Archives For November 30, 1999

Free open-source multi-platform flight simulator FlightGear 2019.1 was finally released today. Here’s how to install it in Ubuntu 18.04 and higher.

FlightGear 2019.1 release highlights:

  • METAR interpretation: Change CAVOK visibility to 9999.0 metres
  • Add the ability to control the turbine engines spin down factor
  • Add the ability to set up the starter and acceleration times of a turbine
  • Yasim ground friction (stiction) changes
  • fgcommands “add-aiobject” and “remove-aiobject” for adding/removing objects to the AI subsystem.
  • Support for DDS Texture Cache
  • New experimental Compositor rendering framework
  • Some Boeing 777 update, and other more.

How to Install FlightGear in Ubuntu:

FlightGear is available in Ubuntu Software by default, but always old. To get the most recent version, you can:

  • either install or upgrade FlightGear via PPA repository.
  • or install the Flatpak package (runs in sandbox).

NOTE: Both PPA repository and Flatpak package are not updated at the moment. The new release packages will be available in a few days.

1. To add the PPA, open terminal (Ctrl+Alt+T) and run command:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:saiarcot895/flightgear

Then you’ll be able to either upgrade FlightGear through Software Updater,

or install the simulator via command:

sudo apt update && sudo apt install flightgear

(Optional) You can remove the PPA either via the first step command with --remove added in the end, or by going to “Software & Updates -> Other Software” tab.

2. FlightGear Flatpak package is available in Flathub repository, where also contains how to install instructions.

FlightGear 2018.3 was finally released with many exciting new features, enhancements and bugfixes including usability improvements to the launcher, better visuals for AI and MP aircraft.

FlightGear 2018.3 release highlight according to the changelog:

  • Flightplan loading within the launcher.
  • Chinese, Russian and Italian translations for the launcher and UI
  • Improved support for the state of the aircraft depending on starting location
  • Improved joystick configuration and binding options.
  • Multiple Levels of Detail (LoD) for MP and AI aircraft. To improve performance, low-detail models are used when the viewer is far from the MP aircraft.
  • Fallback models to display in the case where a viewer does not have the MP aircraft installed.
  • Many improvements to AI models including new liveries, timetabled movements
  • Support for retrieving Canvas images over HTTP.
  • Improved cloud rendering with stronger Mie scattering on cloud fringes, improved scattering on cirrus clouds
  • Improved scenery for Hawaii, the default location for this release.
  • New scenery for Jan Mayen, situated northeast of Iceland. Including the active volcano of Beerenberg (2277m).
  • FG1000 glass panel display, based on the Garmin G1000
  • Improved Replay handling of AI aircraft and carriers – judge your own carrier landings.
  • KC-130 tanker aircraft for air-to-air refueling
  • Significant Aircraft updates

Download / Install FlightGear in Ubuntu:

For Ubuntu 16.04, Ubuntu 18.04, and higher, FlighGear 2018.3 will be available to install either via Ubuntu PPA, or Flathub repository (run in sandbox).

FlightGear flight simulator 2018.2.1 was released more than a week ago. Now it’s finally made into PPA for Ubuntu 18.04, Ubuntu 17.10, Ubuntu 16.04, and/or Ubuntu 14.04.

FlightGear 2018.2.1 contains many exciting new features, enhancements and bugfixes, including improved support for addons, improvements to the YASim FDM, and user experience improvements to the launcher.

  • Cessna 550 Citation II – detailed modelling of avionics, improved MP model display, improved flaps modeling
  • Cessna Citation X – avionics improvements, improved MP model display
  • North American P-51 Mustang
  • Piper J3 Cub – improvements to water behaviour
  • Saab 37 Viggen – Autopilot, HUD and TI improvements
  • Cessna 172P – FDM, 3D Model, Sound improvements
  • FG1000 glass panel display, based on the Garmin G1000

How to Install FlightGear 2018.2 in Ubuntu:

The software has a PPA repository contains FlightGear packages for all current Ubuntu releases.

1. Open terminal either via Ctrl+Alt+T keyboard shortcuts and by searching for “terminal” from application launcher. When it opens, run command to add the PPA:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:saiarcot895/flightgear

Input your password (no visual feedback) when it prompts and hit Enter.

2. Then upgrade FlightGear via Software Updater, if a previous version exists.

or run command in terminal to install or upgrade the flight simulator:

sudo apt-get update

sudo apt-get install flightgear

Uninstall:

To remove FlightGear flight simulator, either use your system package manager or run command:

sudo apt-get remove --autoremove flightgear

And launch Software & Updates -> Other Software tab to remove the PPAs.

Flight Simulator FlightGear 2018.1 Released

Last updated: April 7, 2018

The open-source flight simulator FlightGear 2018.1 now is available for download.

Changes in FlightGear 2018.1 “Honolulu” include:

  • Improved “Classic theme” with better fonts and colours
  • Canvas MapStructure support for SlippyMaps, including VFRCharts, STAMEN,
  • Various improvements to the Launcher
  • Atmospheric Light Scattering renderer: extra volumetric vegetation layers for denser undergrowth
  • Active Volcanos, including Kilauea, Stromboli, Etna,
  • CH Products Throttle Quadrant supported out-of-the-box.
  • Improved support for add-ons
  • And many other changes

Download / Install FlightGear 2018.1:

Source tarball, Windows and Mac OS packages are available for download at the link below:

For Ubuntu Linux, there’s a PPA repository (check the link before doing following steps) and the new release packages should be available in few days.

1. To add the PPA repository, open terminal either via Ctrl+Alt+T or by searching for ‘terminal’ from app launcher. When it opens, run command:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:saiarcot895/flightgear

Input your password (no visual feedback while typing due to security reason) and hit Enter.

2. Then you can upgrade FlightGear via Software Updater (may not work on Ubuntu 16.04 due to version system change) once it’s published in the PPA repository.

Or install it for the first time via commands:

sudo apt-get update

sudo apt-get install flightgear

Uninstall:

To uninstall FlightGear, simply run following command in terminal:

sudo apt-get remove --autoremove flightgear

And remove the PPA by launching “Software & Updates” utility and navigating to Other Software tab.

The FlightGear flight simulator has reached the 2017.3 release earlier today with a huge list of changes.

Though it’s not official announced at the moment, FlightGear 2017.3 features following changes according to the changelog:

  • Aircraft: detailed Carrier USS Harry Truman and escort group, with many animated elements, using experimental wave motion
  • Multiple flightplans fixed and is now possible to be controlled from Nasal.
  • Starting on carriers fixed
  • Enabling of display lists for random vegetation provides a massive performance boost for random vegetation.
  • More than 1000 screenshots now allowed
  • Support for AI wake turbulence added.
  • new Mediterranean tree textures, new desert shrub textures
  • See more in the changelog.

How to Install FlightGear in Ubuntu:

The official website refers to the PPA repository, which contains FlightGear packages for Ubuntu 14.04, Ubuntu 16.04, Ubuntu 17.04, though the 2017.3 release is not made into PPA at the moment of writing.

1. Add the PPA by opening terminal, either via Ctrl+Alt+T or by searching it from app launcher, and running command:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:saiarcot895/flightgear

Input your password (no visual feedback while typing) when it prompts and hit Enter.

2. Then you can upgrade FlightGear via Software Updater once it’s published in the PPA repository.

Or install it for the first time via commands:

sudo apt-get update

sudo apt-get install flightgear

Uninstall:

To uninstall FlightGear, simply run following command in terminal:

sudo apt-get remove --autoremove flightgear

And remove the PPA by launching “Software & Updates” utility and navigating to Other Software tab.

The FlightGear Flight Simulator has reached the 2017.1 “Bergen” release a few days ago with many exciting new features, enhancements and bug-fixes.

FlightGear 2017.1 release highlights:

  • Accurate buildings from OpenStreetMap
  • voice synthesis of tutorial instructions
  • improved rendering of Earth from orbit
  • a more realistic blackout/redout system.
  • See the changelog for more details.

How to Install FlightGear 2017.1 in Ubuntu:

The GetDeb repository has built the new release for Ubuntu 16.04, Ubuntu 16.10 and their derivatives. Follow the steps below to install it:

1. Open terminal from Unity Dash, App Launcher, or via Ctrl+Alt+T shortcut key. When it opens, run command to add the repository:

sudo sh -c 'echo "deb http://archive.getdeb.net/ubuntu xenial-getdeb games" >> /etc/apt/sources.list.d/getdeb.list'

you may replace xenial (ubuntu 16.04) in the code with yakkety for Ubuntu 16.10.

2. Download and install the GetDeb key via command:

wget -q -O - http://archive.getdeb.net/getdeb-archive.key | sudo apt-key add -

3. Finally update and install FlightGear 2017.1 via command:

sudo apt update

sudo apt install flightgear

For those who have a previous release installed, upgrade FlightGear via Software Updater after adding the repository and key.

How to Remove:

To remove FlightGear, open terminal and run command:

sudo apt remove flightgear && sudo apt autoremove

And you can remove the GetDeb repository by going to System Settings -> Software & Updates -> Other Software tab.

FlightGear is a sophisticated and open flight simulator framework for use in research or academic environments, pilot training, as an industry engineering tool, for DIY-ers to pursue their favorite interesting flight simulation idea.

FlightGear is available in Ubuntu Software Center, but it’s a little old. The latest v2.12.x has been released with many exciting new features, enhancements and bug fixes. Highlights in this release include improved usability, continued development of the Canvas rendering toolkit, and improved scenery rendering. For details, see the changlog

Install FlightGear via PPA:

There’s a PPA for Ubuntu 13.10, Ubuntu 13.04, Ubuntu 12.10, Ubuntu 12.04, Linux Mint users to easily install FlightGear easily via 3 commands in terminal.

To get started, press Ctrl+Alt+T on keyboard to open terminal. When it opens, run the 3 commands below one by one:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:saiarcot895/flightgear

sudo apt-get update

sudo apt-get install flightgear flightgear-data

As the PPA description said, if you’re upgrading from a previous version of flightgear, you will need to remove ALL flightgear-related packages before installing flightgear:

sudo apt-get remove flightgear simgear fgfs-base fgfs-models-base fgfs-scenery-base fgfs-aircraft-*

Once installed, you’re able to open the simulator from Menu or Unity Dash.