as being deeply affected by the massive poverty, seeing dirty impoverished kids and babies coming up to their taxi, begging, staring, they were barely holding back tears. All of the teams dealt with seeing these things, and being hounded by people begging, but it really hit these two the hardest which was only amplified by the sexism and Emily cracked, she was calling them stupid out of frustration and it didn't get better in Thailand, as Team Guido once again prevailed over them, this time in a race for the fastforward and then they walked around for a few hours trying to find the vehicle the next clue directed them to and no one was being of any help and she just plain and simply says "Screw you" to one of the Thai people and they wind up giving up and taking a taxi to the pitstop. You could call them out for all of this, but it was just a buildup of stress and anxiety which finally broke them. Think about it; the airport incident which really upset Emily, as she was saying do what you want to her but not her Mom (whose biggest concern afterwards was the image this put out of American tourists, not even thinking about herself), they kept on coming in at the back of the pack, the India degradation and claustrophobia-inducing chaos there, coming in 2nd to Guido yet again and then not being able to find anyone to assist them. I said to myself a few legs prior that Emily was showing some fight still but they both just seemed completely battered and defeated and Nancy even admitted as much. And the saddest thing is, they would have moved on if they had just persisted with the task in Thailand due to Bill/Joes epic mistake, they would have finished ahead of them. And making it extra heartbreaking was finding out afterwards that Nancy died in 2011 of Lou Gehrigs disease, which is just among the worst ways to go. Thinking back on it, Nancy may have been showing a few early signs of it during this :-( Just a sad story, Emily is apparently doing fine, she was with Brennan for a while after the race (which raised my eyebrow, considering in interviews before the race she talked about her boyfriend at home more than once, I hope she didn't screw around on him during the race). But still, hard to not root for them and if I had been watching at the time, Emily would have been my first crush on the show FWIW lol.
​
Lenny/Karyn - This was a frustrating team to watch as it went on. I am just thankful they weren't married or engaged before this, cause they found out they were not meant to be during this. She says she was ultra-competitive, I say she was the definition of a nag, just incessantly chastising him and the longer it went on it spread to drivers and other public people as well. He wasn't innocent himself; routinely mocking her and being a complete dumbass, like in Paris he goes up to look for the monument and just immediately gives up and then just guesses (wrong) and they would have been gone right then and there if Emily hadn't inadvertently helped him find it. Talk about coldhearted though at the end, where she proceeds to end their relationship and lists every reason why. On national TV. I mean, damn that was brutal, you could see him just leaving his body as she went on and explained basically all his flaws and failings, WTF. They did indeed break up right after, though they said it wasn't because of the race, which I kinda agree with since these fissures were gonna explode regardless of what they were doing. He got married and has a few kids and she started a law firm, so I'm sure she isn't hurting for $$$ lol.
​
Paul/Amie - They were opposites, which made me wonder how they got engaged. She was competitve and he wanted to quit every five minutes. That was the tale of this team, and I wanted to genuinely smack this guy. Every leg, he is bitching and whining about wanting to go home, wanting to quit. Struggling to get a taxi? Let's quit. Taking too long at a task? Let's quit. Pulled a muscle? Time to quit. Hard time taking a dump? Let's go home, I quit. It was like a cuckoo clock set to go off every hour with this douchebag. He tried to make excuses a few times during it, saying he was only saying things like that cause he hated to see her get upset, BS dude, you just are being a little bitch, trying to break the telescope in Paris and kicking things as you threaten to, what else, quit. If she had an equal partner in this, this team would have gone much further. Instead, she had a big baby who said he didn't want to do this and was only there for her (to what, make her miserable?). Their end came via getting lost in the Sahara Desert, talk about nightmare fuel there, and they were so lost they wound up driving to the back of the pitstop somehow. She's throwing up in the back of the car, it was torturous to view. They did indeed get married several years later, but are no longer together (damn, none of these couples survived, kinda sad to see). Her near-catfight with the teachers was humorous though, even yelling at one point "You're a fat bitch!" (somewhere, Nancy turned beet red lol).
​
Dave/Margaretta - Probably the first team in TAR history to inspire the "Awww" feeling. Immediately, you saw it was gonna be a struggle for them physically due to the age differences, in the very first leg they could have gotten the fastforward but they got outpaced by Rob/Brennan and had to struggle their way back up after struggling all the way down. They continued to persevere though, and continued to struggle, like completely passing the clue in Paris and getting penalized at the start of the next leg as a result. Along the way, they did inspire the other couples with their amazing relationship and love, and provided some insight I actually hadn't thought of before, specifically about how these are all good people who are thrust into an intense, super-competitive, high pressure situation which is also exhausting and that will bring out the worst in people. They were truly kind people to the very end, which was frustrating to see it end sooner than it probably should have, as their taxi driver was an asshole for lack of a better term and was refusing to take U.S. money and arguing with them. And seeing a bunch of the teams at their elimination saying their goodbyes and paying their respects to them (which happened several times this season, can't recall seeing that in any other seasons) just drove home the point these were good people. Finding out that several years later, Dave would lose his soulmate to after a multiyear battle with cancer and pulmonary fibrosis was quite sad to hear, he is still going last I checked but you could tell they were 2 peas in a pod so that was extremely sucky news.
​
Pat/Brenda - The first team to go from 1st to eliminated in the span of 1 leg, not a great achievement. They never exhibited the mental togughness I think you need to really compete in this though, as they were freaking out at the airport prior to Paris over issues with flights. They had the fastforward, like, no reason to flip your lid. Unless you get there 10 hours after everyone else I think you'll be fine. But then, they made the huge mistake of going to the wrong Pantheon and get eliminated. They seemed like solid enough people, but I never thought they were a threat in this.
​
Kim/Leslie - They were teachers and yet repeatedly did stupiud things and said they were stupid... that makes one feel so secure about the countrys future lol. They weren't good, came off as mean girls (to Amie anyway, though I found out afterwards they were quite the class clowns during their time on there), and were lost on both legs. And yet their run ends because of a damn taxi driver arguing with them over change. Nancy/Emily seemed friends with them, and they both attended one of their weddings a while later. I know Leslie is married with 3 kids and Kim has 2 kids, I assume she is married too judging by her last name being different. They just went on to normal lives it seems.
​
Matt/Ana - Forever famous for being the very first elimination in TAR history. Hard to say a whole lot about a team that is gone after one leg, I do know they did get divorced at some point later on. They did get pretty testy with the locals in Africa though for not being able to tell them where a location was. They wouldn't have been eliminated, but they got really lost on their way to the pitstop and thus arrived last. If they hadn't gotten so lost, I would have been deprived of the Nancy/Emily team which would have made this a worse season for sure.
​
​
I can see why this became a sensation of its own, though not on the level of the absolutely top tier of reality/game shows, in terms of ratings and buzz that is, like Survivor, Who Wants To Be A Millionaire and (ugh) Big Brother. A pretty good and challenging path, though no trip to South America, and there was certainly a novelty and uniqueness of taking these teams from all kinds of backgrounds and forcing them to travel the world as fast as possible, culture and language issues be damned. A bonus in some eyes would be a lack of stars or 'celebrities' or stunt casting, save for Team Guido who really seemed like they were trying to be what Richard Hatch was to Survivor. You had everyday friends, family and couples racing for the million dollar prize but also being friends for the most part, I think in part because they were enjoying this unique experience and in part because they knew they were a part of something special. Just seeing the way a lot of teams would gather at every pit stop to say their goodbyes and pay their respects to whoever got eliminated was such a departure from the likes of a Survivor, where you had people doing everything but wish death on the other (and I think even that happened once) and that is as much of a reason for TAR thriving and survivng as anything else. So much has changed since then; HD is the standard now, everyone is on about 5 different social media platforms, so many of the casted are already known figures in this era of no anonymity, cameras are always on you somehow, and have it ingrained in them to have a motto of "how many likes can I get and what will generate the most clicks?". Such a different world, and seeing the ages of the contestants from this season now makes me feel old lol (the youngest is now in her 40s and married, I see her on here and she's a college kid who looks like she is still in high school). This was far from a perfect season, a lot of drag in the latter stages due partly to the massive separation that developed between the top 2 teams and bottom 2 teams and later with the top 2 and 3rd place team and partly due to what seemed like an attempt to get to 13 episodes by any means necessary which led to a bit too much filler content which easily could have been trimmed and just felt like they were desperately trying to reach the episode quota. Also had a string of production issues and errors which led to teams placements getting changed, time credits being given, a pit stop being moved due to dangerous weather conditions (which they had no control of obviously, but it counts) and it was not exactly the most challenging in terms of roadblocks and detours, as they really seemed to make it so that the biggest challenge of the race was the actual traveling part, luckily in future seasons they managed to get a better balance so that you had to put max effort into everything and not just the tasks. But for several endearing people and teams, seeing some amazing sights around the world like the Great Wall and that waterfall in south Africa which you didn't get to see unless you read or watched National Geographic up to that point, the final sights of a simpler and better world for a lot of us millennials, the groundbreaking nature of the show, the camaraderie between a lot of teams, knowing with hindsight this was the start of something awesome and a flashback and massive shot of nostalgic warmth to days where I didn't have gray hairs popping up or injure my back from sleeping the wrong way (too many mosh pits lol), I give this inaugural season a 3.75 out of 5. As you can see, that puts it pretty high up there, but it comes up short of reaching my upper echelon. Next time, it will be a later season, since you can't go earlier than S1 lol.
Ratings:
S5 - 4.75/5
S15 -4.5/5
S13 - 4.5/5
S1 - 3.75/5
S27 - 3.5/5
S25 - 3.25/5
S21 - 3.25/5
S23 - 3.25/5
S2 - 3/5
S19 - 2.5/5
S29 - 2.5/5
S16 - 1.75/5
S32 - 0.25/5

Greetings everyone, I've been delving into the opaque and fascinating world of DPRK politics, propaganda, and human rights. I'm growing increasingly concerned about the whereabouts of one of North Korea's rising football stars, Kwang-song Han.
As far as I can tell, Kwang-song Han left Al-Duhail SC in Qatar back in July 2021, and since then, there have been no news or updates about him. Given the ongoing political climate in North Korea, I can't help but wonder if he's fallen off the radar or if something else is going on behind the scenes. He has played in Seria A for Cagliari and Juventus.
I've searched the internet extensively, but I can't find any information on whether he's signed with a new club or what his plans are for the future. In fact, I couldn't find any recent article for him, expect for this one that also mentions that no one knows what happened to him (https://zap.aeiou.pt/ronaldo-norte-coreano-desaparecido-525905). As someone interested in understanding the inner workings of North Korea, I'm eager to learn more about Han's situation and what it might tell us about the current state of affairs in the country.
If anyone has any information on Kwang-song Han's current status, I would greatly appreciate it. I believe it's essential to understand the human stories behind the headlines regarding DPRK, and I hope we can shed some light on this particular situation. Thank you in advance for your help.

RELEASE NOTES 1.31.22.0

If you are playing on PC, outdated packages in your community folder may have an unexpected impact on the title’s performance and behavior.
If you suffer from stability issues or long loading times, move your community package(s) to another folder before relaunching the title.
[All Versions] How to Install a New Update Safely

NEW CONTENT/FEATURES

• Optimized the “Checking for updates” phase to reduce the booting time of the simulator; improved the download speed in the installation manager; improved loading time before booting to the main menu
• Added a new assistance option to customize the intensity of turbulence experienced during flight (based on current altitude, environment, and weather conditions).
• Turkish and Korean languages have been added into the sim
• Added an input key to toggle Flight Assistant Panel
• Spotlight Event Pack: a pack of activities is now available in the Marketplace, which contains a curated selection of 13 Spotlight Events from the past. Please note: completing these activities will not count towards Spotlight Event related achievements.

General Bug Fixes

• Several crashes have been fixed across the title
• Fixed a bug in the purchase flow of MSFS Marketplace
• Keyboard shortcut to toggle Screen Narrator on/off has been added
• Control Options menu stops reset to top when assigning a button.
• “Set Departure”, “Set arrival” & “Zoom to Details” are now appearing when Airport Icon is clicked
• Fixed aircraft visibility issues with their interior and exterior model
• Corrected an issue that caused some multiplayer planes to display a purple texture on their Glass cockpits.
• Fixed Engine Governor being incorrectly labeled
• Fixed game freeze during boot
• Added parameter to cfg that allows to fix the legacy flight model integration of the accelerations that was causing wrong accelerations and g-force calculations in the legacy flight model. Integrated collision constraint response into the force calculation for g force estimation when on ground. This allows to have 1.0 when still on ground even with some suspension systems that don’t have enough force to counter gravity.
• Fixed issues in the building generation that could caused crashes
• Various localization improvements

Menu

• Fixed airport considered as water if runways have undefined surface type
• Added Weight & Balance visualization for rotorcraft.

Navigation/Traffic

• [Partially Fixed] Glass cockpit externalization has been reworked. There’s no intermediate window anymore; each glass cockpit opens a distinct window with the glass cockpit name. Window position and size is saved when ending a flight.
• With multi-layout screens cockpits, mouse collision for glass cockpit externalization is now received only by the current active glass cockpit.
• Navlog timer no longer resets when user closes and reopens it
• Fixed SimConnect injected traffic planes not following the assigned flight plan
• Fixed live traffic planes incorrectly following departure procedures
• Fixed live traffic planes staying stuck at hold short in some airports
• Fixed live traffic planes staying at low altitude after takeoff
• Fixed SimConnect injected traffic being often unable to depart from the departure gate
• Fixed traffic planes causing performance issue in the world map
• Fixed live traffic planes sometimes not showing nameplate
• Fixed live traffic planes sometimes spawning at an incorrect location and unable to move
• Fixed live traffic planes staying at low altitude during go around
• Fixed a crash where ATC uses an invalid runway number
• Glass cockpit: Waypoint with no associated city now show an empty city field instead of random characters.
• Glass cockpit: NavigationData expiration year is now properly displayed when date range extends over two years.

Weather

• [Partially Fixed] Heat only thermals are limited in height up to the cloud base (except under clouds)
• Limited and tuned negative thermals around clouds and hot ground.
• Reduced thermals close to ground.
• [Partially Fixed] Improved thermal slanting and cloud alignment.
• Reduced “blue” hot ground thermals in rain, with altitude and with high winds
• Reduced mountain turbulence with altitude
• Maximum vertical wind speed in storm clouds / TCU has been increased
• Fixed a cloud popping issue when updating Live Weather data
• Fixed a problem where in water presets, water would be iced for the physics but displayed as water in the rendering.
• General Live Weather improvements
  • Live Weather now uses server time instead of local time to avoid inconsistent or no live weather
  • Date of METAR files is now checked before ingesting the data to avoid replacing current METARs with out-of-date METARs in case of CDN issues; this also reduces bandwidth usage
  • Fixed an issue that would potentially stop the game from retrieving clouds
  • Fixed an issue where incorrect weather was injected while retrieving new data, potentially causing abrupt wind and pressure changes as well as cloud popping
• Fixed a Rendering issue where clouds were ghosting into the sky at horizon

Activity

• Fixed various issues on leg start in bushtrips
• Training activities are now recorded in logbook
• Fixed an issue that caused the P-51 to run out of fuel too early in Reno races
• Fixed an issue that could cause the engines to shut down when first starting a mission.
• In Bushtrips, the Description Box displays incorrect values for the Flight Length, Flight Duration, and Number of Legs

Glass Cockpits

Garmin G3000 / G5000

• Fixed incorrectly rendered lists when the number of items in the list was very large.
• Fixed various instances where FMS would not automatically tune the primary approach frequency when loading or activating ILS/LOC/LDA/SDF/VOR approaches.
• The GTC Airport Information page will now display the primary approach frequencies for all ILS/LOC/LDA/SDF approaches at the airport in the Freq tab.
• The PFD traffic inset map’s range labels are now always displayed in the bottom left to avoid conflicts with other map elements.
• Fixed long approach names from overflowing the approach button on the GTC Select Approach page.
• Miscellaneous map memory optimizations.
• Fixed a bug where on-route direct-tos incorrectly inherited the turn direction of their target legs.
• Fixed a bug where the initial course of an on-route direct-to was set in true degrees instead of the expected magnetic degrees.
• Fixed a bug where the flight plan would become corrupted when syncing a world map flight plan with an approach and at least one enroute waypoint but no departure or arrival.
• Advanced VNAV no longer tries to capture descent altitude constraints during climb phase.
• Added aural alerts for TIS/TAS/TCAS traffic and resolution advisories.
• Added support for choosing aural alert voice type (male/female).
• Enabled the Direct-To buttons in the GTC Waypoint Information and NRST pages.
• Most aural alerts that trigger at the same time will now be played back in a queue instead of overlapping each other. Note that some alerts are still allowed to overlap others.
• New CAS warning and caution messages are now accompanied by an aural chime.
• The active NAV source is now reset to FMS when the system is power cycled.
• Fixed a bug where the VSR navigation data bar field always displayed dashes (‘––––’).
• Selecting a waypoint in the GTC Direct-To page (either via the keyboard or the Nearest tab) that matches the current Direct-To target will now load the appropriate existing Direct-To information.
• Selecting a waypoint in the GTC Direct-To page (either via the keyboard or the Nearest tab) that is in the primary flight plan will now cause an on-route direct-to to be created when the Activate button is pressed.

G1000 Nxi

• Fixed an issue that caused the G1000Nxi to pan very slowly in Legacy interaction mode

Garmin GNS430W / GNS530W

• Fixed some page navigation issues where the right knob push would not close dialogs

VFR Map

• Fixed an issue where the plane’s CDI source would change when opening the VFR Map
• Optimizations for reducing memory usage
• Added support for VR in-game panel zoom axis

Aircraft

General

• FLO mode transition now takes into account density altitude
• Fixed Load % to display the correct individual engine power.
• Fixed a bug on WASM & TS glass cockpits using the zero pitch line of the PFD. The line now represents the 0° of the aircraft
• Fixed contrail effects on some planes
• Corrected an issue that caused the P-51 Bunny to display a white screen instead of the radio.
• [Partially Fixed] an issue that caused some lights on the B747 and A320 to incorrectly react to interaction with their controls.
• Corrected an issue that caused LEFT/RIGHT_AXIS_BRAKE_SET to incorrectly affect both brakes.
• [P-51 Mrs Virginia] Landing gear doors animations are now working correctly
• External HUD : Variometer is no longer displayed on external HUD when not relevant to the aircraft.
• [Checklists] Fixed inconsistent XML parsing behavior between PC and consoles
• [Known Issue] LS8 can be pushed towards the ground when using winch launch method

Helicopters

• Engine power jump was reduced during the governor activation.
• Added an engine trimmer. If the helicopter has this feature, it is now possible to slightly change the nominal engine/rotor RPM that a governor is trying to maintain. Please, refer to the new input commands in the Control Options menu: “ENGINE TRIM RPM INCREASE” and “ENGINE TRIM RPM DECREASE”
• The throttle control logic for multi-engine helicopters has become more consistent.
• Fixed Tail rotor increment for better controllability with gamepad Helicopter profile (without tail rotor assistance)

Airbus 310-300

• Significant sound improvements in all areas of the aircraft (numerous reports are covered in this).
• External lights adjusted for a more realistic experience.
• Pressure system bug resolved.
• Improvements to T/D logic.
• Flight deck door resolution improved on Base version.
• FMS symbol tweaked to be more realistic.
• VOR* to VOR transition in capture bug resolved.
• Landing weight calculations on FMC for imperial fixed.
• Sliders added in EFB.
• VOR1 RMI disappears when overlapping VOR 2 needle bug fixed.
• SPD LIM mode premature bug fixed.
• Galley latches repositioned to closed position.
• Console unit flood light moveable.
• Trim wheel integral light now added.
• Glass added on outstanding cockpit gauges.
• Added magnetic variation to navaids.
• Autobrake commands added for hardware.
• INIT B & LW bugs fixed.
• RSK a waypoint to VERT REV bug fixed.
• Loading co-route character removal bug fixed.
• Custom PBD can now be added on new waypoint page and entering directly into F-PLN.
• When selecting INHG in options, perf calc bug fixed.
• Negative temperatures in EFB, now inserting correctly.
• vPilot COM 2 bug fixed.
• Sticker on door bug fixed.
• Cargo doors now use brake accumulator.
• Chrono bug fixed.
• SEC FPLN crashes fixed.
• CG prompt in FUEL PRED adjusted to ZFWCG.
• Some light leaking fixed.
• ATC/AI audio bug fixed.
• Triggering secondary approach more than once crash fixed.
• VHF2 and 3 now audible in cockpit.
• Volume knob pull to mute working in A310.
• Players voice now heard when talking to ATC.
• Fuel page line amber when it should be green.
• EFB checklist upon scrolling bug fixed.
• Brake accumulator logic improved.
• LBS when over 100,000 clipping fixed.
• Extra fuel/time now gets calculated when an ALTN is selected.
• EMER LTs state in Cold and Dark bug fixed.
• ATHR to GA keybind bug fixed.
• INIT B selecting values bug fixed.
• Stab trim movement during different HYD pressure bug fixed.
• Overall hardware compatibility improved with HoneyComb Bravo, Saitek panels.
• APU fire test conditions logic improved.
• Ailerons position bug fixed in 15/0 state.
• VONavaid Identifier Sound not working fixed.
• Unable to query sim waypoint database from REF page fixed.
• Fixed HSI changes on selector in flight deck.
• Wiper no longer moves with no power.
• Fixed loudspeaker not making sound.
• Fixed issue where aircraft systems freeze mid-flight.
• Entered temps not appearing on weather page of f-plan fixed.
• Expose current altimeter reference value fixed.
• Fire Loop lights on switched to AC ESS instead of AC EMER bus.
• ADF needles now point to true bearing not magnetic.
• Fixed abnormal behavior when choosing NONE STAR approach and transition.
• WASM API nav data waypoint structure adjusted.
• Updated translation files.

Bell 407

• Engine performance increased to match more closely the real-world behavior.
• Now it is easier to overstress the rotor RPM and torque under heavy load.
• The helicopter is easier to stabilize now in cruise flight with trim and assistances turned off.
• Low rotor warning sound now sounds when the battery is switched on.
• Annunciators illumination is stronger now in DIM mode.
• Altimeter barometric scale values now match up with the simulator values.
• Gauge illumination is toned down preventing it to being overblown on maximum brightness settings.
• Auto-trim switch has been removed.
• Force trim switch has been removed.
• Pedal stop functionality added (limits left pedal movement during flight) above 50 kts.
• Rotor rotation animation in multiplayer is now functioning.
• Rotor brake is functional again.
• Used fuel type in the weight and balance settings is JET fuel.
• Added Turkish language translation.
• Added Korean language translation.
• Pedal animation on the connecting rod is fixed.
• Interior collider adjustments. The camera doesn’t clip into the main panel anymore.
• VR support adjustments. Full VR support.
• Reference cruise speed now shows the correct value on the aircraft selection screen.

Boeing 747-8 Intercontinental

• Fixed an issue that could prevent part of the speed brakes from properly triggering on the 747.

Guimbal Cabri G2

• START mode behavior improved on EPM
• Better synchronization between engine RPM and rotor RPM
• In Direct To Page, magnetic bearing is displayed instead of true bearing
• Throttle handle animation is now working correctly
• Fixed miro drift on ground contact with helicopters. Fixed Cabri skid suspension settings; Cabri now stable on ground.

Cessna 172 Skyhawk G1000

• Fixed ground steering during takeoff to compensate for crosswind

Cessna Citation CJ4

• MFD: Fixed battery electrical indications always showing 0
• AP: Fixed altitude capture not engaging in TO vertical mode
• Disabled unused COM3 radio receiver
• Adjusted brightness of Standby Indicator
• Fixed the AoA indexer not indicating the correct AoA
• Fixed sim checklist stuck in After Starting Engines checklist
• Fixed wrong state indication on APPR button tooltip
• FMC: Fixed ARRIVALS page not working when airport features approaches not tied to a specific runway
• FMC: Fixed discontinuities piling up when editing procedures
• YD/AP DISC Bar now disables the Yaw Damper
• Fixed Overspeed Warning audio not always working
• Fixed an issue with the Direct To initial Course being incorrect
• Fixed an issue where the FMA would always show LOC1/VOR1 even when nav source is NAV2
• TOGA button on the Thrust Lever is now active
• Added automatic VOR tuning functionality
• Added the FLT LOG page to the FMC and flight tracking
• The FLT LOG page will show on the FMC after landing based on the setting in DEFAULTS
• Added ability to ident the transponder on the FMC ATC CONTROL page
• Fixed an issue where fuel used tracking on FUEL MGMT page 2 was not correct
• Reduced pitch instability and adjusted elevator authority, tweaked roll rates at various speeds to keep light control feel but reduce excess performance
• Adjusted flaps to achieve a better compromise between approach angle and flaps pitch/lift moments, reduced flaps drag at both flaps levels
• Slightly increased top end engine thrust to address a few reports of insufficient climb power
• Increased gear down drag
• Increased gyro stability to reduce excessive turbulence impact
• Adjusted load stations to be more in line with real loadout
• Added additional groundwheel friction to avoid skidding during moderate crosswind landings
• ILS data is now loaded from the approach FAF origin facility to allow for nav-to-nav and auto-tune even when scenery runway data does not have the appropriate ILS reference information
• Fixed bugs related to visual approach loading and visual approach vnav guidance
• Fixed missing basic aural alerts
• COM input now allows to enter 136.xxx frequencies
• Limit types of airports displayed on the map to show only suitable ones

Cessna Citation Longitude

• Fixed incorrect pitot heat logic.
• Fixed the AILERON(S)_LEFT/RIGHT key events commanding ailerons in the opposite direction as intended.
• The engine auto-start and auto-shutdown procedures (Ctrl-E and Ctrl-Shift-E) now function correctly.
• The standby instrument now automatically adjusts its backlight levels.
• Autothrottle no longer requires gear and flaps to be retracted to change from TO mode to SPD/CLIMB/DESC modes.
• Taxi auto-tests now require engines running to begin evaluating.
• Fixed broken external animations for non-default liveries.
• Fixed incorrect load station count in cfg, and adjusted passenger load positions to match standard 8-seat configuration.
• Increased ND elevator trim limit to prevent AP from running out of trim authority at low altitudes and high speeds.
• Fixed AFCS control panel APR button tooltip.
• Added BRAKE FAIL and GENS OFF aural alerts.
• The G5000’s active NAV source now defaults to FMS when starting a flight.
• The AFCS control panel UP/DN wheel now changes pitch reference when the AP is in PIT mode.
• Fixed broken rotate animations on the CRS knobs.
• The 500-foot touchdown callout will now sound as appropriate. Also added other touchdown callouts from 450 to 50 feet.

Curtiss JN-4 “Jenny”

• Fixed in VR elevator not moving.
• Fixed engine audio from nearby Jenny aircraft can be heard within cockpit.
• Added Phone EFB with Compass, Indicated Air Speed, Radio and XPDR functionality tied to core sim.
• Added electrical system for the EFB.
• Added EFB section to the Flight Manual.
• Added right bracket in cockpit to Show/Hide EFB.

Daher TBM 930

• Increased maximum nose wheel steering angle to 28 degrees, and increased speed at which nose wheel steering starts becoming less effective to 10 knots.
• [Partially Fixed Increased brightness of taxi and landing lights.
• Pulse lights no longer draw additional power when landing lights are on.
• Fixed broken door animations for non-default liveries
• Fixed handling of electrical battery key events.
• Improved compatibility with hardware that send electrical battery and external power key events every frame.
• Fixed AFCS control panel APR button tooltip.
• The overspeed, stall, and landing gear aural alerts will now sound as appropriate.
• The G3000’s active NAV source now defaults to FMS when starting a flight.
• Fixed broken rotate animations on the CRS knobs.

Darkstar

• Fixed several issues related to entering a frequency on the transponder of the Darkstar
• External Camera display now rotates without stretching the view.

DG-1001E

• Improved adverse yaw, balance, handling qualities and spoiler drag
• Improved stall to match stalling characteristics as described in the flight manual (wing drop)
• Winch launch now requires the technique as described in the DG-1001E flight manual: "During ground roll and initial take-off push the control stick to a forward position to prevent excessive nose-up pitching rotation during initial take-off. After reaching safety altitude gradually pull back on the stick, so that the glider will not pick up excessive speed. Don’t pull too hard. After reaching release altitude pull the tow release knob. Recommended winch launch airspeed 110-130 km/h (60-70 kts.).

Douglas DC-3

• Upside down illegible writing on rear door stairs in Blue stripe Livery.
• Landing light switches are no longer reversed.
• Underside beacon light illuminates correctly.
• Multiple items can now be manually completed with evaluation mode.
• Landing gear text decal is no longer obstructed by open passenger door switch.
• DC-3 Aux tanks correctly feed the engine.
• HUD correctly indicates state of flaps.
• DC-3 cockpit model - Nose rivets remade.
• With the propellers feathered moving the prop control affects all the propellers.
• DC-3 cockpit model - Screws no longer clip through window frame.
• Beacon Light switch is targetable.
• Instrument texture no longer disappears when zooming out in external/showcase view.
• The user can’t hear the wind on takeoff even if all audio is turned off.
• Red yellow cargo image in liveries selection is consistent with livery in free flight.
• Blue stripe image in liveries selection is consistent with livery in free flight.
• Image for ole dusty livery in selection screen does match the livery in free flight.
• Mesh switch turns off and now the state of the switch correctly indicates it is off.
• Carb Air temperature correctly matches sim.
• Beacon light underneath fuselage can now be turned on.
• There is now a switch in cockpit to toggle on/off beacon light.
• Quickview 3 in cockpit camera is positioned correctly.
• Tooltip indicates correct state of Master Ignition switch.
• Off position on the right fuel selector now fixed.
• Cold dark switch use failing to show fuel pressure is fixed.
• Checklist for starting engine now says to wait 2 seconds.
• Scroll wheel issue with Desired Heading knob has been recoded.
• Spawning at night on runway, Cockpit lights now are on.
• Typo present in Hangar Description has been rectified.
• DC-3 Thumbnails now match the model.
• AUX Fuel gauge needles are fixed.
• Incorrect string on AUX fuel weight and balance fixed.
• Hole in cargo doors from inside cargo bay hold fixed.
• Various light leaks fixed.
• Texture improvements throughout the model(s).

Grumman G-21 Goose

• Fixed duplicate key name errors.
• Fixed cockpit camera clipping through floor.
• Fixed typo in cockpit placard.
• Fixed typo in loading screen trivia.
• Fixed engine audio from nearby Goose aircraft can be heard within cockpit.
• Added Phone EFB with Radio and XPDR functionality tied to core sim.
• Added Switches to Show/Hide EFB and Turn ON/OFF Avionics (including switch audio and decals).
• Added EFB section to the Flight Manual.
• Updated translation files.

H-4 Hercules “Spruce Goose”

• Yoke interaction with VR controllers simulate a yoke instead of a flight stick.
• Weight and Balance screen no longer contains debug text.
• Flying very far past Vne now triggers a crash.
• Modern avionics added.
• Clipboard updated with new features.
• Auto-pilot added.
• Green navigation light orientation.
• ATC/ICAO params.
• Prop animation issue on one side.
• Clipboard items missing check once clicked.
• CHT, Oil, Radiator temperatures have been adjusted.
• The blurred propellers no longer cast shadows.

LS8

• Improved adverse yaw, stall and spoiler drag

Ryan NYP “Spirit of St. Louis”

• VR controller interaction influence fixed.
• Multiplayer Art issue fixed (the front was hidden on other Ryan).

Wright Flyer

• VR users can launch the aircraft properly now, the throttle is automatically set to 100% once the catapult is triggered.
• Cockpit collision added.

World

• Fixed Statue of Liberty standing in water

Airport

• Fix terraforming issue on taxiway at HECA
• [Partially Fixed] Fix taxiway bridge issue at RJTT causing aircraft crashes
• Fixed Queenstown airport not updated with World Update 12
• Fix taxiway bridge issue at SBGL causing aircraft crashes
• [Partially Fixed] Fix taxiway bridge issue at LFPG causing aircraft crashes
• Fixed wrong airport names in Australia (Coober Pedy)
• Fixed terraforming issues include the crack on runway 26 at ESSA
• Fixed the possibility to set a seaplane base as departure without a seaplane

World Update 1 – Japan

* POIs:

• Fixed Rainbow Bridge night texture.
• Nagasaki Airport RJFU:
  • Fixed Control Tower LOD transition.
  • Added collisions for few missing objects.
• Hachijojima Airport RJTH:
  • Fixed windsock direction behavior.
  • Fixed multiple objects LOD transition.
  • Added collisions for few missing objects.

World Update 2 – USA

* POIs:

• Fixed Alcatraz Water Tower LOD transition.
• Fixed the satellite imagery cab be seen on the terrain below New River Gorge Bridge.
• Added marker to Lowry Avenue Bridge.
• Fixed Rainbow Bridge Niagara Falls texture.
• Fixed Haystack Rock position over terrain.
• Fixed US Grant Bridge textures and blend with the aerial imagery.
• Fixed Yosemite El Capitan terraforming clipping.
• Fixed terrain and imagery blending of the Lewis and Clark Bridge.
• Fixed Navajo Bridge terrain blending.
• Fixed collisions size of the Monument Valley.
• Fixed Rainbow Bridge Niagara Falls LODs transition.
• Added collisions to the US Air Force planes on the Airport Graveyard.
• Fixed United States National Arboretum is missing textures near the top of the pillars.
• Fixed Glen Canyon Dam ground textures clipping through the Dam.
• Added missing building to the National Radio Astronomy Observatory.
• Added collision to Bixby Creek Bridge.
• Fixed United States Capitol LOD transition.
• the Las Vegas Strip is now searchable by name.
• The Rainbow Bridge, Niagara Falls.
• Fixed Fort Knox LOD popping.
• Added collisions to Sunshine Skyway Bridge buildings.
• Fixed missing texture on Lowry Avenue Bridge.
• Atlanta Airport KTAL:
  • Fixed the Ground services clipping at parking RAMP 312 CARGO, parking spot N ramp 312 and airliners gate H-4.
  • Fixed flipped textures of Delta hangar and Atlanta Fire Rescue buildings.
  • Added collisions to all buildings.
  • Fixed Bridge on a taxiway.
  • Fixed night lighting disappears at short distances.
• Friday Harbor Airport KFHR:
  • Fixed few terraforming issues.

World Update 3 – UK & Ireland

* POIs:

• Fixed Goodison Park LOD popping.
• Added and improved collisions for the following POIs: 100 Bishopsgate, Wembley Stadium, Blackpool Tower, Durham Cathedral, Floors Castle, The Blair Castle, Blenheim Palace, The Royal Botanical Gardens, Goodison Park, The Eden Project.
• Fixed St James Park missing texture.
• Fixed Emirates Stadium model and textures (include misspelling billboards).
• Fixed Eilean Donan Castle Vegetation clipping.
• Fixed Canterbury Cathedral LOD pops.
• Fixed Stamford Bridge LOD 1 and LOD 2 switched.
• Fixed Blackpool Tower texture clipping.
• Fixed Kew Garden floating bespoke building.
• Removed TIN spikes around St. James Park stadium.
• Fixed Windsor Castle LOD popping.
• Fixed Pontcysyllte Aqueduct LOD popping.
• Fixed Glass Pod on British Airways I360 position popping at different distances.
• Fixed Goodison Park missing textures under Sunroofs.
• Fixed Floors Castle texture and Added missing texture.
• Fixed Scotland flag display on Edinburgh Castle.
• Fixed Archbishop’s Palace Maidstone texture and LOD popping.
• Fixed Villa Park Stadium LOD popping.
• Fixed Kew Garden alignment with the satellite imagery footprint.
• Fixed Anfield Stadium LOD popping.
• Fixed Glamis Castle Grass vegetation clipping.
• Fixed Caernarfon Castle displaying.
• Fixed Wales Millennium Centre LOD transition.
• Fixed Forth Rail Bridge’s Northside pillar missing textures.
• Fixed Forth Rail Bridge displays Cars climbing.
• Fixed Twickenham Stadium and York Minster LOD popping.
• Liverpool John Lennon Airport EGGP:
  • Removed Light pole in middle of a taxiway.
  • Added missing collisions to multiple buildings.
• Barra Airport EGPR:
  • Fixed few taxi path issues.

World Update 4 – France &Benelux

* POIs

• Fixed the Mont Aiguille collision. It is now possible to land at its top.
• Fixed Stade Jean-Bouin collision.
• Fixed Stade Vélodrome LOD transition.
• Nice Cote Airport LFMN
  • Fixed runways center lines missing in both runways.
  • Fixed waypoints and nav procedures issues occurred.
  • Added collision to multiple buildings.

World Update 5 – Nordics

* POIs:

• Fixed Viking Stadion / SR-Bank LOD popping.
• Fixed Road traffic driving underneath Storseisundet Bridge and Svinesund Bridge.
• Fixed Petäjävesi Old Church and Uddevalla Bridge displays double markings.
• Fixed Cars driving through Copenhagen Opera House.
• Fixed Copenhagen Opera House LOD popping.
• Added collisions to the Tjörn Bridge.
• Fixed Kullen Lighthouse vegetation clipping.
• Fixed Øresund Bridge terraforming issue.
• Fixed Brøndby Stadium spawning.
• Fixed the Bolt Arena missing collision.
• Fixed Roskilde Cathedral Cars driving up the building.
• Fixed Helsinki Ice Hall LOD popping.
• Fixed Blue Water Arena missing collision.
• Fixed Arctic Cathedral LOD popping.
• Fixed Aalborg Stadium missing collision.
• Fixed Tromsø Bridge Road traffic under and beside the Bridge.
• Fixed floating TIN artifacts/crane near Helsinki Olympic stadium.
• Fixed Hallgrímskirkja Church missing collision.
• Fixed Eleda Stadion LOD popping.
• Fixed Ullevaal Stadion LOD transition.
• Added collisions to the Ylisto Bridge beams.
• Fixed Sparebanken Sør Arena LOD popping.
• Fixed Sölvesborg Bridge vegetation clipping.
• Stockholm Arlanda Airport ESSA:
  • improved LOD transition of several buildings.
  • Added collisions to all buildings.
  • Fixed terraforming issues include the crack on runway 26.
  • Fixed big crack in runway 26.
• Svalbard Airport ENSB:
  • Added missing collision to Airport hangar.

World Update 7 – Australia

* POIs:

• Fixed occasional displacement of dynamic flags on Sydney Harbour Bridge.
• Fixed vegetation clipping and placement issues at Anzac Bridge, Sydney.
• Fixed vegetation clipping at Mooney Mooney Bridge.
• Fixed flashing geometry on Tasman Bridge, Hobart.
• Adjusted photogrammetry exclusions at 568 Collins Street, Melbourne.
• Minor enhancements at several other locations, e.g., clipping vegetation or water exclusions.
• YSHL Shellharbour Airport:
  • Minimized visible LOD changes of hangars and other buildings.

World Update 8 – Iberia

* POIs:

• Fixed location of Fort of Sao Joao Baptista and Covão dos Conchos.
• Fixed or adding collisions:
  • Oscar Niemeyer International Cultural Centre.
  • Royal Palace of Madrid.
  • the Museu Nacional d Art de Catalunya.
  • the Estádio Algarve.
  • Bom Jesus do Monte.
  • Alqueva Dam.
  • Aldeadavila Dam.
  • the Museum of Art Architecture and Technology.
  • Estadio Jose Alvalade.
• Fixed LOD popping:
  • Montjuic Castle.
  • Estadio Da Luz.
  • Episcopal Palace of Astorga.
  • Covão dos Conchos.
  • San Pablo Bridge.
  • Torre Mapfre.
  • Basilica de La Sagrada Familia.
  • Oscar Niemeyer International Cultural Centre.
  • Puente Nuevo.
  • Fort of Sao Joao Baptista.
  • Estádio Municipal de Aveiro.
  • Estádio do Dragão.
  • Hotel Arts.
  • Observatorio Roque de los Muchachos.
  • El Monumento Natural de los Mallos de Riglos.
  • Palacio de Deportes de Santander.
  • Catedral de Leon.
  • the Alamillo Bridge.
• Fixed Montjuic Castle vegetation clipping.
• Fixed Z-fighting in front of the Museum of Art Architecture and Technology.
• Fixed Estádio Cidade de Coimbra double markers.
• Fixed Puente Nuevo Cars path.
• Fixed Guadiana International Bridge 2D footprints over the satellite imagery.
• Fixed Freixo Bridge- car traffic driving up below the Bridge.
• Fixed Third Millennium Bridge Cars traffic issue.
• Fixed Maria Pia Bridge- Cars climbing up to top of Bridge.
• Fixed Luís I Bridge displays Cars traffic path.
• Fixed Santiago Bernabeu Stadium seats texture.
• Fixed Castillo de Santa Barbara texture gaps.
• Fixed the animation of the Gondola on the Vizcaya Bridge.
• Fixed Bom Jesus do Monte trees clipping into the building.
• Fixed Alqueva Dam texture.
• Fixed Alcázar de Segovia terrain clipping.
• Fixed Pena Palace trees clipping into the POI.
• Fixed El Flysch Zumaya and El Capricho Villa POIs name spelling.
• Fixed Rande Bridge Cars path and trees clipping into the POI.
• Fixed Aldeadvila Dam vegetation clipping.
• Fixed Alcázar de Segovia trees clipping into the POI.
• Fixed El Monasterio de El Escorial Z-fighting.
• Fixed Monumento a Alfonso XII Z-fighting.
• Fixed 516 Arouca bridge vegetation clipping.
• Pico Airport LPPI:
  • Fixed double windsocks.

World Update 9 – Italy & Malta

* POIs

• Fixed Duomo Di Orvieto LOD popping.
• Added missing collisions to Basilica San Francesco.
• Fixed Torri Di San Marino LOD popping.
• Fixed Diga Di Santa Giustina terrain LOD popping.
• Added missing collision to Torri Di San Marino.
• Fixed Faro Di Capo Caccia cliffs collision.
• Fixed Castle of Corigliano Calabro vegetation clipping.
• Fixed Fort Manoel collision.
• Fixed Castello Di Graines collision.
• Fixed Caserta Royal Palace collision.
• Fixed Place Moulin Dam vegetation clipping.
• Fixed Fénis Castle textures issues.
• Fixed Potola Palace bridges terrain blending.
• Fixed Fort St Angelo vegetation clipping.
• Fixed Castelsardo invisible terrain issues.
• Fixed Palazzo Pitti Z-fighting and LOD popping.
• Fixed Fort St Angelo vegetation clipping.
• Fixed National Stadium Ta’Qali collisions.
• Fixed Fénis Castle vegetation clipping and Added collisions.
• Fixed Parish Church of Mellieha missing textures.
• Fixed Mi.Co. Gate 2 vegetation clipping.
• Fixed Basilica San Francesco vegetation clipping.
• Fixed Maxxi the National Museum collisions.
• Fixed Lighthouse Of Genoa powerlines, DEM and generic buildings clipping.
• Fixed Allianz Stadium vegetation clipping.
• Fixed Viadotto Sfalassa vegetation clipping.
• Fixed Basilica Di San Pietro vegetation and TIN clipping.
• Fixed Basilica Di San Petronio TIN clipping.
• Added missing collisions to Stadio Marcantonio Bentegodi.
• Fixed Castelsardo Z-fighting and vegetation clipping.
• Fixed Grotta Di Nettuno vegetation clipping.
• Marina Di Campo Airport LIRJ:
  • Fixed double windsocks.

World Update 10 – USA

* POIs:

• Fixed Mount Washington Hotel terraforming.
• Fixed National Park of American Samoa’s Marker position.
• Fixed textures stretched in Royal Gorge Bridge & Park’s Rock.
• Fixed Z-fighting on the roof of the Getty Museum.
• Fixed the Smithsonian National Museum of American History display name.
• Fixed the Cabo Rojo Lighthouse marker position and windows textures issues.
• Fixed the vegetation clipping into the Independence Temple.
• Fixed the New Orleans bridges collisions.
• Fixed the US flag in Little Rock Central High School National Historic Site.
• Fixed the Longaberger Company headquarters and Fort Massachusetts collision.
• Fixed LODs transitions for the following POIs:
  • Split Rock Lighthouse.
  • Kentucky State Capitol.
  • Indian River Inlet Bridge.
  • World War II Memorial.
  • Cabo Rojo Lighthouse.
  • Yerkes Observatory.
  • Montana State.
  • Mount Washington.
  • Theodore Roosevelt Dam.
  • the Independence Temple.
  • Fort Massachusetts.
  • National Gallery of Art.
• Lake Tahoe Airport KTVL:
  • Added collisions for few missing buildings.
• Block Island Airport KBID:
  • Added collisions for few missing buildings.
• Dallas Forth Worth Airport KDFW:
  • Fixed few terraforming issues in the airport.
  • Runways types are now defined.
• Others:
  • Fixed the Water cracks present at Seven Seas Lagoon near.

World Update 11 – Canada

* POIs:

• Fixed TIN buildings exclusion near Hatley Park National Historic Site.
• Fixed blend of Samuel de Champlain Bridge surrounding terrain.
• Fixed the double markers of the One on the World map.
• Fixed Cars floating above Pierre-Laporte Bridge.
• Fixed Cars flow over Jacques Cartier Bridge and Angus L. Macdonald Bridge.
• Fixed big Nickel POI name.
• Fixed the vegetation clipping through Burrard Street Bridge.
• Fixed Z fighting on the Canadian Museum for Human Rights.
• Fixed LOD popping of Cape Bonavista Lighthouse cliffs and Cape Spear Lighthouse National Historic cliffs.
• Fixed the vegetation clipping into the zipline at the Cape Enrage Lighthouse.
• Fixes Pierre-Laporte Bridge terrain alignment.
• Fixed the vegetation clipping into the A. Murray MacKay Bridge and Thousand Islands Bridge.
• Fixed Lions Gate Bridge alignment with tterrain and road.
• Fixed terrain spikes going through Jacques Cartier Bridge.
• Fixed Holes in terrain all around Citadel Hill (Fort George).
• Fixed terrain LOD popping around Parliament of Canada.
• Fixed terraforming at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights.
• Fixed TIN data displays next to Fisgard Lighthouse.
• Added missing building on the Canadian High Arctic Research Station.
• Added missing building for the Cambridge Bay Radar Station.
• Fixed collisions of Jacques Cartier Bridge, The Lions Gate Bridge and The Canadian Museum for Human Rights.

40th Anniversary Edition / Sim Update 11

• Meigs Field KCGX:
  • Fixed Z-fighting in runway and tarmac.
  • Fixed taxi to parking after landing.
  • Starting in KCGX helipad while helicopter is selected is now available.
  • ATIS is now available.
• Hong Kong Kai Tak Airport VHHX:
  • Added collisions to multiple buildings.
  • Fixed the too low glideslope.
  • Fixed the ILS range for runway 13.
  • ATIS is now available.
• Princess Juliana Airport TNCM:
  • Added collisions to few missing buildings.
  • Fixed the LOD transitions.
• First Flight Airport KFFA:
  • Fixed Z fighting on pathway.
• Helipads/Heliports:
  • Lingotto Building LIBH:
    • Fixed the too High collision preventing smooth landing.
    • Fixed Z- fighting on the roof of the building.
  • NYC Heliport KJRB – Added collisions for few missing items.
  • Tokyo Heliport – Added collisions for few buildings.
  • US Bank Tower Helipad:
    • marker is now centered over the helipad.
    • Fixed LOD transition.
  • Heliponto Mirante Dona Marta SMDH:
    • Heliport collisions has been fixed.
    • Fixed LOD transition.
  • Menara Telekom Tower Helipad:
    • marker is now centered over the helipad.
    • Fixed Z-fighting on Water near the tower.
  • Bitexco Financial Tower – Fixed LOD transition.
  • London Heliport EGLW – Removed building appeared inside the Airport perimeter while photogrammetry is off.
  • Needles Lighthouse – Lighthouse Light is now spinning.
  • Issy-Les-Moulineaux Heliport:
    • marker is now centered over the helipad.
• Glider Airports:
  • Itakura Gliderport RJT1 – Fixed ground and runway textures.

Game of the Year Edition

• Voloport:
  • All Voloports are now possible to use as helipads.
  • Issy-Les-Moulineaux Heliport- Voloport is now available as helipad.
  • La Defense Voloport is is now available as helipad.
  • Fixed LOD transition for all Voloports.
  • Fixed Le Bourget Voloport name spelling.
• Lugano Airport LSZA:
  • Collision has been Added to multiple objects.
  • Fixed floating lights around the airport.
  • Fixed Z-fighting on airports’ tennis courts.

Top Gun Maverick

• Fixed the clipping through the rocks at Seneca Rocks Peak.
• Fixed Haines Knob collision is size.
• Fixed collisions in Germany Valley Quarry.
• Fixed French Gulf Marina has LOD transition.
• Fixed LOD popping in Riffle Lake Dam.

Hello, my name is Regal Sadfael, and I am a researcher in the History and Archaeology department in the university of Jeliza. I am also the co-founder of “the Three Weirdos”, an unofficial laboratory that specializes in studying the paranormal. Finally, I also do freelance detective work, mostly interested in paranormal and Magic-related cases.
You may have heard about Magic as this strange force of life that some learned to control, that is fearful and frightening and sometimes even taboo. You may also have heard some horror stories about disfigured mages and killing fields, about how mages are not the one actually in control of magic but are merely puppets in the hands of Demons, about the fact that mages need to leave something of their soul to do Magic, or a bunch of other things that made you fear Magic. Depending on where you live, you may have heard that Magic is reserved to some beings, such as the winged-people, the Annucals, or a happy-few Nobility selected by the Gods. Or, most probably, you may have heard legends and stories of which you don’t believe a single word.
Well, forget everything you think you know, because not all of it is true. Not all of it is false, either.
Let me tell you a bit about Magic, and why it is a force to be reckoned with. Why Magic is so feared in our world, while being also one of the greatest gift made to us.
What exactly is Magic? Magic is a Force that runs through the world. It flows from a dimension parallel to our own, called the Within-world. This dimension is not really a place, but more like a world of ideas and thoughts that coexist with our own, on top of it, parallely. Most people would never interact with the Withinworld and most of the creatures living in the Withinworld would not be aware of us either – as they are beings of pure thoughts, they could not materialise in our world without help either. Mages are, simply speaking, able to draw upon the energy of the Withinworld and exchange it with some of our world’s energy, drawing from either their body, their soul, their spirit or the matter around them. What actually comes from the Withinworld is hard to grasp, and even harder to describe. It is pure abstraction, the power of im-agination, or thoughts, concepts that happen to have aim, they are beings of pure abstraction and will. Some of these entities are very weak, and most of the time they are immediately sucked into whatever spell or hex the Mage is throwing. Sometime they actually have some strength, and use the Mage as much as the Mage is using them – this is the main reason why Magic is a dangerous thing and from these cases come most of the frightening stories you might have heard about Magic. The will of the Mage is pulled from the Withinworld, and woven into reality, but because what comes is so ab-stract, the effect of Magic is actually very dependent on the Mage and their personality.
I identified five main types of Magic, based on what is used to fuel and the type of effect these Mages can at-tain. Each one allows the user to manipulate a force of the world, allowing for four main types of powers. Here is a graphical representation from my latest publication titled “Classifying and un-derstanding the Magical Arts”. (Keep in mind this model is entirely theoretical, and by no means should it be seen as the truth. For other theories, you can refer at the Theory of Magic and Colours (Noriod, Meike et al., 1971) the Numerical Model of Magic (Nollarda, 1976) and at the Energetic Theories of Magic by Zerradnol (1981). An older source with some very interesting concepts is the Alchemy treaties by Qallaravos Norivarios, in the XI century. )

• Hyléomancy uses matter. These mages consume the matter around them to manipulate the force of Chaos and Order. The two powers these mages can use are Neomancy, the magic of change which allows the mage to change or reassemble atoms. Alchemy, sculpture, body modifications are all things you could do with this magic. Catharsis is the magic of destruction. Decay, explosions, chemical reactions…
• Animancy uses the soul. These mage strain their own soul, heir life force, in order to manipulate the force of Life and Death itself. Their two powers are Biomancy, that can either manipulate cells to heal or create illnesses and viruses, and Necromancy that allow to speak to the dead and use their life energy.
• Pnéamancy uses the spirit, these mages are using their emotions, their motivation, their mental force in order to manipulate the forces of Union and Discord. The two themes are either Bond Magic, allowing them to create very a very strong link between atoms or people, creating indestructible matter or groups, or Psychomagic, the magic of reading and manipulating the emotions and the opinions of people by suggestion.
• Somatomancy uses the body. A Mage using these magics would use their force, their muscles, and grow tired like with any physical exercise, in order to manipulate Heat and Cold. Khôramancy is the art of do-ing physical prowesses, by increasing strength or fluidity of movements, and Chronomagc being the art of slowing down time itself.

At the centre of it all lies the power of Stability, but it is still widely unknown and not understood very well. It looks like it is mostly a passive magic, that is linked to understanding, feeling and having an empathetic bond with Magic at a fundamental level, but virtually no records exist as to what this can do or not.
Some examples of things that mages I met during my life can do: - As you may know, the wings of the Annucals are typically too small to sustain flight. The average Annucal may be able to raise above the ground for a second or glide over air for a time, should they jump from a high point, but they don’t really fly. Except for this girl I met, Malkina, who effectively uses her power of Khôramancy to heat up the air currents below herself, as well as increase the span and force of her wings muscles. This allows her to really fly like a bird. Some records seem to mention that Annucals from Tellagis and Köllmer were using this same technique to battle some centuries ago. - Jyuzi is a young sailor, a Commodore of the Boatmen Guild, who uses the same brand of magic to manipulate water currents in the Thousand-Seas. He is employed on a cargo ship, and is using his power to allow his crew to go through difficult passages without much hassle. I saw him with my own eyes manipulate the sea around us, allow-ing our ship to accelerate as if we a strong current was pushing us ahead, while a band of pirates in a fishing boat was lagging behind, fighting against contrary waves. - Vohik is a shaman living on the coasts of Alnaro, and a windspeaker. His Animancy allows him to listen to the winds, telling him about what is happening on his land – they tell him where his herd of sheep are roaming at the moment, and where predators might lurk, they tell where fish shoals are and where to throw his nets, they tell what weather is coming up and when they are carrying rain clouds. - Geirgre is an old creepy guy I don’t really like. He claims to be more than four hundred years old and, quite frankly, looks like it. He showed me once how he could hear the whispering of the deads. This person had been killed three days before, and the police was at loss, but Geirgre was able to ask the corpse who stabbed them and what the circumstances were. He claimed to hear the ghost and had it tell the whole story – the culprit did confirm everything not long after. - My friend Fabios, from the beautiful city-state of Alliance, is a Psychomagus. Psychomagi are a very secretive clan, who have a hand in all pies in the region. Fabios himself is working on behalf of the police. His role is to make sure the people in the interrogation rooms are telling the truth. He is inducing suggestion not to lie to these peo-ple, which usually is strong enough to compel them to tell the truth or, at least, look like crap while they lie. Of course, he is a freelancer and ultimately working for the Psychomagi, meaning that sometimes other interests are at play and he may sometimes receive orders to ensure certain truths remain untold. - One of my regular employers is Alaric Korkeff, the lead scientist from Petal Ltd., the genetic research company. Mr. Korkeff has been working with Magic for quite some time, and experimenting with what it can do. He studies several subjects, analysing how they can shape their body and how Neomagic changes them and their genetic makeup. While I am not clear on the sciencey gibberish, I can tell you that this guy Tunk is quite impressive: his most defining feature is a freakishly long right arm that touches the ground, with greenish skin and long wiry mus-cles. Tunk does not look like much, but his green right arm can break a brick wall with a small push. - My last example is not a person but a place. The Space Temple is very impressive. The mages there, the Tem-porists Monks, have been studing Khôramancy for centuries. Not only can they move fluidly like no other, they also created a network of Portals, all pointing to their temple, giving access to a bunch of different places around the world. In a single corridor of the temple, a row of doors upon doors can give you access to any country you might fancy, this one goes into an office in Kalcot while the one next to it accesses a crack between rocks in the Chain Mountains, or a cellar in Asgamance. One of the High-Temporists works from a corner office in the temple that has two windows on the wall. The one to his right opens on a Sitaa-Daiese beach blowing warm winds with the sooth-ing sound of crashing waves, while the one ahead is showing a stunning view of the frozen moors of Jädet, hun-dreds of kilometers away.
How do I do Magic? In order to use magic, a mage needs several things: - The mage themself, needs to be clear of mind and have received a formal training. Usually years of training are a minimal requirement to be able to use Magic. - A catalyst, acting as a physical bond between the Within and the Magic. - Magical Energy. Depending on the type of magic, it might be fuelled through the body, the mind, the spirit or matter.
This is of course very high-level concepts, and the actual things would vary a lot depending on what is needed. The catalysts can differ from mage to mage. Depending on the area of the world or the need, different tech-niques have been developed. Typically, it will come in the form of Runes, Glyphs or symbols. The way they are done has importance: carving runes or painting glyphs will have subtle differences, even if the magic called upon is simi-lar. This is why it is very rare to see two mages perform the same magic exactly. Some examples of techniques used across the globe: - Catalyst items. Some mages use an object, usually something that have a strong bond with their state of mind or personality, to draw their magic. A stick or a staff, a piece of clothing, a magical weapon, a ring or an accessory... The item would need to be infused with magical symbols and act as a link between the mage and the energies they use to perform magic. - Throwaway items such as clay tablets, playing cards, or grenades. Some mages prefer to have their items be a one-off catalyst, rather than going through the hassle of forming a bond with it. It can be interesting when the ef-fect is dangerous, for example Destruction hexes, or for some cases such as carving runes inside a bottle to make a potion more potent. - Some can carve or draw Runes or power circles directly where they need the magic to happen, be it a place, a room, or a person. Demonists typically draw power circles on the floor, in order to call upon Demons from the Withinworld and use their power. Some mages tattoo magical symbols directly on their own, or somebody else’s, skin.
The steps to do Magic: The first step would be to create a Magical Effect and accumulate the magic. This is typically done by drawing magical symbols. Depending on what Symbols are used and how they are done, the effects can vary: whether the user uses Runes, Glyphs or Kanjis, whether they are carved, drawn or traced, the tool used (a style or a brush, a pen or a quill), the support (clay or paper, stone or skin…) and the medium (ink or blood, melted metal poured in a carving…). This step looks very different from mage to mage, one might spend hours carefully carving a staff and pouring their own blood in the Runes, while another might quickly draw some Kanjis in ink on some pieces of paper to scatter in the wind. The Mage would then need to throw the spell, getting it to perform the effect. This is done through their will only, exchanging something from our world with the Magical energy from the Withinworld. It could be a one-off thing (a clay tablet, carved with Catharsis Runes, would be hidden in the ground and explode like a mine), a more subtle spell (a bracelet carved with Psychomagic Symbols, granting a mage power to read the emotions of the wearer) or even long lasting effects (a storage room where some Runes calling upon Coldness have been carved, staying beyond freezing temperatures for as long as the mage can sustain it).
This is just a very light intro on the vast and complex subject that is Magic. Ask me anything about it.

"Now I'm retired. I'll pray for him though!" - Ali Alexander Stop the Steal’s #1 guy, just not feeling it anymore!

Can't Contain The Indictment

Could it be? Could disgraced former president Donald Trump actually face legal consequences for his myriad crimes and misdeeds?

• Well, maybe! Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg is expected to decide whether to indict Trump on charges related to the illegal hush-money payment he made to adult-film actress Stormy Daniels in 2016 any day now. Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis will likely not be far behind in deciding whether to indict Trump for attempting to overturn the 2020 election results in Georgia. This will be a delicate balance for prosecutors, who will have to weigh not only whether or not to charge Trump and for what criminal offenses, but also his associates who committed related crimes.
  
• Trump’s potential indictment in the Stormy Daniels case would stem from a bookkeeping fraud charge, an extremely funny charge for someone as cartoonishly evil as Donald Trump, not unlike Al Capone getting brought down for tax fraud. To carry that charge over the finish line, prosecutors will have to show that Trump knowingly instructed his campaign subordinates to miscategorize the $130,000 payment to Daniels with “intent to defraud.” In Georgia, Trump’s potential crimes include election-code violations (including conspiracy to violate the election code and solicitation of election fraud), and racketeering.
  
• Obviously, many of Trump’s besties in Congress are not happy about this. Three House Republican committee chairmen sent Bragg a letter today insisting he testify before Congress “about what plainly appears to be a politically motivated prosecutorial decision.” It’s not a subpoena, exactly, but it’s the first indication that House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and his band of MAGA nutjobs plan to make good on their promise to harass any and all officials who have investigated Trump. This letter comes on the heels of Trump unleashing a series of screeds on Truth Social on Saturday, claiming that “illegal leaks” indicated he would be arrested on Tuesday, and calling on his supporters to protest.
  

But wait, there’s more!

• Apart from the state-level cases, there are also federal investigations, including of Trump’s theft of classified documents, which he took to Mar-A-Lago after his presidency had ended. Last year, Trump’s lawyer Evan Corcoran falsely told the Justice Department that no additional documents remained in Trump’s possession after Trump turned over an initial set to the National Archives, and then whoopsie daisy, the FBI search of Mar-A-Lago in August produced 103 more. For this, Trump could get slapped with charges of unauthorized retention of national security documents, obstruction of justice, mishandling official documents, contempt of court, and conspiracy to make a false statement.
  
• DOJ Special Counsel Jack Smith is also conducting a broader federal investigation into Trump’s attempt to overturn the 2020 election results and his involvement in the January 6 insurrection. The House January 6 Committee referred Trump and others to DOJ for criminal investigation, but that investigation was underway before the committee disbanded, and before Attorney General Merrick Garland appointed a special counsel. However, Smith may well use the panel’s findings to help him finish his investigation. This could result in charges of obstruction of an official proceeding, conspiracy to defraud the United States, conspiracy to make a false statement, and insurrection. Wow! Truly an unprecedented achievement in the federal crimes industry!
  

For perhaps the first time, it appears that even Trump can see the writing on the wall. He’s trying to exploit his impending arrest for political gain and fundraising, as he is wont to do, but he just doesn’t have the juice that he did two years ago. Even his legions of loyal adherents now feel like protesting in support of him is a waste of time. Will all of the charges come down on him? Probably not. But it seems highly unlikely at this point that none of them will. You don’t have to be a statistician to know that the odds are finally stacking up against him.

Look No Further Than Crooked Media

Join Ben and Tommy as they mark the 20-year anniversary of the US invasion of Iraq with a bonus episode of Pod Save the World and attempt to answer the question: how did the Iraq war change America and the world? Joining them for this conversation is journalist and Iraq war supporter turned vocal opponent Peter Beinart, and Congressman and Iraq war veteran Ruben Gallego.
Listen to this special episode of Pod Save the World and catch new episodes every Wednesday on your favorite podcast platform.

Under The Radar

Conservative lawmakers and anti-choice advocates are scrambling ahead of what could be a wave of ballot initiatives coming their way. Chairman of Oklahomans for Life Tony Lauinger recently wrote a letter to Oklahoma state lawmakers urging them to amend the state’s near-total abortion ban to add exceptions for rape and incest, arguing that without such exceptions, there is a significant chance that a citizen-led ballot initiative to make abortion legal will eventually succeed. This is part of a larger strategy by the anti-choice movement to prevent voters from restoring abortion access by popular vote. State legislatures in Arkansas, Florida, Idaho, Missouri, North Dakota, Ohio, and Oklahoma are all debating bills that would impose much stricter requirements for ballot initiatives and increase the vote threshold to pass an amendment. So now we have Roe overturned by an unelected body from a conservative majority appointed by two presidents who lost the popular vote, and conservative state legislatures trying to prohibit ballot measures from passing with majority support. Gotta love this anti-democratic turducken!

What Else?

Wyoming became the first state to explicitly ban abortion pills on Friday.
A GOP-proposed bill in Florida would ban girls from talking about their menstrual cycles in school. Great, now instead of “aunt flo” or “the red wave” girls will have to refer to their periods as “the event which legally I’m not at liberty to discuss.”
A new major climate report from the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change concludes that without drastic and immediate changes to reduce reliance on fossil fuels, earth will cross a critical global-warming threshold by the early 2030s. Will this be the warning Republicans and Joe Manchin finally take seriously? Probably not!
European lenders seemed to recover today, as did U.S. banking stocks following last week’s bank run March Madness.
The New York Times finally nailed down the Reagan campaign conspiracy with foreign regimes to keep U.S. hostages imprisoned in Iran until after the 1980 election, reminder #6384958495 that Trump is just a recent symptom of GOP corruption, not the cause of it.
French President Emmanuel Macron’s government barely survived a no-confidence vote in the country’s National Assembly today after the government bypassed the lower house to ram through deeply unpopular changes to the French pension system.
A bunch of pro-Russian accounts used Elon Musk’s new pay-to-play Twitter verification system to disseminate misinformation about the Ohio train derailment last month in an effort designed to provoke fear and distrust.
Russian President Vladimir Putin hosted Chinese President Xi Jinping for dinner at the Kremlin on Monday, referring to Xi as his “dear friend,” just days after the ICC called for Putin to be arrested for war crimes against Ukrainian children.

What In The World?

Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich came under fire after a speech he delivered at a conference in France on Sunday. “Is there a Palestinian history or culture? There is none,” he said, “There is no such thing as a Palestinian people.” Yep! That’ll do it! Smotrich, who heads the religious-nationalist party of the most far-right coalition government in Israeli history, made these comments on the same day that Israeli and Palestinian officials met in Egypt for de-escalation talks ahead of Islam’s holy month of Ramadan and the Jewish holiday of Passover. Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh immediately condemned the remarks and said they are effectively an incitement of violence, while deputy U.N. spokesman Farhan Haq called the statements “completely unhelpful.” Egypt, the first Arab nation to sign a peace deal with Israel, rejected the statements as well.

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Light At The End Of The Email

President Biden issued the first veto of his term today to kill Republican legislation that would ban federal government benefit administrators from considering environmental impacts when making investment decisions for American retirement plans.

Enjoy

BuccoCapital Guy on Twitter: "Every time"