No problem, you can contact me initially via the "Private Message" part of this forum and we can get in contact for real if needed. You are welcome to come see P3D first hand.
I run Prepar3D, with Orbx North Island and South Island regions and their add-on airports. For weather I am using Active Sky and Cloud Art, but REX products are also good. I think Active Sky has the better weather engine (that may have changed - it swings back and forth), and the latest REX Skyforce may have the better cloud models (visually speaking). Either product will download real-time weather and inject it into the sim. I also run TrackIR for head movement tracking, so I can look around. Flight planning, when I can be bother, I do with old pen and paper or PlanG (free!). I use REX Texture Direct for 'better' textures (runways, taxiways, water) and REX High Definition Buildings. Oh and ORBX HD trees. Finally, Robin Corn of Godzone does some wonderful photoreal areas, not quite updated for P3Dv4 yet but coming, as well as airports. Nelson and Dunedin most definitely, ChCh on the way. He frequents here, so can nodount let you know, but head over to
Godzone for a look.
I don't tend to purchase aircraft add-ons much as I love flying around VFR in the Baytower Vans RV7 or Vertigo Vans RV-8. Actually, I don't have the -8 installed at the moment, but I am currently heading south-ish from Napier in the -7 which is tooling along at 156kts GS with 9kts hitting my right wing. There is, of course, a Cub built into P3D but it is pretty basic. For more realism you'd maybe consider the J3 from A2A and the expansion pack which enhances it, both available for download from online sellers like Flight Sim Store.
Cheers
Awesome. That’s given me a really good steer on NZ options. There’s way more involved than I imagined and I’ll need to spend a bit of time at all the sites you’ve named. I’m not super fixed on a piper cub either so will check out those other small planes. It’s going to be fun times...
