Microsoft Flight Simulator 2000 intro: Flying into Empire State Building "would be cool"

October 3, 2001

[Canuck1]

I just bought the Microsoft Flight Simulator 2000, installed it on my computer, watched the intro video and nearly fell out of my chair as the two flight instructors spoke.

The instructors, John and Martha King, walk you through a quick demo of the simulator. While Martha talks, John takes off from Teeterboro airport in New Jersey and flys to New York City.

Towards the end of the demo, John swerves his plane to avoid a large building. Martha says, "John, you just about crashed into the Empire State Building!"

John replies with a big grin, "Hey, that would be cool."

Later, while reading the simulator handbook, I noticed the map coordinates for nine worldwide landmarks are given. The first landmark listed? The World Trade Center.

[Canuck1]

I wonder how they say "that would be cool" in Arabic.

I understand the launch of Microsoft Flight Simulator 2002 was delayed two weeks ago for modifications.

[Jason, from Columbus Ohio]

Those buildings can easily be edited, wether you want them in there or not.....
But the effects of running into buildings in FS are not a big show really..... a puff of smoke, a message on your screen that you have crashed, and then you are back on the runway for another chance of flying.
I really don't see the point.
So the WTC will be rebuilt..... now all the game makers and the movie makers will have to put the WTC back in the scenes? Or just leave them out to protect our fragile senses?
Gimme a break!

[Mr. Jeeves]

I've crashed into buildings in FS 2000 lots of times. It isn't that easy to hit a specific target when you are traveling at a significant speed, though. What the terrorists pulled off on 9/11 took some practice.

[TomB]

So what's your point?

Are these people to be blamed for making a flippant remark a year or two before the attack?

Or are you saying Microsoft is somehow responsible for the attack?

[japaneseghost]

Can someone else verify this? If so, the FAA should be notified.

[TexRef]

Or are you saying Microsoft is somehow responsible for the attack?

Of course they are! Haven't you seen the Wingdings encoded into the letters NYC?!?!?

And Nostradamus predicted it!!!

[TrappedInLiberalHell]

I think the point was that it was almost prescient that the commentary should be in there on the very tool the hijackers are suspected of using to hone their skills. It's weird in the same way it's weirt that two former presidents, John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, died within hours of each other on the exact same day, July 4, 1826.

[MrFred]

old news. This was all over the newspapers and web around Sept 12th.

[TrappedInLiberalHell]

weirt = weird

[Mel70]

Well, there was a computer game in which Belgrade was bombed... guess what, it was issued few years before 1999 (I don't know by whom)

Maybe people should pay more attention to these things... it might help them predict the future (;-) )

[TomB]

Then why the comment "I wonder how they say "that would be cool" in Arabic"?

[TomServo]

So what? I've crashed into the WTC, the Empire State bldg, flown under the Golden Gate Bridge, flown thru same, flown into the John Hancock Bldg and the Sear tower. When "flying" my F-16, one of my favorite things to do is shoot my own tanker down, then while the crew is floating to the ground, I riddle their canopies so the crewmember falls to earth. Does this make me a terrorist? Hardly...

[LurkedLongEnough]

I don't know if this is tin foil or not, but thought it was interesting in the light of your comments:

"Microsoft, Amazon Appear To Sponsor Terrorist Web Site - January 16, 2001
A Microsoft spokesman asserts that its bCentral banner ad is being used without the company's permission on terrorist organization Hizballah's Web site." More...

[eniapmot]

I always thought John and Martha were a bit strange. Nice to see they've moved up to the big time.

[Justin Thyme]

It's weird in the same way it's weirt that two former presidents, John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, died within hours of each other on the exact same day, July 4, 1826.

Hey, and July 4th is Independance Day! I think there must have been an international terrorist conspiracy and they were REALLY assassinated! :)

[ImaGraftedBranch]

When "flying" my F-16, one of my favorite things to do is shoot my own tanker down, then while the crew is floating to the ground, I riddle their canopies so the crewmember falls to earth. Does this make me a terrorist? Hardly...

No, but it is rather bizarre behavior. Do you sleepwalk?

[Chemist_Geek]

Can someone else verify this? If so, the FAA should be notified.

Err, for what exactly? What's the complaint; what laws or regulations were broken?

[LibertyGirl77]

Dude...that's really sick. (shakes head in amazement/amusement)

[DoctorHydrocal]

I always thought John and Martha were a bit strange. Nice to see they've moved up to the big time.

I sat with John and Martha at a meeting once and found them to be normal people.

[AmericanCheeseFood]

I couldn't get ahold of a copy do to it being pulled from the shelves, this is sad though . I guess I'll just have to stick with Falcon4.0 and aiming my jet into enemy structures and ejecting when I run out of ammo killing enemy planes .

Cheese .