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Kukailimoku

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  1. Hello, I haven't "flown" in years and am dying to come back to it. I vaguely remember I worked long and hard and it was the dickens to avquire, configure, and integrate all the different add-onn applications to go along with FSX. Now I am having massive chicken-or-the-egg problems with coming back in to the hobby. For one, I cannot remember how to properly start each program in correct order. For another, almost everything requires an update by now and many of the programs' updates button go to a 404 error webpage today. Additionally, I'm not sure how to update them smartly (when even able) so as not to break the connectivity betwixt them all. In what order do I launch each program? And which do I first have to visit a website for login vs opening the app and logging in there???? I have (in no particular order) FSX (obviosuly) PMDG's 747 Queen of the Skies II SimBrief Downloader smartCARS Active Sky for FSX 2016 (and AS16 weather Companion) Navigraph FMS Data VATSpy VPilot LINDA (for my Honeycomb Bravo) FS2Crew Please help me un-fuk myself and rejoin this hobby in a matter fitting for the long-haul 747 freight ops I used to do in my old VA. Thanks all...
  2. I keep it fresh several ways. I chose really interesting real-world special flights. For example, a C-130 or C-5 to Antarctica. Or I imagine I'm carrying cargo charter to the DoD (MoD for you Euros) to Shemya (there is a listening radar there for Soviet ICBMs). Or there's an antenna farm in northern Thailand. Sometimes those places need a very quick spare part. Or, I take some real-world event, like a tsunami or hurricane/typhoon, and I pretend to be doing SAR or Relief flights into the area, or refugees out of the area. Sometimes I do multiples - I'll fly in a 747 cargo to a main airport, a C-130 (or any civilian regional STOL type plane) from the main airport to a remote strip. Then I'll fly some helos to distribute the goods in odd places, or within the city. Mostly though I fly on VATSIM. The only drawback I have to VATSIM is time. It takes a long time to fly anyway in VATSIM of serious distance (because you cannot time-accelerate), and even if you fly short regionals it always is a long time in VASTIM because you have to figure out where there are controllers now, how long they'll be on - you don't want to invest 30 mins of pre-flight and one hour of flight time just to get to TOD and the freaking controller at your destination sgings off! Then after you figure a nice routing with controllers you have to google the charts, aerodrome diagrams, program your FMC (because nowadays it is a b1tch if you don't fly RNAV and FMC), yada yada yada... Extreme enjoyment but I find it's hard to do a "correct" vatsim flight in less than 1:30-2 hours. For the past six months or so I've kept FSX extremely interesting, fresh, and engaging by purchasing the PMDG 747. Big fan. Huge. That thing is uber realistic. They have no-BS one hour and 90 mins pre-flight start-up states! Again, downside is you need time. There is an engine-running state, but still, you gotta get charts, figure out a route, program the FMC - you're still looking at 15 mins or so before even getting off the ground. I'm not grumbling, i find it highly entertaining, just giving an honest "cons" to all the "pros". To keep FSX at it's most fresh, I sometimes combine all three: Fly the PMDG 747 with a 50 mins pre-flight state, do it on VATSIM, and fly to or from interesting airfields. For example, if the VATSIM controllers action is at LAX that day I'll fly into or out of that Air Force Plant 42 in Palmdale (where they made the SR-71 and U-2). Or if Boston is action I'll choose that air force base just west of Boston city instead of flying into/out of Logan. Sometimes you get interesting conversations about your "special" destination/origin and missions, and you can just tell em 'nothing to see here, citizen, go back to your life". I especially love flying into a very busy VATSIM session or "Event" as they call it without pre-signing up for a slot on their website. Sure, they make me hold a lot, or my departure can get delayed, but it sure is fun piling onto the ruckus at a busy event, especially unannounced. I also love to go into a busy terminal area during a well-populated Event and choose an airport near, but not the actual Event airport. For example, gatwick instead of everyone is at heathrow. Or some old Naval Air Station (now abandoned) around the Bay instead of SFO where everybody else is going. One time there was a VATSIM Event for Daytona Beach coinciding with NASCAR Daytona 500. Now the VATSIM people didn't advertise it, but it was public knowledge that the President was going to visit the race, so when I flew in I was bumped to make room for Air Force One! Now usualy you're not allowed to play emergency or hijack or AF1 in the VATSIM, but since it was a real-life happening I guess they let it happen. There was an entourage of planes with AF1: AF2, some military cargo planes, a whole bunch. I was flying in some cars and parts for some of the race teams in my Kalitta cargo 747 and the controllers had the nerve to ask me to move to a different apron just as I was about to shut down the engines! Something about security and distance for the Prez, and whatnot!! All those little oddities and misadventures keep it fresh. So in summary, the two biggest things are doing it live with real people (i.e. VATSIM) and getting a hyper realistic add-on (i.e. PMDG 747).
  3. Hello, I'd like to begin by saying I am NOT - repeat NOT - looking for answer about using "S" key to cycle and then using the "A" key to cycle within those sub-views. I am also NOT asking about the Shift+1, Shift+2 series of keys/views either. I am talking about in FSX where you can right-click -> cockpit -> virtual cockpit (or Overhead Lower Panel) (or Pedestal) (or Observer 1 Seat)... I want to be able to map a single key on my keyboard so that it equals Right Click -> mouse over 'Cockpit', the sub-menu opens up -> Left Click 'Overhead Lower Panel'. In other words, I don't want to have to right click and move my hand driving the mouse to select the sub-item every time. In stressful situations it can be hard to take the time for fine motor movement like that. I want a single keyboard key to bring up the VC cockpit sub-view for Overhead Lower Panel. I also want another single key to bring up the VC sub-view for Pedestal. Note, I am NOT talking about keys that bring up Menu -> Views -> Instrument Panel -> Radios. I want to access the radios by the VC's sub-view of Pedestal, NOT pull up a small pop-up window of a radio stack. Obviously not all planes have "Overhead Lower Panel", and I have a specific plane in mind, but that part is immaterial. You know what I mean when I say right-click/cockpit/X or right-click/cockpit/Y etc. Does anyone know where in the Settings to map that?
  4. Anyone know how to make the paratroopers drop in Manfred/Visser C-47v3?
  5. I stop playing it for a year. Then get the bug and play it for a few weekedns and stop for a year again. Seriously, I always get the itch to play and what always breaks it for me are the dearth of live flying to do. I've tried joining VAs, but then after a few routes, flying VA solo gets just as old as sandbox solo - moreso, as in VA you are scripted by the airline procedure, or route. What really ticks me off about live online flying are a few things: 1. No one on at my leisure hours (I'm in Hawaii). Except maybe some eastern Euros who I can't understand their accents when flying inside VATSIM. 2. The incessant incompatibility between ones favorite plane (freeware, usually, but sometimes 3rd-party payware as well) of the week, and some FSSInn bug, or some VATSIM donload problem. 3. By the time I stumble into a VATSIM session at , oh, say... EGLL where the controllers are active, and I find a decent destination at , oh, say, scotland or germany...and I have to hustle to find charts and STARs and SIDs and airport diagrams (usually AirNav.com is a decent place to look) for both airports, only to find that any one or several of the freaking controlers have signed off. Okay, jump to Auckland...where to...THERE! Sydney! Okay, back to AirNav.com, get the SID, back into game. Oh wait, what?! Different runway/SID?! Kr@p! Back to airnav... got em, okay, file flight plan... 5h1t! controller just announced he's shutting down in 5 mins... Okay, taxing, take of, crusie. Nice..That was fun, FINALLY. Time ti switch to sydney approach. Where's the contro- dang it! They logged off too! %$$@%!!!#$@%! Turn off FSX. Log into World of Tanks. Ahhhhh! 12-minute matches, over and over and over again until I decide I'm done. Continue in WoT and Wolrd of Warships for seven months, go to dentist office, read a Flying magazing about an old C-47 flight along north coast of New Guinea in WWII. Think to self: "wow, that would be could fun! Gotta get home, dust off FSX (if it's even still installed after my last hard drive reimaging) and fly this route!" Get home, get back into FSX.... Boring. Lets download some scnery. Software conflicts. KR@p. Let's get back into VATSIM... Lather, Rinse, Repeat.
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