Apparently it's therapeutic...So here we are, kids in bed, nothing on TV for 90 minutes. Time for a quick flight. We've all been there, right?Looked at the atlas. What's something different? Let's do KCLT to KJFK. Select High Altitude. Nice, about a dozen waypoints - cool!Crank up the PMDG 737-700, Continental tonight me thinks.Oooo Airways! J14's J191's...hmmm let's see if the FMC will like these...it does!Twenty-five minutes later, my FMC is sorted, another 15 minutes clicking all the buttons trying to find "SAVE", and we're set.My co-pilot tonight happens to be a Swedish lapdancer who calls herself Mandy. Hmm.... As life would have it, her sisters Candy and Randy just happen to be FA's further down the back! What are the chances of that, I ask you!AS4.5 is downloaded, though a bit sad tonight, but you take the good with the bad I guess. Seems my co-pilot finds her jacket a bit tight, her constant squirming is really breaking into my concentration.36R huh? Looks busy, lots of incoming. Can't wait - places to be. We might just push in. Maybe if I sit on the runway those incoming will get "Go Around"? OK, not real, but Mandy's itching to go. Must be the jacket again...Never taken off the PMDG with a full fuel load, seems to take ages going down the runway..real, I suppose. Ahhh...PMDG. I curse you for the hassles with authenticating the 747, but this 737 is brilliant. Maybe when Mandy is old enough to drive I can look at The Queen.Okay, finally off the ground. LNAV, VNAV, wipe the coffee of the charts, help Mandy with her top. Dunno what happened to the jacket, seems to have come off. Like it's my fault the air temp in the cockpit is stuck on "HIGH"!!!!Maintenance huh! Just can't rely on them.Recently read on Avsim the process whereby one can bring up the waypoints on the screen, and then enter them into the FMC to change the intended flight plan whilst on the move. Never thought of that before, works a treat. Turning East after takeoff, time to experiment. Mandy's gone on a power trip, and decided to invite her sister's into the cockpit, and they're fascinated with the FMC. I've got one sister on each knee, and the other's going on about getting her hair streaked again. Bit vacuous all of them, but one tries to be tolerant.Passing through 6000, speed to 300 on the MCP, select FLT CHG, reach for my coffee...DESKTOP! I'm looking at my wonderful Desktop, and all it's icons.I have so much sympathy for those who post messages about CTD's.Thanks for listening. I needed to get that off my chest. CheersTimNZWN

I share your frustration mate,2 days ago, transatlantic flight online with IVAO, no time acceleration, all in real time, Newark to Dusseldrof in BBJ (PMDG of course).After my atlantic phase I get into busy European airspace - full of ATC who take me from one to another, very busy.Final approach to Dusseldorf, nice sunrise, 2 controllers to go, traffic in front of me on 2 mile final - bangPC RESET - post reporter, for BIOS settings click DEL.You tell me about frustration, LOLWill not fly this PC anymore, getting the last parts for my upgrade today. Hope this does the trick,Have a great day,Dom

How about this one. I load up the PMDG 737 last night, and find that after I updated the AIRAC files, it gives me an FMC runway error for PANC, where I am flying. I spend about 1 hour editing the SID/Star file to straighten this out, due to the trial and error and changing runway numbers, resaving, and reselecting in the FMC to see if the error goes away. Now I create a flight plan from Nome to Anchorage, sign onto Vatsim, file my flight plan and begin the startup procedure. The engines will not start, checked everything, all switches are correct, but neither starter will run. I also notice that a few of my electrical switches no longer make a click sound when activated. I close down the flight and turn off FS9 and restart. Load up the 737, go right to the start procedure and the engines still won't start.. What the *^##@*.. is going on. I can do this startup procedure in my sleep, so I know it's nothing that I am doing wrong. OK, time to reboot the PC.... Reboot, run FS Autostart, start up FS9 with Ultimate Terrain, and about 5 minutes later, I am looking at the start switch on the overhead and clutching my favorite rabbits foot, I hit the switch and ......"Nothing"........... YEOW>........... I am now starting to sweat and getting some palpatations..... Only one thing left to do, SYSTEM RESTORE......... Now FS9 and the 737 were working fine yesterday, and the only thing I did since yesterday was edit the silly PANC Sid Star file, so I doubt seriously that doing that is the reason my engines won't turn over... Anyway, I restore the PC to yesterday, the restore runs, it reboots... I start FS9 again, load up the 737.. start the APU,,, etc.. Hit the start switch and .. The starter kicks in. 20 Seconds later, both engines are running. Now I have to go in and edit the Sid Star again , because system restore erased the changes. Sign on to Vatsim, and off I go to Anchorage for a prefect flight........ Why do I love this hobby , only God knows :)

"My co-pilot tonight happens to be a Swedish lapdancer who calls herself Mandy. Hmm.... As life would have it, her sisters Candy and Randy just happen to be FA's further down the back! What are the chances of that, I ask you!"LOL, sounds like my kind of flight!Yet more reason I am glad I don't fly tubeliners.Regards, MichaelKDFWhttp://www.calvirair.com/mcpics/mcdcvabanner.jpgCalVirAir International

Hi Tim,I feel your pain! I put a 757 panel on my desktop as wallpaper to ease my frustration.And, if I may, let me add another source of FS-Frustration, at least for me. That is how often the wife manages to get dinner ready just as I begin the approach after a two hour flight. I know, it's my fault for starting a flight anywhere near that hallowed hour of food. But, I can't resist. Like you said, nothing on TV etc. Does anybody else suffer from this syndrome???Good post.Bill Worth

The phone etc always goes as one is approach. Murphy's law :-hah..far worse than the PMDG FMC is when one uses the CIVA INS for navigation now that really P's you off if you get a CTD! :-mad conversly hugely satisfying if not. :)

regardsEd

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While I realize that flying the automated big iron is fashionable, how about just jumping in the 172/182 for a nice IFR flight using paper charts, etc.? Ever fly an approach procedure by hand? Oh yes, it can be done, and real pilots do it quite often. A lot of challenges (and learning) exist when you change aircraft types, and use that other "computer" to fly / navigate (the one located between our left and right ears).Heck, in one of those little planes, I could be half way to my destination before you have the FMC programmed and the engines started! Of course, with a GA aircraft your destination will be closer. You want to fly for an hour with the 182?, Okay, pick a destination 130 nm away, and you will find yourself actually flying for most of that time, as opposed to programming something into a box. Need to fly that SID / STAR? Just pull the chart and fly it. No one needs an FMC in order to fly those things, especially in a Cessna, but also in a 727. While they may not be fast and fancy, you'd be surprised just how much flying enjoyment / challenge / education you can get from a little GA aircraft, for in real life, that is what the majority of the world's pilots are flying. ;-)Just my two cents.Regards,http://www.dreamfleet2000.com/gfx/images/F...R_FORUM_LOU.jpg

>While I realize that flying the automated big iron is>fashionable, how about just jumping in the 172/182 for a nice>IFR flight using paper charts, etc.? >>Ever fly an approach procedure by hand? Oh yes, it can be>done, and real pilots do it quite often. A lot of challenges>(and learning) exist when you change aircraft types, and use>that other "computer" to fly / navigate (the one located>between our left and right ears).>>Heck, in one of those little planes, I could be half way to my>destination before you have the FMC programmed and the engines>started! Of course, with a GA aircraft your destination will>be closer. You want to fly for an hour with the 182?, Okay,>pick a destination 130 nm away, and you will find yourself>actually flying for most of that time, as opposed to>programming something into a box. Need to fly that SID / STAR?>Just pull the chart and fly it. No one needs an FMC in order>to fly those things, especially in a Cessna, but also in a>727. >>While they may not be fast and fancy, you'd be surprised just>how much flying enjoyment / challenge / education you can get>from a little GA aircraft, for in real life, that is what the>majority of the world's pilots are flying. ;-)>>Just my two cents.>>Regards,>http://www.dreamfleet2000.com/gfx/images/F...R_FORUM_LOU.jpgI fly all my approaches by hand , whether it is the 737 or ATR-72 or C 182 RG. That is where the fun is. :)

I totally agree Lou. I do this often, and using local airports gives me some good practice for my IFR proficiency checks every 6 months. Perhaps less chance of a CTD too with one of the GA birds, although at this time oif year the seasonal CTD's have to be rearing their ugly head too.Bruce :)

Thanks guys for your sympathetic words.I'm over it now. Ready to pick up the pieces of my shattered FS life and move on.Life's a funny thing though. As it turns out Mandy is training to be a masseuse, Candy's a gymnast in her weekend's and Randy used to be a choreographer.So I'm quite relaxed now ; )C yaTim

Darn! I was really hoping to hear what Mandy did after the plane landed LOL

"Darn! I was really hoping to hear what Mandy did after theplane landed LOL"I was hoping for screenshots, maybe a video! :-jumpyRegards, MichaelKDFWhttp://www.calvirair.com/mcpics/mcdcvabanner.jpgCalVirAir International

Talk about "in-flight entertainment"!

Maybe you will realize that this is NO simulation. It is a game played on a 100.00 monitor with a 75.00 controller and a 29.95 piece of software. Simulation? far from it...I enjoy it as a game. Its great when you look at it that way. Endless hours of fun for the money, but no fun when you spend 39.00 on a plane that is so complicated you waste all yout time programming the thing just to have your 500.00 computer crash. ehehehe, my turn to vent.....

Well guys, you'll be pleased to know Mandy is just fine.She's decided flying just wasn't for her - seems she can't quite get used to the uniform.She thought the big stick in front of her with the handles was verrry cool, and the slidey levers were a winner! When she sorted out that pushing them forward makes the sky come at you faster, she was set for stardom.But, as Boeing and that other French crowd are going to have to sort out, Mandy had issues about places for her makeup bag and cellphone. Fortunately, she managed to find room for her magazines (we didn't need those approach charts anyway), but it all eventually just got too much in the end.So Mandy's off to be a Marine Biologist. She reckons the waterproof leotard is very trendy - we eventually worked out she was referring to her wetsuit. But she still wants to keep her hours up in the 737, so we might have to arrange something.She's ringing me tomorrow, I'll let you know if I go up with her.CheersTim