um, sheesh. I think you need to read more carefully. I am by no means "convinced" that I could do it. Actually, I'm convinced I couldn't do it ( I rarely if ever fly heavies in the sim for one thing). Nowhere in either of my posts did I say or imply that I thought most people with FS experience would be able to land the plane. All I did was add another potential variable to the equation that I thought might conteract the fear factor a bit. In the end, theres no doubt that the people in the plane would be far better off with a rated pilot taking that controls than a FS geek. I think that goes without saying.

Tim,A BIG rog on that one. I have seen pilots, whom in my opinion were some of the best I knew, absolutely turn 'fetal' when the crap hit the fan. They couldn't function, talk, walk much less fly the aircraft. In direct response, I've seen a navigator, who had NO piloting experience, shove the guy aside, look me in the eye and say,"we can save this puppy, what ya want me to do . . "No one will ever know when they will react properly or just freeze, the human body, brain and all which is attached is most complex and sometimes never gives us any warning when it is about to go off line.Best,Clay

Probably, so long as the weather was good or I could use the ILS. I've landed a full-size airline 747 simulator before and found it easier than FS2004.

Yes!Arrange it for me now pleaseDave.ASUS KT333 M/Board, Radeon9800Pro128mb, 1024DDR, ATI xp2400+CPU, 80 gb HDD:-bla

A lot would depend also on the type of aircraft you are used to simming...OK, so you feel you know a 747 inside and out, and could handle the FMC with your eyes shut....so, what if, when the stuff hit the fan, you are on an Airbus? It works differently. You may not even be aware of the push/pull autopilot control system. The FMC works differently, the side-stick would be so alien to one used to a yoke. Yep, you'd recognise the instrument layout and know what they all do, but you'd be damned if you could get the bloody things to do what you'd expect of them! And if you pushed when you should pull....well....could be rather messy!! Hence the reason why pilots are qualified on one or another type, but would have real difficulty outside of their experiences.I think that in the right situation that a simmer may just about be able to bring one down reasonably successfuly, provided they too knew the basics of that type. Fortunately with FS experience, I like many others have a large hanger to play with and so do get to know of the differences between types, within the limitations of FS, but many others stick with one, and one only!!Too many variables, along with all the other factors mentioned in previous posts....you can't really say one way or the other until it happens...IF it happens!! That's where those lucky few who get to 'fly' the pro-simulators have the advantage, they know the differences, and of course, we should never discount words from folks such as Clay...the retired military pilot here, who has shared his opinions so eloquently.

Ah yes, the Airbus! peculiar beast! Did you know that the most often heard phrase uttered on the flight deck of an Airbus is "What's it doing now?"! And thats by people who are qualified to fly the beast!CheersTimhttp://www.fssupport.com/maam_sim/maamsim_logo.gif

First,Thanks for the kind words . . .I love this hobby and it is now the only way I get to fly.Second, I don't want anyone to take what I have said in a negitive way, as, if worse came to worse, an individual with just FS training in lieu of a 'real' pilot would be far better than NO pilot at all.And, strange things do come about and stranger things DO happen.Know this, if I turned on the news tonight, and the leading story was of a airliner, without pilots trying to land somewhere, piloted by only one of our flock, you can bet your last dollar I would be sitting there, rooting him or her on and doing my best 'psychic pilot' routine to get them safely on the ground, pretty or not!Lastly, yes, I really do believe there are a few of you who COULD manage to get the bird on the ground with all souls safe -- because in the end, with a little luck, it's all just stick and rudder and a whole lot of prayers. Even though I have said that I don't think it could happen, the fact that we at least believe we could give it a shot, stands for what we have on the 'inside', and if it was the only chance that an airliner full of passengers would have, it sure would beat NO chance at all.Best to all -- and I'm proud to be one of your many -- and it makes me think of how many pilots in this world right now, actively flying who had their 'first' flight experience with Flight Sim.Clay

On BBC2 you can witness, almost everyday, what the enormous stress of being put into a real life situation versus the 'virtual' equivalent of such a situation i.e. in the comfort of someone's own 'easy chair' savely at home, can do to do people.So you think you're absolutely sure what 30 minus 28 is, right ? Good chance that, confronted by the eyes of The Weakest Link's Ann Robinson, aka The Grim Reeper, you'll hear your mouth stumble : " 3.. " You don't even have the faintest idea it was actually *your* mouth that said that. Your mind has gone totally blank. There are (a few) people taking part in this show who will answer every question correctly. They are not intimidated by the impact of the real life situation of which one can just have no idea when watching the show at home in front of the TV.These few people are of the extremely cool variety, they can keep a clear head under the kind of pressure they have not been confronted with yet.Most other people,however, are so much intimidated by the difference of the real life situation compared to what they have *made up in their minds*, imagined what it would be like -by watching this show for years-, that they loose control over their minds completely and hear themselves say that 30 minus 28 equals 3.... ( i'm not kidding, happens all the time, big fan of this show ! ;-) )In the short interviews, the people that have been 'voted off as the weakest link' always have the same statement " it looks so easy when watching the show at home, i know all the answers, i could never have imagined it is so totally different here in the studio, with all the hot lamps, the camera's, knowing a million people are watching and Ann Robinson staring at you from only a few feet away " .If you want my humble opinion, that says it all and that's just a quizshow on TV... Never in the world can we, 'flightsimmers only' ( and i want to make it clear, that's exactly what i am )even begin to imagine what it must be like to be in the cockpit of a real 7X7 ( let alone one of them buses ) at say FL320, no pilots around, just you and a flight attendant in distress begging you to 'please take us home' . 30 minus 28 ? 25!I have sat down in the cockpit of a real DC-3, DC-4 and Constellation a while ago and never before i have felt the world of real aviation and that of our beloved FS so very far apart. In a flash it appeared to me that it has nothing to do with each other. The only thing i could think of to keep my enthusiasm for FS alive is to stay away from real aircraft as much as possible.If i would've been that flight attendant on this imaginary flight of unknown destiny and had called for any pilots around to no avail i'd called for any 'cool heads' as a secondary option, not 'flightsimmers'.If the 'cool head' just happend to be an avid flightsimmer on top of that, just as well!! :+ But The Weakest Link proves 'cool head' comes first ! :-cool Just my 2 eurocents.Jan

"We're biologically programmed not to go into a state of panicked catatonia in emergent situations."I

I rather doubt it. Try reading incident reports and learn just what the crew has to do in an emergency. Tryhttp://www.dft.gov.uk/stellent/groups/dft_...hcst?n=5191&l=4This reports on landing an Airbus with left main gear up.

Bro', who needs autopilots?All I need is a yoke, some thrustlevers and as F/A of course!:DAnd I'll put you a 747 right into a 500ft touchdown zone!:-hahcheers :-beerchug Claudio