My decision to fly as few airplanes as practical

[Gregg_Seipp 565]

I rebuilt my sim a few months ago to P3D3.  When I did, I left off as many airplanes as I possibly could.  There were *a lot* that didn't get installed.  This has allowed me to get more into the details and nuance of flying them...learning more details about the G1000 in the Mustang...It's also allowed me to broaden generic skills like IMC, ILS, non-precision approaches and the like.  It also makes the wide array of decisions clearer.  I have one airplane of each type I want...a smaller GA twin (I actually don't have a single engine piston right now), a medium GA, and a commercial.  I decide what kind of flying I want to do, pick an airport, pick my flight from FlightAware and wooooosh...off I go.  To me, it's been a breath of fresh air and well worth resisting the latest new airplane from WhosyWhatsis.  That was my decision.  I'm curious about other people and their decisions.  What have you done to simplify your sim life that made things better for you?

[Jetstream96 20]

Hmmm, never touched anything other than the NGX and Aerosoft Airbus in like 5 years. 

[Howellerman 104]

Fundamentally, I agree with you Greg.

 

Buuuut, I find myself drawn to "scenarios" that make my flying interesting, and need a variety of aircraft to support the scenario.

• Fast trip to Paso Robles (I am based at Reid Hillview, KRHV, San Jose) with the wife - the Lancair is perfect.
• Trip further south with the kids on board? The Carenado Baron with the HawkDSL Turbo Mods.  
• Trip with family and dogs to visit same in Portland? Phenom or Lear.

There are aircraft that are just plain fun to fly, where the scenario is to terrorize the countryside. The A2A Mustangs are a perfect fit for this. The RealAir Dukes are also not to be missed - I enjoy "flying" them as much as any other aircraft.

 

I don't have hundreds of aircraft in the hanger - maybe 50. But, I find myself driven by the "mission" in order to keeps things interesting. 

 

So, I am with you, but I am weak...    :smile:  However, I can be discriminatory - some aircraft I have purchased and retired within a day - they had no soul, or a weird instrument layout (I seem to be a Beechcraft Boy), or just made me claustrophobic (the Corvalis and SR-22 come to mind). 

 

I am awaiting the MilVis Beaver (obvious mission there!), their KingAir 350i (take a bunch of friends to Vegas!), and Lear 60 (take a bunch of friends anywhere!), but am pretty happy with my limited hanger right now.

 

Ultimately, the scenario defines the aircraft. But, I am weak...   :smile:

[BoskoBD 2]

I still have a lot installed, but I've stopped buying add-on aircraft from most developers. I was buying a lot because they looked great but I ended up flying them once or twice and getting bored with them. Now, I fly only A2A's Comanche, Boeing 377, P-51, RealAir's Turbine Duke, Milviz C310 and PMDG's offerings. I just don't have any fun with the less realistic addons anymore.

 

-Brendan

[Patco Lch 1,459]

I'm doing the same thing only with Steam. I'm also going to keep my add on airports down to bare minimum and find a much simpler traffic add on that doesn't cause scenery bleed through. Looks like I wont be using a lot of stuff I've wasted money on over the years that annoy more then help. Keep it as simple as I can and concentrate more on flying. 

[Jimm 437]

These days, I only fly two aircraft: The AS Airbus series aircraft (yeah I know that multiple aircraft) and A2A Commanche.  One for airline flights and the other for a casual stroll somewhere.  Both are reliable for me and don't tax my system.  Both are simple enough to learn but can be more challenging, depending on how far I want to go.

 

I'm sure this will change soon enough when AS and PMDG release more aircraft. 

[Bert Pieke 7,584]

I have deleted about 50% of my airplanes and only fly a handful... and only one paint for each.

 

Saves a lot of disk space.. :wink:

 

..and Beechcraft is my favorite also

 

Bonanza, Duke, C90GTX

[Gregg_Seipp 565]

 

 

So, I am with you, but I am weak... :smile:

 

LOL. 

[ckyliu 1,749]

In terms of casual GA and bush flying I don't limit myself much since the systems and handling typically aren't that complicated, although I ensure they're nice renditions; so I could have A2A C172, C182, PA-28, Aerosoft BN-2 and Twotter etc. The only limits are my budget and their quality!

 

Once I get in to airliners I limit myself to a few, otherwise I get confused switching between them. So I fly PMDG J41 and Majestic Q400 and that's it. I've "given up" anything beyond 737/A320 size because I don't have the time or inclination to fly realistic sectors for widebodies.

[untoweechja 35]

I got a new machine and FSX:SE earlier this year and didn't bother to install anything I wasn't flying regularly, which left me with the following, sorted in descending order of use.

 

Majestic Q400

RealAir Turbine Duke 2.0

RealAir Lancair 2.0

A2A Comanche

Captian Sim L-1011

PMDG 777 & 737

 

I've been tempted to buy some recent offerings (Carenado S500, iFly 747 v2) , but realistically I don't see myself straying too much from the above list so most of my recent purchases have been scenery instead of aircraft.

 

I am anxious to add the MV 350i once it's available.  I bought the pre-release version and in IMO its 'alpha' state it was better than the final build of some other products I've purchased.

[jcomm 5,882]

I ... well, ya know what I do most of the time :-)  but am enjoying so much the way a new connector for Aerowinx PSX to P3Dv3 (PSX.NET P3D) performs, with the smoothest ride I have ever go for any of the external visual generators I have used, that my only aircraft right now is the PSX 744-400, flown with P3Dv3 visuals, all in a single PC.

 

Simply trying to learn the complex and detailed model of the 744 in PSX takes ... well for me at least, years! 

 

I don't have time to spend in other sims, and this way I can also continue to test my preferred weather injector, now already in it's "16" version :-)

 

I may consider adding the PMDG 777 200-LR to my P3D v3 install...

[SpiritFlyer 987]

​Interesting Thread!

 

It's scary how many airplane addons I have bought over the years, most of which could, if I wanted to, be converted over to my P3D v3.35. Captain Sims, all the Real Air planes, several A2As, Milviz, Sibwings, and a truck load of Carenados, plus various others that tend to come and go are there.

 

Some are installed, most are not, but only a few are ever flown. Here, in order of both use and affection are the best of the best, in my hanger:

 

1. Lotus L39

 

A breakthrough aircraft years ahead of it's time and a wonderful experience to own and fly. Still as good as it gets anywhere from anyone.

 

2. Real Air Turbine Duke

 

Perfection

 

3. Real Air Legacy

 

Perfection rebooted

 

4. Aerosoft Twin Otter

 

The latest rendition of a long term keeper. I fly this seldom as I can not abide the heavily tinted windows. When I asked for a way to make them very light or transparent I was told that their opinion and decision on what is appropriate mattered more than mine.

 

Still fly the amphibious variant from time to time when a water landing needed, although it serves as an irritant reminding me of what it feels like to have my opinion discounted and custom taken for granted. Hence, I buy and fly elsewhere.

 

5. Carenado Bonanza(s)

 

Can't help myself!

 

Still love the deep throated engine sounds, pretty graphics and simple operation of both the F33 and F35 variants, whether the flight models are 'real world' or not. Love the shiny metal exterior on one of the V-tailed beauties. Flown every so often, just to remember how much fun I have in this hobby. Bought and tried the Shrike but still testing.

 

6. Heavy metal

 

All parked and preserved in the desert. Includes nearly all the Captain Sims including the latest. Couldn't stand all the bugs and coding problems. Maybe again someday, but of little interest at the moment.

 

 

What to buy? What to keep? What to fly? What to do?

 

Sometimes the magic works. Sometimes it doesn't!

 

 

Kind regards,

[Gregg_Seipp 565]

 

 

Aerosoft Twin Otter

 

The latest rendition of a long term keeper. I fly this seldom as I can not abide the heavily tinted windows. When I asked for a way to make them very light or transparent I was told that their opinion and decision on what is appropriate mattered more than mine.

 

Yeah, they wouldn't listen when people asked to remove the yoke either.  I didn't have a TrackIR so that was a problem...it was really hangared after one flight.  Wouldn't hurt them to listen a bit.  Cool airplane, though.

 

 

 

Carenado Bonanza(s)

Can't help myself!

Still love the deep throated engine sounds, pretty graphics and simple operation of both the F33 and F35 variants, whether the flight models are 'real world' or not. Love the shiny metal exterior on one of the V-tailed beauties. Flown every so often, just to remember how much fun I have in this hobby. Bought and tried the Shrike but still testing.

 

Yeah...there has got to be a kind of weird cult about Bonanza's somewhere.  First time I flew their A36 I was kind of hooked.  It has a 'put on a leather jacket and go flying' feel to it.  I don't fly it since moving to Prepar3D since no Nav system...but I miss it.  A version 2 wouldn't hurt a bit.

[jason99vmi 157]

Yeah I have run into that oft conundrum of what to fly, where to fly. I'm a member of a couple VAs so they run the staples of PMDG 737NGX, Aerosoft Airbuses, Majestic, Qualitywings 757 and a couple of the regional aircraft. Also get to do some VFR flying which rolls out the Carenado aircraft.

 

But I always feel like I neglect all the other aircraft I have like CS 732, CS721, CS130, Twin Otter, A2A Spitfire & B17, Aerosoft F14X, Razbam A-7, Virtavia A-4, and well the list goes on.

 

Ahh if I only had more than 2 hours to fly each day. lol.

 

Won't even get started on figuring out where to fly each time.

[Lon David 3]

I just fly p3d now.  I fly the A2A Cessna 182, Realair Turbo Duke, both with the GTN 650, the magnificent Q400 PRO edition,  oh, and also the Aerowinx 747 with p3d scenery.  That's it.  I find these aircraft challenging and systems deep enough to keep me happy.  I may get the PMDG V2 when it comes out, depending on price, and eventually will rebuy the PMDG 737 (I have the FSX version) when the Canadian dollar strengthens. The triple 7 is too pricey for my blood :(

 

Hats off to Majestic for making the Q400 available in both FSX and P3D for one price.  It is probably my favourite single aircraft bar none.