15 hours ago, Steve Dra said:

I'd hope you'd find out yourself by getting a $1 xbox pass and fly it for a buck for 30 days and see if you can find all those places in your hometown, yourself, then make your own decisions on what you think MSFS is, instead of relying on our opinions

I don't think so Steve.  I have too much invested in what I already have and am satisfied with those.  Sue told me about the 1.00 offer but I passed.

Not only because of the investment, but because by habit I already know my way around FS2004 and FSX and P3D is close enough to FSX that it didn't take a lot of learning.  But I'm pushing 88 and my learning curve has flattened significantly. 

Noel 

 

1 minute ago, birdguy said:

I don't think so Steve.  I have too much invested in what I already have and am satisfied with those.  Sue told me about the 1.00 offer but I passed.

Not only because of the investment, but because by habit I already know my way around FS2004 and FSX and P3D is close enough to FSX that it didn't take a lot of learning.  But I'm pushing 88 and my learning curve has flattened significantly. 

I can understand that.  I can only hope Devs continue to support your platform into the future, but will not disparage them if they don't and make financial decisions that are in their best interest.

I'm saddened that you will not get the opportunity to discover all this new platform has to offer, but glad you have flight simulation solution that works for you.

Good luck with your future simming experiences and take care.   

I'm heading back to Roswell now west on 380, I'll rock my DC-6's wings all the way thru your town to salute you. (If you had MSFS and the proper settings enabled, and located yourself at your house in the sim....you'd actually see me doing it in real time, just one more thing that previous sims could never give you). 🙂

Sorry....just had to add that. Hehe.

2 hours ago, birdguy said:

So, you are saying that I have to be connected to the internet to run MSFS?  And what happens if your ISP goes down for some reason in mid flight?  Can you continue on when it comes back up or do you have to start over again?  Not that it happens very often, depending on where you live, but it does happen to me a couple of times a month...usually when I am trying to respond to e-mails.

Noel

To get the photogrammetry based scenery for anywhere in the world, yes, you need to be online. However, there is an option to cache areas that you like to fly in often, and there is an offline mode for when you don't have an internet connection. The offline mode falls back to scenery more in line with what you get in other sims. There are lots of videos showing the differences on YouTube, if you want to see the difference.

 

2 hours ago, Steve Dra said:

Sorry....just had to add that. Hehe.

As a former Marine I'd expect no less from a Swabbie.

On your way bt can you post a picture of the ramp are of the Roswell airport?

Noel

Edited September 19, 20214 yr by birdguy

7 minutes ago, birdguy said:

As a former Marine I'd expect no less from a Swabbie.

Noel

A Jarhead....that explains alot! 🙂

(to the un-initiated ...inter-service rivalry is a time-honored tradition and it's expected that we unilaterally insult each other at every turn.  Of course when a Marine insults a Sailor, we give them credit that they got thru the insult with no misspelled words....When a Sailor insults a Marine, we usually have to explain it to them.) 🙂

 

Edited September 19, 20214 yr by Steve Dra
Korrected som Speeling

3 minutes ago, Steve Dra said:

(to the unvitiated...inter-service rivalry is a time-honored tradition and it's expected that we unilaterally insult each other at every turn.  Of course when a Marine insults a Sailor, we give them credit that they got thru the insult with no misspelled words....When a Sailor insults a Marine, we usually have to explain it to them.) 🙂

Yu mised mai edit.  I wuz askin yu 2 taik a piktur of da Roswel airprt ramp area.

Noel,  BTW..not nice to insult those who outrank you...from an E-8.

5 minutes ago, birdguy said:

BTW..not nice to insult those who outrank you...from an E-8.

My apologies First/Master Sargent, had I known you were a Senior Staff Non-com, I would have typed my insult slower so you could follow along easier. 🙂

All kidding aside, thank you for your service and I have the utmost respect for the Marines and of course those senior to me in rank.  Having gone through advanced avionics schools with a few Grunts who earned their Blood Stripe in the ceremony I witnessed after the class graduated, lets just say my legs were sore just watching them walk the line. (back when the tradition was to well...you know.  Now I think they don't practice that tradition anymore sadly...sign of the times 😞 ) 

I've already shut down MSFS for the day so can't get that shot for you, and I'll be out of commission for a few days for cataract surgery tomorrow.  As I recall when I took off from KROW and flew towards the town, the imagery was not that great, which is one of the issues with MSFS that could be due to satellite coverage.  Not sure if there are some "sensitive" areas there, or there was a lot of cloud coverage when the initial passes went thru the area, but hopefully one of the other MSFS'rs here will get that shot for you and post it.

1 hour ago, Steve Dra said:

ve already shut down MSFS for the day so can't get that shot for you, and I'll be out of commission for a few days for cataract surgery tomorrow.

My wife just had that and is amazed at how well it went. Too bad it's tomorrow. I was going to stand out in my goat pasture and look up hoping to see  you make a low pass with that fancy airplane. I mean, that does work with MSFS, right? 🙂 Now, you might think a staff O-3 would be that gullible, and maybe so, except since my time as a JAG I never believe anything anyone says, except for Marines, who always made the best clients, bless their hearts.

1 hour ago, Steve Dra said:

and I'll be out of commission for a few days for cataract surgery tomorrow

I had that done about 6 or 7 years ago.  Nothing to it.  Easier than going to the dentist.

Noel  

Thanks for the words of support on the surgery guys....will be my 2nd surgery in as many months, the previous went very well...but left a few holes in my belly.

1 hour ago, Tim_Capps said:

Now, you might think a staff O-3 would be that gullible, and maybe so, except since my time as a JAG I never believe anything anyone says, except for Marines, who always made the best clients, bless their hearts.

Hey Lieutenant...never had to interact with the JAG office in my career...I was a good Swabby. 🙂 

One of my fav movies is A Few Good Men.  The Marines indicted were the epitome of what you describe...great acting all around, esp Col. Jessup....one his best roles IMO. Also loved how well Keifer played the LT.....  just an enjoyable movie.   

Also, as coincidence would have it, I enjoyed the TV show JAG as well.  A little corny at times and I watched it mostly for Catherine Bell...and suspended my nod to reality because in my military career, I never saw a Marine who looked like her. 🙂 

For the Swabbie and the JAG...

In addition to the stories I wrote about growing up in San Francisco I also wrote a few about my time in the Marine Corps.

THE BRIG

The four of us, half soused, were returning from an evening of liberty in Fujioka, that tiny village just outside the Marine Base called Camp Fuji.  It was beatiful place almost at the foot of Fujiyama, or Mount Fuji as we called it.  It was close to midnight, our curfew time.

 As we approached our quarters, a Quonset hut that housed the Third Ordnance Battalion, at the end of a muddy street, a few troops from the tanker unit across the street were sitting outside.  One of them yelled something at us and one of our little foursome started a cross the street.  The guy who had done the yelling stepped out to meet him and a fight ensued. 

I walked into our hooch and told several of the guys who were still up and sitting on their foot lockers smoking there was a fight outside.

One of them shouted ‘Fight!” and several of our guys ran outside.

A general melee started and the MPs had to come and break it up.  Nobody was hurt and it was over in fifteen minutes.

The next morning I was called to the Captains office.  I knocked on the side of the open and door, walked in, stood at attention and said, “Corporal Sivertson reporting as ordered sir.”

“Corporal, what happened last night?”

“There a small fight sir.”

“Who started it?”

“I don’t know sir.”

“I heard it was you.”

“No sir, I wasn’t involved.”

“As I understand it you called out the hooch to join in.”

“No sir, I only said there was a fight outside.”

“I heard it was a near riot the MPs had break up.”

“Sir, I only mentioned there was a fight outside.  I didn’t know it was going to turn out the way it did.  I was inside the hootch the whole time.”

“Would it have happened if you hadn’t told your hootch mates about it corporal?”

“No sir, I guess maybe not.”

“I could charge you with inciting a riot a court martialing you corporal.   As it is I’m going to give you an Article 15 and take away one of your stripes.”

“Yes sir.”

“Now get out of here.  I’ll call you when I’m ready.”

“Yes sir.”

I did an about face and started toward the door when Warrant Office Perkins said, “Captain, I think I can handle this matter.”

“He’s all yours Gunner.”

The Gunner led me down the hall to the squad bay and to my rack.

“Is that the best dungaree shirt you have corporal?”

“No sir.”

“Well, take the stripes off the sleeve and meet out front in the Jeep.”

I got a razor blade and cut off my corporal stripes.  One of the troops asked me what happened.  I told him Captain Smith was going to give me an Article 15 and bust me.

I then walked out to the front of the hooch where Gunner Perkins was waiting in the Jeep.  I jumped in next to him and he looked at me and grinned.  “Young, virile, semi-good looking, and dumb as a load of bricks.”

We drove out on the road to Middle Camp.  Middle Camp was where the brig was.

When we arrived at the brig entrance a guard opened the gate and we drove inside.  The Gunner drove to the office.  The door had a sign that said Middle Camp Brig Commander.  We got out and walked inside.

As we walked up to another Warrant Officer he said, “Hi Walt, what do you have here?”

“I have a troop who needs a little remedial training.”

“Glad to help out Walt.  How’ve you been?”

“Pretty good Sam.”

Gunner Perkins looked at me and said, “Walt and I have been friends for years.  We went to boot camp together.”  Then he looked at the brig commander and said, “I’ll be back for him in a few days.”

Then the Gunner turned to me and said, “Don’t forget, in here you’re a privaate.”

“Yes Sir.”

Gunner Perkins left and the brig commander yelled, “Sergeant!”

A staff sergeant walked in and the brig commander said, “We have a new guest.  Take care of him.”

“Yes Sir.”

The sergeant escorted me down the hall and through the door at the end.  We were in a very large room.  A chain link fence stretched across the room from wall to wall.  A small gate was in the center of it.

“New meat Sergeant Turner.”  Sergeant Turner I was to learn was the turnkey.  He let people in and out of the gate.

“What’s your name private?” Sergeant Turner asked as I walked through the gate into the room.  

“Sivertson Sir.”

“Louder word not allowedbird Sivertson.”

“Sivertson Sir!”

“Follow me word not allowedbird Sivertson.”

I was led to the wall at the far end of the room where a poster was hanging on the wall.  These were the eight rules.

Sergeant Turner told me to strip down.  I took off my shirt and T-Shirt.  He said all the way.  I dropped my pants and shorts to the floor.

“word not allowedbird Sivertson read the brig rules aloud.”

“I will not speak to other prisoners.”

Whap!  I felt a sharp blow to my left buttock.  I turned around and saw Sergeant Turner had walloped me with his baton wrapped in a towel.  I later learned this prevented bruises from appearing on my body.
“Turn around word not allowedbird Sivertson.  Keep reading.  Don’t turn around again.”

“I will not bring food from the messhall.”

Whap!  My right buttock.

“I will ask the duty NCO for permission to use the head.”

Whap! My upper left leg.

“I will always address the guards, duty NCO and turnkey as sir.”

Whap! My lower right leg.

“I will wash and change my clothes once a week.”

Whap!  My lower left leg.

“I will write one letter home a week and leave the envelope unsealed.”

Whap!  My upper right leg.

“I will not wear my cover inside the building.”

Whap!  My right buttock.

“Get dressed word not allowedbird Sivertson”

I pulled up my shorts and pants and put on my T-shirt and dungaree shirt.

“Don’t take it personally,” I said to myself.  Just do what yu are told.

I didn’t have to endure the blows again.  I made an effort to behave myself.  “This too will pass.”

Sergeant Turner led me to a rack with a rolled up mattress on it.  “This is yours word not allowed bird Sivertson.  Now follow me.”

He led me to a wall locker and opened to door.  It was full of linen.  He threw me a couple of sheets and a pillowcase and told me to go back and make up my rack.  

I took my time but made it up as quickly as I could.  A blanket and pillow had been rolled up in the mattress.  When I had made up the rack Sergeant Turner asked me what I was in for.

“My commanding officer told me I started a riot sir.”  Sergeant Turner laughed.  

“Well, you better not start any riots in here word not allowedbird.  Now stand by your rack.  No sitting down.”
 
I stood for what seemed to be an hour.  I was alone in that room with Sergeant Turner.

Then he called me over and opened the desk drawer and handed me a sack.  Inside was a toothbrush, toothpaste, a bar of soap, a razor, a wash cloth and a towel.  He told me to go back and stand next to my rack.

“Sergeant sir, may I have permission to use the head?”

“What for!”

“I have to take a word not allowed sir.”

“Are your back teeth floating yet?”

“No sir.”

“Then you don’t have to go”

I stood there. A while longer.

“Sergeant sir, may I have permission to use the head?”

“Are your back teeth floating yet?”

“Yes Sir.”

“Let me see!  Open your mouth word not allowedbird.”

I opened my mouth and he looked inside.

“No, not yet!”

I was getting desperate.

“Sergeant sir, may I have permission to use the head?”

Sergeant Turner chuckled and said, “Yeah, word not allowedbird, go ahead.  It’s at the far end of the room.”

I almost ran to the end of the room where the head was located and relieved myself.

When I came out the cage door was open and other prisoners were filing in.  We were told to fall in beside our racks.  Sergeant Turner made a cursory inspection and then said, “We have a new word not allowedbird with us today.  Get washed up and get ready to march to chow.”

We numbered about a dozen.  Then we prisoners were marched to the chow hall after everyone else on the base had been fed.  We lined up and went through the chow line with our trays and cups.  One of the guards told us to take anything we wanted but we had to eat everything on the tray.

We sat at a table and were not allowed to talk except to ask for condiments.  I didn’t feel very hungry so I didn’t take much.  We ate in silence.  Two guards were standing at each end of the table armed only with 45s in their holsters and night sticks.

After we had finished our meal we marched back to the brig and were assembled in the yard outside the building.  We were allowed to talk in the yard.  I was asked what I was in for and I told them for inciting a riot.  When I told them the circumstances they became somewhat sympathetic and I got the nickname ‘Rabble Rouser’.

My bunk mate was young Mexican kid.  He was getting a BCD (Bad Conduct Discharge) for being AWOL the third time.  He had a girl friend in Tokyo and whenever he got a weekend pass he extended it to a week or two.

That was his nickname, ‘AWOL’.  In the brig we answered to our nicknames. AWOL was my bunk mate.  He had the upper bunk.  His real name was Sanchez.

In the yard I asked him what he was going to do when he got out.  It would be hard getting a job with a BCD on his record.  He told me he didn’t care.

He was going back to his father’s farm in Mexico.  He said, “The cow, she don’t care I have a BCD.  She steel gives milk.  The Cheekens don’t care I have a BCD, the cheekens still lay eggs.  The field don’t care I have a BCD.  They steel grow peppers and tomatos.”

I liked AWOL.  He smiled all the time.  He was happy.  He was going home after he served his sentence.

The lights went out at 9 o’clock.  I didn’t sleep well that night.  I was worried what the next day would bring.  But no sooner had I finally dozed off I heard a terrible racket.  The turnkey was rattling an empty Coke bottle inside an empty courogated garbage can and screamng, “Drop your cocks and grab your socks.  Wake up and word not allowed, the world’s on fire!”

We all got up and went to the head where we washed our faces, brushed our teeth, and shaved.  Then we stood at attention next to our racks and the turnkey walked up and down the squadbay inspecting our beds.  There were always one or two that hadn’t been made right and the turnkey would yank everything to floor and admonish the poor souls who had to make thier racks over again.  It was boot camp Part II.

Then it was a half hour of calisthenics followed by a half hour of close order drill.  Then we marched to the chow hall and stood at attention in ranks until the last base troop had been fed.  Then as the evening before at dinner, we filed in and got our breakfast.  Breakfast for the prisoners, or brig rats as we called ourselves, was a cup of coffee, a spoon full of beans, and a hard boiled egg.  The regular breakfast of sausage or bacon and eggs and toast was for the regular troops, not for us.

After breakfast we marched back to the brig where a two trucks were waiting for us.  We climbed in and were driven to a field full of rocks.  We had to gather these rocks, large enough that we could only carry one at a time, and piled them into one of the trucks.  It drove away after we had filled it and soon came back for anther load.

At lunch time C-Rations were passed out and that’s what we had for lunch along with water.  We had a half hour to finish eating.  Then it was back to the loading the trucks.  I was told the rocks were going to be used to line the roads and flagpole on the base as a ‘beautification’ project.  The prisoners that were left behind in the morning cleaned up the rocks, placed them along sie the road, and painted them white.

Finally the truck with the last load of rocks returned and we climbed in and returned to the brig where the evening routine started over again.  Clean up, go to chow, relax in the yard, and go to bed.  I slept well that night.

I did this for three days.

On the fourth day we had just gotten back to the rock field and started loading the truck when a jeep pulled up.

“word not allowedbird Sivertson get in the jeep.”  I climbed in and we drove back to the brig.  

Gunner Perkins was standing by his jeep talking to his buddy, the brig commander.  I got out of the jeep and the Gunner asked me if I had learned my lesson.  I saluted and almost shouted, “Yes sir!” Then he told me to get in his jeep and we drove back to South Camp.

The Gunner told me to cleaned up, change into my regular uniform with the corporal stripes on the sleeves and report to the captain.

I knocked on the open door, walked in, stood at attention and said, “word not allowed bir....I mean Corporal Sivertson reporting as ordered sir.”

The captain smiled and asked me how I enjoyed my liberty.  I said, “It was miserable sir.”

He said, “Well, my company clerk has been gone for four days and his desk is piled up with work.  Thrice up and turn to!”

I replied, “Yes sir!” did an about face, and headed for my desk.

You might say Gunner Perkins took pity on me.  I avoided an Article 15 and a reduction in rank, but I did pay dearly for it.  And I got an appreciation of what life was like in the brig.  I never went back.
 

Mods please close this thread. It has gone WAY OT. 

3 hours ago, birdguy said:

THE BRIG

Cool story.

Thanks.

Cheers

Gentlemen, can I refer you to the title of this topic. No more life stories please.

On 9/14/2021 at 5:07 PM, dave2013 said:

Is it really necessary for a mission simulator to have scenery like MSFS?

Necessary, no, advantageous, yes. In this role, P3D is basically used for rehearsing an actual operation a lot of the time, whereby you want your people who are going to do the real mission to be completely familiar with the terrain on the ingress, egress, and the layout of the mission area. This is why P3D  has accurate littoral waters, yet doesn't have sloped runways; the former feature is essential for a mission simulator, the latter whilst it would be nice, isn't necessary at all for a mission simulator. It's also why they really don't care too much about the ATC simulation either. Nor will Lockheed Martin give a toss if P3D has, or has not, got any 'study sim' add-on aeroplanes either; they make the real things and can access them all day long if they like. It's great fun to mess about with of course, but it's called 'Prepared', and not 'Pretend 737 Captain' for a reason.

P3D in terms of being a mission simulator is the modern equivalent of bank robbers with the Dinky Toy cars on the kitchen table and a few boxes to represent buildings and streets, to rehearse where everyone will be, and when, for the blag they're about to pull off. The advantage here with a digital version, is that an army mission planner can record how a mission is supposed to play out in terms of troop drops, positions etc, and play this in a briefing to everyone on the mission, so everyone involved has a good situational awareness of the mission they are about to do for real.

Thus it isn't really necessary for a mission simulator to have an especially good flight model, because anyone slated for flying such a mission for real, would only really be using P3D to familiarise themselves with what they're expecting to see out of the window at important points of the mission. This is why it has a simulated NVG mode. It's not like some UH-60 Blackhawk pilot would ever be using it to teach them how to fly their chopper; if they did, then something has gone badly wrong with pilot training in that army. 🤣