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What an interesting thread. Hi Goran - the 3 devs I contacted I suspect missed the emails because I sent from frooglesim, instead of from my normal email address. Goran you were one of them - you'll recall that the PC Pilot award badge you proudly display on your DC3 in the store was awarded by me (Peter Wright) in my review of your product some time ago. I've been trying to get updated download links for the 64 bit version as well as your new aircraft. No biggie, part of the idea of the video was to get you guys (the collective "you guys" in the X-Plane dev world to sit up) and I am resending emails and broadening their reach. Ben can sit there saying "Froogle who" all day long, but here we are in a two page thread carrying my name, so I guess it worked. Now to address the bulk of the issues in this thread, and the inference from Ben that my ethics are questionable and reviews are for sale. Almost every single review on the frooglesim channel, and many I write for PC Pilot are made with software I buy. I do that to support the community, and to give me the freedom to say what I want about a product without feeling an obligation or tie. Most of the reviews in the magazine are made with software explicitly provided by the developer for the purposes of review, a practice not uncommon in any industry you care to name. From the developer standpoint it's called marketing - sending new products to influential voices in the hope they will review the product. From the journalism standpoint it's just business as usual, writing about the products we see and reviewing them where appropriate as long as the free product does not interfere with the opinion stated in the piece and the relationship between reviewer and producer is clear and disclosed. In my case, products i receive for review do absolutely not bias my opinion - look at some of my recent reviews in the magazine, some of which got me in very hot water for expressing a highly negative opinion. With regard to my involvement with X-Plane, I have been writing about it for years in the magazine. Many years ago for example I helped kicked off X-Planes exposure with an in-depth look at the product itself, plus a multi-page interview with Austin. Since then I've reviewed a few products of interest in X-Plane but the simple fact of the matter, the unfortunate fact, is that the vast majority of the audience are X-Plane shy and want FSX . That's also where the bulk of new products launch, so naturally it's where the bulk of content in a magazine or indeed on my YouTube channel is focussed. From the comments I see on the channel, many are interested in X-Plane but trot out the same old excuses as to why they are not using it (and why they are not your potential customers). The UI is poor. The colors seem off. Their add-ons don't work. FSX looks better. FSX has more choice etc etc. That's what I want to address. Today if I throw up a video on a product it's actually rarely just that one product. A2A's Cessna for example was covered in video with sky textures from REX, weather from Active Sky, scenery from Orbx, control input filtering from FSUIPC, post effects from Shade. It makes the videos visually appealling and it shows FSX as a platform in the best light, enabling the rest of the video to then focus on the content at hand. In contrast I did a number of videos of the Worldliner 77 and the comments quickly turned to focus in on what X-Plane stock looks and feels like since behind the aircraft that's all your seeing. I want to start a series looking at X-Plane itself but in the best possible light and that's what the VLOG was calling for. I want to show people that X-Plane can look better than FSX, that there is a thriving marketplace out there that people can tap into to extend and enhance it, and that switching to a better flight model does not mean sacrificing the aesthetics people have grown to love in FSX. However, I don't have all that stuff and so reached out to ask you, developers and publishers, what would I need to make X-Plane awesome? What are your best of breed add-ons and enhancements that you believe I really should include in the videos to really shine a light on X-Plane in the best possible way. This isn't biasing a review, in the same way that A2A's Cessna didn't get a great review because the clouds looked nice, or there were animated people on the ground at the airport. Yes, Ben, the vast majority of the audience on Frooglesim are currently invested in FSX. Asking you guys to undertake what is effectively a marketing exercise to sway them did not, and does not, to me seem unrealistic. I'm giving you a platform to market your products to a captive audience in one of the fastest growing simulation YouTube channels in the world (almost 15,000 subs and growing at 12% per month) and in a channel that is almost viral in nature (again, here we are in a separate place on the Internet discussing my videos - see how that worked out?). Given that I also want to focus in on X-Plane and get a fairly steady stream of content up I also went the magazine route and reached out asking you to supply content to review under typical review terms (that being that the review is not in any way biased just because you provided the product for free). Please also bear in mind that 'reviews' probably represent less than 50% of the channel. The bulk of content on the channel is demonstration/tutorial in nature. I released a series of videos on the NGX some 12 to 18 months after the NGX released showing how to fly with it and those videos collectively went on to gain 1/4 of a million views and become one of the most popular NGX series on YouTube - they almost certainly drove traffic to PMDG as well. If some of you wish to sit back indignant and do nothing then so be it - ultimately increased exposure for X-Plane benefits you anyway - but it does sadden me to see Ben's attitude towards any form of journalism. *Edited to clarify the channel's growth*

I see his Ben's points, but the rheotoric does seem unusually heated today. When I started the MU2, one of the primary goals was to show the FSX community what x-plane can do. Exposure is never bad, this is the way..you MUST sell your wares, you must throw them in front of people, most will not come looking. We need regular simmers and we need impulse buyers to put enough money in our pocket to make it to the next and better product and so on and so on. Besides, Pete doesn't strike me as a guy who does this to leech freeware. There was a quote I read in a book and I can't remember who said it that said, "Conversation is king...content is just something to talk about" and if Froogle is conversing about x-plane, then there is nothing bad that come come from that IMO. As far as these customers being "far away", they're actually only one sale away. I know a lot of folks who came to x-plane when the MU2 came out....you get converts one person at a time. I'm all for getting in front of as many FSX folks as we can. I have plans to teach folks x-plane in a new way but we need the audience. TomK

Forgive me for splitting hairs here, it's a curse I'm afflicted with, but I've got to correct one point here. I'm not interested in any way in "making a name" for myself. I mentioned in my short novel that I've been writing about X-Plane for a while and was trying to think back to when I started - I think I have it around 2001 or so. What I'm interested in is driving attention to an area of our hobby that I believe has previously been under represented or misrepresented because while I have a heavy professional and personal investment in FSX I don't see it having a future that should be supported. I don't believe any of us should continue to have to put up with memory limitations, single core speed limitations etc etc, and I do believe in X-Plane. My goal here then is actually giving back. I'm "lucky" in that I've built a significant following with single videos I put up now often gaining more attention than entire editions of the print magazine I write for. That's a tool that can be used and I want to use it to help.

Truth hurts? Here's another one. You're a dick.

Wow you guys are rough, Pete is a very good guy at promoting X-Plane. He has been flying X-Plane for a very very long time. I have also heard him defending X-Plane to some very well know FSX Devs. He is also a writer for PC Pilot. Ben, You acting like a freaking little kid. Right now, You are no better than the jerk hammers at the .ORG at this moment.

I can definitely vouch for Froogle here. He is an awesome guy. Wonder why 'some' people have to be d-bag everytime. The guy is generally trying to promote XP and all you can come up with is beyond retarded arguments and justifications. Such attitude is not helping the image of X-Plane in the flightsim community. Just my 2cents.

Ok guys, This is all getting very out of hand, or has the potential to. I appreciate the supportive sentiments expressed by some of the posters here, and I understand the point of view Cameron, Ben et al are putting forward. First up, let me say this is wholly unexpected, that my request in a V-LOG to my subscribers would suddenly explode into this and frankly it makes me a little uncomfortable. I'm used to working with companies in my work at PC Pilot and formerly at other gaming publications to contacting a PR dude and saying "Hey, we want to take a look at xyz" and it's a non-issue. The way this conversation is going honestly is making me more than a little uncomfortable and I feel painting me in a light that I'm not particularly happy with, and most certainly not a first impression I want to create within the X-Plane community. As I said in my earlier long post, if someone doesn't want to hand over a product for review or to be featured within broader X-Plane videos on my channel then that's fine. Quite a few developers have stepped forward and asked to get involved today so I have more than enough content to focus on in the near term. All the best.

The point is (which this Froogle chap doesn't seem to get), is that he's an FSX guy, not an X-Plane guy. So, he's just a random blogger asking for free content. As he says, FSX is running out of steam, so he want to keep his blog going by switching to X-Plane. Fair enough, but he should try joining a forum or two (like here), make a few contributions, and make himself known first. IMHO.

Best of luck to you Froogle. Hopefully you can make some FSX heads turn with those new upcoming X-Plane vids. Welcome to the X-Plane community. It's a pleasure to have you here !

Pete! I never got the email. Probably went straight to my spam folder, as you know I would have replied. Shows how much I check youtube and other forums. I think I need to do so...a lot more. Throw me another email or PM through these forums, and we can pick it up from there.

Peaches and cream over here. A new one from Redpiper1, highlighting the B-25J......keep your eyes peeled around 1:40.. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ORz2PZO9TcY&feature=c4-overview&list=UU3SQBoDpB44cNsK-L5F-Ijg

His tag line is 'everything sim', not 'FSX sim'. He doesn't need to be on any forums. He has a successful Youtube channel and writes for PC Pilot. I think he makes a fine contribution to the community that way.

And this is why x-plane will never be main stream. Sorry, Ben you are wrong.

I also have NO control over content policies, I just make middleware... and the occasional stupid picture in PS.

Finally, I've been dreaming for that to happen for ages ... they are converting their FS version to X-Plane ! This sleek, fast PT6 powered turboprop will be a must have I'm sure, with very good performances at mid-high altitudes, IFR equipped, complete AP etc ... It will be a nice complement to the excellent stock one Tom Kyler has done for X-Plane 10 I think this Carenado is my most wanted one, as with the C208 ! ( Images from their Facebook page >>> https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.538615599548592.1073741875.129839447092878&type=1 ) Top notch quality graphics as usual , the sounds should be nice too ! I hope the systems will be simulated enough to be enjoyable !

Seriously. Of course, I have through personal dealings, but to assume that everyone has is not exactly realistic.

Flying from Whitehorse to Beaver Creek, Canada in a Cessna 195

Jesse, May I suggest adding the Saab340a to your hanger. You wont be disappointed. Like Pete and Cameron has said Lets move on, we are beating a dead horse now.

The way I see it, Froogle/Pete is trying to get support for the X-Plane community. I was so glad when he released this video, I just hope it prompts people to at least try X-Plane. I for one, bought X-Plane only a week ago. I want to see newer and better products for this platform that has tons of potential, so I purchased 2 payware aircraft (JARDesign A320, 777 Worldiner Extended) that weren't cheap. I just want to support developers in hope that they keep developing If developers did provide a review copy of a product that shows X-Plane in a good light to Froogle , he would make a really great video (or a few) that will hopefully entice people towards X-Plane. I sincerely hope that developers have the cop-on to provide review copies, it's beneficial in the long-term!

I'm not going to start a debate about how to start a topic; we just don't need to. Everyone is going to have varying opinions here, and in the end all of you have to live with your own comments to a degree. As many of of you well know Ben is more cut and dry, and he had no problem explaining the type of day he was already having, but he did take the time to warn of such. You can factor that in however which way you want. As much as you may disagree and harbor the stance that this felt like "discrediting the guy as a nobody looking for some free software", that's one way to interpret it, but looking at the bigger picture objectively it is NOT what the point of Ben's statements were. I don't even have to watch that video twice to know why Ben immediately responded the way he did, and I also don't have to watch it twice to understand where Froogle is coming from. There are potentially better ways "always" when it comes to saying your piece. Let me put it this way (objectively): Froogle could have stated his side a bit less authoritatively as to who he is and why he should be 'used' in his video. This rubbed some wrong, and immediately got the reaction from some in the way that Froogle is "not as big as he seems." In that sense, it's easy to misinterpret the statement about subscription levels and the answer to prayers as a means of entitlement because of who Froogle may be. As a consumer, this does not rub someone like you the same way it may rub a developer who has been working 3+ years on a particular product(s). 15,000 subscribers is great. The exposure is welcome, but if we're going to sit down and be realistic we'll also say it's not going to be the wave that breaks the flood gates either, and this is a bigger side to where, in part, Ben is coming from. You cannot misconstrue this statement to mean that even with that said, the exposure is not welcome; it is welcome. You need to remove your personal feelings from the discussion before you can see where one's opinion is coming from and what they may mean. It's not necessarily that they don't also agree with your view about exposure, but they have other elements to consider that you may not.

I have to admit I was not far behind Ben. However, Mr Froogle has turned up and written a short novel, answered a few questions, and upped his cred a bit in my book. If he wants to make a name for himself in the worlds best desktop flight sim ( ) community, then good for him, and I wish him every success.

great shot!!

Well I see we have another uphill battle to get X-Plane recognized. Not only do we have to fight the FSX crowd, we now have the X-Plane guys to worry about. Talk about shooting yourself in the foot.

and this is exactly where you'll remain with this sort of attitude! Agreed your acting like a real D-bag! Then again I'm sure it matters little to you since I have zero rep with such a small number of posts and the fact I haven't published anything for XP

I often go to Froogles site as I use both FSX and X-Plane. He is very good at what he does and also does reviews for the 'PC Pilot' magazine. I think it would be great for X-Plane if he could promote it. Addon's for X-Plane are slow at coming out and that would be one of the main reasons I keep going back to FSX. The more people we can get promoting X-Plane the better. Cheers, Craig

...don't mind me, I'm having a deeply cynical day.

There are lots of 'FSX guys' who are interested in maybe becoming 'X Plane guys' but just need to be enticed. Videos seem a logical way to do this and good though they are, Redpiper's videos don't have the audience his do.

The guy takes the risk of saying publicly to his (if you're right mostly MSFS) audience, one of the biggest flightsim vlogs on the Tube that he believes it's probably time to give up on FSX and start exploring the potential of XPlane and you dismiss him as a nobody who's just trying to get free stuff to go with his $300 equipment? That's disappointing.

To do in-depth videos to show his 15,000 subscribers in your target market? Well that's one reaction you could have I guess.

The thing with that PC is I dont see a lot of things mentioned that should be, it seems there is no included OS or aftermarket CPU cooler. Also the hardware included seems quite low-spec for what they are charging for it. I also don't know anything about that builder, so I would check around and make sure you do business with a reputable one, which may depend on what country you live in. Also, learning to build your own PC can be very rewarding since you get to choose exactly what parts you want to use, and you can focus your budget on certain areas of the system to optimize it for the tasks you do most. -NR

Take a look at the relative performance of your selections for CPU and GPU compared to other hardware at similar price points.

To elaborate, the plane has a completely broken FBW system, a ton of glitches with the flightmodel, such as the plane randomly pitching up to 90 degrees and stalling. Graphics are ok, but that is about the extent of this plane. I don't think this should even be allowed on the market, its so bad. Please, save yourself 20 bucks... go buy a nice breakfast instead.

Just teasing us again. where is the buy button Cameron ? You told me last week it would be ready this week in person.

(SKPS) Pasto - Colombia

For beginners, what a laugh. My instructor has 10,000 hours already and is an ATPL holder with a CFI-I rating. He is a qualified examiner under CAD HK. My ground school classmates? Well let me tell you, have definitely will have more airmanship than you do Peter. So tell me: Principles of gyroscopic instruments What is a vacuum instrument system? What is deep stall? What is the Coriolis effect? What is P-Factor and how does it work? How to calculate drift angle? What is 60 to 1 rule? What does "RVSM" stand for? What is class G airspace? Does radio signals travel faster across land or sea? What is the minimum altitude for the Shek Kong Area? So peter, tell me all the KingAirs are great and I can only hope Carenado can make the flight model extremely accurate. They nailed the looks but they should seriously re think their flight model. The polygons on their models are highly optimized and that's great. The airfoils do need some makeovers. Don't forget Dan already told all of us that Carenado does NOT provide training level aircraft. I repeat, DOES NOT! I still will not fly Carenado though, I am afraid it will give me bad habits.

Ummm go ahead and take the GPFT test and tell me your result, only costs 100HKD to try. I am interested because you are so arrogant and you think it is easy.

Well tell me why Hong Kong Aviation Club uses X-Plane 9 commercial for PROCEDURAL training, IFR proficiency training and general recurrent training if you don't think X-Plane is a good procedure trainer?

A man is alone in an airport lounge. A beautiful woman walks in and sits down at the table next to him.*He decides, because she's wearing a uniform, she's probably an off-duty stewardess.So he decides to have a go at picking her up by identifying the airline she flies for, thereby impressing her greatly. He leans across to her and says the British Airways motto : 'To Fly. To Serve'. The woman looks at him blankly. He sits back and thinks up another line. He leans forward again and delivers the Air France motto: 'Winning the hearts of the world'. Again she just stares at him with a slightly puzzled look on her face. Undeterred, he tries again, this time saying the Malaysian Airlines motto: 'Going beyond expectations'.The woman looks at him sternly and says: 'What the f*** do you want?' 'Ah ha!' he says "Qantas".

Wanted to fly over Toronto, but had to stop the flight due to an abrupt engine disfunction... very lucky on where it happened, cause I would have had no clue where to land just over all those buildings, and the airport seemed to me reachable in autorotation... not the softest landing, but alive! http://youtu.be/yhEtJGfbbns