DPW - Department of Public Works

[#1]

The DPW has finished construction of an airport at Hau Koda, to serve Bay City. Misty Mole, Silent Mole and Naughty Mole have done an excellent job creating the tower, terminal and hangar.

We've got an airway beacon, but we're still pondering what sort of end lights, landing lights etc. are appropriate for runway 9. Takeoffs are normally over Grub Beach and the low-load Regions north of Bay City. It's themed for the late Thirties or early Forties, so no radar or other fancy stuff. The runway is 40 meters wide and 250 meters long, with a seaplane ramp at the eastern end. Join the Bay City ATC group to avoid landing on other aircraft!

I grabbed some Resident-created airplanes and posed them around for some photos:

The Terminal is at:

     http://slurl.com/secondlife/Hau%20Koda/65/58/25

The rez zone (behind the hangar) is at:

     http://slurl.com/secondlife/Hau%20Koda/165/30/25

We'll use some of the space in the Terminal building for some Resident-oriented services.

Happy flying!

[#2]

Kudos on realizing how important a rez zone is!

The official runway lighting guidance is available in http://www.faa.gov/airports_airtraffic/air_traffic/publications/atpubs/aim/Chap2/aim0201.html

[#3]

Oh, but for circa 1939?

[#4]

LDPW has done an amazing job on this build with so many wonderful details.  The Bay City Alliance invites everyone to visit the new airport in Hau Koda and explore all of Bay City while you're there.  Look for information about the opening ceremonies and party soon.

Great things are happening in Bay City!  We are using the land to develop a sense of community among citizens from all over the RL world.  And we're working as a community to develop the land.

[#5]

I'll see if I can convince the moles to sell baggage in the baggage store, heh. We'll make up a package of airport freebies at some point Real Soon Now.

[#6]

Point well-taken. In 1939 I expect you'd have white runway edge lights, and red/green threshold lights, and nothing more.

Reid-Hillview was built in 1939...and you might find some helpful historical images in http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One_Six_Right, which is about Van Nuys, but includes the period you're interested in.

[#7]

Great content building Misty, Silent, Naughty and those involved with the LDPW.

Any chance of a revised Bay City content package with additional buildings?

Compared to the Nautilus content, with several buildings to choose from, Bay City has only one themed building to use.

Also, is there any timeline for the expansion of Bay City?

[#8]

Nice work with the airport!

Bay City rocks!!!

[#9]

I have an old Coke machine that I can contribute. Plus the fact that I work at Tulsa International (which is near Spartan college of aeronautics and technology it was founded in 1928) I can get shots of some 40s era gear to sell and pull out (like oil, and other stuff). They won't have a problem with it, they love discussing their proud history.

[#10]

Thanks, Thunderclap, but we can't use Resident-created content here. But if you want to link to a Flickr set or some such images, I'll be glad to see if there's anything Good To Build.

Oh, and of course we can't be using trademarks from other companies!

[#11]

The vice president of marketing for Coca Cola worldwide gave all SL residents the right to use their ip for as long as SL exists provided it isnt linked to Sex or violence. This was during the inworld celebration in mid 2007 on their island, which is still in existance. As for the pics of the other stuff, sure I have no problems with that.

[#12]

This is my new favorite sim in the whole world

[#13]

Oh, even so, I'm not sure we (Linden Lab) count as Residents. Maybe we'll make a Talpid Cola machine!

(to the tune of "La donna è mobile")

"Cool, sweet and brown, comes from holes underground, no drink better can be found -- Taaaaaaaalpid Cola! Taaaaaalpid Cola! The cola insectivores prefer! Laaaaaaaaaay your Eimer's organ on a Talpid Cola today!"

[#14]

Any news on a Teen Grid airport? It'd be great if you guys added some more stuff to the since "untouched" Bay City (TG)

[#15]

"Laaaaaaaaaay your Eimer's organ on a Talpid Cola today!"

Sorry, you may not mention organs here. Would you like to buy a bridge in Pornopolis Ursula Zindra?

[#16]

When are we gonna get the New Bay City texture and object package?

[#17]

Michael, Misty, Silent, and Naughty,

The airport is awesome. I love all the details and little touches.  The drinks, the pose stands in the powder room, the coveralls, the little park on the hill, etc. Totally amazing job. I hope you do some end or landing lights for Runway 9 (would it also be marked with a "9," or does that come later?).

It makes a great waypoint between Abbotts and Gray for those into flying, too.

@Daniel Voyager - Yes indeed - Bay City *does* rock! I blame the Bay City Alliance, Blondin Linden, Keira Linden, and the moles for this rocking condition, too.

@Blue Linden - It might be mine too.  I've spent so many hours there watching construction. Hope to finish the "making of" movie soon. No, really!

@Michael Linden - Does Talpid Cola have an advertising contract with the "Fightin' Moles," then? That baggage is great, and I'll definitely be watching for some fun freebies over in the lost properties desk.

@Spencer Engineer - that would be cool.  Woulda been nice to have had more prefabs and stuff. We kinda got the short stick in that, compared to Nautilus City and now Kama City. Maybe when there is an expansion, this might be a good idea to plan in?

And I echo that call for the expansion. I'd love to have a road outside my parcel, instead of staring off into the Void Sea.  I can but dream.

[#18]

I hope you do some end or landing lights for Runway 9 (would it also be marked with a "9," or does that come later?).

Numbering of runways based on their magnetic heading (or "QDM" as it is called in the UK) is a practice that was not adopted until 1944 in World War II as instrument approaches became more common.

Before that there was a simple serial numbering...."Runway #1", etc. And if there was only one runway, you didn't need a number...just a cardinal compass direction.

[#19]

Yeah, we're being sorta anachronistic in a few ways ... pilots come to Bay City Airport from all over SL, we don't want them trying to line up on a 10-degrees-from-north approach.

"In the news, another small aircraft impacted against the front of the Bay City airport terminal. The craft, a pumpkin with bat wings, piloted by Evil McNastyman, was unharmed by the collision; no injuries were reported. Pilot error, due to misreading of aeronautical chart notes, is blamed for the accident."

[#20]

Hmm, might make the runway lighting respond to the Bay City ATC group chat channel.

[#21]

This looks like a really pretty build, and I know lots of hard work and great intentions have gone into it.  And I hate to be an ol' grump but...

Why is the Lab making large elaborate builds, again?  I mean okay I can understand roads, a bit, because in order to be useful they have to cut across large areas and it would be hard for a private Resident to acquire all that land from the folks in the path of the road.  But why an airport?  It being Our World Our Imagination an' all, why not sell that land to a Resident or a Group and let them build whatever the imagination suggests?  Maybe an airport, maybe a hockey rink, maybe a carnival-grounds, whatever.

Not that I don't think y'all at the Lab should have the fun of building.    But why do it in an official capacity?  Buy the land by the usual processes and build stuff on it that way!  I dunno if it's just me, but otherwise I sort of feel like us Resies are just sort of sitting around going "ooh" and "ahh" at what the Lindens and Moles are building.  And somehow that doesn't feel all that SL to me.

Again, nothing against this particular airport or the good times that ppl are having at it.  But just as a matter of general principles...

[#22]

Well, Dale, several reasons; some more specific to this project than others.

-- build theming:   we think creating a theme for urban areas is Very Good. Since the parcelling, parks, and other Linden-owned land is part of the theme, we try to seed the entire area with in-theme examples.

-- public event sites:  helps build community without a specific Resident having to support the cost. We have various auditoriums, meeting spaces, etc. spread around the world. Some (like the Linden Memorial Zone) are created to ensure long-term stability and freedom from the perception of bias - not that Lindens can't be biased, but at least we have to answer for it in the forums, office hours, etc.

-- hub:  once the load on the infohubs is balanced a bit more, we're gonna turn on the hub settings for this region. Even when hubs are nicely balanced, it's now thought best to avoid having Resident-owned parcels in the same Region (to avoid the "I can't get into my own land" problem).

-- land buying:   the DPW (at least) tries to avoid buying land (or other content), since our sources of Linden dollars are pretty much infinite. We've sometimes bought small parcels, at market rates or lower, to fill out "broken" projects (like missing pieces of roads); and we buy some stuff for personal use (avatars, props, etc.). But it's hard to stop "bidding higher" when you have unlimited funds. And, heh, how do you know the DPW didn't buy the Region; "Hey, , we'll buy you lunch for a Region!" (joke!)

In the case of Hau Koda, we knew that some sort of Linden content needed to be placed there. I chose "period airport".

[#23]

Okay, thanks much for the answer!  I will ponder it.    And also take a look around the airport!

[#24]

But it's hard to stop "bidding higher" when you have unlimited funds.

That might explain why I own all that land on Aditi. :-)

[#25]

Hmm, might make the runway lighting respond to the Bay City ATC group chat channel.

That would be very cool! I did not even know such a function was possible.  Time to tinker with some LSL

[#26]

"Round up the usual suspects!"

"Michael, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship."

[#27]

I had a fun time with a friend, starting at the airport and first taking my hovercraft out for a spin, down the seaplane ramp and onto the bay, and back again. Then I tried a helicopter, but when I tried flying over the city, I ran into quite a few "Parcel full" barriers, which twice crashed us catastrophicly.

I had a lot of trouble finding the rezzing area for the airport. In fact, I ended up rezzing on the cobblestone courtyard in the neighboring sim. I would have expected teh best rezzing area to be *inside* the hangar, or at the far end of the air strip from the bay.

Still, it was fun. I may even see if I can obtain one or two suitable period aircraft, for future use there.

[#28]

I'll add a note about the rez zone in the parcel description. I didn't want people rezzing aircraft where folk might be taxiing!

I'll see what's going on with the blog machinery ...

[#29]

Well, the blog software is broken. I'm getting email copies of comments that the website refuses to display.

So I'll paste from the email:

Then I tried a helicopter, but when I tried flying over the city, I ran into quite a few "Parcel full" barriers, which twice crashed us catastrophicly.

See the following JIRAs

http://jira.secondlife.com/browse/SVC-1070   ...a year and a half old.

http://jira.secondlife.com/browse/SVC-22      ...two and a half years old.

Apparently these bugs are too hard to fix. Or LL doesn't care about vehicles.

Roads and marinas and airports make nice screen shots, but to heck with the airplanes. Most people who enjoy flying in SL have given up and fly in private estates.

[#30]

Well, since the blog is still not keeping current, I'll paste from email...

A new comment was created on the blog post Hau Koda Municipal Airport:

https://blogs.secondlife.com/community/land/dpw/blog/2009/06/15/hau-koda-municipal-airport#comment-7...

Author : Marianne McCann
Profile: https://blogs.secondlife.com/people/Marianne.McCann

Comment:
----------------------------------------------

> Good luck on finding period planes, at least ones that are not military. Seems very hard to find good commercial

> and recreational planes from that time period!

Drusilla Saunders sells several very nice transport craft from that era. Driff Beardmore has a delightful Pietenpol Air Camper in a seaplane version. 
 
> @Maggie - I still fly (and drive, and boat) on mainland. i think I relish the challenge.

> @Maggie - Voted on those! I still fly on mainland (though see above), mostly for the challenge. :-D

I operate aircraft, road, sailing and railroad vehicles on mainland. But I agree, it is a massive challenge. Much more than it should be.

@Michael - Seein' some people use the Bay City ATC group chat for clearance from time to time. Hope you will be able to wire that in somehow. :-)

Not quite period, of course. Pilot Controlled Lighting was a more recent invention. No reason not to do it though,

Someone please put this comment editor out of it's misery.

[#31]

@Ceera - I can so relate to th' issue of parcel fulls. It's to where I can't fly over the city anymore, and stick to the Gulf of Lauren and Barcola Straight in order to head towards Abbotts Areodrome or of the airport in Gray.

The rez zone is behind the hangar, but you don't have to godown into Docklands to get there. It's betweeen that and the hangar itself, in Hau Koda.

Good luck on finding period planes, at least ones that are not military. Seems very hard to find good commercial and recreational planes from that time period!

[#32]

@Maggie - Voted on those! I still fly on mainland (though see above), mostly for the challenge. :-D

@Michael - Seein' some people use the Bay City ATC group chat for clearance from time to time. Hope you will be able to wire that in somehow. :-)

[#33]

Thanks for the tips - unfortunately, those all seem to be seaplanes.  I'd prefer to come down on wheels. :-)

(and sorry for the double post previously.  Stupid system was not showing me that it updated. Probably an issue with the person behind the keyboard)

[#34]

  Stupid system was not showing me that it updated. Probably an issue with the person behind the keyboard)

Actually, there appears to be a technical problem with posted comments not being displayed for a considerable period after posting; you may receive an email telling you about someone else's post, follow the link in the email and not be able to find that comments in the blog page. 

It's being looked into.

[#35]

I hope I am allowed to make a comment... trust Michael will push me back down into my mole hole if this isn't allowed.

I really enjoyed buiding in Hau Koda.  I found the residents were friendly and supportive of what we were doing there, ready to help or provide ideas and useful comments, and they appeared to be a vibrant and coherent community. I don't like to single out residents because many Bay City Residents were helpful, but I must make a special mention of Marianne McCann, who beta tested anims and objects, let me know if thing weren't working as intended, and sent me all sort of useful information.

Sometimes building in the open can be difficult because residents want to chat or explain their problems with something Linden-y, but the people who visited me while building in Hau Koda were very aware of the fact I was working, and often said nothing at all if they felt it would be interrupting.

It was a pleasure to build there, and although I was a bit doubtful that I could help out with an airport initially, I thoroughly enjoyed the project.

~Misty~

[#36]

http://status.secondlifegrid.net/2009/06/23/post670/

[#37]

Aww thanks, Misty! It was a honor to help when appropriate. I know a lot of us in Bay City were always curious about the latest goings on at the Airport, but we tended to wait 'til after work hours in most instances. It was actually a bit funny to see the "swarm" hit in the evenings.

I did make a video of some of the work on the airport, for those who might be interested.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M4g3N4bqqlA

Thanks again Misty, all the other Moles, Michael, and all who helped being this place to reality :-)

[#38]

OK, I finally got around to visiting Hau Koda, and I'm a little confused. The rez zone is indeed behind the hangar, adjacent to a small parcel titled "airship rezzing zone" But there's no taxiway to the runway.

Once you rez your aircraft, are you supposed to taxi *through* the hangar?

Very bad practice, that.

And...erm...has the terminal building been designated an infohub? There's massive numbers of avis there. 15ms of  agent time makes it nearly impossible to operate an aircraft, and quite thoroughly impossible to cross a sim boundary in one.

I kinda though the idea of the airport was to fly there. Can't do that today.

[#39]

The area is indeed a hub; it's been intended as one all along. We do hope to resolve ongoing issues with the number of Residents appearing at various hubs ... it's not very equally shared.

Taxiing through the hangar was in fact the intention, yes ... you give onlookers that "my plane was in the hangar all along" feeling. Nobody (except Lindens) can 'park' their craft within the hangar, after all.

[#40]

I haven't seen this airport yet but I'm looking forward to flying my heli there. I have a problem/question: Why is it that I can't fly from one sim to another? Is there any way to be able to fly between sims, say from one airport to another? I love flying my planes and helicopters in world but it's very frustrating being trapped in a sim. I've heard that sim borders extend anywhere from 500 meters to 5,000 meters. I have a jet that can cross sim borders but I usually end up going "off world" and my system freezes. Will it be possible in the future to travel between sims?

If this is off topic, I apologize... I really couldn't find any other topic to voice this concern.

[#41]

Taxiing through the hangar is a bit tedious at best. The airport is beautiful but it appeared to be more of a nightclub than an airport. Also, having just come from there, the layout of the airstrip and "rez zone" is a bit confusing and difficult to find. If this is a private airport just for the Lindens, it's fine but if you'd like other pilots to use this airport it's layout is a bit unorthodox compared to other airports in world.

[#42]

Some clever person decided that as long as they were building an airport, they'd make the terminal an infohub too. This guarantees that the sim will always be too laggy to operate an airplane in.

This may possibly be the same clever person who decided it would be cool to put the roads in Zindra directly on sim boundaries. When that caused trouble, they added silly little barriers that try to pop up and deflect your vehicle as you approach. Due to lag, they usually pop up *under* your vehicle and high-center it.

I get the impression that a lot of recent Linden-sponsored building is being done by people with very limited Second Life experience, and certainly almost *no* experience operating vehicles.

Crossing sim borders in a vehicle is the subject of a long list of JIRA issues, many of them years old. They have received scant attention from LL.

There are other airports in-world that work a little better. 

[#43]

You can fly between sims, it's just sort of dangerous especially if either or both of the sims is heavily loaded (as that particular airport's sim generally is).  Try it at lower speeds first (maybe in a balloon rather than a jet!) to get the feel of it, and then try the jet in some nice empty rural sims...

[#44]

I was flying from there today. No problem rezzing, taxying through the hangar, and to the west end of the runway. Took off due east, no problems, gear up, and a steady climb.

Then I hit the Ahern sim, another infohub complex, and things fell apart.

[#45]

Sometimes, I can run too fast to cross a sim boundary without problems.

[#46]

This is true! I've found several good airports but my favorite happens to be Hollywood but I've been attacked by griefers there on several occasions. They usually hang out by the Pirate Air hangar and try to steal aircraft. BTW I did have a system crash while flying my heli at Hau Koda. Waaay too laggy with 30 people dancing around, editing appearance and the like. It's like a noob resort! Not an airport for serious pilots. Thanks for the info maggie : )

[#47]

If it's not one thing it's another, huh?

[#48]

I was flying a helicopter, not as slow as a balloon but fairly slow compared to a plane. Sim crossings in general seem to cause many people problems and it totally sucks getting thrown out of your aircraft and ending up at the bottom of the ocean or just having your whole computer freeze up. Slow, fast, lower, higher... It seems like aircraft should be able to fly effortlessly over sim crossings.

[#49]

You must admit though, any reasonable person would rather have a taxiway to the airstrip instead of having to taxi through a hangar to get to the airstrip from the rez zone. Most airports I've been to have the ability to rez your aircraft anywhere on the sim. This is nothing more than a glorified infohub. As an airport, it leaves alot to be desired. There's lots better airports in world.

[#50]

Any chance of providing a dirigible ferry service to another part of the continent? It might give the airport more of a port of embarkation feel to it, and give those who just want to ride, not pilot, a chance to enjoy the ambience.

[#51]

Personally I see that hangar as a waste of space. It really serves no purpose. Why not make it a taxiway instead? I'm not trying to be negative. I love flying in SL but I believe most pilots don't need or care for that "My plane was in the hangar all along" feeling. Just my opinion, maybe there are people who get off on that "feeling". I just see the hangar as in the way.