Will the last person to leave please....

[meshman 109]

So today's AotD was the cruise ships south of Juneau. Easy picking. Turned the Vans around and headed back to the NW and then I saw it... another bridge! Now at this point I'm at 2,000 feet and around 140kts, but I still pushed the nose down at 1,000fpm. Not wanting to get too fast I hit upon implementing the "speed brake"! The canopy slid back and the Creative 6 speaker set came alive, real alive! Still descending, but now at 2,000fpm! The water coming closer and closer I leveled out at around 50 feet and then did a dip still lower. A momentary "uhhhh" and then I slid under the bridge! Damn you, Luis!!

 

Then I recalled all the fun I had flying in the area from FS9 and FSX. Think it would be a nice stroll north out of Juneau towards Haines and those parts. I made flights up there many a time while doing some testing for past products. So If anyone is game, let me know and we'll set up a group flight, north... to Alaska!

 

 

And I haven't gotten the Deluxe Cub. Had no plans to before this week, but I'll probably pick it up so that I'm not the odd man out.

[RobberK 0]

Pfff, I've only just got started. Thanks in part to issues like Luis describes in actually trying to purchase and download content, I've only had the Maule a week, and I'm still only properly getting to know Hawaii. Yesterday, after a hard slog up the chain, flying job-to-job from Hilo Int'l to via Maui and Moloki to an airstrip on Kauai, and into 68kt headwinds most of the way (making an absolute shambles of my fuel planning back at the start of the day in Hilo), I made the last jump from the Hi 23 strip to Lihue to refuel, tearing along, downwind (finally!) and empty of passengers or freight, and with little more than fumes in the tanks. The sun was just starting to set.

 

I had a bit of a breather, wandered about a little, and checked the job boards for jobs that might take me back, eventually, to Hilo. I pondered the fact that even with those headwinds now on my tail, it would take quite a while to get back with several stops, and wouldn't it be nice to one day have something a little faster to fly? Well, not anymore. I look back through the spitting rain, over the ramp at the honest Maule. Sorry, not this evening. I'll leave you here in Lihue for the night. I'm tired and I want to get home, quickly, and never mind the job "revenue".

 

It's RV-6A time.

 

In a minute or so later, I'm taxying along, trying to keep her straight between the blue lights, as I faff and fiddle with the sectional... let's see, 110 radial outbound from Lihue, that'll take me... hmm, should be able to pick up the Upolu VOR well before I reach Oahu, and then it's only a small course change from there. Ooops, nearly missed the turnoff. I fiddle with the radios; I'd normally fly by dead reckoning, but I want a fast run tonight, and with these winds and clouds... I'll try for 12,000 ft tonight, hopefully above the worst of it.

 

The little RV is off, and dancing in the turbulence as I climb out, turning left over the golf course in a near-180 to get onto course. Fuel pump off, won't need the landing light in this cloud, prop back a touch. I flip on the "autopilot" (mouse control :) ) to take the load off a bit as I get my bearings, turn on course and climb through the clouds into the darkening sky.

 

An hour and a bit later I'm approaching the Alenuihaha Channel, the last sea crossing for the trip. The Big Island is out there somewhere beyond the clouds and dark. There's something else out there too - another plane, some 75 nm away and closing. I've been watching him for some time, since he was 140 miles away. Seems to be on a reciprocal course. And still we're closing on each other. I flip on the landing lights.

 

A little later, and a Mustang comes booming out of the night, screeches past me and pulls hard, turning in behind me, and easily catching up again - he flies off my starboard wing, a little lower, keeping station for a moment, and then, pulling up hard, is away into the night, the tough-looking planform of the P-51 visible against the high cirrus for a few moments. Nothing is said between us, but here we both are, comrades if but for a brief moment.

 

I'm on approach to Hilo not long after, and parked up shortly after that. Time for bed. I wonder who that Mustang pilot was, where he was going. Not the kind of guy who needs instruments, even at 12k in cloud tops and at night. Ballsy. And, strangely, that encounter has cheered me up. I still see a future here in Flight.

[RoboRay 126]

And I haven't gotten the Deluxe Cub. Had no plans to before this week, but I'll probably pick it up so that I'm not the odd man out.

 

If you plan to continue using Flight, I do recommend the Cub. It really is good. Since launch, the RV-6 has always been my "fun" plane and the Maule was my "work" plane... Now the Cub fills both roles for me.

 

The cockpit is excellent, with a couple of nice functions on the digital avionics that the 1980's gear in the Maule and RV-6 lack.

 

The plane is just a joy to handle. It's not fast, yet it feels fast, because you can safely operate at treetop level, maneuvering effortlessly around any obstructions. You can put it down anywhere you want, and takeoff again easily, from even the tiniest open spaces.

 

I'm glad I bought it before the cancellation announcement, as I otherwise probably never would have gotten to fly it.

 

[OmarNg7X 0]

I'm not leaving just yet.

 

I actually flew the Cub this evening, from Valdez through Thompson Pass then up to Gulkana. I felt the magic again, although it's not what it was, as the scenery problems stand out more now that I know they will never be fixed. The Cub really is a great little plane, and I do plan to keep flying Jobs with it.

 

Although I expect to be reinstalling FSX sometime soon and trying some high-end payware (considering ORBX PNW and the RealAir Legacy), I'm also going to keep exploring Flight's Alaska, for some time, I think.

 

I'm ranging further away from my home-base at Kenai now, so I may move on to Unalakleet soon. I want to try the Flying Wild Alaska flight-plans being posted to the Steam Forum, anyway.

 

So, don't turn out the lights just yet.

 

I'm staying also and will continue playing Flight! As you, I have set my home-base in Kenai and have spent a lot of time in jobs to Anchorage and nearby areas. The scenery is just amazing. Usually fly with Low and Threatning at dusk for some spectacular vistas!

 

Next I plan to explore the Fjords and Denali National Parks. I've started watching Flying Wild Alaska on Netflix and want to follow those flight plans on steam too. I like to pretend I was hired by Era Alaska and assigned to the Kenai base but look forward to moving to Unalakleet later on after I have explored enough around the south central area.

 

The point is that there is a lot left to do in Alaska (and Hawaii!) for me to let go now. This should keep me busy for some months :lol:

[Air1 136]

^{I'm not going anywhere anytime soon. Still much to do don't you know. There's nothing like this place anywhere around this place so this must be the place! Yes, the Cubby is the best.}

[RoboRay 126]

Oh, and it does help if you pretend you've got a Top Cub so you can ignore the LSA engine power limits and reduced max gross weight. :D

 

[kentoo 0]

I never quit Flight at all . Although my home base is at Dease Lake BC, the high rez scenery extends to about twenty miles east of my strip. There are even buildings and a fuel tank .. both empty. I will stay here till something better is made. I like the cub the best but the maule being faster is used for the longer hauls. I like the trim increments better on the cub.

[Guest]

Sorry to burst your bubble and rain on your parade but the devs didn't need you to think of putting an N number on an airplane.

 

 

Great stories btw!

 

although it's not what it was, as the scenery problems stand out more now that I know they will never be fixed

 

And THAT is exactly my main problem. Even though I absolutely loved Flight there were a lot of things that needed fixing but I could live with it, easily, no problem at all, because I had high hopes for fixes. But now this hope is gone, I almost only see the things that need fixing... and it totally spoils it for me. But that's just me. I can imagine someone sticking with Flight because it has a lot of very good things.

[quadraspleen 7]

I'm not going anywhere..My sense of disappointment and doom has lifted now..FLIGHT will live on my PC as long as it needs to..Not sure if I'll buy any more DLC..It feels a bit cheap of MS to continue selling it after the game has been canned, but I still love the light and weather..Now, if MS were stick it on goodwill sale and donate the proceeds to the sacked members of the team that didn't find new work at MSGS...Or, heaven forgive, to give it away (novel idea I had..was gonna call it "shareware" - what? oh..ok..)

 

As for "going back to FSX"? I never left..As with Malibu43 above, they have both been here all along..I never felt the need to make them mutually exclusive, nor compare them with one another; just like I couldn't compare a Shelby Cobra with an Aston Martin DB-9, but I'd happily have them both in my garage ;) (I'd still drive one much more than the other - can you guess which? )

 

I'm not sure, also, that there have been too many "gloaters" I think that's a bit harsh..A couple of "told you so's", but hey, surely history is written by the victors? We can allow them a gentle reminder of their scepticism..as long as they aren't rude...You play your sim; I'll play (all three of) mine. Leave it at that..enough anger and recriminations have been passed in this forum already, no?

 

peace and happy flyin' all

 

(not sure I agree about the tailwind landings, Luis LOL - just fly round the trees!)

 

jake

[DarkstarF16 72]

Hi Luis

 

Great post and Im with you the Cub is my new fav plane in Flight. When I run it on my monitors the view from the cockpit just gives me one of those wow moments which is quite addictive.

 

As I have devoted myself 100% to the Beta forum, its time to enter the wide world me thinks, so if you fancy some company I will be around until I run out of fuel!

 

Bri

[jcomm 6,035]

I'm the next person to get in again... after 4 days - new personal record!!!! - with FLIGHT uninstalled :-)

[Mickel 42]

I've just fired it up again for the first time in a week or more for a quick hop in the RV in Hawaii. I'd been using the older brother more and more, getting a 'liner fix. Still undecided about the Cub (again... was yes, then no, then yes, then no, now back on the fence). If this rumoured plane of Kevin's sees the light of day on the 29th of August (MS's Loki said he thinks is 'pretty cool' - I assume it's the same plane), and they do decide to issue a final update it'll no doubt make us think even more what might have been... That would be the six month 'anniversary'.

 

I'm certainly not uninstalling it. I've still got FS2004 on the hard drive, so there is still room for Flight.

 

Mike

[Robert Dunn 2 0]

I'm still here and I'll continue to read AVSIM daily, even if I seldom post. You see, I try only to post when I can add something. We've gotten together a little multinational group over at msflightforum.myfastforum.org with pilots of equal caliber to those that I find on AVSIM. Ms. Delafina visited us one last time to say goodbye over there. She warmed my heart, made me cry just a little bit. We're currently working thru the five stages of grief and barnstorming VC Cubs over there. I still have FSX and FS9 installed and will revisit them soon, I'm sure.

[188AHC 2,141]

I guess I'll be the one to turn the lights out as I have no intention of abandoning Flight. I plan to be here until. I still get the AOD and fly at least one cargo mission each day.

[dburne 2]

I will certainly still be here, if nothing else for this great forum.

While I have not launched Flight since the announcement, I certainly have not uninstalled it - I have plenty of hard drive space and why in the world would I uninstall when I know I will fly it again, heck I have a couple of flight sims that have been sitting on my hard drive ready to go again, that I have not flown in at least couple of years.

 

Yes, I will continue to get enjoyment from this great flight sim I am sure for many more hours to come - it probably won't be as much as I have been as I do intend to get more into some of my others, but it will still get used, and enjoyed.