Joe Keefe
SimHQ Technology Editor

Unlike most SimHQ staffers, I have little genetic material relating me to combat aviation or even military participation. The closest I can come is that my uncle was a US Army MANPAD operator in Germany in the Vietnam era, one of the many trained to (try to) close the Fulda Gap should it have become necessary. He never fired a missile in wartime.

I have always had an innate interest in aviation, and it began to blossom when I received a copy of Microprose's F-19 Stealth Fighter. At the age of 8 or 9 I sat in front of the computer at night, flying night missions with the lights turned out in my room for the "added realism" (despite the fact that I was flying with a keyboard); my brother and I thought it was cool. From there I graduated to Strike Commander (a "sim" with a fun storyline), TFX, Comanche, EF2000, Comanche Gold, and finally Jane's F-18. My Jane's F-18 interest continues to this day, where I am an active member of the JF-18 online community, administrator and project leader for the Team Superhornet modding team, and avid supporter of one of the best sims ever. I also own Lock On: Flaming Cliffs, Falcon 4: Allied Force, Strike Fighters: Project 1, and the IL-2 DVD; someday I might have the time to learn them.

I also have a big interest in Motorsports, following Formula 1, the American Le Mans Series, the IndyCar Series, and the Rolex Sports Car Series. I participate in SimHQ online multiplayer motorsports events in a variety of vehicles, and in my single-player time occasionally enjoy Grand Prix Legends, GTR2, and Richard Burns Rally.

My interest in technology means that I have a bunch of gadgets that enhance my simming enjoyment. Among these are a NaturalPoint TrackIR® 4 PRO, a Cougar HOTAS with U2NXT modded gimbals, a Logitech G25 with gated shifter and three pedals, two CH Products MultiFunction Panels, and a homemade MFD system using an X-keys matrix board. The highlight of my gaming rig is three monitors driven by a Matrox TripleHead2Go, one of the best products ever for immersive simming.

Outside the world of SimHQ, my 9-5 job is as an acoustical consultant, developing recommendations for room acoustics, sound isolation and noise control, sound systems, and quiet HVAC designs. I also work, especially in the fall, as a high school marching band percussion instructor/arranger. My undergraduate honors thesis at college discusses the risk of hearing loss in high school and college marching bands, and can be read here.

SimHQ Staff