Toly
11-02-2007, 05:09 PM
Hi from NY. Awesome site here. So far I'm taking it slowly and reading a lot. I have a few Qs to the folks who have gone way ahead.
1. Most builders choose heavy metal - 737s, Airbus, etc. Very few build GA cockpits. On one hand this makes sense - for one, GA planes are slow. Also you can fly a real GA plane in real life so you may want something higher-performance in a sim. But doesn't heavy airplane detract from the actual feeling of flight? The more hardware we put between us and the sky, the more removed we get from the feeling of flight... is it just me or is anyone noticing the same thing?
2. Advanced aircraft are loaded with electronic gauges. I have a strange liking to steam gauges. For one, like an analog watch, they have a classic feel and intuitive utility. OTOH, advanced electronics require a lot of learning and programming. I do programming for living - when I get to fly a sim, I want to get up and fly... looking at more screens (MFDs) and doing more programming (FMS, GPS, etc) is the last thing on my mind... is anyone feeling the same?
3. So at the end of the day, has anyone found a right amount of systems replication, with time left for the actual feeling and enjoyment of flight vs operating a computer with wings?
4. The biggest drawback of serious sim I see is that can replicate only one aircraft faithfully. Generic cockpits detract realism unfortunately too much, at least for me. So the choice of aircraft is critical.. So, can someone recommend airplane models that have this combination of fast and slow, complexity and simplicity that can cover long distance while IFR and yet are reasonably light to go to small airports, do sightseeing and in general convey the feeling of flight.
Thanks!
1. Most builders choose heavy metal - 737s, Airbus, etc. Very few build GA cockpits. On one hand this makes sense - for one, GA planes are slow. Also you can fly a real GA plane in real life so you may want something higher-performance in a sim. But doesn't heavy airplane detract from the actual feeling of flight? The more hardware we put between us and the sky, the more removed we get from the feeling of flight... is it just me or is anyone noticing the same thing?
2. Advanced aircraft are loaded with electronic gauges. I have a strange liking to steam gauges. For one, like an analog watch, they have a classic feel and intuitive utility. OTOH, advanced electronics require a lot of learning and programming. I do programming for living - when I get to fly a sim, I want to get up and fly... looking at more screens (MFDs) and doing more programming (FMS, GPS, etc) is the last thing on my mind... is anyone feeling the same?
3. So at the end of the day, has anyone found a right amount of systems replication, with time left for the actual feeling and enjoyment of flight vs operating a computer with wings?
4. The biggest drawback of serious sim I see is that can replicate only one aircraft faithfully. Generic cockpits detract realism unfortunately too much, at least for me. So the choice of aircraft is critical.. So, can someone recommend airplane models that have this combination of fast and slow, complexity and simplicity that can cover long distance while IFR and yet are reasonably light to go to small airports, do sightseeing and in general convey the feeling of flight.
Thanks!