This week, we are happy to shine the spotlight on a true Renaissance Man from the world of flight: Brian “InTheBlueYonder” Murray. In addition to being a licensed pilot and owner of his own plane, he’s also a Twitch streamer, aviation podcast host, and Microsoft Flight Simulator mod creator who is currently building a full-scale VR cockpit that will be publicly unveiled at the upcoming Reno Air Races from September 15-19, 2021.
InTheBlueYonder has had a passion for aviation ever since he was a young child. He first started playing the Microsoft Flight Simulator series all the way back with Flight Simulator 3.0 in the early 90s, an experience which later inspired him to earn his pilot’s license at the age of 23. He is qualified to fly both powered aircraft and gliders and has a total of 370 hours of logged flying time. In 2019, he purchased a 1973 LA-4-200 Lake Buccaneer, an amphibious plane with a floating hull and pusher-style prop (a similar configuration to the ICON A5 available in MSFS). Brian dreams of flying his Buccaneer around the world and setting the as-yet-unclaimed record for fastest global circumnavigation in a light amphibious aircraft.
When not plotting a record-setting round the world flight, Brian regularly livestreams Microsoft Flight Simulator on Twitch at https://twitch.tv/InTheBlueYonder. He is also the co-host of an aviation-themed podcast he created titled Deadstick Radio (available at all the usual podcast locations).
Most recently, InTheBlueYonder has been working on an elaborate hardware and software mod project for Microsoft Flight Simulator. Using the flight controls, cockpit, and fuselage from a real racing plane, he is creating an immersive experience where MSFS players can use authentic real-world flight equipment to simulate flying in the famous Reno Air Races in virtual reality. Since the official Reno expansion for Microsoft Flight Simulator will not be released until later this Fall, Brian also created a mod for the Cassutt Special racer “Outlaw”. This plane is flown in air races throughout North America, including Reno, piloted by Brian’s friend Scott Holmes (pictured below, right).
With his connections within the world of air racing, InTheBlueYonder has arranged for members of the public to compete head-to-head against real Reno race pilots using Microsoft Flight Simulator in VR. Anyone attending this year’s Reno Air Races is encouraged to stop by the Formula One hangar where Brian’s VR cockpit will be set up. He’d love to meet and talk with other members of the Microsoft Flight Simulator community and give you a chance to fly his immersive VR experience. Our Community Team will be visiting his hangar this Saturday from 10:30-11:30am, so stop by and say hello to some other MSFS players!
Pictured above: Reno pilot Kent Jackson of Jetlaw Formula One Air Racing tests InTheBlueYonder’s Microsoft Flight Simulator VR cockpit.