I picked up Condor, a gliding simulator with great reviews but only 2dof... Besides the fact that I feel like my neck is broken, it's quite fun. Tonight I managed to pick up my silver badge, which includes a flight on a straight course of at least 50 kilometers, a duration flight of at least 1 hour, and a gain of height of at least 1000 meters.

 

 

Not bad for only gliding for 2 weeks, eh? I can't wait to do it for real on Saturday!

That's great Brit!

 

It looks like an awesome sim. You'll have to let us know how accurate it is when you take the real thing up!

I just spent 1.5 hours flying some serious mountain terrain just to get lifted into a cloud and planted in the side of a mountain. If it wasn't for the gold badge I would never waste my time nor my real life trying that stunt. There is a turn basket I had to hit and it was entirely covered in cloud over the top of a ridge. Downloading New Zealand for something a bit more tame.

You'll have to let us know how accurate it is when you take the real thing up!

 

The effects of flight are pretty realistic compared to the actual glider. The weather settings you can choose can make it more of a "perfect day" type of weather pattern, but who would want to get on a simulator to fly on a boring day when all you can hope for is zero sink? The ridge soaring I did in the glider the last several times versus the effect the simulator has are pretty spot on. Overall, I understand why it's such a popular simulator for all the glider pilots around the world.

 

Now I just need to find time to get on and do my 2+ hour flight and get that gold badge! I misunderstood the climb requirement to mean it all at once and pushed myself too low in a canyon in New Zealand. I didn't die but it would have been quite a walk home! Perhaps this weekend I'll hit it up when everyone else has retired from 1946 and Cliffs of Dover. The wife is out of town from Friday through Sunday, so I'm hoping to get the kids sedated for GS nights. Of course, if I keep flying like I have the last two missions, I don't have to worry about them being alone for too long

 

Just watched a video for Condor over at youtube:

 

 

I love how you actually see yourself, as opposed to the disembodied head.

 

It looks like a real fun game.

Klaiber, did you notice the lapel pin vs the badge? I think I know what I'm doing after I get my add-on!

 

 

 

http://www.fai.org/igc-our-sport/badges-and-diplomas

 

http://www.ssa.org/members/badgesandrecords/usbadges.asp

 

 

 

There are also some really good mods for the clouds that make them look very good. I'm going to give the free ones a shot then probably go all out and get the best version.

 

http://soaringclouds.com/products

 

Flying underneath the clouds the other weekend while working a shear line was amazing, I didn't want to descend!

Klaiber' date=' did you notice the lapel pin vs the badge? I think I know what I'm doing after I get my add-on![/quote']

 

That's really cool!

 

I still think it's hilarious that you had randomly picked a pilot photograph off google, only to find out that the person's image you chose was of a famous glider pilot / engineer who was heavily involved in everything from the Me 163 to the Mercury and Gemini programs.

 

Goes to show you that in randomness, there are often patterns.

 

 

I finally sniped "JG1" as my competition number for Condor.  All you have to do is log in and it's reserved for another year.  I kept checking every time I would get a new scenery update and finally, when the most exciting scenery for me came out, it was available and I snagged it!

 

 

The latest scenery has my home airfield on it in the south east corner.  Now I can simulate flying around in my own playground on DCS and Condor

Soaring is great fun.  I have Silver Badge #3658.  Managed to place 11th out of 31 in the 1982 1-26 Championships.

 

Good times.

 

(Wow, that was a long while ago.  I must be an old guy.  )