He parked at Gate D59. He shut down the engines. The silence in the cockpit was broken only by the soft patter of rain on the canopy.
He launched the flight. Departure from EGLL (London Heathrow – a generic default, sadly, as he couldn't afford the UK2000 scenery yet). Takeoff was smooth. Cruise over the North Sea was a dream. Then came the descent. -FSX P3D- - EHAM - Amsterdam Schiphol -FlyTampa-
As his Airbus A320 (the FSLabs, his prized possession) crossed the Dutch coast near Scheveningen, the frame rate held steady at 28. The FlyTampa scenery began to load in chunks – first the distant silhouette of the mast at IJmuiden, then the sprawling greenhouses of Westland, and finally, the iconic, futuristic shape of Schiphol's terminal. He parked at Gate D59
As he taxied past the FlyTampa's rendition of the H-pier, he saw a static KLM 787-9 in the SkyTeam livery. The rain glistened on its fuselage. The attention to detail was staggering. He had finally bridged the gap. The ghost of FSX was exorcised. The power of P3D, tamed by the artistry of FlyTampa, had delivered him home. He launched the flight
He extended the landing gear. The "thump" sound echoed. He armed the spoilers. The rain on the virtual windshield, generated by Active Sky P3D, streaked sideways.