wcschulz3

Companies need to "optimize" profits over time, in order to "maximize" returns to all of their stakeholders--including shareholders. Companies that seek to "maximize profits in the short run" are much more likely to crash and burn over time.The key point is the time-horizon for which people and company's are willing to call "short/vs long-run". Unfortunately, Wall Street behavior has turned the market into a real-time (micro second trades) casino--rather than a place where folks can make reasonable assessments of risk/return as they seek to back individual or groups of companies.I'd agree that the "traders" have show excessive greed in the world markets the past 30 years--with virtually no tangible benefits to show for it. That is "greed", as Fr. Bill discussed it above.Individual companies trying to make money, now and in the future, get that such "greed" is counterproductive.Which ongoing concerns in our flight sim community have been "greedy"? The only couple I can think of are either ignored in this community, or are long gone....ThanksBill

Wow...someone shows genuine enthusiasm for a product, and for the excellent follow-up service from the company, and you are complaining that it sounds like an advertisement....seems like a kinda harsh response on your part.I too am a Sim-Saavy customer--and the service its owner provides is top-shelf.This is not an ad, but rather support for a very exciting and good product produced by an entrepreneur who cares. You'd think we'd want to see more such support in our hobby, instead of cynical accusations.BillKGYH

Great news...this is such a fantastic place, and it's super to have it so well done in FSX.I filmed a short documentary on "Magic One", a wonderful 1929 Travel Air (available here at Avsim), based at KORS. (see http://www.flyelectra.com/ then scroll to bottom or this link for short video-- http://www.flyelectra.com/images/Trailer_v2_w_Narr_lowres.wmv )If you ever get a chance to visit the San Juans, visit Rod at Magic Air Tours...you won't regret it...what a ride!I'd love to know, from early users, if the Orcas hotel, right at the Orcas Island ferry, is modeled?BillKGYH

Not sure if the engine "stress" disable works on the P-51. You are flying at too high an RPM, and need to activate the coolant injection--which is a flip switch on the right, center of the panel. You have to watch the quantity gauge as well, lest you run out of coolant (upper right on panel).Also, even in coolant mode, stay in the upper yellow range of RPM and manifold pressure...Hope that helpsBill

Team KBT has a wonderful L-188 Electra, as freeware, in the Combi version, right here at Avsim. Perhaps someone could do a Buffalo re-paint.I've heard that the channel that has the reality series on Buffalo in Canada, will be releasing a full-season DVD in the US soon...can't wait!BillKGYH

I'm flying version 1.11 and I don't find it like the default airbus...but then I have not tried to over-rotate either :) Of course, when able, I hand fly the landings (computers off), so I can't verify landing behavior with the full computers activated. I cheat in doing so, but I really like hand flying--and have the Airbus because I fly if for business travel a lot (passenger) and like the bird....Bill

"Form over function, gadgets rule, life and the things therein should be as easy as eating and drinking, thinking is obsolete, not wanted and avoided by people".Let's see, the "whole point" of the Airbus, according to some above, is that pilots don't have to work, or think, or do manual stuff to fly the airplane. Why, it's even the Airbus core for being--to build an airplane where the gadgets rule, and flying is as easy as eating and drinking, and typing in that STARS, so the computers can do all the work.I wonder how many Airbus accidents have occurred precisely because when the computers get confused, and give the airplane back to the "pilots"---they can't do much with it.Please--at least strive for some consistency of thinking. The real Airbus, according to your logic, is the peak manifestation of "thinking is obsolete"...Don't get me wrong, I feel as comfortable in the real world as a passenger in an Airbus or a Boeing--but really--to equate a complex piece of software that models an extraordinarily complex aircraft to a "middling" degree, hardly signals the downfall of western thinking.Bill

Hi Tim...thanks for the information. I love my CS 727 in many ways, but was really disappointed with the sounds, and was considering the TSS set for FS9 to use in FSX for that.....but, for the 707, it had such a unique whine and loudness to it---how is the soundset? For me, the soundsets are worth $20 alone if they are spot on--and without such, I'm going to have to wait.So, how are the sounds?ThanksBillKGSP

Man...just when I thought I could put the iPad out of my mind (love my iPhone...but hard to justify the iPad so far...but if FSX come out...it's a new game....Anyway, some thoughts---Being able to have the standard GPS, or other customized interfaces for GPS would be nice--as would being able to see the VASF-ACARS functions (you might want to talk with the designer of that set of programs--but it would allow folks to run FSX in full-screen mode and still see VASF-ACARS info---would be very cool)...Interfacing the REX weather radar, and or weather information could be very useful as well....Just some thoughts...very exciting--now I'm back into the "maybe I'll think about an iPad" mode....Would any of your FSX apps work for the iPhone??? That could be killer for you....BillKGYH

Hi all. Of course, this is all in the eyes of the beholder. The fact that there is any "custom" texturing is a plus, given the difficulty of obtaining high res in this area of the world. The issue as to whether this should be payware or not is settled, it is payware, and evidently I am not the only one to appreciate the product and its value.I have my reasons for enjoying this particular rarity, and am glad that the product exists. Is it perfect, no. What is? I took my chances, and I like the product--others may not. Our differences in opinion is what makes a market a market, and we should enjoy those differences rather than argue about them.ThanksBill

I've been using AE for FSX for about two weeks---I like it very mush, especially with the new AI sound update (allows you to hear from within your cockpit), which was a good response to customer complaints.All in all, very well done, within the constraints of FSX...and if you fly any of the default aircraft, even better!BillKGYH

Hi. First, I'm a big fan of the Aleutian Islands, and Dutch Harbor in particular, as I filmed a documentary on Reeve Aleutian Airways L-188 operations, and have a couple of in-cockpit, exciting, approaches into Dutch on film (www.flyelectra.com). So I might be biased :)Having said that, the Aerosoft Dutch Harbor package is outstanding and makes flying into this incredibly difficult area and approach well worth the price. Framerates are excellent on my two year old 2.6ghz computer, and flying KBT's freeware Electra (avail at Avsim) into Dutch gave me the shivers, it reminded me so much of my real experiences.So, if you like immersive approaches into highly challenging locations--and then want to explore the area by helicopter, car, or boat....and if you watch "Deadliest Catch", you need this add on! :)ThanksBillKGSP

Just a few comments. I'm a business professor (I teach entrepreneurship and strategy at the MBA and doctoral level), and want to approach this discussion from that perspective.I, for one, think that we should be quite astonished that Austin, and a very small team, have been able to build a viable and engaging flight simulator (that can be used in the proper configuration with hardware for FAA approved training), in the face of what was a huge, monolithic MS presence in the market. Sure, Austin may not have the best social grace, but very few truly great entrepreneurs (including Bill Gates, Steven Jobs) succeed because they are modest, humble, and not willing to sell their product.I've come to love both FSX (now that I have a new rig) and X-Plane, and have been importing scenery into X-Plane and enhancing panels and sounds of beautiful external models (that also fly very well), for a few months now. When conditions are IFR, I think X-Plane is far superior, while FSX is much better for VFR and for "traffic intensive" environments (which I also enjoy).Each major iteration of X-Plane has, indeed, been leaps in improvement--whereas the movement in the FS line has been very modest. If people try, and support the development of X-Plane moving forward, I think you'd be stunned at what a small, entrepreneurial, creative free-enterprise outfit can do. The MS franchise had become land-locked in a huge corporate bureaucracy that just months ago everyone was lamenting.We should be rooting for the upstart, brash entrepreneur. Austin will smooth out his social skills one day, but for now he's passionately engaged in a battle to build the world's best flight simulator--and a major "opponent" has just been vanquished (by suicide, it appears). So, he's earned the right to assure folks that he's taking the flag and continuing to run up-hill. I'll be running right with him as a customer.