Hey all. Was lucky enough last week to win at an airshow an introductory flight from the flight school at Buckeye Airport in Buckeye, Arizona and took my flight this morning.I'm hooked!!!Other than a few tweaks by the instructor during landing, I basically flew the whole half hour flight myself (with my 12 year old son in the back seat). The instructor was impressed with my abilities and told me I was well ahead of most first time students. I certainly attribute that to my FS experience and having a flight yoke and pedals on my home workstation. I was certain that flying a real plane was going to be easier than FS and that proved to be so true. Not only do you have such better visibility (with true depth perception) but the physical feedback and G-forces give you great clues as to what you're doing. Landing seemed natural and I'm firmly convinced I could've pulled it off on my own if I'd had to. The Cessna 172 we were flying was smooth and responsive and equipped with great instruments including GPS. Now the hard part - to convince my wife that a few hundred bucks each month needs to be set aside for flying lessons. Art Martin

Nice to hear that, Art, and for the most part your observations are correct. FS can really help you get up to speed quickly once in the real thing. However, you will someday experience one of those bumpy days, with strong crosswinds. Then, you might prefer to be in front of the monitor instead!Good luck, and just tell the wife not to look at is as flying, but as bragging rights with her friends:"Oh, your husband just bought a new Mercedes, well, we have a private plane!" ;-)Best wishes. :-)Regards,http://www.dreamfleet2000.com/gfx/images/F...R_FORUM_LOU.jpg

Buckeye, eh? We're very close, I live in the West Valley. I missed the airshow there last week as I was in Mesa taking a flight lesson. I took my intro flight (for Sport Pilot) about eight weeks ago, and have been up every weekend since. Today I was flying to your SE, roughly near the town of Maricopa. Like you, my instructor let me handle almost everything on my intro flight, and it was an amazing feeling. MSFS does cause many to glance at the instruments more the average pilot might. Like anything, it's a balance we have to unlearn and learn. I'm glad you have had your chance to get "hooked", and I have to warn you that this addiction can be impossible to kick, and expensive to maintain. So watch out! :)-John

John, Maricopa must be beautiful from the air. The Buckeye airshow was a real kick. They had some wonderful planes there. I couldn't believe they were taking military jets off from that airport. It's quite a facility. Maybe we need to get 5 - 10 valley flight simmers together and just buy an old plane. There was a sticker on the window of the flight school where a club was selling a 1/10th interest in a 172 and a 152 for about $10,000. It's probably the way to go instead of the $100+ per hour for plane rental. Where in the west valley do you live? I'm in Litchfield Park. Art

Might be a good idea there Lou except I think she probably wants the Mercedes too. As for the crosswinds and bumpy ride, it can't be any more frustrating or dangerous than my daily commute on Phoenix valley roads. What's a crosswind got on a snowbird in a Winnebago with their blinker on?Art

Trust me, Art, you deal with a 20 knot x-wind in that 172, and you'll see!As to your wife wanting the Benz also, you'd be surprised how little you can buy them used for. I should know!Yes, look for a share in a plane / flying club, as opposed to renting. However, do not expect the hourly rental to be much less, but it almost always is.Example: At my airport, one of the FBOs rents a Piper Dakota for $140/hour wet. My Dakota costs me about $110-120/hour wet."Wet" = with fuel included.Regards,http://www.dreamfleet2000.com/gfx/images/F...R_FORUM_LOU.jpg

Sounds like a great experience. I had the opportunity to fly a 1947 Cub that sits in the collection of a aircraft restoration group around here. It was the same kind of experience, I was able to land the plane and everything (1947 Cub was a fighter-trainer, you control with a stick), and even in bad weather! I really wanted to fly the Cessna 152, but that was the instructor's personal a/c and he wasn't interested in taking it up.

Hey Art, the airshow sounded like a lot of fun! I sent you a PM, btw.... I also wanted to let you know to check out all the flight schools in and around the West Valley. Today I was evaluating another flight school and took my lesson in a Zenith, similar to one I may buy someday. I found many differences in style, and I find I may become a better pilot by switching to the school I saw today. Which isn't a knock against the school I'm currently using, it's just that each of us learn in different ways and this school may mold to my mode of learning better than the one I'm in right now. Keep us posted on your flying!-John

John, great PM. Thanks. I'm going to figure out a way to make aviation a part of the rest of my life in one way or another. The wheels are turning.Art

Blimey, why was I born in the UK?Dave T. .........On the Devon Riviera and active 'FlightSim User's Group' member at http://www.flightsimgrpuk.free-online.co.uk/http://www.captainsim.com/user/dl/c130/c130_captain.gif