Virtually flying to visit Gisborne

SIMULATION: Digital simulation designer Finn Hansen of Norway designed for his company Orbx a comprehensive 3D model of Gisborne Airport — including this image of a plane and train on the runway. “Make sure to be ready on the runway at 1300 to watch the Wa165 steam train make its way across the runway carrying passengers, as it has been doing for more than 100 years,” says the company on its website. Image supplied

A 3D digital simulation of Gisborne Airport, designed in Norway by Orbx technician Finn Hansen, was released last week.

The Gisborne Airport simulation is one of many modelled locations around the globe. The designs offer flight-simulator pilots the opportunity to fly various aircraft, from scenic hops in a Cessna 172, international flights or medical rescues by helicopter.

“You can even take a walk around the terminal and surroundings with the new avatar first-person mode,” says Mr Hansen.

“My rendition of Gisborne Airport enhances the entire area in-sim with a realistic hand-modelled airport, buildings in the surrounding area, as well as places like the hospital and the harbour.”

Orbx is a developer/publisher for scenery add-ons in PC flight simulation. The company’s developers have modelled airports around the world. The designs can include airport add-ons, cityscapes, regions and entire countries.

Among Orbx’s designers is Mr Hansen who developed Gisborne Airport for Microsoft Flight Simulator X and Lockheed Martin’s Prepar3D flight training software.

“I chose to develop Gisborne after it was mentioned in a forum some time ago. Orbx already has a few airport add-ons for New Zealand and I have an affinity for scenic non-standard airports.

“What we do is make the airport look like it does in the real world. We add custom-made runways, the terminal buildings, entire cities with different points of interest, and all sorts of details that makes you feel like you’re really there.”

The process of developing an airport is fairly straightforward, says Mr Hansen.

“Photoreal imagery is the main base for our sceneries. Then we add the 3D models on top, along with buildings, trees, and then the airport itself.”

Geographical information and surveying service Land Information New Zealand’s image service provides developers with the ability to cover large areas at no cost.

“In Norway, for instance, aerial imagery is costly and limits us to a smaller area.

“That, and the availability of reference photos from the airport, often decides which project a developer will take on.

“For my Norwegian projects I went to the airport myself and took the photos.

“For Gisborne, I trawled the internet for info, searched through forums, Facebook pages and YouTube videos.”

Increased security can be an obstacle to getting access to the air side of an airport to shoot reference pictures, says Mr Hansen.

“These are key in making the airport look like it does in the real world. We are always looking for people who have access and can help out.”