Do You Think Flight Simulator Should Be Fun?

Rip! Thump! Crumple! Crash!

The blizzard of Christmas wrapping paper flew everywhere.

Our daughter was about five when Santa brought a Commodore-64 and laid it so-carefully by our Scottsdale-inspired Christmas Tree.

The computer was for the kids, of course. Education, literacy, mind-stimulating games.

Oh yes. There was also a cartridge for subLOGIC Flight Simulator.

Oh, come on. You too? Who could argue that Flight Simulator was anything but a mind-stimulating game?

Since it was there, might as well put it to good use. Thus began my attempt to master subLOGIC/Microsoft Flight Simulator.

Over the years, I've purchased a couple of copies of Version 3, something around 1997, 2004 Edition and now FS-Sim X.

On several occasions, I sat down and tried to work thru the lessons. That I didn't make it past lesson three is no reflection on the lessons (they are, and remain, great), it's a reflection that...well, it wasn't fun. I thought flying Flight Simulator should be fun...something like the joy of flying a real airplane.

• In 2001, I earned my Pilot's Certificate. Today, I am an instrument-rated private-pilot with over 600 hours of logged flight time...including helicopters, aerobatics and seaplanes.

For years, friends would call me up with a familiar refrain: "I {bought/was given a present of} Flight Simulator...I don't have the time to take the lessons...can't you just tell me how to have fun with it?"

Yes. So much so that, today, I'm on a mission to put the Fun into Flight Simulator.

My new website offers a series of easy "Fun Flights." If you're like me--and my friends--and you just want to have fun with Flight Simulator, check out http://www.funflightsim.com/.

(I hasten to say, these Fun Flights are not flight training.)

After having some fun, if you want to be a serious student of aviation, there's always the great lessons included with Flight Simulator and available from other third-parties.

This blog is for you, me and everyone that just wants to have fun with Flight Simulator.

Thanks for reading this, and remember: keep the shiny side up and the rubber side down.

Have Fun,
Plane Wryter

Putting the Fun into Flight Simulator
http://www.funflightsim.com/