Here we are then Alan Watson, David Bullock and Me.  We've flown into Schipol to attend the FSWeekend 2007 Show held at the Aviodrome here in Lelystad.
It's a great opportunity to see what's new, who is doing what and to meet up with all the names you know, but have never met in person.
First thing to do is find Baris Imer, a Turkish Airlines First Officer who is going to teach me more than he will ever know.  He is coming home with me to fly the sim and put me right on what i've done wrong.   So we found him on the KLM VA stand flying into EHAM.

Then next was to go see my buddy Gert at FLYWARE.   What a lovely guy he is.  I use his FSXpand for my EICAS, Standby Instruments and Flaps Gauge.  It's a great program, designed as a 'General Solution'. With Gert's software you can assemble panels for anything from a Cessna 152 to any of the Big Jets (especially the 737). Check this out if you don't want to spend money on PM.  And if the PM team were so dedicated to Flight Sim, then they would have been here, but no sign of them - strange.  Oh! I get it, they want you to buy the software, but they don't want to meet you. 

But AirSimTech were there showing the whole suite of Airbus Instruments and some of the hardware they offer to A320/A330/A340 builders.   Nice dedicated software, expensive but nice.  But we have a man in the know and maybe, just maybe :o)

Then it's off to see my mate Kay Hunze at CiM FLIGHTDECKS. Again, lovely people.  And he brought the whole team as well as the products.  Take a look at the Interlinked Yoke System (i love it but the wife would kill me if i lied about the cost and bought it).  It is designed for the Commercial Market, but Kay is looking at a 'Stand Alone Unit' and i hope to have the first two prototypes by Christmas.

The Level of quality of the Overhead and Pedestal Panels is exceptional. If you are thinking about buying a Boeing 737 Overhead Panel, take a look HERE.  I have one of CiM Flightdecks ProLine Overhead Panel Kits which I have been building and when I tell you it's awesome, IT IS :o)  Finish and build quality is second to none.

Then it was a pleasure to actually meet up with Claudio and Paolo from CPFlight.  Paolo and I have this 'intense e-mail relationship' and it was nice to meet him at last. CPFlight were showing some of their new products aimed at SERIOUS BUILDERS with deep pockets.  They now have a 100% scale MCP Pro, and a new range of Airbus hardware which they tell me will be ready by Christmas. Keep your eye on their website for more information.

Opencockpits were there showing all their hardware and software. The beauty of the Opencockpits system is it is affordable and aimed very much at the 'do it yourself' builder.  I paticularly wanted to see the new MCP which they tell me is capable of being used with the PMDG when connected thru their interface program.  At 360 euro's, it's well priced , well made and looks good too.

I liked this.  SIMKITS deliver a Cessna 172 Flightdeck which is pretty damn good.  But like everything in the top end of the sim market, the price takes it out of reach of most people.   However that being said, it was an excellent piece of kit and i enjoyed 'having a go'.   But for those of you who want to go slowly, you can buy the SIMKITS gauges one at a time and go from there.     Very helpful people who obviously are serious about what they do and produce nice products.

During the day, VATSIM were in operation offering online flights full ATC facilities.  The Display Screens they had at Lelystad were very impressive - take a look :o)  
And several Virtual Airlines were in Operation in the Hall as well.  I spent a little time watching the V Bird operation before skanking over to the KLM virtual stand where Baris was doing his bit again.

You have to visit Mark at FLIGHT ILLUSION don't you.   Mark was displaying his usual range of Aircraft Instruments including the Overhead Panel Gauges.   But for me, i wanted to see the new Collins Radios which he has been going on about - NICE.   Then the other thing that interested me was the Input/Output Module which they have just introduced.  This board (if you have the GSA55 interface board) can be software configured to give you inputs and outputs based around any FS or FSUIPC offset

Then the two big players in the Cockpit Building Game were next on the List.  ENGRAVITY & FLIGHTDECK SOLUTIONS.   You have to give it to ENGRAVITY when it comes to replication.  They had a complete MIP display on show complete with CPFlight MCP and EFIS.  Again the cost limits their market.   But you cannot tell enough people what you make.
The downside for me was that they were using the Jetliner Yoke from FlyPfc which in Europe carries a price tag of 1600 euro's.    It's not good.   Although the cotrol wheel looks real, that's the end of it.  The square column looks really out of place and the assembly works on spring action which to me was sloppy, not realistic (yes the CH Yoke feels better).  And to top it all, the bloody springs were noisy.  For 1600 euro's i would have expected a better quality and appearance.    But what Engravity do, they do well even if the kit is not cheap.  Keep an eye on them, i'm sure they have plenty of things in the pipeline.

Also worthy of mention is Cockpitsonic who were showing complete Cockpit Shells and Interiors and special thanks to Andrew at CLASSIC FLIGHT for his knowledge and ideas.
I would also like to say hello to Harry van der Sande, Rob Heijnis, Marcus Menzel (of LAUSITZ Aviation), Norbert Rick, Elon Schutze, Rob Groenescheij, Bjorn Harlin, Lasse, Mr 777 Stockholm and everybody else i had the pleasure of meeting at Lelystad.  All in all a good weekend - here's to the 2008 show.