Hi Paul,This thread is great!!!! Yes the "Whale" is a handful...i cannot sip my fave microbrew while trying to get from point A to point B, like I can with PIC. I try to get a variety of experiences in FS2002. How many 14 hour non-stops can one do before the boredom sets in ...been there done that. The RFP "Whale" gives a great feel for the complexity and coordination of the three person crew that flew and still flies this great aircraft. Like I said before when the patch is out and the INS is fixed I will be doing some overwater flights for sure. Its been awhile since I have done a long haul flight. Maybe the next one will be in the "Whale". Again, great thread and comments.Tony Ascaso, RN

Sorry, been out doing the CRAF thing....but now I'm back.I suppose one of the benchmarks we use is how "real" the simulation is when compared to the real deal(or at least how some think "real" should be). Others look at the gauge visuals and quality while others go for accurate functionality.OK, take all the above and deliver it for under $30 within the limitations of the framework created by MS2k2.I have both the RFP "whale" and PIC767 and find them truly awesome in what they are trying to accomplish. I have tons of respect for all who venture out to develop these panels. I know I don't have the skill and patience to do it.One thing any user of either of these panels should understand is it takes time to learn the aircraft. To just take one out "around the patch" and say good or bad is an injustice. The learning curve the virtual pilots face when climbing into RFP is a lot like the real world shock faced by real crews. (Just an aside, in whale school one of the first things the ground instructor said was "Gentlemen, this is a big plane with a lot of zeros behind the weight calcs, they are supposed to be there...")The workload on RFP is outragious for a single pilot-not because the panel is inaccurate, just the opposite, it is high because it is as accurate as the developer could do based on cost and platform. The flows used to manage the RFP is very accurate and you better know them cold or you will wind up in a world of virtual hurt. And yes, in my humble opinon it takes the "fun" outta it a little, but is a test of skill and management.You have to be at least five minutes ahead of your aircraft. If your plane "arrives" at a point that your brain hasn't been five minutes earlier you will be in trouble. On PIC767 it is much easier to recover from such an error than RFP. RFP (as well as the real whale) does make you "think/manage" a lot more than PIC767 (or 757/767). Push button FMC/Nav vs. Steam-guages, PMS and switches, iterpretation and awareness.Learning the "SMAC" (Standard Manuevers and Configurations) is what NW calls'em) takes time, practice and knowledge.Nobody said it would be easy....or twelve year olds would be flying these sims....what a minute, did I type that out loud.....?Well there is my late night, back side of the clock, am i really home, thoughts on realism.....Bottom line, enjoy them both and learn from themTim_757PS, I like the non-fuctional switches myself......

I'm sure this 744-200 package is a very good product. We should not compare the 767 and 744 though. I really don't like 744s other than a passing interest in it's flight dynamics etc but I would not buy this just because smaller airliners spark my interest. I have been fond of 737s but Dream Fleet's 737 never did it for me so I turned my attention to PIC and have never looked back although I am looking ahead to PMDG's 737NG. SSW's A310 looks nice too but I would rather learn the inner workings of the NG so thats where I am focusing my attention. Best Wishes, Randy J. Smith [h3]" A little learning is a dangerous thing"[/h3]AMD XP 2100 |MUNCHKIN 512 DDR RAM |ECS[/b ][i] K7S5A MB[/i] |GF3 64 MEG |WIN XP PRO |MITSUBISHI DIAMOND PLUS 91 19"