Why?

[ab320pilot]

I'm new to all of this. I found this site by accident. I am really intrigued.
This is probably going to get me a lot of flack (I have thick skin, so take your best shots ), but why are guys building these sims? Is it to "experience" flight in an affordable way? Do some play Air Combat games?
Don't get me wrong, I think it's really cool.
I don't have a lot of computer background, so I'm a real imbecile when it comes to this.
Somebody, please, EDUCATE ME.
I was a fighter pilot in my younger years, so I understand the Air Combat games.
A lot of my old Air Force buddies tell me I'm just a bus driver and wonder how I have fun flying these huge "trash haulers", as they call them.
My response is, I have fun by being precise in my flight profile. It is like playing golf. You play against yourself. I grade my flights by how well I keep all of my numbers exact... Altitude, airspeed, decent/climb rate, engine numbers, etc.
Even though I fly AB-320s, I still have a lot to do with precision. I fly by hand a lot. I love hand flown instrument approaches. The most fun approaches, however, are the River Visual approach to RWY 19 in DCA, and the Expressway Visual to LGA RWY 31.
Thanks

[notgotaclue]

Why do anyone do anything?
I find people who fish or watch cricket strange, likewise they probably think I am mental with a plane in my garage instead of a car.
Each to there own, I don't tell no-one that I am building a simualtor because it starts questions like Why? .... to which I haven't got a good answer except that I want to.
If people are genuinely interested,and there are a few, then I can bore them for hours. If I do show people the plane the reaction is always WTF, followed quite quickly by "That's cool".
For me, it is a challenge. I am finding the building process very theraputic, nothing beats going down the garage for a few hours and leave the wife and kids to fend for themselves.
I have been interested in flight sim since the spectrum..... so now as I am getting on and money is not really an issue I have decided to build a sim. It has been almost a year and I am a few months away from first flight (still not decided between projector or tv,s for visuals).
I am also lucky in that my job involves being at home 24/7 so I can spend all day building my sim if I choose to, whilst my wife looks after the children we foster and I just do the paperwork.
So, back to the question...I do it because I can.
Allan

[ab320pilot]

Outstanding answer!
But what I really meant was, what do you do with them once they are done?
I'd like to hear from others, as well.

[No Longer Active]

what do you do with them once they are done

Simulators are NEVER done, there's always something that needs doing, its an ongoing lifetime project.

Some people will never get the chance to fly real jets for so many reasons, so building a jet cockpit and simulating flight is one way round this problem, although the cost is immense.

Some people just fancy seeing themselves in the left seat with a million switches above their head, a lot of people will never have the opportunity or the opportunities are limited. Having your own cockpit enables this....whenever you want.

Some builders build jet cockpits to help with flight training, and some builders build just for the pure fun and pleasure of it......and the troubles, challenges and headaches that building a sim provides....

Too many reasons here.....

Why did you build a go-kart with your dad when you was young, when you built it what did you do with it...? we probably put wings on it, then painted it, the pretended we could actually fly it by making a motion base for it...........

In my experience, Ive built a sim, then sold it and then built a better one learning by my mistakes, and so on...... its an addiction for most!

[davek]

For me it is about flying approaches to airports I have been to, and usually the local airport I fly out of in real life (as a pax). I like the technical aspect of aviation, avionics, weather and navigation. I like learning about all things aviation, as in a hobby.
Having a yoke and a few switches helps the immersion factor when (virtual) flying.
Some of the guys go the whole hog and build a full cockpit, some of us lazy ones are happy with a bit of timber and a few switches.

[birdyguy]

Hi.
I'm new to this forum also and am part way through building a non motorized 737-800 TQ. Now, this little blurb was mentioned by a poster somewhere in here before but I've lost track of which one it was so I will mention it again as it gave me the same effect.

When you build a part, and then bring it over to the pc, wired up to the Bodnar card, for instance, and you move that throttle and you see the throttle in fsx move accordingly and hear those engines spool up, well it did give me a feeling of accomplishment something akin to my first solo flight. A wonderful feeling.

It makes for a great hobby, there is so much to learn, it's a lot of fun. You may come in contact with some great people out there in the process, I have and that makes the icing on the cake. Oh, did I mention there's a ton of work and a mountain of research to sift through? lol I will end it now before I get carried away.

All the Best

Ed