This is a good thread!Of course, in real life aviation, flying anything that has a max gross weight of over 12,500 lbs, carries more than 19 pax or is a turbine (any jet or any turbo-prop, regardless of the number of engines) required a Type Rating. (This is a part of the private pilot theory that I must admit I never put any effort into, as I never intend to fly any of these types- so I may have some of this incorrect). Most airlines will only let a pilot fly with one type rated aircraft at one time (some are grouped into a type, such as the Airbus A319/320/321, B757/767). Some countries I understand don't even permit a pilot to hold more than one current type rating. We don't have to worry about this in our virtual world. Sometimes I like to visit Europe, and to cross the big pond this excludes some aircraft- and to do it with some measure of reality limits it even more. Sometimes it's nice to depart and land at my home airport (KBJC), but that also imposes limits in a/c size and no Part 121. Simming is the ultimate fun. We can even crash and walk away :) . I fly it to get relief from the financial numbers and data that I see at work every day, and sometimes just grab the first a/c that I select randomly. I think we need to divide "reality" and "entertainment", as one imposes structural limitations in the form of regulations, the other is limited only by our creativity. If FS was supposed to be reality, MS would place an FS deactivator entry in the registry whenever we crashed, so we could never survive to "fly" again. :)Bruce.

oops

I'm right along with Paul Benoit on this one:"When I think about my next flight, I think more about what to fly, then where. Over the years I have acquired all the "usual suspects" .. PSS747, 777, A320, DF737, PIC 767 and flew those almost exclusively ... then I discovered Espen

When I go to my local FBO I fly I am checked out in the Piper Warrior, Piper Tomahawk and the Cessna 150. And I have great confidence in the training I have received and my abilities as PIC. I am a private pilot and I will never be a fighter jock, an airline pilot, corporate pilot, helecopter pilot, or bush pilot. FS gives me the opportunity to experience all of those areas. Granted I could give up my day job and go and get the training needed to do some of the thing in real life, but that would have to mean I have to give up my life as I know and love it. I will keep the great variety of aircraft in my FS hanger so when the mood hits me right and I want to dream about flying rich folk around the world in their private jet (or maybe it is my private jet), FS lets me dream....