Eventual Cockpit Builder

[QF501]

Hi All
My name is Mark and I live in Brisbane Australia and I am 37 years old.

I am new to forums so here goes. I have been wanting to build a cockpit for quite a while but I am torn between the 737ng and the 767. I love to fly both of them. every spare minute I get I have to Fly my wife hates it. I have done all the research i can so it is now time to get motivated. The only things is I am not sure on where to start. I think I will go with the 737 as it seems to be the more popular. The pictures I have seen so far is really impressive. I have unlimited time and space to complete what seems to be an enormous project. Enough rambling on.

I look forward to talking to you all

Regards

Mark

[Tomlin]

Mark,

Welcome!

My only concern is your wife hating you flying on FS. This is a big issue, but hopefully in time it will get better. I bet that all of us here that are married or have signifcant others could share many, many stories on how FS affects our relationships with the significant other. I would encourage you to push hard for your project and your right to have some 'self' time, but only in a loving and calm manner my friend! Hopefully if you get on with the project, your wife will become more understanding in time. Mine has, and something dawned on me one day- I had never taken the time to show her a video on youtube or elsewhere of someone flying their homebuilt flight sim. So I did, and you know what? It really helped her to see the big picture a bit better. It doesnt mean she's thrilled (they can never understand why we want to spend so much money on a big-boys 'game/toy') but she's a bit better with it too. She encouraged me to start giving guitar lessons so I'd have some money to help with the project since there's not much money left over after mortgage, bills, etc. One thing I say is this: With FlightSimming, you can learn and teach others about math/science/history/technology/geography/economics/etc. and at LEAST you are at home with her. Being in the room next door or out back in the shop is better than you being off riding motorcycles/fishing/hunting/partying like mad! You get the idea...nothing wrong with those other things but the point is you can spend money on things that take you away from home, or things that keep you at home. Her choice! :-) (All in love though mate!)

Best of luck,

[JBaymore]

Flight sim CAN become a bit of an addiction...and cockpit building is an even more powerful "drug".

WORK at maintaining the relationship first and foremost. It is eassy for addictions to screw up lives and marriages. In addition to FS 9.1 you don't whan to be simultaneously running Divorce 1.0 .

You don't have "unlimited time" to devote to cockpit building and simming. You have a lot of time to devote to it. But some of your time needs to be for your family too.

That being said......... enjoy the crazyness. And plan on it taking years to realize the dream...cause it does. ;)

best,

.................john

[jmig]

I second the two statements above. Family first, job second, and only then hobby. When you die, no one will talk about how great a cockpit builder your were or how smooth you could land a simulated jet.

[Tomlin]

Okay, again Welcome! I wasnt trying to intimidate you in any way, just wanted to say welcome (to the madness) and we all look forward to seeing you move forward!

[JBaymore]

Yeadh... ditto. Welcome to both the hobby and the forum.

I guess we all responded to the cockpit builder's #1 "hot button" worry issue............. how's the wife doing with all this crazyness. (interesting that about 99.999999999999999 % of cockpit builders are male ;) .)

Must be a sensitive subject.

One of the cockpit builders over at SimV, "Masternerd", has a good tag line on his sig. It is something like:

"A bunch of computers, a pile of MDF, and an understanding wife."

Anyway....... don't let us scare you off. Sorry if that came across as negative. :grin:

best,

...........................john

[Westozy]

G'day mate,
Good to see more Aussie crew!

Gwyn

[Bob Reed]

NNNNooooooooOooOoOoOo.. Not another one!!! Oh well, welcome anyway, even if you are "one of them"!!! :D

[NicD]

Careful now Bob... I think WE are in the MAJORITY now! :D

Suggest we change domains to MYCOCKPIT.ORG.AU :p

[Bob Reed]

Careful now Bob... I think WE are in the MAJORITY now! :D

Suggest we change domains to MYCOCKPIT.ORG.AU :p

Hey NicD.. Um yea.. I will get back to ya on that..... ?????Maybe????? Na.....

[QF501]

Thanks for the welcome, she will come around i'm sure, and i hope to you all soon

Thanks

Mark

[QF501]

I forgot to mention Yesssssss Bob Iam another one of them

[ekezz]

AU in Dutch means Ouch!

[NicD]

Double-dutch in AU means "unintelligible" :p

[ekezz]

That's after a couple of Heinekens :)

Uhm we're off topic now, but handing out beers is a nice way to welcome new members, don't you think?

[jmig]

That's after a couple of Heinekens :)

Uhm we're off topic now, but handing out beers is a nice way to welcome new members, don't you think?

Ja, Oui, Si, Yes! Very good idea.
Oh...I'll drink to that!

[brissydave]

hey mark...i live in brisbane...i have an almost complete setup.
have a look in the builders gallery.
you'll see it on ebay soon.

dave

[2Kewl]

G'day Mark - another Queenslander! I'm up on the Sunshine Coast.

I'm currently in the "how do I explain this to my wife" stage of cockpit development. I am mucking around with panels, Leo Bodnars USB controller and Touchbuddy.

There are some interesting pits in Brisvegas:

bnepethomas has an incredible multipit (with three projectors):
http://users.tpg.com.au/adsljvly/pit.jpg
and he is building a realistic F-16 pit which looks like it will be awesome.

Ruprecht has a multipit: http://pitblog.radsy.com/ he even has a wife warning/call light so his wife can "summon" him from the pit.

Brissydave, I've searched the personal albums and gallery and can't locate your pics (sorry, I'm new). Any chance you could point me in the right direction? What sort of stuff will you be selling with the pit?

[NicD]

ebay Dave?.... what's up mate?

[brissydave]

well nic....sadly....its time for the sim to leave the big brother house. im crying boys...big style.

im praying someone will purchase it as one item on ebay...and all my goodies and stuff....there is a fair bit. but if that doesnt work out, suppose ill go to plan b, whatever that is. im not gunna go silly and ask a freaky price. just what i paid for the big bits.... (im a realist) and two years of labour is free.(sniff sniff sob sob)

I wish i could keep it, but its gotta go for personal reasons. (i dont have cancer or anything...he he)

@2kewl.....have a look here for a sneaky peaky bro.

http://www.mycockpit.org/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=1479

[2Kewl]

Thanks for the link Brissydave, that is an awesome job you've done on your cockpit. Sorry to hear you are leaving it. Hope you got a lot of satisfaction and enjoyment from it.

[QF501]

HI Brissydave

I had a look at the gallery and I am very impressed at the whole thing. I am wondering if maybe one day I could come up and have a look, (when i get off these darn crutches) and pick your brain. You will have to let me know when it goes on Ebay and what catagory it is under. once again nice.

Mark

[brissydave]

sure...just pm me and we'll exchange numbers...no probs

[Michael Carter]

Before you sell everything off, could you tell us how you assembled those crew seats and how you attached the seat backs?

[brissydave]

sure big fella...will do.
been a bit slack on that one cause my super duper camera died. pain in the ***.
but ill get pics and a story up.

[Michael Carter]

I'd really appreciate it and I'm sure other Boeing builders would too.

It's tough pushing the throttles forward while your office chair is rotating in the opposite direction. :roll:

[brissydave]

he he ...exactly what happens....exactly!!