8 July. 1936 the history of the airport Frankfurt began with the inauguration of
the “Flug- und Luftschiffhafen Rhein-Main”. Firstly the airfield was used for the German Luftwaffe (German Airforce), when the WW 2 was finishing the US Air Force took over the administration of the airport and in 1946 commercial flights were introduced.
Few years later the airport would have the record of the most transported freight during one day, so Frankfurt was becoming one of the most important airports at that moment.
In 1949 the second parallel runway was built, allowing the airport for more take off’s and landings.
In 1954, the name of the “Verkehrsaktiengesellschaft Rhein-Main” was changed to “Flughafen Frankfurt/ Main AG”, this name lasted until 2000 when the “Fraport AG” was founded.
In 1959 the jet-age begins at Frankfurt airport with the regular flights of the Boeing 707 and Comet.
Also the airport rises to the number 1 for cargo in all Europe, until today.
The first Jumbo, Boeing 747 of PAN AM, landed in Frankfurt in 1970. Two years later, in 1972 the new Terminal 1 was opened, due to a continuously rising passenger numbers.
Then in 1990 the Terminal 2 must be built because of a statistic of 30 million passengers per year. At the same time the new control tower was raised up. 4 years later, in 1994 a rail system was inaugurated with the Terminal.
Finally in 2005 a resolution to build an A380 hangar was justified by the court and is planed that the hanger is finished in 2007.
The Frankfurt Airport has planed to continue expanding with a new terminal and an other runway but we have to be patients of that because we do not have enough information, and is expected for further 2015.
I found this statistics about Frankfurt on the manual, very interesting.
Statistics:
Year Passengers Cargo (t) Movementes
1965 4.875.850 124.928 136.370
1970 9.401.842 327.323 195.802
1975 12.800.131 454.377 209.202
1980 17.664.171 642.850 222.293
1985 20.271.197 805.497 238.071
1990 29.631.427 1.176.055 324.387
1995 38.191.247 1.327.865 378.388
2000 49.369.429 1.589.428 458.731
2001 48.568.918 1.494.125 456.452
2002 48.459.594 1.514.845 458.359
2003 48.359.320 1.548.014 458.865
2004 51.106.647 1.750.996 477.475
If you think that the history and this statistics are impressive, well you will think the same or more about the scenery.
You will feel like to be there really.
Starting from the freeway A5 that is located behind the runways, to the other side is all excellent.
The A5 will make you feel as if you were flying really, because apart of having a realistic aspect, it has cars and trucks moving!!!! Is wonderful!!!
Continuing in order, the texture of all the runway and the grass or snow of the airport is excellent!, you can see in the pictures I took that it looks like real grass, and also the runways looks realistic.
The airport is made exactly as the real one, but really exactly, if you know the Mega Frankfurt and then you go to the real one you won’t lose at all.
Other thing to highlight is that in the entire airport are ground vehicles and trucks moving! And is incredible to be taxing and see the ground vehicles passing, and they are highly detailed so you won’t note that you are in the Flight Simulator ;).
Also the railway system that I mentioned in the history is in the Mega Frankfurt and with movement! Really very nice.
I have to mention that also the city of Frankfurt is made and very very well, is highly detailed.
Well here you have all the features of the Mega Frankfurt:
Features:
• Over 420 Taxisigns
• Over 1400 Illuminated taxiway- and runway signs
• Over 60 dynamic apron vehicles
• Over 450 dynamic Trucks and Cars (in the rush hour) on the Highway A5
• Over 185 Parkpositions with 65 dockbridges
• Detailed airport and their surroundings
• Photo realistic ground texture
• All airport institutions and buildings
• City of Frankfurt
• US Base
• Automatic docking system (AGNIS)
• All navigation systems (ILS,VOR/DME,NDB,ATIS)
• Astounding night-time effects
• Extensive description of the airport
I think that all this is enough to buy this GREAT add-on for Flight Simulator 2004 , so don’t doubt and buy it! You won’t regret I assure.