Lost motivation to fly

[Howellerman 104]

I have mentioned this in other threads that discussed the "passion going away", but I find that a mission, any mission,  really helps keep things alive. Retracing a friends summer drive, visiting the capital cities of the lower 48, and now the capitals of Europe. Something that lends a purpose to flying. I enjoy the planning as much as the execution sometimes.

 

I think there was an earlier thread about flying on AP all the time: you are just a passenger at that point, albeit a busy passenger, but still just looking out the window. Getting a good GA aircraft (love the suggestions about the Piper Cub!) and just telling yourself "I am going to go visit Fred over in Salinas and have a beer" gives a sense of... well, purpose!

 

Now, all that being said, I am an incorrigible tweaker and love add-ons to augment my flightsim reality. But, if anything I have pared my hanger down, changed from FSX to P3D1, have increased the destinations (just purchased Orbx NA Norcal - woo-hoo!), and now find that instead of tweaking (why does Miley Cyrus come to mind...) I really enjoy flying now. Hope you can rekindle that flame, and I, like others, *highly* recommend GA flying over Orbx scenery. You will find yourself telling yourself that, damn, this is really, really nice.

[leghorn 76]

When i start to feel that way it means it's time to watch some real cockpit ops. 30-40mins of watching a JustPlanes DVD, starring an aircraft i have in my hangar, usually gets me terribly eager to get back in my own cockpit!

[Muley 3]

This happens to me all the time. I loose interest can't find the time but i know after many years of simming that i will get keen again and the break from it has done me good. This also applies to other aspects of my life. I'm a keen Kayaker but that doesn't mean i want to do it 365 days a year. 2 kids a wife and a job means i cant fly every day or week and sometimes i don't want to but i know i will want to ........soon!

[galfed 3]

Dear James Bannett, how can flying be boring or loosing it's interesting appeal, in former times giving us a drive to finish work quickly and setting up a flight to be off in a simulated world... :rolleyes:

Well for me, the magic of flying was part of most of my life. Then there was some time, where real world flying completely went out of my life, I had switched over to a different life channel so to say. I came back after some years with simming, FS98 and a lot of imagination had to do, what real world flying is about.

 

FS2004 wowed me the first time I fired it up, there was so much to explore.

 

FSX was more a technical adventure in getting it working up until the last weekend, where I had it finally so close to reality, even using 3D now, that I can say, yes, that is how I wanted it to be. But I am not in the "exploring the world mood" anymore. It is a training tool, helping me getting on with the real world flying I started again in 2011 using it for training and saving some money.

What I found interesting, this great feeling exploring the simworld or even more intensive in real world flying is gone. It was replaced by the technical aspect in trying out addons, adjusting things or in real world getting better than before. I am now working on a flight instructors license which here in Europe now makes a theoretical CPL training and examination mandatory, also some IFR training has to be done.

Years ago that would have brought me into some higher lifestyle feeling, but now, it is work to do. So it is the same here. Take care and greetings from Europe!

 

Manfred

[James Bennett 52]

 I don't even tweek anymore LOL :Party:

 

Liar.  :lol:

 

As a diehard heavy ifr only simpilot, I know the feeling very well. Day after day of looking at the pc only to turn away, not motivated to set up even the most basic flight with some realism (for us that's minimum 15 minutes). 

Tried GA many times, always like for a while but get bored so that's not really an option once sim-weariness sets in. 

I'm just now coming back from what became YEARS of essentially little or no simming. Don't worry, the passion does return. Best cure is time doing other stuff, but stick around the forums, watch others fly on YT - eventually the inner aviator yearns to soar once more. B)

 

This is the thing, i'll watch a video and get the buzz to fly and by the time i've found the time and set it all up the urge has gone! I need to just be able to press a button and have the flight there and ready at the gate with all my charts in front of me and plan loaded in.

[Mickel 42]

If you have loose pesos, get Orbx PNW, Walter Sutton's strip and the Cub. Chuck a nervous Heidi in front and head up to Walter Musa's. Yes, the driveway and the runway are the same strip... If she complains about the landing too much, take her up for some spins.

 

Or, if you want to stick to liners, the Coolsky DC-9 is a treat. No FMC in sight. Got to fly that puppy (or at the very least, steer the AP). Pick an airline and visit all it's destinations. I'm part way through doing that with PSA, along with the visit all the State capitals routine, with detours to Asia and Europe.

 

A fast piston with nav toys - Duke V2 or Legacy? A warbird with a big fat V12 up front? Try not to cook the engine... Heck, there's even one with a GPS.

 

Ticked off 1,000 airports yet? 73s fly to ~1500, I think I read somewhere. As a BBJ, they'd fit into plenty more. Daytona Beach would be popular with them this weekend...

[James Bennett 52]

I know a lot of you are suggesting GA here. So far, i've not found a GA aircraft that has been difficult enough to fly to keep me entertained. I did do a 6 hour flight in a C152 which was quite entertaining VOR to VOR once and enjoyed it though, and with good scenery it would have been better.

 

Is there a small freeware single prop aircraft anyone would reccomend?

[Sizel 4]

I've been neglecting FSX recently too and feeling somewhat guilty about it, although i know i should'nt, maybe its the money i've spent on it over the years : )

I might have lost the motivation to sim at this time but still keeping up to date with current news, releases etc. I've done some flights in last week though and enjoyed it (only four this year). But as mentioned Family commitments (young children) and all that comes with it can take away any free time. Still, nice to know its not only me going through these unmotivating times. Hopefully will get some more flight time in near future though. Its true though that all the set up and planning can be a bit of a turn off sometimes so my few flights this year have been GA such as A2A's 172 doing short flights, circuits. One day i will get VOXatc fired up again rather than being lazy with FSX atc ; )

[Paul Golding 92]

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:

I so wish I had the time and partners needed to make it happen :(

[sascha 314]

 

 

I haven't flow in weeks now.

 

When I felt like this, I joined Buffalo Virtual - flying DC-3s, Curtiss 46 and DC-4 is good fun and keeps your hands-on flying skills well practised. Now I have to fly once in a while to remain active.

 

I often just hop into a GA plane and do some sightseing. Before taking off, I make sure that realism is set to high, which means I have some management of fuel and mixture to do when I'm not looking out the window.

 

Cheers,

Sascha

[flyforever 267]

This is why I use Ideal Flight. It automates everything for me and allows me to do quick flights on a moments notice. It even provides a "pause before top of descent" , which means that I can have Ideal Flight create a flight plan for me, place me at the  airport and , after a few minutes, I am in the air.

I can then let the autopilot fly the plane until TOD, at which point I unpause the sim and work on my landing approach.

 

Ideal Flight makes all of this possible, especially when we don't have the time to fly as real pilots do.

tony

[LHookins 3,102]

 

 

I know a lot of you are suggesting GA here. So far, i've not found a GA aircraft that has been difficult enough to fly to keep me entertained. I did do a 6 hour flight in a C152 which was quite entertaining VOR to VOR once and enjoyed it though, and with good scenery it would have been better.

Is there a small freeware single prop aircraft anyone would reccomend?

 

It's not a single and it's not necessarily GA, but it is free.  Have a look at Manfred Jahn's C-47.  I've been flying this one recently, and it's certainly rekindled my interest in flight simming.  Incredible quality and features for a freeware.  Be sure to get TuFun's sound pack as well.

 

Hook

[mfourn20 0]

I sit in front of a computer all day at work. I find a flew a lot more when I didn't. Now I go home and don't want to sit in front of the computer, but still want to fly, it's annoying actually...I get all excited to fly at the end of the day, and sit in front of the computer and say to myself, well, this stinks.

[dcgator29 37]

So far, i've not found a GA aircraft that has been difficult enough to fly to keep me entertained.

I find GA more difficult. FMS, CDU 737 and 777 is easy. Managing the plane's systems and engines is easy; turbofans are easy, no fuss, automixture, nothing to monitor, reliable, easy to start. The IFR system in Vatsim is easy. In contrast you need to know a lot more about the VFR rules; where you can and can't fly, how high, etc. IFR is like highway driving with TomTom(and with someone to call and tell you where to turn). VFR is like back roads in the boonies with a map and no road signs. Follow your programmed waypoints, sid/star, alt restrictions, vnav calculated for you. In contrast, with a GA plane, yes you may have a gps to follow, but you have to manage and calculate your own climbs and descents. Tell me right now what is your climb speed, prop rpm, manifold pressure in a baron. Ok now your 737. Oh yeah it's all automated for you... No autothrottle, no automixture(lean or you're going to lose power), have to watch your speed(no FLCH here). And that's just with pistons. What about turboprops which REALLY require you to manage your engines(with the right addon). With the tubes, you can literally take off, hit AP at 400 feet, and come back hours later at top of descent. There is very little hand flying in the tubes. Yes you can hand fly as much as you want, but cmon now. We're mostly on AP. Even landing is easier in a jet. Slight flare and put her down. The smaller GA planes, especially with some wind, are a bear to land. Try the Realair Legacy in some gusty crosswinds. Take all that with GA, but now add one of A2A's accusimmed planes. Now you really have to manage the engine. And their warbirds are incredibly difficult to fly and land compared to your tube. The Merlin is a beast at takeoff. 40% N1, TOGA....yeah really difficult. Commercial aircraft and ATC is designed to be simple and easy. Modern aircraft are highly automated to ease pilot workload and make it easy and safe for the thousands of daily flights. Imagine if they had to dial vors all over the world. Wait they used to haha but that could not sustain the levels we're at now. Not attacking you just trying to make a point. We think we're so smart because we can get a route from flightaware or pfpx and program the cdu. But it's all really simple and automated. There's a false sense of complexity because its a big jet that flies really fast with a computer you have to program.

[aentwis 61]

I agree, single-engined GA I find a little more challenging in terms of aviating, as I don't have the hustle and bustle of real world commercial operations (ATC, all that extra traffic, REALLY close)...

 

GA is more demanding, as I have no "magenta line" to follow...

 

The way to get the most is variety, the veritable spice of life...

 

I switch between A2A, Realair, and PMDG (with Majestic's Q400 now and then)... Nothing like throttling up a Merlin and thundering out of a small strip to punch holes in the sky for 15 minutes, to burble back down to ground and perform the perfect three-pointer...

The A2A accusimmed planes are a real handful at times and keep you on your toes. It was a real eye opener for me talking to a couple of Mustang pilots at Flying Legends about engine management in warbirds...

 

A