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.

[aomagrat]

I wonder if the next upgrade to "Sim City" will have those annoying airplane crashes?

[TomServo]

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

Nope, I don't sleepwalk.

[leadpenny]

July 4, 1826.

Five years later, James Monroe died on July 4th. Three out of the first five Presidents died on July 4th. As Kramer would say, "That's strange."

[Ditto]

The instructors, John and Martha King...

Any relation to Sky King?

[Darth Dan]

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!!!

Nostradamus predicted WINDINGS???!!! Wow, is there nothing that man didn't know?

[B4Ranch]

It probably just gives the terrorists ideas.

[isom35]

I have done the same as tomservo. flying f16, I have shot at my own planes, flown into the refueling tanker, etc. then when I land, I get the court martial animation- as i recall some guy shakes his finger at me, then maybe slams his fist or a book on the table. the pilots i shot at responded with "we're on the same side", or "are you insane?" I think I was charged with "culpable negligence"

[japaneseghost]

Not taking flying seriously. For sure, there are laws against that. The FAA is very seriously about who can fly a plane.

[NoControllingLegalAuthority]

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.

OOOOOOOOH, that's cold (but not as cold as that ice beer we keep hearing about)

[Canuck1]

The point is obvious. Maybe Abdullah & Co. got their idea from Microsoft. Of course, we'll never know.

[Canuck1]

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

The articles only spoke of the delayed launch of the new software and said nothing about flying into the Empire State Building.

[MrFred]

nope, they talked about the current intro as well. A large chain in Great Britian even pulled the product off their shelves because of the intro. There were quite a few article in the first week after the attack.

[TomServo]

They're delaying it to remove the WTC towers from the game.

[B Knotts]

Conspiracy BUMP

tinfoilhat list

[TomB]

The point is obvious. Maybe Abdullah & Co. got their idea from Microsoft. Of course, we'll never know.

Obvious to who???

Considering the authorities estimate this has been planned for over 5 years, and most think is was "unfinished business" from the first WTC bombing in '93, your conspiracy theory is rather weak, not to mention a little strange.

[TomServo]

For God's sake, if we substituted Microsoft for Smith and Wesson, and substituted the hijacking for a murderer, all the freepers would be (rightly) yelling about how its not Smith and Wesson's fault!

Good analogy. But could we substitute another manufacturer besides S&W? They sold out. ;-)

[TomServo]

Sure, how about Ruger?

Oh, yeahhhhhhhhhh.. :-)