Sheffield City Airport flies again!
This handy regional airport, situated just 3 miles from the city centre, unfortunately closed its runway back in 2008, much to the chagrin of Sheffielders and British aviators alike. However, thanks to recent pioneering advances in digital technology, 'SZD' has been resurrected for FS 2020!
In its heyday, Sheffield City served a handful of regional airlines, including British Airways and KLM, flying to destinations such as Belfast, Amsterdam, Brussels, Dublin, Jersey and London. Oddly enough, the airport was only ever officially open for just 11 years, having been opened in 1997- the short runway meant that it couldn't attract the low-cost jet traffic which was booming at the turn of the millenium.
Relive that stunning approach to Runway 10, starting out over the Pennine moors by Damflask Reservoir, coming in over the Don Valley, right over Sheffield City Centre, and Attercliffe just before touchdown.
Technical details:
ICAO code: EGSE (The original code, EGSY, was given to St. Athan Airport in Wales after Sheffield City's closure). The airport is retrofitted with ILS transmitters on both runways: Runway 10: ISHE 109.75 Course 095°, Runway 28: ISHW 109.75 Course 275°. I will endeavour to add programmed approach procedures to the model in future, if I can work out how.
NB: Airport design/layout is a close approximation, using generic objects. Apologies in advance to those intimately familiar with the airport, I can't guarantee complete precision. I hope you find this to be a delightful recreation nevertheless, allowing the user to fly right into the heart of Sheffield once again.
I plan to add custom objects soon, so click the notification button to be alerted of updates.
Made using Scruffyduck's ADE 20.
I've just bought MSFS2020 and downloaded this of my home town, however it looks like it's not been flagged as compatible with the last few sim updates.
Does anyone know if it works with SU 8 ?
2 years ago
Harag
Thankyou so much for this, I have just tested it and it's really good, one small thing there's a Fuel truck stuck right in the path to one of the gates and sim crashed when turning external power off to return to main menu, nether the less expect a considerable donation coming your way from me for this it's an excellent effort!
3 years ago
Thanks! Was a pleasure making it. The fuel trucks and other traffic are placed there automatically/randomly by the sim, so it might have just been a one-off. Not sure what would cause the crash either. I'll see if anyone else has similar problems.
3 years ago
Cygnet683
SHEFFIELD704606
What are the new changes (1.0 to 1.1)
The airport is very nice, i also think a fence would look nice, but i understand that changing the apron colour can be troublesome, maybe set it to blend with the terrain?
3 years ago
Unfortunately that wouldn't work because the ground underneath now has buildings on the satellite imagery. Don't worry, I've found a way to change the colour of the grass and will be putting up fences too, along with other slight improvements. It's looking nicer now!
The 1.1 was just because my sim was crashing with 1.0, so worried it would happen to others too.
3 years ago
Cygnet683
Alemart
Its a fair few years since Ive been up here having left Sheffield in 1998 for London. I did go to the massive park in Darnall which eventually raises you up to be able to look over what was Sheffield Airport. Spent a few hours one Sunday walking around the park.
Ultimately Sheffield Airport was doomed to the length of its Runway and what aircraft it would take. The Police Helicopter was based next to the Airport in a Police Compound and its been years now, but Im sure its still there. Im just flying Cargo but if I ever get around to flying the H135 Helicopter then I will try this out. Thanks for the stroll down memory lane
3 years ago
B777F
Thanks for creating this, I flew a Chipmunk from here as a birthday treat. Its nice to have the old airport remembered this way. it didn't last long in real life along with a few other expensive follies in Sheffield.
A good effort on the fakery of the current topography.
A request not criticism!
Can the green apron be made darker to match the outlying area?
And peripheral fencing would be a nice touch too, I'll buy you a coffee!
Coming from a Yorkshire man this, we are not easily parted.
Update spot on, coffee on its way, cheers 👍🍺
3 years ago
Hi, I will give it a try, fencing should be easier but not sure about the grass. Check next week. And before you go buying me a coffee, I'll let you know that I'm actually a Lancastrian, perish the thought!
3 years ago
Cygnet683
Bill64
Wonderful, my home field. Back once again!
I can't give you any stars yet because I haven't downloaded it. I'll come back later on to rectify.
EDIT: Came back to give some stars. I saw nothing in the way of issues, although when I took off out of it last night after downloading, it was pitch black outside.
It gets a 5 from me regardless of whether it passes any form of muster. You bedroom-builders hardly have the resources, manpower or experience that the big boys have so I adjust my expectations accordingly. I'm rarely disappointed by the freeware stuff in MSFS, sometimes the colouring is slightly off versus the surrounding scenery, but even Asobo have had problems with this.
This is absolutely what the doctor ordered as far as I'm concerned. I sat there on the apron in VR last night and wept man-tears of joy.
(PS if you had the expertise and could do a few more South Yorkshire locations that would be incredible. I live in Barnsley, myself. The town was completely untouched by Google photogrammetry, thus no one is building anything from my neck of the woods in MSFS. Google has a 3d built model of the football stadium but as yet, no one is trying to bring it to MSFS. I would do it myself if I only knew how. Rotherham, Leeds, Sheffield and some other places are well-represented now, even Chesterfield has a version of it's crooked spire out there, but Barnsley, Wakefield, Doncaster with it's racecourse, these are still nowhere in sight).
3 years ago
Excellent- hope it's close enough to reality to pass muster. There could be issue with the 1.0 version loading properly, so 1.1 should be up by tomorrow.
3 years ago
Cygnet683
TheGreatHadoken