Although I have had different versions of MSFS for over twenty years, I had never flown in a GA aircraft until last Friday afternoon. A co-worker that I have know for a few years recently became a CFI gave me the opportunity to go up in both a Cessna 172 and a Piper PA-22. In both cases, after safely getting up in the air and away from the airport, he let me take control of the plane. I flew the Cessna for 40 minutes and the Piper for 20 minutes. I was a great and wonderful experience.My take from my first flight and what I saw as differences and things that similair with MSFS:My friend had me help with the preflight checkout and taking the airplane from its hanger. I was surprised that I could move the PA-22 without any help.Twenty years and I never realized how small the inside of a 172 really is compared to how in feels in MSFS. Two people in the back seat will need to be good friends.My years of experience with MSFS left me completely confortable with the gages and radios. Eric provided all of the communication with the ATCs, I'm not certain that I could have that task properly.I amount of runway required for both take off and landing in either aircraft was very short, also the distance needed to align an aircraft on final approach was much shorter than I had imaged. Also overtime, with the sim I have become a little careless with the correct procedures in flying a traffic pattern. Watching it in real world drove home the message of how important of a step that is the real world.In the actual flying of the airplane, Eric gave me a high grade, I was not over or under steering the aircraft. I found it fairly easy to pick a target in the distance and fly a course to it. The overall hands on needed to control the plane was very little (not much wind last Friday). Eric did correct the method that I use to trim an aircraft in the real world versus a sim. One thing that I noticed was how much you needed to study the six primary flight gages while in flight, without an autopilot you are always watching air speed and altitude.Also, the cost of flight time and fuel is MUCH higher in the real world versus the sim.I had a great time. On the way home I stopped and purchased a headset. Yesterday I signed up to become a member of VATSIM and acquired a copy of SquawkBox 3. The next time that I go up, I want to sound as though I know how to communicate with ATC.Tom

Sounds good - I could do with a friend like that.

"Sounds good - I could do with a friend like that"Me too. I havent' had a flight in a GA aircraft since I discoverd FS9 and I would just love too.