Aviation Geeks unite?! Anybody else care about planes here?

I've got many favorites, The English Electric Lightning, F-104, F-4, Sukhoi SU 15, A10, the XB-70 Valkyrie, SR-71, all variantions of the Dassault Mirage delta wing fighters, Antonov AN2 and a long list more...

 

Fellow simmer here! I've always loved to fly, even with only limited opportunities for it, though it's only since starting to sim that I've really told them apart. I don't think I've ever been in a little general aviation craft, though an uncle got his pilot's license when he was a young man and one of my cousins was going to but it was too expensive in the end. I toy with the idea of learning myself.. but money and time.

No horror stories, although the difference between Ryanair and American Airlines even in economy class is... notable, haha. I don't think I'd ever seen in-air advertisements done by a guy actualy hawking products to such an extent. Delta probably should be my favorite airline, being from the South, but American is what I've flown most.

In terms of favorite planes...? Gotta love the Mad Dog, for sure. McDonnell-Douglas management may have been penny-pushing blockheads at the end (and now that they ate Boeing), and the engineer who designed the cockpit should be shot but.... even so. 747 and Concorde of course get tons of attention rightfully but there's something about that workhorse i just love.

Also the Fokker 50 because Fokker don't care.

 

Always liked the flying hunk of titanium armor.. also the GAU-8 Avenger 30mm gatling gun.

Also, what about helicopters? you I always liked the Mil MI-24 Hind, evil looking aircraft, more a fighter bomber with a rotor than a real chopper.

 

The Warthog is ugly as sin... but adorbale in its way, yeah.

In terms of military planes I have to give credit to the F-16 ever since I was a kid and read somewhere that it's designed to be super-twitchy because it reacts faster. And the C-17 because it's an ugly but incredibly functional giant sky truck, basically.

 

I once harboured the ambition to get a helicopter licence though it’s probably too late for me (middle aged and not wealthy). However I do enjoy flying (big craft or small). What I loathe are airports (from a passenger perspective).

 

haven't simmed in sometime but when I have it's been with X-Plane which took over where MS Flight Simulator left off though the later will be making a return later this year. Not good pilot though

a long distance relation then moving overseas is one way increase the number of flights though I haven't travelled by air since 2013. but have been on a variety of aircraft (Fokker Friendship, DC-9, 727, 737, 767, 777, A320, A340). Best landing was probably the A340 into Pearson but never worked out if the pilot was damn good and flew hands or used autoland.

I'd always wanted to see a Lancaster in there (had 2 great uncles who flew them) which I finally did about 5 years ago as the once of the last airworthy Lancs is based at Hamilton in Ontario and have also been aboard her (but on the ground). A lottery win will pay for a flight

Biggest airshow I've been to was a CFB Trenton a few years back. Not only seeing the aircraft in the air but going aboard them. Only one I missed out on the the EC-3(think that's number) AWACS aircraft. Took about 250 pictures that day including the Lancaster, A B-24 and Mustang in formation which is up on my wall along the with the F-22 Raptor.

Can put this down to another interest picked up from my dad (who learned to fly while in the army and was taught by a guy who flew F-86s in Korea).

 

Warthog? As a former ground-pounder I hold the A-10 in the highest possible esteem. And it is, IMO, a beautiful piece of machinery.

 

The Warthog is a masterpiece of engineering for a specific purpose. Redundancy everywhere that counts, protection for the pilot, tremendous load carrying capacity, just fast enough for the job...

Still nothing out there that can match it in close support!

I haven't played any flight sims in years mainly since finding a good flight stick (that doesn't cost an arm and a leg) has been difficult. Everyone I've tried quickly goes out of register/alignment during a game...

 

Thrustmsster used to be the bees knees of joysticks but they where never that cheap and not sure if they are even made anymore.

The x-plane.org used to sell them but now have one called gladiator.

 

I love the F-117, SR-71, and B-2.

 

When I was younger I thought the concept of the Harrier was pretty cool — until I got to see one operate up close and realized how appallingly loud it is while hovering. Having your illusions dispelled can be pretty painful.

I'm really fond of the SR-71, though.

 

I suppose my favorite plane is the DC-3. I know, boring.

 

I played Red Baron and Flight Simulator 98 back when kid.
I find aircrafts cool, but never took the time to learn much more about them, at least so far. My interest plate is full at the moment, so maybe later.

ETA: Also liked movies like Sully, Air Force One, Knight and Day

 

I used to play flight sims back in the early 90s. Their Finest Hour, Aces of the Pacific, Chuck Yeager's Air Combat, F117, Gunship 2000 etc. I drifted away from the genre as the games grew more complicated. I don't have the patience to sit through a tutorial video just to learn how to switch the engines on!

favourite planes... hard to say. IMO something about the F-15 sums up everything a fighter jet should be. For a more old-timey example, perhaps the Mosquito.

 

bah! give me a super heavy, ring binder manual or it's not a True Flight Sim Experience

(I recently held my box copy of Jane's Longbow II)

(eta: I think I managed to take off once...?)