Andy,
I have enjoyed reading your articles on SIMHQ, they have helped me a lot especially the "Its all a matter of perspective" articles.

However in the past year I have aquired a Trackir system and I have done a review for this on airwarfare
http://www.airwarfare.com/AWX/features/reviews/trackir4_review.htm

I am updating this and would like to know if you have used TIR and if so what are your impressions of this hardware in relation to traditional methods such as padlock and snap/pan viewing systems.

I play IL2FB online and the move there is predominantly to "closed " pits e.g. without externals so do you have any thoughts on this? and how to best use your viewing systems in this type of environment.

Im sure your input on this would help a lot of people and I will of course give you due credit should you agree to be quoted in my article.

thank you for any help

I've come close to buying a TIR system a couple of times as I've only heard good things about them. I don't fly PC sims much anymore and could never justify the cost. If I were still as involved with sims as I used to be, I'd definitely get one.

TIR seems to be about as close to RL as we may get outside the day when we all can afford a multi-monitor set-up! Padlocks and snap views have always been a poor substitute for a real world ability to look around.

I haven't changed my point of view at all regarding the superiority of the player-to-target external view. Had I experience with TIR, I might tone down my enthusiasm for the external view, but I doubt if I would abandon it.

Having simming groups not permit externals is nothing new...I've encountered that line of thinking from my first entry into this hobby. I have yet to hear a persuasive argument from that side other than the one that says that the admin should be free to mandate any playing environment they desire. To that end, I agree...but there the debate ends, because once it gets into opinion about RL, those that make that argument are usually those without RL experience to draw from.

I get a laugh when this 'closed' argument comes from folks who fly the IL-2 series. I have found that many of the cockpits in these sims have overdone the appearance of the cockpit framing to the point where the restriction to vision is exceedingly pronounced and not at all representative of how a RL pilot 'sees'. It's funny to see these rule-makers denying the use of one technique based on what they think is RL when they turn around and insist on the use of another viewing type that is equally as unrealistic.

Good luck with the article!

thanks andy