Creature Comforts?

[Ronson2k9]

I'm building my simpit and wondering what else I would need to keep things rolling from a not in a real plane standpoint. That is what I would need to be able to flight sim without interruption .. So I've made a small list. Some things you would find in cockpit of aircraft but some perhaps not. I'm curious if there are any other things that would be handy to have in there that I may have missed?

1 - cell/home phone & intercom to the outside world.
2 - cup holders
3 - MP3 Player (most headsets/aircraft intercoms have that available these days)
4 - local time clock (strategically placed so you don't confuse that with your sim time)
5 - stowage space for wac's and jepp charts
6 - Battery backup in case of power failure
7 - Flight computer (flight calculator)

nice to have.

4 way adjustable seat (rudder and yoke comfort zone)

Is there anything I may have missed or should leave out in the interest of simulation?

[TasKiNG]

Don't forget the mini refrigerator to keep your beer cool

[JBaymore]

Stewardess call button (to the wife)?

Seriously...... put in a GMT clock and then fly in real time mode. Then the clock is always correct both for the sim and for real life (I have this).

Chart holder on the center of the yoke.

I also have a set of REAL smoke detectors and a REAL fire extinguisher in the pit. The fire detection system is actually tied into the fire panel so that it actually has a real test function on the real alarms . (You never know.........)

best,

................john

[Jordan Farmer]

Well, i think i would have to have a nice temp control thing, if i have the money, i will buy an air con unit, with a built in heater, and have the control seperate, in the cockpit, so i can get it a the perfect temperature. Of course the outlets would have to be authentic But there has to be a girlfriend button, if you need a cuppa, and a red light above the door, just to let anyone know not to disturb you in mid flight :P

[ian@737ng.co.uk]

sorry chaps, the attendant call button is a no-go
a friend of mine was most insistent that it was the first thing he got working on his overhead. his wife was cabin crew on a transatlantic carrier. it didn't work, she threatened him with physical violence if he pushed it once more
and in our house, if i tried that on, i would probably be wearing the lawnmower
so, just pretend that's working.
but, the heat idea is great (we don't need air con here). two of my zone temp controls are actually thermostats out of two fan heaters....work a treat but make sure you run the leads in plastic trunking to keep them apart from everything else.
rgds ... ian

[Jackpilot]

All long haul Birds have bunk beds behind the cockpit....good idea
1) to fully immerse visiting girlfriend
2) to get a rest from resident girlfriend.

My2¢

[kermit]

Just a big lock on my door,
its amazing how many times ,
you will be disturb when you`re having a great time,
wifes just can`t stand to put a smile on your face

[JBaymore]

........ and a red light above the door, just to let anyone know not to disturb you in mid flight :P

My simpit is in a "white box" type enclosure. Makes it fit in the house a bit better than the disembodied nose of an aircraft . So in some ways (very minor ones) it looks more like a real training sim than an aircraft.

The one (so far) concession to a "real" aircraft exterior I made on the exterior of the box is that on the top, above the door, is a high intensity, flashing red LED that is tied to the beacon light switch on the overhead. When the red beacon is activated in the sim itself, the LED red beacon is also flashing onto the white ceiling above the pit........ indicating the engines (or APU) are now on and I am "busy".

And no....no attendant call light here either.

best,

................john

[Ronson2k9]

Great replies. It seems to be a toss up between having a girlfriend/wife call button or not? I had thought of the intercom as a way to 'contact ground' when things are in need of doing eg: dinner prep that sort of thing. Not so much as a call out but a call in.. As it can be a bit of a pain to have your significant other trodding up or down the stairs everytime she is need of assistance.

Yoke clip is one that I had forgot to be sure. I've got a Garmin GPSMAP 195 that I'm not sure I would mount to the yoke. I do really want to use it though. It's good to have all the data for navigation and approaches at the ready. The electronic flight bag 'Gauge' would be quite cool sitting there though with all that data and no paper.. I was thinking of using the LCD out of a LCD picture frame for that. That's down the road a tad though.

The center storage console though is a great idea too. I was looking for something else = rudder pedals when I came on a site that had them for GA aircraft (Cessna 206). In that they want $699 for them. I'm thinking I'm going to build my own. That's one thing I've noticed is that these 'real' items are in a word really expensive. I'm all for quality and having a strong quality item is important in your aircraft but $699 for a small cabinet seems to me quite a tad over the top...

Something I also forgot was the POH and other aircraft info. Especially if you are using a more complete cockpit. There would be no running out to your home computer to look something up about the controls or the plane itself if you were in an actual one. So these seem to be something that are really needed for the sim.

Smoke Detector and Fire Extinguisher also a good idea as yes you never know.

The beacon 'In Flight Operations' light. I had though of light above the door to the sim room. Perhaps a Green one as well so you aren't just putting the do not disturb sign out but also letting people know they can come in if they would like.

Flight bag with all your aviation goodies is also a good idea. If your using an aviation headset and want to take your simming on the road with you? I know as you are in a house and therefore have filing cabinets and bookcases for all that stuff. It's best to keep that neatly filed in your flight bag so that..

a - you can find it when you need it either during a flight or planning a flight
b - so you don't have someplace else (lost or damaged).

I know I just mentioned the pedestal before but the bag lets you bring stuff with you if you are going on the road and return it back to your sim when your home.

I knew I would think of a few new ones.

A small fridge for keeping your favorite beverage cold is a good idea too. Not to be so serious about it. I wouldn't drink 'alcohol' when flying or simming and that's for a few reasons. Not just the drinking and flying is bad - which is a good reason. From an enjoyment standpoint. I say this working in tech support. When someone that has been drinking comes on the phone - in this case VATSIM/FSINN it could make things rather painful for the controller having to handle your flight. From their standpoint if he/she lets say was a real controller would probably notify someone of the difficulty. So for me after the flight not a bad idea at all but before or during I would stay away from.

Got some really good ideas in there. Some that are sim morphed real world applicable. Some that are real world morphed sim applicable. hehe. If there are any more keep them coming.