Airliner pilot?Bush Pilot?Fighter pilot?Inept pilot? Do you fly different airplanes every time you fly? Do you load a different airport on each flight? Do you spend more time tinkering than flying? Are you strictly "procedures and checklists", or do you just go right in and take off - and stay at - full throttle? Who amongst you have actually flown - or currently fly - aircraft in the real world. So, how do you fly in FSX? Me? I tend to fly just one aircraft type for many months before switching to another, if I even decide to switch. Currently I'm flying the RealAir Beech Duke B60 (piston). I do this to gain some sense of "ownership" to the aircraft, and to get very proficient in the type. I am totally into checklists and procedures, and I even amended the Duke's kneeboard checklists to reflect that of the real world aircraft. The Duke's kneeboard checklist as it is by default is a bit abbreviated. I load the same flight every time the simulator is loaded, and I fly only from the airport that I last landed and saved to. Also, I always do a search for an addon AFCAD of the airport that I'm planning to go to. If I want to start from a particular airport, I fly to it first. Real-world weather every flight, in real time (GMT). I served as an HC-130 avionics tech / radioman and navigator in the Coast Guard before my discharge in 2000. Was last stationed at Sacramento, CA. I got out only so that I could stay and make a life in California. Got about 20 hours in C172s before the money ran out. Would have used the less expensive C150s if I weren't so tall (6'4") - my knees wouldn't squeeze under the yoke in those, so I couldn't use the rudder pedals! The 172 is, surprisingly, much significantly roomier. Got to fly a T210 (unpressurized) with a buddy a few times. Very nice airplane that was.

I also like to fly from the last airport I landed at. More realistic that way. I tend to use flight sim a lot for training - approaches, go arounds, random airwork - but I sometimes like to just get in and fly or play around in the NGX. I'm big on realism though. I don't have many addons but I can't stand the default scenery anymore so I'm going to have to change that. Real world weather everytime. Check the GFA's, charts and NOTAM's if time permits even. Just a habit

Airliner pilot?Bush Pilot?Fighter pilot?Inept pilot?

Mostly airliners, namely the NGX since the 737 is my favorite all around airliner. Just finished uninstalling all my CaptSim and Wilco a/c in my sig the other day since they are no longer needed :-)

Do you fly different airplanes every time you fly? Do you load a different airport on each flight?

Same a/c each flight. Start a lot of times from FSDT's KDFW since Dallas is my current home and I fly out of their in real life.

Do you spend more time tinkering than flying?

Depends, I have spent an inordinate amount of time tweaking my ENB.ini and testing multiple REX sky sets to come up with the most realistic sky setting for where I live. Other that that I have no need for tweaking FSX, it runs perfect on my rig. Any tweaking I do aside from ENB and REX stuff if with textures.

Are you strictly "procedures and checklists", or do you just go right in and take off - and stay at - full throttle?

When flying the NGX or airliners I go by the book unless I am just using it to test something.

Who amongst you have actually flown - or currently fly - aircraft in the real world.

I have somewhere aroud 55hrs of PIC time mostly in Cessna 152/172's and the Piper Tomahawk. Been a long time since I have flown though and prices have gotten a lot more expensive that when I started. Back in the late 80's when I began my training at KAPV (Apple Valley, Ca) I could rent a C152 for $30 an hour, $15 more if I needed an instructor. At the time it seemed expensive but compared to the prices now which range aroung $95 an hour for the same a/c here at airports in the Dallas area, it was a bargin. Fortunately I have enough hours, have completed all my x-country flights, etc. All I need to do is take the written and flight test and I am done. If I could just seem to get around to it that is. I have so many other hobbies that flying has just gotten lost in my list of priorities. I think some of it is because while not the same as real world flying, I get a lot of satisfaction and fun out of flying FSX and FS9 prior. If it weren't for the sim as a low cost alternative I would probably have completed everthing by now. Funny thing is, my girl friend bought me a gift certificate for 5 hours of flight time almost a year ago and I still have not even used it yet. She's amazed frankly since she knows how much I love aviation and how much time I spend on FSX, that I haven't even used one hour of the time she purchased for me, lol.

I flap my arms. Seriously though, normally I do it 'properly' with ATC and stuff when flying airliners, but once in a while I'll go for a zip around in a chopper or something fun like a biplane. I'm a pilot in real life, but I don't actually fly much these days and when I do it'll be in a glider, as I think they are more fun than powered aircraft (cheaper too) and I like the airmanship and weather observational skills you need in order to keep 'em up there. Al

I flap my arms. Al

I guess that's better than flapping your lips! I tend to "fly" using slew mode and whatever default aircraft happens to be suitable (helicopter, float plane or wheeled plane) for the heliport/water aerodrome/airstrip I happen to be developing at the time. The start location will also obviously be the area that I am currently developing.

I guess I am an old school guy. I fly only one plane the LDS 767, and I fly by the book with checklist and stuff. I fly in real time and I always start FSX/LDS from the shutdown postion I saved from my last flight. I have a prepared list of 100 city pairs that I plan to fly, so my current plan calls for KATL-KLAX, then KLAX-KDTW and so on. My trips go everywhere Delta Airlines goes world wide so I also have LHR, FRA, AMS and CDG on my plans. I never guess where I am going to fly next. I was a KC135 navigator for the USAF, which may explain why I fly by the book. And always in real time, no slewing or 4X speeds Bob

Good topic. I practice real life instrument flying, using the C172 or 182. The 172 I use the excellent GNS530 gps with conventional steam gauges. The C182T has an excellent G1000 panel. I fly 1 hour flights, and try to fly as realistically as FSX will let me. I fly in various places,mainly in the US, sometimes in Colorado where I try to fly real life routes, preferably in IMC. Then I also like flying along roads in VFR, such as Interstate 80, etc, which may take weeks to get anywhere....Since the NGX has been releasedI have been flying that too a lot, what a joy that is !Thanks, Bruce.

I have been trying to build up my company in Air Hauler lately, so I have pretty much been exclusively flying the C208 Super Cargomaster from Carenado. I have several other addon aircraft, so occassionally I'll load up the CLS MD80 or 767. I also have the ES Citation X 2.0, but haven't flown it in months. Or sometimes if I'm just in the mood for a quick scenic flight, I'll just load up the C182 and do some VFR/VOR flying. I always start from Cold and Dark, from the gate. Use Radar Contact. Lots of scenery addons. Real-world weather always. I also usually start at the airport I last landed at. So I try to keep it as realistic as possible.A lot of people like FS almost exclusively for flying the aircraft itself in a technical sense, whereas I'm more of a geography nut that likes taking in the scenery and topography of other places. That's not to say I don't enjoy learning the ins and outs of flying a complex aircraft though. I guess a combo of the two is what makes it rewarding for me. I've never flown in real life (well, not in the cockpit ). I've pondered getting into it at times, but I'm already several years into college with another major, so going back and spending more money on that is pretty out of reach right now.

I take off from heathrow in the Captain sim 767 cold and dark, and use ATC and proper procedures all the time. But once a while, I'll take the Captain sim Weapons for a spin.

I fly airliners , mostly older models like CS 727, the HJG's DC-9 and BAe-146, the SGA MD-83, the default 737, and Dave Malby's crazy cool Trident 2 and 3. I also like the Fairchild FH-227, the ATR-72, and the Dash-8. I fly IFR with the FSX ATC, usually on shorter flights, the longest being ORD to JFK and others from the midwest to the east coast. I love Glasgow to Dublin or Manchester in the 146!! I try to do things as in real life, but sometimes have to use AP a little more than I would since I am often doing the work of 2 or even 3 people (in the case of the 727). I love jet airway navigation. I used to just load up a high alt FP in the GPS and just let it fly the plan, but now I love doing it using the VORs and INTs. Too much fun! I don't have any scenery, texture, or weather addons at all, just a couple of airliners and a landclass or two, and lead-in lights for the Parkway Visual at JFK. If I am not flying an IFR flight, I am usually practicing cool visual approaches like the Parkway Visual for JFK and the River Visual for Reagan National.

Mostly GA, but lately the NGX. I don't obey engine temps/values or prop positions, just redline everything. I don't start from cold and dark either. Online I'll stay true to instrument approaches, in fact I like to be spot on with those. Offline I just do fun stuff, break the law, fly low and fast, do aerobatics over big cities, stuff like that!