Pilot Introductions

[Luke_Howard]

Hello everyone, I am relatively new at simming. My home airport (PATK in Talkeetna, AK) has a mechanical/computer simulator and I have received a few hours of dual using a program called Elite which I have not seen anywhere else although it can also run MSFS and xplane but my instructor did not show me how to use those. I have free access to that machine and have about 10 hours solo on it using Elite. I enjoyed that simulator enough to invest in a copy of MSFS and started trying to learn to use that at home about a month ago.

I learned to fly Cessna 150s when I was 14 and had a PPL when I was 17. During undergraduate school I worked at FBOs gassing GA planes - everything from J3s to DC6s - in Winston-Salem and Chapel Hill, NC. I started working on the instrument while working at the FBO but then ended up getting married and practicing law for 27 years. Two years ago I decided to follow my dream of flying bush planes and found a job gassing planes in bush Alaska. The avgas I was pumping was $9.51 /gal so I did not get to fly much until I found a job in balmy Talkeetna. I am operating fuel trucks which I think is good mental training for the operation of complex machines after pushing a pencil for so long. Since coming here I have logged about 40 hours mostly in taildraggers - an Aeronca Champ, Citabria, and a Pacer. I also rent a 1957 Tripacer which I have flown xcountry to ANC and Fairbanks.

I have found that the machines operate the same as they did 40 years ago and the avionics are about the same (except for GPS, I thought that was for geochaching . What has really changed is the ATC system which I remember as being quite relaxed compared to now. I got my butt handed to me the first time I flew into Merrill Field. But I am learning and excited to learn and I can attest that you CAN teach an old dog new tricks it just takes a bit longer. Thankful for the knowledgeable and very patient controllers at PilotEdge.

Caio,
Luke

[bbuckley]

Welcome Luke. You'll find flying PE is the best thing ever for sharpening up the ATC comm and procedures skills. You're living my dream. Only been to Talkeetna once but I'd love to spend some time there flying in the summers, not so much the winters. do you fly the ski's to Denali?
Bruce

[Luke_Howard]

Welcome Luke. You'll find flying PE is the best thing ever for sharpening up the ATC comm and procedures skills. You're living my dream. Only been to Talkeetna once but I'd love to spend some time there flying in the summers, not so much the winters. do you fly the ski's to Denali?
Bruce

I haven't landed on any of the glaciers in the Alaska Range although I practiced some landings at some of the lakes (Chelatna, Pineapple) on skis last spring - All with an instructor. I've also done some flying in the Talkeetna Mountains which has some glaciers where you can practice glacier landings. The one time I went up there with an instructor the wind was too strong to attempt a landing on the glacier. For now I am concentrating on the instrument rating requirements.

[bbuckley]

Very cool (pun intended). This is a great place to work on IFR procedures and comm and the knowledgeable folks from PE on this forum are superb about helping out. If I can help in any way don't hesitate to ask or PM.

[JonFly]

Hello PE World
My name is Jon. On PE I am N572DX or N572CQ. I am new to PE and have really enjoyed my time here. I started flying on the computer in 1986. I had a Macintosh and I even brought my mac to school and gave the class a demo of what flight simulation was all about. They recorded the presentation, I wish I had a copy of that recording! Here is a video of the 1986 Macintosh version of the sim.

https://youtu.be/Xqd1uvklnpI

I have 30 hours in the real world, most of this was logged out of Oakland, CA around 2001. I flew a PA28 and a 172. It is a real shame that I have misplaced the logbook as those 30 hours would be very helpful when I restart my PPL training this spring.

I am now a V2 rated pilot, studying for V3. I look forward to graduating to the I ratings. Right now I am flying the A2A 172 and just purchased the A2A 182. For awhile I will be in GA aircraft on PE and hope to one day advance to the NGX that is sitting on the sidelines for now.

I am really torn now between my fully decked out P3D and starting over with X-plane. I see so many here on that platform and there has to be numerous reasons for that. flight dynamics being one of the most obvious so far.

I run the largest P3D User group on Facebook, 2,172 members so far. I guess I could run both X and P3D, nothing says I can't.

If you have not seen my video on how I use a 40 inch 4k HDTV for my sim, check it out

https://youtu.be/ztopY90Pu9A

Outside of flying I really enjoy golf, fantasy football, fantasy golf, geocaching, Morse code on my Ham Radio (I can run about 25 wpm), skiing, travel, movies, all types of music (except Jazz).

I hope to meet some of you over the next year and also look forward to the first PE Conference in Vegas!

[lwilliams]

I love the video from the 1986 version of the sim, Jon!

Flight simulation has come a long way. Thanks for posting, it put a grin on my face.

Lee

[JonFly]

Thanks Lee, yes it amazes me that back then I had so much fun with it. I was 14 and I got a kick out figuring out my position based on two VORs! I still remember using a pencil and drawing the lines that intersect! What will simulators look like 30 years from now?

[micro314]

Hey all,
Finally did my first flight on the network tonight after about half a dozen times of logging on and listening and being terrified to say anything on the mic and disconnecting. Was awesome to finally dive in and call for a VFR clearance, and I can't wait to get back on and fly some more!

Thanks to all the pilots and controllers on the network, and particularly the streamers and YouTubers (Keith, catstrator, helipilot, Mark) whose videos I've watched and rewatched and watched again in hopes of not making mistakes. I'll have to start recording and streaming some video myself so you can all have a good laugh at my wobbly flying. See you all again soon!

--Mike

[tshuff]

Hey all,
Finally did my first flight on the network tonight after about half a dozen times of logging on and listening and being terrified to say anything on the mic and disconnecting. Was awesome to finally dive in and call for a VFR clearance, and I can't wait to get back on and fly some more!

Thanks to all the pilots and controllers on the network, and particularly the streamers and YouTubers (Keith, catstrator, helipilot, Mark) whose videos I've watched and rewatched and watched again in hopes of not making mistakes. I'll have to start recording and streaming some video myself so you can all have a good laugh at my wobbly flying. See you all again soon!

--Mike

The hardest call is the first one . Good to see another Masshole on the network.

[stealthbob]

The hardest call is the first one . Good to see another Masshole on the network.

..I have to admit, I had to look that one up.

Mike, welcome to your new addiction. I thought I would just try the free two weeks trial...certainly I would not get involved enough to pay. I ended up really enjoying the experience so I thought I would give it a month, surely I would tire and move along. Well after a couple of monthly Subs I just gave in and eventually bought the year....