Hello from PC Pilot

[ak49er]

Our local bookstore carries periodicals from around the planet. I occasionally buy PC Pilot, and Computer Pilot, and have even seen Westozy's article.I think it was on backlighting.

I was under the impression the two magazines were from the same entity. There were a lot of the same advertisements, and a few article repeats. Would someone correct me if I am wrong?

[Geremy Britton]

As far as i know, PC Pilot and CP are in no way associated. But i can't be sure.

And it's funny a PC Pilot writer has joined us as it was only yesterday i was in the newsagents purchaing this very magazine for for the up and coming March/April issue. Brilliant stuff as usual. They are £5 a pop, which is why i don't buy all the issues. I make sure i have a flick through in the newsagents to make sure there is some flight sim stuf inside. If so, i treat myself.

The magazine is funnilly enough on the desk right next to me

If anyone hasn't read the mag yet, i would recommend it. CD contains videos, patches, and other freeware. Whilst the mag provides the latest add on rating as well as new releases in the simworld. There is also the latest sim hardware in this case the was the avionics stack from VRinsight, which was a good read.

But anyway, definately worth a buy now and again. They offer subscriptions too i do beleive.

[Matt Olieman]

I thought I got an e-mail form PC Aviator that they bought PC Pilot. I could be wrong, wish I didn't delete it....

Matt Olieman

[Westozy]

Cheers chaps!

I'd rather write articles here for free than sell them to the cowboys at CP mag!!!

Gwyn

[Joe Lavery]

Firstly may I say what a welcome!

Thank you all for your good wishes and I'm beginning to wonder why I didn't introduce myself sooner.

Now regarding PC Pilot:
The magazine is completed owned by Key Publishing, who also owns and publishes; Air International, Airliner World, Airforces Monthly, Airports International, Flypast, Todays Pilot and half a dozen other associated magazines. They have no ties whatsoever with Computer Pilot; which is published by PC Aviator, who also publish software.

For my own part I am a freelance writer who works for other magazines as well. However I have no say in what gets published by PC Pilot, although the editor is always open to ideas. So in the forum I do NOT represent the magazine in any way, anything written here is my own personal opinion.

To answer Maurice and Michaels comments about a dedicated cockpit builders magazine, there simply isn't enough interest to warrant such publication. While this forum undoubtedly shows there are many builders out there, the numbers are not sufficient (YET) to support a monthly magazine.
Which is why PC Pilot commissioned the 737 series I have been writing for the last year. We try to provide content for all areas of flight simulation; but the figures indicate that the vast majority of simmers sit in front of a conventional monitor, clutching a conventional joystick.
These figures are from an independent survey carried out for PC Pilot last year.

But rest assured I will be plugging away to represent the cockpit builders in the magazine.
Incidentally Trevor I have already listed MyCockpit as a valuable resource in each of the 737 articles.

Best regards to you all.

Joe.

[AndyT]

So Mike,
When should we expect the first issue of SimBuilder E-Zine?

[Michael Carter]

Are you serious? I can't hardly get a BOM interview going for March.

[magicaldr]

Welcome Joe

Commenting on your post

We try to provide content for all areas of flight simulation; but the figures indicate that the vast majority of simmers sit in front of a conventional monitor, clutching a conventional joystick.
These figures are from an independent survey carried out for PC Pilot last year.

Tis true, I am one of those simmers with a couple of cockpit GA panels under my belt. In a small shared house though PC's have to be multi use.

That said if you have the editors ear I must admit to agreeing with one of the published letters after your article, that enlightening though the cockpit building articles are they wanted to know how to do it. Obvious answer is to come here, loads of help and advice. Still a step by step guide alongside an article to some small generic item or panel may help people get into this better.

For example building a simple GA panel out of a 17 inch TFT which is what I have. The hard part was finding silly stuff, hole sizes for instruments, how big the panels are, etc. An article taking you month by month from a x by Y piece of MDF, to a working GA panel with a 2D instruments on the masked monitor would cover a lot of ground. From woodworking, where plans would help someone come up with a realistic looking panel. To panel design in FSX to show the instruments, and being a mag you could offer printed false radios, signs and cockpit labels, etc to cut out and add to your panel for realism.

This is the detail they went into when teaching us to make scenery, be cool to see something on the cockpit line

Incidentally Trevor I have already listed MyCockpit as a valuable resource in each of the 737 articles.

Anyway I was digressing from my main point to thank you for the interesting articles which I did note the links to here, and say hi and welcome