Sorry Tom:I have to agree with Ray that the survey was more about finding out about me than the state of our hobby. To many personal questions and not enough about flight sim substance. I did complete it, but have to question the motives!Regards,Ed

I can assure you that the information will be destroyed upon completion of the survey. As for authenticity, we would need to ask detailed and intrusive questions to assure that, and even then could remain suspect. I am sure that asking those more detailed / intrusive questions would keep our poll results at nearly zero. And even I would not participate in that. An online survey, by definition, can be a glass half full or half empty.

Tom - I agree entirely with Ray, however I DID complete the survey. The questions I feel should have been asked are:* Are you simming less since the demise of FS? my answer = Yes* Are you spending less time on AVSIM and other sim forums since the demise of FS? My answer = Yes* Are you going to upgrade your computer hardware further? My answer = No* Are you loosing interest in FS since the closure of Aces? My answer = Somewhat, but not entirely* To what degree are you disappointed in the closure of Aces? My answer = ExtremelyBruce Scott

'To what degree are you disappointed in the closure of Aces?' seems like a leading question to me. It's a bit like 'when did you stop beating your wife?' in the assumptions it makes.notably, it assumes that the person answering the survey is a simmer with MS Flight Simulator for a kick off, and that's certainly not a given. There are other flight sims, so there are plenty of simmers who enjoy those other flight sims and might have no opinion on the closure of Aces. Check out the Condor forum or the IL-2 forum, there are tons of flight simmers who never even crank up FS. Even within the realms of those who do use MS Flight Simulator, the closure of Aces makes little difference to people who use FS9, since they are effectively not bothered about the lack of a version of FS to move on to, because there's one waiting in the wings for them in the shape of FSX. Many may be disappointed in the demise of Aces, but their going does not equate to the demise of flight simulation.Al

Sorry Tom:I have to agree with Ray that the survey was more about finding out about me than the state of our hobby. To many personal questions and not enough about flight sim substance. I did complete it, but have to question the motives!Regards,Ed

Ed, come on... finding out about YOU is finding out about the state and future of the hobby. Go back and look at the survey again. Look at ALL the questions. When you find out how we have used this data, then I suspect you will have a light bulb go off (so to speak). At worst, you will have answered some totally irrelevant questions. At best... well, we'll see.

Tom - I agree entirely with Ray, however I DID complete the survey. The questions I feel should have been asked are:* Are you simming less since the demise of FS? my answer = Yes* Are you spending less time on AVSIM and other sim forums since the demise of FS? My answer = Yes* Are you going to upgrade your computer hardware further? My answer = No* Are you loosing interest in FS since the closure of Aces? My answer = Somewhat, but not entirely* To what degree are you disappointed in the closure of Aces? My answer = ExtremelyBruce Scott

Those are all leading questions and would render the survey worthless. Ours may not be the end all be all of surveys, but it sure doesn't lead you, which your questions do.

'To what degree are you disappointed in the closure of Aces?' seems like a leading question to me. It's a bit like 'when did you stop beating your wife?' in the assumptions it makes.notably, it assumes that the person answering the survey is a simmer with MS Flight Simulator for a kick off, and that's certainly not a given. There are other flight sims, so there are plenty of simmers who enjoy those other flight sims and might have no opinion on the closure of Aces. Check out the Condor forum or the IL-2 forum, there are tons of flight simmers who never even crank up FS. Even within the realms of those who do use MS Flight Simulator, the closure of Aces makes little difference to people who use FS9, since they are effectively not bothered about the lack of a version of FS to move on to, because there's one waiting in the wings for them in the shape of FSX. Many may be disappointed in the demise of Aces, but their going does not equate to the demise of flight simulation.Al

Al, go back and read the announcement regarding the survey. It's about FS, FSX, FS9 and the closure of Aces!! There isn't a single soul on this forum that wasn't shocked and hugely disappointed by the closure of Aces and the termination of this fabulous project! If that wasn't really the case this survey wouldn't have been created. Got nothing to do with IL-2, XPlane or any other sim/game! Geese, take off your feel good hat and face reality! I think I need to come over there and enlighten you over 10-12 pints at your local!! (;>)Bruce Scott

Actually, if you read the questions, they say stuff like 'how long do you spend flying an FS?', not FS (as in 'a flight simulator', not MSFS), and there are several tick boxes relating to other sims on the questions too, if I recall correctly, Flight Gear and X-Plane, as well as 'other sims' were choices on some of the questions. The questions about hardware choices could also relate to anything from MS Flight Simulator to IL-2. If you don't believe me, check out how many IL-2 and Black Shark flyers use Track-IR.You are more than welcome to come to the local and indulge in 10 pints with me, but be aware that I'm a glass half full as opposed to half empty person when it comes to how I regard the future of flight simming. If you think it is in a poor state, buy DCS Black Shark (the first of many flight sims they have planned) and I'm willing to bet you'll change your mind. The flight model for the helicopter on Black Shark makes the one in FSX look like Frogger, and if you try Condor or Silent Wings, you'll see what a recent sim can do with frame rates and flight modeling for fixed wing aircraft. That team might have called itself Aces, and I'm not denying they did some good stuff, but they'd be shot out of the skies by some other development teams, who are more like the Red Baron than a mere Ace.Al

Actually, if you read the questions, they say stuff like 'how long do you spend flying an FS?', not FS (as in 'a flight simulator', not MSFS), and there are several tick boxes relating to other sims on the questions too, if I recall correctly, Flight Gear and X-Plane, as well as 'other sims' were choices on some of the questions. The questions about hardware choices could also relate to anything from MS Flight Simulator to IL-2. If you don't believe me, check out how many IL-2 and Black Shark flyers use Track-IR.You are more than welcome to come to the local and indulge in 10 pints with me, but be aware that I'm a glass half full as opposed to half empty person when it comes to how I regard the future of flight simming. If you think it is in a poor state, buy DCS Black Shark (the first of many flight sims they have planned) and I'm willing to bet you'll change your mind. The flight model for the helicopter on Black Shark makes the one in FSX look like Frogger, and if you try Condor or Silent Wings, you'll see what a recent sim can do with frame rates and flight modeling for fixed wing aircraft. That team might have called itself Aces, and I'm not denying they did some good stuff, but they'd be shot out of the skies by some other development teams, who are more like the Red Baron than a mere Ace.Al

Okay Al, sometimes it's nice to see someone put a positive spin on an obvious disaster (head shake). But, Like the little boy who eagerly digs through a pile of horse dung believing that surely there must be a pony in there somewheret it is what it is! I don't believe this forum would have ever been created or have grown to it's current stature without FS/Aces; and I think Tom is trying to crystal ball it's future. I believe there has already been a slow down in activity and I know that there aren't near as many posts that peak my interest as there were prior to the closure of Aces. Nick Needham and a couple of other guys have been resuscitating it, and the hobby, but it is, in my opinion, definitely slowing down. I am not the least bit interested in helos or military jet fighters. I only want to play with a sim like FS, and I sincerely hope MS or Xplane save this great hobby.Don't know when I'll get to LON again (was there a year ago), but would love to get together with you, and a couple others, and kick it around over a few cold ones!Bruce (half empty)

FOR THE RECORD:The glass is twice as big as it needs to be.Jeff ShylukSenior Staff ReviewerAVSIM

FOR THE RECORD:The glass is twice as big as it needs to be.Jeff ShylukSenior Staff ReviewerAVSIM

Maybe for you, Jeff, but I don't believe it is for most!! Let's see where we are a year from now!