Why Do You like Orbiter?

[paraflyer]

Simulators are the thing for me, be it MS Flight Sim, Orbiter, or Auran's Trainz......the only thing that beats that
outright is when the warm evenings of spring/summer approach, and the powered parachute comes out of the
hangar (my garage). Then it's flight "for real".

As for Orbiter, I came across it somewhere whilst cruising the 'net about 3 years back, I think I was on AVSIM
perusing the download categories. Once I downloaded it, the rest was history. MSFS comes out once in a while, most
of the time it sits on the shelf gathering dust.

Orbiter is SOOOOOOO much more fun!

I guess what appeals is the learning curve, the expandability with all the add-ons (and now that I've joined OSN, who
knows what's next), and the overall feeling of "immersion" when I sit down for a session....I get totally absorbed by
the sim.

Other background:  USAF Staff Sergeant, retired, Microwave/Wideband/SatCom tech. Worked a team on acceptance
testing of HAVE-DAMA satellite equipment, then got to watch the fruits of our labor going up into orbit from
Vandenburg.....what a rush, but wished I could go along with...Now Orbiter makes it possible.

Add to that the fact that I'm also somewhat of an amateur astronomer, and you've got a dedicated fan.

Next step, mastering 3D modelling to get some of my own ideas off of paper and into space!

[NASSAC]

Thanks for sharing your story with us Paraflyer. I know how you feel about the desire to share your ideas and the
work to learn 3D modeling is very time intensive. I am still working on it myself but find myself conflicted with
spending time flying in the sim verses time learning how to create new objects. I agree that Orbiter beats MSFS
hands downas as far as immersion is concerned. Some day I hope the scope and level of earth graphics of MS could
find its way into Orbiter. Still it is a very small factor when your flying from planet to planet.  

Have you tried the Interplanetary MFD yet? It is really awesome and adds a whole new level of reality and challenge
to the simulation.

John from NASSAC

[Cindy]

Hi!
First to Paraflyer:
You are one of the first people that I have seen that have worked "Have - xxxx" SCI programs, I worked Have-glib,
and a couple of others "have's), also some of the "thirst" and "pave" programs. Okay enough of that love to tell ya,
have to kill ya stuff.   ;-). ......Was a flight test telemetry engineer out on the ranges for many years.

I have flight simmed since ....oh lordy, the Commodore 64.....earlier, if you count the stuff we did on the old DEC PDP
1170 and 11780's. ..........Actually had a "lunar lander" sim that ran on a PDP 1170, using a Tektronix storage tube
CRT console!  Flash forward to the "modern days".....I was flying FS 2004 with a pile of addons until I
found Orbiter.  My jaw dropped!! Its lovely!  This is only going to continue to grow and become more and more
sophisticated, just as Linux has, due to its being an open source collaborative effort.  I am in awe of this program,
and the pure physics that drives it.  

Although I was in flight test, I have never had the privelege of working with and for NASA (all work was and is for
DoD centric programs). NASA is still on my agenda, retirement is not even on my radar screen.  Orbiter gives me the
chance to learn orbital mechanics, and a new raft of abbreviations and acronyms  ;-)   ........ and I LOVE the steep
learning curve! What a challenge!.  
Ultimately, I would like to simulate an Apollo flight profile, and use a slide rule (yes, I still remember how to use one
of those things, although "rusty" would be an understatment!) for calculations.... to get a taste for what the folks
went through in the 60's space program.  Still exploring all of the features and add ons available for Orbiter.  

Still trying to reach a succesful orbit, would like to execute an entire orbital insertion using the STS launch to insertion
profile, including roll and pitch manuvers after launch, throttle down at the point of max aerodynamic stress, throttle
up, and again, a throttle back to keep max g forces at approximately 3g's.  I think that all of that is normally handled
by the flight computers on-board, so attempting it manually may not be possible, and I don't know if there is a
programmable flight computer available. Also not sure if you can throttle the STS SME's. I know that the SRB's are just
big ol blow torches, and once lit, they are not throttle-able. MUCH to learn about this!  

Quick question though, is there a way to make me burn up on re-entry if I screw up  (would imagine that I will bounce
if I'm shallow) ? I keep going through the atmosphere, heating and then just bouncing off the surface like a beach
ball... (makes interesting exhaust patterns
though <grin>   )

What an incredible, fantastic program! THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!

Best,
 Cindy

Win XP, 2x120 gig HD in a RAID, AMD 4gig, 64 bit CPU, 2 gigs of RAM, 2 BFG 6600 Nvidea GPU's in SLI config.

[xwingace20]

I like Orbiter because I am a Space Fan and used to play Flight Simulator then a couple months ago I found the
Orbiter website and went crazy when I found out it was free and my favorite part is all of the add-ons you can
download for it.

[Mauiman]

It is the type of game where there is not any load times while exiting and re-entering earth or any other planets atmospheres

End of line

[whenhoboesfly]

before i knew of orbiter i always dreamt of real space simulator(cockpit and all). and then one day i came across orbiter. i
quickly downloaded it installed it on my computer to be disapointed with the sound. it then set on my computer for a number
of weeks untill i came across the orbiter sound package and became quickly amazed as i installed it on my computer and
developed outstanding satasfaction immediatly. as i started playing with the program i ran across the dg and fell in love
with it right away. later on i found the dg-III which i was truly stoked about but just dissapointed that it had no virtual
cockpit which gave me the ultimate orbiter experience. and so then, that is how i learned to love orbiter.

[NASSAC]

Thanks Cindy, Xwingace20 and Whenhoboesfly for your stories. I found Orbiter back in 2001 and have been amazed
at the growth of the capabilities of Orbiter. If you have not seen the Misson control addons, and the many MFD
addons yet then you have many more mind blowing events ahead of you. The new checklist for Shuttlle flights
complete with the Launch Pads 39A&B graphics adds still another level of realism to the simulation.

At NASSAC we have run a three day real time simulation with 18 kids which included a launch, docking at ISS and a
landing back at KFC. It was an awesome challenge and a very rewarding experience. The complexity requires a lot
testing and preparation to manage it but when the mission is completed with a safe landing back at KFC the event is
very, very satisfying. When even had a mission control set up with telemetry and spacedraft interaction as well.
Orbiter is absolutely awesome but it is not for the faint of heart. Those who love science and space science in
particular will love it. It is an awesome teaching tool. Hats off to Martin and people like Dan who bring our dreams
one giant step closer to reality.

John
NASSAC Director

[Dan M]

I like orbiter because I am Obbsessed with nasa and all that space stuff. I might even know the most about space in
my town! Even though I am under 13, I know more about spce than my 4th grade teacher! I am  pretty much the only
person in my school that knows about a cosmonaut, or an astronaut that is'nt neil armstrong! My friend thought
orbiter was $100! I downloaded orbiter in april, and I've loved it ever since that! But I have been doing ms combat fs
3 alot. I have built a number of estes rockets, but I think estes should make a delta glider too!

[Shadow8]

I got orbiter when I was 15. I just find it something interesting to know that allot of poeple dont. Now im 17 and yet
still addicted to it. I have managed to do almost everything that is possable (1000s of screw-ups...). After lots of
studying and 100s of screw-ups it's just.... nice to get it right, a job well done .  Orbiter keeps on getting better and
this release is such an incredable improvment over the earlier versions. Its almost like being in space. I remember
when I first achieved my first orbit (10% Fuel left...) in the old DG before all the more fancy stuff that is included now.
Every version is better by incredable leaps. DGIII is just so amazing, keep up the work Dan!

[Mauiman]

Why do I like Orbiter?

I like the game because you can actually leave a planets atmosphere and get up into space and get outta space and
re-enter a planets atmosphere with out any of those painful load times. You can go from planet to planet with out
any painful load times. And it is the game that I have been looking for. For a long, long time. Orbiter has brought me
great hope and joy of perhapes being able to see other planets in sol. Now to leave Sol warping to another system
like what Vulcan and Klingon and even the Romulan places. Or perhapes do something that would require lotts of
imagination and do the whole entire Milkey way galaxy.

[Tog]

What's not to love about a free program?

Seriously, I notice a lot of folks using Orbiter have stories similar to mine - a long-time space/SF geek who's been
drooling over the idea of going into space for years. I and a friend of mine even went so far as to invent our own
imaginary space program - we were really intending to (somehow) build our own rocket and go into space! (Yeah,
yeah, I know, but we were all of 13 or so.) Now, in a virtual way anyway, I can actually build that stupid rocket and
launch myself into orbit... (and come back to Earth in a flaming mass, showing how dumb the idea would have been if
we had had been able to carry it out.... a LOT of disgruntled passengers on my flights, for sure... )

I have noticed, though, it's a lot more fun to fly "real" spacecraft such as the  DG or even "unreal real" ships like the
ones in "World of Collier's" or 2001 than it is to fly the more SF ships like the Enterprise or the Millennium Falcon. I
think
it has to to do with the way spaceflight works in Orbiter - in any case, just another excuse for me to drag out "The
Dream Machines" (see http://www.krieger-publishing.com/History/STACKGenHistory/stackgenhistory_12.html ) and
build some of the craft that I haven't seen already made!

[ar81]

When I was a kid I watched Star Wars and I loved space since then, back in 1978.

When I was a teen I had an Atari 2600 and I got Activision Space Shuttle cartridge, and that was the last time I flew
a space shuttle until I found Orbiter.

I used to belong to the Atari forums, until someone pointed me to Celestia.  I downloaded it and I suggested new
ways to turn it into a flight sim.  But someone there pointed me to Orbiter.  I didn´t get a warm reception at Celestia
forums, so I moved to ORBITER.

When I first downloadd it I didn´t know there was a sound addon, so I suggested to make one and then I came to
Dan´s page.

After that Orbiter became a rich field to learn about how to mod, and my flying skills are very limited, but that´s
because I loved the modding.

Right now I released a beta of Space Orbinomics that is available at Orbit Hangar and it uses Dan's DGIII.  It is
somehow similar concept to FSPassengers according to what I´ve heard.  I don´t have MSFS so I can´t tell.

I also changed the way Orbiter could be seen, because I first implemented Orbiter for kids, and then Falconeprof did it
and then others did it.  I am trying to make Orbiter to be widely known.  I forwarded Martin an interview in the news,
where it shows the youngest astronaut in teh world, a young 8 year old kid who was student of mine who got to
achieve a circular orbit in a consistent manner. I did it via UK embassy.

Right now I am conducting some workshops for kids at Colegio Internacional SEK, with Martin´s permission.

I am still stuck, completing the Space Orbinomics software.  It looks like it´s never gonna end.  Debugging is a hard
process, and earning a living too these days.  I am struggling to have some spare time.

BTW I made a music theme which is available at Orbit Hangar.

I was there too...
I also first tried to reenter Mars and I bounced, then I inverted the ship and crashed.  I crashed several times on the
moon until I finally got the way to land with some precision.  Then I emailed my freinds about what it was to land on
other planets. I also emailed some news reporters I know and they loved that.  It was the time when Discovery was
out there and they gave more coverage to that.

I am an amateur but astronaut, and not really a good pilot, but I really love Orbiter.  And modding is my way to prove
it.  With Space Orbinomics I gave an excuse to people so they can fly to the far reaches of solar system.