40 Great Flight Simulator Adventures

by Charles Gulick

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North Position: 21295	Rudder: 32767
East Position: 6477	Ailerons: 32767
Altitude: 292	Flaps: 0
Pitch: 0	Elevators: 32767
Bank: 0	Time: 11:30
Heading: 98	Season: 1-Winter
Airspeed: 0	Wind: 5 Kts, 330
Throttle: 0

	Very nice view of Mount Rainier across the water, isn't it? However, you paid dearly to attain this grandstand seat.     Wherever in the world do you think you are?     Perhaps if you get that annoying splash, you're exhaling when you should be inhaling. Or perhaps you didn't check your weight and balance properly?     How can you be motionless on the ground and keep falling into the water?
	There is a way out, at least the splash part of it: Just get into radar mode.     Now, once things seem to have settled down, you can use zoom and see what kind of predicament you got yourself into.     Yes, this is a real runway. It's Tacoma Narrows in the Seattle area. Narrows is a good name for this place. Only an Olympic diving champ could feel at home out here.
	So, anyway, now try an out-the-windshield view again.     Back to the drawing board? Or does the airplane know it's on the runway and not on the water?     Apparently, the simulator looks a bit ahead of your aircraft to decide whether you're going to ditch or not. Because you're surely on this runway. And when you're in radar, the simulator must look down from on high, too, rather than out the windshield. Or something like that.     Anyway, you're cleared for departure whenever you're ready.     Honestly, you can turn around and take off on runway 35. So do it. But maybe you shouldn't look out the windshield until you have plenty of blacktop under your nosewheel.

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