What do you do in "Real Life"..when you aren't simming?

[Guest B52Drivr]

Mike,Yeah, that 9 day old bundle of joy is one of your better creations, my friend.And oh, please keep protecting me, oh, Kind Sir! I heard the canned you from COA cause you couldn't fly a kite? No that wasn't it, I think my sources said something about you chasing the pretty flight attendants and removing instruments from the cockpit for your 'home cockpit', yeah that was it. Thats what you get for forgetting to call me last night...ROTFLMAO.Hang in there, love ya brother.Drac http://www.dreamfleet2000.com/gfx/images/F...ers/Dopke01.jpgClayton T. Dopke (Clay)Major, USAF (retired)"Drac"

[albar965 1,047]

Absolutely cool thread... :-)I'm 39 years old and working as a software engineer (Principal Consultant) and project lead in the software industry about 40 km NNW of EDDF (Frankfurt am Main, Germany).When not flying or working I go hiking with my wife or reads tons of science fiction books.When the weather is bad and I run out of books I'm writing open source software (nothing released yet).And somebody has to administrate this totally heterogenous network in my house... ;-)Alex

[Tom Allensworth 1,532]

Okay, well, as much as I shudder to think about doing this, let alone actually doing it, here's my bio... Will turn 55 in September.Ex US Navy - out in 1973 (electronics)Ex GI Bill sponsored Education (electronics and geophysics)Ex Business Owner (Camera Store, Studio, Lab and contract services)Ex Peace Corps Volunteer (Fiji - Group 28, 1977 to 1979)Ex Offshore Program Manager - exploration for oil - exploration for offshore geophysical hazards - exploration for offshore archeology - exploration of the Lower Mississippi for Civil War - debris field search - Challenger disaster - debris field search - Korean Air 007 - debris field search - Air India (x 2), numerous Private A/C - more oilfields and punching holes in the ocean bottom than I care to remember...Currently: International Marketing Manager for a fortune 10 company - defense business segment (electronics). I work with systems that encompass many aspects of marine and naval electronics. Everything from very sophisticated Naval radars to shipboard bridges that look like and are very similar to today's modern airliner cockpits (one man bridges, X-Craft type things, etc.), inertial navigation (ring laser and fiber optic gyro based), airborne weather and terrain mapping radars, acoustics, integrated platform management, coastal surveillance, etc. etc. etc. Am very privilaged to be able to meet simmers around the world in my travels. Have lost count of countries visited or lived in. Last count was 30+.AVSIM? It used to be a hobby. It is now a monster that haunts me. :)

[Holger 0]

Howdy,hey Tom, I was in electronics in the Navy too, except it was the German Navy (electronic intelligence, i.e., spying on Russians) and I enlisted about a decade later (left in 1989).40 years old now, moved to Canada (B.C.) ten years ago. Have an MSc in Geography/GIS and am working on a PhD (don't ask!) in Forest/Landscape Ecology.I currently spend about 50% on contract work for forest companies and the government doing research on "natural disturbances" (fire, insects, diseases) and 50% on commercial add-ons for FS. Used to fly gliders back in Germany but never got back into it here in Canada. Who knows, maybe one day I'll exchange the simulation for the real thing but that depends how many people buy my add-ons ;-) (actually, I make at least three times as much with my forestry contract work but the current political climate is not very open to "alternative" approaches to forest management).Pleasure to "meet" everyone!Cheers, Holger Sandmann

[Guest Capt_Static]

Well, here goes...1994-1996 Police Cadet for a Chicago suburb1996-1998 Police Officer for another Chicago suburb1998-2003 Loss Prevention Supervisor / Service Center Parts Processor for Best Buy2003-2005 Certified Tutor... focus: electronic/computer engineering, programming, advanced mathematics.Currently - Unemployed and looking... I just graduated college with my first bachelor's degree this past Feb :-beerchug .Now all I need is a job that will help pay for my post-grad.I am 30 and been flight-simming since the SubLogic days back in mid 1980's.

[Guest diajohn2]

I am an upper level manager at the Denver International Airport. Am in charge of many of the Business operations and nothing really to do with making aircraft fly.This follows a career in Healthcare Administration.During my lifespan, I was a US Navy Officer serving in the Pacific Ocean. The Navy, AirForce and Marine Corp. all rejected me for pilot training as my right eye did not react to light quite fast enough. They offered flight engineer and I decided running ships around the ocean to be more fun than playing second fiddle.Spent a few years as a volunteer for Project HOPE, a ship operating as a teaching hospital that took me twice to Brasil for a year and then to Ethiopia. Lots of fun with that.I have used Flight Simulator since 1994 but really got hooked again with FS8 and now FS9. Since I have began flying with virtual airlines and using some of these great payware aircraft such as PMDG 737, LDS767, Dreamfleet 727 and the great ATR 72-500, I think I am hooked and need professional help.Married with a couple of girls still in college. One in graduate school and the other aiming for law school.

[Guest Ken_Salter]

This thread reminds me of:http://forums.avsim.net/user_files/114575.jpg"Who is your daddy and what does he do?"

[Tom Allensworth 1,532]

Chris, I forwarded your resume to my folks. Will follow up on Monday and let you know what's happening. :)

[Datalink 26]

Great thread, been a while since one of these has come around.Well, i've just turned 25 and its my goal to become a commercial pilot (who doesn't :-lol), and plan to start training later this year. I've been working for the last 7 years putting money aside for this, working as a sales supervisor, which has its ups and downs, but gets me by.No one in my family has any aviation links, but i've always been interested in aircraft and wanting to be a pilot, and caught the simming bug with FS5.1. The love aviation has just continued to grow ever since :-) I have had a few flying lessons to date, but nothing major.My best flying experience came when I flew a full motion B777-200 simulator at BA's training center back in June 2000 (through www.virtualaviation.co.uk) OK, it may have been simulated, but at level D and worth about

[Guest DemolitionMan]

Great thread!I'm a 51 year old englishman who's been living in Luebeck in northern germany since 1983. I have a lovely german wife (since 20 years now!), and 2 gorgeous daughters.I qualified as an aircraft systems tech. back then, and have also worked as an auto mechanic, roadie, sound engineer and truck driver. Due to health problems 2 years ago, I had to give up my job as a truck driver. Since then I've been trying to find some kind of job I could do. Otherwise I'm just hanging around having a good time, and flying in FS much too often to be healthy! Went back to my first love (gliding) a few weeks ago, and am training to get my PPL-C back, providing I can pass the medical!Bestgrahame (EDHL)

[Guest paologi1]

Wonderful thread!I am a concertpianist. I know quite a few Dutch pilots that like playing the piano as a hobby. So I guess I'm doing it the other way around!!Been hooked to the sim since 1985,did consider a few times a career in aviation but my love for music was there first.Greetings,Paolo Giacometti

[Guest mike_cyul]

Well, somehow I've made it to 47. I work as an illustrator and artist for, among many other clients, a national aviation museum, which lets me get up close to the things I love. :) I've no idea how I became an artist, I started with a graduate degree in International Relations, worked for a management consulting firm, then opened my own business making display models for aviation companies - and then people and companies started buying my artwork, and I decided I liked that better.I have a pilot's license, own and fly a Challenger Ultralight, and have been lucky to fly the regular things in such places as the UK, France, Portugal, the US and Australia, not to mention here in Canada, plus two trips right across the USA by helicopter. I also used to skydive. Simming is just a natural extension of a love of aviation.Mike F.

[zfehr 1]

Hi Dr Mike,I'm 42 and a Chiropractor which specializes in Applied Kinesiology. I've been involved working in medical clinics since 1982, got my Private Pilot's license in 1986 (same year I built an experimental which I kept about four years). In addition to simming I write reviews for Avsim, have beta tested some FS add-on software and am still working on a sim version of the aircraft I built in 1986. When I am not simming I am writing for various Medical and Health publications, I am also a teaching assistant for Applied Kinesiology and an associate clinical instructor for Activator Technique (more Chiropractor stuff). The joy of my life is my 14 month old daughter which my wife of 9 years and I share the raising of, no daycare.Best wishes,Zane

[ejoiner 21]

International sales for DHL. Im 43 and live in Atlanta. Simming since??? early 90's.Eric

[ejoiner 21]

You have a NOBLE profession sir! Kids really appreciate somebody gifted in dentistry to treat them. Eric