What on Earth is he doing?

The Long History:
Microsoft's Flight Simulator was one of the first 'entertainment' software released for the IBM PC way back in November 1982. Bill Gates needed something to show off his new Microsoft OS for the PC, and so bought the product over from Bruce Artwick who first created it. The title has since sold over 22 million copies.

The Flight Simulator game has grown with each new reincarnation and has included "whole world scenery" since version 5 released in 1995. Is Microsoft really able to put the whole whole into a CD ROM? Well, yes folks, they did. Over the last five versions however the detail and animation has dramatically improved and FSX now ships on two DVDs.

The Short History:
I had a version of FS1 (or maybe it was 2) way back in the mid 80's but then was out of the loop until my wife bought me FS2000 in 1999. Since that time I have been "lost" to the world of virtual flying and the flight sim community. Who knew that there were hundreds and thousands of people out there that persue this "game" with so much time, talent and passion?

My History:
In late 2000 I had my first article published on http://www.flightsim.com/ - it was a Round the World Tour! Since then I've made several more appearances on that website. Just for fun (and these aren't all me...) follow these links:
http://www.flightsim.com/cgi/kds?$=main/feature/globe.htm
http://www.flightsim.com/cgi/kds?$=main/howto/tour.htm
http://www.flightsim.com/cgi/kds?$=main/op-ed/ed31.htm
http://www.flightsim.com/cgi/kds?$=main/feature/rtw.htm
http://www.flightsim.com/cgi/kds?$=main/op-ed/ed71.htm
http://farewellfs2004.blogspot.com/
Through contacts I "met" there I've joined forces with some other flight simmers around the world and we launched F.S Flight Club International on http://www.toomuchfs.com/ in January 2003. That website hosts a feature, "Flight of the Month" each and every month with Pilot Reports from our feature posted the following month. WOW! That experience has literally been life-changing for me! (We also host a Virtual Airline, "Flight Club International Airways" on YahooGroups)

As a means of providing an additional venue for posting my own Pilot Reports (PIREPs) I started a blog in mid 2008 which can be found at: http://cubflounder.blogspot.com/

Until I got buried in work and life and these monthly feature flights, one of my favorite things to do was to fly "'Round the World Tours". I've done many and written about several but only once have I completed an Around the World Flight in a single TYPE of aircraft. (I published a 737-400 tour on http://www.flightsim.com/ as the last of a feature called, "Floundering Around." You can search for it there.) This blog will track my biggest FS undertaking yet ...

To fly around the world in versions of the DeHavilland Dash-8, one of my all-time favorite Turboprop Aircraft.

Stay tuned, we'll see what happens.