14 September 2021 - Sylvain Parouty and the folks at The Royal French Navy have released a version of their v2.0 Enterdard IVM/IVP for use in FSX and Prepar3D v1 to v3.  This version has 32-bit DLL files and the gunsight/HUD gauge has been simplified using XML rather than C++.

9.11.2001

11 September 2021 - Today markes the 20th anniversary of the terrorist attacks on the Unites States of America.  And the too long war that followed is finally over.  It was a generation ago but We Will Never Forget.

5 September 2021 - Here are two more Mirage repaint sets by Jason Rogers.  These are for the Mirage 5 variants of the Zaire Air Force with 11 textures for the Mirage 5M and 5DM..  The second is the Mirage 5 variants of the Goban Air Force with 11 textures for the Mirage 5G, 5DG and 5G2.  This entire series are for use with the FS2004 AI Mirage III/5 models by Mike Pearson/MAIW. 

31 August 2021 - The Royal French Navy have released their v2.0 update to the Enterdard IVM/IVP.  This update is fully 64-bit for Prepar3D v4 and v5.  The improved model includes new textures, more accurate functions, TacPack compatability, and new C++ gauges to better replicate the Etendard systems as close as possible.

27 August 2021 - Here are the first two of the Mirage repaints by Jason Rogers.  This entire series are for use with the FS2004 AI Mirage III/5 models by Mike Pearson/MAIW.  The first is for the Mirage 5 variants of United Arab Emirates Air Force with 31 textures for the Mirage 5AD, 5DAD, 5EAD, and 5RAD.  The second is the Mirage 5 variants of Egyptian Air Force with 72 textures for the Mirage 5E2, 5SDD, 5SDE, 5SSE and 5SDR.

24 August 2021 - Well I need something to mention for August.  I started a new job in July and it has eliminated almost all of the spare time I used to have for painting when things got slow.  But I just discovered a series or Mirage III/5 repaints by Jason Rogers of the Mike Pearson/MAIW Mirage III/5.  I'll list these a couple at a time which should give me something to say for a little while.  Maybe I can get back into painting along the way?

24 July 2021 - Drag has been painting the entire fleet of Rafale C, B, and M for use with the Nick Black/MAIW AI Rafale in FSX.  This first installment is for the the Rafale B and C operated by the French Air Force.  The included units are EC 1/4 'Gascogne', EC 2/4 'Lafayette', and EC 3/4 'Aquitaine' at Saint-Dizier - Robinson AB; EC 1/30 'Cote d'Argent', EC 2/30 'Normandie-Niemen', and EC 3/30 'Lorraine' at Mont-de-Marsan AB; EC 1/7 'Provence' at Al-Dhafra AB; and the Centre d'Essais en Vol at Cazaux AB.  Also includes some special liveries by Mark (Tranquil) Beale.

8 July 2021 - Another slow month although a complete repaint of the Rafale in Aéronavale and Armée de l'Air markings is coming soon for the Nick Black/MAIW AI Rafale.  In the meantime I have gone through the Links page and removed any dead links.  If I missed any or you have any suggestions please

19 June 2021 - Lockheed Martin's Prepar3D was updated to version 5.2 earlier this month.  There are a lot of new features and updates including correcting the X/Y frequencies of the TACAN navigation system used by military aircraft.  But one thing still not included is to make TACAN operational on the default aircraft.  Until this is realized, the folks at La Royale French Navy (RFN) have designed a pop-up "RFN Default TACAN" gauge.  Similar in design to their Flight Plan Monitoring gauge, it is available on their website.

1 June 2021 - May was a slow month aircraft-wise.  So I'll start June with another La Royale French Navy (RFN) product update.  The RFN Scenery version 5.0 has been updated to support Prepar3D v4 and v5.  It is still compatable with FSX/FSX-SE.  It is an essential complement to the RFN Carrier Gauge mentioned last week for performing virtual sessions of ASPP (Simulated Landing On Track) or FCLP (Field Carrier Landing Practice).  The maritime traffic of RFN ships as well as the RFN air traffic are now part of the package.

22 May 2021 - Sylvain Parouty and the folks at La Royale French Navy have updated the RFN Carrier Gauge to version 5.3.  The recent minor updates have added some nice features.  You can now capture all ILS in the sim -- not just those listed in the "RFN_carrier.xml" file.  And you can switch between ILS and TACAN display in the New Generation (NG) version of the gauge by using a keyboard shortcut or joystick button rather than mousing over the gauge buttons.

15 May 2021 - While trolling around the MAIW website I found a Prepar3D v4 scenery for Los Llanos Albacete (LEAB) in Spain.  Los Llanos has a long history with Mirage aircraft in use by the Ejército del Aire.  This scenery makes a nice backdrop for the recent Mirage F1 by Kirk Olsson / Henk Schuitemaker.

8 May 2021 - The Royale French Navy team have updated the French Aéronavale Carrier "Charles de Gaulle" (R 91).  The work of Sylvain Parouty, Pierre Marchardier, Michel Panattoni, and the rest of the RFN crew, this update includes two configurations of the ship — one from the year 2000 and one as it now appears following an 18-month midlife upgrade and refit completed in 2018.  The mix of aircraft include the Rafale M, Super Etendard (retired in 2016), and E-2C Hawkeye appropriate to the year represented.

2 May 2021 - I stumbled upon a new FS2004 scenery by Gert van Beek at Military AI Works for BAN Hyères/Le Palyvestre (LFTH).

24 April 2021 - Here is the final installment of the AI Mirage aircraft by Mike Pearson that Henk Schuitemaker has converted for use in Prepar3D v4.  The aircraft this time is the Atlas Cheetah.

17 April 2021 - Here are a few more AI Mirage aircraft by Mike Pearson that Henk Schuitemaker has converted for use in Prepar3D v4.  This group are all manufactured by Israil Aircraft Industries and include the Nesher, Dagger (late model), and the Kfir.

10 April 2021 - Henk Schuitemaker has been working on updating the AI Mirage series by Mike Pearson for use in Prepar3D v4.  The series was originally developed for use by Military AI Works about a decade ago and therefore only intended for FS2004.  There are so many types in the series that I am going to break it down into a couple of installments.  Lets start with the Mirage III, Mirage IV, and Mirage 5.

3 April 2021 - L'iguane has given us two new Mirage 2000 textures to go with his update of the FS2004 Mirage 2000N "Basic" package by Roland Laborie and Johnathan Hillaire.  The first scheme is of a Mirage 2000DP of Escuadrón Caza-Bombardeo 412 "Halcones" of the Fuerza Aérea del Perú.  The second is of a Mirage 2000D of the Direction Générale de l'Armement - Essais en Vol at BA 120 Cazaux (LFBC).  Both packages require the first Mirage 2000B update package from L'iguane.

27 March 2021 - Mark (Tranquil) Beale has released a 2-Pack of Mirage 2000 textures for the new AI Mirage 2000 package by Henk Schuitemaker/MAIW.  Included are a Mirage 2000C of EC 1/12 'Cambresis' in markings worn at the 2003 Tiger Meet at BA 103 Cambrai-Epinoy (LFQI) and a Mirage 2000-5F of EC 1/2 'Cigognes' from BA 116 Luxeuil Saint-Sauveur (LFSX) in a scheme to honor the 100 Years Anniversary of the death of Captain Georges Guynemer in 2017.

20 March 2021 - L'iguane has continued with his FS2004 updates to the Mirage 2000N "Basic" package by Roland Laborie and Johnathan Hillaire.  This time with a Mirage 2000D scheme for EC 3/11 'Corse' based in Djibouti.  The package also includes a new MDL file.  The second package is a set of textures for a Mirage 2000D of the ECE 1/30 'Côte d'Argent' Experimentation squadron at the 2019 NATO Tiger Meet held at BA 118 Mont-de-Marsan.  This second package required the MDL file from the EC 3/11 'Corse' package.  Both packages require the first Mirage 2000B package from L'iguane earlier this month.

13 March 2021 - Here is another repaint by Mark (Tranquil) Beale.  This one is for the Rafale AI by Nick Black/MAIW.  This scheme is for one of two Rafale C of EC 1/7 'Provence' painted to celebrate the 10 years of presence of the Armée d'la Aire at BA 104 Al Dhafra in the United Arab Emirates.

8 March 2021 - L'iguane has painted a second texture for his FS2004 update to the Mirage 2000N "Basic" package by Roland Laborie and Johnathan Hillaire.  This one is the Mirage 2000B-01 Prototype scheme.  This series of repaints will all require his first Mirage 2000B upgrade package installed on top of the original package mentioned above.

4 March 2021 - L'iguane has been working on a series of updates (custom MDLs and effects) and repaints for the FS2004 Mirage 2000N "Basic" package by Roland Laborie and Johnathan Hillaire.  The first is a Mirage 2000B of EC 2/2 Côte d'Or.  This series of repaints will all require this first Mirage 2000B upgrade package on top of the original package mentioned above.

26 February 2021 - Henk Schuitemaker has created a new series of AI models of the Mirage 2000 for use in 64-bit Prepar3d v4 and v5.  This package includes the Mirage 2000B, C, 5F, D and N in 28 differently configured models and 103 paints.  They represent aircraft in service with the French Armée de l'Air from the 1980's to the present.  Also included are basic flight plans and airbase scenery for six French Armée de l'Air bases.

21 February 2021 - Here is another repaint by Mark (Tranquil) Beale.  This one is for the Rafale AI by Nick Black/MAIW.  The scheme is for a Rafale M and wears special markings to commemorate the 100 years of aircraft carrier takeoff/landings by the French Aéronavale in 2020.  The unit represented is the Centre d'Expérimentations Pratiques de l'Aéronautique Navale (Naval Aviation Trials Center, CEPA) based at BAN Hyères (LFTH).

8 February 2021 - Mark (Tranquil) Beale has painted a few new schemes for Mirage and Rafale aircraft.  This first one is a special scheme applied to a former Belgium Air Force Mirage 5BD.  The aircraft is now maintained by the Mirage 5 BD09 Restoration Group.  The scheme commemorated the 50th anniversary of the Mirage 5 in Belgium Air Force service in 2020.

29 January 2021 - While trolling Simviation.com for anything new and Mirage related I came across an FSX panel from a decade ago for the Super Étendard Modernisé I had not seen before.  This panel by Jean-Luc Peters is a widescreen version of the earlier modifications he made to the panel by Danny Garnier.  A separate patch file released two years later fixes an issue with outside views from the cockpit.

17 January 2021 - SkyDesigners have updated another of their French airbase sceneries for use with MSFS.  This time they have made BAN Landivisiau (LFRJ) as it appeared in the 2010s with the Super Étendard Modernisé, Rafale M, and Falcon 10 Mer.

9 January 2021 - SkyDesigners have begun to update their French airbase sceneries for use with MSFS.  Things tend to look very good in the new sim anyway and these sceneries are no exception.  The first two are BA 102 Dijon-Longvic (LFSD) and BA 112 Reims-Champagne (LFSR).

3 January 2021 - Let's start off the new year with some new paint.  L'iguane has given us another repaint for the Mirage F1 by Kirk Olsson.  This repaint is of a Mirage F1CR of ER 2/33 'Savoie' of the Armée de l'Air while deployed to N'djamena Intl Airport (FTTJ) in Chad, Africa in 1987.  The unique part of this desert camo scheme is the sharksmouth on the nose of the aircraft.

1 January 2021 - Best Wishes and Happy New Year to All!