About – Lets Fly VFR
Sharing my Flight Simulator Experience.
The F-111C Aardvark (Pig)
Welcome to Lets Fly VFR and my sharing of my passion in getting the best flight simulator experience possible. I have been an avid aviation nut since I was in my teens so In 1980 I joined the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) as an Armament Fitter, often referred to as a Gunnie. This incredible opportunity thrust me right where I wanted to be! I was surrounded by the aircraft and weapons on a daily basis and climbed over the many aircraft that sat on my shelf at home!
My passion for aviation and desiring to dive into the flight simulator experience were two separate paths. I loved the daily challenges that came with my first posting to the mighty and formidable General Dynamic’s F-111 Aardvark.
The “Pig” as we all called it affectionately was incredibly powerful machine. Its amazing range and weapons carrying ability allowed the RAAF to extend military influence far beyond the massive borders of Australia’s vast coastline.
Weapons Were My Passion.
The weapons carrying ability of the F-111 was truly impressive! It had the ability to load weapons including nuclear weapons (Australia did not possess nuclear weapons) in the internal weapons bays under the fuselage as well as missiles for both air to air and air to ground use. Laser guided bombs also were available as well as a myriad of low drag as well as high drag bombs.
Range Was Massive.
Internal fuel tanks could accept a whole fuel tanker of fuel or near as it could to it. 32000 liters with a pair of externals tanks as I remember having refueled them countless times. Most often the F-111 would carry bombs on its inboard swing wing pylons that were orientated to point forward all through the wing sweep envelope. The external pair of pylons were rarely used and these did not rotate as the wings were swept. They were configured to be inline with the fuselage at cruise wing sweep setting at 26 degrees from memory.
Amberly – QLD
I enjoyed my time on the F-111 in Amberly in Queensland (QLD). But time stands still for no man and after what seemed to be a short posting I was surprised to get a posting to Malaysia on Mirage III fighters. I have to say I wondered why after just a few years I was off on anther aircraft! This was part of the RAAFs plan to finally have me arrive in Adelaide to the Aircraft Research and Development squadron after I was in Malaysia getting fighter experience. I was truly blessed with my postings.
The Mirage III & Malaysia.
I arrived blurry eyed and ready for action in the tropical heat and rain storms of a tropical climate. The Mirage IIIO which the RAAD operated was at the end of its life and the F-18 Hornet was in the near future but for now we worked hard on our incredibly fast and agile steads. The days were filled with loading and unloading 30mm DEFA cannons, loading practice and live weapons to our delta wing aircraft.
The work pace was much higher than my F-111 experience and the comradery was really amazing. The flight time of the Mirage III was generally about one hour and it would be low on fuel and needing new weapons replenishments for the next wave. We did two and three waves per day often so there was little respite.
Daily Tasks.
The maintenance crews in the RAAF did many tasks as part of their daily duties. As an Armament fitter I did the Loading/Unloading of weapons on the aircraft, serviced the Martin Baker Ejection OM4 Ejection seat as well as munitions building/preparation with small arms weapons servicing also in the realm of possibility.
In addition to these tasks we were responsible for fitting and removing weapons pylons and ejector racks which also included the servicing of these and the two Defa Cannons including their gun packs to which they were mounted. This may seem quite a bit but it was run of the mill and made days interesting with the many tasks we could face in a day.
Crew Chief is Not a DIrty Word.
In addition to our trade duties we also spent time working as crew chiefs, refueling and pre/post & through fliting aircraft. Generally we did not do weapons loading and maintenance tasks if attached to the flight line directly. I loved it here for sure climbing into and over/under my favorite jet fighters.
During my time in Butterworth Malaysia we had visits from the then new F-16 Fighting Falcons from a squadron in Japan. They came and did training with the Malaysian Air Force RMAF in a hope they would buy the F-16. The RMAF operated F-5 Tigers at Butterworth and were pretty competent. They did air to air combat with the Viper/Falcons for a couple weeks.
We also had the F-20 Tigershark visit the base also in an attempt to have the Malaysian Air force purchase those. It was certainly an impressive display but unfortunately the Malaysians did not buy the Tiger shark. This aircraft crashed in Korea a month or so latter.
Aircraft Research & Development Unit – ARDU
The next move I had was back to ARDU in Adelaide, South Australia which was to be my last RAAF posting but at the time I wasn’t to know. I arrived and this was where I was introduced to my first Flight Simulator Experience. Lets talk aircraft first then we will dive into the flight simulator experience that was ahead.
ARDU was tasked with doing the flight test of all RAAF aircraft from CT-4 single engine prop trainers the the Macchi jet trainer and all fighters, maritime and transport aircraft. It was a smorgasbord of amazing daily experiences!
Variety Was Amazing
One day we would be dropping practice bombs (500LB/2000Lb) in our very large shed from a test stand to loading and testing new weapons with all the high speed cameras as well as computer strain gauges so our engineers could assess their performance. Anything could happen on of the available aircraft in a day! It was a truly incredible place to work but it was here on the RAAF desktop computer I first got an introduction to flight simulation.
My First Flight Simulator Experience!
The office had a desktop 286 Computer and a 12 inch 16 colour monitor. It was popular for all the team to cram in around the computer and people would fly F-119 Stealth Fighter flying missions in the middle East. It was as much a slide show as the graphics were no where near fluid but that’s what we had. We all dreamed I think of being fighter pilots but the reality was this was as close as we would get.
The Middle East – Saudi Arabia.
My next adventure in life and flight simulation experiences was after heading off to Saudi Arabia. I had seen an advertisement at Christmas of 1989 and I thought it would be a great opportunity for myself and family to move to Saudi Arabia with exceptional pay and benefits on offer.
Military Pay Was Poor Then!
The RAAF at the time paying pretty poorly by comparison to today but this changed magically after a massive number of highly skilled RAAF members like myself flooded out the door to BAE Systems on the Al-Yamamah Project. So heading off to the UK I did a Tornado IDS/ADV course and after a three month course it was off the the land of sand, Saudi Arabia. I ended up in Khamis Mushayt in the South West of Saudi Arabia on the King Khalid air base which is at 7500 Ft AMSL.
My First COmputer – Amiga 500
It was here I had my mighty AMIGA 500 computer and we played F-16 Combat Pilot over a RS-232 serial cable between the single rooms We were housed in at Sarawat Motel as it was known which consisted of hotel style corridors with rooms either side. THere was a restaurant and several lounges to meet up and have a coffee.
Pre Internet Darkness.
It was a great time and it really hooked me into Player vs Player gaming. WHen we discovered the RS 232 cable and the ability to battle each other the world changed forever. There was no internet at the time although it was just becoming a thing around the world.
F-16 combat pilot was out go to air to air combat game for quite a while. Once I moved from the AMIGA 500 I got my first PC based computer which had a Intel 386 MHz processor, and honestly I can’t remember what the graphics card was back then. There were a few old forgotten names and some current name so the list was 3dfx, ATI, Nvidia, and S3. I’m guessing I had a 3dfx card but its long ago!
Then there was FALCON.
Falcon was released in 1991 just in time to amaze us all. Its flight dynamics and graphics had taken a good step forward at the time and I got my teeth into Falcon 3.0. It was such a challenging combat flight simulator and I struggled and kept being shot down BVR very often. It wouldn’t be till much later I started to discover the finer points of BFM and BVR dogfighting.
The Spectrum Holobyte / MicroProse Falcon flight simulator.
The Spectrum Holobyte / MicroProse Falcon flight simulator series has a rich history dating back to its debut with Falcon 3.0 in 1991. Here’s a brief overview of the series, from its inception to the present day:
- Falcon 3.0 (1991): Falcon 3.0 marked the beginning of the series and was a groundbreaking flight simulator for its time. Developed by Sphere, Inc. and published by MicroProse, it focused on the F-16 Fighting Falcon fighter jet. The game was known for its realistic flight dynamics, detailed graphics (for its era), and an immersive campaign mode.
- Falcon 4.0 (1998): Falcon 4.0 was a significant upgrade to the series, introducing dynamic campaign systems and improved graphics. It also allowed players to participate in a virtual war theater, complete with mission planning and a variety of aircraft. Falcon 4.0 became a cult classic and enjoyed a dedicated modding community.
- Falcon 4.0: Allied Force (2005): After MicroProse’s dissolution, the Falcon series saw a revival with Falcon 4.0: Allied Force, developed by Lead Pursuit. This version built upon the foundation of Falcon 4.0, improving graphics, adding new features, and enhancing the overall experience. It became a go-to choice for military flight simulation enthusiasts.
- Falcon BMS (2012): The community-driven “Falcon BMS” (BMS stands for Benchmark Sims) project further expanded on Falcon 4.0, offering continuous updates and improvements. Falcon BMS aimed to modernize the game, introducing realistic avionics and maintaining the game’s appeal for a dedicated fanbase.
- Falcon (2020s): As of my last knowledge update in September 2021, the Falcon series continued to have a niche following, with fan-created content and updates. While there had been no official new releases since Falcon 4.0: Allied Force, the series remained popular among flight simulation enthusiasts due to its realism and depth.
It’s worth noting that the Falcon series has a dedicated and passionate fanbase that has kept the franchise alive through Falcon BMS which has come a long way. Microprose have now in 2023 repurchased the rights to the game and we believe are building a new game to be released in maybe 2025 or so.
Falcon BMS – Fan MOD Dedication.
Falcon BMS, short for “Falcon 4.0: Benchmark Sims,” was initially released as a community-driven project and enhancement for the original Falcon 4.0 in the early 2000s. Here’s an overview of its progress and features! Release Date: The first public release of Falcon BMS, known as “Falcon BMS 1.0,” became available in 2005.
Overview of Progress and Features:
- Enhanced Graphics: Falcon BMS brought improved graphics compared to the original Falcon 4.0, including higher-resolution textures, updated terrain, and better lighting effects.
- Realistic Avionics: One of the main focuses of Falcon BMS was to provide realistic avionics and systems modeling. This made it a popular choice for players interested in the intricacies of operating a modern fighter jet.
- Dynamic Campaign: Falcon BMS featured an extensive dynamic campaign system, allowing players to participate in a virtual war theater with changing objectives and outcomes based on their actions.
- Expanded Aircraft Selection: Over the years, Falcon BMS expanded its roster of flyable aircraft beyond the F-16, adding various aircraft like the F-4 Phantom II and the A-10 Thunderbolt II, each with its unique flight model and systems simulation.
- Community-Driven Development: Falcon BMS was developed and maintained by a passionate community of modders and developers who continued to update and refine the simulation. They released patches and updates to improve the experience, fix bugs, and add new features.
- Multiplayer Support: Falcon BMS included multiplayer functionality, allowing players to engage in cooperative and competitive gameplay, including air-to-air combat and ground attack missions with other players.
- Realism and Authenticity: The simulation aimed for a high level of realism, including realistic flight physics, weapon systems, and detailed cockpit systems. This made it appealing to flight enthusiasts and those interested in military aviation.
- Ongoing Development: As of my last knowledge update in September 2021, Falcon BMS was still an active project with a dedicated community. The development team continued to work on improvements, and various user-created mods and content were available to enhance the experience.
It’s important to note that Falcon BMS was not an official release but rather a community-driven project that aimed to keep the Falcon series alive and modernize it.
Microsoft Flight Simulator.
Microsoft flight simulator became available in 1982 but I never really got into it. I was interested only in the fighter combat arena of flight sims and this also influenced my decision not to look towards a commercial pilots license. In hindsight a poor decision as it would have allowed me to make the money to have my own aircraft.
Sport Pilot Licence – Dream Come True.
It took me many more years before I decided to do my Sport Pilot Certificate on the aircraft you see me with in the picture below. The Microsoft flight simulator was installed and removed over the years and I really never enjoyed it. I looked at Prepa3d when it came out but being a modernized MS flight simulator derivative I avoided it.
I discovered X Plane 11 as it was released some 7 years ago and I loved it instantly. It was intuitive as well as gave me the realistic feel of flying a real light sport aircraft.
This was something MS flight simulator never delivered. Even with MSFS 2020’s release I have also abandoned it already as just not delivering the feeling I want in a realistic flight sim.
X Plane has continued to advance in many ways offering great VR as well as the flight model which for me is the most accurate i have experienced anywhere. The future just continues to improve with the sim developer, as well as all the passionate modders out there in X Plane world.
DCS World – Finally The Answer to my Desires!
Discovering DCS World made my combat flying dreams come true as well some 8 years ago and soon after getting hooked by this incredible simulator I had my longest dream answered! Since movies in the 1980s I dreamed of Virtual Reality and finally with the Oculus RIft S I was home! I felt peace and satisfaction finally with the ability to see 360 degrees around me in stereoscopic magnificence.
The entry in this Virtual world made my X Plane 11 and now X Plane 12 journey complete. Yes VR comes with its challenges but the performance can be made workable and upgrades certainly help as technology as well as CPU & GPUs deliver more and more performance.
I have reveled in every step of my Airforce then British Aerospace experiences which have guided my delving into the world of flight simulation for many years. Learning to write DOS batch files in the days before windows was the primary operating system. Built and updated many computers over the years, all the time learning and growing with the flight simulation experience we all desire so much.
I hope you will continue as I have to strive to make our flight simulator experience the one we all crave for. No matter if your an Airline, General Aviation or Military flyer but we cannot forget the rotor heads out there as well as the glider pilots that all strive for the most amazing flight simulation experience possible. The range of flight simmers come from the basic just yoke on a desk to full cockpit builders and those that relish the world of VR.
I look forward to sharing my flight simulator experience and passion with you as we all fly in our own way through this incredible pastime. Thank you for visiting my blog. I really appreciate your time.
Author.
Brendon McAliece is a multi-lingual expat who brings over three decades of flight simulator/PC building experience as well as over two decades of real-world jet fighter experience as a weapons/egress technician.
He holds a sport pilot certificate giving him real-world flying experience. Hi travels have taken him from Europe to the Middle East, Asia and his home of Australia.
He has a passion for travel, languages, Flight simulation as well as Guitaring and Coffee. You can read more in his blogs below.
Learn more @
DreamingGuitar.com – DreamingCoffee.com – LetsFlyVFR.com
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