About Me

ABOUT ME

Initially completing a Certificate in Photography at Seven Hills College of Art, I pursued a career elsewhere and worked for several years in the Ambulance Service (paramedic), as a commissioned officer in the military (Australian Army Medical Corps), and operated a SCUBA diving business (I hold a SCUBA Diving Instructor rating (FAUI & PADI) and am qualified to teach advanced first aid).

In the late 1990’s I decided to return to University and complete a Bachelor of Science Degree with First Class Honours majoring in Geology and Palaeontology. I am currently employed as an environmental geologist.

I have been involved with flight simulation since the release of FS2. I can still remember the fateful day I saw the programme on a shelf in a store when I was purchasing a computer (a 386 PC) for my girlfriend to do her university assignment.

I became intrigued as I read the box cover, and the computer salesman being the savvy person he was, latched onto the chance to sell the computer by saying 'I'll give you the programme if you buy the computer right now' The deal was done and so began a twenty plus odd year relationship with Micro$oft and their incarnation of 'as real as it gets'.

I learnt to fly the Cessna using a keyboard and the rest was left to my vivid imagination.  I then upgraded to a joystick followed by a yoke and rudder pedals manufactured by CH Products.  I became interested in the theory of flight and purchased several technical books. I also upgraded my computer to include two external monitors; I became engrossed in the technical side of flying - especially flight dynamics, navigation and pilotage.  Paralleling this, I completed my Private Pilot License (PPL). 

Soon after, I became interested in the larger jet aircraft and spent considerable time flying (simulation only) the Fokker 100 and Boeing 737-400 series aircraft; this is the aircraft type I used to practice much of what I know about jetliner flying.  I became immersed in learning how to fly 'heavy metal'.

The release of the 737NG simulation by Precision Manuals Development Group (PMDG) introduced a completely new level of complexity to flight simulation, and this spurred me to invest in additional hardware; I soon retired my CH Products yoke and pedals and upgraded to a Cirrus C2 Professional console, jetliner yoke, and rudder pedals, manufactured by Precision Flight Controls (PFC in USA). 

I was quite pleased with this small generic set-up, however, there was always the nagging feeling of wanting to fly a more realistic and challenging simulator. It was not a twist of the imagination that eventually I would be seeking greater immersion, realism, and complexity.

To learn the intricacies of the 737 is not a straightforward task. Certainly a lot of information can be acquired from books, manuals and the Internet, however, it requires an outlay of time to find, read and assimilate, what you hope, is the correct information. To minimise this outlay, and hopefully learn the right things first off, I was fortunate to be able to enroll and complete a 737 type rating. This course enabled me to fast track my knowledge on the 737.

About the Website

The website was developed in 2011 in a motel room in Nairobi, Kenya. At the time there was considerable political unrest and venturing outside after dark was not recommended. Initially, the website was going to be a sort of ‘Dear Diary’; a place to keep information, procedures and information that related to the flying of the 737 and the building of the flight simulator. Over the years the site has developed and is now more comprehensive.

I hope you enjoy this website and find it informative.

To view photographs of my earlier generic flight deck click here