It’s a pairs matching memory game for “young kids of all ages”. The challenge increases as you progress, with new levels and more things to find. Plus there’s a bonus level if you manage to collect all the coins. There are three difficulty settings.

Here’s a couple of screenshots from the game, which you can buy from the iTunes store – just click on the link above.

Please, if you do download the game, could I encourage you to leave a rating or even review it on the app store — every little helps!

DC3 in Colombia

“In Colombia, DC3s operate more like rural buses. 

No visibility. Radio silence. Undoubtedly flight 30-37 is in trouble. Captain Raul tries to stabilise the twin-engine plane to bypass the worst of the storm…”

The daredevil pilots of Colombia – Risking it all – Al Jazeera English.

This excellent 25 minute film first aired on 30/05/2011, and is well worth taking the time to watch. If you thought Buffalo Air of Ice Pilots fame was the only outfit still flying DC3s commercially, then think again! Thanks to Ron Attwood on the Orbx forum for the original post.

First up, and most relevant to us here is PC Pilot.

Next, for GA enthusiasts is Flyer magazine:
The apps are not free, but they do include the first magazine, which can be the current issue or a back edition. Subscriptions are also available.

Other aviation magazines available:

Airports of the World (current issue focuses on Melbourne…),
Aeroplane,
Air International,
Air Forces International,
Airliner World,
Aviation News,
FlyPast,

and for scale modellers:

Air Modeller,
Airfix Model World,
Jet Power,
Model Airplane International,
Radio Control Model Flyer,
Radio Control Rotor World

February this year saw the 10th anniversary of the Great Australian Air Rally (‘GAAR’), organised by Bluegrass Airlines, with great success and much enthusiasm (I’ve participated in it three times now). Also fielding a team in this year’s rally was Mutley’s Hangar, from the UK. So enthused were they by the event, that they’ve decided to stage their own rally – here in the UK.

Mutley’s Easter Bunny Air Rally (‘MEBAR’) kicks off Easter weekend from Southampton (EGHI), and takes in Alderney, the Isles of Scilly, Lands End, Eaglescott, St Athan and Old Sarum before returning to Southampton. Participants can be using either FSX or FS9. Just as with its Australian counterpart (in fact Bluegrass’s Andrew Godden helped set up this rally), this rally will test not only your navigational skills put also your ability to fly with precision and accuracy in a variety of challenging conditions.

Joe Lawford, Mutley’s owner, said in a statement, “The event tests the piloting skills of the GA pilot to complete a suite of 4 flights in a time closest to a reference time for their aircraft. The cunning thing is, the pilot is not advised of his target time but will be judged against a formulation based on a test flight.”

Entry is free, and there will be a raffle prize, as well as prizes for the best FSX and FS9 screenshots. For full details, and to register, go to the rally’s web site.

I haven’t mentioned PCDU in the blog before, although you’ll find it listed under Podcasts on the right. It’s a weekly podcast, giving an Australian slant on the aviation industry, and is well worth a listen. Or two. or fifty two. You can subscribe to the podcast in iTunes, or listen to it on their web site, or download it as an mp3. You don’t need an iPod or even iTunes to listen – any mp3 player, or PC will do.

Ok. The Avalon airshow took place at the beginning of March, over the course of a week. It’s a massive event, and is the southern hemisphere’s equivalent of Farnborough or RIAT, and like those shows is a biennial event. These short video clips will give you a flavour for this aviation awesomness.

For best results, watch in 720p full screen.

Just watch the video:

(for best results, view it full screen in 1080p)

Now I wanted a model railway, but I *really* want one of these!

Must organise a trip to Hamburg…

Okay, so some of you might be wondering what happened to 2.0.4. Well, it’s like this. The version number printed on the manual is actually the version of the manual (it might shock you to know that i don’t actually write the manual myself — Peter Dodds does that. He’s much better at it than I would be.), and for a while now, the version number of the manual and the version numbr of the software have been different. Consequently I get asked “The manual says V such-and-such, but the software says V so-and-so; what am I missing?”. So, what I’ve done is jumped a number, and now both the manual and the software say V.2.0.5. Simples.

And what’s in this new version? Here’s the list:

* Fixed error decoding region ID for intersections
* Fixed error reading FSX plan if LLA string had extra spaces
* Fixed various errors with KML dialog
* Added ability to specify additional folders to search for airports etc to be added to the db
* Fixed rounding error writing lat/lon coordinates to FSX PLN could result in navaids plotted on equator or Greenwich meridian.
* Fixed owner not set on several dialogs, so they were not correctly positioned on opening
* Added checkbox to toggle Orbx kmz links
* OZx kmz links added to the list
* Fixed red line drawn from the equator (0,0) if approach added to alternate airport
* Fixed unable to delete entries from the cfg locations dialog
* Fixed various minor dialog glitches
* Version number synchronised with manual

The update checker within Plan-G should start telling current users that the update is available, and, as always it can be downloaded from the forum.

* Fixed Setup error if user’s PC has no C drive
* Fixed crash if imported user waypoint data has no magnetic variation
* Fixed crash on typing alpha text into plan Passing Altitude column
* Fixed crash on selecting “Start from here” in Aerodrome panel
* Fixed Plan Edid mode button did not highlight
* Fixed duplicate navaid stored in db if frequency different
* ‘Crosswind’ Runways < 50ft are now suppressed in printouts
* F4 now toggles map graticule
* F8 now toggles map overlays (master toggle)
* F9 now toggles Plan Elevation Plot panel
* Find airports dialog now allows export of airports list to csv.
* Added option to automatically connect to FS on startup

Download it from the forum.