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1. FSX/FSX:SE are great tools for learning flying basics, especially the avionics instruments, but the flight models aren't realistic, per se. They don't compare to actual flight, in that the flight models are based on flight "tables," versus actual airflow over the airframe of the aircraft and how the aircraft reacts to said airflow.
2. I fly FSX:SE for fun. Several years ago before I got my Instrument rating I used to use FS9 to practice my instrument proficiency and I still use FSX:SE for fun practice instrument flights.
3. Definitely yes! FSX:SE is a great learning tool for those interested in learning to fly, so long as the person takes advantage of the multitude of features (like the Learning Center and lessons) FSX:SE has to offer.
4. If a person is truly serious about learning to fly real aircraft I would suggest X-Plane 10 and 11. X-Plane 11 is bar-none the best generally available PC simulator on the market. The airplanes are excellently (is that a proper word?) modeled and behave very much like their real-world counterparts. X-Plane 10/11 aircraft react to the air much like an actual airplane does based on their design, airspeed and weight. The aircraft are a bit harder to fly than those in FSX:SE.
5. I've never flown a real airplane that had a PlayStation controller or mouse for primary flight controls, so I'd say that yes, for realism's sake you're going to at least want a joystick and ideally a flight yoke, or both, since some light GA aircraft (Cirrus SR-22, for example) have joysticks in their cockpits, but the majority have flight yokes.
Great questions, BFJMs!
Happy flying!
APUtech
I asked my instructor about simulators and he said they helped more with IFR, rather than VFR. Reading your reply confirms that. :P
I'll grab this game when I can spare some dollars. Renting a plane and paying for an instructor is expensive. @_@ I'll also take a look at X-Plane 10/11. Thanks for those suggestions.
Do you have any recommendations for joystick/flight yoke? Maybe rudder pedals too if they are out there. Preferrably ones that are affordable for a low wage college student and won't completely obliterate my bank.
Thanks a bunch for your help!
1. You don't feel the forces on the controls in the sims like you do IRL flying. You also tend to be a little over reliant on your guages when most flying is head out of the cockpit when flying VFR. The "awesome factor" is much higher when you fly for real. If you get a thrill landing a plane in the sim, imagine how much more thrilling it is when you land a real airplane? And it is!
There is also the effect of wind and turbulence which isn't really accurately simulated.
2. I used the sims a bit in the early days of my flight training as a bit of a refresher for the particular lesson that I just did, just to cemment the ideas in my head. I also used the sims a bit when I was doing my cross country navigation training just to practice some of the concepts.
3. Number one advice is to talk with your instructor. By all means, use FSX or another sim to practice what you have learned, but just be aware that it is different in many respects.
4. Check out Electronic Flight Bags (EFB's) for your area. I will not recommend a particular one as it really depends what country you fly in. They are fantastic for navigation and flight planning. They even double as GPS's when you fly. I have an iPad on a kneeboard attachment running Oz Runways for mine, it even has a connection to FSX or XP option.
5. Yes, but make sure you get one with a rudder option, usually a twist handle. Be aware though, that real aircraft have rudder pedals. A lot of flight training is muscle memory, so having pedals may be a good option for you in the early days of your training. I'd be getting a setup that best closely resembles the plane you are flying if you can afford it. When I bought my plane, I sold my yoke, pedals and throttles for the flight sims. I didn't need it anymore. I went back to a basic stick.
When I get the urge to fly now, I no longer fire up the computer, I drive out to the airfield....
1. Flight Simulator can be comparable to actual flight but it is not perfect. Systems and procedures can be simulated quite realistically, especially with payware aircraft. Instrument approaches can be practiced as well. What simulator lacks, of course, is the unpredictability of nature, and the feeling of motion. The graphics are also not as great ;)
2. I started with flight simulator before I became a real pilot. Nowadays, I occasionally dabble with it for fun, but it can be a good training device. If you use it as a training device, don't let it teach you bad habits. (I.e., not looking outside on a GA aircraft). Also to note, flight simulator helped me pass a 747 sim check once.
3. Sure, I'd recommend this for people to learn. Some instructors say to avoid it because it does ingrain bad habits that can be tough to unlearn. They are not wrong, so be aware.
4. As APUTech mentioned, X-Plane. But FSX has the edge on addons at the current moment. For realistic aircraft, companies like A2A and PMDG tend to be must-haves for General Aviation and Tubeliner enthusiasts.
5. I actually don't fly with a joystick (I'm mouse and keyboard at the moment due to lack of equipment). It's doable, but I don't recommend it unless you are an expert at attitude flying.
DMIR for FAA until retirement
APU put it well. It is good to learn procedures but the actual feel is missing. How much force you'll use to achieve a 1k' fpm climb is not something you'll pick up in the game.
A2A aircraft will add maintenance - do a walk around before taking to the aircraft etc. The plugs foul and mix/trim/ etc need attention.
You are most welcome, good sir.
Offhand I'd suggest the Logitech Extreme 3D joystick. I has a twist axis for rudder on the handle and a throttle slider, too. And it has several buttons that you can assign your most commonly used flight functions to; perfect for a college student on a shoestring budget! ;-)
A pilot friend of mine "Ratty" here on Steam, has been using the same Logitech 3D joystick for well over 10 years! I was over at his house simming a few weeks ago, and that stick is still working well enough to fly in formation scenrios. I do recommend it. Or, if you have a wee bit more change to spare, the Thrustmaster HOTAS X isn't a bad joystick/throttle combo, either--and you can separate the joystick and throttle--how cool is that? The HOTAS X has a twist handle like the Logitech, but it also has a rocker paddle on the back side of the throttle, and you can use either or both as rudder control. Sure, it's not the same as having rudder pedals, but it's a lot cheaper!
Happy flying (simming), and enjoy the flying lessons!
APUtech
Practicing maneuvers repeatedly will be routine for you soon. The thing is, when you're practicing you need to know about what's required to perform the maneuver correctly, so that you can spot mistakes and correct them and not repeat them. For instance, S-turns. If you're doing S-turns across a straight road below you, the first thing that you should know (aside from your starting altitude, speed/rpm setting, trim setting and heading) is from which direction the wind is blowing.
The reason for this is because if you're pulling the first half your 'S' and turning into the wind, you'll need a relatively steeper bank (but not over 30 degs, unless your CFI allows it) as you perform the first 180, then as you roll level and begin the second 180 in the opposite direction, the wind will be coming from behind you now, so your bank should be shallower. Do you know why?
If you're turning into the wind during your S-turn and your bank is too shallow the wind can blow you laterally off course, so you give that extra bit of bank to maintain your track over the ground. So, the same applies when you're doing the downwind part of your S-turn: too much bank on the downwind leg exposes a lot of wing surface area for the wind to push against--and it sure will! ;-)
Always know what you're doing with your airplane and *why* you're doing it. If you're doing something right and have no idea how you did it, think it through and figure it out, and of course, ask your CFI.
Happy flying,
APUtech
p.s. I almost forgot--FSX:SE doesn't model stalls very well, but you can still try them out and compare them to the real thing. A few of the payware (A2A, especially) aircraft do a respectable job with stall simulation, including the rough buffeting that occurs right before the bottom drops out from under you. ;-)
I had a chance to fly a C152 with instructor, he let me do everything after i told him that i have more than 2000 hours in sims. From taxi to take off, steep turns, slow flights, stall recovery (he actually stalled the plane), approach and landing. And due to autistic learning with computers, books etc i was really pleased. The only real error i made was at flare, the nose could've been higher so the instructor slightly raised the nose for me just before the touchdown. Another than that i was very pleased. I lost a little too much altitude on steep turns but that is very hard to practise with sim due to G forces etc. My stall recovery was a bit too aggressive etc.. but teacher had to do nothing).
If you understand what sim planes do right and what they do not, if you have proper controllers, rudder pedals are must and throttle quadrant, then sims really really help. also i suggest to fly with left hand, that helped me A LOT for left seat experience. (T16000 thrustmaster is ambidextrous), yoke would be better, if you ever going to fly the real deal.
For FSX, A2A is the best. I actually think their Comanche is the single most realistic addon for any flight sim and i have nearly them all. And certainly realistic enough, but even the stock planes will teach a lot. I also love the DCS's L-39 Albatros trainer jet. Those i think are the 2 best addons i have in terms of realism. Haven't flown either of them but just judging from videos and written stuff etc.
But eventhough i was *very* prepared, lots of my skills were briefly drained due to sheer excitement. I almost forgot to use trim after levelling off etc. The plane's attitude was something i was not getting used to in sims, i actually think Aerofly FS2 is the only sim that has cessna that feels right in this way).
So in my mind when properly used, good flight sims with good addons and with good flight gear coupled with learning proper procedures from real life aviation theory sources gives you huge amount of skill for piloting a plane. That said, it's very easy to learn to do things wrong that can be hard to unlearn, but that is avoidable, but for that you need more than just simulators, those FAA handbooks etc for example.