Thanks AH

[Slade]

You guys that know me, know well, my thoughts sometimes seem to come from left field. Interestingly we all see statements (200, BBS, voice ...) similar to:

200> You fly good for a "video game pilot".

Consider this.  We fly virtual planes (AKA virtual machines) in arguably the best modeled WWII flight sim ever produced in history.  I and others have worked with Virtual Machines (VMs) in my profession significantly. For much of the last 15 years VMs that control NASA and government launch systems and data.  More recently VMs that control banking systems and data.  I never ever would consider them "comic book" or "video game" systems.  Respectively, I would never consider AH VMs as real as we think real-life of. Of course!

I am talking about a certain level of integrity though.

My point.  These planes that we fly.  These VMs, are modeled incredibly well.  I think we do the planes and creators of the game great disrespect when we reduce them to just "comic book" planes.  Reduce them to XBox glam eye candy.

Kudos to AH.  

[pembquist]

Yes but how do you feel about the PTs?

[Slade]

Yes but how do you feel about the PTs?

Oh those guys are just video game sailors!  jk  

[ImADot]

A few years ago, I spent the day on the USS Midway. At the end of an awe-inspiring tour, I decided to try the F4 Phantom simulator. Since it was late in the day and there was nobody waiting, I talked to the guy running it for a little while. Then he let me climb in and fly around for a little while - then some people showed up and he briefed them as I continued to fly around. After our dogfights, he gave us all the experience of a carrier landing. I started a couple miles out, on the port side and had to fly to the back and line up for landing.

Long story short, after my flight, my wife told me the guy had asked if I was a real-life pilot as I showed some good technique and skills, and he actually set my experience (and carrier landing) more difficult than the other people (who he started on short final all lined up). She said, "No, but he flies a WWII air combat game called Aces High". 

[TopGear]

A few years ago, I spent the day on the USS Midway. At the end of an awe-inspiring tour, I decided to try the F4 Phantom simulator. Since it was late in the day and there was nobody waiting, I talked to the guy running it for a little while. Then he let me climb in and fly around for a little while - then some people showed up and he briefed them as I continued to fly around. After our dogfights, he gave us all the experience of a carrier landing. I started a couple miles out, on the port side and had to fly to the back and line up for landing.

Long story short, after my flight, my wife told me the guy had asked if I was a real-life pilot as I showed some good technique and skills, and he actually set my experience (and carrier landing) more difficult than the other people (who he started on short final all lined up). She said, "No, but he flies a WWII air combat game called Aces High". 

My wife always refers to it as " the airplane game", I tell her to go 'pin' something.

[10thmd]

I for one took everything I learned in this game and flew a Cessna 152. My wife bought me a 45 min discovery flight. The first thing the pilot asked was what kind of flight experience I had. I told him about airborne school. I also told him about aces high. During the walk around of the aircraft I asked enough intelligent questions like "how to you set the trim" when he bent the lower portion of the rudder I laughed. He then stated that he was going to let me fly the plane from start to finish. I did very well even brought it down in a 25mph crosswind, He was very impressed. Put it all in a log book for me 1 takeoff, 1 landing, and 45mins of flight time, including some figure 8 stall turns.

[F77]

I've always enjoyed flightsims, but since all my PC's have been second hand rebuilds I've never run anything near realistic until AH.

Interestly enough at university I picked up 5 1/2 hours on gliders - and the skills learned then translated beautifully in AH.   Spin recovery, approach and landing are all based on my glider experience! 

  AH!

[Auger]

I did very well even brought it down in a 25mph crosswind

That must have been a very big rudder on that 152. 

[mbailey]

A few years ago, I spent the day on the USS Midway. At the end of an awe-inspiring tour, I decided to try the F4 Phantom simulator. Since it was late in the day and there was nobody waiting, I talked to the guy running it for a little while. Then he let me climb in and fly around for a little while - then some people showed up and he briefed them as I continued to fly around. After our dogfights, he gave us all the experience of a carrier landing. I started a couple miles out, on the port side and had to fly to the back and line up for landing.

Long story short, after my flight, my wife told me the guy had asked if I was a real-life pilot as I showed some good technique and skills, and he actually set my experience (and carrier landing) more difficult than the other people (who he started on short final all lined up). She said, "No, but he flies a WWII air combat game called Aces High".  

My company was having a regional meeting at the Cradle of Aviation Museum in Garden City NY....Bad move....as i dont remember much about the meeting, and my boss threatned to put a shock collar on me to keep me in the area where we were having the meeting, instead of wandering around the museum. Well at lunch i decided that the granola bar in my pocket would be good enough, and decided to go wandering. My boss decided to follow me around to see what i was so intrested in. After giving him a tour of the place like a tour guide, explaining everything to him, i decided to go back  into an area where they have a 47N and an F6F, FM2 ect etc...While looking at the F6 i glance down and there is a set of computer monitors, and a flight stick......I read the screen and it says "Land on a Carrier....Sponsered by ACES HIGH.  I dam near crapped myself, and looked over at him and said...."Piece of Cake" Suprised by my cockyness he said that if i landed on the carrier 3 times in a row, that at the afternoon break, i could "disappear" and go wander to my hearts content. Well three tailhooks later and my boss was standing there astonished....I then allowed him to give it a whirl, and he crashed three times in a row......I glanced down at him and smiled..."Friggin noob" was all i got out before i lost it laughing........

I finally fessed up, and told him that he needed to check it out online....never did see him on, but another person wandering the museum heard what i was telling him, and i got to explain the game to him as well.  

Best part was I got to get out of an insurance meeting and wander around a pretty cool museum.  Thanks AH!!  


Best photo i could find of the AH display

[Changeup]

My wife always refers to it as " the airplane game", I tell her to go 'pin' something.

You're lucky.  My wife thinks I'm talking to the game...artificial intelligence pilots, lmao.  "How are your pretend friends doing tonight?  Save any of your pretend friends from certain pretend death?"

I could be at the bar drinking with "pretend" women I guess, lmao.

[MrKrabs]

You're lucky.  My wife thinks I'm talking to the game...artificial intelligence pilots, lmao.  "How are your pretend friends doing tonight?  Save any of your pretend friends from certain pretend death?"

I could be at the bar drinking with "pretend" women I guess, lmao.

Or be getting a pretend divorce

[Arlo]

You're lucky.  My wife thinks I'm talking to the game...artificial intelligence pilots, lmao.  "How are your pretend friends doing tonight?  Save any of your pretend friends from certain pretend death?"

I could be at the bar drinking with "pretend" women I guess, lmao.

Maybe she differentiates 'pretend' and 'imaginary.'  

Bring her along to the Cavanaugh/Londoner thing. Mine has volunteered for DD* duty
(though I don't plan to overdo it).  

(Seems you were on a roster, once, with three pile-its I consider pretty good AHII online
friends. One of which I can definitely confirm isn't 'pretend.')

*Designated driver, not destroyer.

[HawkerMKII]

My wife told me AH or her....I don't miss her 1 bit

[morfiend]

You're lucky.  My wife thinks I'm talking to the game...artificial intelligence pilots, lmao.  "How are your pretend friends doing tonight?  Save any of your pretend friends from certain pretend death?"

I could be at the bar drinking with "pretend" women I guess, lmao.

   

  When I read this I heard it in my wife's voice! She says the exact same things,oh and add in "you don't really know any of them". Truth be told she'd rather have me flying at home than going on all the fishing trips I used to take.......



   

[Changeup]

   

  When I read this I heard it in my wife's voice! She says the exact same things,oh and add in "you don't really know any of them". Truth be told she'd rather have me flying at home than going on all the fishing trips I used to take.......



   

That's pretty much where mine is.  I'm gone enough for work but have given up hunting (1 or 2 times a year), fishing (same), and golf (just work events) and have beer or Oban while I tinker around the skies of AH and type agitating nonsense on 200.  I'm home and pause my gameplay when she wants to talk.  That seems to work and I don't hear much "I hate that game" anymore.