A real newbie...

[cerphr]

I bought FS 2002 after xmas ($10 after rebate!) then heard about add-on planes, scenery, etc.

[Lethal.Ambition]

The I love thing is the forum thing I think. Like saying I love SimV but that is the name of the host....

as for your airplane problem. This is what you need, it is very easy to understand and you dont need to understand computer talk...

http://www.simviation.com/acinstall.htm

Most scenery add-ons bring a read-me that is very simple to understand once you know your FS folder a bit.

Good luck I hope this helps.

[Scottler]

The "I love Yabb" part is just a stupid little default ad in the forum.  Yabb is the code which is used on this forum.  You can change it in your profile, if you should choose to do so.

As for downloading planes...9 times out of 10 it's just a matter of copying the folder of the aircraft you download and pasting it into the FS/aircraft folder.  That's it.  There are occasional exceptions, but this is about as difficult as it gets.

Sometimes you'll have to do the same thing with gauges (only to the gauges folder), sounds, or whatever.

Also, make sure you're not copying the zip folder to your FS folder, or it won't work.  Copy the folder INSIDE the zip.  (Another thing to watch out for is to make sure you're not downloading "Textures Only".  This means that you're going to need to download the plane separately...textures are just the pretty paint jobs on the planes.)

Aside from that, make sure you ask anyquestions you've got here at SimV....everyone is uber-helpful.

Welcome and good luck!

[Nexus]

Well, since them 2 bozos above forgot to tell you the important part, here goes  ;D  ;)

"I love YaBB 1G - SP1" basicly means that you love this forum (or the creators of it...), which is powered by YaBB Gold. You buy a forum script from them and voila, you'll have a nice forum like this  :)

Welcome aboard!

[Scottler]

Actually, since I'm a "bozo" I shouldn't tell you this, because I statistically shouldn't know it myself, but Yabb is actually a free forum provider, assuming your website meets the specs to run it.

[Nexus]

ouch...talk about digging a hole....
I nominate myself for jackass of the day award  ;D

[Scottler]

Yeah, but I like ya, so I'll let it slide.  lol

[Poseidon]

Cerphr let me also welcome you to flight simming and to simviation forums as well. N330JC, Hyperion and Nexus have already covered the basics of addons which are more than enough for you to start. What I would suggest is that although addons may be interesting I believe it would better if you obtained some skill in flying the default planes of FS2002 first. Some addons are very good and some others are bad. SOme may not be fully compatible at all.
On the other hand FS2002 has a variety of airplanes to fly until you are skilled enough. I am not say not to download addons (airplanes, sceneries etc) but personally speaking I find it is more important and entairtaining to just fly correctly and maybe then you will decide to go on with online fligts and virtual airlines.

I started my flights with the Cessna with which I also went through all the educational flight and related documents (I strongly suggest to go through them as well. Then I was fond of the Beechcrafts and after a very short passage behind the Learjet's cockpit I tried the Boeings. Now I mostly enjoy the 737 which tends to be a passion.

I wish you happy flights and succesful landings.

[cerphr]

Thanks all for the direction and opinions.  I'm not saying that I'm going to d/l anything and everything.  Not bored with the basic choices... yet.   I know you guys are deep into the detail of FS but for me it's still amazing in it's store-bought form.  Although there are still some early lessons I have learned:
1) Don't put all your faith in ATC to get you to the threshold in night IFR.  (Just might meet a mountain you didn't plan on)  
2)  There should be a windshield warning: "Buildings may be closer than they appear"  
3) The Kings are just as hilarious in FS as they are in their real world videos.  (but they are the ones laughing all the way to the bank)
4) Flying is actually easier than FS!  

Thanks again!

[Scottler]

Oh definitely fly what you enjoy.  If the default hangar meets your needs, go for it!  

But if you ever get bored, or if you're just curious, by all means, check out some of the amazing freeware products available.

To me, they've taken a game that had about 80% of what I wanted and given me the other 20%.

[maskrider_01]

Hi Guys!

Like cerphr I bought FS2002 after Xmas for $30US. However, I received a $20US rebate! So, it cost just $10 total. Of course I was ready to pay the $30 but was handed the rebate receipt, much to my surprise, at the check out counter! Sometimes even blind squirrels find a nut!

Anyway, up until now, for the last 2 1/2 years or so, the first and only flight sim I had ever messed around with is CFS2. I still love CFS2 but decided, what the heck- a little change won't hurt. So, I picked up FS2002.

So far I really, really like it.

I have always been a free flight enthusiast: a great user of CFOWeather and ACS-GPS in CFS2 and a prolific builder of scenery so that I would have new places to go. FS2002 is everything I could have hoped for!

Also, so far, the FS2002 forum here at Simviation is the best FS2002 forum I have found!

So, I will be hangin around reading thru the back pages just to learn what I can learn and asking questions now and agiain.

One thing I was curious about just off the top of my head is how to get the thing to start on the ground with the engines off? Is it a line in the fs2002.cfg file?

Cheers,
Chris

[Scottler]

Unfortunately, the only way I know of to do this is to start the flight, shut the engines off, then save the flight as the default start-up flight.  Then, every time you load F$ you'll start with the engines off.  Of course, you'll also start in that plane, at that position, at the same airport.  lol

[Jamie]

Hi Cerphr ,

I am new to the PC world , but might be of some help .  I struggled and strugggled and asked lots of basic questions .  Answers were mostly still above my less than idiot level !   They said to send stuff to a directory and I thought " what is a directory " ??   The also said to " click on " something and I thought -- what is this
" click on " stuff ?   They knew they had a real problem !

I'll be glad to help a little if I can .

Jamie
jlrdds@hotmail.com

[Hagar]

Hi Cerphr. I somehow missed this. What nobody seems to have pointed out so far is that everything posted on this site is FREE. You don't have to pay a penny to try all this wonderful stuff.

You might like to check out my Lair. http://www.simviation.com/lair/index.htm
My tutorials are all written in everyday language with beginners in mind. I've had many nice e-mails thanking me for explaining things in a way that ordinary people can understand. Here's just one example from my Guestbook.

Great. I am new to all this addon stuff and your site is the only one that nontechnical types can easily understand. Hat off to you. I am 70 and retired and I have always been in love with WWII aircraft. I have printed all you good stuff and I will see if I can bring it off. Thanks.

1,000s of satisfied customers can't be wrong