Hi, I am Dan and I think I am becoming an addict...

[EHM-2585 Dan]

I never meant to get into flight simulators, but back in the summer my 13 year old son got Flight Sim X for his birthday. As I have been obsessed with planes for a long time I sat and used it with him to see how good it was. Now a few months later I seem to spend a lot of time on it (more than he does!) and have been looking longingly at the dedicated flight simulator rigs and bits of planes set up in the garages... I think I am becoming addicted... is this normal?

[EHM-1997 Alexander]

Hey Dan,

Perfectly   You were already interested in aircraft, so I think it's more your interest coming out than a spiralling addiction.

Like any hobby, moderate yourself so it doesn't negatively affect your work or family life.

I tend to go through bursts of activity, others a more steady regular simming.

I think we'd all love a full cockpit setup in the garage, but most make do with other approximations as both money and wife approval allows. At the moment, I have a yoke, pedals, 2 saitek throttle quadrants and a VRInsight MCP and a trackIR. I'd love a full replica, but at the same time I enjoy flying a variety of aircraft, so a more generic setup is probabaly better for me.

As you're fairly new to the hobby, I'd say pace yourself and see if the interest lasts before converting the rooms and dressing the family in air steward uniforms Try a few addons and see what you prefer to fly - GA, heavy metal, study sims or jump in and fly planes. Your tastes may also change over time as your simming grows in experience.

It's a great hobby, enjoy it and remember - you only get one life.

Flight simulation - Enjoy responsibly™  

[EHM-1749 Hector]

Maybe I am lucky here. My wife always wanted to become a stewardess. So she understands my long hours flying here. Last month I had an emergency when the gear didn't deploy and I had to goaround. Incredible as it may sound for a guy using FS since FS1 (it was sub-logic) back in 1984 I didn't know that if you could press and hold (without even blink an eye) the G key then you could deploy the landing gear. I couldn't do it because I have a Saitek with throttle in my left hand and the joystick in my rigth hand. So, I look desperately around and there she was: my wife was watching her favorite CSI program. I asked her for help and she inmediately agreed to help but I had to circle around until the commercial break.
She did her job and I could safely land.
Just for those married guys: I have been married to my wife for 33 years. The Secret? Every week we go out for dining and dancing. She goes on Tuesdays. I go on Fridays.
Last week I was in Bogota and arrived last night in Panama to spend a week with my son and family. And my wife. Hope to be back home next week to resume my flying job.

[EHM-2589 David]

Yes Hector You're, for me is complicated in order to conciliate FS and family commitments, but I only have a game-pad and I like so much FS, I think is like a dream, because when I was child planes likes me a lot and right now still my interest intact

[EHM-2589 David]

Alex you're right too

It's a great hobby, enjoy it and remember - you only get one life.

and enjoy responsibly, what a sages words I think EHM is the best VA community for simmers and more than a VA, is a real community. Thanks all of you EHM's simmers.