Ken Q

I agree with Landon that this is a tough question. Both my wife and I have shared a domicile with cats all our lives, and three together in the 43 years. They have all been lovable goof balls at one time or another. One cat, mine before I met my wife, was named Hoover. He was named for the vacuum cleaner, because if it hit the floor it was gone! Popcorn, olives, potato chips it didn't matter. Easiest cat to give pills to; toss it on the floor and it was gone. One day when he was a kitten a bird perched on the top of one of two side-by-side saplings. Hoover climbed up to a foot from the top, and the bird flitted to the other tree. Hoover climbed down the one tree and up the other. The bird hopped Bactrim to the first one. Hoover climbed down... This went on,back and forth for 20 minutes until the bird got tired of it and flew away. Then Claymore, the first cat we had together, discovered that if she pressed the button on the answering machine it made a noise. She did it anytime she wanted attention. I could go on. Such great, lovable, little clowns. Ken

I've looked at VATSIM, and not been impressed. Since their controllers are volunteers the coverage is spotty. Also, as I understand it, they use their own set of radio frequencies. PilotEdge gives 15 hours of ATC service 363 days a year (except Thanksgiving and Christmas). They use all real world radio frequencies, so you can look them up on any of the R/W utilities. If you need to pause a flight or leave for a brief period they are accommodating. For longer flights in Class A airspace they will keep you occupied with the usual hand offs, within the coverage area. That area includes almost all of the western third of the US. They also have excellent (and recommended) training programs. In addition they offer some special flights/fly ins. Among the best, and most popular is Oshkosh every summer. They cooperate with the R/W Oshkosh controllers, and hundreds of SIM pilots fly the famous "Fisk Arrival" over s four day stretch. I've been a subscriber for about four years, and find it challenging and rewarding, and I've not even gotten into flying IFR on network yet. (Will do this winter). Ken

Try PilotEdge if you want a real, professional ATC experience, especially if you are flying around your California home turf. A modest monthly charge, but in MHO worth it. Ken

Not a "little hawk" at all, Graeme. The red tail is among the largest North American hawks, with a wingspan of almost five feet (females). This one was about that size. We have a lot of them around. Some years ago we had one at work that would fly to the roof of one building near where the staff gathered at the end of the day, then follow us as we walked the half mile to the Reception Center. Would fly ahead to the roof of a building along our way, wait for us to pass, then fly ahead to the next one. Did this all summer long. We do have other, smaller hawks, in particular Cooper's Hawks. One day two of them were perched on hitching posts a couple of feet from the road as we drove by. Watched us go by, completely unfazed. Top predators, with lots of rodents to eat. No reason to be concerned about mere humans. Magnificent birds! Ken

I like Graeme's suggestion, so I'll respond to it. The time a Red Tail Hawk flew less than a foot in front of me at knee level. I was walking across a lawn at work. A tree was some distance to the right, A barn to the left. The hawk was in the tree, but wanted to go to the barn roof. The fact that I was walking across his flight path bothered him not at all! Ken

Don, Here's hoping your treatments work and you're soon restored to health. We're pulling for you. Ken

Unfortunately, might very well be a major disappointment all the way around.

This map has been around for a while. It's still useful, but not up to date. For example, newer releases such as Burbank, Boulder City and San Jose are not included. Useful, to a point, but caveat emptor. Ken

Back in 1990 I was stationed in Naples during Desert Shield. I had leave over Christmas, so rather than going home to the 'States, my wife and I decided to meet in London, so we could spend the Holidays with my cousins in Hythe, and her friends in Beccles. In setting this up, my wife arranged A rental car, and to save A few pounds, opted for a manual transmission. Should not, it seems, have been a problem, except I had never shifted gears with my left hand! Until I got used to it, it was an adventure. Learning to drive on the "wrong" side of the road was the easy part. Getting the gear shift was another thing. Ken

Hello EVERYONE, and thank you all so much for you encouragement, concern and prayers. I am home from the hospital and very much on the mend. I still have a ways to go, and a ten day course of anitbiotics, but the pain is mostly gone, and mobility is returning. Lessons to be learned: 1. (And why I shared my situation on this Old-Coots Forum in the first place) In many cases, as bad as our health situation may be at a time, be grateful it's not worse, as the condition of my poor roommate taught me. 2. If your body tells you sometime might be wrong, pay attention and get it seen to. Don't ignore it. Again, Thank You All! Ken

I've used SPADnext for years and it has on equal. I simply could not run my SIM cockpit without it. I runs all the Saitek gear as well as a growing list of other gear. For me the real benefit, in addition to consistent perfect performance, is that it runs everything on a network with a one-time click setup. So far I'm still using FSX, but the software supports multiple FS platforms, including MSFS. Highly recommend!!! Ken

Gentlemen, Thank you all very much. I greatly appreciate your best wishes and prayers. I am responding well to the antibiotics, which is, of course, the danger of cellulitis; so many resistant bacteria out there that do not. Feeling better and moving better, and pain greatly reduced. Again, thanks so much for your expression of concern. Ken

Learning to fly real world. When I could pass the physical, I couldn't afford it. Now that I could afford it, I'd never pass the physical, or even come close. I'm pretty healthy for an old guy, but I have my limits. (I'm grateful though, I'm in the hospital for a couple days now, being treated for cellulitis; my roommate, 10 years younger than I am, is in far, far, worse shape). Ken

Yes, Gerold. Happy Birthday! Ken

This may sound strange, but at work, for many years now. Strange, except I work at a Living History (and Agriculture) museum on 210 acres. Lovely wood lands, fields and underbrush. Colors haven't quite started changing yet, but should in ten days or so. In addition to the lovely colors I love seeing and hearing the many different migrating birds that pass through. Ken

They offer five hours free trial. If you like we can do a flight together on Monday to get you familiar with it. I'm currently at KWJF, going to KSBA, weather permitting. So far I'm just flying VFR. Ken

Hello Bill, and welcome to the Forum! Orbx creates a great selection of beautiful scenery which makes SIM flying realistic and rewarding. While I never got my pilot's license (when I could pass the medical, I couldn't afford it, now that I can afford it, can't pass the medical) I try to do all of my SIM flights by the book, and as accurately as possible. That includes ATC. I don't know where you fly, but if in the western 2/3 of the USA, consider PilotEdge. Live ATC 15 hours a day, and they are good, though sometimes short on patience with those who don't know the ATC system and haven't done their homework. Though I live on the East Coast of the USA, I've been flying in the overlapping Orbx land/ PilotEdge land for the last few years. Ken

By the way, after trying a number of different aircraft, I've settled on the Mooney M20M (Bravo).

I should have included L35, Big Bear City. I've been humbled every time I land there or take off. At 6750 ft elevation, a narrow runway, and surrounded by torturous terrain, it is a super challenge, and add to it a high density altitude in the summer! I've yet to make a landing there in which I'd want to have a passenger on board. This also the only airport where I've had to abort a take off more than once (twice). A real challenge! Ken

I certainly agree with Stillwater about Telluride, and Landon about Agua Dulce. But all of the mountain top and deep valley airports in the Orbx West Coast regions are a learning experience. In particular I'd cite Kern Valley (L05) Marble Canyon (L41) for the valleys, and Blue Canyon (KBLU) and Catalina (KAVX) for the mountain tops. Flying from Reno to Blue Canyon is especially interesting because it goes right over the site where the Donner Party was snowed in (with tragic consequences) during the winter of 1846-47. Ken

Happy birthday, Wayne. Many happy returns! Ken

Best wishes, Terry, and many happy returns. Ken

We have a favorite Chinese cookbook by Mai Leung. She has a recipe for Chinese chicken curry that calls for Madras Curry Paste. Madras Curry Paste comes either red, which is hot, and yellow, which is absolutely incendiary. We used the yellow! So hot we couldn't eat much, but what we did eat we washed down with a sweet German white wine (Liebfraumilch) - A whole magnum (1.75 litres). Just the two of us! A bit soused! Ken

My comments above were intended to be in response to Terrible T's comment. Sorry. Ken