Flight sim or metal detecting.

I am currently looking for a new hobby to pass some time this winter. For many years I have been an amateur archaeologists, and historian. (Thanks internet). But I would like to explore some local areas with a metal detector.

on the other hand, I have always wanted to learn how to fly an airplane for emergency situations. And Microsoft flight simulator calls to me. I would need to download the game, and then buy a decent flight stick.

if things get much worse this winter, and there is a stay at home order, then the flight simulator will get me through that. But, if there is no stay at home order, then the metal detector will get me outdoors 

help me decide which one to do. Which hobby would you pick up and why?
 

I have a metal detector. But I also have no interest in flying and get bored with video games quickly. 

In reply to Toyman01 (Moderately Supportive Dude) :

Is metal detecting rewarding or frustrating or both? How hard is it on your arms? I have both bad rotators. So might need to switch out. 
 

Of note, I need to sell to SWMBO. This can't become "another one of those hobbies". I already play guitar, drums, mandolin, PC game, restore old Gameboys, "do cars", and hike. The wife says i need another hobby like JFK needed a ... nevermind. 
 

I want something else to do during winter. Another point- it snows where I live. You probably can't search in snow, or dig in frozen ground. 

It can be frustrating. Lots of aluminum can tabs out there that ring the same tones as coins. Better detectors can filter out a lot of the junk, but you still end up digging a lot as well. You spend a fair amount of time doing research. There isn't much reason to search places that have always been the middle of a field.

It's not super strenuous, but it might be hard on bad shoulder joints.

Most detectors are good for 6" or so. If there is a foot of snow on the ground they aren't going to pick up much. 

You might try renting one for a couple of days just to try before you spend $$$ on a detector. Most rental places like Sunbelt will rent you one for a weekend. 

I'm seeing metal detectors as more of a warmer season kind of thing. 

I haven't played MSFS in probably 25 years, but even back then I enjoyed it a lot. But I like airplanes and video games. 
 

I have Condor Soaring simulator.  It won't teach you how to fly power, but it will teach you to fly.  There is a training section, you pick the lesson, it shows you and then you try it.  There are multiple gliders and locations to choose from.  The game is ~$40, then all you need is a joystick.  I don't have rudder pedals on mine but the rudder turns when I rotate the stick.   You also control flaps, landing gear, weather conditions etc.

I believe, but can't confirm that Condor time can be logged.  If nothing else it will keep you tuned up over the winter for <$100.

Here's a video. I enjoy the ridge soaring lesson, end up breezing around the mountains for hours!

Flight sims did nothing for me.  I went for the real thing.  Logged a bunch of hours and would have been ready to solo if I hadn't been a complete failure at landings.  It was apparently important.  I ran out of money before I could get the hang of it.

One thing about metal detectors... I LOVE using them.  So much fun.  99% of the time you find gum wrappers and bits of wire from when your house was built, but I did find a few valuable coins and a gold wedding band.  Someone's wife was pissed.  For me it wasn't about the financial value of what I found, it was the story.  How did that quarter get there?  Who dropped a piece of copper pipe in the desert?  Was this earring worn by someone important or famous, or maybe someone who crossed paths with my great grandmother?

Don't skimp on the metal detector.  A cheap one will be completely useless.  I decided to get an inexpensive one to get back in to it and it was awful.  It was more of a proximity detector.  It didn't matter what the substrate was; wood, grass, dirt, sand... if you got close, it went off.  You could put a metal plate on the ground and it would just go off a little sooner than grass would.

I decided to return it and just keep getting the next price point up the ladder until I got one that worked well.  I got to $150 and it still sucked, so I gave up.  

In reply to Curtis73 (Forum Supporter) :

I use a Garrett AT Pro with either the 5" x 8" coil or the 8.5" x 11" coil depending on how much metal is in the area. It is a very good detector. Water proof to 10' and has very good discrimination. Unfortunately, a good detector is not cheap. 

My son plays a fair amount of DCS - which is a modern military flight sim.  It is VERY deep, and the learning curve is pretty sharp.  (Most individual systems need to be learned), but youtube is rich with "how to's".  It requires a pretty hot computer just to run it, but IIRC, the initial download is free, but gets you only a cannon fodder SU-24.  They get you with payment based DLC.  He's spent probably $40 or $50 buying additional planes.  They occasionally run "sales" on their DLC, and that's when he buys.  If you want to jump in deep, you eventually can/need to learn military air traffic control and even AWACS direction.  I guess the good part is you can play it for a LONG time without exhausting new content, military planes are awesome and you get to blow stuff up.  It also works with some VR set ups.

Teaser Image:

Warning: I've played flight sims before and it was WAAAAY too advanced for me.  I could have learned it, but it would take a while. 

Yeah, flight sims are too complicated for me.    Back in the day of DOS, I played a bit of "Red Baron" by Dynamix, which was basically a flight sim set in WW1.  Not hard to learn.  Great dogfight action.  Wow, that was back in 1990.

I play a little WOT (World of Tanks).  Free to play, pay to win, but it's still fun on the cheap.  Probably a little slow-moving for some, but there's tanks!

On the flight sims I downloaded the free content for DCS but just haven't had the desire or time to get an aircraft off the ground, the experience playing around with it in VR was pretty neat but my really decent computer still struggled with it. 

Microsoft's latest flight sim looks really impressive and I believe there are interactive checklists that match up with the real aircraft, from what I have seen you can set it up to totally skip that sort of thing (you start as an aircraft idling at the end of the runway), have it walk you through it or you going through the lists manually starting and getting the aircraft ready to fly. The scenery and weather also look great but it is also a resource hog and requires a pretty advance computer if you want to turn things up. In the future it should have VR support (which should be an amazing experience) but that will just up the requirements of the computer.

The Condor Soaring sim that 914Driver linked to looks pretty neat and sounds kind of relaxing, it also supports VR so I think I might pony up the $40 and give it a try.