I'd like to take a minute to offer my thoughts on your project. Ever since I was a kid (about 4 or 5), I have been obsessed with all things flight. I have a huge collection of flying-related stuff. Books, pictures, models, trinkets, even Christmas decorations. I remember going out with my Dad to our local airport and sitting for hours and hours watching the planes take off and land. The observation deck was partially enclosed with glass, but they left a gap at the top and the bottom that allowed ALL the sounds and smells of the planes to come in. I remember the ear-shattering whine of the jet engines spooling up and the distinct smell of the fuel (it usually made my dad ill, but it was like pure oxygen to me). I remember buying one of the first models of personal computers to come out. The first program I had? Microsoft Flight Simulator, of course. I remember our whole school stopped everything to watch the first shuttle launch. I could hardly contain my excitment when I saw it. We would always stop any and all school activities to watch a launch live. I remember when the first shuttle exploded shortly after take off. I cried. Not just for the astronauts, but strangly, for the shuttle as well. Life went on, and so did my obsession with flight. Thousands of dollars spent on add-ons and other hardware, as any proper "simmer" would do.
Life got in the way, and until a few years ago, I had never even set foot in an airplane of any kind. Well, not one that was working at least. A few years ago, my wife blessed me with the biggest surprise I would ever get aside from my children. I got to take a flight in a Cessna 172, and not just fly in it, I got to FLY IT!! Through the proper instruction from a CFI, I had control of the airplane from take off to landing. They say flight simulator might actually harm you when it comes to real flying. BAH! Even the instructor commented how well I did. I still don't think he believed me when I told him that it was the first time my feet had ever left the ground aside from jumping into the air. I credit MSFS 2004 and Flight One (for their Excellent C172) for helping me that day. What's my point, and what does all of this have to do with your Space Shuttle? I wanted any and all readers to try and remember the excitment of their very first flight, or how they felt when they saw the shuttle blast off for the first time. This is the same excitment I feel when I watch your video trailers. I'm not a pilot, nor am I an astronaut, but now I get to be one thanks to your hard efforts. I have the latest offering from Microsoft/Aces, but almost never play with it. I invested SOOOO much into fs9, it would be a real shame to throw away all that hard work. Plus, my fs9 looks nearly as good as fsx. I haven't purchased a single add-on for FSX yet. The way it's looking now, your shuttle package will likely be the only add-on I ever purchase. All of this is to say, keep up the good work. There are many of us out here who will appreciate your work more than mere words will ever be able to describe. I get to be a kid again and fly into space! How cool is that!?
-Doc-
