A personal note - New beginnings

[Anuj]

Congratulations Nick !!!!

[Northwestdc9]

So it's not enough that you have an Audi for your graduation, but now a new car?

If only I had gotten that final number on the lottery, I would have a $7.5 million ticket on my hands...one off, just $1,000.

Ah, but there's always an upgrade!
Dude, I'd so take a $1,000! Lucky! Course the 7 mil would be great too....

[Pierre Mare]

Great!!!!

Enjoy it all the way!

[a.trailblazer7]

Congrads to ya Nick, and thanks for all the help you have given me while here at Simairline. Good luck to ya!!!

[Northwestdc9]

Just a little idea of what I actually get to do...
I, along with three other people, turned a full 737-800 simulator (Level-D minus the motion platform which we don't need) into a Blackhawk demonstrator for the U.S. Military's training research center this week, which runs on... I think we have 9? machines running it right now, based on Core i5 servers and X-Plane. It's pretty sick and definitely a blast to work on.
I will be fabricating a new rudder pedal control system tomorrow to help finish up the project before we start on something else.
(Yes, I got to fly it, and yes it was AWESOME. Though I mostly worked on setting up X-Plane to drive the visuals, that was painful.)

Looks like we're flying the L-29 tomorrow, so that'll be cool.

[sanins192]

Sounds interesting. Is there any reason you are running X-Plane on it? I am not criticising this, only asking what puts X-Plane ahead of any other flight simulator program (ie. better simulation, ability to program it etc.).

[caps1237]

I've heard from a physics side of it, X-Plane is much more realistic. Doesn't it calculate movement based on almost a simulated wind tunnel type of thing, where FS just does things based on charts?

[Northwestdc9]

I've heard from a physics side of it, X-Plane is much more realistic. Doesn't it calculate movement based on almost a simulated wind tunnel type of thing, where FS just does things based on charts?

Right, it's a much more advanced platform and FAR more open to doing things like running it on multiple machines right out of the box.
Not to mention addon capability with hardware, programming, plug-ins, etc.

It was -18 in windchill and 5 degrees still air today, try having to setup an enormous antenna rig outside for an hour in that without a hat. That SUCKS. And having to fuel a jet when it's that cold takes all the fun out of it.
Though marshaling a 1960s ex. Soviet fighter jet even when it's that cold, still makes you grin. The sound of that ancient whiny engine rivals the DC9, both in scream and volume. AMAZING.