I read Cameron MacDonald's Op-Ed article discussing the future of flightsimming. In my reply to him, one of the issues I raised was exactly how far away complex virtual reality flight simulators would be. Not everyone has access to the funds needed to purchase full-motion flight simulators used by the airlines and the military. But virtual reality is currently being developed.

An obvious solution to make the flightsimming experience 'as real as it gets' would be to use a complex virtual reality system where you actually feel as though you are sitting in the cockpit. Add to this improved communication systems and advanced simulated ATC, and I feel that we would be getting pretty close to our goal.

I know that virtual reality is still in its infancy, however I am also aware that technology in computing is advancing at an exponential rate. I am a keen flightsim pilot of both military and commercial aviation types, though I confess that my knowledge about computer science and computer research and development is rather limited. Therefore I am not qualified enough to predict if or when a simulation of this nature would be available. So if anyone has any ideas on this subject, I would appreciate the feedback.

Hugo de Vos
Perth, Western Australia
hdevos52@hotmail.com