lazerin

Yup it is.

Ah fair enough. Unfortunately I don't have TrackIR, though I'd love to. I just use the hat switches on my x45, and shift function on the hat for zooming etc.

That's so unrealistic. The 747 clearly has a yoke and not a centre stick... Otherwise, awesome set up! If you haven't already, you should get TrackIR to enhance the experience even further.

FSX is pretty awesome. I've been an FS fan since 95. I use the Saitek X45 Hotas set up. The rudder on it is placed behind the throttle quadrant. It works ok, but is a touch too stiff, which means it's difficult to have precise rudder control. The saitek sticks are awesome I must say, love the trim wheels and the milliong possible button configs (slight exagerration, but I don't have a need to use the keyboard when in FSX). I've tried the saitek rudder pedals as well and they seem to work quite well. CH rudder pedals have been out for ages and seem to be tried and true, so go with them if you want a full proof product.

lol! Haha, that's hilarious. I'm a med student and I'm doing my anaesthetic rotation at the moment. I wish funny things like this would happen in theatre more often!

Keep us posted! Sounds like an amazing time ozzie.

Here's one from a while ago: Ah...good ole' Ansett.

Nah, there's no way that's a model. I fly rc helis and planes and the reaction to the control surface movements are way too smooth for a model. I know that the abrupt pitch changes may make it look like a model, but even for a model, those attitude changes are too smooth. Additionally, the aspect ratio of the aircraft and the people standing by is too big to be a model...unless it's a big UAV.

YouTube - Incidente Eurostar Looks like a big gust of wind just flips it over?

Woah, the difference between a flying a 400 to a sportstar to me seems like the difference between driving a semi and riding a bike. Two radically different beasts. Fill us in on your thoughts, Mike!

Hey Steven, I'm in Adelaide. Where abouts are you located? The sportstar that I went for a TIF in at Parafield also had low temps. The instructor said the oil temp was always low but they've never had a problem with it.

Woah, what is that little aircraft brent??

Not many sportstar drivers on here? I'll hopefully be learning on a sportstar later this year.

Woah, those mountainous landscapes are awesome. Flying in NZ must be amazingly beautiful.

Congrats Steve, great to see you weren't freaking out and had time to take photos! :thumb_up:

Air to air shots always look so majestic. Great work!

I can't wait, mate. Glad to hear everything is going well for you, sounds like you'll be soloing in no time. Medical huh? Is that just blood pressure, heart, lungs and eyes?

Thanks Ian. If you like clouds, you might like this shot: Took that in summer earlier this year. It was probably about 30*C and quite humid that day. Check out http://www.kianlim.com and http://www.kianlim.com/aviation for more :D

You should really use protection facthunter;)

Thanks guys, haha I was staying up to watch the Netherlands vs. France game.

My First Taste of Flying I'm not sure if non-pilot's are allowed to enter this competition, but I thought I'd give it a go anyway. Aviation has always been a great passion of mine for as long as I could remember. I've flown commercially many times before, and each flight was just as enjoyable as the last. I, like many of you I'm sure, am one of those who enjoys the sensation of turbulence. On the 4th of June this year, I finally had the chance to experience flight from right up front, in the left seat. I was scheduled to go for a one hour Trial Instructional Flight with Forsyth Aviation in the Evektor Sportstar at Parafield Airport. This would turn out to be one of the most amazing moments in my life... CLICK ON THE PHOTOS FOR AN ENLARGED VERSION So we begin this journey with a quick look at our aircraft, the Evektor Sportstar: All photos available at full res, 300dpi Run-up checks complete, lined up and we're cleared for take-off: Climbout and making our way to the Parafield training area: I was then handed control of the aircraft and under guidance from my instructor, I explored maneuvering with the aircraft. We did turns, climbs, descents, effects of flaps....all which probably seems ridiculously simple, but was just awesome fun! Having read a lot regarding aviation and aeronautics, I understood all the concepts, which probably made it even more enjoyable. I've also had my fair share of time with PC flight simulators, as well as a dabble with full motion simulators (PC-9 at Edinburgh). I was too busy and having way too much fun during this time to bother with taking photos, so we'll skip that part and continue onwards! So, we've now departed the training area and we're going for a cruise down the coast. I was still flying for most of the time and handed controls over when I wanted to take a photo, like so: Fly by of AAMI stadium, with the Showdown underway: Cruising at 90knots at 500ft: Heading inland towards the Adelaide CBD: Overview of the Adelaide CBD...yup, it sure is small: Here we can see the Festival Theatre, Parliament House, Convention Centre, Skycity Casino, the Hyatt, and the edge of the River Torrens: Outter edge of the CBD, enroute back to YPPF: Arriving ready to make a turn to base, as the sun begins to get low on the horizon: On final approach to runway 21: Moments before touchdown: Grounded, once more. The sensation of flight is greatly amplified in a small light aircraft, like the Sportstar. Prior to this, the smallest aircraft I had been on was a Twin Otter. I was shocked at how lightly the Sportstar handled. After the first few moments of getting accustomed to the controls, the aircraft flew like it was on mind control. I barely had my fingertips on the stick, and thought to turn right, and it did. I thouroughly enjoyed the flight. It was every bit as good as what I imagined it would be, and more. The future for me now is to begin training for a recreational licence at year's end, provided I pass my final exams. Till then, fly safe everyone, and I'll see you in the air soon. Cheers!

Well done Peter! Could you enlighten us a bit more on how you achieved it? How many hours total did you fly? How many hours did you fly a day? How many hours did it take to solo?

Tony, thank you for taking the time to write such a thoughtful and informative reply. I will certainly take all of that onboard and much of it resonates well with my thinking as well. Cloudsuck, that's great to hear. 21 flying hours is quite impressive, no? I'm often told that the RA-Aus minimum requirements is hardly ever achieved. Good on ya for proving that wrong!

Mate, that sounds fantastic :D Sarah was my intructor when I had the TIF as well. She seemed like a good person to work with. Glad to hear the traffic wasn't an issue. Hopefully the weather will stay clear for you and you'll be an ace by July ;)

Thanks for all the advice guys, much appreciated! Nev, I agree with you and feel that cramming it all in a week is probably too intense. Your suggestion of 2x45mins flights per day sounds pretty reasonable. I'll probably be able to do that consistently, weather permitting. I can't wait till the end of the year. Bring it on!