Category: Opinion

Build a realistic military cockpit for your flight simulator

On By The Flying DutchmanIn Aviation, Opinion1 Comment

Years ago I remember reading a response posted to rec.aviation.military in answer to a user asking how he could make his military flight simulator more realistic.  He wanted to build a realistic cockpit setup for his “misions.”  This is the response to the best of my memory:

Take two cynderblocks and place them together on the floor in front of your PC and monitor.  Find a piece of plywood and place it behind the cynderblocks and prop it against something sturdy like a wall.  Arrange the cynderblocks and plywood into a seat.  Stretch a thin piece of fabric over the cynderblocks.  This is your ejection seat.

Obtain either a heat lamp or an old doctor’s examining lamp.  Place it next to your ejector seat so that the lamp will be shining directly on your head.  This will simulate the sun.  Angle it toward your eyes for ultra-realism.

Take a backpack and fill it with old cloths, rope, and tools.  Pack it as tightly as possible.  Try to compress it so that it is as flat as possible.  Make sure something sharp is located right between the shoulder straps so that it presses into your back when worn.  Strap it to you as tightly as possible.  This will simulate your parachute.

Make a bologna sandwich and leave it out for a few hours.  Then gently wrap it in plastic and step on it.  Toss it in a small box with a badly bruised apple and a warm box juice drink.  Close the box.  Step on the box.  Place the box under the heat lamp in your “cockpit.”  This will simulate your box lunch for your mission.

For ultra-realism find a real military style helmet with oxygen mask.  Strap it on tightly.  Soak a rag in kerosene and let it dry.  Then place it in the tube connected to your oxygen mask.  This will simulate the on board oxygen system of your aircraft.

Now you are ready.  Turn on your heat lamp.  When the ejection seat feels warm go ahead and have a seat.  Turn on your PC and get your flight simulator software going.  Once your aircraft is loaded on your computer and ready go, sit there for an hour.  Go through the checklist while you are waiting.  After an hour under the heat lamp, begin your mission.  Make sure it takes at least 4 hours.  Do not under any circumstances leave your ejection seat during this time, that’s cheating.  Feel free to enjoy your lunch at any time.

For even more realism, have your wife wake you up in the middle of the night.  Put on your flight suit and helmet and run down to your simulator.  Put on your helmet and parachute while you are running to your “aircraft.”  Get in and fire up the PC.  Go through the checklist and then sit in your cockpit waiting for your launch orders.  After an hour have your wife come back and tell you to “stand down.”  Shut everything down, take off your gear, and go back to bed.  Have your wife do this a couple times per week and even a couple times per night at completely random intervals.

Congratulations!  You now have the most realistic flight simulator possible.

At least, that’s how I remember it.

Updates…

On By The Flying DutchmanIn Faith, OpinionLeave a comment

Yes, I know I don’t update this blog very often any more.  The crush of online things to update has finally started to overtake me.  There’s this blog, there’s my aircraft construction log, there are two online forums dedicated to aircraft construction that I belong to that want updates, there’s my flight logbook, there is EAA Chapter 90 whose website I run, there’s FaceBook, there’s email for church…  and then there is what I do at work.  And then there’s family.  Sqeeze in some airplane building time.  Maybe even some flying time.

It all adds up to a negative allotment of time.  I would actually have to fold time inside out to actually be able to accomplish everything I need to get done in a day.

Not much to report

On By The Flying DutchmanIn OpinionLeave a comment

Sorry I haven’t been updating the blog more often.  There really isn’t much to report.  My wife’s parents are visiting and are keeping us busy.  That along with work and church have left me with very little time to myself.

In a nutshell… busy busy busy.

Another AirPrayer??

On By The Flying DutchmanIn OpinionLeave a comment

So I have this comment in my moderation queue (that’s where comments are held before they show up on the site) from someone at a site called AirPrayer.org !  I may post the link once I figure out their theology and make sure it doesn’t hold anything counter to my own.  I never thought I had the market cornered on this domain name but I picked it because 1) it wasn’t in use, and b) it was not likely to be used.  Now, it’s being used.  Oh well, when your site is about prayer and it has to do with airplanes, how many names can you possibly pick?  I read a post on his site that details the origins of AirPrayer.  I’ve never done that so I guess it’s about time.

So… Why AirPrayer?

If you know me, you know I’m into airplanes.  You know, real ones.  Not remote controlled models.  I’m into flying airplanes.  I’m into building airplanes.  It’s borderline idolatry.  (Elders, if you’re reading this I am trying!)  So, several years ago I was still building my RV-4.  It took 5 years to complete so many people had a chance to take a look at it while it was being built.  I remember one person in particular asked me if I was going to pray before I flew it.  I told them I’d be praying while I flew it!  Since all airplanes need a name and since my wife ruled out 4-play as a possible name, I chose Air Prayer.  It was the name of my first airplane.  I never had the name put on the plane but everyone knew.

And those of you know know me, yes, I’m building Air Prayer II right now.  The planes will always be Air Prayer and I will always pray in them.

Self-sacrifice

On By The Flying DutchmanIn Opinion1 Comment

There couldn’t be two more dissimilar types of people than soldiers and politicians.  I have never been a soldier, nor have I ever been a politician.  However, I’ve observed both enough to see the marked differences.  The solder, does what he promises to do, to follow orders, to remain loyal and give his life if necessary to protect his country.  He is the model of selflessness.  The politician breaks his promises, is loyal only to those who will keep him in power, and is willing to do anything to keep that power.

The day is coming when these same politicians will order these same soldiers to secure the politician’s power. My only hope is that the soliders remember to protect the American people when this day comes.

Soldiers, sailors, airmen, for what you have always done, and always will do… thank you.  One small family in California remembers the fallen and are grateful for the freedem they have purchased with their lives.

It really is a wonderful life

On By The Flying DutchmanIn Faith, OpinionLeave a comment

I work in a declining industry.  I work for a local newspaper and it is barely clinging to life.  There were an astounding number of layoffs this week at work.  Pretty much only a skeleton crew will be left to do the work.  I know have a staff of two to take care of three newspaper facilities.  I am working harder than I ever have.  My family life is still as demanding as ever as is my church life.

But through it all I am joyful.  It is a joy to have the airplane project to work on with my son.  It is the bright spot in my day.  But it is also joyous to have God’s promise.  His promise that He will provide for me.  Scripture promises that if I acknowledge God in everything I do, He will make my paths straight.

I’m also eager to see what this year brings.  I have God’s promise that He will provide for me.  I can’t wait to see how He does it.

The Flying Deacon

On By The Flying DutchmanIn Opinion, Travel2 Comments

Every time I turn around I see another Flying Dutchman reference.  Who would have thought I would be so famous?  Well, what did I expect picking such an over-used moniker.  Maybe I should have chosen the Stubborn Dutchman, or gone with my true heritage and called myself The Flying Flem.  You see, we’re Flemmish.

Since there are Flying DutchMEN everywhere I have decided to change my moniker to The Flying Deacon.  Yes.  Henceforth I shall be The Flying Deacon.  How many airborn deacons can there possibly be?  I bet I’m about to find out.

That’s not the only change that Mrs. Flying Deacon and I are considering.  We are also considering a change of residence.  Praise God that we will both be sharing this residence… along with our children.  We’ve seen our neighborhood undergo many changes but the change we’re seeing now is somewhat disturbing.  It’s been slow coming on but it’s getting progressivly worse.  It’s our next door neighbor and his pot-smoking, foul-mouthed friends.  The bulk of the neighborhood is still nice but these people are real losers.

I understand there is nowhere we can go to escape worldly influences but we can try to at least keep them at arm’s length.  We are looking into moving up to the foothills.  Two reasons.  Housing is pretty affordable right now.  Yes we’ll sell our house at a lower price too but the houses we are looking at are affordable.  Plus there is more than 20 feet between neighbors.  The second reason is air quality.  As my son grows older his allergic reactions to springtime and harvest become more pronounced.  When we spend a couple of days above the haze layer in the valley he seems to be better.  Nothing set in stone just yet but we are definately giving this some serious investigation.

The last change is that I am divesting myself of many of my airplane doo-dads.  I’m selling off my gps systems, and oxygen tank.  I’m selling some of my computer stuff too.  Why?  I’m starting a new campaign.  It’s called, “Send a Gringo to Mexico.”  Mrs. Flying Deacon enjoyed last year’s trip to Mexico immensely.  Also, I saw how relaxed she became.  She literally looked 5 years younger at the end of our week in Playa Del Carmen.  She needs that again.  Since I don’t really earn enough to take a vacation like that every year, I’m starting a fund and paying into it with stuff I sell and and side jobs I can scrounge up.

Lot’s of changes around here.  Let’s pray they are all for the better.

Training sons

On By The Flying DutchmanIn Faith, Opinion2 Comments

I just got back from a week at church camp.  Our guest speaker was speaking on how to train boys to be young men.  When the subject of teaching them skills came up he gave us a four step training process that I had to share with my millions (okay, maybe a dozen or so) of readers.

Step 1

I do it.  You watch.

Step 2

I do it.  You help.

Step 3

You do it.  I help.

Step 4

You do it.  I watch.

So utterly simple and effective.  Something I hope to use to great effect with my son while we’re building our project airplane.

Wednesday afternoon in downtown Modesto

On By The Flying DutchmanIn OpinionLeave a comment

I can’t believe where technology has gone in the past few years. For instance, I’m sitting in Picasso’s, a downtown Modesto cafe, and just finished a delicious sandwich. I’m listening to a guitar player strumming from the corner of the room, the lawyers and administrative clerks are hurrying by on the sidewalk trying to get back to work before lunch is over. I’m connected and online and able to update this website from this cafe. This is something I could have only imagined just a few years ago.

I’m just as amazed where God has taken me in the past few years. He tests my faith on almost a daily basis with my new job. I go into the week thinking I’m swamped, not knowing how I’m going to handle the problems I face; staffing shortages, unhappy customers, knowledge and memory shortages (on my part). The more I try to handle it the deeper I feel I’m sinking. Then I remember to pray about my problems, not really to ask God to “fix” my problems, but just to place myself in His hands. I just consciously stop worrying about the problems and subconsciously leave them in God’s hands. What a difference. I feel more content, more joyful and many of the problems seem to resolve themselves. I guess one could make the argument that they were never my problems in the first place. I think they were; I just think God uses these problems to cement my faith.

These days, I find myself more joyful than I used to be even when things do go my way. I find myself trying to ignore the pretty girls with skimpy dresses on the sidewalk rather than indulging my eyes. I find myself trying to deal with everyone as if they are my brother. I am always successful? Absolutely not. Still, it’s something that I could only have imagined a few years ago.

Yes… it’s amazing how far things have come.

( Thank you Cristy for praying for me without ceasing )

One of those weeks

On By The Flying DutchmanIn Faith, OpinionLeave a comment

Did you ever have one of those weeks?  I’m sure you have.  We all have and I had another one this week.  A virus outbreak kept me at work late at night for most of the week.  I’ve barely seen my family.  We finally brought the virus under control on Saturday morning.  It was a tremendous relief.  However, by that time I had reached the end of my stress rope.  There were other issues at work that were already weighing on me so I just needed a break from everything.  Even going to church on Sunday morning didn’t relax me as it usually does.  I was short-tempered, emotionally weak, and just flat out tired.  Church didn’t feel refreshing to me this week, it felt oppressing.  My normal duties at church weighed on me like a load of cement.  If our Lord is trying to take me out of my comfort zone, it’s working.  I can’t even see the “comfort zone limits” sign from where I’m standing.

It felt so good to come home and spend a quiet afternoon with my family.  After lunch we rested and talked.  Later in the afternoon I went to work in the garage on my RV-7 and watched my daughter whiz up and down the sidewalk on her bicycle.  I finished another major subassembly of the RV-7; the rudder.  My wife doesn’t get it, she says she would nervous and frustrated trying to build an airplane.  To me it’s relaxing.  I guess we all have different ways of blowing off steam.

Here is a much more relaxed looking Flying Dutchman after hanging the rudder on the vertical stabilizer.

 

rudder1a.JPG