Q about use of flight simulators

[Guest vhinov]

I would like to ask you about the usefullness of flight simulators for flight training. I got myself Microsoft flight simulator and it seems like it is good for getting you to remember the actions that you have to go through and to look at the right instruments at the right time. Did not have a class after I bought it so I do not have a feel yet if it is any help in learning an actual plane procedures. What do you think?

 

Viktor

 

 

[mAgNeToDrOp]

I find it useful for learning procedures, circuits, engine failures etc, Invest in some decent addon scenery and can do navs procedures, surprisingly accurate with wind input etc. Good for procedures not really good for actual flying. No substitute for the real thing though

 

 

[Thx1137]

I agree, for normal operations it was pretty good. I was using the Eurostar in FSX and found it very similar to the SportStar.

 

Grab a copy of the scenery from ORBX. Great stuff.

 

 

[flying dog]

The thing is that the "world" has no feedback.

 

Engine failure in a twin is difficult to detect which engine, as you get no yaw.

 

Turbulance is also difficult. Though you see it, you don't realise what it feels like. This can be dangerous as you "think" it is easy, but when you are in turbulance you can get yourself into trouble quickly. OR You can panic at nothing as you have never felt the bumps and so think that small bumps are a worry.

 

However: All in all it is fun to fly it.

 

 

[Guest Brett Campany]

Hey Viktor, check this section of the forums out

 

Simulators - Recreational Flying Community

 

I've found flight sims to be excellent for memory items and going through procedures after you've done the training for them. Especially when doing engine failure exercises, just to remember FCMIT and FMMMD.

 

More recently I've been using it for nav training as well to practice all the checks you make once on top of your ten minute markers.

 

On top of all of that it can also be a lot of fun with online interaction and they're great on bad weather days.

 

If you need a hand with anything, just yell out and one of us can surely help out!

 

 

[Simonflyer]

Hi Vhinov..

 

You'll get a lot of use out of it even though it wont really be a great help with the actual "stick and rudder" flying unless you have the funds and time to set yourself up with a fairly serious mock up cockpit(3 screens,yoke and pedals,infra-red headpiece so that where you look the screen follows etc etc etc.But it still at least gives you the basic sense of being in the air.

 

Where the Sims come into their own is with all of those other elements, many of which have been mentioned. If you have a Nav planned in the real world you can sit at home and "fly" it with maps,checks and all before you go.the sims generally have an excellent reproduction of world scale, so you will be able to see major landmarks and other important clues for your nav, and in the near future you will be able to hook it up to google earth and get a live feed into your system so what is on the ground really is what is on the ground.

 

It is also good with aircraft instrument familiarization.if you are about to jump in a new plane, download it and get used to the instrument panel and where things are for your checks.The good companies put out very convincing reproductions of most planes.

 

And last but not least you can do instrument flying to your hearts content.I think i read a stat somewhere that the average time to stay in controlled flight on instruments if your not trained is 170 seconds, so plenty of sim flying along with your real world flying syllabus will save you time and money in the air because you will be able to keep ahead of the game and actually practice your lessons in advance..

 

Enjoy

 

 

[Guest Mad Dave]

I was talking to a bloke on the weekend who does all his preparation for his instrument rating renewal on the sim. (A lot cheaper that way)

 

 

[Neville75]

Agree with most posts above, the absence of feel I believe can make it more difficult in flight sim than the real thing. Stalling lesson far easier in the real world.

 

I've purchased a Carendo cherokee and the Hervey Bay airport (my training airfield) by Orbx to practise with and I believe that it is helpful for remembering checks, procedures (in particular circuits). The airport is frighteningly realistic - right down to wheelie bins and airconditioning units on airport hangers!

 

Being only able to fly once every fortnight I also found it beneficial to learn the position of aircraft switches and pre take off procedures through the sim. (although my wife rolls her eyes everytime I announce CLEAR PROP from the computer room.

 

Nev

 

 

[metanoia]

I agree, for normal operations it was pretty good. I was using the Eurostar in FSX and found it very similar to the SportStar.Grab a copy of the scenery from ORBX. Great stuff.

Do you know whether anyone has managed to import ORBX scenery into X-Plane as yet?

 

 

[Guest Brett Campany]

Do you know whether anyone has managed to import ORBX scenery into X-Plane as yet?

Nope, because ORBX is a completely different platform to X-Plane we can't bring it over.

 

I'm actually tempted on selling my X-Plane and looking at getting FSX for my Mac so I can put ORBX and other downloads into it.

 

 

[metanoia]

Nope, because ORBX is a completely different platform to X-Plane we can't bring it over.I'm actually tempted on selling my X-Plane and looking at getting FSX for my Mac so I can put ORBX and other downloads into it.

The thought crosses my mind...

 

Then again, I shudder in horror when thinking about trying to a fly a sim in a VM... or even worse, setting my Mac up to bootcamp!

 

 

[Guest Brett Campany]

The thought crosses my mind...Then again, I shudder in horror when thinking about trying to a fly a sim in a VM... or even worse, setting my Mac up to bootcamp!

That's the main reason why I haven't done it yet. I can only begin to imagine the problems I'd have with Bootcamp on my Mac!

 

 

[Tomo]

We have an iMac, which is boot camped with windows just for the sake of FSX... it works very well, extremely fast, and the big screen is next to none. The Mac 0S-X system is what we use for everything else, I just partitioned the hard drive for the windows side with only a little bit, and put the FSX on it. You wouldn't know any difference in either operating system. Except that windows works a lot better... (funny hey!!)

 

 

[Guest Brett Campany]

We have an iMac, which is boot camped with windows just for the sake of FSX... it works very well, extremely fast, and the big screen is next to none. The Mac 0S-X system is what we use for everything else, I just partitioned the hard drive for the windows side with only a little bit, and put the FSX on it. You wouldn't know any difference in either operating system. Except that windows works a lot better... (funny hey!!)

What figures have you got on partitioning the hard drive Tomo?

 

 

[Tomo]

What figures have you got on partitioning the hard drive Tomo?

It's a 320gb hard drive, and partitioning it to 300gb for the Mac side, and only the 20gb on the windows side, due to only having FSX on it, because it doesn't need to much.

 

Is that what you are after? or would you like to know the performance figures?

 

 

[Guest Brett Campany]

It's a 320gb hard drive, and partitioning it to 300gb for the Mac side, and only the 20gb on the windows side, due to only having FSX on it, because it doesn't need to much.Is that what you are after? or would you like to know the performance figures?

That's exactly what I was looking for, cheers for that!

 

 

[Guest vhinov]

Feedback

 

Just to give you some feedback. Last week was my second lesson of pattern flying with touch down and go practice. The first lesson was before I bought the FSX and the second after about a 100 FSX landings at my local airport KUMP I felt much more comfortable the second time. In fact I did several minimaly assited landings and couple unassited ones. The FSX was a great help in learning the proper checks and procedures as well as using the flight controlls at the proper order and time and looking at the apprpropriate flight instruments when needed. I had one crash on the FSX and it felt scary enough. Now I look at my airspeed at all times and work the trottle for regulating the descent rate rather then puling on this yoke that is only there to regulate the airspeed. :-) I guess nothing teaches you better then seen your plane crashed with its prop in the ground like the FSX showed it to me. Now I am flying the FSX in real weather with the hope to prepare for crosswind landings. I have not done cross country yet but I believe the FSX will be very usefull with it as well. Thank you all for your answers and advices.