Eskil Brandvik Norway Email : ebrandvi@online.no

Born :       1957
Career :    Air Traffic Service (AFIS, ATC) 1978 -
                 1978-79  Sogndal AFIS
                 1979-84  Vadso AFIS
                 1984-85  Signal OPS NORMAINTCOY, UNIFIL, Lebanon
                 1986-91  ATC assistant Trondheim ATCC
                 1992-99  Floroe AFIS
                 1999-       ATC assistant Oslo ATCC

Background :
*************
 Grew up near Orland airbase. Dad flew F-84 in RNoAF 1956-1961and hence I was infected with
 lifelong aviation interest. Later when dad became ATC at Orland airbase (now retired) we kids often 
had a ball being with him to work to the TWR and watch those planes. The resulting general interest 
in aviation is a great motivation factor in my job. 
PC flight simulators are now splendidly good and challenging. 

Simpit motivation :
 ******************
 With Jane's F15 and Falcon 4.0 I suddenly realized flying a joystick- and throttle-equipped desktop was
not enough.  The vast amount of keypress commands demanded something more realistic and 
immersive.

Hardware : 
***********
Celeron 850mhz in Abit Slotket!!! converter & 512 MB SDRAM.
Also new is a 7200rpm 40GB WD HDD. 

HOTAS:          Thrustmaster FLCS/TQS/RCS with Bob Church Digital Chip
                        Upgrade (  http://www.stickworks.com  ). Recommended! :-)

HOTAS software :
******************
Digital Fox Two Pro by Dr. James Hallows  (Brilliant program. Go get it.)
( E-mail: jchall@globalnet.co.uk
Fox Two Pro:  http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~jchall/FoxTwo.html  )

Other :
******
3 Quickshot Masterpilot with programmers and cartridges.

Flight sims installed :
***********************
Super EF2000
Warbirds 2.5
MS Flight Simuator 2000 Pro
MS Combat Flight Simulator (CFS)
MPS European Air War
Jane's Longbow 2
Jane's F-15
Jane's F/A-18
Falcon 4.0

(all the above with latest patches [except WB] :)

Online flying :
**************
""Due to shiftwork schedule, net security issues (trojan scanning on my IP 
   while online) time/job constraints and other social priorities I'm not part of any 
   online squadrons. During spring/summer/autumn I rather prefer riding my 
   motorcycle with friends and I'll only consider online flying on ad hoc basis 
   during winter time due to my H24 shiftwork schedule etc." 

Online flying security >:-(
**************************
Sadly I don't feel quite safe while online flying for hours sans a firewall.
My firewall *daily* fends off trojan scanners probing my IP while online, 
so I've more or less retired from online flying because of incertainty about
this until I feel my online integrity is reasonably secured.

Step over to http://www.grc.com  and check your ports, fellow simmers.
This is a good, but also reasonably reflected resource on online security
issues for us online flyers. Think you're safe when flying online? Check this:
http://www.infoworld.com/articles/op/xml/00/02/07/000207oplivingston.xml

The above link refers to a free and very good, application-specific firewall
that may save your butt while flying online. It will ask you to enable specific
programs requesting I-net access and will also block unidentified activity
from inside your own PC until you give the go-ahead. Get it for free at:
http://www.zonelabs.com/ - Zonealarm works OK for online flying with security settings set to MEDIUM."

Simpit plans : 
**************
Build a home cockpit based on Martin Schmidt's excellent F-16 sim
http://www.xflight.de and the Akers-Barnes Mk I cockpit URL:
http://www.62ndff.onthenet.com.au/projects/cockpit/pra1.jpg

With three Masterpilot MFD's and the TM HOTAS I have a good start
for cockpit akin to Eurofighter Typhoon/F22, suitable for all my sims.
This simpit is generic and not based on any specific plane.

"Update per Sept.4th 2000:

    Simpit frame almost complete and assembled. Instrument panel with three
    Quickshot MP in progress as well as ejection seat based on Martin-Baker
    Mk16a. Work will progress more during this winter ."