Just want to collect some data for some very informal research I'm doing- by 'real world pilot' I'm including both student and licensed pilots. To jumpstart the discussion beyond the poll, it would be interesting to know whether or not everybody started flight simming before or after you started training. Thanks! 

EDIT: To clarify, I'm defining 'pilot' and 'student pilot' as anyone who has a license to operate or is in active training to get a license to operate any type of manned or military unmanned aircraft. If you fly 747s for a commercial airline, took 3 flight lessons in a 172, fly a glider, or even fly a blimp, please select 'yes'. RC planes/drones don't count unless you fly them professionally for the military in your country (because a military drone pilot needs to have extensive flight training in aircraft systems and aerodynamics while someone who flies drones or RC planes casually or professionally for photography purposes usually does not, or at least is not usually required to). If you're an edge case, tbh it doesn't really matter as this isn't hardcore research, just a casual assessment of the people who use P3D. Thank you :) 

EDIT #2: My focus is P3D users at this time. Thanks again! 

Edited September 15, 20187 yr by avgaskoolaid

I began simming in 1987 but it became a real hobby for me after FS98. Got my private pilot license in 2001 and then added ratings for instrument, commercial, multi engine, and seaplane soon after.  Co-owned an airplane from 2004-2017. 

Hi, 

I'm not an active GA pilot any longer, but I started flying at UND in the late 70's. I earned my Private, Commercial/Instrument, Multi, CFI and CFII while there. Did a lot of flight instructing, photo work, some charter and was a cropduster for several years. Largest planes I ever flew were the Piper Navajo and an Air Tractor 301. About 4300 hours in the logbook.

I started flight simming while I was still an active pilot in the early 90's.

Cheers,

Scott

Edited September 15, 20187 yr by ndflieger
Typos

Got my PPL in 1978. 

CML 1967. Never had a PPL. ROFL

Got my PPL in 1992.

Dabbled with Sublogic's ATP Airline Pilot, but didn't start seriously simming until Microsoft Flightsim 95.

Working on my Commercial & Multiengine add-on. 

1 hour ago, avgaskoolaid said:

Just want to collect some data for some very informal research I'm doing

One suggestion if I may. If you want this research to be a bit more scientific, you shoud specify in being what kind of 'pilot' you are interested in.
Only plane pilots? If yes, then only commercial or GA too? If not just planes, do gliders qualify? If yes, what about hang-gliders, paragliders and their motored versions? What about drones and other RC's?
I think some people may not click yes even though they pilot some kind of aircraft.

By the way it would fit the HANGAR forum more than just P3D where you limit the viewers.

8 minutes ago, Rafal said:

One suggestion if I may. If you want this research to be a bit more scientific, you shoud specify in being what kind of 'pilot' you are interested in.
Only plane pilots? If yes, then only commercial or GA too? If not just planes, do gliders qualify? If yes, what about hang-gliders, paragliders and their motored versions? What about drones and other RC's?
I think some people may not click yes even though they pilot some kind of aircraft.

By the way it would fit the HANGAR forum more than just P3D where you limit the viewers.

Thanks Rafal! I've added a long disclaimer clarifying what I mean. 

And I chose the P3D forum specifically for this poll as I'd like to get a rough idea of the proportion of real world pilots among the P3D users here. I'll clarify that as well. 

Just to be clear, this is less scientific and more of just an informal poll to satisfy my idle curiosity (and hopefully get a conversation going among the pilots and non-pilots here)  If I actually wanted to collect some "real" data I'd probably use a more carefully crafted poll via a specifically designed polling site. 

No, but I stayed in a Holiday Inn Express last night... 😛

Yes, CPL seaplane pilot here.

44 minutes ago, Rafal said:

 What about drones and other RC's?

That's not a pilot lol.  That's playing with toys.

Airline life: ATP; Type rated in B737 200/300/400, Airbus 319/320/321, Embraer E190

USAF: C-141B, T38A

Gen Aviation: Pretty much most production single-engine airplanes; owned a Mooney M20J for 16 years

Retired--just flying RC planes now...;-)

Edited September 15, 20187 yr by Deadbug

I am a real world pilot. I have a glider licence since 2003 and an ultralight licence since 2007. As of right now even tough I am not a pilot I work at the operations of a H225 (formerly known as Eurocopter EC225) user, so I get to fly them quite a lot.

Got my PPL in 1995 and continued on all the way to ATP (owned a M20J for years)

Rated in Embraer E145 (Brazilian luxury liner haha) & 737NG (I have a secret passion for Airbus 🙂 )

John

Not a real pilot, so selected no.  But, I have flown a Cessna 172 a few times, and have spent time (two different occasions) at Barksdale AFB in a Singer Link full motion KC-10 simulator in the pilot seat flying, which was wicked awesome.

Mark