Beginner : what to do to progress ?

[Yuuki Yuuki]

Hello.

I have the game since a few days and have played it nearly 15 hours already. I can now take off, fly, turn and land with the Cessna C172SP. My skills are not good at all but somehow I don't crash :D

My question is : what to do now ? Play the same tutorial again and again is not fun (with the guy who spoke for 5mn before you can control the plane for 1mn)... I've tried freeflight but I'm not sure what to do in this mode for my progress. Just fly around ? Create some objective like go to 3000 feets or something ??

What do you suggest me ?

Thanks a lot !

[Loose Raptor *4436*]

No progress but can try out the missions

[Yuuki Yuuki]

Brian : I've tried a few but I can only do missions with the ULM and Cessna. I'm lost with other planes sadly :(

Erazer : Long time no see! I've already finish the first category of tutorials. Rookie I think (my game is in French but the last lesson I've done was the first solo flight). The thing is, it's already hard to remember in "action" all the things I've learn so I'm afraid to forget things if I continue the tutorials without mastering the knowledge I already have... But if you say so, I'll continue a few more tutorials and try to remember everything 😅

[gspectre]

When you feel comfortable with each mission and you pass them, go to the next. When you complete all the 1st Solo Flight Tutorials, you will earn a Certificate. From there, you can try to earn your Private Pilot Certificate.

For an added challenge, you can try to earn your Instrument Rating Certificate. Later on, if you want to fly the BIG planes, you can try to earn the Commercial Pilot Certificate and the Airline Transport Certificate.

As for what to do in FSX:SE, for the most part, just free fly from anywhere to anywhere. I'd suggest (when you feel a bit more comfortable with a certain aircraft), try taking off from your local airport and fly to a near by city or town with an airport. There are about 24,000 to choose from.

For some fun, there are a lot of missions and 4 skill levels. Starting from Basic, Intermediate, Advanced and Expert. Start with the Basic Missions. Some are in a Trike, Planes, and there are missions with helicopters. You do not need to do all of them or any of them and there is no order. They are just there for fun.

As for progressing, the more you fly, the more achievements you will earn. I think there are about 56 different awards, there are Post Cards, Trophies for the the Missions and Plaques for just flying.

The more you get into it, the more I think you will be surprised with it.

And that's just the basic sim, without any add-ons :-D

Enjoy.

PS: For me, when I fly, I like to fly low so I can see landmarks. If there are any famous ones where you live, fly to them and see if they are in the Sim.

[Licopolis]

I don't know if that could help, but that's how I can determine "progression" in the aircraft simulator:
Step 1. Do every "easy" mission. I didn't only do missions that involve cargo drops (there are some where you drop sacks of sand trying to hit the target on the ground).
Step 2. Read about aircraft you're flying (not only in the sim but on Wikipedia, on the history websites, read some aircraft manuals). You would be looking for the following information: aircraft limitations, power settings, weights and balance, aircraft equipement.
This step involves lots of learning. The basic understanding resembles a "black box", where you know the outside conditions and use a system to get desired results regarding to these conditions. At this point it is irrelevant how the system works, if that works.
It would be nice on that step to learn how to use Garmin GPS and to connect it to autopilot (and how to use that autopilot).
Step 3. Fly that aircraft somewhere, for about 100 hours (well, maybe less, cause there's not much "flying" on autopilot that is in some of the aircrafts). Try different airports, real weather conditions (FSRealWX app for example).
What to do on a long flight? read, of course. About how engines work (how a regular piston engine works would be more than enough), about how to use navigation instruments apart of GPS, about what might cause some particular system to fail.
Step 4. Watch some videos about how not to do flying (google "accident case studies - AOPA"). That is rather optional and as these videos are about real accidents, this step could look questionable, but for young adults and older that would be nice addition to understanding how to operate an aircraft.
Step 5. Try harder missions, try aerobatics on full realism settings (without overstressing the aircraft of course).
Step 6. Enlist to a virtual airline, or get some economic simulation accounts (to bring another challenge to simming - remembering a popular saying, "This is the propeller, and what's behind it revolves around money"). FSEconomy is one of the oldest economic simulations for multiple flight sim platforms. FTW-sim is newer and less balanced platform. Both deserve their own separate discussion.

[LHookins]

Yuuki: This isn't a game where you work for a score. It is a sandbox where you can do anything you want. The only scoring is in the missions, which are as close to games as you'll get in FSX. Do whatever lessons you want but the instrument rating lessons are a bit too difficult. Fly the pattern lessons, then the trip to a nearby airport. After this you're ready for anything.

What I'd do if this was my very first time in the sim is to learn to fly one of the planes, then start at a small airport near my house and fly to places I already know, like a nearby big city. Then fly home again and land. The same thing you'd be doing in a real plane.

Oh... and no one says you have to fly a pattern around an airport. Maneuver your plane so you can land straight in before getting too close. If you are already there, the air traffic control will tell you "fly straight in." Just like real life at anything but the largest airports.

The only rule is, there are no rules. The objective is to have fun. Worry about the rest later.

Hook

[JJ FSX]

Have you attempted the "lessons" (not the tutorial missions) in the Help section and received your pilots licenses rewards from those yet? If you can finish those you'll have the basics and knowledge to do ILS Jet landings etc. There's a Private Pilot License (not to hard to get) and an ILS Rating License (tougher to get). Good goals to shoot for.

[Yuuki Yuuki]

Thanks a lot for all the replies !

I've finished the first section and won my certificate after the my first Solo Flight already. But I have'nt tried the Private Pilot lessons yet because I'm struggling to do correctly what I've learn before. But I'll try it tomorrow or the day after to see if I can do it or not.

I see a lot of people are in the same line with the free flight so I've tried i and found an airport in my region and flying with the Cessna 172. The beginning was really good and fun (even if my town is not in the game) and it was not too hard, even for me. I'm not sure I was doing really good (can't maintain my plane to 3000 feets, can't adjust the "thing" perfectly for not having to pull the stick and stay at the same altitude) but it was good I think because i have'nt crashed xD

BUT ! Big problem at the end... I did not found the airport to land >< I'll try a new attempt next time and I'll stay in the same zone of where I've take off.

I've try some missions too but it's a bit hard for me if the plane is'nt the very little plane (ULM in France) and the Cessna so I'll stick to these twos planes for now.

I think I'll continue to do Free Flight and go to the lessons to learn a new things or two and go to to freeflight, etc...

Thanks a lot for all your help guys !

[Erazer]

Originally posted by Yuuki Yuuki:

Brian : I've tried a few but I can only do missions with the ULM and Cessna. I'm lost with other planes sadly :(

Erazer : Long time no see! I've already finish the first category of tutorials. Rookie I think (my game is in French but the last lesson I've done was the first solo flight). The thing is, it's already hard to remember in "action" all the things I've learn so I'm afraid to forget things if I continue the tutorials without mastering the knowledge I already have... But if you say so, I'll continue a few more tutorials and try to remember everything 😅

Yuuki, the - easiest - 'plane to fly is, without any doubt, the Beechcraft Baron.

The best mission for this is the Resort Supply mission. [Forget about the F-18s buzzing you.]

And the scenery is pretty good too.

The Maule is about the same as the Cessna.

So what are you using as a controller these days?

If it's not a Joystick or HOTAS that will be the reason why you can't get the 'feel' of the other aircraft because the dynamics 'feel' right with a joystick.

When you can 'feel' what you're doing you'll succeed with any aircraft.

Just believe...!

[Nightmare1964]

Yuuki Yuuki, if you are struggling to come up with reasons to fly, what would you do if you owned your own aircraft? Or even hired it? Where would you go? Why would you go?

These parameters you can set for yourself in Free Flight. Once, I decided to fly around my country, Australia, in a small aircraft, flying real time from small airport/airfield to small airport/airfield. When I landed, I would save the game, then pick it up again when I was ready to fly once more. I even factored in a finance element, paying virtually for fuel and maintenance from a in game fund that I set up based on my real world finances. I factored in such costs as hotel costs, taxi to and from the airfield, basically I took a virtual holiday.

Alternatively, you could purchase a program like Airhauler, which runs linked with FSX where you run a cargo carrying air service. You chose your airport, great if you like flying in your local region, then select cargo contracts, then you fly them, or get someone you hire to fly them.

[LHookins]

If you can't find the airport to land, use the GPS (Global Positioning System). I don't have the same aircraft, so I can't tell you exactly how to bring it up. Push Shift-1 to see what you get, then push it again and try Shift-2, up through Shift-9. Eventually you'll see a GPS with a map that shows where the nearby airports are. Press the "TERR" button to get a better background. There are buttons to zoom in and out.

My favorite plane for sightseeing was the Mooney. It is fast and has a good view out the windows. If you like the Cessna, keep using that. If you ever take lessons in real life, that's probably the plane you'll do it in.

If you can't get to 3000 feet, make sure you are pushing the throttle all the way in. You can do it with the mouse in the cockpit. You should be able to get above 10,000 feet easily.

Hook

[gspectre]

As a suggestion, I think there are 2 aircraft that also have a "Glass Cockpit" version. My favorite is the Beechcraft Baron 58. If you pick the "Glass", you will have a full digital screen display dashboard. one of the 2 screens will be your GPS. If you preset your way-points (in Free Flight), you will see a line to follow on screen. It will lead you to your destination. Once you get there, you can practice lining up for the landing. If that airport is big enough, you can use the menu system to communicate with Air Traffic Control and they will let you know which runway is cleared for your landing.

It's not as complicated as it sounds and like everything else, it will get easier the more you know and practice.

[Yuuki Yuuki]

Erazer: Really ? I've seen a lot of people saying to begin with the Cessna though. I've already tried it once and crashed it when landing xD After that, Iv'e returned on the Cessna. And yes... I'm on PS4 controller for now... I know It's not perfect but better than Keyboard/Mouse. If I really like FSX a lot, next month I'll take a joystick for the game. But for now, I can fly a little with the gamepad and it's enough to try to understand the basics !

Nightmare : very interesting idea ! I like sight seeing (i believe we say it like that ?) and doing a tourist tour of my country sounds good ! I'm not going to invest in plug-in (for now) because I'm a real beginner. But with my current level, I think it will be hard for me though. I can fly but I don't really understand the radio thing (the control tower tell me to land from the left but... where is the left when you are in the sky ???) so I'll will get info on this and my landing are a bit... rough.

Maybe I'm trying a little too hard and should just relax and fly without worries and add a degree of realism at a time but I'm afraid to take bad habit... :/

Hook : Thanks a lot for the tips ! It's far more easier now xD Well, I can get in 3000 feet. The problem is to stabilize the altitude. I try using the elevator trim (?) but I always go up or down even with it :/

Gspectre : I see you speak about the Beechcraft Baron too (with Erazer). I'll maybe give it a try to change a little from the Cessna and see if I can control it and don't crash when I try landing like my first try with it xD Well, I'm a little lost with the Air Traffic Control to be honest. But I have'nt searched a tutoral about that yet so it's in my to do list. A to do list who is growing quite fast with all the thing you have to learn to fly "correctly" ^^'

PS : I'm not sure about my english in this long message. I hope everyone will understand what I'm trying to say.

[Licopolis]

Originally posted by Yuuki Yuuki:

I'm on PS4 controller for now... I know It's not perfect but better than Keyboard/Mouse. If I really like FSX a lot, next month I'll take a joystick for the game. But for now, I can fly a little with the gamepad and it's enough to try to understand the basics !

You'll be a bit surprised when finally decide switching to joystick. When I switched from stick with twist axis to proper rudder pedals it was like learning from beginning.

[Yuuki Yuuki]

Erazer : I can only believe you ! With the PS4 controller, I can't be very precise when I turn or go up and down because the movements are too fast so I have to be very careful and I imagine it's more easier with a real Joystick. Your video is very spectacular and it will be funny to see her with a PS4 controller do that in her plane xD

But yeah, it's the same with the racing games or Euro Truck Simulator 2 (I've played a lot) who are greatly better with a Wheel Steer than a gamepad but we play with what we have ^^'

Thanks a lot for the offer but maybe you should wait. I'll feel bad to have your joystick and play FSX for just a few weeks while someone else could have it and play for months or years with it. I prefer to wait a little and see if I will play a lot the game before buying one or if I'll be bored in the near future :P

Licoplois : Haha, I can imagine. I'm pretty good with racing game with my GamePad but if one day I take a Wheel Steer, I'm afraid I'll be like a perfect beginner because I don't drive irl either :D

[LHookins]

Yuuki: Ignore the radio until you are comfortable with flying.

The trim: adjust it a little at a time until you are flying level. I have four buttons on my joystick set up for trim. Two make big corrections which is useful for setting trim for takeoff or making a big change when approaching to land. The other two make a single step correction and I'm using them constantly.

Don't hold the trim control, tap it quickly.

Hook