Okay, FSX running the best I've ever seen on my new computer, I've installed my very favorite airplanes (CS, 757, 767, and the as-yet-untried 777 + iFly's 737 NG + a new kid, the airplane formerly known as Aerosoft Airbus X Extended). Gradually re-learning a lot of things and preparing for the Airbus tutorial flight.

 

One thing I am NOT going to do is to go crazy installing everything add-on under the sun. Must... have... discipline. I want to have a good baseline before I add scenery, weather, effects, etc. There is so much that is undoubtedly cool, but let's face it: when you limit your flying to tubes, how much do you really need in the way of scenery?

 

So here I am, back in the friendly skies!

"One thing I am NOT going to do is to go crazy installing everything add-on under the sun. Must... have... discipline. I want to have a good baseline before I add scenery, weather, effects, etc. There is so much that is undoubtedly cool, but let's face it: when you limit your flying to tubes, how much do you really need in the way of scenery?"

 

good luck with that    

I've got an Alienware 18 spec'ed out awaiting my credit card. (Not soliciting computer advice here.)

Alienware is so over priced !!!

 

You can find a laptop running FSX 2 or 3 less FPS, but will cost 50-70% less.

Yeah, I'm sure I could have built a much faster computer myself, or found a faster laptop at a fraction of the price. As a bearrister, the time to build or research computers to the point of buying something else with confidence would quickly erase any savings. Time is literally money, and I would rather spend what little I have free on the sim. (Not to mention, I'm a part-time grad student, so I have my plate pretty full.) Not everyone is similarly situated financially or starts at the same baseline computer knowledge.

 

The point is, I have a computer that runs FSX great, gives me no problems, and I have confidence in. I can afford it and was willing to pay the price to get back into the hobby quickly.

 

Anyway, back to the original topic of the thread, I would rather have my overpriced computer devoting its resources to the one thing I'm really interested in, and that is the airplanes. I have a lot of airports, AES, REX and I don't know what else waiting for installation. But I want to spend at least a couple of months making sure I have a stable system and re-learning how to fly the airplanes.

 

And what great airplanes there are. I just took the tutorial flight for the Airbus X A320/A321. We finally figured out what was causing the overspeed on climb in the QW 757, and that's a nice airplane, too. There are Captain Sim's 757 and 767 which work fine for me. iFly's 737 NG is a great airplane. I haven't flown it yet, but CoolSky's DC9 is installed and looks great. Their Super MD 80 Pro is one of my all-time favorites, so hopefully the DC9 will be as good.