Let's Get Stim Elation By Turning Simulation Into Stimulation

By David Chettleburgh

Here's the deal. It doesn't matter whether you use MSFS, Fly!, X-Plane or whatever. I'm willing to bet that, if I asked any ten of you whether flight simulation is a game or a serious pursuit, then nine-and-a-half of you would go all po-faced and righteous on me and splutter out words to the effect of "What are you talking about? Of course it's not a game. It's a very serious activity". One or two of you might get quite vitriolic about it.

Well, I'm the point-five that's here to say "Cobblers to all that". Of course it's a game. Next to real flying it's the best game in the world you can play with your clothes on. Yes, that's right - real flying is a game too. In my book there's no distinction between playing Monopoly and being a brain surgeon in that respect. If what you are doing is so much fun that you want to eat, drink and dream about it, then it's a game. If it's something that you get paid for doing as well then you're a very lucky guy, but if it's something that's so much fun you would do anyway, come what may, then it must be a game. Otherwise, you're just a miserable old git with nothing worth while to live for.

Speaking of miserable old gits, there really do seem to be one or two in our hobby these days. I maybe wrong but I don't remember it being that way a year or two back. They know who they are. Unfortunately they often seem to be the ones that whine away most vociferously. I've read statistics that say the majority of flight-simmers are over 40 years of age so most of them don't even have the excuse of immaturity. I think their problem is that we are all getting so much for nothing. Unfortunately some people don't realise the value of a good thing unless they have to pay through the nose for it.

Let's get one thing straight. The old axiom says, "There's no such thing as a free lunch". It's wrong. There are thousands upon thousands of free lunches in our hobby. They are everywhere you look. From the cornucopia of this web site itself, to the enormous host of free add-ons that so many people spend hours, days and weeks of their lives on just for our pleasure, to all those people who are instantly ready to help, advise and solve all our problems out of the goodness of their hearts and just for the asking. You shouldn't be bitching. You should be down on your knees giving thanks. To paraphrase my hero, Winston Churchill, name me one other activity in this world where so much is given to so many by so few!

Something else. While you're all so worried about what dear old Bill and the others are or aren't going to give you in the next version of their ALREADY FANTASTIC programs, life is passing you by. Get back in there and fly it. You never know, you might enjoy it. Extra goodies are always nice but you don't need them to have fun now because you've already got the very best free addition you can possibly wish for. Do you know what that is? IMAGINATION. You've got it so use it. When you take the trouble to conjure up your own scenarios instead of plodding around from A to B then flightsimming can be anything you want it to be. You don't need anything else.

One more thing and then I'm done. I'm at fault over this one too. To quote statistics again, 40% of flightsimmers are real active pilots or (like me) ex-pilots. The other 60% have never and many may never have the privilege of that wonderful experience. Between those of us who have had the chance to soar like eagles where are the raconteurs? There is an enormous wealth of knowledge, experience, humor and just darned good flying stories that we should be passing on to those who are desperately trying to imagine what it's really like to be master of all you survey above the clouds. These anecdotes are just what they need to stimulate their enjoyment of this wonderful game that we call flightsimming. Come on Biggles, get those fingers tapping!

Right then. That's it. I've got it all off my chest now so I'm going to disappear into thin virtual air...

Newsflash: At that point David's soapbox collapsed beneath him and he actually disappeared under a pile of virtual cardboard.

David Chettleburgh
dac@soton.ac.uk

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