Man of the Decade. That's a very long time. As an active FS forum follower since 1998 I think this magnitude of recognition is a bit premature. Over the years there have been dozens of very bright and helpful people on the forums both here and at FS sim. Unfortunately as the years have passed for whatever reasons most have dropped off the radar. We don't have many commercial pilots anymore and we certainly don't seem to have many aeronautical engineers as we did in the old days. Todays crop of participants are helpful and knowledgable but that's simply natural evolution of the forums.I'm sure OPA would agree that the list of names from the past is both lengthy and very deserving of praise over the past ten years.

With all respect and appreciation for Opa, I think that singling out any single person or even small group of people is a counterproductive enterprise, because somebody deserving inevitably gets left out. I think back on years of freeware FSUIPC from Pete Dowson, the great models from Milt Shupe and company, amazing freeware sceneries from Grimshaw and Ansari, the CIVA intertial nav system, etc etc. Where to start? Where to draw the line?? It can't be done fairly. And tomorrow somebody new will contribute something else even more spectacular.Suffice it to say that in the early 90s when I started with desktop flight simming, I would never have believed that we'd have anything close to what I have on my desktop today. FS9 and a full range of add-ons positively eclipses the very expensive full-motion simulators I used to teach flying to USAF student pilots in the early 1980s.So saludos to Opa, and Pete, and Milt, and Shez, and George, and Gianfranco...and all others unnamed yet intensely appreciated.CheersBob ScottColonel, USAF (ret)ATP IMEL Gulfstream II-III-IV-VColorado Springs, CO

Well Said.

So saludos to Opa, and Pete, and Milt, and Shez, and George, and Gianfranco...and all others unnamed yet intensely appreciated

And to each and everyone of the members here in the AVSIM forum for helping each other.

I'm sure OPA would agree that the list of names from the past is both lengthy and very deserving of praise over the past ten years.

I have been following this thread with interest and a keen sense of embarrasment. While I do appreciate the sentiments expressed, I am but one of many, many simmers who freely share their knowledge and experience here and in other forums and in many diverse ways.It is just my way a giving back a little to the sim community which has been so very generous to me over the years. The real praise belongs to those who have gone before us and upon whose shoulders we all stand.

Opa has had the last word and this might be a good place to end this thread. Of course I did not mean to slight the multitude of other people who have and still do give of their time and knowledge in FS2004 matters, or the many designers of all of the FS2004 products and services etc. It's just that I , personally, want to give Opa some credit for all of his help, mainly, here on the FS2004 Avsim forum. jerrycwo4

I nominate myself for simmer of this second...ooops my second is up, oh well... :(

To name Opa as flightsim's man of the decade would be the same as saying that all the developers of add-ons are in second, which I don't think is right.A fair way to put it would be to nominate Opa to the hall of fame of the flight simmulator's contributors.This way all those other great contributors who also deserve to be in the hall of fame would also be second to none.It might be a good idea then, if they write a " HF " sign by the name of these hall of famers.Who would decide those in the HF?... hmmm, not me, I only have 4 posts :( ... oh well...