moved hosts
Hi everyone,
We recently moved hosts, so there might be some wierdness in the site until I tune it out.
Also, apologies for the lack of posts. Real life and competing interests have relegated PBM to the bottomless in-tray of my projects. I still have a passion for it, but there are other things I'm working on right now. If you want it back, then mail me and let me know!
Event: Oz Flight Sim Expo 2009
Once every two years, Australia is home to the Oz Flight Sim Expo, where flight sim junkies from all over the country gather. Fresh from the success of the 2007 event at the Gold Coast, the 2009 Expo was held in Brisbane on the weekend of 10/11 October, and PitBuilderMag was right there in the thick of it. For a full report, read on!
Oz Flight Sim Expo 2009
Initial photos from the Oz Flight Sim Expo 2009 are here! Many many more to follow, and video, in the official review feature coming soon.
[Gallery not found]Vendor Profile: Sheldon Cannon from SCSimulations
PitBuilderMag.com is very glad to have to opportunity to speak with Sheldon Cannon from SC Simulations, LLC. SC Simulations manufactures high quality home cockpit kits, currently in production with the F-16 and working on a number of other platforms. Their motto is “Bringing Aviation Home”, and from the look of their high-quality cockpit kits, that’s something they seem to be achieving!
Community Spotlight: Tysmyster from thewayiplay.com
PitBuilderMag.com is delighted to feature an interview with Matthijs “Tysmyster” Borgdorff, founder and administrator of thewayiplay.com, as its first pitbuilder Community Spotlight.
thewayiplay.com
Builder Interview: "Loophole" on the Akers-Barnes Cockpit
PitBuilderMag.com is proud to have the opportunity to speak with Michael “Loophole” Barnes, co-designer of the now famous Akers-Barnes Portable Cockpit (or “ABC”) which is, if our research is correct, having its 10th anniversary this year. For the uninitiated, the ABC design is built from flat plywood or MDF, and slots together to form a highly flexible home cockpit platform. It's a fitting first interview for PBM, as the ABC is often the first thing built when starting a new cockpit project. On with the interview.
Some early ABCs, around the start of the century 
Brakes off… throttles up… LAUNCH
PitBuilderMag.com is launching in a blaze of publicity (well OK, in front of hundred or so sim junkies) at the Oz Flight Sim Expo today. Standby for photos! In the meantime, check out the three initial articles:
- Builder Interview: Michael "Loophole" Barnes on the Akers-Barnes Cockpit
- Community Spotlight: Tysmyster from thewayIplay.com
- Vendor Profile: Sheldon Cannon from SCSimulations
Welcome to PitBuilderMag.com! Tell your friends, and send us your feedback!
The Plan
Although we haven't officially launched yet, some people are finding their way here on their own. So I thought it would be a good idea to let you know what's happening behind the scenes.
We want to launch with a number of great articles, so that folks aren't greeted with an empty site when they see it for the first time. So we're currently writing those, interviewing and getting that content ready.
Please be patient, and we'll announce the launch on all the major forums when the time is right! More frequent updates will be posted on Twitter, so keep an eye there too.
Update: Official Launch Date
We will officially launch at the Oz Flight Sim Expo on 10th October. The initial batch of articles will go live immediately after the official launch.
Hello World
Well here we are.
PitBuilderMag has been an idea germinating in my mind for almost a year now. As a beginning cockpit builder I found a massive well of information on the net: forums, worklogs, the odd content aggregator, even huge instruction manuals like Mike's Flight Deck. I was drowning in data. Somehow I navigated it, somehow I stumbled across the things I needed and my cockpit took shape. Today, I'm very happy with it and am starting to think about my next cockpits as well as the upcoming modifications to my original.
Though I have always enjoyed the reams of information out there, I've also looked for content that wasn't just factual but was also entertaining and opinionated. I found myself wondering about the people behind the howtos and the hardware and, from the number I have met over the years, I know they are invariably fascinating. It's the unique stories that make this hobby more than just a loose collection of techniques.
So, we come full circle. PitBuilderMag is for you: the simulation cockpit builder. We'll try to bring you interesting content that is both entertaining and inspiring; focused on the hobby and the community as much as on the skills and techniques.
And that is where you come in too. Your feedback will shape this mag - we'll endeavour to incorporate all the best suggestions from our readers. Sensitive issues like advertising and sponsorship will be run by you where possible, and your reading experience will always be forefront in our minds. Finally, we welcome your contributions! If you want to write for PitBuilderMag, either as a one-off burning issue that you just must get off your chest or on a more regular basis, we want to hear from you! Email me and we'll talk.
We're also interested in new links and ideas for articles. Our current content plan is:
- Builder and community profiles
- Event coverage
- Howtos
- Letter of the month
- Product and website reviews
- Opinion pieces
If you think this could be expanded, let us know.
Thanks for your visit, and we hope to see you again soon. Subscribe to the RSS and the Twitter feed so that you never miss an update!
Yours in slightly obsessive geekery,
- Ed