In late 1987, I was in a retail store in MA. and a new department with computer software was setup.

Always in search for the ultimate game, a title caught my eye.

It was Chuck Yeager's Advanced Flight Trainer.

The PC upgrades immediately started. The CGA card went out for a VGA card (1 1/2 weeks of salary).

Memory upgrade from 512k to 640k. Math-co processor, then a 286 PC, then a 386pc.

 

 

In 1989 - FS3 went on my computer and I never looked back.

More hardware upgrades came to run it smoothly. The 486 PC (2 months salary) came.

 

Then FS4 came out - and add-ons really started coming.

I started a BBS to distribute download files (32 Bit Bus BBS)

It grew to 6 PC's and 6 telephone lines.

FS5, FS95, FS98, FS2000, FS2002, FS2004, FS9, FSX

Fly!, ATP, and a few other programs along with all the combat sims starting with subLogic Jet, F-19, all the Jane's titles, Microprose titles, EA, etc. etc.

 

 

I think of all the scenery I bought - starting with Scenery Disk #12.

All the aircraft, weather programs, flight planners, tweakers, gauges, checklists.

All the hardware. Processors, cases, motherboards, graphics cards, yokes, peddals, joysticks, button tablets, gaming keyboards.

 

Now I think back over the last 25 years - since I was 20 years old - how many evenings and weekends I lost. I have spent 3 hours on Saturday mornings just planning for a flight.

How many blue screens, and resets, and hours upon hours of frustrating tweaking and setups and hardware issues.

I think about my kids growing up watching their dad glued to a computer. How many times I was late for events because I just had to get the aircraft up to cruising altitude and engage the autopilot.

All the sunshinning days I was locked in my home office completely involved in a hobby - that gave very little back.

All the horrible thoughts I had - wishing my family would go out for a few hours so I could have uninterrupted time in a dark office simulating an airline flight.

10 years ago, the secret joy I had when the family went out of town for a week and I was alone doing all the long uninterrupted flights I never had time for.

How I had a hard time watching movies with my wife because I was wishing I had these 2 hours to make a flight.

The 3 times a day - every day - I checked all the websites to see if any new add-ons were being introduced.

 

I was obsessed with pinball and video games in the arcade when I was a kid, and Flight Simulator as an adult.

The hobby has stressed me personally and financially because I couldn't do it in moderation.

 

So before I get much older and realize my entire life passed me by, I decided to clean everything off my hard drive and dump the yoke, pedals and joysticks in the trash.

The computer goes on e-bay and I will buy a tablet for browsing and e-mail which is the only other thing I do with a computer.

 

God bless you to those who can do this hobby in moderation. If my story sounds familiar, maybe we should start a support group for those trying to get off the hobby.

 

I will say though, the community for FS is world-class. The simmers, the freeware and commercial developers, and community forum operators are the most helpful and mature group of folks I've encountered in the cyber world. Thanks to everyone I've interacted with over the years.

 

Time to get outside.

 

Bob Bernstein

[email protected]~

I wish you all the best Bob. For me my other hobbies include skiing and mountain biking so between those two I get plenty of time out of the house.

 

Nothing wrong with finding new things and you are correct. This community is world class and I am sure we will always be here for you if you ever decide to come back...

 

Cheers

Great testimony. My own journey has many similarities (timeline is roughly identical).

Takes a first rate individual to admit, accept and fix a problem especially openly and publicly. All the best and enjoy your free time, it's to precious and priceless to squander.

Best of luck. It takes a lot to see something wrong with youself and go and fix it. I can see how it could become a problem and you have to put things in priority. Thankfully I have been able to do that since FS2000 and hope to be able to continue my hobby. One thing I have noticed is the $ though. But at the same time the amount of dollars I spend on a new add on airplane that will give me a hour or two of fun a week for a year is the same amount of money it cost to take my girlfriend out to dinner and maybe a movie if its a cheap dinner

 

Best of luck!

how many evenings and weekends I lost.

Lost? Could be worst things in life like setting in a bar soaking your life away!

Good luck Bob, don't let simming get in the way of family. Simming is supposed to be enjoyable and enrich our lives, but if it's not doing this anymore..

 

If you're a studious person though watch out as something else might rise up to take the place of simming... although only you can decide if this is a bad thing or not.

 

Myself I am like that, I want to keep my mind ticking over and I'm restless if it's not. If it weren't simming, I would be doing something else similar anyway. I need to be able to use my mind otherwise life is well not interesting for me. If you're already an outgoing person though then you'll be ok with more outgoing hobbies and family time etc.

 

After 25 years (more than me) I'm sure you've tried all the tricks (pausing it no matter what, limiting the hours you allow yourself to sim, setting aside family time etc), and if the old tricks aren't working then an extended break could be very healthy for you.

 

Best of luck for the future, I hope it works out

I thought this was going to be another tearful gamer rending his garments and lamenting the demise of Flight.

 

I'll say good luck, genuinely meant, but probably see you next week unless you have a lot more will power than I do.

I guess the message is you can become addicted to anything. Your comment about being glued to a computer resonates with me a little. Although my work keeps me outdoors I spend a lot of my "indoor hours" either simming or glued to PC pursuits, something which annoys my children greatly. I will also need to address this now that Winter is approaching and the time spent indoors increases. I wish you luck in finding new pursuits.

Just take a break, Bob:

 

I started in January 1997 too. I am lucky cause of my line of work I can't take FSX with me. That gives me long breaks (three or for months). Makes a big difference when I return home.

 

I think we might still see FS11 one of these days.

 

Cheers,

It's all about balance...I used to do more than 4 hours a night after work as VATSIM ATC. I got married and realized I can't do that anymore, but rather try to find a couple hours each week. Fortunately, my wife likes to sleep in on weekends, so I get some me time.

When enthusiasm reaches obsession and takes that right turn towards fanaticism, it's time to do something else for a while.

 

I would say that goes for anything.

Every pilot has to retire at some point in time. Best wishes to you and yours!!

I bought my first computer in 1983 (Sinclair Spectrum) and a flight sim to go with it (Psion Flight Sim) and have been hooked on sims and games continually for the 29 years since, and put in many hours each day on it over the years (I never married or had kids ha ha).

My sister and nieces have said from time to time "you spend too much time on that computer, maybe you should get a life?" to which my reply was always- "But computing IS life, what else could i possibly want?".

But I have to admit simming/gaming has lost its attraction a bit over the past couple of years, maybe i've burnt out slightly and am getting old, i dunno.

However I'd never wipe my hard drive because i still dabble now and again, and I also have fun net surfing and talking in discussion forums on all sorts of subjects, for example my WW2 Aircraft photo thread at M4T has drawn over 300,000 views (I'm PoorOldSpike over there)-

http://www.mission4today.com/index.php?name=ForumsPro&file=viewforum&f=92

 

I'll probably be found like this in a few years, it's not a bad way to go..-

Yikes, that was like looking into a mirror...