First failure on the A2A Comanche today

[Lucy.P 168]

My plan is to progress to VATSIM eventually, but that's a distant aim, I was going to post asking if anyone was a member of CIX VFR and what they thought of it, I wont bother as you've answered that as well

I have Active Sky Next as well as Ultimate Traffic 2. With UK2000, I think I have all their airports.

REX has been something I'm considering, for later.

So is FlyUK not on Vatsim? is it similar to how FSE runs? it's the dread thought of traffic control, STAR and SID that makes me run the opposite direction.

[UKJim 502]

I would recommend REX so much as it improves the cloud textures greatly imo. CIX is great for VFR like in your 172 - but in order to stay active you have to do flights on VATSIM - sounds a bit crazy but actually its easy once you know how. VFR has different rules to IFR, so you don't need to worry about SID's and STAR's like in an FMC - you need to know the circuit pattern and exit/entry points. The radio contact is slimmed down too.

 

FlyUK does not require anything, you can do flights offline - you book your flight on the website - then you basically run a piece of software before starting the plane and choose your flight, then when you land shutdown engines and you log your flight. This is of course if you fly the jets.

If you just want to do flying club flights you just load the software - click flying club flight and away you go. Probably a guide on their forums/site. 

 

CIX is good if you sign up and then request training in the forums - someone will then teach you how to fly and some other bonus bits too. Then they will teach you how to do some basic commands on VATSIM too. 

[Lucy.P 168]

That's all good.

I shall move to FlyUK shortly, I've been considering them for several weeks.

Cheers, Jim.

[brett 2,316]

My condolences Lucy on the loss of your husband, that cancer is a terrible disease and I wouldn't be surprised if it's reach hasn't touched all of us in one way or the other. When I became disabled my kids got me a copy of FSX and the learning process, flying and meeting so many great fellow hobbyists is probably the only thing that has kept me sane. (or as sane as I once was anyway) 

 

Glad your here and that you found your way into flying what I consider the best addons out there.

[Lucy.P 168]

Thanks Brett...this all seems to have moved off from Jim's original post, so I'll make some effort to patch it across again.....

I do like the way the A2A can raise problems you never expected. A couple of weeks ago I was flying my 182 Skylane, I'd done thorough checks in the morning and I left Barton on what I think was my fourth short flight of the day, I did a walk-round before each flight and all seemed OK. But I'd only just left the strip, I had just got to about 1500 alt when I quickly lost speed and the engine was guttering. I couldn't see what was wrong, I had used my controls as I should. Eventually I opted for an outside view and from the underside, emenating from the engine compartment was thick smoke accompanied by what I assumed was flames!

I had no idea what had happened, but clearly it had required a mechanic at some point and my walk-round to simply check rudder, elevators, oil. etc hadn't been enough. That is when I realised how realistic mechanical and electrical can be,

 

I got the plane round for a return to Barton but unlike Jim I wasn't so skilled or lucky. I found a field to scrape into and the nose bit into the ground...the prop was a mess and the nose was a belch of smoke. I wish I had recorded it or screenshot it now.

[brett 2,316]

Not to worry, it's not the first time we tend to go off topic and it certainly won't be the last.

 

I have hand some minor problems in my A2A aircraft, the worst probably a flap getting stuck while the other was flapping in the breeze. When an engine goes like yours did we should all be lucky enough to walk away onto a field, the worst being having to spend some sim money to fix plane.

[UKJim 502]

Never worry about going off topic - it's not that strict here, nearly always happens anyways

 

I had the same issue in the Cherokee - and that got ditched into a field as there was no airfields close by. Was not pretty