Aviation Multimedia Studio’s first scenery for FS2004 brings us to Cancun, Mexico. If you like flying to resort areas or around the Gulf of Mexico this scenery add-on is a must for your collection.
When we think of Cancun we think of sun and beaches but there’s more to Cancun than meets the eye. Cancun is home to the second largest barrier reef in the world which makes it an ideal place for scuba diving and sport fishing. The golf courses in Cancun are very scenic and there’s the nightlife that goes with every resort area. Cancun is a short drive to some very scenic hiking trails for viewing the Mayan ruins.
Installation and Manual
This scenery is for FS2004 only… for now. A quick visit to the AMS website tells us that the FSX version is coming soon. The FS2004 version looks as good as quality scenery add-ons for FSX so FS2004 users shouldn’t be disappointed. Once downloaded you run the setup and enter your key. The scenery is installed for you automatically so you don’t have to fiddle with your scenery database. Jump in and start flying right away.
The manual provided is one that you will like. They give allot of information about the area and the airport. You can tell these guys are really into their product because they even provide you with aircraft movement details, airlines served, and aeronautical charts. Woohoo! They are so hard to find on the internet for areas outside of the USA so this is really welcomed.
The Airport Details
Cancun has two runways. 12R/30L is 11,483ft or 3500m in length. 12L/30R is 9,186ft or 2800m in length. Well suited for all aircraft. I recommend using 12R/30L as the taxi is much easier. 30R requires a turn around and backtrack and so it best used for departures only. 12L is ok for landings but not take-offs due to the turnaround mentioned above. There are three terminals plus a host of other parking locations. Here’s the approach to 12R.
The most exciting thing about taxiing at MMUN is the picture you see at the top where you taxi over the road coming into the terminal. Way cool. Unfortunately, AI aircraft are somewhat confused on how to traverse this bridge and you will see results like below. AMS lets you know about this in their manual and state that it’s a limit to FS2004. I wonder if it’s a limit to FSX, too. We’ll see if they find a work around for it.
The detail of the buildings is really nice. I often forgot that I was flying in FS2004 when I saw the quality of the buildings and vehicles around the terminals. The shot below shows the view looking inside the terminal. Very nice indeed. Even the photo scenery in FS2004 looks pretty good. There’s moving cars on the roads, too. We may not even want a version for FSX. Just kidding AMS, bring it on.
The taxiway lines and pretty smooth and the car parking areas are nicely done with trees, lights, and various airport buildings layed down throughout. Here’s a few shots during daylight and night.
There’s an update that you really need. In the default installation the AI Traffic taxi to runway 30L and then just sits there. There’s a fix on the site for this so ensure you get it. Also, there’s been a reported memory leak that has been solved and they are planning on releasing it as a service pack with a few more additions including a “jungle”.
The City
AMS has also included scenery of the city of Cancun and in particular the resort area. It’s really pleasant flying over this area in the ultralight. Look at the water. Nice textures there.
The city and airport lights up at night to give you a really nice view of the nightlife at Cancun. This is the same shot as above at night and some of the terminal area.
Conclusion
The price for this add-on is 20 Euros which is around $28 Canadian/USA. Considering what you get it’s a good price. I’ve compared it to real photos and its pretty darn close to the real airport. Their site looks well maintained and constructed. I’m looking forward for more scenery from AMS. Oh yes, the big question is always the framerate hit. There is a hit but we’re talking less than 5 fps with AI Traffic turned on. You won’t notice a difference unless you are using a really old computer.
Developer: Aviation Multimedia Studios
Download size: 47 mb
Price: 20 Euros or ~$28 Canadian/USA
Where to buy it?: Simmarket of course, where else can you get so many quality add-on’s like this in one place?!