Jim Clancy on CNN said why would someone "need" a home flight simulator?  This made me laugh.  I have a lot of things in my home I don't "need."  Reminds me when Shakespear's King Lear said:  "(The) reason is not the need."  I guess non flight-simulators, like most people, don't see the joy in flight simulation. 

 

I also heard that some "expert" on CNN reckoned that having multiple monitors on a flight simulator set-up was unusual.

 

Well, if that's the case then the three 27" monitors that I am using are a real cause for concern!

The longer this goes on the more wacky these reporters get with their theories about possibilities.  Guy on CNN asked if maybe the plane "shadowed" another plane to escape detection.  Too bad the NTSB couldn't haven't handled this from the beginning.  The Malaysians, with all due respect, are amateurs.

The only stuff a rated and current RW B777 pilot could achieve with his home flightsim setup is, getting familiar with the approach to and the surroundings of an otherwise unfamiliar airfield and, maybe, a bit of route planning.

 

For any other purpose they have much better resources at hand IRL, at work.

No, the home sim is useful in practicing for your recurrent sim checks, staying proficient in some emergency pricedures like V1 cuts, and looking at difficult approaches that you may have to do in real life. In the real aircraft, you cannot be practising things like V1 cuts with people sitting in the back, you only have one try at that circle to land to not embaress yourself with a go around, and you might not see a VOR approach out on the line. So you see, there are much less resources in real life and the conscientious pilot will have to resort to things like the home sim to maintain proficiency.

Oh Crap! Better stop flying around points of interest. I will be a suspect.  Oh my gosh! I know where the transponder is on the PMDG 777. Double suspect watch list. 

Whats this?? You have charts, real weather, and detailed scenery of the world. Interpol watchlist. 

 

 

What an absolute farce. CNN is really bugging the heck out of me. Its a slap in the face to those who enjoy aviation.  If the feds start perusing Avsim and other forums, they are in for a surprise for some of these setups. 

The media is looking for something, anything, to report in the absence of "hard" facts to report on. The "new journalism"... If you can't find facts; speculate. Hire "expert" commentators or interviewees, and then let them speculate "professionally".

 

Well, there is no speculation in this statement. Captain Shah was a member of our Library. He may have been a member of our forums as well, but we are unable to identify an account that his email or typical UID is tied to.

Media is really a laugh with all those *I want my 10 minutes of fame* idiots calling themselfs *experts*

Like the BBC reporter in a commercial simulator who was shown by the trainer how to program a couple of waypoints in the FMC, and who then immediately put a sinister spin on how easy it was to change the simulator/aircraft's heading. Eh? 

CNN (Comedy News Network). They should never be taken seriously.

 

They can't even get their geography right, 

Sky News here suggesting experts are going to 'review' his flying activities in FSX to see if he did anything unusual...

 

Although I doubt that's possible on any level (perhaps with some 3rd party replay save utility or something). I just hope my flying activities in FSX are never reviewed, or else I'll never be allowed within 500nm of the Golden Gate Bridge...

Yep, I just caught a segment on CNN with Erin Burnett, she asked if it's possible for forensic experts to examine the captain's home simulator to determine if he left clues that could tie him to the disappearance.   Almost like looking for a history of web sites visited, lol!

 

We all know that this is not possible in FSX, which I assume the captain used with the PMDG 777.  I presume the same goes for X-plane.   For us in the know, it's always neat to see the news media report on aviation stories, especially in this case since our little niche "underworld" hobby is getting so much attention.  With that said, I don't fault Erin or the MSM for "stupid" questions, because how would I expect them to know about this subject that we are so passionate and knowledgeable about?   I'm kind of excited to see simming in the news, but I fear the hobby could be portrayed in a negative light, as a tool for terrorists to acquire knowledge that some may think should be protected from the public.  

 

Well, I love to record my flights with FSrecorder for posterity and to enjoy the sights and sounds that I am otherwise too occupied by cockpit operations to notice in real time.  But I only record the takeoffs and landings.   But I think it's safe to say the investigators are not going to find anything in FSX to determine the captain's history in the simulator, other than logbook entries.

Good ole Communist News Network.  And those botched spelling and geography pix tell it all.   Why do people take CNN so serious?  

Good ole Communist News Network.  And those botched spelling and geography pix tell it all.   Why do people take CNN so serious?  

Comedy News Network perhaps? A laugh every time Erin Burnett appears.

january

Yeah January, Comedy News Network does seem more appropriate here.

 

Charlie

No, the home sim is useful in practicing for your recurrent sim checks, staying proficient in some emergency pricedures like V1 cuts, and looking at difficult approaches that you may have to do in real life. In the real aircraft, you cannot be practising things like V1 cuts with people sitting in the back, you only have one try at that circle to land to not embaress yourself with a go around, and you might not see a VOR approach out on the line. So you see, there are much less resources in real life and the conscientious pilot will have to resort to things like the home sim to maintain proficiency.

Excellent point Kevin.  Despite the media hoopla over the captain's sim, I'm surprised that home PC simulators using FSX/FS9 or X-Plane are not more common among real life pilots.   Company sponsored full motion sims are very expensive, and you are only allotted a certain amount of time for the proficiency checks,or practice if it is even offered.   It makes sense to keep current during offline hours with affordable PC based simulations.   I know the PC cannot replicate the G forces and real controls/switches found in the professional full cockpit sims or the real thing, but you can still practice memory items, scans, etc, which can only help prepare for the real checks or the surprise real incident.

The whole assumption by the media that anyone using a flight simulator is a criminal using it for nefarious purposes is beyond ridiculous.  MSN.com had an article asking why a pilot would need a flight simulator, seriously?  Could it be because he enjoys flying so much that he wants to do it in his free time like the rest of us?  Then you read the comments section and you realize just how strange people think it is that anyone would want to use a flying simulator.  Comments suggesting that simulators should be illegal and banned from private use...  What the hell is wrong with people? 

 

What I have gathered from all this is if you have a hobby that is considered niche, you are probably a criminal or a terrorist.  That's what society thinks anyway.

 

 

But I think it's safe to say the investigators are not going to find anything in FSX to determine the captain's history in the simulator, other than logbook entries.

I think it is safe to say we have no clue what they'll find... not that I expect investigators will find anything.

 

Yep, I just caught a segment on CNN with Erin Burnett, she asked if it's possible for forensic experts to examine the captain's home simulator to determine if he left clues that could tie him to the disappearance. Almost like looking for a history of web sites visited, lol!



We all know that this is not possible in FSX, which I assume the captain used with the PMDG 777.

Yeah... it is possible.

If there is an .rte file with the waypoints VAMPI / GIVAL / IGREX contained in it (and/or the LAT/LONGS)... as an investigator, that is going to give me real heartburn if I want to eliminate the pilot.

You have a point Rob, I didn't think of that.   Like a saved panel state with the .rte saved in the FMC, that is entirely possible.  But I would imagine the captain was a very shrewd person, and if he was behind this incident, he would have covered his tracks and deleted such files.