When I fly flight simulator, I mainly fly IFR flights and only simulate real world time schedules, and only fly current real world airlines and flight numbers, with real world aircraft types, specific to the route flown, and fly the same Flight level as in real life. I never pause flight simulator when flying, and always fly at 1x. I fly with real world weather, and it takes me about 1 hour before actually taking off, due to flight planning and aircraft system start up procedures. I read all the real SIDS and arrival procedures and have all the real world maps for each flight...etc etc etc..Bottom line, I live and breathe Flight simulator and always check the "what's new files", read all the flight sim posts... I only fly on weekends, early in the morning so I'll not be interrupted by family members (ie kids, wife)... Can you believe I actually set the alarm clock on weekends to get up at 4am just to fly? I ask YOU, is their anyone out there like this???? Or do I have a problem?

Hi, my name is Ron and I'm a simaholic . . .R-

I guess I am too... I am a "simaholic"

4 am? yep i recon there's a problem afoot

No, you have no problem. The word "fan" of course, derives from "fanatic". Your being drawn to simming is no different and nor worse that those who can tell you who made the last out in the second game of the 1952n world Series or what Terry Sawchuck's lifetime GAA was.Actually, by getting up at 4:00 am you are demonstrating a healthy unwillingness to allow simming to invade your family time. Good for you.Actually, as a RW pilot, I feel truly guilty when I DON'T go through the planning and pre-flight preparations like you do. I feel like I'm sort of cheating.A BIG part of the attraction of aviation, for me and apparantly you, is the trip planning and safety-related measures we perform. Boring holes in the sky gets old, in and of itself.So, go ahead. Immerse all you like. It'll keep you off the streets!Regards,Jim

"Or do I have a problem?"If you were to skip work/school because you've been flying FS all night, then you'd have a problem. But as long as it doesn't affect the rest of your life then I see no problem with it :)As for realism - we all have different ways in which we enjoy this hobby. Myself, I usually just tumble around in the virtual skies, enjoying the sights. I usually have a rough idea where to fly to but I seldon plot a course or decide on altitudes etc. I do have VFR charts for all the places I fly too, and fly using little more than those, the FS scenery and the compass. Since I fly in good weather with little winds, that technique works out OK most of the time. That's the way I've flown my sim flights since Flight Unlimited II in 1997 and I ain't got bored of it yet :-lol It's not totally unrealistic either as a pilot of a Cub or Microlight may "navigate" in much the same way (but without getting lost 20% of the time :-lol)I have gone up at ~4 a few times to fly FS. If you set the FS time to your local time, you can watch the FS world waking up at exactly the same pace as the real world outside the window. It's a special feeling to see the sun raising above the horizon in FS just as the first sunbeams from the window refect off the monitor :)I find myself more addicted to the Internet in general. I can spend hafl the night browsing various forums and sites (not just fs related, mind you). Usually that happens on weekends when I know I won't have to get up early, though. It's actually 02:30 local time but since I only need 6-7 hours of sleep I'll be up before 10 anyway :)

Right on!! :-kewl

flying across the ocean, with Tommy Dorsey on the speakers, with a Connie, (www.calclassic.com) and usig the free sextant is simaholic!Btw, may I also introduce Tommy Dorsey... a must have. YES INDEED, My favorite.Johan[A HREF=http://jdserver.no-ip.com]Personal Server[/A]or..http://62.238.33.10

Although I'd probably not get up at 4 to fly flightsim (I only do that to go duck hunting), I will knowingly fly until 2 or 3 a.m. on a weekday, and then be a half late to work. It doesn't affect my job, as I'm an IT Director, so I work some odd hours sometimes, but I still feel a little guilty. I usually fly until 11:30 PM most nights, and get up around 7:30. I too wait until the family has went to bed around 9:00 before I fly. Yes, I consider myself addicted to my hobby, but I've done pretty well for myself considering (I've been this way since I was young- computers have always been my hobby), so I'll probably keep doing this for the foreseeable future. Yes alot of the people here are addicted, but it's better than being an alchoholic, wife beater, deadbeat (they can't afford the addons), or drug addict. You learn alot, and it's not really a harmful addiction.

>When I fly flight simulator, I mainly fly IFR flights and>only simulate real world time schedules, and only fly current>real world airlines and flight numbers, with real world>aircraft types, specific to the route flown, and fly the same>Flight level as in real life. I never pause flight simulator>when flying, and always fly at 1x. I fly with real world>weather, and it takes me about 1 hour before actually taking>off, due to flight planning and aircraft system start up>procedures. I read all the real SIDS and arrival procedures>and have all the real world maps for each flight...etc etc>etc..>>Bottom line, I live and breathe Flight simulator and always>check the "what's new files", read all the flight sim posts...>>>I only fly on weekends, early in the morning so I'll not be>interrupted by family members (ie kids, wife)... Can you>believe I actually set the alarm clock on weekends to get up>at 4am just to fly? >>I ask YOU, is their anyone out there like this???? Or do I>have a problem?>Ha, I think i might beat you on that one because i do a flight every day EVERY DAY i fly at least some where if in a prop or jet. I love to fly and soon will be attending western university but first need to get my licese at canton-plymouth mettital airport in livonia michigan :) i love to fly (its a great life to have, i think of why my friends dont like planes and air. I love to be in the air) Well there is a tie possibly :) hehe

>When I fly flight simulator, I mainly fly IFR flights and>only simulate real world time schedules, and only fly current>real world airlines and flight numbers, with real world>aircraft types, specific to the route flown, and fly the same>Flight level as in real life. I never pause flight simulator>when flying, and always fly at 1x. I fly with real world>weather, and it takes me about 1 hour before actually taking>off, due to flight planning and aircraft system start up>procedures. I read all the real SIDS and arrival procedures>and have all the real world maps for each flight...etc etc>etc..>>Bottom line, I live and breathe Flight simulator and always>check the "what's new files", read all the flight sim posts...>>>I only fly on weekends, early in the morning so I'll not be>interrupted by family members (ie kids, wife)... Can you>believe I actually set the alarm clock on weekends to get up>at 4am just to fly? >>I ask YOU, is their anyone out there like this???? Or do I>have a problem?>Ha, I think i might beat you on that one because i do a flight every day EVERY DAY i fly at least some where if in a prop or jet. I love to fly and soon will be attending western university but first need to get my licese at canton-plymouth mettital airport in livonia michigan :) i love to fly (its a great life to have, i think of why my friends dont like planes and air. I love to be in the air) Well there is a tie possibly :) hehe

>When I fly flight simulator, I mainly fly IFR flights and>only simulate real world time schedules, and only fly current>real world airlines and flight numbers, with real world>aircraft types, specific to the route flown, and fly the same>Flight level as in real life. I never pause flight simulator>when flying, and always fly at 1x. I fly with real world>weather, and it takes me about 1 hour before actually taking>off, due to flight planning and aircraft system start up>procedures. I read all the real SIDS and arrival procedures>and have all the real world maps for each flight...etc etc>etc..>>Bottom line, I live and breathe Flight simulator and always>check the "what's new files", read all the flight sim posts...>>>I only fly on weekends, early in the morning so I'll not be>interrupted by family members (ie kids, wife)... Can you>believe I actually set the alarm clock on weekends to get up>at 4am just to fly? >>I ask YOU, is their anyone out there like this???? Or do I>have a problem?>Ha, I think i might beat you on that one because i do a flight every day EVERY DAY i fly at least some where if in a prop or jet. I love to fly and soon will be attending western university but first need to get my licese at canton-plymouth mettital airport in livonia michigan :) i love to fly (its a great life to have, i think of why my friends dont like planes and air. I love to be in the air) Well there is a tie possibly :) hehe

RJ,You sound just like me. I fly just the way you do. When not flying, I can be found controlling.

>When I fly flight simulator, I mainly fly IFR flights and>only simulate real world time schedules, and only fly current>real world airlines and flight numbers, with real world>aircraft types, specific to the route flown, and fly the same>Flight level as in real life. I never pause flight simulator>when flying, and always fly at 1x. I fly with real world>weather, and it takes me about 1 hour before actually taking>off, due to flight planning and aircraft system start up>procedures. I read all the real SIDS and arrival procedures>and have all the real world maps for each flight...etc etc>etc..>>Bottom line, I live and breathe Flight simulator and always>check the "what's new files", read all the flight sim posts...>>>I only fly on weekends, early in the morning so I'll not be>interrupted by family members (ie kids, wife)... Can you>believe I actually set the alarm clock on weekends to get up>at 4am just to fly? >>I ask YOU, is their anyone out there like this???? Or do I>have a problem?>Snap! ...although it usually takes me more than an hour b4 t/o as I usually have to make a photoreal paint of the livery I'm flying and a quick panel edit! :-lolthere is no helping me ..and I don't want help I'm a true FS addict! :-hahregardsEdhttp://forums.avsim.net/user_files/99687.jpg

I am a former FS addict.Like most of you, I lived, breathed, and thought about flight simming every day. I remembered when I came across AVSIM back in 1998, I thought I'd died and gone to heaven.I downloaded just about every Project Freeware 737 (you could load a whole bunch up on a floppy disk at the time). I went through the all the trials and tributions with each release since FS98. I downloaded and flew hundreds of planes, participated in countless discussions and arguments, chased the endless upgrade cycle constantly upgrading parts of my computer. I even worked as a reviewer for this site for a couple of years.Then, all of the sudden the passion was gone. I can't explain why, but earlier this year I just stopped simming. I'll still fire up MSFS for an occasional flight with the PMDG 737. I just downloaded the Project Fokker update (loved that plane in 2002). But I no longer live and die with each aircraft release, upgrade and hot new add-on. Heck, I didn't even know DF released their 727. I checked their site daily for months waiting for their 737.While the addiction may return someday, I never thought I would have lost it.FWIW, my new addiction has become golf. And beleive me, in regards to money and time, my wife would MUCH rather me get back into flight simming. I can't beleive people complain about a $30 add-on that give countless hours of enjoyment when I burn twice that to frustrate the hell out of myself for four hours at a time...... ;)ed