>>Wake me up when Microsoft starts delivering Half Life 2>style>>graphics for its flight simulator series. >>Why always so negative? You've seen less than 1% of what FSX>is going to offer and you've already closed your mind? :-roll>Bill, its good to see some people like yourself with a open mind and stays away from ripping into someone. I would think this individual will be sleeping for a long time. :)Best thing I've seen so far is at one of the FS blogs stating "third party community is going to have lots and lots of new technology to both learn and play with" (Sorry forgot which one)I really can't wait to see some great stuff from you dev's just like in fs9. Heck if the tools are better I might have to jump in and start designing.

Besides the fact that many of us have stated we regularly have bird avoidence events (I have even had a few over northern California-not too much over Nevada or Arizona though)-you might want to check this site-it is a regular situation for many:http://www.birdstrike.us/birdstrike_reports.htmHere is what a plane like I drive now looked like after a little run in with a bird-rather sobering:http://forums.avsim.net/user_files/137960.jpghttp://forums.avsim.net/user_files/137961.jpghttp://forums.avsim.net/user_files/137962.jpgReality is in the eyes of the beholder-but it is not often in my flying where one doesn't see a bird in the 'ol flight area to avoid-and I have had quite a few close encounters.Bring it on Microsoft!http://mywebpages.comcast.net/geofa/pages/rxp-pilot.jpg

In the mid-1970s, while turning onto final at Sacramento Exc., I heard a very loud bang come from my nose (Aero Commander Twin) just as I flipped the gear down switch. Though the gear sounded like it had cycled correctly, I got "no green" (light) for the nose gear and hydraulic oil was spreading over the windscreen. A go-around was called for and I subsquently asked the tower for a visual on my nosegear and though they confirmed my nose gear was down, they had no way of determining if it was locked or not. I recycled the gear, but still no nosegear green light, so I landed on the mains and gently allowed the aircraft to settle on the nose gear and it held, no problem. What had actually occured was that I had had a mid-air collision with a Canada Air B-1RD (Canadian Goose) the goose had struck the nose of the aircraft (leaving a massive dent in the nose section) and the hydraulic oil was in fact goose blood. On another occasion I had a seagull strike the left wheel cover on a Cessna 182, though the damage was very minimal, the seagull didn't fair so well!Once, while flying a 70 hp Piper Cub, I flew circles around a soaring Bald Eagle, that appeared to simply ignore the noisy aircraft flying around him.I can't even begin to guess how many times I've seen geese or ducks flying in formation pass above or below me while we've been flying cross-country.In Homer, Seward, Skagway, and particularly in Haines, Alaska the incidence of civil aircraft collisions with Bald Eagles is almost epidemic. In the late summer months, Haines is the wintering home to thousands and thousands of these once protected birds and this combined with the high number of civil aircraft operating in the area its a wonder the problem isn't worse than it is!Bear!

The XBox 360 controller is just another control device, as far as windows is concerned (ie just like the sidewinder and whatnot we use to make), basically a Joystick like device, from the programs viewpoint, and since MS makes it, we will include a default config for it with the sim (just like we do for lots of existing joysticks).I'm not sure why everyone seems to think the fact that the demoer used a 360 controller somehow means this is an XBox 360 game (it was obvious he was running it on a Vista PC, not an XBox :-> ).Tim

Here at KGYY (Gary/Chicago International) not only are there waterfowl to contend with, but several times a day ground crews have to chase coyotes off the runway! ;)

Hi Geof,Just to let you know, that was not a bird that did that to that Baron, it was a Cessna 180. Both the real cause of the collision and the false cause (bird strike) of the collision is documented here:http://www.snopes.com/photos/airplane/birdshot.asp (read down on the page, as the false cause is described first)also:http://www.skypark.org/BaronMidair/Midair.htmhttp://coppermine.luchtzak.be/displayimage...album=295&pos=0Yes, birds can certainly do some serious damage, but the damage done to that Baron was of the man-made variety.The right front seat, shown flattened, plus the overall damage itself, clearly shows where one of the landing gear of the 180 went through the fuselage.Sorry, my friend! ;-)However, your Baron is still one heck of a plane! :-)Regards,http://www.dreamfleet2000.com/gfx/images/F...R_FORUM_LOU.jpg

Good catch! I stand corrected. The shots were sent to me by another Baron pilot-I never thought of it being an urban legend!http://mywebpages.comcast.net/geofa/pages/rxp-pilot.jpg