The Covid Flights, A new concept in Multiplayer Flying

I nearly Hijacked my own response to Sibow's help request. So, what I didn't need to drag into that other thread is here...

The bulk of my flying for the last decade involves twice-a-week multiplayer flights with my on-line friends of 10 years. We added two addition COVID-ORIENTED flights a week as of two weeks ago: on Thursdays and Saturdays we now fly while maintaining 'social distancing' and stay on separate continents..... just KIDDING! but only about our location. We're 5 -7 mostly-retired ol' farts and are now actually flying an hour or so, four days a week to keep our spirits up.

We fly for an hour, starting about 1830UTC on Mon, Tue, Thur, Sat. The largest group I ever recall gathering in years gone by, was 15. Most days we're 6 active members. We communicate with Discord, we use JoinFS to connect our various versions of Flightsim: 1 always-FSX, me on FSX/P3d2.5 and the rest on 64-bit P3d. We are scenery-oriented, seriously casual fliers, seeking out the ripply parts of the map, significantly more than adhering to proper procedures... (Tony! Tony, come left; turn left. You're going the wrong way. Follow the labels!)

I'm the only active admin of our Discord channel usually around at the moment (placing me an a leadership postion, as it were - and I plan half of our weekly flights anyway) so I'm making an executive decision.

We've never "recruited" so far as I recall. No one wants to try to separate the wheat from the chaff but these are trying times.

If you can get Discord and JoinFS 1.4.34 installed; if our schedule suits your schedule; and our casual and sometimes goofy antics appeal to you, Private Message me with some basic info and sim experience (adults only please) and we will see if we can add a few people to our family. A few of us have actually met in previous years in Dallas, New Orleans and Orlando.

No formal 'rules', just be respectful of everyone else. I'm willing to try up to 6 new adoptees able to fly at US Central daylight flight time 1330. "ish". Officially, our scheduled flight time is 1400 Central US time CST/DST but people kept showing up early and we're all just sitting there at 1330 so we 'go' when it seems that 'everyone' is ready...

Otherwise, if our wonderful, scintillating personalities don't sweep you off your feet and you still want to be a part of a flying group to help your 'mental health' during troubled times I urge you to seek more fellowship in the multiplayer community. The good folks at Digital Theme Park (a gaming community) have numerous events in many sub-groups, including FlightSim and P3d. You'll need Teamspeak3, and JoinFS ver 1.4.34, I think. visit their site and get current information.

I'm -- well, never mind how old I am, but I assure you I've never, ever been THIS old before; sometime I forget things. So far, I have never forgotten to wake up in the morning. Except maybe last week when I woke up at 1215pm. If you PM me and I don't respond right away, I may be behind in my flight planning or still trying to find my way to the kitchen (once I find where I left my coffee cup). I'll try to respond in a timely manner but this is all new to me and I'm flyin' by the seat of my pants.

What you're gonna find: 4 from the US, 1 or 2 from UK, 1 from Gernany (only rarely), 1 from Israel. Average age, probably over 60 as half are retired. A retired Army Colonel who flew Hueys; a retired Air Traffic Controller; 2 retired, former aviation maintenance types and a couple of other hangers-on, 'wanna-be's'. But we do have fun.

We're English-speaking though our German and Israeli friends are bi/multi-lingual. Our Controller speaks both American and NewYorkish, and the remaining three only speak Southern with various amount of Drawl. Deal with it or get out!

I could say more but it's (oh, hell) 0350 and I need to post our flight for later today and get some sleep.

Call me; we'll do lunch....

Loyd