Airport Review : KEWR - Newark Liberty International by Butnaru

[Stephen]

 

Airport Review : KEWR - Newark Liberty International by Santiago Butnaru

 

New York...  The big apple. Major cities dominate the world but New York is well...  New York. Mention a New York airport and instantly JFK or La Gaudia will be first on the list, but Newark?  "Oh Yeah, Newark" is usually the answer with a screwed up face. But Newark Liberty is a big people mover, in fact 35 million passengers a year flow through this huge New Jersey airport and that is more than La Gaudia (26.7million) and less than JFK with (50million). But the three airports combined are the second-largest in the world in terms of passenger traffic, and largest in the world in terms of total flight operations.

 

Newark was also here before anyone else as it was the first major airport serving passengers in the New York metro area. Newark opened October 1, 1928 on 68 acres of reclaimed land along the Passaic River. It was originally named Newark Metropolitan Airport and then later Newark International Airport, But with the opening of La Gaudia in 1939 Newark fell then into a slump, and with so little traffic it was it was taken over by the United States Army for wartime logistics operations. The airlines returned to Newark after the war, and in February 1946 and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey assumed control of the airport in 1948, and built new hangars, a new terminal and longer runway 4/22. In the 1970s the airport became Newark International Airport. The present Terminals A and B opened in 1973, although some charter and international flights requiring customs clearance remained at the North Terminal. The main building of Terminal C was completed at the same time, but only the metal framing work was completed for the terminal's satellites, and it lay dormant until the mid-1980s when for a brief time the west third of the terminal was equipped for international arrivals and used for some People Express transcontinental flights. Terminal C was completed and opened in June 1988.

 

Finally Newark expanded dramatically in the 1980s. People Express struck a deal with the Port Authority to use the North Terminal as both its air terminal and corporate office in 1981 and began its operations at Newark that year. It grew quickly, increasing Newark's traffic through the 1980s. Then Virgin Atlantic began services between Newark and London in 1984, challenging JFK's status as New York's international gateway (but Virgin Atlantic now has more flights at JFK than at Newark). Federal Express (now known as FedEx Express) opened its second hub at the airport in 1986. And when People Express then merged into Continental in 1987 operations at the North Terminal were reduced and the building was demolished to make way for the larger cargo facilities in the early 1990s. This merger started Continental's, and then later United Airlines's dominance at Newark Airport. This big international airport is situated on the municipal boundary between Newark and Elizabeth, New Jersey and is 15 miles (24 km) from the mid-town center of Manhattan (New York City)

 

 

From X-Plane's point of view New York hasn't had much attention, well any major city hasn't had much attention in most cases except Seattle. But over the last few years the area has finally become a better destination. In fact it was butnaru who has done this KEWR scenery that started it all off with his good KLGA - La Gaudia scenery a few years back that finally made New York a point on the route to head for. Now you have the opposite problem? With the huge and frame-rate hungry KJFK, Butnaru's KLGA and now this KEWR it is a frame-rate bender if you also add in any New York Scenery and the very high density autogen and complex traffic systems..  To say my system groans under all the weight is an understatement. But some how I make it all work, just...  because there is nothing better in X-Plane than arriving in New York.

 

 

Approach and Landing : KEWR has three runways in 4L/22R (11,000ft) - 4R/22L (10,000ft) and the smaller 11/29 (6800ft) cross runway, my arrival was by RWY 4R and I have always ben interested in a good KEWR Newark because it is completely surrounded by great traffic systems than when running correctly can give airports a really great visual approach and active interaction with the simulator. And here KEWR does not disappoint. It also provides a great circle boundary to the airport scenery itself, so it is very self-contained. Butnaru uses a lot of graphic plate textures under his sceneries, but here the edges are well disguised under the default surrounds and then creating a well blended in approach than an airport position out of a urban area.

 

Once down on RWY 4R the the runway textures and the taxiway graphics and markings are first rate. You get that real big American airport feel. I found that I was in the wrong airline as Newark is dominated by United, I looked around for a American Airline stand but the only one available was too small on the domestic A Terminal - Concourse 3 for the A330, so I headed for a slot on the Terminal 3 Concourse 1 - gate 81 parking. Going into Gate 81 I found a lot of great ramp equipment and activity, Butnaru has steadily increased his ground traffic and walking ramp workers, and they all work to a really great effect here, but there are no active airbridge (marginal) gates.

 

 

Looking from the air you can see how big but how compact KEWR is, as it is very nicely self-contained within its area. There has been several freeware attempts at creating a decent KEWR, but none came even close to something realistic. But this Butnaru is certainly a ground filler and gives you now a great alternative to the usual approach to New York. Like I said turn up your traffic setting to the full to get the best effect.

 

From the air the photo plates look very good, but come down and change the angle and the buildings start to become islands. The control tower and Marriott hotel complex stand out there alone, both are very good but everything is flat around them. This effect is replicated around the carparks and open areas and is very similar to the approach that Tom Curtis takes, but Tom Curtis lately has been filling in more between the building and filling out his carparks to great effect, the same here work here would have made a far bigger difference at ground level. So the ground detailing is quite light. The control tower was constructed in 2002, and entered service in 2003,and  becoming the fourth and tallest tower in the airport's history in standing 325 feet high.

 

 

Butnaru always puts a lot of effort into the terminals, and KEWR is no exception. There are three terminals in A, B and C and each terminal has three concourses noted as A-1 : A-2 : A-3, B-1 : B-2 : B-3 and C-1 : C-2 : C-3.

 

Terminal A

 

 

Terminal A is the only terminal has no immigration facilities so flights arriving from other countries cannot use Terminal A (except countries with US customs preclearance), although some departing international flights use the terminal. So it is purely domestic. Air Canada and Air Canada Express, American (and Eagle), Alaskan, Jet Blue and Southwest all use this terminal.

 

Terminal B

 

 

Terminal B is totally international. In 2008 Terminal B was completely renovated to increase capacity for departing passengers and to generally bring the building up to more modern standards. Airlines working from here include - Air India, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Delta, Iceland Air, Austrian Airlines, EL AL, Scandinavian Airlines, Porter (Canada), Swiss and TAP. Newark was for a few years Newark became the terminus of the world's longest non-stop scheduled airline route, "Singapore Airlines' flight to Singapore. The route covered 9,534 miles (15,343 km) in about 18.5 hours flight time. It was operated by an SIN Airbus A340-500.

 

Terminal C

 

 

Terminal C is totally dominated by United (or the old Continental). Today United has its Global Gateway based at Terminal C, having completed a major expansion project from 1998 to 2003, In that Terminal C was rebuilt and expanded in a $1.2 billion program that included the construction of a new, third concourse and a new Federal Inspection Services facility. With its Newark hub United is now the largest provider of air service to the New York metropolitan area. Currently Terminal C is under going another upgrade that was approved in 2014. You can look a t Terminal C as really C-1 as one concourse and C-2 and C-3 as another paired together.

 

 

On the arrivals side the terminals are well done with ramps, but the empty center (parking) areas make them look like lonely standalone buildings. There is a good ramp operations tower in the Terminal C.

 

Close up terminal detailing is very good and the ramp equipment is well laid out and significant. Butnaru always does nice interesting windows, and here is no exception. There is a good representable of airport life behind the glass that is well done. Noted is the excellent animations of walking ramp personnel and loads of active baggage carts and tractors moving around the very well placed (good quality) static aircraft.

 

 

Cargo : There are two major cargo areas in one situated in the north section of KEWR that has buildings for UAL Cargo and Kalitta Air. There is a small GA area situated here also, but KEWR is not really a GA airport. In the south section it is dominated by Fedex and UPS. Fedex has a huge presence at since it opened a major hub here at Newark Liberty International Airport in 1986. Behind the southern cargo area is the large fuel storage depot for the aircraft. Cargojet and ABX Air also operate from KEWR.

 

 

There is plenty for parking spaces on all the cargo ramps and are very well laid out. So KEWR is a great hub to go international in cargo or domestic and feeder services.

 

Runways : Your main runways are both set out parallel to each other on the east side of the airport in 4L/22R - 4R/22L, so taxi times are not very long no matter which terminal you are arriving or departing from. the shorter 11/29 (6800ft) cross runway is better used for commuter or regional services. Quality and textures of all the runways and taxiways are excellent, however I found a ILS mast situated point center on taxiway K, putting both taxiways K and P out of action in the northern area?

 

 

Lighting : KEWR in lighting is very good but not really highly detailed except around the main terminals. Which are excellent, again those wonderful windows are well represented and look very realistic in night operations. The ramps are very well lit and you can work on there very well. Runways are well lit, but the taxiways are quite dark except for the well spaced green lights to and from the runways.

 

 

Close up terminal light detailing beautiful in many aspects and very similar to the approach that Tom Curtis uses in that, enough to cover the important areas, but not to much to bend your computer. Away from the central areas the cargo ramps are also great for night operation and the rest of the lighting is mostly just spot fillers. No advertising or other basic signage make a lot of the area including the hotel lighting a bit basic.

A really great attribute is having your default traffic at full roar. Those complex weaving highways and intersections with highway lighting make a great scene from any direction, including the approach (north or south) and views outwardly from the airport itself.

 

 

Routes : In International London, Europe, India and Israel dominate the routes out of KEWR, with Canada covering the rest.

 

1  London–Heathrow, United Kingdom  - 1,144,208  : British Airways, United Airlines, Virgin Atlantic

2  Tel Aviv–Ben Gurion, Israel  - 497,636 : El Al, United

3  Frankfurt, Germany - 428,962 : Lufthansa, United

4  Toronto–Pearson, Canada - 366,697 : Air Canada, United

5  Toronto–Billy Bishop, Canada - 351,239 : Porter Airlines

6  Munich, Germany - 322,154 : Lufthansa, United

7  Mumbai, India - 315,388 : Air India, Jet Airways, United

8  Brussels, Belgium - 302,829 : Jet Airways, United

9  Paris–Charles de Gaulle, France - 284,516 : Delta Air Lines, United

10  Zurich, Switzerland  - 244,126 : Swiss Airlines, United

 

In Domestic, California clearly leads the numbers followed by Florida (Disneyworld) and Chicago. Regional to Boston and North Carolina are also great routes.

 

1  San Francisco, California  - 715,000 : United, Virgin America

2  Los Angeles, California - 690,000 : American, United, Virgin America

3  Orlando, Florida - 681,000 : JetBlue, United

4  Chicago,–O'Hare Illinois - 627,000 : American, United

5  Charlotte, North Carolina - 512,000 : United, US Airways

6  Boston, Massachusetts - 502,000 : JetBlue, United

7  Houston, Texas - 500,000 : United

8  Fort Lauderdale, Florida - 458,000 : JetBlue, United

9  Atlanta, Georgia - 456,000 : Delta, United

10  Denver, Colorado - 379,000 : Southwest, United

 

Summary : There are a lot of similarities between Butnaru's sceneries and Tom Curtis's work. They both approach their sceneries as good solid workman like airport and area representations without any frills. It works because the sceneries are very light on your computer, but both deliver were it counts in giving you good scenery also where it is important as on the ground or in the approach or departure phases of flight. There is not a lot of high detail in here with empty carparks or waving flags except for the areas around the terminals which is excellent, and that does create those barren areas between buildings and there is not a lot of signage or detailing that makes you go wow, KEWR is like most of Butnaru's scenery in being very workman like but still very effective. And he has the habit of filling in areas of your global air empire of giving you the right scenery for the right place. The animations are first rate, but you do miss the active airbridges that are missing from any of the gates.

 

You never question the value of Butnaru's work because it is very good, and as scenery it is highly usable. And KEWR - Newark is a great companion piece to Butnaru's La Gardia - KLGA, just across Manhattan and to the north.

Certainly KEWR is great investment in the now ever growing New York area. and fits in there on the side of the Hudson River like a perfectly made glove.

 

Review by Stephen Dutton

 

Yes!  KEWR - Newark Liberty International by Santiago Butnaru is now available at the New X-Plane.OrgShop...  KEWR - Newark Liberty International

Price is $22.95

 

Installation and Documents : ''Download is 237.20mb which is unzipped to your X-Plane in your custom scenery folder at 324.60.30mb. No charts or airport material is provided with the scenery. You must have marginal's  GroundTraffic animated ground vehicle traffic kit 1.50 installed for animations.

 

Butnaru's companion airport KLGA - New York - La Guardia, is US$19.95 and is available here : KLGA - New York - La Guardia

 

Copyright©2014 : X-Plane Reviews

 

Features :

- all Gates and taxiways

- 100+ Gates modeled

- Detailed terminals and Jetways

- Interior of terminal modeled

 

High-Resolution Airport

- Many static aircraft

- Light effects with HDR on and off

- Custom ground textures

- Ortophotos

- Animated Traffic with Cars, trucks and  people (Ground Traffic by Marginal)

 

Review System Specifications:

Computer System:    

- 2.66 Ghz Intel Core i5 iMac 27”

- 6 Gb 1067 Mhz DDR3

- ATI Radeon HD 4850 512mb

Software:    

- Mac OS Mavericks 10.9.4

- X-Plane 10 Global ver 10.31 Final

Addons

- Saitek x52 Pro system Joystick and Throttle

- Bose Soundlink WiFi Speaker

Aircraft

- Airbus A330-200 by Samen and Thomas Ruth for his FSX exterior (I have no idea if this aircraft is still available?)

 

[Guest Bill]

Thanks for the review. May I ask which scenery pack you use for the NYC buildings?

[Stephen]

Thanks for the review. May I ask which scenery pack you use for the NYC buildings?

 

I bought the Aerosoft FS9 Manhattan X and converted it to X-Plane, it has a few extra items from around the .Org in there as well...  As a note I have complained for years to Aerosoft to release these city sceneries for X-Plane with no answer?