LordFerret

As I recall, it took me somewhere around 3 months. I tried to log a few hours every day, but that wasn't always possible. Autopilot on the DC-3 is crude, and the trim can at times be obstinate especially when trying to use real-world weather. A lot of babysitting was required. I took a rather long route, as watching endless ocean roll beneath you is boring. The fun part was the "flight planning"... there really wasn't any. Basically I'd open up the map window and start checking out what was ahead before each take-off, trying to find strips along the way where refueling was possible.

I wouldn't say it's a "terrible" language, it is as the name implies - Basic, and very 'basic' at that. Ease of use, and yes, forgiving. I have to say, I was glad many a time to have it around, as when times called for a quick fix to some file or database one could always whip up a quick Basic program to do the job. Of course, that was 'back then', things are a bit different now especially with databases. Still, I think one of best features of Basic is its use as an introduction tool to programming - it's easy to learn, the general principals are inherent to pretty much all other languages (C included), and once gotten a grasp of, can ease the learning curve to other more robust languages. I've sat complete computer illiterates down (really, idiots lol) and in 30 minutes time have had them writing simple, functional, Basic programs ... and the ideas / concepts that go with it stuck. Then again, maybe it's all in the way one teaches? Without going into lengthy explanation, I'll just say that I disagree with your view on the use of a GOTO statement (in Fortran)... only because I've been there and done that, and to my experience, there have been situations where execution efficiency required its use.

Yup! That's the one. The airport near where you live, you should be able to look it up in FS.

The problem I had with VB was its compiler... it was terrible at optimizing. I didn't care for the framework either for managing overlays, I found it a pain in the butt... that problem could also extend itself into the linker used as well. I also found that people would use VB exclusively for accessing the Windows API, allowing, or rather relying, on Windows to do a lot of the work. That was all fine and well for coming up with a Windows-like familiar user interface, but Windows is - well - sloppy in of itself, and slow. It was because of these things that a number of the houses I did work with opted for 4GLs instead... Fox, Clipper, Recital, etc.

Ok, question: Directed at Kerbart up there in Elmwood Park, but ya'll can answer. I used to live in northern NJ, southwest of Teterboro airport, and in-game (in-sim) I used Teterboro as "Home" (it was closer to me than Hanover airport, where I had my first real life ride in a single-engine Cessna mid-1960's), starting and ending my trips there, parking my plane there. These days, I use Miller Air Park in Ocean County. So, do ya'll do the same?... use a field local to you and call it home?

The Lear I always found quite nimble, but way way overpowered. You'd be at 500kts before you realized it and ripping the wings off. I liked the Barron because it was so nicely balanced, and very forgiving as far as a twin-engine prop went. I could put that thing down anywhere, the shortest of runways. I like it better than any of the Cessna's, except of course for the pontoon plane which is a must while flying all over Alaska lol. Speaking of Alaska, there's a runway way up north (I forget what country it was in) that's on the side of a mountain/cliff; The approach is straight in, no alternatives if you screw up, and you're landing essentially uphill. Turn around and take-off is downhill and off the edge of a cliff. lol

Been flying Microsoft FSs since version 1.0 ... I think I may still have the floppy (v1.0) tucked away in storage. My favorite bug in that early version was to invert and dive ... you would gain altitude like mad lol. At the time, (we) played it on a mono-screen, and later on an original Compaq portable with a green mono-screen. The last edition I bought was the 2004: Century of Flight. Thought about the latest version, but everything I've read thus far is that X-Plane has a better/more realistic flight model and scenery handling (but lacks scenery by default). Undecided still. I've flown the DC-3 and Learjet around the world, as in circumnavigated... took in all the sights, like the Pyramids in Egypt, France, England, etc etc etc. I've landed the Learjet on the aircraft carrier... only to have rolled it off the edge in an attempt to turn around so I could take off again lol. I landed the DC-3 at the airport on the Galapagos Island... at night (ugh, took me 4 approaches before I managed, there's no lights - only a red beacon). Also flew that same DC-3 the length of the Panama Canal - just to see the boats in the canal. And I also took that same DC-3 all the way down into Antarctica, I forget the name of the strip I landed at. Dove over Niagara Falls in the Beechcraft Barron (my favorite craft in the sim) just to see the "Maid-of-the-mist" boat, looping around beneath the falls. Retraced my Alaska trip via Beechcraft Barron, the Inside Passage from Vancouver to Anchorage, and all the stops in-between (Juneau, Skagway, Sitka, Seward), including the Tracy Arm and College Fjord... a trip I started and ended via the 737-300, Newark - Chicago - Vancouver, then Anchorage - Chicago - Newark. I also used to fly the Barron between the World Trade Center towers... that was long before they came down. And now?... I've got an urge to go fly.

It's my guess that none of you ever programmed in Fortran for a living (or at least, very few of you). I did (along with several other languages, and 4GLs); Starting in the late 1970's on through the early 2000's. Fortran is still a viable language, and I'd be willing to bet it's still used in the labs for hard-core math calculations, especially being there's still extensive scientific libraries existing for it. Also, you guys are comparing the world of the PC vs Mini's, Micro's, and Mainframes ... and that's like comparing apples to oranges. - - - Updated - - - And another thing I'll throw in, the overhead involved between Fortran and any C variant is like night and day... Fortran is far tighter.

Ya'll are free to view it anyway you want - it doesn't matter to me, I don't give a damn.

Let's bump this thread back up with some recent news... Rosetta comet likely formed from two separate objects - from Phys.org

Yes, I've seen/heard this before. C-language and the Unix OS were developed by and for ATT Bell Labs, it belonged to them - their employees Thompson and Ritchie were the creators. PDPs were widely used by ATT and Bell, their switching systems interfaces relied heavily on them... I started my career working for Bell Telephone, as a 1AESS RCMAC programmer. This is ATT Bell Labs we're talking about here... do you seriously think this all came about because of a game? I'd need to see personal memoirs by Thompson or Ritchie claiming so before I believed that.

First of all because of the color, which is caused by Rayleigh scattering of light passing through Earth's atmosphere and then illuminating the Moon behind it. Then there's biblical prophesy tied to the term, denoting 'end of days'. - - - Updated - - - Oh, and why this last one was referred to as a 'Super Blood Moon', was the fact the Moon was in perigee at the time.

Trying to fathom why I'd want a Potatoroid for a 'part' ... unless it's something akin to building a model rocket and launching an egg? lol Egg Lofting

Indeed it did... because their engineers were not able enough to work in straight assembler. I used to work with a guy who basically was there when all that went down.

I don't know if it works for hiccups, but for heartburn - a tall glass of ice cold water ... down it ... your heartburn will disappear instantly. Tried and tested may times after lunches of 'death dogs' (aka chili dogs with everything, not to be confused with 'dirty water dogs'). lol

Wow, that was quite spectacular. I've seen eclipses before, but ... wow. Rusty red here. We had overcast skies all day. About 20 minutes before the eclipse began, we got a break. Towards the end it started to close back in a bit... chilly temperatures here, and damp, which started fogging my optics. I think (hope) I got some good shots. Post later.

Don't forget Europa!

I recall a certain Martian meteorite (announced during the President Bill Clinton administration) which may (or may not) have held petrified bacteria, that did indeed change views. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martian_meteorite

Where there is water, there is life. I'd put good money on it. It's only a matter of time.

Call it a major mistake. Can't further comment - way too political stuff involved.

I'm inclined to agree with that. However, the findings of those individuals could have nothing to do with water and be of some other process entirely. It wouldn't be the first time we get a surprise curve-ball finding announcement... but I do hope that it is water. That sure would intensify missions/goals, I would think.

Didn't see it.

There's a number of news articles which have popped up noting a pending major announcement to be made by NASA on Monday (Sept 28 2015, coinciding with the Blood Moon lol), pretty much all of them noting a 'mystery has been solved'. There is, obviously, much speculation that it involves liquid water on Mars. So, I'm waiting patiently. One such article... http://www.inquisitr.com/2448704/nasa-announcing-major-martian-science-finding-about-mars-on-monday-mystery-finally-solved/

My cousin's son was playing it. Out of curiosity, I downloaded the demo. Played with that for a day. Next day, I bought the full version. - - - Updated - - - Bah... likewise.

I said English, or did I not. I remember reading that story. As I recall, in the end, when the computer finished printing out all the names of God, as the researchers walked outside into the dark of night - the stars all began to go out.