Bristol International Airport was the 9th busiest airport in the UK in 2009, handling over 5.5 million passengers. The airport is currently doing scheduled flights to Newark in the US with Continental Airlines, but as of 7th November 2010, these flights will stop. Recently, the airport has been rebranded ‘Bristol Airport’, gaining a new logo and a new slogan ‘Amazing Journeys Start Here’. The largest aircraft that can currently be accommodated at Bristol Airport – due to runway length – is a 767, which Thomson Airlines currently use on flights in and out of Bristol Airport.
The UK2000 scenery rendition of Bristol Airport is one that should be made more widely known among flight simmers. As with all UK2000 sceneries, the runway, taxiway, grass and building textures are custom made, and interact with each other in a way that makes the airport look used, rather than pristine like the default airports within the game.
The airport features custom made trees, car park textures, moving vehicles (both airside and on the perimeter road) and its own service fleet at some gates.
Approaching the airport in a 767 over the Bristol Channel is a hair raising experience. You know that the runway is only just long enough for a 767, so you apply max brakes, set the speed brake, and have full flaps out as you approach. You see the PAPI lights, you aim to have 2 red and 2 white. They stay that way and then the second you feel the plane settle on the tarmac, you apply full reverse thrusters and get flung forward, glad your seatbelt is there as your speed decreases rapidly. Approaching 60 knots and you turn the reverse thrusters off, and just use the breaks on the aircraft and the air resistance caused by full flaps to slow the aircraft down the taxi speed. The aircraft slows enough to start turning off the runway, and you realise that you are at the last runway turning point.
The airport barely makes an impact on my FPS and loads like a dream.
The custom made textures are really noticeable in the screenshots, and if AES is added to the airport, the visuals are amazing.
In my opinion, this is a must buy airport for the south-west of the UK.
It has fantastic detail with minimal FPS hits, and is a very interesting airport to fly out of. It has VFR flights and IFR flights, and destinations all over Europe. I have never had a problem with UK2000 sceneries, and if there ever is a problem, a quick look on the forum will soon come up with the answers.
This review was written by contributing editor Joshua Dean for Fly Away Simulation.
Image shows terminal at Bristol airport by UK2000 scenery in FSX
