Add-On Fatigue Syndrome (AFS)
A Self-Diagnostic Overview for Flight Simulation Pilots
By Huss, VSKYLABS 'Virtual Aviation Medicine Department'Are you spending more time scrolling your aircraft menu than flying? VSKYLABS diagnoses "Add-On Fatigue Syndrome" and offers the 'clinical cure' for flight simulation burnout. If this is related to you, keep on reading!
OK..
Thing is...that the modern sim-pilot has access to more aircraft than ever before in history.
Which, ironically, is exactly where the problem begins.
In the past decade, VSKYLABS developed nearly 40 different aircraft add-on products for X-Plane Flight Simulator. Aircraft projects are diverse, covering a huge range of aircraft type and categories: GA, Twins, Trainers, Historic/Iconic aircraft, Jets, Rockets, Gyros, Helicopters, Gliders, RC Models airplanes...Home-built, Concept aircraft...Jet-Fighters...and more.
If you do the math, that is a new aircraft product every few months.
Obviously, in addition to VSKYLABS, other developers in the X-Plane Eco-system develop and release new aircraft add-ons continuously. Over time...aircraft selection in the Eco-system becomes 'Ultimate'.
At some point around 2023, I realized that due the situation I described above, a new product turns 'old' very quickly...and goes down into the oblivion of the Eco-system/flight simmers huge aircraft hangars, resulting in loss of interest of the simmer, not only in the specific add-on, but also generally in the flight simulation platform. This leads to 'No-Fly time', sometimes pretty long!
So...What Is Add-On Fatigue?
- Your hangar is full.
- Your aircraft are excellent (freeware, payware...your own designs).
- And yet you scrolls through the aircraft list thinking:
“Hmm… nothing interesting to fly tonight!" - You are overloaded, lacking flying motivation...all your sim activities feels 'useless'...you stop flying...
Early Warning Signs:
- You scroll through the aircraft menu repeatedly.
- You load an aircraft… then exit the flight a few minutes later.
- You browse the store occasionally.
- You download almost every freeware aircraft at the X-Plane.org...
- At this stage you may already be experiencing 'Hangar' or 'Flightsim' Saturation.
- In some cases, you haven't flown some of your favorite aircraft, for months...possibly years.
The Four Phases that may lead to AFS:
A new aircraft is acquired and flown enthusiastically. You open the Manuals, explore the cockpit. Everything feels exciting!
Phase Two: Wow, Another Release
Another aircraft appears. Curiosity cycles and your hangar grows.
Phase Three: New Release and Update 'Frenzy'
Aircraft accumulate faster in your hangar, faster than they can be properly explored. You start looping through the hangar looking for the next spark of excitement.
Phase Four: Total Burnout
Your virtual hangar contains dozens of aircraft of all kinds...freeware, payware...You say:
"There’s nothing interesting to fly"...
"What's the point...this is boring"...
At this point, you are probably deep in the AFS...
The Cure
Don't fight AFS. Embrace it!
Take a time-out!
Go fishing, or have quality time with your family.
Go outside and let your tired eyes some infinite-focus time.
When you'll be ready, you'll know it.
Huss
VSKYLABS