Aaron R. Swindle
I began my flight simulation experience back with FS5.1. I had an old
DOS machine that had only a case speaker. The prop sound on the 150
sounded like the Wheel of Fortune ticker/snicker. I began to play
with the sounds with the advent of FSFW95. It was a tricky business; I
hadn't learned to use the editing tools that were available. I
began to edit the Hz and play back rate with a small amount of
success. I downloaded some of
Mike Hambly's
work and got very excited about the sounds he was getting out of some
of the default wave files. I found a freebie-editing program and off
I went. I soon found out it was a chore to manipulate and reproduce
the sounds with correct volume, balance, stereo and RPM consistency.
Schooling? Trial and error add infinitum, and some help from Mike.
When FS98 hit the shelves, I was ecstatic, I think Mike was also. We
had more and more to work with.
By the time FS2000 hit the market, I was up to speed and trying some
new things each day. I don't know the actual hours I have in
simming, it's a googol I'm sure. I'm certified to fly solo
in the 172II Skyhawk at my home field, bu need some cross country to
finish my ticket. I was raised all over the country, including a few
years in Rota, Spain. My dad was an aircraft mechanic for the U.S. Navy. I
guess all those engine sounds just got stuck in my head over the
years. I love the challenge in trying to produce very realistic sound
packages for the simming hobby. The reward is always those e-mails
that say "Hey Stretch: I used to fly that aircraft and you got
the sound right!"The nickname ("Stretch") was coined on me by my good friend Dick Johnson, retired pilot, who came up flying a...you guessed it, a Piper J-3 Cub!
I live in the beautiful Shenandoah Valley in southwest Virginia. Flying around these hills and mountains is a treat. My home airfield is W45, Luray Caverns. It's a 1000' right hand approach, down hill all the way!
Aaron R. Swindle
ARSpilot@netscape.net