The Infinite Flight Monthly Recap's First Edition.
This edition of the Monthly Recap takes a look back on December 2021 and features a review of feature update 21.8, an interview of Community member Airborne_Canuck, and more.
Written and edited by Christian Church (nativetoalaska)
December 30, 2021
December 30, 2021
Feature Update 21.8
As the new year approaches, we take a moment to reflect on advancements made to Infinite Flight over the past month. For the first two weeks of December, followers of the flight simulator were anticipating the release of feature update 21.8, as it was slated to carry a new addition to the fleet, that being the Airbus A220-300. On December 13th, those followers' anticipations and patience were rewarded, with the release of the long-awaited update. Additionally, 21.8 came with it 19 new 3D airports, ranging from Toronto Lester B. Pearson Intl., to Rotterdam, Myrtle Beach, and everything in between. On top of this, 6 3D airports received custom airport towers, notably Toronto Lester B. Pearson Intl. and New York John F. Kennedy Intl. However, the option to log in with Google or Facebook has been removed for iOS and iPadOS users, in favor of logging in via the Community forum. Android users are expected to follow in early 2022.
The Airbus A220-300
Shifting the focus to the centerpiece of 21.8, the A220 has had a long history in regards to Infinite Flight. In June 2015, now ex-user Nick_Art posted the first A220 (then Bombardier CSeries) feature request, as seen here. In August 2017, the feature request was closed, with only 55 votes. However, in the same month, Nick_Art again posted an A220 feature request, as seen here. This would later go on to become the feature request that led to the addition of the jet and would become one of the largest feature requests the forum has seen, gaining well over 1,000 votes.
In November 2020, a 2-round Community poll was held to decide the simulator's next aircraft addition or rework. Between 11 aircraft, ranging from the King Air 350i to the A380, there was no majority outcome in the first round, leading to a second round featuring the top 2 options, those being the Airbus A330-300 and the Airbus A220-300. Shortly after, the results of the poll were shown to the Community, revealing an extremely tight difference of 36 votes out of over 5,000, with those 36 being in favor of the A330. However, it was noted the popularity of the smaller A220 was apparent, though nothing was said until September 2021.
With an upcoming aircraft reveal following the A330-300 and A330-900, the Community was tense, with many believing either the Embraer E-Jets would be reworked, or the A220-300 would be added. Following the aircraft reveal, it was known that the A220 was slated to become the newest addition to the fleet. Over 3 months, users exercised their patience as they had previous updates until the A220 was released in update 21.8 on December 13th.
The A220 featured new Rockwell Collins displays in the flight deck, animations all around, and 21 new liveries, from the retro Trans-Canada Air Lines livery to JetBlue's "Hops" livery, which was created in collaboration with those who designed the scheme itself. However, there was one key feature missing from the new aircraft many users had wished for: a custom sound pack for the Pratt and Whitney PW1500G, the powerplant of the A220. This has become one of the more notable cons of the aircraft, though it has been stated that a custom sound pack for the aircraft will come later.
In November 2020, a 2-round Community poll was held to decide the simulator's next aircraft addition or rework. Between 11 aircraft, ranging from the King Air 350i to the A380, there was no majority outcome in the first round, leading to a second round featuring the top 2 options, those being the Airbus A330-300 and the Airbus A220-300. Shortly after, the results of the poll were shown to the Community, revealing an extremely tight difference of 36 votes out of over 5,000, with those 36 being in favor of the A330. However, it was noted the popularity of the smaller A220 was apparent, though nothing was said until September 2021.
With an upcoming aircraft reveal following the A330-300 and A330-900, the Community was tense, with many believing either the Embraer E-Jets would be reworked, or the A220-300 would be added. Following the aircraft reveal, it was known that the A220 was slated to become the newest addition to the fleet. Over 3 months, users exercised their patience as they had previous updates until the A220 was released in update 21.8 on December 13th.
The A220 featured new Rockwell Collins displays in the flight deck, animations all around, and 21 new liveries, from the retro Trans-Canada Air Lines livery to JetBlue's "Hops" livery, which was created in collaboration with those who designed the scheme itself. However, there was one key feature missing from the new aircraft many users had wished for: a custom sound pack for the Pratt and Whitney PW1500G, the powerplant of the A220. This has become one of the more notable cons of the aircraft, though it has been stated that a custom sound pack for the aircraft will come later.
Writer's Review of 21.8
21.8 has brought just as much as most updates, boasting the A220 and 19 new 3D airports, with 6 3D airports receiving custom towers. The A220 is a solid airframe, with a good selection of liveries, plentiful features, and great 3D modeling and flight physics. However, there is one notable con of the A220, that being the lack of a custom sound pack, though one should come in time. The diverse selection of 3D airports is appreciated and plentiful, with highly demanded ones such as Toronto Lester B. Pearson Intl., and less busy airports, such as Southwest Florida Intl., and more international ones such as Viru Viru Intl. or Beijing Capital. Though the option to log in with Google or Facebook has been removed for iOS or iPadOS users, it has been relatively easy to recover accounts with the provided resources, and this doesn't appear to negatively impact any users affected. Unlike previous updates, nothing seems to be bugging and everything looks to be done right, especially for having one of the shorter periods between releases with aircraft additions/reworks, at about three months. As far as an update goes, this one is textbook, and for these reasons, I am giving feature update 21.8 a 9/10.
- Christian Church (nativetoalaska)
- Christian Church (nativetoalaska)
From the Monthly Recap, we want to know what you think! How would you rate feature update 21.8? You can submit your rating using this form. All submissions are anonymous and a consensus will be published in the following edition (January 2022). Thanks for voting and stay tuned!
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F/A-18C Versus E
As of the time of writing, there is an ongoing debate as a result of the Community poll made to decide which variant of the F/A-18 makes its way to Infinite Flight, the C (Legacy Hornet) or the E (Super Hornet). From those who have made their points known, it appears the Legacy Hornet is the popular choice, with most stating it has a greater livery choice and international representation compared to the Super Hornet. Those in favor of the Super Hornet state it has additional hardpoints and extended range compared to the Hornet. As of the time of publication, the results of the poll have not yet been revealed and will be left to the following edition (January 2022). Stay tuned!
An Interview of Community Member Airborne_Canuck
Also known as Johnathan, Airborne_Canuck is this month's featured Community member interview. Based out of Ontario, Canada, his Canadian-driven image and persona provide a fresh and diverse face to the Community, and his Infinite Flight photography is, essentially, the cream of the crop when it comes to objectively assessing his work. With enough said, let's move on to questions this edition's writer asked, and Johnathan's response.
Question: How and when did you join the Infinite Flight Community?
Answer: I joined infinite flight back in 2015. However, I didn’t make an account or get pro until October of 2017 when global released.
Question: You’re well known for your Infinite Flight photography. How did you get into it?
Answer: I am an aviation enthusiast. However, at the time I did not have access to camera gear or any way to planespot, as I live in a remote area. As a result, I turned to screenshots in Infinite Flight. I was more than impressed with the scenery detail in certain areas as well as the aircraft detail, so I started taking screenshots of the game, and it has stuck ever since. Although my time for screenshot topics has come to an end, I will continue to take screenshots and post them on my Instagram. My first screenshot topic is A warm hazy day in Santiago, Chile.
Question: How did you get to be the COO of Asiana Virtual? How is the virtual airline doing today?
Answer: I started as the Social Media Manager for Asiana Virtual. I would take screenshots and post them on their Instagram. As time progressed, I switched to Head of Internal Affairs, where I managed incoming applications and flight reports. Eventually, our previous CEO, Jster82x, stepped down as he wanted to focus on his school life. Tsumia inherited the CEO position, and I inherited his COO position. Asiana Virtual is currently closed to the public; however, Tsumia and I are working hard at creating a more advanced and user-friendly experience at Asiana Virtual. Unfortunately, though, we are short on staff so we are moving very slowly as we both have busy personal lives.
Question: What would you say is your favorite topic you have created, and why?
Answer: I can’t say my favorite topic, as I favor all of them equally, but I will say I like the recent ones more. I think my most fun topic was definitely this one, though.
Question: Regarding Infinite Flight, what are you looking forward to in 2022?
Answer: Regarding the new year for Infinite Flight, I am looking forward to the Embraer E-Jets reworks, as I fly regional a lot of the time in Infinite Flight. I’m also looking forward to receiving all of the major Canadian airports in 3D. Toronto was a major step in the right direction.
That is all for this interview. Thank you to Johnathan for being this month's featured Community member interview, and stay tuned for more from other Community members!
Question: How and when did you join the Infinite Flight Community?
Answer: I joined infinite flight back in 2015. However, I didn’t make an account or get pro until October of 2017 when global released.
Question: You’re well known for your Infinite Flight photography. How did you get into it?
Answer: I am an aviation enthusiast. However, at the time I did not have access to camera gear or any way to planespot, as I live in a remote area. As a result, I turned to screenshots in Infinite Flight. I was more than impressed with the scenery detail in certain areas as well as the aircraft detail, so I started taking screenshots of the game, and it has stuck ever since. Although my time for screenshot topics has come to an end, I will continue to take screenshots and post them on my Instagram. My first screenshot topic is A warm hazy day in Santiago, Chile.
Question: How did you get to be the COO of Asiana Virtual? How is the virtual airline doing today?
Answer: I started as the Social Media Manager for Asiana Virtual. I would take screenshots and post them on their Instagram. As time progressed, I switched to Head of Internal Affairs, where I managed incoming applications and flight reports. Eventually, our previous CEO, Jster82x, stepped down as he wanted to focus on his school life. Tsumia inherited the CEO position, and I inherited his COO position. Asiana Virtual is currently closed to the public; however, Tsumia and I are working hard at creating a more advanced and user-friendly experience at Asiana Virtual. Unfortunately, though, we are short on staff so we are moving very slowly as we both have busy personal lives.
Question: What would you say is your favorite topic you have created, and why?
Answer: I can’t say my favorite topic, as I favor all of them equally, but I will say I like the recent ones more. I think my most fun topic was definitely this one, though.
Question: Regarding Infinite Flight, what are you looking forward to in 2022?
Answer: Regarding the new year for Infinite Flight, I am looking forward to the Embraer E-Jets reworks, as I fly regional a lot of the time in Infinite Flight. I’m also looking forward to receiving all of the major Canadian airports in 3D. Toronto was a major step in the right direction.
That is all for this interview. Thank you to Johnathan for being this month's featured Community member interview, and stay tuned for more from other Community members!
Looking Towards the Upcoming Year
Though 2021 has been a rough year for most, it has been quite a successful and innovative year for Infinite Flight, with an ever-expanding user base, new moderators and staff, and 8 feature updates that have brought the first iteration of clouds, 3D buildings at 138 airports across the globe, new lighting systems, language selection, taxiway lines on maps, along with the rework of the Airbus A330-300 and the additions of the A330-900 and A220-300. With all of this in mind, one may wonder what 2022 has in store.
In September, the 2021/22 Development Road Map was published after concerns from Community members were raised following an aircraft reveal earlier in the month. In this roadmap, it was revealed that the staff and developers at Infinite Flight were planning a rework of the McDonnell Douglas/Boeing F/A-18, followed by a rework of a member of the Embraer E-Jets family. Following a divide in the community between being in favor of the E175 or the E190, it was decided both variants would be reworked, excluding the smaller E170 and larger E195. As of the time of writing and publication, a Community poll is being held to determine which variant of the F/A-18 will come to the sim, the C (Hornet) or E (Super Hornet).
Looking forward to 2022, both the winning F/A-18 variant and both the E175 and E190 are expected, along with even more additions to the already-expanding list of 3D airports. However, it is always possible changes in this schedule may happen, whether they are good or not. In 2020, the development team was forced to cut corners on features promised for the Boeing 757-200 and feature update 20.3, although the development of the 757 started in April of that year and was kept a well-hidden secret until it was revealed in an Instagram post later in November. Also in 2020, the Community was surprised at the premiere for feature update 20.2, when it was shown the Boeing 777-200LR would be making its way to the simulator along with the 777F and 777-300ER, despite the belief that it was slated for a later release. All in all, nothing is guaranteed and changes down the road are always expected, though the upcoming year holds exciting possibilities nonetheless.
In September, the 2021/22 Development Road Map was published after concerns from Community members were raised following an aircraft reveal earlier in the month. In this roadmap, it was revealed that the staff and developers at Infinite Flight were planning a rework of the McDonnell Douglas/Boeing F/A-18, followed by a rework of a member of the Embraer E-Jets family. Following a divide in the community between being in favor of the E175 or the E190, it was decided both variants would be reworked, excluding the smaller E170 and larger E195. As of the time of writing and publication, a Community poll is being held to determine which variant of the F/A-18 will come to the sim, the C (Hornet) or E (Super Hornet).
Looking forward to 2022, both the winning F/A-18 variant and both the E175 and E190 are expected, along with even more additions to the already-expanding list of 3D airports. However, it is always possible changes in this schedule may happen, whether they are good or not. In 2020, the development team was forced to cut corners on features promised for the Boeing 757-200 and feature update 20.3, although the development of the 757 started in April of that year and was kept a well-hidden secret until it was revealed in an Instagram post later in November. Also in 2020, the Community was surprised at the premiere for feature update 20.2, when it was shown the Boeing 777-200LR would be making its way to the simulator along with the 777F and 777-300ER, despite the belief that it was slated for a later release. All in all, nothing is guaranteed and changes down the road are always expected, though the upcoming year holds exciting possibilities nonetheless.
December 2021 Community Highlights
This month's featured screenshot was taken by Community member Airborne_Canuck, also known as Johnathan. He is also featured in this month's Community member interview, and is well-known for his screenshot topics, though he has decided to conclude these, stating "I love making screenshot topics here; however, it takes too much time, and as I begin to pursue a future career in aviation, I need to start looking at my priorities..."
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This month, Delta Airlines Virtual celebrated its fifth year of operations with a special anniversary event hosted at Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson Intl. Since its conception in 2016, Delta Virtual has become one of the largest and more tight-knit virtual operations approved by the Virtual Airline Regulatory Board, having 200 pilots with a waitlist of 36 as of the time of writing.
This month, Infinite Flight Debrief returned, though only intended to look back on a user's statistics for 2021, as opposed to the previous iteration which looked at all of a user's statistics as part of Infinite Flight's 10th-anniversary celebrations. However, this iteration brings with it the addition of a Community leaderboard, which has allowed users to view statistics such as who obtained the most flight hours in 2021. This year, Community users LordWizrak, 11173, and Jakub_Astary made the leaderboard for Most Flight Hours, Most XP, and Most ATC Ops respectively. Congratulations! This month, the 2021 IFC Awards are underway to determine a variety of things, such as the Community's favorite Screenshots & Videos topic to who is the most strict moderator, and everything in between. As of the time of writing the Final Round is ongoing. However, voting will not conclude until January 1st, so the results will be left to the following edition of the Monthly Recap (January 2022). As of the time of publication, only 1 day remains to get your vote in, so vote now if you haven't, and stay tuned! |
From the Monthly Recap
We would like to take a moment to wish all of our readers a Merry Christmas and a happy new year! We're excited to see where the Recap goes from here and we're excited to have you with us, reading our articles. If you are interested in joining the Monthly Recap, feel free to send an email or get in touch with our Editor-in-Chief, Christian, via his Infinite Flight Community profile, as we are currently short of staff. Cheers!