Crowdsourcing How To Entertain a Flightsimer Houseguest

Hangar Flying
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Ugh! C’mon Mudspike, be iPhone friendly. I’m typing in the blind, here! Well that said, this may be illegible. Sorry. Flightsimulator.com also uses Discourse but does not share this problem. Bichin’ aside, seeking advice.

I have a Swedish (living in California) cousin who is I believe a rising high school senior. His mom reached out to me to ask if he could stay with us in June to fill the gap between a tour of the US Military Academy at West Point and the US Naval Academy at Annapolis. I knew previously through her that he was keen on flying in the military and also had been dabbling in flight sims. Probably from shyness he never contacted me although I had on a few occasions reached out through his older sister. Honestly I could have made more of an effort but loving disengagement runs deep in the Anderson lineage.

Anyways, I am really looking forward to hanging with him for a few days but now worry that I may well bore the crap out of the kid. He just whatsapped me and did mention that he has played DCS and MSFS. So we have that in common. But how do we do that together? We really can’t. I can set him up to play on his own. Maybe teach him how to buzz around the boat in the Hornet. I may be able to take him up in a helicopter if the school’s owner will approve (unlike airplanes, helicopter rental isn’t really a thing.) I could also have one of the glider club members take him up (I am not current). This Pitts is single-place of course. If you were 16 with an aviation interest and have an uncle who flies buses, what would you want out of the three days with him?

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Aviation museum??

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Since the Army’s fixed wing operations are limited, getting him a ride in a helicopter would be ideal. Or a free flight mission in the Apache.

Of course, if he’s leaning toward Annapolis, the Hornet around the boat would be good. Perhaps repeat Cat I traps until he feels comfortable.

See what winds his clock.

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Real Flying. Rent a 172 or something and go do some vfr cross country.

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Probably a chance to pick your brains on flying and perhaps get to putter about a bit in a GA aircraft. Just learn and hang out?

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Just a thought, Is there anything you can get him to do with marginal supervision in the hanger? Clean/tidy? Build an anti-FOD wrench board? Any basic maintenance/service on the Pitts? Wash it?

I had my nephew of a similar age stay with us for a week last year and taught him how to strip down, service, sharpen a chainsaw and use it properly. It was a longer time, but you get the idea.

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I am guessing that time in one of your airline’s/employers simulators is out of the question?

Other than that the only thing I have to add is: if he is interested in a career in aviation, do some real flying with DCS as a back-up if the weather gods are not on your side.

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He got sims already. Let him feel, touch and smell the real machine. Make him store some new memories.

Flying it is an added bonus, which is guaranteed to impress him even more. But even showing him the ropes on a parked vehicle will go a long way.

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Get him around real planes and preferably in the air. Show him an FBO, give him the tour of the place. If you’re employer will let him actually get up close on an aircraft get him on/in/around one.

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Thanks guys. Still no reply from the owner of the flight school about renting a Robinson with a passenger. Of course I’ll also reach out to Filip to see what he wants out of the 3 days. He may just want to chill and play DCS while I cook. (That would be my happy place TBH).

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Do I understand that you live in Jersey? If so, there are a couple of pretty cool little museums around…the in Cape May is worth a drive.

Alternatively, what about a Cessna ride? Or, if you don’t mind dropping the coin, the nearest Stearman ride?

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The airplane ride is probably not doable unless I just pay for a demo. The kid is from serious money. So he really doesn’t need me to gift him a demo. But if that strikes his fancy I’ll do it. The reason I can’t rent is that I don’t keep renters insurance. It’s a big expense to do so and I never really had cause to rent a fixed wing. The helicopter operation only required that I take the Robinson Safety Course in CA to rent the R44, but that was a few years ago. The RSC was expensive by highly educational (and day one was taught by the younger Robinson just two days after the death of Frank). I am sure that if I pushed, the school would let me rent, but I don’t want to push. The Cape May museum is not a bad idea. I’ve directed a few contests there and always enjoy reconnecting.

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There’s another little museum or two in Jersey and of course the MAAM museum in PA which is having an event in June.

The Intrepid is always a fun visit and a chance to see New York, depending on how much time you have.

It’s a shame that you couldn’t rent a second computer and a Quest. Even if you couldn’t run DCS, you could run VSTOL VR or that Warbirds title if flying together is something you might entertain.

I guess it all depends on how much time you have and what you both are interested in doing. :slightly_smiling_face:

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Does your airline have any flight club related organization that can help you out perhaps?

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When the weekend is done, do tell us how it went :slight_smile:

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Maybe a road trip up to Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome would be fun?

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Old Rhinebeck would be a hoot. If any of you have never been and are in the NYC area, it’s a great way to spend the day.

Evan has said that I am welcome to a helicopter! So, TFRs and weather permitting, we’ll tour the city the way it was meant to be seen! My plan is to give him the iPad with Foreflight and let him plan and navigate. I’ll have the kneeboard I bought when I was sixteen and paper Helicopter charts.

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