Hmm - after reading the postings in the Sim-Outhouse forums and the Flightsim.com forums regarding the upcoming RTW race, am I imagining it or do I notice a bit of a lack of interest in this race by Avsimmers in the Avsim forums?There seems to me to have been few postings in the relevant forum over the last few days -- it would be a shame if Avsim lost the "Trophy"Barry

There's a group working behind the scenes on initial preparations. We thought it best not to alert the competition towards the details of our planning, why give them the benefit of our expertise and experience? :)

From my own perspective, I have no time for ANY element that introduces competitive spirit into Flight Simulation, one of the very few games that DOESN'T have or need a competitive element. The only `competition` necessary is to improve ones skills. I come here to get away from the daily grind of `competition` (actually better called `selfishness and INconsideration`). I think it regrettable that people increasingly want to turn FS into a game for `winning`.What gain is there from `winning` this competition? It only creates rivalry and divisiveness. Each to their own, but perhaps the lack of interest indicates that other Avsim simmers are wise enough to share this thinking?Allcott

AllcottI am not interested in on line sim air racing although real world I was the ESPA Racing European champion in 2002 so competative :-)There is nothing wroung with being competative as that is the motivation for pushing boundaries in any walk of life whether its aviation or medicine.Flight simming is about recreating flight realism in a sim and that also means air racing.My real world air racing was infact more precision flying than traditional round the pylons air racing.If people want to fly a Piper Cub on a sunset evening for relaxation then fine because that is real too :-)Peter

Actually competition is a big part of aviation so I wouldn't say that FS doesn't "need" it. Some common activites are air races, aerobatics and navigational/xcountry challenges (especially common for micro/ultralights and gliders).We all enjoy different aspects of flying - some tech-heads spend 2 hours preparing the FMC for a flight and enjoy it, then there are the sentimentalists (danced on laughter-silvered clouds), and those who just fly to relax (be it sim flying or for real), and then, yes, the competitiors.I feel I belong to the "Cub on sunset evening" group though :)

>Actually competition is a big part of aviation so I wouldn't>say that FS doesn't "need" it. Some common activites are air>races, aerobatics and navigational/xcountry challenges>(especially common for micro/ultralights and gliders).>>We all enjoy different aspects of flying - some tech-heads>spend 2 hours preparing the FMC for a flight and enjoy it,>then there are the sentimentalists (danced on>laughter-silvered clouds), and those who just fly to relax (be>it sim flying or for real), and then, yes, the competitiors.>>I feel I belong to the "Cub on sunset evening" group though>:)Frankly, there are some aspects of FS9 which could benefit from some competitive spirit. And I've yet to see much, if any, references to flight racing, although that fact doesn't mitigate against reality. I just might not have heard of it/them. Are there any races such as the pylon racing? Do we have the equivalent of the Baja 1000? Even the US AirForce competes; USAF planes have been used to set all kinds of records. I myself, am sort of with you, though; I'm much more of a "sunset evening" person except that I'm more likely to be up there at dawn. :D

Well. I think that this RTW race does introduce an element of competition - but it is more a matter of competition against yourself. For example, how many of us start a flight and don't finish it - for whatever reason. Or we crash on landing because we were too lazy (sometimes) to set up a proper approach. With this race, because the rest of the team is relying on each leg entrant to complete his/her leg regardless of weather conditions, etc, there really is a need to ensure that this is done. Barry

In fact, in friendly jolts and jests I think this competition over the last 2 years and now entering its third incarnation has brought the camps far closer together.I can still remember the days not long ago when even mentioning another site would get your post removed and might lead to a ban on many forums (including this one for a while).In fact if not name there was a war going on between the major flight sim portals (of which avsim and fs.com are two).As in the real world sports is a good way to replace fighting with fire and the annual competition has done just that.People from the other sites are visiting here and more of Avsim's membership now frequent other sites as well, to the betterment of the community as a whole.As an aside it makes better virtual pilots out of all involved as the competition often requires operating high performance aircraft out of unfamiliar airstrips in adverse conditions.It also makes people fly in more parts of the world, broadening horizons.For me there's fun to be had in helping out in the planning as well as the flying. The fact that it's in competition adds an element of urgency and time pressure to get something done quickly yet competently in an ever changing environment (I updated our own planned route near constantly last year to account for changing conditions).

I agree here Jeroen and succes with the upcomming competition... Andr

It is not about gaining anything. It is a chance for the community to come together. If you participated you might realize that.Last year, I even flew a few flights on the MP Server that fs.com was using accompanying a few of the pilots I knew on their routes. And it was great fun.We have members from the other sites signing up here, and vice versa with some of us signing up over there, and wishing them well.If you come here to get away from competitive spirit. Great for you, but at least show a little compassion for those of us that do enjoy this race, which is only once a year.I think for One Month or so out of twelve, it certainly does not create what you think it does. It is quite the contrary, IMHO, great fun for all, win, lose, or draw. And it does take a lot more skill than people realize, but its not something that can't be learned quickly.It creates friendships and you get to know others you have not known before.You say there is lack of interest. I disagree.I think until race day the interest will grow, as it is still over a Month away.I encourage you and others to take a positive view on this instead of your own negative perceptions which are contrary to fact.Regards,Joeps - we still plan on winning too. :DJOIN The AVSIM RTW RACE FLIGHT TEAM****************Grab My FREEWARE Cessna 172 Voice recognition Profile here:[a href=http://library.avsim.net/esearch.php?CatID=fs2004misc&DLID=58334]Cessna 172 Voice Profile[/a].You will need the main FREEWARE Flight Assistant program to use it, get it here:[a href=http://library.avsim.net/esearch.php?CatID=genutils&DLID=39661]Flight Assistant 2.2[/a]

Allcott,Just some historical perspectives here... Competition in the formative years of aviation drove the development and advancement of the science. I know that doesn't relate to simming today, but competition (even dating back to the Wright brothers), has driven aviation from the very beginning. Speed, distance, altitude, Powder Puff, Reno; they and many many more are part and parcel of aviation. Flight simulation community competition has been, in previous years, a healthy thing. Just my two cents... :)