First a note: Next Monday, July 24th starting at
3:00 PM ET, I'll be the guest once again of my
friends The Trip Chicks on a live streaming radio
show called "Escapes." Once again you will have
the opportunity to email your questions for me or
them. Go to www.AskTheTripChicks.com and your
questions may be about aviation in general,
questions you'd like to ask an airline pilot,
fear of flying topics, pretty much anything you
want. You can listen to the show here:
http://www.radiosandysprings.com/Escapes/index.html.

Now, about our road trip. Yes, we finally loaded
up the car with the three of us, Al The Web Guy,
Coco The Pomeranian and me, and headed for
California. We've put up yet another album in
our trusty Photo Gallery called San Diego Road
Trip and have plenty of photos posted there if
you're interested. Gallery

I love swimming while Al The Web Guy and Coco are
less enthused about it. We left at 6:00 AM from
our home southeast of Denver and were in Glenwood
Springs by midmorning. We've been there many
times as I think it's one of the most pleasant
and beautiful places on earth. The hot springs
main pool is the biggest in the world as far as I
know and larger than a football field.


Although we've been there many times it's always
been in the off-season, usually in October as we
do our annual fall trek into the Rocky Mountains.
My point, and I do have one, is this is the
first time the water slides have ever been open.
Did somebody say water-slides? Those reading my
material for any length of time know I just can't
resist them.

Al The Web Guy and Coco The Pomeranian had little
interest in swimming, so I went by myself and
bought a ticket that included a total of eight
rides on the two water slides, more than I wanted
but I figured I'd swoosh down a few times and
give the rest of the tickets away, which I did,
to a very enthused eight year old boy and his
less enthused but appreciative Mom.

One of the slides requires an inner tube and is
fast, but the other one is smaller, you go down
without anything but yourself, and it's so fast
it leaves the other one in the dust. I found
myself getting beat to death on the ride down,
staggered away dizzily, then went back to prove
to myself I wasn't afraid of getting beat up
again. I thought it might be easier and less
frightening the second time. I was wrong, of
course, and thought I was hallucinating when I
shot out the bottom for the second time and heard
my name being called.

I looked to the left. Nothing. I looked to the
right. Still nothing. MERYL! UP HERE! I
looked up and there were Al The Web Guy and Coco
The Pomeranian on a bridge at the end of the
pools where the slides are. I just had time to
smile before my picture got snapped. It's only a
little scary and you'll find it in our new San
Diego Road Trip Album. Album

After I swam a little more, we piled back into
the car and headed for Grand Junction, through
Telluride and on to Cortez for the night.
Telluride is one of the prettiest places on
earth. It really is and I promise you I have
done extensive research on the subject.
Unfortunately, it got really cloudy and
eventually we wound up in a heavy downpour part
of the way.

Still, I was able to see some of the red hills
that make Telluride so distinguishable from the
air. You always know for sure it's Telluride by
the red hills, the horseshoe shape of the valley
with the town at the far end nestled against the
mountains. Al spotted some elk cows and calves
and he got a nice photo, also in our new album.

We spent the night in Cortez, the three of us in
a room and what seemed to be hundreds of prairie
dogs yipping away outside our window in a vacant
lot next to our motel. No matter, all three of
us were pooped after a long day and were happy to
hit the sack.


Now, rather than make this far too long, I'm
going to make this Part I about our road trip and
save the rest for another Update or two or
however many it takes to tell you about some of
the interesting things that happened. For one
thing, Al The Web Guy and I met with the CEO of
San Diego.com and I want to you a little about
that.


Then there was a very special reunion with an old
friend who's featured in "The World At My Feet"
and I'll be talking about that as well. If
you've read the book you'll recognize him.

Two notes and then I'll save the rest for later:
First, I added some more photos to the Microsoft
Flight Simulator Team Gallery. They're screen
shots from John Southmayd (Microsoft) and my
simulator ride in the F-4 and you can see what a
HUD (Heads Up Display ) looks like among other
things. HUD allows pilots to read their
instruments right on their windshields instead of
having to look down and it's the first time I'd
used one although some airlines have them in
their planes.

Speaking of John, would you believe this guy went
out almost immediately upon his return to Seattle
and flew a real airplane? He told me the ride in
the F-4 with me inspired him to go do the real
thing after procrastinating forever and coming up
with excuses that really had no merit. It's
reactions like John's that make me glad I'm in a
position to share my passion for aviation with
others and I'm so proud of him. Be sure to find
him with his Cessna 172 in the Microsoft Flight
Simulator Team Album. Remember, you can always
go to this album, then click on Latest Uploads to
find the most recent additions.

The other note, and this one is kind of a bummer,
is that I spoke with my usatoday.com editors by
phone while I was in San Diego. A few months ago
I came close to cutting the cord there when the
same questions were being repeated with almost no
new material to work with. My editors and I knew
from the beginning this column would have a
finite run and frankly we were all surprised I
could keep up a column a week this long. Now
it's almost two years and they decided the
column, although still popular, was starting to
repeat and decided to terminate it.

I am, however, continuing the tradition in a
brand new section of my site called, "Ask Cap'n
Meryl" and will continue to post questions and
answers. Questions should include your first and
last name and city/state, and I'll be posting a
new one every Tuesday.

The good news is another, very prestigious
publication made me an offer some time ago which
I had to reject as it was a conflict of interest
with usatoday.com. I'm not sure if I want to
continue the column elsewhere, propose something
new (if you have ideas, please share them with
me) or just concentrate on Microsoft and my own
site. I'll be sure to keep you informed of what
happens here, of course.

Please Note Al The Web Guy has created a free photo gallery site where you'll be able to post your own photos in your own private gallery. Your family and friends will be able to view all your photos. You can register and upload your photos at Your photo gallery .

“The World At My Feet” and “Flights of Whimsy”
marketing test was a success and is now a
permanent offer in our Gift Ideas area at
fromthecockpit.com. Just $25 for both books,
shipped anywhere in the world for free for a
savings of $12.85.
Click here:
http://www.fromthecockpit.com/Gift_Ideas.html


And with that,
Until Next Time,
Maintain Airspeed!
Cap'n Meryl

www.fromthecockpit.com
www.flyingfearless.com
www.fromthecockpit.com/profile.htm(keynote speaker)

Several weeks ago, Al the Web Guy, Coco the
Pomeranian and I were planning a road trip from
Denver to San Diego. That trip got put on hold
when Al The Web Guy came down with a nasty and
potentially fatal staph infection. That's all
behind us now and we're planning to leave later
this week. We'll be gone a total of about eight
days and will have limited email availability on
the road. If you write and don't hear back right
away, that's why.

The notion of two pilots driving for two days
instead of flying for two hours might give you
pause (or, if you're Coco the Pomeranian, it
might even give you paws). We're driving because
Al The Web Guy won't subject our pooch to flying,
won't leave him behind, and this was the only
option left to us. Actually, all three of us are
looking forward to seeing some scenery up close
and personal as opposed to from 40,000 feet.
Friends of ours will move in and take care of the
bunny, the bird, the fish and the ferrets.

We're planning to stop at one of my favorite
spots in the whole world, Glenwood Hot Springs,
and then turn south through beautiful Telluride.
Our first night will be spent in Cortez, Colorado
and the second in Prescott, Arizona. We're
planning to stop briefly at the Grand Canyon and
other points of interest for just little while on
our way out west. I'll write about our trip when
we get back.

Now, on to this week's title: During my entire
30+ year career as a pilot, I never once heard,
as a topic of discussion in the cockpit or
anywhere else, about home flight simulators. I
didn't even know they existed and although many
readers have communicated with me that they are
avid flight simmers, I suspect many more readers
don't know, but would like to know, what it's all
about.

To bring new readers up to speed, a few months
ago a reader casually wrote to me that he was off
to Africa that night. Because I do receive
letters from actual airline pilots around the
world, I took it literally until he wrote the
following night to tell me he was going to India.
This just didn't add up. There wasn't adequate
crew rest between flights, the routes didn't
match any routes I knew about, and I just didn't
buy it.

So I asked this gentleman what airline he flew
for, and was embarrassed and really quite stunned
to find out he wasn't a real pilot, but a "flight
simmer." I had never even heard the term before.
I didn't know it was possible to fly from a home
flight simulator and was intrigued.

Another reader, also a flight simmer, contacted
Microsoft suggesting they might want to somehow
involve me as an intermediary between users of
their flight sims and a real-world pilot.
Microsoft responded with enthusiasm and I am now
unofficially part of the Microsoft Simulator
Team. I say "unofficially" because we are still
working out the details.

Over the weekend Al The Web Guy, Coco the
Pomeranian (Al doesn't go unless the dog goes)
and I attended the IFC (International FlightSim
Conventions) function right here in Denver. This
was the first gathering for this United
Kingdom-based organization here in the United
States and it was well-attended, mostly by men
over 50 living in a world parallel to the one
Cap'n Al and I have been living in for the last
several decades.

Many of the things I saw, and the people I met,
simply amazed me. For instance, Brett Schnepf,
one of the Microsoft Team members, introduced me
to a gentleman named Matthew who is actually
building an addition to his house (dare I say
he's adding a wing?) in order to accommodate a
full-motion B-777 simulator. During the two days
of the convention, he walked across the street
more than once to the United Airlines Flight
Training Center where he had purchased time in
the very simulators I trained in. When his own
version is finished, in the first quarter of next
year, he promises to invite me out to his San
Francisco Bay Area home to fly with him.

In the meantime, he introduced me to one of the
designers of his home simulator, from Flight Deck
Solutions, who also designed the cockpit sets for
the movie Flight 93. This company had a
custom-built B-737 NG (Next Generation) simulator
on display with a video image on the wall, and
allowed me (and other convention-goers) to give
it a try, with my new friend Matthew looking on
from the right seat.

One of the highlights of the show for me was
flying an F-4 Phantom enclosed simulator. This
isn't a home sim, of course, but an actual
simulator. I flew in the back seat while John,
another one of the Microsoft FlightSim Team, flew
in the front. John's not a pilot in real life,
but an avid and talented simmer. He did MUCH
better than I did. Throughout the convention I
kept hearing the same comments about pilots--that
unless they have experience in simulators, they
just don't do well at first. That was very true
of me as well. Even the really sophisticated $10
million variety I flew at United are more
sensitive than the real airplane, and take some
getting used to.

We took off from Las Vegas's McCarran Airport in
our F-4 and John flew right down the strip at
just a few feet off the pavement, naming the
hotels as we flew by--Caesar's Palace, The
Belagio (he even said "Hey, where are the
fountains?" but on closer inspection, there they
were spouting away), Mandalay Bay, Luxor, etc.

When we were done with that he wanted to fly to
the Grand Canyon. I know that area extremely
well and gave him a heading of 080 degrees until
we flew up over a plateau and then right down
into the canyon, where he flew along the Colorado
River well below the rim. I used to do this in
real life when I flew Canyon tours decades ago,
but not screaming along at hundreds of miles an
hour in an F-4 Phantom.

Our five minute session turned into forty-five
minutes. I got talked into flying NOE (Nap of the
Earth) out over the desert at 30 feet and over
600 knots until I finally misjudged and we
crashed into a small hill, exploding into a
fireball. The whole thing was being videoed and
watched by a large crowd in the lobby, and we
could see ourselves on screens in the cockpit. A
copy is being provided to both of us. I'd like
to thank the guys
at www.F-4Phantom.com for the experience and it
was my first chance and privilege to share a
cockpit with one of the Microsoft Flightsim Team
guys. Although we didn't get charged as fellow
exhibitors, it was only $10 for anyone to fly and
get a souvenir video. If you ever get the chance
to fly it, I highly recommend it.

We ended with several attempts at a carrier
landing. John did an amazing job of getting
close, although it would take lots of practice
runs to get it down. I took one shot at it and
didn't make it but wound up going around.

Microsoft itself has never been a big player in
the flight simmer community, but that is changing
right now. Their website is undergoing a
complete facelift and the current plan is that my
site will become part of their site in some
fashion. I'll start providing content and
provide a resource for flight simmers who want
input from an actual pilot. I'm hoping to become
a liason of sorts between simmers and me, an
airline pilot. Al The Web Guy will continue to
be involved, as always.

Many readers have written to me over the last few
years about living vicariously through my flying
experiences, and that they wish they could see
the cockpit view on landing and takeoff. These
home flight sims have visual images so realistic
it's a little scary, but quite wonderful. You
can fly around whole world right from home if you
want, and many simmers do just that. Many people
want to fly but can't afford to, or are past the
age where it makes sense, or have some illness
preventing them from flying, etc. These systems
are an incredible way to jump right in and
experience many of the things real pilots
experience.

In the coming months, I'll be introducing some of
the fantastic add-ons to the Microsoft Flight
Sims. Cap'n Al and I want to try at least some
of them ourselves and evaluate them so we can
render our personal opinions, for whatever
they're worth. Even since the convention ended,
I've had an offer from one of the presenters
there, Ariane, to try out their software so I can
give them and others feedback on it. They're
sending me their B-737-800 software to try out.

Before the convention, five of the Microsoft
FlightSim Team guys were supposed to come to
dinner. Two didn't make it, but three did--John,
Mike Lambert and Mike Singer. Al The Web Guy and
Chief Chef made his famous BBQ ribs, salmon made
on the grill, corn on the cob, broccoli, mashed
potatoes, cornbread and crusty French bread,
salad and for dessert, his cheesecake with cherry
topping and some watermelon. I'm still full and
that was last Thursday. He's also planning to do
all the cooking while we're in San Diego visiting
my parents, both in their eighties.

Do NOT miss the Microsoft Flight Team Album in my
Photo Gallery. Some of the photos were taken by
Brett Schnepf of the Microsoft Flight Sim Team,
and the rest were taken by me. We have photos of
some of the different simulators, seminar
presentations, the dinner on Saturday night, the
F-4 Phantom simulator, a few of the simmers we
met, all the Microsoft Team Guys who were there
(five of them) and even Coco the Pomeranian and
Al The Web Guy enjoying the convention together.
Find the Microsoft FlightSim Team Album at
www.fromthecockpit.com/Gallery or just click
here:
http://www.fromthecockpit.com/Gallery/thumbnails.php?album=30

And with that,
Until Next Time,
Maintain Airspeed!
Cap'n Meryl

www.fromthecockpit.com
www.flyingfearless.com
www.fromthecockpit.com/profile.htm(keynote speaker)