A little old-guy perspective and gratitude . . .

[Killbilly]

I was just thinking this, and thought I'd share.

My father (who passed away many years ago) was an avid aviation enthusiast. Sadly, life circumstances never offered him the opportunity of a career in aviation nor aviation as recreation. So, he was relegated to books, movies, and visiting airshows. Still, he passed on his interest to me.

Life for me, too, didn't afford me the chance to be a real-life aviator, but unlike my dad, I grew up with an added opportunity to pursue my interest -- computer flight simulation. My first simulator was on a Texas instruments Ti99-4A computer back in the 80s. It consisted of a box with a line that represented the horizon and some basic instruments. I thought it was the best thing ever invented. As the years passed and technology advanced, I kept up with all of the latest simulators, and I've been amazed at each one. MSFS 2020, though, for the first time really satisfied the craving. The ability to explore the exterior and interior of amazingly detailed models of my favorite aircraft, go through realistic procedures, and fly in excellent scenery and believable weather has given me a taste of aviation that my father never got to experience. MSFS 2024, when it finally works well, will ramp that up even further. I know there is a major difference between simulation and real flying, and I know that the simulators have bugs and serious flaws; but I'm still grateful to live in a time where I can enjoy this hobby at this level. It really is remarkable.

Also, I am grateful that I found a community of knowledgeable, friendly, helpful, and accommodating people who share my same interest. Thanks Sim Outhouse.

 

[Bushpounder]

Closest we ever got to an at-home "simulator" to fly when I was little, was the old Remco flying fox. That was late 50's early 60s. That was all we needed. We are a bit more choosier now!

Don BP

 

[jmbiii]

As a kid, many, many years ago, my flight simulator was a cut-open cardboard box with the "instruments" drawn with crayons.
On rides, I would sit in the back seat of the family car with the box on my lap and fly off to many destinations.
Older, when I joined the Navy, I was fortunate enough to spend my career in aviation.
Too old to flap my wings without the aid of MSFS nowadays.

 

[falcon409]

Well said Brian. I did stick my toes in aviation briefly when I started taking lessons. . .about 5 hrs of flight time later the money dried up as kids started showing up and diapers and formula took the place of stick and rudder fun. I am satisfied that MSFS 2020 is where I'll stay. I don't fly enough any more to go beyond what I have. For me it's as real as I need it to be.

 

[Navy Chief]

I also took a few flying lessons, way back around 1999, but had to quit due to finding out that I owed the IRS a bunch of cash. That put a quit halt to finishing flying lessons. Not too long after that, I got involved with Strike Fighters Simulation, and that got me hooked. I remember when I landed a F-4 in that sim, and I was so thrilled at my "achievement "! Then came (for me at least), MSFS 2002, 2004,. FSX, MSFS2020 and 20204. And the fun continues.... NC

 

[Dangerous Beans]

My first flight sim was in the mid 70's
It had a plastic carrier deck with a joystick at one end and a plane slid down eyelets on a piece of string attached to the top of the joystick.

Edit
I just found a video of it, seems it was made by Airfix

 

[DennyA]

This was my first flight sim, also mid-70's.



Appreciate the post, @Killbilly. I get so frustrated by the negativity, because sims have come soooo far and the experience is amazing.

I was lucky enough to spend the first 10 years of my careers as a journalist covering flight sims and aviation. Got some amazing flights out of that (at the controls of SubLogic's C310, a T-34B, and an F-15D, plus a ride in a B-17G), some very cool sim experiences (flew networked combat flight sims with Blue Angels pilots, got to fly a full-cockpit, full-motion 737 sim), etc. Was getting ready to take flying lessons when I found out my wife was pregnant. Decided I should save the money, and that I was less expendable than before, so never finished.

But have had an amazing time playing flight sims since the Vertibird, hundreds of days playing air combat with my model airplanes with friends, and then starting with Flight Sim II on my C64, on a screen.

The community's a nice bonus, too!

 

[collensr]

I was just thinking this, and thought I'd share.

My father (who passed away many years ago) was an avid aviation enthusiast. Sadly, life circumstances never offered him the opportunity of a career in aviation nor aviation as recreation. So, he was relegated to books, movies, and visiting airshows. Still, he passed on his interest to me.

Life for me, too, didn't afford me the chance to be a real-life aviator, but unlike my dad, I grew up with an added opportunity to pursue my interest -- computer flight simulation. My first simulator was on a Texas instruments Ti99-4A computer back in the 80s. It consisted of a box with a line that represented the horizon and some basic instruments. I thought it was the best thing ever invented. As the years passed and technology advanced, I kept up with all of the latest simulators, and I've been amazed at each one. MSFS 2020, though, for the first time really satisfied the craving. The ability to explore the exterior and interior of amazingly detailed models of my favorite aircraft, go through realistic procedures, and fly in excellent scenery and believable weather has given me a taste of aviation that my father never got to experience. MSFS 2024, when it finally works well, will ramp that up even further. I know there is a major difference between simulation and real flying, and I know that the simulators have bugs and serious flaws; but I'm still grateful to live in a time where I can enjoy this hobby at this level. It really is remarkable.

Also, I am grateful that I found a community of knowledgeable, friendly, helpful, and accommodating people who share my same interest. Thanks Sim Outhouse.

View attachment 169676

100% agree - we are so lucky to have all this !

 

[heywooood]

lol - who also had a 'Verti-Bird' in 1970 - good times.

 

[StormILM]

I was bitten by the aviation bug in the early 70's by influenced of my late Dad (seen in my avatar photo). He served in the USAF with Tactical Air Command with SAWC (Special Air Warfare Center, now AFSOC/Air Force Special Operations Command) back in the early 60's at Hurlburt Field. He used to build plastic model airplane kits before and after his time in the Air Force and passed the joy of that to me. He also flew control line gas models a good bit back in his AF days and when I was a boy.

Around that time, I got to see the USAF Thunderbirds for the first time, one of two different years I saw their F-4E performances. I will never forget riding up to the flightline and seeing those Red White and Blue F-4E's sitting line abreast. I loved seeing Capt. Steve Dwelle beat the living crap out of the field in #5. Still gets me excited remembering it. Anyhow, I kept building plastic kits through the 70's and onward and at some point Dad built me a cardboard and wood frame mock-aircraft to pretend fly in just like what some of you here described. Around that time I had my first actual flight in the back of a C172 and then a few flights in a C210 as well.

I suppose I am not the only one here who would rush outside to see what aircraft we heard flying over? In 1980 we finally got into R/C models and stayed in that a while. I recall my first trials of the early PC simulators which I had a love/hate relationship with and we didn't own a PC at the time so I experienced it on PCs owned by friends. Some of those guys kept me up to date on new developments over the years until I finally got my own PC and subsequent newer more powerful PCs. I installed programs like Falcon 4.0 and FS2002. My Dad ended up commandeering my PC/Sim a great deal and he was all about learning smooth landings. I recall how many times he asked me to watch the playbacks of his landings and said: "How was that landing?". He truly loved it and all future FS programs and addons I put in place. I read all these posts and it brings back all of the memories I have had in the love of aviation. I only wish my Dad could see the improvements in the new sims, that's the only thing missing in it for me now. A couple of photos showing my legacy model kit stash when I found a good number of kits on Ebay which I used to have in the 70's. That old Revell SAAB J35 Draken was my first ever kit. The other photo is of my Dad in the early 60's with his model airplane kit collection which I still have a few of.

Thank all of you guys for sharing your experiences as well. It motivated me to write this!

 

[StormILM]

lol - who also had a 'Verti-Bird' in 1970 - good times.

Me too, had the ship version of it.

 

[William Njurmi]

While flight simulation is a hobby in itself and it takes one quite close to the real thing nowadays. One thing which is lacking is how the airplane wakes up and feels when you´re in controls. This is best described in Larisa Shepitko´s movie Wings. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wings_(1966_film) Tears start to roll every time I see the scene when the main character sits in a Yak-52 (I guess) and the aircraft comes alive in her hands. Background to this emotion is that I lost my pilot´s license a few years back.