When it started writing this blog I had no idea where it would go or for how long but I don’t think at the time that I had considered that this idea might span five years or take me in the directions that it did. It is hard to see the future! But it is much easier to look back at the past and so let’s do that in celebration of five years!
Looking back
On April 5th, I wrote my first blog entry on Stormbirds outlining what I was intending to do and cover. In that, I aimed to cover the industry of flight simulation, to talk a little about the history of different aircraft, and to cover as much of the IL-2 series as possible. Although my scale and scope has definitely increased over the years, some things never change as IL-2 is still one of the flight sims that captures my attention like few others. But I do definitely cover other sims and I’ve written about DCS World as much as or perhaps even more than the IL-2 series. These two together have formed quite a bit of my content.
You’ll note of course that it’s not April 5th and we’re actually at the end of the month. I was so busy pushing content out at the start of the month that post just slipped my mind.
Highlights along the way
Just a month after my initial launch, I wrote a full review featuring IL-2: Battle of Moscow and I followed that up with reviews of Battle of Kuban and Bodenplatte in the subsequent years. I backed that up with a lot of DCS World coverage including my first impressions of the DCS: F/A-18C back in 2018 and or my impressions of the DCS: F-14B.
It’s been a little while since I did any hardware reviews (I’d like to get back into doing that) but I’m still very proud of my efforts to review the VKB Gladiator, the Thrustmaster T.16000M and FCS flight pack review, and the VIRPIL WarBRD and MongoosT-50 throttle reviews.
In the last couple of years I’ve put some more attention into civil aviation sims as well starting with X-Plane and then when Microsoft Flight Simulator was announced – news and reviews on that sim as well. I’m particularly proud of my review of the fantastic little Robin DR401 as well as Aerobask’s new Phenom 300 for X-Plane 11. There’s also my review of Microsoft Flight Simulator, and the first couple of aircraft reviews including the Carenado PA-44 Seminole and Flying Iron Simulations Spitfire IX.
In 2020 I also put more a little more effort into the companion Stormbirds YouTube channel and started the Stormbirds podcast. New episodes are currently in the process of being setup. I’m also working to get that podcast finally put up on Spotify and iTunes.
In 2020 I also quietly launched the Stormbirds Patreon. Many of you asked if there was a way to contribute to the blog and Patreon is one of those ways.
Thank you!
As much as this post is a celebration of what’s been done here on Stormbirds.blog, I also want to turn it around and thank you.
I sincerely and continually appreciate all of the thoughtful comments that have been posted on the various articles over the years. We don’t have to agree on anything but I appreciate the coming together of different ideas over a shared and common interest. I also appreciate all of the times that I’ve been corrected because I missed an important detail, because you found something out before I did, or because I spelled something wrong. It happens! So, I very much appreciate all of those comments too.
No matter how you show your support, I appreciate all of the support shown by all visitors and hope that my writing has helped you out either with the latest news, detailed information on something you needed to know about, or encouragement to get started with something new.
Stormbirds 
Leave a comment