A Weekend to Fly

Every now and then, the stars align: a free weekend, clear of obligations, and a house that’s unusually quiet. My wife is out of town for a few days—she's wonderfully supportive of my flight sim hobby, never bats an eye when I spend a few hours bombing tanks or planning missions. But there's something about having the place entirely to myself that makes this weekend feel like a full-on clearance from tower. No distractions. No chores (sorry cats - I'll get to your litter box soon, I promise). Just me, my sim, and open skies. And probably a beer or two. And a nearby flight suit, that I neither confirm nor deny might get worn.

It’s amazing how quickly I fall into the rhythm. Friday night, I booted up the sim thinking I’d do a quick hop off the carrier deck to wind down the week—and three hours later, I’m practicing aerial refueling and patterns, sipping coffee like I’m earning flight pay. The world melts away. The headset goes on, and I’m no longer in my office.

The best part of a weekend like this? Freedom. I can fly anywhere, at any time. No need to sneak in a quick sortie between dinner and dishes. No background noise, no schedule. Just me and the sim. I’ve got some long-haul ideas on the table (maybe Syria deep strike), and I’m thinking of breaking out the warbirds too, since the Corsair has been launched.

Part of me thinks I should call up some of my flying buddies. We haven’t done a proper group flight in a while, and what better time? But there's also a charm in flying solo. No schedules to sync, no comms chatter except for the simulated kind. Just that feeling of focus and immersion that made me fall in love with flight simulation in the first place.

So here’s to quiet weekends, to supportive spouses, to freedom from laundry and errands. I’m logging hours in the logbook of the mind, knocking off that virtual rust, and enjoying every minute of it.

Wheels up.

CB