I've been simming for 10 years now and since about 2002, have been dreaming about a great rig with all bells and whistles. I spent years learning FS, flying props and jets, mastering cfg files, edits for engine and fuel performance, NavDash (remember that one?!), FS Navigator (love it to death!), PSS, the FMC, Level-D, PMDG, etc. Years, literally. I got much of it down very well. Bit by bit I built up my latest set-up starting 2 years ago, getting GoFlight hardware (9 units now and counting), CH hardware (yoke, pedals, and throttle quadrant), big chunky silver DELL XPS with spacey blue panel lighting, big beautiful LCD screens, extra RAM, Triplehead, Track IR 4 Pro, Fly Tampa, Captain Sim, USB hubs, big UPS, the works. I probably have $700 of software add-ons for FS9.I also built an FS library and have thousands of pages of home produced and published manuals on 10 feet of neat shelves. I've studied flying the 747-400 for maybe hundreds of hours alone.I have sunk something over $5,000 into my current rig but I have so many demands on my time at this stage in my life that I can rarely spend more than 30-45 minutes at a time simming. Most nights--like tonight--I am too tired to even start because it's already 9.30 or 10 pm and I rise at the crack of dawn to start driving my kids to school. I do at least get to sim somewhat longer on weekends, but no more 12 hour flight to the Gulf of across the Pacific and no more staying up till 2 or 3 am to finish any flights. (I did at least have the foresight years ago to save a lot of FS9 situations and have about 500 which I actually use.)So downstairs in my home, as I write this message on the forum, my beautiful big XPS rig sits in silence, alone, turned off, FS9 in deep sleep, nothing to disturb the machine, the mass of hardware add-ons, or the totally magical software. The cockpit sits in dutiful silence as the master prepares for sleep upstairs.Is this not the height of irony?JS

Don't feel too down. The time you do spend on your system will feel all the more special.Be joyful in the fact you have not installed FSX. If you had, you would now be cursing the rig for not having the grunt to run it.Fly safe.Rob

Sorry to hear, I can understand and emphasis as I haveto set an example to my children - and don't even get the weekendsto fly much due to work.Appreciate the time you haveRegards

I know that feeling, yes sir I do. During the years I enjoyed more in setting up software & hardware, printing and reading manuals etc. than actually flying. When I'm finally ready to fly I realize there's no time left.You fly on weekends? Lucky you. In my case two months can easily pass between my flights. Maybe we should meditate on our future retirement days and how nice will it be to fly all days (and nights) long.My only consolation is that I was diciplined in using credit card so I didn't spent so much.

Well, the weekend stuff is still limited. Often that is busted too for domestic or other reasons. Mind you, 2 months is a LONG time between flights. Appreciate these posts. Good to know I'm not alone feeling thus !I do appreciate my system nonetheless and realize I am still fortunate to have it. JS

A time will come when you once agan have time. Now, enjoy those kids. They are 1000 times better than any rig. Once they are gone, it will still be there.

I feel very bad for you, but even more so for your rig! How do you think it feels? I can only imagine how much it's now struggling with deep emotional abandonment and neglect "issues", and I'm sure it feels just terrible. For the sake of "your rig", I strongly suggest that you pack it up this weekend in it's entirety and send it off to . . . ME. My children are older and have now left the nest, and I can assure you that I can give your rig the proper attention it deserves. I feel so bad that I might even be convinced to pay for shipping -- no sacrifice is too great for the sake of our rigs. :DI really do feel for you -- I just started this hobby about 6 months ago and I'm already headed in your direction, especially the part about looking at my watch and seeing that it's already 9:30 or 10 at night. But reading the posts from long term members like yourself helps, though, and reminds me that I'm not alone.If only I could figure out a way to get paid for simming. Hmmm.Best regards,Chuck B.Pennsauken, NJ

Can't the kids get the bus to School?

Private life has a way of eating up simtime but then again its great to have a life outside the FS community ;-)My personal solution is switching to short regional flights and start the flight 'ready for take off'. Sometimes I switch to the lighter add-ons Eurowings Professionals ATR instead of Flight 1's for example.The lighter workload and the shortcuts (skipping cold&dark scenarios) keeps the sim time short and completing a flight to 45 minutes means I stil get to take-off and land.I mis the monster flights but then again my current life is filled with other things I don't want to mis out on. :-)

JS:Always good to see some of the fellow old folks still lurkin' around!I share your pain. I've finally got FS9 to the point where it is simply my dream sim...every flight is a silky smooth lesson in realism.And then POW, have to commute to New York City every Monday from Chicago. Get back to Chicago late Friday night, sleep unil mid morning Saturday, spend time with family and getting the new house together, relax Sunday, watch Sopranos, go to sleep repeat...Not much room for FS9 and its killing me!

Don't feel too sad mate! Theres ways around this...easy ways!You know the sim well so all that I say you will prob know but anyways......:(First off - forget the long-hauls for the time being (more on this below..)Hop into the GA planes (the freeware Maule, Twin otter, Piper Cub here on Avsim are excellent) and do little 20-30min hops from airfield to airfield. Or download the P3 Orion, do a quick patrol of the local coast and land back again.Or do a medi-flight in a Eurocopter air ambulance. Head over to hovercontrol for some great freeware helos.Fly in different countries - do a Grand Caravan flight in Thailand, land a ski-equipped Twin Otter in northern Canada, fly touritst around in Nepal, save a patient as a Flying Doctor in Australia.....keep the flights 30 mins or less.And if you REALLY like flying heavy iron but don't have the time...1. Make a flight plan for your long haul route2. Load up your 777 or A340 or whatever heavy you like.3. Takeoff , climb, get into the cruise4. Now press ; to save the flight (in case FS9 crashes when we do the next step)5. Calculate a rough top-of-descent assuming about a 2200FPM descent (TOD) - first 3 digits of altitude X .33 + 10) (Eg: FL390 X .33 = 128.7 + 10 = 138.7nm TOD)5. Now press ALT and then W M6. This brings up the map...zoom out and then drag the aircraft closer to your destination.7. Use the GPS to see how far you are. Repeat step 6 until you are close to your TOD distance and continue the flight to landing.8. Remember to adjust the time of day!I know this *looks* REALLY clunky but done often its very very fast (just be aware its not as precise as using FMC etc!) Works great though I use it all the time. I too dont have much time for real-time long hauls but using the above you stay in real-time for taxi-T/O, a little cruise, approach & landing. So you get to fly your heavies around the world...but spending like 60 mins flying London-Hong Kong.Once you adjust for time...you "feel" like you have done a real-time long haul hee hee.I shall stop rambling, you can wake up now http://www.clicksmilies.com/s1106/grinser/...-smiley-028.gif

Hey, Mike:Greetings to you too! Yeah, nice to see an old hand here...Great rig you have, nice spex, sheesh ! Well, it is what it is: we have to deal with it as it comes at us. I try to remember to give thanks daily and thank you know who for small (and not so small) mercies!Cheers!JS

Maybe I am just a unique case, but I have incorporated flying for real and my family in my destiny. I guess it is their way of saying "Thank you" for the sacrifices I made for them over the years (I am not perfect, but I did try). As a result of my family getting on board with my dream of owning my own flight service someday, I am encouraged to make use of my time to practise "flying" via simming. I have also incorporated my family into my ""flying." I have educated them in the necessity to understand things like navigation, weather, reading topography, etc. Since it is each of their desires to go on trips with "Dad," I have pricked interest in their "simming" just in case "Dad" becomes incapacitated in flight. Since it is a necessity, it has become important.The short of it is, if you need more time simming, set a goal to get your pilot's license and maybe even start a business. If you do this, simming will not be a time-stealing hobby, but a practical reality! If you let your family know you have a dream, I have seen they will want to see you make it come true, especially if you have been trying to make their dreams come true too. [Your homework is to watch the movie, "The Astronaut Farmer" hopefully, with your family.]Never stop daring to dream and get plenty of cotton... for your own ears so you won't hear the song of the of the naysayers.

I've been simming for 10 years now and since about 2002, have been dreaming about a great rig with all bells and whistles. I spent years learning FS, flying props and jets, mastering cfg files, edits for engine and fuel performance, NavDash (remember that one?!), FS Navigator (love it to death!), PSS, the FMC, Level-D, PMDG, etc. Years, literally. I got much of it down very well. Bit by bit I built up my latest set-up starting 2 years ago, getting GoFlight hardware (9 units now and counting), CH hardware (yoke, pedals, and throttle quadrant), big chunky silver DELL XPS with spacey blue panel lighting, big beautiful LCD screens, extra RAM, Triplehead, Track IR 4 Pro, Fly Tampa, Captain Sim, USB hubs, big UPS, the works. I probably have $700 of software add-ons for FS9.I also built an FS library and have thousands of pages of home produced and published manuals on 10 feet of neat shelves. I've studied flying the 747-400 for maybe hundreds of hours alone.I have sunk something over $5,000 into my current rig but I have so many demands on my time at this stage in my life that I can rarely spend more than 30-45 minutes at a time simming. Most nights--like tonight--I am too tired to even start because it's already 9.30 or 10 pm and I rise at the crack of dawn to start driving my kids to school. I do at least get to sim somewhat longer on weekends, but no more 12 hour flight to the Gulf of across the Pacific and no more staying up till 2 or 3 am to finish any flights. (I did at least have the foresight years ago to save a lot of FS9 situations and have about 500 which I actually use.)So downstairs in my home, as I write this message on the forum, my beautiful big XPS rig sits in silence, alone, turned off, FS9 in deep sleep, nothing to disturb the machine, the mass of hardware add-ons, or the totally magical software. The cockpit sits in dutiful silence as the master prepares for sleep upstairs.Is this not the height of irony?JS

Friend, you sound like me. I have a nice PC that also doesnt get the FS use I wish it did. Too much real life stuff to play at my virtual world. I never could spend more than an hour at a time on any one given flight. For that reason I used to focus only on general aviation airplanes etc. However lately, I've taken to just enjoying the setup, taxi and take off on bigger planes and if my time requires that i pause it, or quit to handle the real world, thats ok... Frustrating though.I wish I had the time to deep dive it like I used to. Eric

I think many of us can relate to this issue. There are so many interesting directions to go in this hobby (or should I say addiction), that sometimes I would sit in front of the PC (I mean cockpit), and just stare at the monitor because I couldn't figure out what I wanted to do.... unzip some new scenery, try a new plane, take a few screenshots, read the latest add-on review, scan the forums... or Gawed forbid - actually FLY! By then two hours would have blown by.And then the design bug hit me. I don't think I have actually flown a complete route now in four years, :( ! But it's all good. Like many here I have reverted to smaller planes and smaller routes. I have lately reaquainted myself with those wonderful Georender airports. I might just do a few touch-n-go's or just turn off the engine at Bryce and listen to all the crickets chirping at dusk on a warm summer evening. Talk about escapism. What I have done at times is now set aside a block of time of what I want to do. I'll just tell myself " ok, no flying today - just gonna try out some new aircraft or scenery or that new utilty. And then I don't feel rushed that I have to get a flight in. Or if I do fly I might set aside one hour to just "set the flight up". Ya know, make sure all is ready for when I do fly checking the aircraft, making flight plans, having scenery ready to go along the route. When all is set I close 'er down. Next time the flight is ready to go and I enjoy the "flying" part of flight simulation. :(