Enterprise FAQ -- Ship Not Found in FSX/P3D

[fsafranek]

There have been a couple of email support questions about not being able to find the ship after the package has been installed. So here is a little explanation of how the package is intended to be used. Understanding this should help make the ship visible for you. Unlike the FS9 version, the Enterprise in FSX and P3D is not scenery that you activate in the Scenery Library and then go to by selecting it as an airport. Instead it is a SimObject/Boat. That means it must be placed by the user in order to interact with it using your compatible naval aircraft. There are three ways to do this.

1) Use AICarriers
This is explained in "Appendix A: User Positioned Moving Carriers" on page 27 of the User Manual. By using the "AICarriers" add-on module by Lamont Clark you can place (and with limitations, drive) the Enterprise wherever you like. A configuration file is included that will add the Enterprise versions to the selection menu of AICarriers. Information on how it all works and a link for downloading is on the "Appendix A" page.

2) AI Boat Traffic
Included in the package are AI Boat Traffic schedules. These as similar to AI Traffic schedules for aircraft and provide schedules and routes for 17 carrier locations (eight each for the early 1980s and late 1980s versions and one for the bonus Yankee Station). In order for them to be recognized by FSX and P3D you have to first "activate" them like normal scenery in Scenery Library. Step by step instructions for this can be found on page 3 of the User Manual.

Once the AI Boat Traffic schedules are activated you can fly from a land base out to the carrier, locate it, and land. Images of the boat traffic routes, nearest military air base, and flight information are provided on pages 15 through 23 of the User Manual. Page 24 and 25 give some guidelines on how the schedules work which should help with your flight timing so you have a better chance of spotting the carrier and escort.

If you have a sharp eye and have timed it well you will find the carrier. But because moving objects cannot have navigation aids attached in FSX and P3D (at this time anyway) you are locating the carrier using dead reckoning. Also because the carrier itself is not a scenery object and has no attached navigation aids it will not show in Map View so you can't use that as a guide. To deal with these limitations and the fact that the carrier, despite its size, may be little more than a speck against a vast ocean we strongly suggest that you use one of the other methods that have been developed for navigating to moving ships. It also makes it a lot more realistic and enjoyable. A very good (and free) system is described in "Appendix B: Moving Carrier Navigation Aids Suggestion" on page 28.

3) AI Carrier Saved Flights
To greatly improve your chances of finding the carrier even more we have included Saved Flight files for all 17 of the carrier traffic locations. However, these files are not installed during the initial Enterprise installation. Because Saved Flight files are not located within the FSX or P3D folders but rather your own personal "My Documents" folder they have to be installed separate from the carrier files. An auto installer is provided and more information is provided on pages 24 and 25 of the User Manual. Loading each flight will put you in a default aircraft with the ship about 10 miles in front of you and visible from your altitude.

Troubleshooting Checklist
1) Is the scenery (AI Boat Traffic schedules) activated in Scenery Library as described on page 3?
2a) Under "Settings" in FSX, "Ships and Ferrys" must be set at least to 10% for the carrier to show.
2b) Under "Options/Settings/Display/Traffic" in Prepar3D, "Ships and Ferries" must be set at least to 10%.
3) If using "AICarriers" was the configuration file moved to the "\conf.d" folder as described on page 28?
4) Are the Saved Flights installed as described on page 24?
5) Is your flight timing keeping in mind the schedules described on page 25.
6) If flying by dead reckoning are you following the information provided for each location on pages 15 through 23?

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Frank Safranek
Team SDB