No we are not (yet) all nuts...

[chevol]

"Hi crazy simmers Here is an experience I can only share with you. I have been flying for years but since I joined a virtual airline my environment has changed, I see strange looks around me, imagine my colleagues? faces when I tell them ?Sorry I can?t have a beer with you, tonight, I have to fly to Mumbai? ? most of them don?t even know where Mumbai is? With my wife it is OK (it gives her time to listen to her favorite operas) but I know she is quietly putting stuff in my tea to delay my ?early Alzheimer?. Here is what made my day: my nephew (37) is a DC10 (real) captain (yes they still fly!) working out in the Pacific for a charter company. When I told him, a while ago, that I was flying the 742 for a virtual company I saw a polite smile on his face... Last week he came to visit us and I gave him a little tour from Seattle to Seattle. Before I started the engines his smile had vanished to be soon replaced by some Ahs and Ohs... How realistic... c'est pas possible! etc. What started like a boring family visit lasted a whole evening with some go arounds, fuel dumping, engine re-starts, I was exhausted but, since then, expressions like ""is he still playing with his little planes?"" have totally disappeared from the family vocabulary! Yes I am a very happy pilot. cheers <!--emo&;)-->[img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/wink.gif[/img]<!--endemo-->"

[amartin]

"Nice reading, Luc ! Love the story about your wife 'quietly putting stuff on your tea' <!--emo&:lol:-->[img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/laugh.gif[/img]<!--endemo--> I guess we all know those faces of people you tell about flying FS. I remember when I spoke to a colleage, a very experienced OPS guy, he just couldn't believe how I could have fun with doing such silly computer games. I took him to panelshop.com to show him my favourite simulation, and while he saw the screenshots and heard me explaining all the simulated systems and procedures he changed his mind by 180degrees and was simply fascinated how close to reality you can get this 'silly computer game' <!--emo&:D-->[img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif[/img]<!--endemo-->"

[hawkeyeted]

"Ever notice how ""silly"" it is to the uninitiated? <!--emo&:huh:-->[img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/huh.gif[/img]<!--endemo-->"