Last weekend, I ran across a project on the internet called project AI: http://www.projectai.com/ which aims at generating realistic AI traffic paterns for Microsoft FlightSim 200[24]. Basically, the project aims at 1) creating real-world airline schedule databases; b) Creating realistic low-res airplane models for AI planes(in as many liveries as possible; and c) improving airport specs, to add realistic aircraft parking.
That sounds like a great idea, but I would like to add that scheduled airline service accounts for only a small fraction of air traffic, at least in North America -- according to AOPA, 75% of all departures at U.S. airports are general aviation (including private planes and helicopters, charter flights, air ambulance, banner towing, traffic reporting, aerial survey and photography, pipeline patrol, freight dogs, sightseeing, flight training, and so on) -- and I don't think that includes ultralights. Military and scheduled air carriers together must account for the remaining 25%. Even busy, largeish airports like Ottawa or Philly seem to have about as much (or more) GA as air carrier traffic, at least judging from what I hear on the radio.
In other words, while the air carrier thing is neat, it's probably not the first priority -- it would be like concentrating on busses or tractor trailers instead of cars when adding AI traffic to a highway simulator. The air carriers would be beneficial for a few big hubs like KLAX or KORD, which don't handle much GA traffic.
Today I flew up to Mont Tremblant (CYFJ), a former military strip near a ski resort in the Laurentians. There are a few scheduled flights every week from Toronto (Dash-7), but today the terminal was shut down. I got out and walked around the deserted apron for a few moments, then as I was taxiing back to the runway, the airport suddenly came to life: a Piper Cub on skis glided across in front of me and landed on the snow next to the pavement (didn't make any radio calls, though). By the time I got to the hold-short line, a Cessna 180 (tail dragger) was doing a slow backtrack to my end of the runway, so I waited for it, and when I realized that it was doing its runup on the threshold, I checked with the pilot if it was OK for me to slip in ahead and take off.
That's what most airports -- at least in Canada and the U.S. -- are like, and that's what it would be very nice to simulate. Unfortunately, all the general public sees is flying at its most depressing -- the giant, congested hubs with airliners doing a long conga-line down the ILS while people sit in the terminal waiting hours for delayed flights and having their shoes searched repeatedly by security.
All the best,
David
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