FSX Sounds Air Cessna 172 ZK-EKE W/Garmin 1000

This freeware repaint exhibits the ZK-EKE registration markings of Sounds Air, featuring a Garmin 1000 panel upgrade on a well-known single-engine platform. Built exclusively for the default Skyhawk within Microsoft Flight Simulator X, it incorporates realistic color schemes and detail refinements. This package includes only the visual textures, developed by Jon Murchison, and requires the corresponding default aircraft files. You will need the freeware base model from the Fly Away Simulation mod library to activate this repaint.

Distinctive Livery and Background

Sounds Air is recognized as a regional operator in New Zealand, and this rendering captures their signature aesthetics in a subtle yet elegant manner. The distinctive markings are placed along the fuselage, door panels, and tail section, giving flight enthusiasts an immersive look at how the original aircraft would appear in reality. The Cessna 172 itself, first flown in 1955, remains among the most trusted flight training and touring aircraft worldwide thanks to its uncomplicated avionics and stable handling.

Visual Enhancements and Flight Deck Upgrades

This repaint provides a crisp finish across the fuselage and wings. Equipped with a Garmin 1000 integrated avionics suite in the cockpit, it enhances situational awareness for simulation pilots. The Garmin 1000 system (referred to as the G1000) consolidates flight information, engine metrics, and navigation data into two primary displays, making it easier to monitor flight parameters when practicing instrument approaches or maintaining standard cruise settings. While the avionics in this revision are purely aesthetic, they faithfully represent the real-world glass panel layout.

Installation Guidance

• Locate the “Texture.G1000_SOUNDS” folder in this package and move it into your simulator’s aircraft directory at ...\SimObjects\Airplanes\C172.
• Edit your “aircraft.cfg” by appending the following entry under the existing repaint sections. Replace [fltsim.x] with the next consecutive number (e.g., [fltsim.5]).

[fltsim.x]
title=Cessna Skyhawk 172SP ZK-EKE 'Sounds Air' G1000
sim=Cessna172SP
model=G1000
panel=G1000
sound=
texture=G1000_SOUNDS
kb_checklists=Cessna172SP_check
kb_reference=Cessna172SP_ref
atc_id=ZK-EKE
ui_manufacturer="ARNZ"
ui_type="C172SP Skyhawk"
ui_variation="ZK-EKE 'Sounds Air G1000"
ui_typerole="Single Engine Prop"
ui_createdby="ARNZ"
description="A stable and highly regarded aircraft, it has become the preferred choice for training and recreational flying. The C172 stands out with its exceptional reliability, straightforward controls, and updates to its basic tricycle-gear design over decades of continuous production."

Notable Performance Characteristics

The C172 design incorporates a high-wing configuration and simplified landing gear, contributing to predictable flight responses. Many student pilots across the globe have clocked their initial hours in variations of this robust airframe. Coupled with the G1000 layout, it offers both traditional familiarity and advanced navigational capability.

Textures are by Jon Murchison. Enjoy this accurate depiction of a local airline’s livery and expand your virtual routes in Microsoft Flight Simulator X flying under ZK-EKE.

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