Blackpool 2005

So here we all are the centre of entertainment and family fun in England, blue sea, hot sunny weather, kids of all ages having a great time but what of the atmosphere a couple of miles north! The IFC 2005 was about to get under way, the anticipation and expectancy was excitable to say the least.

Many top names from the world of flight simulation had gathered at the Norbreck Hotel in Blackpool to share their wares and information to what is gradually becoming a much larger hobby/pastime than I am sure Microsoft ever envisaged when they first launched Flight Simulator on the worlds gaming community. Aerosoft to X-Planes, hardware and software were here in abundance.

The man behind it all is Mark Silcock and in his own words “The worlds greatest flight simulation convention” but would it be cheers or tears for Mark at the end of the weekend?

The entrance to the whole event was slightly different to what you might expect, two channels one for people who had purchased tickets in advance, the other for tickets on the day. The nice touches were the tickets in the style of a boarding card of which you gave up a portion on entry. The other noticeable thing was the scrolling signs above the check in desk telling us “boarding here” after filling a couple or three raffle tickets for a super prize! Microsoft were the official partners to the show and brought their team of experts from the USA to give a detailed account with a superb one hour seminar,.

If you ever wanted to meet your hero's in the flight sim world then this was the place to be, well maybe not hero's! But people who have brought the whole simming community together with add-ons and without these guys dedication it may well be a different virtual world from what we see today.

From Mark and all the other guys here you could sense the passion and determination to make this hobby grow and grow, and if as promised by the organisers next's years event will be even bigger than the one we all witnessed this weekend.

Mark Silcock organiser of the IFC in Blackpool kicks off the evening events with a speech, his words engrossing and delivering the kind of message all who attended were so keen to hear. His passion is unmistakable when discussing flight simulation and as we know his interest in all flight matters go back to childhood when his first recollection, saw aircraft land at his then home just two miles from the main 24R runway at Manchester. I must admit the guy has delivered what he preaches as its no mean feat bringing together so many different companies and people from all over the world to enjoy this unique event.

The night was still young and after seeing a video from last years convention, it was now time for the awards. These were given to people who had provided their time and effort to produce outstanding achievements, this ranged from flight models, to repaint schemes and modules used to enhance the simulation.

A very enjoyable evenings entertainment lay ahead, probably the biggest raffle prize draw I have ever seen with something like 5000 pounds worth of prizes to be given away, everything from software to baseball caps for the lucky winners.

A beautiful day on the Sunday, everyone was looking forward to the show again and later in the afternoon a memorial air show to commemorate 60 years on from the last war. Back to the show we sent around our own intrepid reporter to test the latest software and hardware and I think he had a good time!

Tom wearing his astraboy.com T-Shirt loved the show and the array of different things for him to discover, he is the future of flight simulation and who knows maybe a future pilot in the real world too.

Finally at the end of a long day I managed to get to speak to one of the guys from Microsoft, earlier at the seminar questions were asked about the release of the next flight simulator, tight lipped as ever and probably threatened with something unmentionable they refused to make any comment on what was happening back at the office. They did however state that the reason they had been so quiet over the last few months after the release of the patch was due to the fact they all had their heads buried deep into their desks and working hard. Take that comment however you like, To end, It’s great to have a company as Microsoft to show so much loyalty to its customers with this product, they could have made the one version many years ago and then thought about something else, they did not and must be praised for their forward thinking and extraordinary work to produce some of the finest computer programming ever seen for home use. Whatever happens over the coming months and years with flight simulator, I think it will grow further and expand as the technology allows. Who knows we may all be at IFC 2010 talking about the old days of FS2004 and Microsoft the company that gave the world the ability to fly to destinations we never would get too in our real world lives. I got no answers but hey three cheers to Microsoft they really are one tremendous good company and you know it.

IFC 2005 organiser Mark Silcock sums it up by saying “ I believe the future is very exciting for simulation, as we see developers and designers unveiling unprecedented levels of software and hardware. Coupled up with the new 64 bit technology that will generate realism as never seen before”

The air show was next on the menu, a short trip by tram brought us to the central pier, roads had been closed along the front due to health and safety, but the crowds were out in force as we all eagerly awaited the arrival of our first aircraft the Spitfire. The Lord Mayor of Blackpool was present along with other civic dignitaries along side world war veterans. The heat was increasing, complete blue skies with temperatures that must have been close to 30 degrees. We walked back along the promenade and opted for a position along the north pier, the cooling breeze helped and the views gave a good view all around.

Fabulous displays from all the aircraft involved which was without doubt finished in style as usual by the RAF Red Arrows display team, so many superlatives have already been said about this amazing display over the years and no matter how many times you see it, you cannot be absolutely stunned by the quality of flying that these guys achieve. Precision and skill and the beauty add up to what can only be described as breathtaking.

So it was cheers for Mark Silcock I guess in the end, but maybe tears too at seeing his dream of organising the worlds largest flight simulation convention come to fruition. Lets hope the dream continues for many years to come.

See you in Birmingham 2006