I fly most of my time inside, but I fly the heavies, so when I'm in cruise w/ the autopilot on I'll sneak a look outside. I like to see the FS world, It seems so amazing that someone can cram that kind of scenery for the whole world into one little game :). My real passion is realistic, functional panels, though.

HiOutside views are one of my pet hates. The only time I will use An outside view is prior to takeoff, (Preflight) just to confirm I have the right aircraft if I am in doubt due to shared panels, livery colours etc and to check control surfaces working.Once I went to a Flight sim exhibition and watched FS98 being exhibited by someone flying a B747 doing a circuit and landing purely using externel views, I just could not see the point.A stall futher down was demonstrating Falcon 4 (I think it was) once again from exterior views, I just could not see why? and walked away.To me Flight sims are highly detailed/complicated panels and as much realism as I can get from it and all the key settings for External views are just a waste.But as Flight simulator has to cater for all people it is up to the user what he does.Zack Laws

Flying aircraft in an external view is a "learned art" just like learning to fly from the "inside". Of course that's what you're doing when flying radio control which takes many hours of practice to do it proficiently without mass crashes.This morning I've been flying the RealAir Marchetti 260 through aerobatic manuvers almost strictly in a "tower view". The reason for this is the "wide view" of the ground and sky which allows me to track a perfect opposite heading in my down line from a manuver such as the hammerhead. Trying to do this strictly from the cockpit is nearly impossible because of limited peripheral vision. There is no way you can scan from wing tip to opposite view as quickly and precisely as in the real plane. At least I can replay the sequence in VC cockpit mode to get the look of the complete routine.In the context of flight, there is nothing wrong with learning to fly from the outside. I've helped out a commercial 767 pilot who also owns a single engine "speed demon" (Harmon Rocket) with R/C aircraft that he's now taken up as a "hobby". I also fly R/C, real aircraft, as well as constructing both R/C and real life planes.L.Adamson

WHAT?!?!?!The aircraft have cockpits?!?!?!?!??!:)Shane

Every now and then, depending on the scenery, I'll look at the different views outside the aircraft, especially in mountainous regions and depending on the weather. It's nice to see. Other than that, I usually have the mini-panel, or full view, flying straight on.

...I look at the thing as I plan and prep the flight. I also look at it from the Tower as I push, then in cruise, climb or descent on autopilot. For one thing, I can tell if I have the wing incidence set right that way. When I'm at cruise and at a 2 degree nose-up pitch, it's just right.It just makes it more interesting on those long flights to have a moving background (with pretty flashing lights and contrails and stuff) and the sound that goes with it.Then I can sit back and work. ;-)So it does matter that the a/c looks good, and why I repaint them all in GuardRail colors.

>>So it does matter that the a/c looks good, and why I repaint >them all in GuardRail colors. It's like I keep saying............. 750,000 to 800,000+ plane entusiests don't go to Oshkosh (Air Venture) every year to sit in the cockpits! It's mostly plane admiring from the "outside". Exteriors DO matter !!!!L.Adamson ---- still looks up when I hear a plane..