It feels "strange" around here, but at the same time someway peaceful, not having DCS or IL2 installed and jumping from bed in the weekend to rush doing some air combat...  Instead, once a day, usually after dinner and not just as I arrive home and rush everything to go to the PC, I start FSX:SE calmly, then go to the laptop for the "delicate" sequence of AS16 + ASCA network initialization, then back to the flight desktop to watch the effects.

 

I usually pick either Lisbon or some International airport with reported bad weather.

 

For flying, and since I haven't yet gone through the FSLabs A320 manuals, and seldom recall the SOPs for that aircraft, I start it with engines running, and then either go straight away for an unrealistic flight with all sorts of bells and whistles ringing and lights lighting because I haven't programmed the FCU / MCDU properly, or take one of the A2A fighters ( I have the Spitfires and P51d military and civil with their accusim modules ), or the 172, 182 or Comanche...

 

Together with ORBX FTX Global that's all I re-installed in FSX:SE, not even the PMDG 777, and not even Aerosoft Madeira - waiting for the release of the upcoming new version which will bring considerable optimization with today's scenery standards, specially for P3D users...

 

I do a short flight, enjoying the bad weather provided by AS16 and the visuals ASCA gives me, smooth but gorgeous even if set at only 512 DTX, most of the time a circuit, sometimes a few aerobatics.... sometimes a climb on top, just to check the effects from FL330, and then get down.

 

In my short flights I test the flight dynamics, and I can't avoid comparing it to DCS and IL.2  - they are / feel different for sure, but while there are clearly lots of detail missing here and there, A2A aircraft also bring features and details of systems modelling or even interaction with the ambient around that aren't available on those Air Combat sims... It's different, it's for sure a lot less stressful, both in the way I use the sim, but also in the stress I sometimes used to get from a virtual air combat... no matter how stupid it can look when we think about it - how can / should a guy seated at a PC pretending doing air combat, stress with it.... ????

 

Anyway, my plans are those of carefully going through the long FSLabs support docs / manuals, recall what I used to do in those good old times of PSS, Airsimmer, Wilco or even Aerosoft Airbus, and enjoy the most out of this Superb Airbus simulation.

 

Of course the PMDG 747 v3 is tempting, and even re-installing the 777 back ( which I own for both FSX and P3D ) is in my todo list, but honestly I'll rather wait for news regarding the upgrade of P3D to 64 bit since, contrarily to FSLabs, PMDG doesn't offer upgrade for their stuff...

Interesting post Jose! I enjoy just watching the virtual world go by, either in a tiny GA plane or in a tubeliner.

 

 

... no matter how stupid it can look when we think about it - how can / should a guy seated at a PC pretending doing air combat, stress with it.... ????

 

Happens all the time in the first person shooters I play on my gaming consoles: Increased heart rate, rapid breathing, elation when things go right for our team.

Interesting post Jose! I enjoy just watching the virtual world go by, either in a tiny GA plane or in a tubeliner.

 

 

 

Happens all the time in the first person shooters I play on my gaming consoles: Increased heart rate, rapid breathing, elation when things go right for our team.

 

Exactly, and really not good for a guy like me taking pills for blood pressure control.... :-)

 

 

Of course the PMDG 747 v3 is tempting, and even re-installing the 777 back ( which I own for both FSX and P3D ) is in my todo list, but honestly I'll rather wait for news regarding the upgrade of P3D to 64 bit since, contrarily to FSLabs, PMDG doesn't offer upgrade for their stuff...

 

PMDG has said, repeatedly, that the 64-bit upgrade for the NGX will be free of charge.

PMDG has said, repeatedly, that the 64-bit upgrade for the NGX will be free of charge.

 

Ah!  My bad... Thx for the precious info Gregg.

Nice read Jose.

 

I'm feeling sympatico here as I too have found, as I mature like a fine cheese, that strapping on my A-10C is just too much bother.

 

I really admire DCS. I have spent many hours flying, designing and again flying combat missions. I also enjoy the campaigns. The upcoming 1944 map looks wonderful.

 

But, as you artfully wrote, it's nice to enjoy the experience and scenery without dodging AAA and trying to remember how all the systems work. I find adrenaline rushes exhausting nowadays. 

Funny, I'm the other way around, I spend most of my time doing peaceful flying but head over to DCS when I really have the need to go fast and/or blow something up!

Back in the day, I played FS2004, -just with he basic version and my old Thrustmaster joystick- to relax while rFactor was my go to when I needed that extra adrenaline playing online in teams and doing some races. I'm looking forward to involve again in sims, but first I need to finish building my XXI century PC.

Back in the day, I played FS2004, -just with he basic version and my old Thrustmaster joystick- to relax while rFactor was my go to when I needed that extra adrenaline playing online in teams and doing some races. I'm looking forward to involve again in sims, but first I need to finish building my XXI century PC.

 

Yeah! I also played Air Races when Acceleration was released, as well as tried to master the Red Bull circuits, the one that came by default and a few that were added, free and commercial versions.

 

When I stepped into DCS and IL2, the friend that got me into that told me I could also enjoy a few aerobatics and race servers available for both sims, but truth is I eventually found it was a lot more adrenaline-intensive to start playing air combat.

 

Without a TIR5 offered by my friend Alexis ( also from AVSIM ), it would have been impossible to enjoy both combat sims so much, and also Rise of Flight and IL2 Cliffs of Dover which I tried but gave up using because I can't many too many sims at the same time...

 

In the good old fs2004 days there was also CFS - very good !