I put this site together to share with others the trials, ordeals, and pitfalls, as well as the good times of building a full-scale “simpit”.  I have unashamedly taken many ideas from other builders projects and so, I post my own ideas here for others to do the same.
My interest in flight simulators started back in the early ’80’s when my father bought Flight Simulator 2, a version for the Commodore 64 that was put out by Sublogic.  The flight simulator franchise was later bought out by Microsoft.  Since then I have owned every version of Microsoft’s Flight Simulator.  Year after year I’ve watched the improvements come along, some for better, and some for worse.  For anyone that has even looked at a computer lately, FS2’s graphics were nowhere near what you can see today.  Years later, I still continue to sim, the graphics have improved, the hardware is light years ahead, and the total immersion is out of this world.
For those interested in pursuing the hobby, I encourage you to look around and invite you to check out the links page for other resources in this hobby.

While this video released by Microsoft may at first appear to be just a funny video, in all actuality it rings truer than one would think.

No one can really say what it is that makes one immerse them-self into this hobby, particularly to the extent many of us do.  One thing is sure though, it is fun.  Hope you get some enjoyment out of it.

Boeing 737NG:  The newest members of the Boeing 737 family — the 737-600/-700/-800/-900ER models, also known as “Next Generation”— continue the 737’s pre-eminence as the world’s most popular and reliable commercial jet transport. The entire 737 family has won orders for more than 8,000 airplanes. No other jet airplane in commercial aviation history has achieved the sales success of the 737.^[1]

Simulation cockpits: Also known as Homebuilt cockpits or often referred to as “simpits”, home cockpit building is a common hobby among simulator pilots. Simpits range in complexity from a single computer, with some effort to create a permanent area for simulation, through to complete cockpit reconstruction projects utilizing multiple systems. The growth in home cockpit complexity and realism has been further fueled by the opening up of the simulation software packages with published SDKs (Software Development Kits) now common.^[2]

Fanaticism: a belief or behavior involving uncritical zeal, particularly with an obsessive enthusiasm for a pastime or hobby. The behavior of a fan with overwhelming enthusiasm for a given subject is differentiated from the behavior of a fanatic by the fanatic’s violation of prevailing social norms. A fanatic differs from a crank, in that a crank is defined as a person who holds a position or opinion which is so far from the norm as to appear ludicrous and/or probably wrong, such as a belief in a Flat Earth. In contrast, the subject of the fanatic’s obsession may be “normal”, such as an interest in religion or politics, except that the scale of the person’s involvement, devotion, or obsession with the activity or cause is abnormal or disproportionate.^[3]

1. The Boeing Next-Generation 737 Family page at http://www.boeing.com/commercial/737family/ngback/index.html

2. The Wikipedia amateur flight simulation page at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amateur_flight_simulation

3. The Wikipedia Fanaticism page at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fanaticism