Fixed outside view

Question

Flight Unlimited 3 (remember that? way ahead of its time) had an outside view that was fixed in direction - exceptionally handy! I can select that in Microsoft FS9 too. It would be great to have it in X-Plane (I am new to it so if it already has - bite me!)

What do I mean? Well imagine you are tracking 360 deg and doing a left downwind for 18. You could select an outside view looking 240 or whatever and see the airfield and the aircraft. Because the view stays in that direction (unless you hatswitch or key it round or up/down) the aircraft rotates within the view as it turns base and then final - all the time with the field in sight.

I usually fly circuits by switching repeatedly between in cockpit and that view - even with Track-I/R it makes for far better situational awareness and helps overcome the limitation of any sim - "tunnel" or at least "monitor" vision.

Answer 1

X-Plane has 13 default view options, as well as a feature called "Quick Look" that may be what you're looking for. It is described in depth in this section of the manual. This feature is aircraft specific however.

Comments

Yes but that still doesn't seem to be a view that remains static pointing in one "compass direction" (for want of  a better word) rather than something that looks at the aircraft and turns or pitches with it. For what I am describing the aircraft effectively swivels within the view and the view "vector" or where it is pointed at only changes when we hat or mouse it and then stays where it is left.

---

So my point (above) still stands - any way of making the outside view not behave like a wingman in formation and more like a fixed point relative to the aircraft?

Answer 2

I eventually found the answer - there is indeed a fixed view  but it is (oddly) named "circle view"