Rodger Pettichord Posted August 3, 2023 Share Posted August 3, 2023 Hi all. As research for my latest novel, I've been flying P3D/Orbx across North Africa then down into Sudan. After leaving Gibraltar, I landed in Tunis, Tripoli, Cairo, and Khartoum before finally arriving in Juba, South Sudan. At each city, I paused the flight and went to Google/YouTube to spend time learning about the place-- restaurants, hotels, sights to see, who is shooting whom right now, and so forth. I'm learning a lot and really enjoying it. And that leads to this week's topic. THIS WEEK'[S MEANINGLESS TOPIC: Do you often back up your simulated flying with online/real life looks at the places you are seeing in simulation? 3 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stillwater Posted August 3, 2023 Share Posted August 3, 2023 Sure I do that, Rodger. You know me, I even travel (or have traveled earlier) to these places. Or at least I want to know if these places are interesting enough for traveling. The alternative is that it seems clear I will never travel to these places. One more reason to research! 3 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
W2DR Posted August 3, 2023 Share Posted August 3, 2023 No, I do just the opposite Rodger. I only fly to those places I've visited in RL. My wife and I are truly blessed. Over the years we've visited 117 countries. I fly to those places just to relive the memories. And there are so many. If I add on the countries that I alone visited in my business years the total rises to 131. There are no words to express how grateful I am for these years. I just wish that everyone were as lucky as I have been................. 2 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ken Q Posted August 3, 2023 Share Posted August 3, 2023 I do, too, Rodge. I at least look up the Wikipedia article. If a place is particularly interesting I'll look farther. Ken 3 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gumbypickett Posted August 3, 2023 Share Posted August 3, 2023 I can't say I do. I've lived a sheltered life. cheers Gumby 2 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ken Q Posted August 4, 2023 Share Posted August 4, 2023 Here's another aspect of our flight SIM geography/history. It is no secret here that among my interests is nautical history. One of my great favorites has always been Richard Henry Dana's "Two Years Before The Mast." This concerns a voyage from Boston to California in the 1830's, calling in at various "ports" (I'm being generous here) and roadsteads taking on cargos of hides. I have read this book several times, but until now, the last time was quite a number of years ago. I just recently read it again. A whole new experience: since I have been flying the west coast in the sim, the geography became alive. I could identify with the places Dana describes, and relate his description of these places in 1835 with them today. Santa Barbara and the Islands. Catalina. Monterey. San Diego. I got so much more out of this rereading! Ken 3 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wain71 Posted August 4, 2023 Share Posted August 4, 2023 good question Rodger, for me though I see an area I find interesting, I may have read about it or seen it on TV / Youtube, I then go take a look in the sim, especially with MSFS as the data etc seems to look better than in previous sims...I wish I had the time to travel, I am hoping for a long retirement 😁.. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John York Posted August 4, 2023 Share Posted August 4, 2023 When I was flying I had Photographic scenery covering most of the world. At least I knew that what I was seeing looked like that at the time of the photography, It also did a lot to improve my geography knowledge. 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adambar Posted August 4, 2023 Share Posted August 4, 2023 Same as Gumby. 😄 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boetie Posted August 4, 2023 Share Posted August 4, 2023 Absolutely. Just yesterday I was watching a good YouTuber called Noel Phillips who I follow. He was a passenger on a helicopter flight that included a stopover in India at an airport called Shimla. It looked spectacular so I later loaded up MSFS at the same airport to do a little tour. Unfortunately the Sim did not replicate the scenery as well but I got to test myself and explore the terrain. I do this whenever I come across somewhere/something that piques my interest. The more MSFS develops the better it'll get. What was the question again? Cheers Graeme 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boetie Posted August 4, 2023 Share Posted August 4, 2023 3 hours ago, wain71 said: good question Rodger, for me though I see an area I find interesting, I may have read about it or seen it on TV / Youtube, I then go take a look in the sim, especially with MSFS as the data etc seems to look better than in previous sims...I wish I had the time to travel, I am hoping for a long retirement 😁.. Wayne, if you find the solution to a long retirement please copy me in PS. My wife and daughters are visiting the in laws in Brighton at the mo, can you do something about your weather PLS ? :) 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wain71 Posted August 4, 2023 Share Posted August 4, 2023 19 minutes ago, boetie said: Wayne, if you find the solution to a long retirement please copy me in PS. My wife and daughters are visiting the in laws in Brighton at the mo, can you do something about your weather PLS ? :) sure will.... ref weather, allegedly from next Wednesday the sun is coming back to our shores....we'll see...watch everyone moaning 'it's to hot!'... 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulb Posted August 4, 2023 Share Posted August 4, 2023 I tend to do both! If I visited a place or country then I will try to recapture that experience in the simulation. Equally, when I see something of interest - it might be from a book or a documentary - then I will often do quite a bit of research and follow that up with a simulated flight. It is a great reminder of the advances in the simulations over the years. I started simming with just 'blue' for the sky and 'green' for the ground. In those days, I could have been anywhere in the world and not known the difference! 😄 1 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
larryisenor Posted August 4, 2023 Share Posted August 4, 2023 I don't usually look at info for places I have flown to but often fly routes I am going to take on vacation. This includes actual airline routes to our destination and since we cruise a lot I fly the cruise line route low and slow usually both before and after our trip. Larry 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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