Hi
has anyone else noticed the ugly block building around La Palma (Sim Wings) - it appears that the add on added the block buildings when compared to the default scenery.
It looks like the green-grey fields have been translated to large ugly blocks - I can’t believe this is how the island actually looks!!
From the air looking back
From drone above airport …
I guess that those are the ‘greenhouses’ for banana farming (made by simple plastic foil, rendered from the aerial views) which you can see all over the western canary islands.
That would make sense. 
… But the default airport does not create the auto gen buildings on these spots, the sim wings allows the auto gen and it’s truly ugly…gray concrete buildings…
Not sure that’s autogen.
If it were the blocks would have windows at the sides.
Been to La Palma and Tenerife several times, and it’s actually quite close to reality.
That’s a shame… It’s ruined the default scenery. Oh well.
reality is a harsh mistress 
wow…really ?
I do think they need to address it… Fair enough if it’s greenhouses… But these are gray concrete buildings. …
Funny how context changes perception of things.
I fly to La Palma once or twice a year for astronomical observations, and really love the place. I´m used to seeing those “greenhouses” in real life. Unfortunately, they look really ugly in real life too.
You can see them here:
SimWings scenery does not match its colour, but other than that… it is reasonably acurate.
I was so eager waiting for this scenery being released that I almost jumped from my seat when I saw it in their store. Really made my day. I think the airport is astounding, really enjoyed it like a child in my first virtual landing there.
My only complain is that BV VOR does not show a needle nor a HSI, only shows DME (at least, in the A320NX). I don´t know if that´s how it is in real life or a problem with MSFS, but it makes the already interesting NDB-DME approach even more interesting.
Thanks for that, it’s a shame, maybe if they colour correct it.
nice video. Thanks
Thanks also from me for the video.
The Simwings version of GCLA looks really great. I’ve been there quite often. So I’d seen the airport in its different shapes over the years.
In the old MSFS times some guys from La Palma (if I recall that right) made a quite detailed verson of the Canaries. They even contributed those two windmills at GCLA - rotating!
Good to see another astronomer here I have been flying to La Palma also a lot for this reason 
Well, I´m just an enthusiastic amateur in love with the beauty of the night sky from the island. The natural airglow from the horizons with no light pollution, and the brightness and contrast of the zodiacal light from there are just mesmerizing…
Last October we had three nights with even better seeing than usual (median about 0.35", some measurements down to 0.24") and had Mars essentially diffraction limited for long periods of time with a 16 inch newtonian. I will not forget that easily…
Really looking forward for someone creating a detailed scenery for El Roque de los Muchachos observatory (we already have Mauna Kea and Paranal…).
Best regards.
I worked at the 1.2 meter Mercator telescope for 100+ nights, but there is also a smaller Dobson there, so on most dark nights I put that just outside of the entrance of the building, and went out from time to time to look at the sky The automatization of the observing system is so good that sometimes you can just keep the computers running so you can go outside to enjoy the sky too. (Actually during Covid there were months that the Telescope was operated completely off the site, the systems are soo good.) Cheers!
Do you think the Sim Wings version is better than the free version downloadable from flightsim.to?
Well, first let me say I´m very thankful to all those who work hard in their free time to create new scenery and share it with us (I wish I was talented enough and had enough time to do it myself).
And in particular I´m very thankful to JR, the deveolper of this specific airport. I was one of the first to (effusively) thank and congratulate him for it. His airport is very good, and I enjoyed it until the payware version came out. In fact, I still use his great Las Palmas / Gando airport, since there is no payware available for it that I know of (I can´t understand how such important airports as Las Palmas , Tenerife Norte or Málaga have been ignored by payware developers for over a year).
That said…
Yes, the payware version is much better than the freeware, and in my opinion is totally worth the price. I fly to La Palma every year in real life (last time two weeks ago, just before the volcano erupted), and really love this scenery. It´s not perfect, but it is very good, and I feel like I´m there again thanks to the little details in the payware which are missing in the freeware.
With most freeware, I can live with those little inaccuracies because if I have not been there in real life, I don´t know what I´m missing, and it is easy for a freeware to be “good enough” for me. But when an airport is an important part of your life (I know it sounds corny but for me, it is, it´s the moment when I realize I have arrived to a special place), I want as much realism as possible, and payware level products become important.
So, If you have not been there in real life, this freeware is really good enough. If you have been there, or want maximum realism, you won´t regret it if you get the payware.
Best regards.
PS) My warmest condolences to those suffering in La Palma right now. It´s really painful to see what is happening.
