I was able to fly it from PANC to KSEA without any problems.

How did you do that? VFR maybe.

Yes and no.  I used FSX ATC.  I know that is not at all like the real thing for IFR and not accurate, but I still enjoy it.

 

 

I know that is not at all like the real thing for IFR and not accurate, but I still enjoy it.

 

The "fun factor" IMO is the most important aspect if one considers the whole FS-thing as a hobby.

Some people tend to take things very serious, which is also "very o.k." for me. There are even people out there wearing pilots' uniforms when simming. Well, I always think of them when I find myself sitting in front of the sim screen wearing a pyjama like examples for being "overdressed and underdressed" :ph34r: 

 

In the end perfectioning the way of flying one's favorite plane in a sim is very eco friendly with an unprecedented low level of CO² emission... B) 

 

But "seriously":  FS is a great hobby with so many aspects that there are almost unlimited possibilities to enjoy it everyday anew...

When I get the time,  I will try and make an effort to learn the FMC.  It is difficult teaching one self then actually have a class or an instructor teaching these things.  I hardly have time to flight sim, but love it when I do.   I still remember when I purchased FSX in 2011 and was introduced to the world of flight simulating,  I thought their planes were awesome!  But, not longer after with my add on aircraft such at the Level-D 767, QW 757, PMDG 747, 777 and now the 737,   I think the FSX aircraft is a joke!  I am really impressed with the PMDG 737 and still learning the functions of the cockpit.   I did have time today to fly an Alaska Airlines 737-900 from KSEA to PAJM and went smoothly.  I use Flightaware to get airline information to simulate an actual flight.

I use Flightaware to get airline information to simulate an actual flight.

I use dataflight24 or planefinder. They both have pros and cons.

 

This is what I do (or did until the last 3 month because I fly the T7 only at the moment):

I search (via dataflight24 or planefinder) for a RW flight of the actual day from one of the 15 or so Ryanair B737-800 liveries/callsigns I have on my HDD. 

Then I disable this flight in UT2 (AI traffic APP "Ultimate Traffic 2") via the flight option "User Fly" in order to not encounter myself at the DEP/ARR- airport or even en route...

Then I do all the usual flight  planing and re-fly that flight under the exact same conditions as in RW...

Big fun, interesting and always a different story (especially with Ryanair's partly challenging destinations and stopover times here in Europe).  B)