Well, I just completed my 94th trip around the Sun
Well done Sir - I am two rotations behind you and bow to your seniority!
I started on computers in 1961, some of them had thermionic valves but the new ones had transistors on hand-soldered circuit boards (IBM 1400 series). Even then we had “simulators” for gimmicky sales demonsrtration purposes.
I was there in the earliest FS days (late 1980s???) on an Apple 2E with Bruce Artwick’s rendition, which was in 1-bit graphics, (i.e. green dots or nothing) which I played for hours at a time. Like the current one, it was sold as a “game” but I have to admit that our present toy does emulate a simulator much better now.
I’m personally very chuffed with it - ask my wife - most of my recreational time is spent in my little cockpit, surrounded by some $000s of retirement funds made to look like an aeroplane …
Years ago, as a soldier, I was in Africa chatting to a wise old tribal leader over a cup of tea. We got to the subject of government and it came out that they didn’t bother registering births and deaths; it just didn’t occur to them, and many of them didn’t know what year they were born.
He leaned forward and said, “Tell me, how old would you be if you didn’t know your age?”
67 here. Had sims since 98 but was always terrified of flying to the extent that even on a static aircraft I shook. Then back in in 2003 I met my now wife who made it very clear that if I wouldn’t get on a plane to the sun then I was going to be history since then I have flown at least thirty times including an hour in a Dragon Rapide as a very interested passenger and also an hour and a half in a tigermoth most of which I was at the controls. Needless to say that nowadays the world is our oyster
I’m 91 years young. Had all previous versions of FS and had over 2000 hours in our Turbo Mooney until selling it in 1997. Love this sim and do all my flying in VR. The only software on the MSFS laptop (Acer Predator Helios 300) is the sim and any related software. Maybe that’s why I have almost zero problems with it. I’m on the Forum here from a different computer.
I remember well the 1401. What was that board used for accounting that had to be rewired with plug-in cables for each application ?. Every time I buy something new for my flying my wife keeps telling me we have to save for old age.
Turning ½ Century in just about two months…. But feel and act like I’m twenty years younger…. I remember going on a tour of the Boeing Factory just as they were starting up the 777 line.
Addendum: Also started flying on Commodore 64. “I adore my 64”
What was that board used for accounting that had to be rewired with plug-in cables for each application ?
In those days, even “computers” used punched cards for input / output, and the 1400 series were often used with 407 (US) and 421 (Australia) punched card accounting machines which had those wired plug-boards. The 1401 series had fully electronic stored programs though.
In AU we still had “pounds-shillings and pence” currency until 1964 and every money transaction had to be first converted to pence, processed and then converted back to pounds-shillings-pence. What happened to the accumulation of rounding errors was always the subject of controversy.
In some cases 3/4 of the computing capacity was taken up by decimal conversion programming routines, so decimalisation was a great boon to us young computer kids.
… had over 2000 hours in our Turbo Mooney until selling it in 1997.
I remain a wannabe pilot I’m sorry to say. Took some lessons but could never afford the cost or the risk as a young family man. How I envy you and other oldies who actually did it!
57 and just retired ? Wonderful ! Never look back, I didn’t.
I retired at 55 and that was the best move I have EVER made.
Life is short, have fun, be safe and enjoy !
Age 65 1/2 (on Medicare !), but physically, spiritually, fun-wise age about 47 … from the 12th grade in 1975, and college, learned mainframes, Tiimex-Sinclair Z80, Basic, Fortran, CSMP, punch-tape and cards, IC circuit design class, PDP-11, Apple II, early PC’s, and evolution of CPUs and video cards, etc … and been doing FS’s since about 1995 - FS 5.0 or 95, 98, 2000, FSX (lots of 3rd party scenery), Combat FS, Flight Unlimited II-III, and now the great MSFS with all new hardware and my first 4K monitor!
I was going to retire at 55 as that’s the age that I can access my Military pension, but COVID was in full swing and I got offered an extension in the role that I was doing that I was enjoying. I accepted because it’s not like I could go any where at the time and all the planets lined up.
Hi I’m 50 years young and have been flight simming since fs98. In all these years did I not ever think I would achieve 60 fps from a flight sim from Microsoft. Always tweaking hoping and and praying for that little bit extra, and now I finally have it with MSFS 2020.Much less tweaking and more flying this time around. Things have come along way over the years> I look back at flying with 2d rendered cockpits and say OMG! Now we have beautifully rendered cockpits, photoreal scenery, we are living in good times. Flight simming could not be better at this moment! Also the flight sim community I have noticed has become much less toxic over the years which is a plus! Great Community! Great Sim!
I’m nearly 46, according to Volanta I’ve flown 404 flights and travelled 183.5k NM. Thats 8.5 trips around the world. Pretty amazing considering this has all been done sat in my chair with my underpants on.
since then I have flown at least thirty times including an hour in a Dragon Rapide as a very interested passenger and also an hour and a half in a tigermoth most of which I was at the controls. Needless to say that nowadays the world is our oyster 
… and been doing FS’s since about 1995 - FS 5.0 or 95, 98, 2000, FSX (lots of 3rd party scenery), Combat FS, Flight Unlimited II-III, and now the great MSFS with all new hardware and my first 4K monitor!