19 April 2023
We have enjoyed working with Nick Cyganski of Black Square Simulations every bit as much as we've enjoyed using the
Real Taxiways and
Analog Steam Gauge Overhaul add-ons which he has developed for Microsoft Flight Simulator.
With Nick living in the United States, though, we rarely get the chance to have a proper chat with him, so we thought we'd put a few questions to him and share his answers with you.
One thing we should tell you, which Nick is far too modest to mention, is that he manages to get more done in a week than most people manage in six months!
Our thanks to Nick for indulging our curiosity and, needless to say, we'll be looking forward to flying the next Black Square aircraft!
Can you start by telling us a little about your background?
I grew up around Worcester Massachusetts in the United States, which is between New York and Boston. I studied Robotics Engineering at Worcester Polytechnic Institute, a rather new degree at the time, comprising the study of electrical, mechanical and computer engineering. After spending the first 25 years of my life in the northern latitudes, I moved to West Palm Beach in Florida to enjoy the sunshine, palm trees and clear blue waters. For more personal stories and anecdotes, you will have to read my heartfelt dedications on the last page of every manual I publish. I also include at least one Easter egg in each of my aircraft models. I wonder how many have been found?
How did you first get involved in flight simulation and have you been an avid flight sim enthusiast for long?
As seems to be the case with most pilots, I was introduced to flying by my father when I was young. Despite only flying a few times in my childhood, I always had aviation on the mind. My first flight simulator was Flight Unlimited (1995), followed by Microsoft Flight Simulator 98. These cemented my interest in flight simulation, but it wasn’t until FS2004 that I would become serious about the hobby. I watched every John and Martha King video I could find and soon taught myself everything I would need for flight school. Humorously, I was an FS2004 hold-out until MSFS. Perhaps it was nostalgia, or perhaps I missed the smooth and reliable frame rates. Either way, what Asobo has accomplished with MSFS is nothing short of a miracle from the perspective of those old simulators.
We know you’re a real-world pilot, but how long have you held your licence and what do you fly these days?
I started flying at Worcester Regional Airport (KORH) while attending university. I quickly combined my two hobbies by helping the local flight school configure their flight simulation hardware and software in exchange for time flying. After getting my licence, I was lucky enough to be brought into an aircraft owner partnership by two generous professors at the university. During this time, I am proud to have taken over 250 passengers for their first flight in a light aircraft. I was the co-owner of a tidy Piper Warrior, the ubiquitous entry level low-wing. I would later fly this plane down the coast of the United States to Florida, where I do all my flying now.
Can you fill us in on your software development background and how you ended up developing flight simulation add-ons?
Given my love of aviation and background in robotics, I eventually tried starting a company to develop a suite of avionics to retrofit existing light aircraft with autonomous flight capabilities. Despite an extensive undertaking resulting in some ground breaking technology, it became abundantly clear that I would have to put that dream on hold as we locked down for the Covid-19 pandemic. Conveniently, MSFS would be released a few months later. I had always wanted to develop products for Flight Simulator, so I figured there was no time like the present. My first product, Real Taxiways, was actually created with a modified version of software that I wrote for autonomous aircraft ground navigation.
You are rightly receiving high praise for your range of Analog Steam Gauge Overhaul titles - are these add-ons titles all that you hoped they would be when you took on the challenge of upgrading the default aircraft?
The Steam Gauge Overhaul series fulfills a desire I had when I was an avid flight simmer. There always seemed to be a dearth of General Aviation aircraft with high systems complexity, and it felt like the price of an add-on was more for exterior eye candy than interior systems quality. I always wished for these products, and now I make them. There isn’t much more satisfying than that. As far as my design philosophy is concerned, I try to spoil myself and make every other aircraft feel hollow in comparison. If I can achieve that, I know there will be a dedicated fanbase who feels the same way.
How does Black Square Simulations operate? Do you have other developers and artists working with you or are you a 'one man band'?
So far it is just me. I often tap into the software and aviation knowledge of my father and other pilot-programmer friends, though. It takes knowledge of both fields to be able to discuss the minutiae of turbocharger simulation, troubleshoot an RNAV system or reverse engineer avionics hardware from the 1980s. I also must acknowledge the help of my beta testing team and the assistance of third party GPS developers. Working alone allows me to stay laser focused and maximise time-on-task; however, it is not without its limitations. As my projects become more ambitious, I expect I will not be a 'one man band' for much longer.
Being fairly new to working in the FS arena, and working in partnership with Just Flight, how are you finding it?
In the isolating world of software development, interacting with the Just Flight team is often the highlight of my day. I think offloading technical support to Just Flight is one of the best parts of the partnership. It allows me to focus on new products, while offering customers a dedicated support team. There is also no shortage of personal interactions with my customers on a daily basis. It brings me great joy to respond to a feature request within the hour, and I often make small changes to my products to improve the experience of a single user.
And the big question – what's coming next from Black Square? We want all the details!
Black Square fans will have noticed that I like to tease my next projects at the end of my videos on the Just Flight YouTube channel. First, this was the Starship, which is still under development. In the last video it was the TBM 850, which will be released this summer. As a treat for the reader, I will announce my next product here: the B60 Duke for Microsoft Flight Simulator. Both the original reciprocating-engine Duke and the Turbine Duke conversion will be offered. Without a doubt, the Duke is shaping up to be the best product in the Black Square catalogue and development is progressing almost as quickly as the Duke can fly.
Here's the first batch of 'work in progress' screenshots - we'll bring you further updates as soon as we can!
