Does anyone actually use the sim to "fly"?

[ZK-MAT]

I have come to the conclusion that MS should develop a Flightsim Manager program, similar to the soccer manager games. One you don't actually fly but spend months setting it up!

This is based on the fact that I spend more time adding on scenery, downloading and adding on planes, tweaking, trying things out, removing dud stuff, putting it back on, forgetting what works, tweaking, playing with scenery and display settings, searching AVSim, FLightsim.com, NZFlightsim etc, tweaking, de-tweaking and troubleshooting than I actually spend flying!

AND when I do set up a flight, all I really only want to do is the set up, taxi, takeoff, approach and land and shutdown... I get bored in the cruise.

It's a bit like The Sims, or Sim City for me, I seem to get more enjoyment setting it all up rather than running the game. Anyone else feel the same way?!

Anyhow, I am off to see whether I can get a few more FPS from my system, and those clouds look a but suss - I wonder if that new texture set on AVSim is any good, hang on did I back up the last textures - I have a folder full of what I have named "backup" - wonder what one is really the default.....

[Naki]

Yep Im the same but in saying that I had a really immersive flight a day or two ago with the Carenado 185 in stormy weather in the mountains, turbulance etc...actually it was one of my most immersive flights ever, certainly in FSX - unfortunately they dont happen often and I always seem to be tweaking, downloading etc but thats half the fun of the whole sim

[NZ255]

Seconded

[slopit12]

Hahaha! Good post!

I completely agree! I spend so much time installing updates, fixing problems and trying to squeeze another few FPS out of my system, it rivals the amount of time I actually spend piloting a plane. It sort of is like a game in itself, in fact maybe thats the game, the simulation is just the end product. The fact is, I think I rather enjoy that part of it too. Its all part of Flight Simming, its perhaps one of the main differences between Flight Simming and other more standard 'games', theres a lot of pride and respect in tweaking the sim.

Anyway, you make a good point.

[nzav8tor]

Get yourself some Orbx scenery, you'll be flying for hours without opening the menu bar except to gas up and change planes.

[Ian Warren]

Heres a Blast , Yes i do .. i would spend 30-45 minutes autogen an area , strap my myself in and fly maybe 30 minutes studying the ground , jotting notes and recommends ... get a few online chatting then its off we go for a multiplay flight , best you are on TS3 , it dose not take me much to host a session and as Naki said , get an aircraft that is so immersive , dont matter what ...... see ya later

[Grumble]

I'm a bit like that too, although I DO love to fly around the Bay of Plenty to catch a glimpse of home...

I think I would spend a lot more time in the sim FLYING if it weren't quite so sterile. I would LOVE to be able to link to a server that offered real time traffic, with other people actually flying IN the airspace. Something like an MMORPG (though I've yet to try that...) Yes I know there is VATSIM, but that looks to require more time that I currently have, so.

FSX does it all a lot better than FS9 with the traffic etc, and I've had fun following the AI planes, but still...

[dbcunnz]

QUOTE (nzav8tor @ Apr 9 2010, 04:50 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Get yourself some Orbx scenery, you'll be flying for hours without opening the menu bar except to gas up and change planes.

I put the FTX: AU Green Tropical North on a few months ago and flew from Cairns up Cape York to the Torres Strait Islands then down the East side of the Gulf and down to Mt Isa then up the western side of the Gulf to the Gove (Nhulunbuy)from there across to Darwin then down to Broome then back across to Cairns.
A couple of posts on the trips.

http://nzff.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=...&hl=dbcunnz

http://nzff.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=...&hl=dbcunnz

[Splitpin]

Im a tweeker, then I'll fire up the Lama and go for a spin .....before more tweeking

[ZK-MAT]

I enjoy Vatsim trips immensely, but even then I love the setting up the flight, the route, plugging in the airways and nav aids, finding out and filing the flight plan, starting her up, finding out the freqs for com and nav, taxi and takeoff more than the actual flight. I don't dislike the actual flying, just commenting on how much time I spend messing about pre-flight, which gives me just as much if not more enjoyment!

[2fst4u]

Lately all I've been doing is trying to get Wellington to look perfect down to the last radio mast and wind turbine. I've been tweaking all the parking spots and taxiways on the AFCAD.

Then every now and then trying to land the justflight 152 on Queens wharf

[Ian Warren]

Multiplay Yip 2 hours tonight or early this evening ..Carrier , WWII Experience , USS Enterprise , a Dauntless , Corsair or Hellcat , I was in command off CV6 ..

[happytraveller]

Tweaking and adjusting are just necessary evils. For me, the sim is a way to keep in practice on instrument flying, and then have a bit of fun as well. One good thing is that I have learnt a lot more about computer hardware through all the discussion about FSX and what is needed to run it. But the sim remains for me the main way to keep the skills up to date. I often long for just a simple program that I can install and then not worry about settings or adjustments. Life it too short to spend hours trying to get it to work, but that is the story of Windows........

smooth landings.

[AlisterC]

I LOVE the preflight stuff too Matt. It's all so interesting. I would have loved to be a navigator in the old days when planes needed them..

Once upon a time I messed around with my sim a lot, trying to improve this and that. But now days, I've got the sim how I like it, so I tend to just leave it alone. About all I install now days is the new paint job to fly if I'm flying an airline I don't yet have installed.
It's so easy to mess up a flightsim install with sceneries, afcads, landclasses, etc.. I'd rather just have it working smooth and fast.
"If it ain't broke.........don't fix it" haha

[Wildbillkelso]

Same here.
Lots of tweaking, less flying.

But the more I appreciate the flying hours:
http://www.sim-outhouse.com/sohforums/show...ll=1#post351392

Cheers,
Markus.

[Pete1800ftmin]

QUOTE (ZK-MAT @ Apr 8 2010, 11:43 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I have come to the conclusion that MS should develop a Flightsim Manager program, similar to the soccer manager games. One you don't actually fly but spend months setting it up!

This is based on the fact that I spend more time adding on scenery, downloading and adding on planes, tweaking, trying things out, removing dud stuff, putting it back on, forgetting what works, tweaking, playing with scenery and display settings, searching AVSim, FLightsim.com, NZFlightsim etc, tweaking, de-tweaking and troubleshooting than I actually spend flying!

AND when I do set up a flight, all I really only want to do is the set up, taxi, takeoff, approach and land and shutdown... I get bored in the cruise.

It's a bit like The Sims, or Sim City for me, I seem to get more enjoyment setting it all up rather than running the game. Anyone else feel the same way?!

Anyhow, I am off to see whether I can get a few more FPS from my system, and those clouds look a but suss - I wonder if that new texture set on AVSim is any good, hang on did I back up the last textures - I have a folder full of what I have named "backup" - wonder what one is really the default.....

I understand what you are trying to say.It can all get a bit obsessive at times.I find a good way to make the cruise more interesting is to kind of have every'view' open and ready to have a peek at.I often lift the VC right up out of the way so that in flight I can have a good look around at the terrain.Its especially interesting,to fly somewhere that you have never seen,just to get a grasp of what the landscape looks like in that area,if you like,adding a educational dimension to the game.Then,when as you say the cruise gets a bit boring you can have a look from the outside/do a few flybys etc etc.I know this is cheating,but another thing I sometimes do is for longer trips,is I set a flight plan,flick the gps switch,and then when Im crusing,hit the 'approach'switch(making sure I hit the 'Altitude'switch straight after,as it will disengage,after 'approach is hit)and then provided you are in auto pilot,and not getting info from ATC,the plane will fly in a straight line until you get to your destination,circling the airport.You probably know all this,but it means I can go away from the game for a while and do other things(especially good for overseas trips).I just check the ETA in the GPSscreen,and if its say a 5hour flight,make sure Im back in front of the game in say,4hrs or so,so that I can organise my descent and landing.

[Ian Warren]

Replying to Does anyone actually use the sim to "fly"? ....... I think this may become a mute question when VLC is released and with photoreals coming to join the party whether its , haha our version off long haul CHCH to Auckland and back again or staying in a region , this course being FSX , but to show you who following the forums and dose the flying , yesterday had a NZFF member come running over to me mentioned he finally got FSX , Boeing747fan happens to work day shift in my place off work , so Phillip will be doing a lot off flying with his internal home network with his kids , quite a ways outside Christchurch were the internet is not so friendly .

[Splitpin]

"If it ain't broke.........don't fix it"

Or in my case....keep fixing it till it breaks Ian, your right....i think things like VLC will bring me back to flying side of the sim again. Once i get a system that can run some good scenery with out producing steam

I have to be honest , but at the moment Im just building up my hanger....and when i do "fly"....Im just "slewing"(sorry Ian) into position for screenshots....but I'll get back to it. And i enjoy the social side of the hobby as well.

[Naki]

Actually I have done a lot flying lately exploring my PNW Orbx scenery (its summer over there and its great flying weather and theres a lot to explore ) ..I'll be back in NZ when VLC is released.

[pilotgallagher01]

Good point Mike Alpha Tango...
I too am the same, though I have spent a fair bit on FSX and it has helped me 'revise' with my training...
But your example with the sims, I love building and buying household items but once everything is there I get bored and don't play the game..
Shame really..