learning the basics with a pc flight simulator

[GSchuld]

So I have a few years to learn to fly before I have something to fly. I also have a good friend that is works for a company that upgrades/programs/trouble shoots/etc computers. She has just removed about 20 perfectly good shape 2-3yr old desk top PCs from a company that was upgrading. I can have as much as I want for free. So I was thinking that I could use all this free stuff and set up a designated flight simulator in the house. I, however, am not very computer friendly, and I'm not into video games. I have heard of people using several monitors and setting up the flight sim to display on them all to create a more realistic situation. Since I can get all the basic computer hardware for free, why not right? If it can be done, my friend can set it up. It's a matter of what is the best setup I guess. She has no personal experience with flight sims ...yet!

I realize that flight sims are no replacement for actual flying, but I also do get the chance to fly right seat in a nice bonanza from time to time and I get to do everything but takeoffs and landings! It would be nice to learn as much as I can before the official training starts, and that will be a while. I have also read that flight sims can be potentially counterproductive to a green pilot in training as getting used to the synthetic world of flying can potentially form bad habits based on the difference between real and fake.

Is there a book or program out there that is geared toward walking a person through the process of how to properly learn on a flight sim? Basically a written or digital flight instructor for flight sims?

Any suggestions as to a recommended FS program for my situation? X-plane/Flight SimX/other?

Any and all suggestion/opinions welcome and appreciated.

George

[JHines]

PC flight sims are great for practicing cockpit procedures and the basic sequence of events for a flight. They are also outstanding for practicing instrument flight and approaches, as IFR work is completely "heads-down".

There are 2 basic faults with PC flight sims that make them not terribly suitable for learing basic heads-up flight:

1. Lack of peripheral visual cues - especially critical during take-off, approach, and landing.
2. Improper lontigudinal trim behavior - the stick is always spring-loaded to an absolute neutral position and this is totally wrong.

If you can get access to a cheap or free multiple-monitor setup I'd recommend it to address problem #1.

If you want any type of realism at all, get a controller that at least includes a rudder control axis.

MS FS, at least version 9 (probably version X as well) contains a built-in digital reference and a set of flight lessons.

I had a ton of PC-based flight sim "hours" before I took my first real flight lesson. When I got my instrument rating I breezed right through, so it probably helped. But it definitely instilled a "heads-down" mentality in me, which is not good for basic VFR flying.

There are also techniques you have to learn to avoid crashing flight sims that are completely opposite to flying a real plane, especially landing, and will probably constitute "negative learning". This is mainly due to the 2 issues listed above.

[L.Adamson]

Originally Posted by JHines

PC flight sims are great for practicing cockpit procedures and the basic sequence of events for a flight. They are also outstanding for practicing instrument flight and approaches, as IFR work is completely "heads-down".

There are 2 basic faults with PC flight sims that make them not terribly suitable for learing basic heads-up flight:

1. Lack of peripheral visual cues - especially critical during take-off, approach, and landing.
2. Improper lontigudinal trim behavior - the stick is always spring-loaded to an absolute neutral position and this is totally wrong.

Being a pilot first.....................helps a lot with the 2 basic faults that are listed. The brain can fill in a lot of the gaps, if you're use to what the "feel" is suppose to feel like. I even get those peripheral visual cues on takeoff, approach, and landing by using 3D virtual cockpits. Of course, by simming first, the main benefit will be what's listed above.

When it comes to sim models, much depends on the experience of the programmer. Those that have done it for many years, in addition to piloting experience have done quite a credible job.

IMO, a sim is great for experiencing airport layouts with regards to the surrounding topography, when you've actually never been there. The topography databases are very good these days.

L.Adamson

[GSchuld]

I've been reading up on some of the multi display systems for flight silmulators and the ideal(without spending a fortune) seems to be using several monitors with each one being run by a seperate but centrally controlled hard drives and identical monitors. Sounds like a handfull of free, fairly new identical desktop computers and monitors would work out very nicely. I would have every intention to get a quality joystick(perhaps I can even remove the self centering action for more realism), seperate rudder pedals, and throttle/mixture/(etc.) quadrant.

Of the examples that I have seen, a real nice layout seems to be a three identical monitor setup side by side in the panoramic position with the program running the three monitors in a continuous extra widescreen view(out the windshield/canopy) with a separate monitor(or 2) below the center of the 3 dedicated to the instrument panel. With a good joystick, seperate pedals, and seperate throttle quadrant the whole system seems like it would create a fairly good system. The joystick, pedals, quadrant, and FSX program don't seem to be overly pricey, and the programs/cards,etc. to run the multi computer/monitor equipment doesn't seem to to be that big a deal. So for a few hundred bucks, at most, I should be able to assemble a pretty serious rig to get a few hunderd hours of "free" training in. By the time I go train for real, I'll be a full on airline pilot

George

[RV7Factory]

I'd be careful in how much time you spend setting up a multi-pc multi-monitor flight sim. If you are building a plane now, it will like suck lots of time away from your project. All that stuff takes a lot of tweaking and computer know-how to get functioning properly.

If the multi-monitor thing turns out to be more that you want to bite off, the check out TrackIR 4 from NaturalPoint (watch the video demo). It tracks your head movements and allows you to move your virtual head in the sim. It doesn't solve the peripheral vision issues, but its kinda cool.

As far as books go, there are many but I would recommend "Microsoft Flight Simulator as a Training Aid" by Bruce Williams (check out Bruce Air). It covers a lot of the basics about flight sim software and hardware, but it's real benefit is that it comes with a CD containing many VFR and IFR practice flights.

FSX vs X-Plane... For a beginner, I would recommend FSX or FS2004. I haven't used FS2004, but FSX contains a lot of built in lessons and resources about flying, and as a whole their are a lot more books and information available about FSX than there are for X-Plane.

FSX is VERY CPU dependent, so just be sure to throw the fastest CPU you can at it. The video card is important to, but not as much as the speed of the CPU. I would recommend using a CPU of at least 2+Ghz, a video card with 512MB, and at least 2GB of RAM in any PC you plan to run FSX on. You won't be able to max out the effects or scenery in FSX, but you will be able to run it. FS2004 isn't as resource intensive.

Here's a screenshot from FSX using some add-on scenery and an aircraft with a Garmin GNS430 I use to practice instrument approaches. No I wasn't flying an approach with a 1400fpm decent, I was just fooling around... really I was!

[L.Adamson]

Originally Posted by GSchuld

I would have every intention to get a quality joystick(perhaps I can even remove the self centering action for more realism), seperate rudder pedals, and throttle/mixture/(etc.) quadrant.

Actually, it's that centering spring and what you see on the screen, that provides sensation of feel and trim. The mind has to be fooled. I always use the analogy of a car moving slightly ahead while you're stopped at a stop light. You swear you're rolling backwards and slam on the brakes. This is an example of where it was all visual, but the mind provided a sensation of movement, when it didn't exist.

L.Adamson

[douglassmt]

FWIW - I am a new pilot as of last year, now working on instrument rating. I have owned every version of MS Flightsim since inception, but only used them a short while before getting disgusted with the keyboard (duh). After a few lessons, I asked my instructor about using FS to aid my training and he said it can be very helpful, but that I should buy the yoke. I bought the CH Products yoke and started in, using the C-172 that comes with the program and doing as many of the lessons as I could. My instructor commented on how much he noticed it helping me. I had 400-500 landings at my airport (and runway) before I had 30 for real. It very much helped me in many aspects and, while it is not perfect, it is very nice. One feature of FSX Deluxe that helped a new pilot is the ATC dialogue that it has - very helpful in helping a new pilot with radio phraseology.

I did find very quickly that I need a set of CH Products rudder pedals as well. The default steering during taxi without pedals is to turn the yoke and I didn't want to build that bad habit. Also, you need rudder pedals for practicing cross wind maneuvers.

I am now using it in my IR training and have found it very helpful, perhaps more than in the basic training. It has very realistic handling, mag compass turning errors, and you can tell it to fail various instruments randomly so you get realistic partial panel failures. Even though I can't log the sim time, I am fully expecting it to reduce the number of hours I need to be proficient.

FWIW, MS FSX has near photorealistic images of nearly every airport in the world, and all the terrain in between, so I can practice a cross country VFR flight in the mountains before actually flying it.

It does take a robust computer, so make sure you have enough of whatever to make it run smooth. I have it running on a new laptop with a 22" separate flat screen monitor and it works fine.

Total cost for program, yoke and rudder pedals, minus computer, is about $250. Check Amazon.com

My $0.02

[rvn817j]

I'll simply confirm what Brad and Douglas have said. FSX (MS Flight Simulator 10) can help in a number of ways. I run FSX on a "tricked out" computer (but they are becoming less expensive by the day) using my HDTV and it looks spectacular in VFR mode. In addition to using it the way Brad and Douglas have recommended using it, I also use it for practicing the various calls you make around the airport and to the controller. For example, when entering down wind at your favorite airport, make your down wind call (although people around you may think you are slightly 'affected' -- and of course you are).

The book Brad recommended is also helpful. Be prepared, however, to learn about your computer in addition to flying and be prepared to spend some money on add-ons. There are some very fine airplane and scenery "payware" products.

I am also able to 'hook up' my Anywhere Map PDA like I would in my airplane and fly a route for practice that I maight be considering flying on the weekend.

Good luck - it's all fun.

[Mike S]

Many times over the years, well meaning friends ----non pilots---- have coaxed me into trying their flight simulators when learning I am a pilot.

Hated them all, without exception.

As stated above, lack of visual/peripheral clues, and lack of physical feedback. No seat of the pants, stomach or inner sensations.

I suspect that is why the really big guys------Air Force for one, use big buck gimbaled/hydraulic moving cabins with 6 or 8 screens.

Obviously just my opinion, but most pilots (who have been flying for a few years) I have discussed this with feel the same way.

[rvn817j]

Don't let lack of understanding the state of the art in "personal computer" hardware, software and peripherals (e.g., force feedback controllers, joysticks, etc.) deter you from using a PC flight simulator for learning the various aspects of flying. The 'big boys' us all kinds of procedure trainers that are not mounted on hydraulic platforms or Class D certified. Mostly, they only use the 'mega buck' (~$10 million) trainers for high fidelity in-flight emergency training and 'final exams' (because they don't want ham fisted goofs to break the real airplane (or take it out of revenue service for that matter)).

Everyone is entitled to an opinion - uninformed or otherwise.