Laminar Research recently took to its X page to announce the release of the new X-Plane 12.1.4 beta. This beta mainly focuses on adding new flight lessons, a new physics-based camera, a new demo area, the Search and Rescue (SAR) function to the Garmin G1000, new library objects and several smaller fixes.
New X-Plane Flight Lessons
The new X-Plane flight lessons are designed to help beginners get started easily by teaching them the basics of controls, maneuvers, and the processes of takeoffs and landings. The initial training takes place in the Cirrus SR-22, a real-life training aircraft that provides an excellent learning experience.
Once users complete the initial flight training lessons, they have the opportunity to try out the personal plane of Austin Meyer, the CEO of Laminar Research and the founder of X-Plane. This aircraft is available for purchase only as an assembly kit in real life, and it requires substantial knowledge to handle. Austin will start with an introduction and then explain how to manage emergency scenarios and perform cross-country flights. This training aims to familiarize users with fundamental aviation knowledge and prepare them for flying larger jets.
New X-Plane Physics-Based Camera
Laminar Research has introduced a new physics-based camera aimed at simulating the forces experienced during flight. This camera system is primarily designed for the pilot’s perspective, but an additional external handheld camera has also been included to enhance the immersive experience when recording flight videos.
New X-Plane Demo Area
A new demo area has been added, covering parts of Austria, Northern Italy, and Southern Germany. This area includes major airports such as Klagenfurt, Innsbruck, Munich, Ljubljana, Linz, and Salzburg. The city of Salzburg has been carefully redesigned, featuring the iconic Salzburg Castle and the Red Bull hangars integrated into the default scenery.
New users can explore X-Plane in these demo areas for free. In total, there are four demo areas available: the region around Salzburg, the western islands of Hawaii, Portland, and Alaska.
New X-Plane Garmin G1000 Search and Rescue
Additionally, Laminar Research has added the Search and Rescue (SAR) function to the Garmin G1000. This system is designed to assist pilots in emergency situations by supporting the search for a distress signal or target area. It can be activated through the G1000’s menu and enables pilots to enter predefined search patterns.
New X-Plane Library Objects
Recently hired artist Mister X, known for the Mister X library project, collaborated with Petr, the legendary in-house X-Plane artist, to create new scenery assets for use in building Gateway airports. These new assets include static snow and de-icing equipment, static firefighting scenarios with ambulances, static trucks, and various airside and airport operation vehicles.
Fixes and Enhancements
A new “safe mode” has been added where X-Plane can start without any additional mods. This can be activated using the CTRL key during startup and is helpful for troubleshooting if your sim crashes for unknown reasons. A list of the changelog can be found below.
General
- New Joystick profiles for the VKB S-TECS Throttle Mini
- Adjusted magnetic pole in X-Plane to match real-world data
- Fixed an error when resizing the windows using a Wayland session on Linux
- AI aircraft will obey STAR altitude restrictions when on final (XPD-16285)
- Fixed an error when changing audio devices on the sound settings page (XPD-16365)
- Glider Tow crashes when activating TCAS Override (XPD-16422)
Aircraft
- Cessna 172 SP
- Improved the climb and idle performance to better match those of the real airoplane
- Grumman F-14 Tomcat
- This release includes a brand-new manual on how to operate the F-14 Tomcat. You can easily find the manual in the aircraft folder.
ATC
- Entering an airport in the flight-plan as waypoint will no longer override the destination airport
- We’ve updated the voice pack to include additional aircraft manufacturers and models
- Don’t allow read-back before the message has been fully heard (XPD-163479)
- Pilot voice says “Ukraine International” instead of “international” at ENGM (XPD-16405)
- Many additional fixes and smaller enhancements
Scenery
- Added some “Warning Jet Blast Signs” at Princess Juliana International Airport (IATA: SXM, ICAO: TNCM)
Systems
- General
- Fixed KDAB ILS7L.HANAV when flying a slow aircraft, such as the Cessna 172
- Boeing 737 autopilot turns to north upon capturing LOC instead of inbound course when flying the ILS32R at EDDK (XPD-16462)
- Garmin G1000
- Pressing the small FMS knob on the MFD will no longer have an effect while being on the map display (XPD-16433)
- FMS
- Fixed stutters when calculation the mach change-over altitude
Weather
- Improved the display of wind directions in the weather map
- Many improvements around the METAR reader, especially the handling of GRIB data
Web API
- Added support for calling commands using the Web API. We’ll have more documentation announced on our developer site soon!
Closing Notes
This update is a Beta release, which means it is less stable by definition. However, it allows the community to explore new features and test their stability. You can obtain the update through the X-Plane installer by checking the “check for new betas” option, or via the beta channel on Steam. For detailed instructions from Laminar Research on how to use beta versions, click here. FSNews will keep you updated on further releases for X-Plane.
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