u/DGReddAuthor

I am staying under 1500 calories a day to get down to 59.9kg.

I do no exercise.

Cheat day is tomorrow. I was told I can cheat one day a week.

I have big plans for tomorrow. I'm going to eat a lot.

Is it possible to overdo it to the point the rest of the week is a bust?

I'm wondering how you all handle the amount of data and information you need to have a successful simulator flight. I'm struggling. Maybe it's a learning curve, probably my setup, or maybe I'm missing a simple trick somewhere?

My setup:

1. MSFS2020
2. Playing on a laptop in bed with a controller (important for maximum comfort)
3. BeyondATC
4. Neofly
5. LittleNavMap

My process:

1. Get a job from Neofly (double-checking the airport exists in SimBrief, not all do)
2. Create a Flight Plan in SimBrief
   • Often the published arrival procedures don't exist as STARs in SimBrief (thanks Australian Air Services) so I have to manually add the arrival procedures way points
3. Load the Flight Plan from SimBrief into LittleNavMap
   • This is because I fly things like a Cessna 152 and need to navigate using VOR/DME
   • I mark a bunch of radials on the map to help the different stages of my Flight Plan
4. I write all the navigation stuff down in a text editor; e.g. fly on this radial for 6 mins, left heading 120 for 10 minutes etc
5. Load the Flight Plan into BeyondATC
6. Setup the plane's weight etc and start in a parking spot

There's a lot to do there, but it's manageable. Here's when I struggle:

1. Alt-tabbing into the start-up procedures for the plane to remember and checkoff everything
2. While juggling communications with ATC
3. While alt-tabbing into LittleNavMap or my notes to set nav frequencies
4. Alt-tabbing while flying to check my notes and/or aircraft procedures
5. Alt-tabbing while flying to check departure and arrival procedures

There has to be a better way? How do real pilots handle all this? I don't have the luxury of multiple screens, but maybe I need to have some things handy on my phone?

I'm totally overwhelmed.

I have tried MSFS2020 and found the ATC to be a bit useless. I read the same about 2024 as well.

I've tried X-Plane 12, and read that the ATC isn't spectacular.

But then the ATC products I see don't really fill my needs.

Pilot2ATC doesn't support A.i. traffic, so that breaks immersion.

BeyondATC doesn't really support VFR, but I like flying VFR.

Career mode in MSFS24 apparently is buggy and junk. So I think I need Air Hauler 2.

I just want to spend some money and fly. I don't want to pay subscriptions, I don't mind if voices are a bit robotic. What do I buy?

I've been at this place for 10+ years. I work very little.

But every now and then there's a project or work and people pester me. I'm trying to find ways to avoid even these ad-hoc requests and avoid getting pulled into a project. Or, at least, ensuring I have nothing to do on the projects, but still seem important.

How do you all avoid work while also avoid being let go? I have the benefit of so much tenure some newer people aren't exactly sure what I do. To be honest, I haven't put in a solid work day in so long, I'm not sure what I do exactly.

What I have done:

1. Aligned myself with several managers who don't like each other.

2. I always speak up a meetings and raise issues in front of clients. Issues that I could have raised at the start before the client was involved. It makes clients trust me and specifically request me.

3. I talk over Project Managers to ensure I can get the work parceled out to more junior people (my time is more valuable and I'm busy on other projects, but I'll review)

4. I WFH 100% so no one sees me doing nothing. My calendar is full of meetings that don't exist, or blocked out "focus" areas.

Would love more ideas.