Why,
oh why?
It's funny
the reactions I get when I try and explain what on earth is
going on in my garage these days. This 'hobby' of ours is
not easy to put into a few words!
For me
though the "why" bit is simple. I've been mesmerised
by aircraft and everything around them since I can remember.
I can recall as a 5 year-old always begging my grandparents
to take me to the airport to "watch the planes".
I could lean on the airport fence and watch for hours. Still
can actually. I built my first cockpit simulator at age 11
with bits of wood, a few sheets of ply, some junk, and a vacuum
cleaner for sound effects :).
I got
my Private Pilots' license at 17 and enjoyed a number of years
in general aviation in a number of single and twin-engine
aircraft. I almost went commercial but decided not to and
pursued other things. With general aviation being so expensive
something had to fill the gap ... enter Flight Simulator
(FS). I used FS-2 way, way back when the Apple II and Commodore-64
ruled the PC world and I have used every FS version since.
Like many in this hobby I have a good desktop setup with high-performance
PC, large LCD screen, yoke, rudder pedals and a thundering
sub-woofer. But, good as it is, it's not enough. And so
...
The
aircraft of choice
After
much research, talking to other builders, and 16.3 therapy
sessions I decided on the venerable Boeing 737NG (New Generation).
I've flown in 737s literally hundreds of times and so I'm
completely at home in this - the world's most prolific jet
airliner. The 737 has a long history and should have a long
future ahead, so this is also a choice for the long-term.
From a flying point-of-view the 737 can get into a large range
of destinations, including smaller airports. It can be used
for short to medium haul flights, and this all presents a
nice balance and plenty of variety for simulated flight.
From a
construction point-of-view the 737NG is well catered for with
a growing bunch of suppliers around the world supplying everything
from cockpit displays to aircraft toilets (well ok, not the
aircraft toilets then). And, with me not being known for my
metal, wood and electrical skills, I'll need all the help
and head-starts I can get.
Behind
the scenes
Like
all (or should I say 'most') fellow builders I have this other
thing in my life called 'reality' :). It amazes me how other
builders fit their family, work and other interests in and
still produce such amazing simulators. It's reality that's
kept me from doing this up until now - my family and career
come first. Just recently though I've put my career on ice
for a while to improve my health and start to do some other
things - including this! Thankfully I have a family who supports
me 100% in this project, and three beautiful daughters who
don't think I'm crazy (at least not to my face anyhow!). In
my career (by the way) I'm a senior learning designer, eLearning
professional, teacher and general IT jack-of-all trades. Using
simulation for learning is actually one of my greatest interests
in my work.
The
community
I wouldn't
be doing this if it wasn't for others who have pioneered this
hobby, done the hard yards, and produced some amazing sims.
I'm amazed at how helpful, open and supporting other builders
are and I am committed to be the same. Over time I'll share
as much as I can about this project and hope to give others
a hand, the way many others have done for me.
Special
thanks to the following builders for inspiring me with their
sims and/or directly assisting me with this project:
You can
find their sites on my links page.
The
project team
I've been
joined in the project by Neil Brown - a good
friend and fellow VATPAC flyer/ATC who happens to live within
walking distance. Neil has extensive IT, programming and telecommunications
/ electronics experience; all of which are great skills to
bring to the project.
