I keep wanting to do a flight but the necessary time/concentration/planning and setting up continually puts me off. I haven't flow in weeks now. Does anyone else ever feel like they are more interested in buying addons and playing with them a few times than they are interested in actually flying regularly?

I think most of us get like that every now and then and it's partly our own fault for wanting more and more from developers.  The choice of high quality add-ons of all sorts is amazing and the temptation to get another one is often too great with the result being that we can end up 'playing' with them, as you say.

 

In fact, I can honestly say I've got add-ons that I've never installed, let alone learned how to use properly.  For me the thing that keeps it interesting is trying to learn vastly different types of aircraft, for example, I've been beta testing both the upcoming Just Flight EE Canberra and the Aerosoft EE Lightning of the last couple of months and have got totally absorbed into these classic British jets.  I've never really been into using military stuff in FS, having been of the opinion that there's not much to do with them, but when you start using complex add-ons that start doing weird thing because you've not learned how to use them....well things quickly become very engrossing.

 

So, try flying something very different for a while.

 

As for stuff like scenery, I've again got things I've never installed, including some ORBX NA.  But, since installing ORBX EU ENG, I'm just happy making short flights around England; stuff that I know I can do in less than an hour, because that's all I'm likely to have time for.

I don't know about Paul Golding, but I would be more more motivated to fly if we had an FSX follow-on to the Dreamfleet 727... :lol:

It happens to me every couple of years. Right now I'm not into it and decide to give iRacing a try. I'm having a lot of fun with that sim but of course its a whole different kind of sim, just drive and go. No charts, no weather addon and less time. I'll be back to flight simming eventually. :-)

With wife and children, not to mention the responsability of that, I don't know the rest of you, it is harder and harder every day to have time to plan a complete full flight with complex add-ons. For example I have some time at night but i get most tired and only having time for really short trips, I remember some times when I almost fell asleep with the controls and or at final approach.

 

So, as Paul said, flying a different plane seems a good idea, it is convenient to opt for a simpler and easier aircraft in that circumstance.

 

When single, lots of time available, now I don't. I remember when I bought my PS3 and I only use it for streaming Netflix movies in bed, sadly but true but little time for simming these days.

 

Sometimes when I'm alone in the house and the wife and children are out, well that's a different story, I can make my best, more enjoyable and relaxing flights.

 

Anyway... a normal part of life, it happens a lot of us.

 

Cheers,

This is from the FSX Learning Center under the J3 Cub:

 

"I don't fly for fun anymore," a pilot once confessed to me. "It's gotten boring."

Flying? Boring? What a thought!

"Maybe you're going about it the wrong way," I suggested. He looked perplexed. I asked how and what he usually flew. He answered that he had a high-performance twin-engine plane, and usually flew high to take advantage of the winds.

"So you're usually on an instrument flight plan?"

"Yes," he answered slowly.

"Do you use an autopilot?"

"Of course."

"Ah. Well, that's the problem," I said. "You're not flying. You're traveling—droning along, monitoring systems while the airplane flies and you wait to get wherever you're going. No wonder you're bored. What you need is..." I paused, trying to think about the best cure I could suggest for someone whose enjoyment of flight had gotten lost somewhere in the efficiency of technology, speed and automation.

"...what you need," I finally concluded, "is a Piper Cub."

 

Read the rest in the Learning Center.

 

I suggest the A2A Cub.

 

Hook

With wife and children, not to mention the responsability of that, I don't know the rest of you, it is harder and harder every day to have time to plan a complete full flight with complex add-ons. For example I have some time at night but i get most tired and only having time for really short trips, I remember some times when I almost fell asleep with the controls and or at final approach.

 

So, as Paul said, flying a different plane seems a good idea, it is convenient to opt for a simpler and easier aircraft in that circumstance.

 

When single, lots of time available, now I don't. I remember when I bought my PS3 and I only use it for streaming Netflix movies in bed, sadly but true but little time for simming these days.

 

Sometimes when I'm alone in the house and the wife and children are out, well that's a different story, I can make my best, more enjoyable and relaxing flights.

 

Anyway... a normal part of life, it happens a lot of us.

 

Cheers,

 

Quite. Not a wife and kids but even working a 9-6 office job as an architect has ruined my free time. The very few free nights I get i'd rather spend with friends or dating than FS so weekends are my only time to fly and by then i'm too exhausted to sit in front of a computer! I need to roll back to my college days and lifestyle!

It happens to me every couple of years. Right now I'm not into it and decide to give iRacing a try. I'm having a lot of fun with that sim but of course its a whole different kind of sim, just drive and go. No charts, no weather addon and less time. I'll be back to flight simming eventually. :-)

The problem with racing sims (I still love GPL) is working on setups! I spent more time tweaking my sim car than I ever did racing it! Still trying to beat 1:29 at Monza. :lol:

I think because it can become so immersive its hard to just jump in a plane and fly, things like work get in the way in the week and stuff like housework lol . What i do is fly mainly at weekends then all I have to do is decide where I want to go. It can be frustrating when things get in the way, if only I could retire ( only 25 years to go!)

 

I think because it can become so immersive its hard to just jump in a plane and fly, things like work get in the way in the week and stuff like housework lol . What i do is fly mainly at weekends then all I have to do is decide where I want to go. It can be frustrating when things get in the way, if only I could retire ( only 25 years to go!)

 

 

We'll probably still be waiting for the next FSX by then so don't worry.

 

 

I suggest the A2A Cub.

 

I absolutely second this suggestion, I went through a similar phase about a year ago and the A2A Cub (with Accu-Sim) was the perfect cure. Pull it out of the hangar (you can actually do that with Accu-Sim and the latest patch), hand-start the engine and go. You won't get anywhere fast, but then the Cub is all about the journey... :wink:

 

Tym

I absolutely second this suggestion, I went through a similar phase about a year ago and the A2A Cub (with Accu-Sim) was the perfect cure. Pull it out of the hangar (you can actually do that with Accu-Sim and the latest patch), hand-start the engine and go. You won't get anywhere fast, but then the Cub is all about the journey... :wink:

 

Tym

 

Problem is I find GA boring without photoreal textures and weather addons, neither of which I have nor have the time to install

Problem is I find GA boring without photoreal textures and weather addons, neither of which I have nor have the time to install

 

James, may I ask, have you Orbx sceneries?

This is busy season in my field of work, so I've been relatively absent from the forums and fsx alike. I will be installing Orbx NorCal as soon as I get home however!

Problem is I find GA boring without photoreal textures and weather addons, neither of which I have nor have the time to install

 

You're gonna be flying the Cub 1500 AGL.  This isn't the best place for photoreal textures.  Try flying over one of the high resolution cities instead.

 

If you've been simming for a while, this might be a good reason to reacquaint yourself with Chicago. 

 

Hook