Hi M;

It sounds like you have the real/virtual world pretty much under control
:-)
If and when you get to that "gaming computer" stage, give Hypersonic
Computers a call and ask for Alex. . Tell him
I sent you along.
I checked out every gaming system out there before I chose Hypersonic.
I've never had a moment's regret. The machine is perfect; the advice is
superb; and the people there are collectively the best qualified and
most friendly people I've ever dealt with in the industry. I couldn't
recommend a company or it's people any higher. Totally first rate.
About that Real World Decathlon. I used a Decathlon on our line for
basic aerobatic and spin training, so I bought the RW Decathlon to try
it out in the sim. It's absolutely beautiful. Flies like the real thing.
Realworld has somehow managed to program very good slip capability into
the flight model, and because rudder has been so isolated, spins are not
only possible, but very realistic, and even Hammerheads are doable. Get
it M, you'll love it!!
When you're ready to begin aerobatics, let me know; I'll give you a
hand.
Dudley

"Melissa" wrote in message
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On Thu, 13 May 2004 12:16:29 GMT, Dudley Henriques wrote:

"...you spent HOW much on the stuff to run this fifty dollar flight
simulator????????"

Hee hee! A very interesting and often important thing to think about
with regards to this hobby! I'll add a few thoughts of my own on
this; in particular, the quest for balance between the virtual world
of the simulator versus the "real world"...

When I bought fs2004 about six months ago, it was on a lark. About a
month before that, a friend mentioned it in passing during a
conversation. I've always been interested in aviation, with a
particular interest in learning to fly someday, so when I happened to
see a copy of this simulator program in a software store, I decided
to pick it up. I bought a joystick at the same time. I thought
"hmmm...this is interesting, and a bit over $100 USD isn't bad for
what is supposed to be a pretty amazing little program."

Well, I was "hooked" almost immediately, and ever since then - and
for the first time in my life - I realized that I had to find a way
to balance both the time and money spent between this new and very
fascinating "virtual world" and the "real world" I'm so fond of.

Until I got this simulator program, I saw the computer just as a very
useful tool for communications, research, and a convenient place to
keep my daily journal. I never spent very many hours each day dealing
with it, because my life away from the computer has always been - and
still is - much more interesting to me. I'm a very active "outdoor
person" as well, so I spend as much time as possible "out there",
enjoying this amazing planet (great FPS out there, by the way...and
the 3D rendering isn't so bad either!). Since I still prefer to spend
as many daylight hours as possible outside...paddling my kayak,
riding my bike, walking on the beach, etc., sleep has been the
primary victim of my new hobby...as I can now often find myself
happily flying over some nicely enhanced virtual scenery into the
very late night or even the wee hours of the morning. I still want to
wake up early in the mornings, so that I can get outside for my
morning paddle/ride/walk (my daily "triathlon"). I even still enjoy
reading books! (you know, those old fashioned things with pages you
have to manually flip through?). So...hours to sleep have been
sacrificed a bit too much lately.

Then there's the money. Though I now have plans - which I never had
before - to acquire a shiny new "gaming computer", with all the
latest bits of hardware to adequately deal with my evermore urgent
"quest for reality in a virtual world", I've still managed to
surprise myself with the amount of money spent to enhance this or
that aspect of my "fifty dollar game". After just the first two
months, I realized that I had spent more than $400 USD in addition to
the original $100+, and by now, that figure has grown yet more
impressive...and I'm sure it will continue to grow. However, in spite
of my willingness to spend yet more on this little hobby of mine, I
must also keep reminding myself that every dollar spent so that I can
stare at a computer monitor for hours on end might also be saved
towards other things in the "real world"...including the real flight
lessons I'm still interested in.

Even with good and reasonable goals in the "real world" to be
concerned with, it can still be difficult at times to resist "just
one more little thing" to enhance my flight simming experience. Just
the other day, I spent "just a little bit" on the "Orcas Island
Georender" scenery (and I don't regret it!). Now, I've got my eye on
the "Super Decathlon" from RealAir Simulations. And so it goes...the
seemingly never ending "just one little bit more" syndrome. Though it
might be so easy to just go right now to the RealAir Simulations site
and offer up a few silly numbers to acquire that tempting little
plane, I'm going to force myself to suffer without it for at least a
week...just to try and simulate a bit of balance and restraint
(hmmm...is there an add-on for balance and restraint? Will someone
please give me a URL and a file name for this?) ;-)

This deceptively "innocent" hobby of flight simulation is very
dangerous indeed! Oh well...once I get my fancy liquid cooled
"top-of-the-line-for-a-day" gaming computer, I'll be happy. Of
course, then I'd have to get some of that nice "photoreal" scenery to
take advantage of - and make worthwhile! - the investment. Oh yes,
then there's that very cool... (well, you get the picture).

It seems there's no end to the "quest for realism" in our virtual
world. At the same time, as I sit here staring at this screen, typing
these few words, I look out my open windows; smell the salt air
carried by the inviting breeze, see and hear the lovely surf, and
once again feel the even more irresistible call of my beckoning sea.
It's time to step away from the computer, slip into some neoprene,
and enjoy a bit of 3D wonder...

Bye for now...and I'll see you in the wee hours! :-)

- --
Melissa

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