Important And Great Suggestion For NZFF Forum Owners

[Aharon]

Shalom and greetings the NZFF forum owners,

May I have great suggestion for you for your NZFF forums??

You mention that you are running out of NZFF members for your great and wonderful monthly NZFF forum banner.

May I offer solution to that problem?

Why not post monthly banners of all very famous New Zealand aviators and their planes throughout history of New Zealand aviation history so that this way you will not run out of subjects for monthly banners for next 3 years or so. And more important, it makes readers go to google to read history of who a New Zealand pilot featured in monthly banner is.

For example, one month for a New Zealand pilot and his plane who was first to fly from North Island to South Island. Another month is for a New Zealand pilot and his plane who was first to fly from New Zealand to Australia. One month is for whoever was first female New Zealand pilot. One month is for whoever was first New Zealand pilot flying first jet airliner plane. And so on whenever you find in history of New Zealand aviation.

Hope my idea is great solution for you.

Regards,

Aharon

[Adamski]

Hi Aharon - thanks for the suggestion! It's certainly worth considering - though NZFF isn't so much an *aviation* forum - it's more to do with *simulations*, which is slightly different. Sourcing the images might be a problem as you may end up with copyright issues.

I'd be keen to hear what others think!

BTW - is there any reason why your recent posts have huge/bold text? I may be old, but I don't think my eyesight is *that* bad!!!

[emfrat]

I'd be keen to hear what others think!

I have used re-enactments for many flights, including a few entries in the old Screenshot Comp. Trouble is, for the historically important aircraft models (and scenery) you need to use FSX, and FS9, but the sceneries are better in FSX. From memory, we had to have an identifiable part of NZ visible in the screenshot entries. The newer flightsims don't really have that available, at the moment.
As you say, NZFF is a Flightsim Forum, with a strong emphasis on NZ. There is a lot of excellent, locally made, NZ scenery and aircraft and that should be showcased not just here but in other forums, to promote NZ developers.

ATB (and thanks for all your work adamski)
Mike

[Aharon]

NZFF isn't so much an *aviation* forum - it's more to do with *simulations*, which is slightly different. Sourcing the images might be a problem as you may end up with copyright issues.

Yes but there are few possibilities. One is a banner with uncopyrightable photo of a famous New Zealand pilot, uncopyrightable photo of his or her plane, and two sentences identifying the pilot and what he or she is famous for such as First Pilot to Fly From North Island to South Island . The other possibility is one banner with uncopyrighted photo of famous pilot with corresponding flight sim plane from any flightsim platform and the two sentences.

I'd be keen to hear what others think!

Hope they like the idea and they have freeware or payware planes in their flight sim plataforms for banners explaining history.

BTW - is there any reason why your recent posts have huge/bold text? I may be old, but I don't think my eyesight is *that* bad!!!

Sorry I got excited over my idea that just hit my mind. Other reason is I always use laptops (never use desktops with luxury of massive screens) and the normal font can be too tiny for me to read and type. That is why I enlarge the view size of web browser to read all posts but that does not apply to creating new posts and typing on new posts.

Regards,

Aharon

[Aharon]

I have used re-enactments for many flights, including a few entries in the old Screenshot Comp.

Adamski,

looks like you have few months worth of banners ready from Emfrat screenshots and I am sure you will find more screenshots in screenshot subforums using keyword search functions based on names of planes !! All you have to do is to add photos of pilots and add two sentences to identify the pilot and explanation of his or her historic achievement or event

the historically important aircraft models (and scenery) you need to use FSX, and FS9,

That is what I suggested to Adamski

Regards,

Aharon

[deeknow]

It's a great idea Aharon, thumbs up from me for sure.

We can avoid the copyright thing with sim only shots doing the recreations. Really just need a body of decently researched posts (like your own, and others) and some banner handiwork and we're on our way. Perhaps a forum folder/topic area of its own too. Will also require someone to do some organising to "prod" volunteers the way Doug does w the banners now

[dbcunnz]

I took over the NZFF banner way back in 2010 and in those days it was the monthly winner of the screenshot competition for the previous month that was featured on the banner.
In 2018 the screenshot competition came to a halt as the entries had dropped to low to continue with it.
It was then bandied around for a couple of months asking and getting suggestions of what to use for the monthly banner and in 2019 I came up with the idea of using our members for the banner which was very successful for a while but then I found that to try and find a member for each month became impossible I would contact up to seven or eight members and but finding none would want to participate.
It was sad to say that I would put many many hours into trying to find a member to feature and coming up with no one wanting or willing to participate.
so that is the sad state of affairs at the moment so now we have asked Jan kees Blom if we can use a different one of his NZ aircraft paints for each month to fill in until something else comes along.
I have been very great full to having Adam (Adamsky) come in and help out with the banner for the last couple of years.
As for me I am getting on in years and feel I have put my all plus into it over the last 11 to 12 years and feel it is time for me to retire and hopefully someone else will step in and work with Adam.
I will still carry on in the Admin roll for the forum and be available for any help I can give to the forum and members.

[deeknow]

Doug !!! wash your mouth out, you are but a spring chicken !!!

Super grateful of all your work on the banners dude, and Adam too of course.

Aharon would you be keen to head up the "historical banner" effort? In my mind it doesn't need to be a kiwi or even long standing member, and you've shown more interest than most lately in sharing and exploring NZ aviation routes and history from what I've seen. We could alternate with the regular members banners, and Jan repaint banners.

A good place to start might be to do a crawl over the site (use Google search if our own not useful) checking for other historical posts from the past here on nzff. Could even regurgitate some of the material. I know there are a lot there (apart from your own recent posts) hidden away where peeps have posted rich stuff recreating historical (or informed by historical events). See what you can find there before we double up on stuff that might already exist?

[Adamski]

I'll second the vote of thanks to Doug for all the chivvying he's doen behind the scenes for so many years . I'm no spring chicken either, but I think Doug's a bit ahead of me!

If we choose to go with this idea, there may be no need for a 2nd helper. I can carry on doing the actual graphics, as per usual, providing I have the following (in each case):

1) Short title of the event and/or person involved.
2) At least one decent (large) letter-box aspect ratio to use as a background/main image (1200px minimum).
3) A few inset pics to drop in.
4) If we choose to link the banner to a post - then details of the event (possibly with more pics).

It needs to be NZ-related in some way, and I still feel that the main pic at least should be a sim screenshot - the inset pics maybe not. We also need to ensure that we're not breaking any copyright for historical images.

[Splitpin]

I'm no spring chook either, in fact, if anything, a grumpy old rooster ...but I agree "Super grateful of all your work on the banners dude, and Adam too of course."
We have to breathe some life back into this place...I'll do my best.

[emfrat]

Marty, your innovation of two 'historical' topics has not seen the support it deserved - Your Aust and Pacific Aviation History would be the ideal place for screenies of simulations of such events. I recall my comp entries of the Sunderland sinking at Te Whanga, and the NAC Lockheed mail flight landing on the beach at Chch when the airfield was fogged in. You probly remember some of the stuff I pointed you to on the Trove website - both the NZ and Oz sites are great sources of newspaper clippings, from the era we are talking about, but folk do need to learn how to search there. I can find again the references I used - we could not add text to a comp screenie, but we could say something in the entry announcement.
I am happy to point members to sources they might use, but I am not going to do their research for them . They need to learn for themselves.
As I pointed out earlier, the aircraft and sceneries for that era are simply not available except in FS9 and FSX. NZFF is the best place to showcase the excellent work being done by local devs for MSFS, so we can't let the forum become a refuge for FSX or FS9 diehards.

[Aharon]

Aharon would you be keen to head up the "historical banner" effort? In my mind it doesn't need to be a kiwi or even long standing member, and you've shown more interest than most lately in sharing and exploring NZ aviation routes and history from what I've seen.

Deeknow,

I like your description historic banner!!! That is what NZFF forums need considering the fact it is running out of forum members for monthly banners.

Well there are two problems.

One is that I am NOT NOT NOT NOT foremost expert in history of commercial and military New Zealand aviation history. I am just enjoying studying history of commercial aviation and that includes history of commercial aviation of New Zealand which is how I gain knowledge of facts BUT I am NOT NOT NOT foremost expert in history of New Zealand aviation. A forum member by the name of Radar88 is far far far far more expert than I am. I would not even be surprised if 10 year old kids hanging out in hobby stores in New Zealand know more than I do about New Zealand aviation.

Second is that I do not have very very very advanced photoshop skills that Adamski has for banners or Jankees has for repaints.

It looks like from Adamski post saying he can handle the new idea of monthly historic banner without 2nd helper so the only thing I can do is to offer suggestions for subjects for coming monthly historic banners.

I hope you are not offended when I feel I am not qualified for the helper role in charge of historic banners. I can offer to Adamski suggestions for subjects for coming monthly historic banners. And I thank you for your kind offer.

Historic Banners!!! Gonna love this description!!

Regards,

Aharon

[Aharon]

If we choose to go with this idea, there may be no need for a 2nd helper. I can carry on doing the actual graphics, as per usual, providing I have the following (in each case):

1) Short title of the event and/or person involved.
2) At least one decent (large) letter-box aspect ratio to use as a background/main image (1200px minimum).
3) A few inset pics to drop in.
4) If we choose to link the banner to a post - then details of the event (possibly with more pics).

It needs to be NZ-related in some way, and I still feel that the main pic at least should be a sim screenshot - the inset pics maybe not. We also need to ensure that we're not breaking any copyright for historical images.

Yeah good idea!!!!! And many forum members can PM to Adamski (not not post on forums for purpose of surprising and exciting readers in coming banners) tons of suggestions for next monthly historic banners.

A good example is FIRST New Zealand DC-3 flight in history of New Zealand Aviation where the banner will show screenshot of specific livery of FIRST New Zealand DC-3 flight with words: First New Zealand Flight On (you provide date) From (you provide airport) to (you provide airport)

Another example is FIRST New Zealand Flight from New Zealand to Australia where the banner will show screenshot of a plane with specific livery with the words showing date, etc etc

And so on It can be with photo of pilot or not.

Regards,

Aharon

[deeknow]

Well there are two problems...
One is that I am NOT NOT NOT NOT foremost expert in history of commercial and military New Zealand aviation history.
Second is that I do not have very very very advanced photoshop skills

Yeah not suggesting you would have to do the research or the banners, most of the effort with stuff like this is acting as an organiser, teasing content out of people, getting timelines organised etc, its more project management/facilitating than anything.

[Adamski]

I hope you are not offended when I feel I am not qualified for the helper role in charge of historic banners. I can offer to Adamski suggestions for subjects for coming monthly historic banners.

No need to apologise - nobody's going to take offence here - least of all me!!

As regards Photoshop etc. - I'm quite happy to continue creating the banners themselves ... from whatever content is sent to me!

[Aharon]

As regards Photoshop etc. - I'm quite happy to continue creating the banners themselves ... from whatever content is sent to me!

AGREED Everybody should send to Adamski suggestions for monthly historic banners

Adamski,

I just PMed you perfect screenshot for July month banner

Regards,

Aharon

[Aharon]

Yeah not suggesting you would have to do the research or the banners, most of the effort with stuff like this is acting as an organiser, teasing content out of people, getting timelines organised etc, its more project management/facilitating than anything.

Well it looks like Adamski said he can handle without 2nd helper BUT BUT rest assured rest assured, I will send historic banner suggestions for coming months to him via PM and I am sure that Adamski will be bombarded with tons of suggestions for coming historic banners from other NZFF forum members.

BTW, I do not want to step on toes of Adamski who is in charge of banners or otherwise he might get angry and might stop painting liveries for other people. Smiling

Smiling,

Aharon

[Adamski]

Hi Aharon,

Just to clarify why we're seeing another JK banner for July!

Thanks for the PM with info and screenshots. However (!!) I couldn't really use any of the images as they weren't in the right format (aspect ration and size). Here's what I'd really need:

If we choose to go with this idea, there may be no need for a 2nd helper. I can carry on doing the actual graphics, as per usual, providing I have the following (in each case):

1) Short title of the event and/or person involved.
2) At least one decent (large) letter-box aspect ratio to use as a background/main image (1200px minimum).
3) A few inset pics to drop in.
4) If we choose to link the banner to a post - then details of the event (possibly with more pics).

[It needs to be NZ-related in some way, and I still feel that the main pic at least should be a sim screenshot - the inset pics maybe not. We also need to ensure that we're not breaking any copyright for historical images.]

I really appreciate what you sent (maybe have another go at the main image <??> but I'm sorry to say that yours has been *the only* suggestion so far. :-(((((

Adam.

[dbcunnz]

Just a suggestion maybe Marty can fire us one of the boys aircraft photos each month for the banner.
I think he probably has enough to see us through for the next 5 or 6 years or more monthly banners.

[emfrat]

Great idea Doug - Even better if it could be a real vs sim combo shot. We'd better ask Marty first


ATB
Mike