Rescue Pilot for FSX - Review By Scott Hickey

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Overview & Background
 
Flight Simulator X introduced numerous new features and tricks over earlier Flightsim versions, however one feature that got people talking from the very first time it was mentioned while in development was Flight Simulator Missions! In case you have never clicked on that little tab on the main screen of FSX, Missions are basically a 100% improvement on the “Adventures” from past MSFS versions, incorporating greater interactive situations, where you the pilot, get to make the call. JustFlight has created a package that is based around a concept that most aviation buffs have at least thought about...being a rescue pilot.   
 
Installation and Documentation
 

The reviewed product is the download version but JustFlight also offer Rescue Pilot in the form of a CD, which is also available from their website (www.justflight.com). The download file itself is 283Mb and takes up around 1 GB once installed, so dial-up users may want to consider the CD as it not the best choice to download if you do not have a broadband connection.

 
As per almost all JustFlight downloads, the install and activation process involves online activation, where the product/installer is activated and the install can proceed, an “offline” activation option is also available. While not being as easy for the customer as the usual key code, I am sure this procedure protects JustFlight’s interests better.
 

The manual is provided in .pdf format and provides instructions on installing the product, which is odd as the manual is only available after installation. The manual has handy mission tips and references to FS lessons for those that are just starting out or need a hand in flying some of the aircraft (mainly helicopters). In addition the extra utilities that JustFlight have provided such as the paint scheme selector are described and instructions on how to use them properly are provided. If you read through the manual thoroughly you should not have any problems with Rescue Pilot.

 

HELP Captain!
 

All up there are 12 missions, which is much more than other mission packs in its class. What is pleasing to see is the variety in aircraft that you can utilise. All are default FSX aircraft that have been repainted well in “rescue” colors, the Bell 206, Cessna 172, King Air 350 and even Lear Jet 45 are available.
 

JustFlight have done a wonderful job of not just providing Missions but a great total flight experience, this starts every mission, and where rather than starting in you aircraft with the engine going you start of as...well...you. Your initial view is as if you are standing on the apron getting ready to walk out to your aircraft. Upon instruction from your co pilot you walk out to the aircraft that you will be using for the particular flight. This is all done under your control and even the speed at which you walk is controlled by your throttle. While not being part of the mission as such, it is a very cool feature and not one that I have seen before.
 
Outward Bound Missions Marker Crash Scene Back at Base
 
The mission situations themselves range from attending a car accident, finding a lost child and locating a boat in distress. For the majority the Bell 206b Jet Ranger is used as it provides better visibility and the all important skill of being able to hover. The fixed wing aircraft are used more for the longer ranged flights, such as boat location and transport of sick or injured people, the missions centre themselves out of your rescue hub at Caernarfon airport which has had an AFCAD and scenery designed especially for Rescue Pilot, and also what appears to be a few miles of photographic ground textures have been added in the vicinity of the airport.
 
Your initial mission is an easy introduction into the rescue pilot pack, you depart your base in the Bell 206 and fly for a few miles out to the highway where there has been a large car accident, for those that are familiar with flying helicopters this will be a walk in the park but for others like me who are more the fixed wing type, even this first mission may be a challenge in terms of hovering and landing on the road, I have turned crash detection off for these missions as even if my flying has been acceptable often the close proximity to buildings etc can trigger a crash, not something you want after working hard on a mission.
 
Cessna 172 KingAir 737 Crash Site Base
 
As with the first mission and with many of the others included, there are multiple objectives, such as after picking up the injured person you must fly them to a hospital (and land if in a helicopter) or the nearest major airport if in a fixed wing, and while all missions have an estimated time to complete attached with the briefing, I would encourage you to put aside double just in case your flying is not as top gun as you thought, as this can extend the time considerably.
 
On arriving at the accident scene your co pilot leaves the aircraft to help the paramedics or discuss the situation with the authorities, and is “gone” from the aircraft for a minute or so. This is a nice touch as it adds a level of realism. As well as this, whether it is people or items, once you have picked them up the item or person disappears off the apron or from the accident scene, and re appear once you have landed, this is all done in time with custom sounds such as doors opening and the sound of sirens.
 
Base Mercy Flight Scenery Caernarfon
 
One particular mission concept, which was in some default FSX missions and also in Rescue Pilot that annoy me slightly, are the “search and rescue type”. By this I mean a situation where a boat has sunk and you must locate survivors by performing a search pattern. In one particular mission you are required to fly the Cessna 172 and locate a sunken boat, and although your co-pilot provides you with basic instructions on how to conduct a search pattern, I found that if I was a few degrees out you can end up spending a long time out over water looking for something that is in entirely the other direction, which is frustrating. While this may be just by action junky impatience, I think some further prompting and direction from your co-pilot or ATC would not go a miss in terms of allowing you to find your target a little easier.
 
The difficulty of the missions is judged on the same level as the default ones, with the difficulty being displayed on the thumbnail on the mission selection screen, these range from beginner to expert. Often the missions that are labeled harder often seem that they are only done so because of the time of day, e.g. Missions at night, or the length of the mission, rather than the task(s) that need to be performed. For instance, many of the fixed wing missions are labeled as being harder that some of the Helo missions, where as I personally find the fixed wing missions easier as that is what I fly more regularly. So it is really dependant on what you are personally into more.
 
En route to and from your destinations you are in contact with local ATC, this is normally the tower or local flight service, as well as receiving information about the situation from your operations base. As per the default FSX missions your co-pilot handles all radio communications and the changing of frequencies. The communications to and from ATC to you and other aircraft is one of the few small problems I had with this product, as I often found the ATC repetitive, especially when in contact with AI aircraft. Also when aircraft make a report of their position to ATC it is often only “at the visual reporting point”, but do not actually say the name/location of the reporting point. A technical point I would make is when your aircraft is instructed to squawk a specific frequency, your co pilot does not change the transponder accordingly. ATC do not recognize this anyway so it doesn’t matter. These small errors however are quickly forgotten once you have entered the action of the scene you are attending.
 
Winter Rescue Sunset Return Dusk Hospital Crikey, its Hot!
 
Being the type of simmer that usually fly’s heavy metal with FMC’s, and have done since FS98, missions of any sort where going to be something new, especially ones that involved helicopters. However JustFlight have done a good job of providing something for everyone, all involving the rescue pilot theme. As I mentioned above a variety of default aircraft are available for different mission scenarios. For instance, the first  mission involves rescuing injured people from a car accident , right up to my personal favorites of transporting organ donors in the Lear Jet across the UK, to picking up air crash survivors in the King Air, and flying them to the nearest major international airport for transport to hospital.
 
One of the nifty ways JustFlight have ensured you keep coming back to rescue pilot is to provide unlocks when you successfully complete missions. These come in the form of different weather conditions or times of day, and typically add a level of difficulty to the mission you just completed. This was good as it keeps things fresh and unlike most of the default FSX missions, gives you a reason to re-fly the missions as the changes are enough to provide a whole new challenge, effectively doubling the number of missions provided.
 

Performance in FSX
 
As Rescue Pilot utilizes mainly default aircraft (apart from the custom AI traffic), the performance is excellent, as it needs to be for hovering and time dependant missions as any FPS slow down could alter you simming experience for the worse. Although there is allot of custom scenery around a substantial amount is default objects or low detail items such as static cars. I would advise users on very low end systems to try the product first before altering any of your sliders, as the better you can have you scenery settings the better and more realistic the mission will look considering most are low level VFR. Top help you with this JustFlight have produced a demo of one of the missions, you can download this from the JustFlight website. This demo will not only give you a good idea about the quality of this product, but also allow you to assess performance on your machine.
 
Lear Departure Village ablaze Chopper Rescue Learjet Mission
 
Overall most users that can run FSX well will have an enjoyable experience with no noticeable performance difference when using rescue pilot.
 
Final Words
 
So what’s the bottom line? Well JustFlight have gone to great lengths to provide a package that is more than just a few missions, the quality repaints that are included and the neat walk-to-aircraft function provide a much more immersive environment and experience than any of the default missions. So if you are looking for a pack that is not 100mb just in a manual, and allows you to truly utilize many of FSX’s unique features in a fun and exciting way this is absolutely for you. We award Rescue Pilot 4 Stars.