I know you are normally to be found in the Bay Area Paul, to that end did you ever try the Flight Unlimited series. I loved it (and still do), though it is not to easy to configure throttles etc.
Matt
Hello Matt!...

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FU2!....

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"Flight Unlimited" by Looking Glass Studios...bless 'em!...

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Yep! I Have FU I, II, and III still in their Boxes... [smiley=thumbsup.gif]..!
Those are the Flight Sims that got me hooked into California flying, which I have done ever since!
I occasionally take FU II out for a tour of ' Frisco and the surrounding area...(I have the included FU II Sectional Chart in front of me now!).
Another of my favourites from the past (which I still use) is Pro Pilot '99, with its excellent ATC, and the wonderful Flight Manuals included in the box!
...and not forgetting "Fly!"...
And then there are all the old various Helicopter Sims..."Gunship", etc...!
So much fun from those old Flight Sims can still be had, even today...tears in my eyes...

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I am buried under boxes of Computer Flight Sims, Games, etc, since 1980 (Sinclair Spectrum/Commodore 64, etc),...and its lovely!...

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Paul...'Puter Nut!...

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Win 8.1 64-bit. DX11. Advent Tower. Intel i7-3770 3.9 GHz 8-core. 8 GB System RAM. AMD Radeon HD 7700 1GB RAM. DVD ROM. 2 Terra Byte SATA Hard Drive. Philips 17" LCD Monitor. Saitek Cyborg X Fly-5 Joystick. ...and a Briggs and Stratton Petrol Lawn Mower.