>What's the weather site?>Here u go:http://aviationweather.gov

I have a spaniel, Molly, that sits with me on flights.Cannot get her to bark out altitude though!

For me, I think I am about mid-line on my realness. I fly by checklists, but sometimes I ad-lib parts of the flight. For instance, landing I tend to go with the flow, but starting up I go completly by the checklists. Even so far as to check the flap handle postition(it is always in the same position when I start a flight up, no matter what) I always fly online(VATSIM) because that is the only way to experience by the seat ATC. I do scare myself sometimes, when I realize that I am reading my checklists out loud, calling off the next item. I pause, then, to rationalize it to myself, I say "Oh, well, I am following proper cockpit procedure. My fish, Marlin Junior(see if anyone guesses the movie :D) is the FO and he needs to know whats going on so I am not going nuts" Marlin Jr. Sits between my two monitors and looks at me funny when I am flying. He is a betta fish, and by far the coolest fish I ever owned :DWhoops, got side-tracked a little :-hahAnyway, after reading some of these posts, I realize I am about midline on my seriousness in my simming adventures.

I wanted to jump in here. I am fairly realistic most of the time. I used actual IFR charts and US Gov approach plates with FLY, FLY2K, and Fly II. But with FS9 I am using the built in Map stuff a lot more. It has freqs, symbols, good zoom qualities, and more. I wish it had MEAs and Crossing altitudes, but alas I don't think so. I use a check list now and then. I find I am really cutting down on time to complete good procedures and fully, in order to save time for other stuff by short changing the flight. This FS business could be very useful in pilot training, but not by taking short cuts. And recently I heard, or read that the Sims might not be so good for flyers who fly real aircraft if they take the kind of short cuts I have been taking.I am on a front course ILS down to minimums flying the Lear single pilot, I make some small mistake an ought to make a go around. It is late, I'm tired, I need to go to bed. I slam it on the ground and run off the end of the runway. Turn off the sim and go to bed. Now this would get me killed in the real thing wouldn't it? So, I have not had a medical for five years, and guess it is okay. But I have been fighting the FAA for 17 months, and might get it back at anytime. Let me tell you I have to clean up my act. It I am going to fly real aircraft--I sure as shooting better fly this thing realistically. Happy flying flyers all. By the way, I am a retired ATP corporate pilot with 15,000+ hours and once held the CFI certificate for Airplanes, Instruments, and helicopters. And I see danger here for myself if I don't clean up my act. What about you?

I fall a bit low on the realism scale compared to most on this thread, apparently...no charts, rarely use checklists, I pretty much just fire it up and go, using the built-in route planner (or FSNav if the built-in planner chokes, like on trans-Atlantic routes).I do like flying on VATSIM, however, for the increased realism. My first VATSIM flight was KSEA-KLAX in the B737-400, and the poor guy manning LAX approach must've thought I was a total idiot. It's quite a step up from the normal FS2004 ATC to somebody rattling off rapid-fire commands to "cross Santa Monica at eight thousand and two three zero knots," especially when you're a dodgy pilot like me. :) Lewis "Moose" GregoryColumbia, South CarolinaSolent 644