I’ve heard their Bonanza is good but have held off as I have the black square Bonanza. I am tempted by their B55 though, even though again I have the BS version, but it’s got the centrally mounted yoke system and central throttle arrangement as the B58 I flew years ago.

This is why I became a GA only flyer. I'm never going to find the time to learn complex airliners and fly longer routes. My flights are something 100 miles or so, usually with a Black Square or A2A GA plane. I recently bought some business jets and modern fighters, and I don't have time for them. I have BATC and like it, but chances are this weekend I'll just fly some short flights into smaller airports and just use the default ATC.

The Black Square and A2A stuff is perfect for me. While it is a "complex" addon, the planes themselves are simple enough for a single pilot to fly. I can fly the Comanche and Bonanza just from memory and a quick checklist.

I stopped flying airliners back in the FSX days. The problem isn't learning them. Most of us here can learn any aircraft with enough time. The problem is, staying "current". If you don't fly it regularly, you forget things and have to re-learn each time.

I am also now just downloading (free or cheap) airplanes and hardly flying them. Must be an addiction.

Dave

36 minutes ago, kerosene31 said:

I stopped flying airliners back in the FSX days. The problem isn't learning them. Most of us here can learn any aircraft with enough time. The problem is, staying "current". If you don't fly it regularly, you forget things and have to re-learn each time.

That is one reason I fly so many. Keeps my brain working and at my age...weird how fast you can forget. The only one that is ingrained in my brain is the 737-800. I can fly that one in my sleep. Even the Aerostar, could not remember how to start the stupid thing. Had to go online to relearn.

Inspired by a recent ride in a Warrior II, I bought JF's model (currently 50% off) and a bunch of GA airports from Burning Blue designs. I've spent a few summer evenings flying VFR around the UK using steam gauges and radios - very relaxing after a day in the office.

For me, most of the fun is learning how a new aircraft works, so even if I don't fly it that often (or at all) I still feel like I've got my money's worth :)

All of the above. 😏

I'm addicted, just as I was with FSX and P3D. I've got payware airliners coming out of my ears and still I want more - the FSS Boeing 727, the TFDi MD-11, the Inibuilds RAF Tristar tanker, Just Flight's A300 ( when it's released ). Then there is AzurPoly's Grumman Tracker coming, the Blackbird C-130J, and Flying Iron's new Spitfire. I just can't stop buying these things!

I have a few airport addons "on the shelf" myself so to speak, but one of the things I "force" myself to do is plan routes between them.
I am using Google's MyMaps app on desktop PC and whenever I purchase a new add-on airport I add an airport pin to the map. I started doing this primarily because Orbx Volanta airport scanning routine misses some installed airports I have but it also serves another purpose now.

Then when I come to fly my next flight, I am using this map as a recommendation step of what my next flight should be. I also tend to buy airports in a specific region so I can do plenty of flights within a typical 2-4 hr flying time window.

MyMaps example: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1oLlR1wEnWeqhOi5UiFd_79itlgNmOfLw/view

2nd thing, I have learned to contain "my urge"!! 🙃I purchased a lot of P3D airports in the past and as you say, they "collect dust".

I am a bit more more selective now in what I purchase and for how much. I tend to hold off and am mostly not a "instant buyer" except I will admit i bought KATL within 2 days since that airport I never flew into before in any sim.

Anyway to the OP, I wish you well on your "recovery" from add-on binging 😜

I usually cycle btwn about 8 aircraft, running each through 4 flights before moving to the next. I rarely purchase/add new aircraft without a lot of study, as I really want each purchase to be something I do more than look at.

I try to take a flight each day, but that's about the limit (wife and other responsibilities), running about 1.5 hours each . Add in about 15-20 min. prep and shut-down (20-30 for Black Square aircraft) and that's an average of 2 hours/day. I actually set up my flights based on distance, running 150-200 miles for the Kodiak up through the Longitude at 500-600 miles, giving me that 1.5 hour average.

My most recent purchases were 3 new Black Square aircraft - it will take quite a while to learn their systems, and become comfortable with their attributes, so there won't be any new purchases for a long time.

I have a mild addiction with respect to airport addons. I have around 130 payware airports installed, and I have several more on my target list. However, I am trying very hard to wait for sales before I get them. It is a challenge! 😁

7 hours ago, History said:

Work and life get busy, but even when I do have free time, I rarely touch the new stuff. The addons are great, so quality is not the issue. It just seems like the excitement of buying them was greater than the urge to actually fly them....

That's me, but it's less about life getting busy and more about being stuck in my ways, which is actually a good thing from my POV. I fly for score using Self Loading Cargo and go thru the pre and post flight rituals and despite the fact I do this nearly daily, at least once, I don't tire of it, amazingly, for decades as it were though w/ different sims and addons. Flight simming is potentially an amazingly addictive activity and the fact we spends many thousands of dollars on it is a testament to that and as has been said, ultimately it is a game. Aircraft purchases this past year have been largely a waste of money for me personally, and I half justify it by arguing I'm supporting the 3rd party dev community which is certainly true. I bought 3 planes, all biz jets, in the past 6 months and have yet to use a one of them! I am scheming on the 757 coming pretty soon I think and I'm pretty sure I will add it to my hangar of planes compatible with SLC and GSX.

I like to play with the new coolness and become proficient in the systems and buttonology but focus generally on stuff that is routinely flying IRL rather than stuff like the MD-11 or F70/100. I find that I rarely have time to do more than get the sim up to cruise before it's time to go somewhere, do something, or go to bed. Life gets in the way. And that's ok.

I like to play with the new coolness and become proficient in the systems and buttonology but focus generally on stuff that is routinely flying IRL rather than stuff like the MD-11 or F70/100. I find that I rarely have time to do more than get the sim up to cruise before it's time to go somewhere, do something, or go to bed. Life gets in the way. And that's ok.

3 hours ago, Paul K said:

I'm addicted, just as I was with FSX and P3D. I've got payware airliners coming out of my ears and still I want more - the FSS Boeing 727, the TFDi MD-11, the Inibuilds RAF Tristar tanker, Just Flight's A300 ( when it's released ). Then there is AzurPoly's Grumman Tracker coming, the Blackbird C-130J, and Flying Iron's new Spitfire. I just can't stop buying these things!

You’re really not helping 😂

Well, I am retired with no kids and not married. I do have a cat and a girlfriend 😊 I have plenty of time to sim, and that is even with me being outdoors a lot. I live in Colorado, so lots of outdoor activities to stay busy with. I Jeep quite often, camp often, do some multi day rafting trips each summer, and also run every day. I am an avid long-distance runner, so every day starts with at least a 2-mile run, most times much longer. In the winter things slow down a little, but I do enjoy skiing very much and spend about 60-70 days each winter on snow. And, I do own a house so that takes lots of upkeep and care as many of you know. But I still find time to sim at least 2-3 hours most days. I really enjoy GA, some airliner (mostly A320) and plenty of heli flying too. Mostly I spend my money on aircraft but some scenery too. Honestly, I spend more money on hardware options. I have a control setup for just about any type of aircraft you can think of, and I spend lots of time mixing and matching to find the "best" setup only to change my mind after 2-3 flights...lol!

I don't advertise this very much at all, but this topic has kind of opened the door. I served a full 28-year career in the US Army as an Infantryman and spent about 4 years of that time in combat. Towards the latter part of my career, I was wounded in combat while on a mission in a certain country. Flight simming for me has been both a therapeutic and cathartic release from a lot of the "stuff" that comes with all that. I have been simming since I was a kid, but during my career, I was only able to do it every so often (weekends when I was not also deployed...lol). After getting wounded and being very static during long months of rehab, and then retiring gave me the time and a nice option to focus on something completely different. It helps me relax and takes me away mentally from a lot of the "noise".

Anyhow, there you go. That's how I sim and use my resources (time and money) when it comes to simming. It has been a great therapeutic and cathartic outlet for me 😊