Simventure 2021

[K5083]

Did any of you guys participate in PilotEdge's Simventure 2021 event over the past few days? This is not strictly an MSFS event, as it was open also to FSX, P3D, and X-Plane users, but I got the feeling that the bulk of users were from MSFS. I unexpectedly had quite a good time, and I wondered if others have reactions.

For context, I have been strictly single-player through 30+ years of simming, never flew with or talked with anyone else online. I went to the PilotEdge site and got my free account mainly to get the free Airventure scenery they released for this event, which is indeed very nice. As I learned more about the event, I decided to also download their client, get my headphones and mic working (this was the hardest part of the whole thing) and try doing some live approaches.

For those not familiar with this, these guys set up some blocks of time a couple weeks prior to Airventure (because it's for real-world pilots to practice for the big show), issue a NOTAM, and have real live honest-to-betsy controllers who are going to be working Airventure later this month simulate the Fisk and warbird arrival routes and procedures. It is as realistic as they can make it, and what's coming through your earphones sounds just like the tower chatter that you may have listened to at Oshkosh. I found it challenging but do-able, surprisingly stressful at times and very educational and fun. I did five approaches in all over the weekend, three Fisk and two warbird. I had a couple more aborted by CTDs as my MSFS installation is not very stable these days. You're allowed to fly any type of piston or turboprop plane. It won't look like the right type to other participants if it's not one of the stock planes, but I still had fun flying a Long-EZ, a P-40 and a Spitfire into the event, just for the challenge and hopefully my radio calls made the experience a little more interesting from the other players'' perspective. The controllers seemed to appreciate the variety.

There were some minor tech issues, in particular I found frame rates took a hit just on final approach and rollout when you need them the most, so my landings weren't my prettiest. Also, for some reason my engine sound cut out within a certain proximity of the field, on Sunday only.

Overall, I enjoyed it and am wondering if some other virtual thing might be taking place actually during Airventure, maybe not as professional as this, but at least with some experience of a controller trying to herd a bunch of planes into the airport. I'll certainly be flying more arrivals into the Simventure scenery later this month, but it would be nice to have company.

August

[Bomber_12th]

Thank you, August, for that great report! I didn't participate, but it sounds like it would have been fun to experience. I've practiced the Fisk and Warbird Arrival approaches in past sims, but never with actual controllers or flying online with others. It reminds me too how much I enjoy listening to the live ATC from Oshkosh - looking forward to that next week (bummed that I won't be able to go again this year).

There should be at least two Spitfires at Oshkosh this year - the Dakota Territory Air Museum's Mk.IX MK959 (they are also bringing their recently completed Hawker Hurricane, and a few other warbirds), and hopefully Charles Somers' recently completed Mk.XVI TB252, which will be in contention for Grand Champion if it does make it.

[K5083]

Yes, John, I'm sad to miss this year too, having made it the most recent 2 years it was held, and having sort of promised myself not to miss again if I could help it.

Here is hoping that the Dakota Hurricane becomes a regular and that we see two Hurris on the field in 2022. If we both make it also, the first beer is on me.

Besides being very fun and immersive, those lulls that you get in the traffic gave us an opportunity to directly thank some of the controllers both for their work at OSH and for entertaining us in the sim.

PilotEdge archives some of the audio from the event, if you go to https://www.pilotedge.net/audio/2021-07-18 (or any of the preceding three days) and click on any of the OSH files you can get a taste of what it was like. Remarkably similar to the ATC that we enjoy listening to at OSH each year.

August