scottfromiowa Posted November 30, 2013 Report Posted November 30, 2013 Years ago I bought IL2 (WWII Combat flight simulator game) and played the heck out of it on my desktop computer. The computer ws always struggling with the frame rate of the game. I had to turn down the scenary to low. Still had a blast literally and figuratively straffing trains, convoys and doing aerial combat. A couple years ago I purchased (a critically panned game due to bugs) IL2 Cliffs Over Dover game for about $20. My computer could not play the game...so it was never enjoyed. Fast forward to a couple weeks ago...I had a nice projection TV purchase (about $650 bucks on Amazon) that could do 1080 well. Got to thinking (as my wife said you should upgrade that old desktop)...maybe the bugs are worked out of IL2. Yes, bugs are worked out and playing the game on a Dell Alianware desktop with a 120" screen in high def is again "a blast"! If you have ever thought about flight sim combat these games (scenary over England and France and cockpit detail) are visually and audibly spectacular. AND the Dell Alienware computer works like a desktop...so it is more versatile than a PS4 or XBox. Get yourself a fun X-mas present...For the family...wink, wink. Quote
Jamie Posted December 1, 2013 Report Posted December 1, 2013 I do stuff like that for a living (flight sims), it's the last thing I want to do when I get home. that said, I got to fly over a famliar field in the sim at work and it's spooky. Strong deja-vu like feeling. Quote
aviatoreb Posted December 1, 2013 Report Posted December 1, 2013 Guess not. :-) Don't worry Scott - I geek out in my own special and unique ways. And the geek in me was immediately jealous of your super-sim-setup. Very cool. First thing I thought was that the xplane mooney rocket would look great on there! In a funny way - doesn't this thread and lack of response to it serve as the counter-point to some other thread which was just running that was blaming the lack of young people entering into aviation on video games. The discussion seemed to agree that kids these days were spending too much time in the virtual world so they did not need to enter into the real world and so they lack interest in things like real airplanes. Whereas, here you have a superb virtual airplane, and the real pilots here, who have real airplanes seem surprisingly unimpressed. So maybe you are a bit unique Scott since you clearly live in both worlds more than most of us. I do envy your simulator, but not enough to build one myself. Let's just say that if I lived anywhere near Cedar Rapids you would have a hard time stopping me from hogging your chair. 1 Quote
Jamie Posted December 1, 2013 Report Posted December 1, 2013 I'd totally -borrow- his sim to practice some IFR stuff. I can see where that would be very useful. The sim at work is a glass cockpit helicopter with no VORs, no ILS, it has GPS but no nav database, etc. So it's no help (to me) for IFR practice. Scott, you have your instrument rating yet? If so, ever practice in your sim? Does it help? Quote
scottfromiowa Posted December 1, 2013 Author Report Posted December 1, 2013 The room is primary for movies. I had the joystick/game so upgrade was "chair" and desktop gaming computer that can run the game. I can use computer (replaced blue-ray player) for movie watching so just swapped HDMI cable and optik (sound) that were on existing BlueRay DVD. Nope, still VFR. Partner was going to upgrade GPS/make her IFR as he is rated, but has not yet done. I plan to pursue IFR at that point in my plane. I am "clueless" to all things IFR (procedures/etc.), but have microsoft sim. Would definitely do some work on sim if I get going on IFR. Mi Chair is Su Chair Erik... 1 Quote
scottfromiowa Posted December 1, 2013 Author Report Posted December 1, 2013 Aerial combat is addictive...I can lose a couple of hours pretty easily. Just ask my wife Quote
scottfromiowa Posted December 1, 2013 Author Report Posted December 1, 2013 I'll check it out Jim. Thanks Quote
bnicolette Posted December 1, 2013 Report Posted December 1, 2013 Scott that setup is freaken awesome! We have 3 Xboxes so we can all play together but mainly for football and Call of Duty games. When I lived part time away from home I had an Xbox in my rental home so I could play with my kids online. It wasn't as good as spending time with them at home but it fit the bill. So yep, I'm a 43 yr old geek gamer. I can appreciate your setup and understand exactly where you're coming from. Quote
aviatoreb Posted December 1, 2013 Report Posted December 1, 2013 Mi Chair is Su Chair Erik... Thanks! Someday I will be in IA and I will bring the beer. No FAA rule against that when barnstorming in the Sim! Quote
aviatoreb Posted December 1, 2013 Report Posted December 1, 2013 Holy Moly, Scott turns out that you are a small fry geek in the world of sim geeks. Check out these big league geeked-out-home sim's of 747's and other big birds. This seems like it is a whole subculture. I like the real fire extinguisher in this one - and the wool covered seats: This one built on his part time in his garage, by a real air traffic controller - its got to be the geeked-out geek king. All hail James Price. Anyone here having an urge to buy an old M20 airframe that will never fly again, to turn the fuselage bits into a sim? That would be a lot of fun to put into the back of a hangar. 1 Quote
Dave Marten Posted December 2, 2013 Report Posted December 2, 2013 Nice sim Scott! I think once you max out your air-air victories you're pretty close to having a nice little IFR procedure trainer. Why not learn what you can chair flying the sim through some IFR work before burning AVGAS on your IFR ticket. Feed the habit! 1 Quote
1964-M20E Posted December 2, 2013 Report Posted December 2, 2013 I'd totally -borrow- his sim to practice some IFR stuff. I can see where that would be very useful. The sim at work is a glass cockpit helicopter with no VORs, no ILS, it has GPS but no nav database, etc. So it's no help (to me) for IFR practice. Scott, you have your instrument rating yet? If so, ever practice in your sim? Does it help? Jamie ISA’s IFR on top is a good sim for IFR work. You can fly into just about any airport in the country. I’m not sure how to get updates to fly current approaches but if you have the paper plates in the area you normally fly even flying older approaches can help. Scenery is nonexistent since it is intended to be an IFR trainer. IFR Ontop plus a control yoke and throttle quadrant will set you back about $400 +/- 1 Quote
fantom Posted December 2, 2013 Report Posted December 2, 2013 This thread reminds me that like it or NOT, one day in the not to distant future airline and military pilots won't be in a real cockpit, but sitting behind a fancy screen, like Scott's, on the ground. A sad day it will be, 'progress' not withstanding. Quote
fantom Posted December 2, 2013 Report Posted December 2, 2013 Thanks, Jim....I've seen it, and don't like it Quote
fantom Posted December 2, 2013 Report Posted December 2, 2013 Under the heading of the world has changed..... Parker wants to be in the left seat of the first plane, but I suggest the front seat of the second one. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vruk-JYWKlk#t=48 Quote
John Pleisse Posted December 2, 2013 Report Posted December 2, 2013 I use X-Plane and MS on an Alienware rig, as well. What is most remarkable is new touch screens. Instead of spending money on SIM hardware, most everything you would touch is now on screen. Just buy a $99 yoke and it is more realistic than ever. Xplane now has an Aspen plug in and touch screen use is almost as realistic as flight. 1 Quote
scottfromiowa Posted December 2, 2013 Author Report Posted December 2, 2013 I just saw an Amazon "inside look"...They plan to (in the future) have GPS programmed electric drones "Drop off on your front porch) purchased that weigh up to 5lbs...approx. 85% of stuff they ship now... Bugs are eliminating hitting somebody in the head as they land... It's a brave new world. Will put a couple of my neighbors out of business (UPS driver/Supervisor)?... In other news...this thread (fun) took a bizarre turn....Now I have to be thinking about IFR...work and not having aanybody in jets flying....gulp. Quote
EDNR-Cruiser Posted December 31, 2013 Report Posted December 31, 2013 I used to fly solely Flight Sims for years before I finally decided to go "for the real thing" three years ago. Although a lot of things are different in real life it still was a good practice to learn some basic skills, navigation and also procedure and I still enjoy my Flight Sim X with some great third party add-ons for winter "flying"... I lately re-visited some airfields with the FSX and tried to match some photos I shot in real life with screenshots... - here are two examples... and the FSX... Wish you guys a happy new year 2014! 3 Quote
DaV8or Posted December 31, 2013 Report Posted December 31, 2013 I feel the same way, Gary. I think that we have seen the last generation of manned fighters already. I'm OK with that. If we can get the job done without putting our men and women in harm's way, then that's a great day. Let the other guys lose their people. Don't need people in tanks, supply trucks, helicopters, mobile artillery, etc. either. I think it's a bit soon to see the rise of the machines on the battlefield, but it will come. Quote
DaV8or Posted December 31, 2013 Report Posted December 31, 2013 I used to fly solely Flight Sims for years before I finally decided to go "for the real thing" three years ago. Although a lot of things are different in real life it still was a good practice to learn some basic skills, navigation and also procedure and I still enjoy my Flight Sim X with some great third party add-ons for winter "flying"... I lately re-visited some airfields with the FSX and tried to match some photos I shot in real life with screenshots... - here are two examples... and the FSX... Wish you guys a happy new year 2014! Nice job faking the simulation with the real thing! I have always thought that the data bases of surface details, such as buildings and trees, would be useful to add to the SVT now being offered in the cockpit. A person facing a forced landing at night, or in the clouds would stand an even better chance of survival if they had some clue as to where the hazards were. Happy New year to all! 1 Quote
BrianBest Posted January 1, 2014 Report Posted January 1, 2014 Another twist on the real/sim intersection is that now you can connect your tablet real world App with your sim. Today I hooked up my Android Nexus 7 tablet running Naviation with the MS FSX. So instead of using real-world GPS the Naviator is taking the GPS feed from FSX. I had to fumble around with the router settings, but finally got them connected. If interested in the details check here: http://forum.naviatorapp.com/viewtopic.php?pid=3486 Quote
aviatoreb Posted January 1, 2014 Report Posted January 1, 2014 I used to fly solely Flight Sims for years before I finally decided to go "for the real thing" three years ago. Although a lot of things are different in real life it still was a good practice to learn some basic skills, navigation and also procedure and I still enjoy my Flight Sim X with some great third party add-ons for winter "flying"... I lately re-visited some airfields with the FSX and tried to match some photos I shot in real life with screenshots... - here are two examples... WOW - THAT IS REALLY COOL! Quote
scottfromiowa Posted January 1, 2014 Author Report Posted January 1, 2014 I'm OK with that. If we can get the job done without putting our men and women in harm's way, then that's a great day. Let the other guys lose their people. Don't need people in tanks, supply trucks, helicopters, mobile artillery, etc. either. I think it's a bit soon to see the rise of the machines on the battlefield, but it will come. Shouldn't war be total? Should there be any rules? Shouldn't it be awful so we do NOT do it? Shouldn't we have human decisionmaking...with the consequences be "along for the ride"? If we decide to go to war should it be sanitized...? Quote
scottfromiowa Posted January 1, 2014 Author Report Posted January 1, 2014 I think I watched to much Terminator...I DO NOT LIKE DRONES. Period. My and other country's feelings about them have been confirmed in my mind. Now we are moving closer to having them in US airspace...over my city? Over my house?.... Quote
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