Controls really clunky, hard to make precise adjustments to pitch/roll, etc.

[Ben Drinkin]

What exactly can i do about this? Contolling aircraft is really hard because of this
Getting the pitch right on landing with keyboard controls is really next to impossible.

[chelmo]

Well, if you are using keyboard I think the solution is pretty obvious.

[APUtech]

Incresing keyboard sensitivity on all three axis is a good starting point, and more practice. When I first started simming I used the keyboard for over a year because back then (30-plus years ago) I couldn't afford a joystick just yet.

You'll see a lot of people saying how hard it is to fly using the keyboard in FSX/FS:SE, but many of those people lack the patience (and don't practice enough) to get proficient at it.

If you're using the numeric keypad it really isn't that difficult--you just have to remember to press the center 5 key once you have the bank or pitch angle you desire to stop the input; you can either tap the pitch/bank keys rappidly or press and hold them, neutralizing the input with the center 5 key.

Yes, a joystick or yoke is much better and fluid for control, but if you have neither, and won't for the foreseeable future, getting better at using the keyboard will come (again) with practice and you may find that it it rather enjoyable and precise. Remember to use the keypad Num Lockkey to toggle between Control mode and View mode.

Happy flying,

APUtech

[Ben Drinkin]

Originally posted by APUtech:

Incresing keyboard sensitivity on all three axis is a good starting point, and more practice. When I first started simming I used the keyboard for over a year because back then I couldn't afford a joystick.

You'll see a lot of people saying how hard it is to fly using the keyboard in FSX/FS:SE, but many of those people lack the patience (and don't practice enough) to get proficient at it.

If you're using the numeric keypad it really isn't that difficult--you just have to remember to press the center 5 key once you have the bank or pitch angle you desire to stop the input; you can either tap the pitch/bank keys rappidly or press and hold them, neutralizing the input with the center 5 key.

Yes, a joystick or yoke is much better and fluid for control, but if you have neither, and won't for the foreseeable future, getting better at using the keyboard will come (again) with practice and you may find that it it rather enjoyable and precise. Remember to use the keypad Num Lockkey to toggle between Control mode and View mode.

Happy flying,

APUtech

Numpad 5 resets roll input, but not pitch...which i find very annoying

[JanVfsx]

All you need to know is in your PC
your drive :\Steam\steamapps\common\FSX\FSWeb\LearningCenter\ImportantSkills
and of course directly readable in the section LEARNING CENTER.

[APUtech]

Originally posted by ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°):

Originally posted by APUtech:

Incresing keyboard sensitivity on all three axis is a good starting point, and more practice. When I first started simming I used the keyboard for over a year because back then I couldn't afford a joystick.

You'll see a lot of people saying how hard it is to fly using the keyboard in FSX/FS:SE, but many of those people lack the patience (and don't practice enough) to get proficient at it.

If you're using the numeric keypad it really isn't that difficult--you just have to remember to press the center 5 key once you have the bank or pitch angle you desire to stop the input; you can either tap the pitch/bank keys rappidly or press and hold them, neutralizing the input with the center 5 key.

Yes, a joystick or yoke is much better and fluid for control, but if you have neither, and won't for the foreseeable future, getting better at using the keyboard will come (again) with practice and you may find that it it rather enjoyable and precise. Remember to use the keypad Num Lockkey to toggle between Control mode and View mode.

Happy flying,

APUtech

Numpad 5 resets roll input, but not pitch...which i find very annoying

Right; I'd forgotten that I have the Num 5 set to center all input.

Very annoying eh? A few taps on the keypad to adjust pitch in either direction? If that annoys you, you might want to hold off on flying until you get a joystick then; easily annoyed and/or impatient people don't make for good or even mediocre pilots.

[Ben Drinkin]

It's not that it annoys me, it's that the amount of time it takes to adjust pitch with that control method can screw up a landing..

[APUtech]

Originally posted by ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°):

It's not that it annoys me, it's that the amount of time it takes to adjust pitch with that control method can screw up a landing..

Ah, understood. Lengthening your final approach when flying with the keyboard will give you more time to establish a stable descent rate and approach to the threshold; doing that, you'll only have to worry about rapid tapping (or in my case I use 1/4 to 1/2 second duration keypresses sprinkled with a few precision taps) as you idle the throttle just as you cross the runway threshold, and smoothly raise the aircraft's nose to keep it slightly above level (round-out), increasing pitch as the aircraft slows and begins to settle toward touchdown (flare). If you're flying a prop, 500 fpm to 250 fpm rate of descent a mile or four out is a workable target if you're flying at the aircraft's recommended final approach speed and flaps setting.

If you're flying a jet it's basically about the same method, you just start your final approach further out from the desired runway. For me personally, I sometimes use the keyboard during manual ILS approaches when there's a quartering headwind and joystick pitch and roll corrections towards the CDI and GSI needles aren't precise enough for me--that's the one small advantage of the keypad pitch/roll controls--precision input.

There will always be detractors and naysayers regarding the use of a keyboard to fly, but I did it long enough to be good at it because although I didn't have a joystick back then, I *really* wanted to fly!

If you have the will, you have the way.

APUtech

P.S. I was feeling nostalgic after discussing keyboard flying with you, so right now I'm 133 minutes into a flight in an Airbus A321 from KSAN to CYVR, keyboard only! Wheeeeeee! :-)

[Ben Drinkin]

Is there a way to bind so num5 resets pitch input as well as roll input? That would be mighty convenient until i can get my hands on a joystick.

[yellowjacket]

Originally posted by ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°):

Is there a way to bind so num5 resets pitch input as well as roll input? That would be mighty convenient until i can get my hands on a joystick.

hello ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

As per APUtech he said

you can either tap the pitch/bank keys rappidly or press and hold them, neutralizing the input with the center 5 key.

You answered that post (see following quote) by saying Numpad 5 resets roll input, but not pitch. APU responded that he had forgotten that and, he has his number 5 key centering all flight controls.

Originally posted by APUtech:

Originally posted by ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°):

Numpad 5 resets roll input, but not pitch...which i find very annoying

Right; I'd forgotten that I have the Num 5 set to center all input.

Very annoying eh? A few taps on the keypad to adjust pitch in either direction? If that annoys you, you might want to hold off on flying until you get a joystick then; easily annoyed and/or impatient people don't make for good or even mediocre pilots.

I also would like to know what type code did APUtech mapped a new EVENT that combines all 3 control axes to a single key input. The default microsoft key entry XML code is

<Entry>
<Key>Num_5</Key>
<Down>CENTER_AILER_RUDDER</Down>
</Entry>

What I find annoying is APUtech says he fixed the elevator (pitch) so it centres with the other 2 controls (aileron and rudder) but will not give any information on how it was done.

As pointed out in the past, his post sounds like more flag pole BS

[APUtech]

Originally posted by yellowjacket:

Originally posted by ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°):

Is there a way to bind so num5 resets pitch input as well as roll input? That would be mighty convenient until i can get my hands on a joystick.

hello ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

As per APUtech he said

you can either tap the pitch/bank keys rappidly or press and hold them, neutralizing the input with the center 5 key.

You answered that post (see following quote) by saying Numpad 5 resets roll input, but not pitch. APU responded that he had forgotten that and, he has his number 5 key centering all flight controls.

Originally posted by APUtech:

Right; I'd forgotten that I have the Num 5 set to center all input.

Very annoying eh? A few taps on the keypad to adjust pitch in either direction? If that annoys you, you might want to hold off on flying until you get a joystick then; easily annoyed and/or impatient people don't make for good or even mediocre pilots.

I also would like to know what type code did APUtech mapped a new EVENT that combines all 3 control axes to a single key input. The default microsoft key entry XML code is

<Entry>
<Key>Num_5</Key>
<Down>CENTER_AILER_RUDDER</Down>
</Entry>

What I find annoying is APUtech says he fixed the elevator (pitch) so it centres with the other 2 controls (aileron and rudder) but will not give any information on how it was done.

As pointed out in the past, his post sounds like more flag pole BS

The only BS is in your own head,Yellowjacket. Loosen up, you behave like an angry something. Get on my case as much as you like, if that's your thing (apparently it is). I truly couldn't care less; your tantrums, rants and hairsplittings are quite entertaining.

Look in the key definitions and find out for yourself like I did and code it yourself. It isn't my job to explain things to people that they can find on their own, now is it? And why would I want to explain anything to you, O' hostile one?

Happy flying (or not)

APUtech

[Ben Drinkin]

The forum rivalry continues I see

[APUtech]

It's not a rivalry on my part, I've dealt with people like that before. The last issue was about another user deciding on choosing a joystick. Who knows what it'll be next time?

Anyway, if you remember my mentioning that I was inspired by your original post to do a keyboard-only flight the other day? I did it in an Airbus A321 and it went well, surprisingly--except that when I was on final apph to CYVR (Vancouver Int'l) ILS rwy 26L, I was suddenly harrassed by an 11 kt x-wind blowing from 310 mag.

I'd turned on auto coordination during the climbout from KSAN, but forgot to turn it off during descent, so when I did turn it off I was on about a 1-mile final and had to crab then slip (rudder is keypad 0 and keypad Enter) to avoid mowing the grass on the left side of 26L. I landed long, and kind of cockeyed and barely had a foot of asphalt between my left mains and the grass. I'm still debating on whether I should post the screenshot in my profile or not. ;) And thankfully 26L was long enough.

How are your flights going?

APUtech

[yellowjacket]

Originally posted by APUtech:

Right; I'd forgotten that I have the Num 5 set to center all input.

Microsoft did not code the Num 5 key to center the elevator.

The control.xml file which is the source code for the key definitions will not accept any attribute but CENTER_AILER_RUDDER which I showed in my previous post.

Since you are the only one that has been able to center the elevator with the Num 5 key then by all means share the knowledge so many others that fly using keyboards can benefit.

[Ben Drinkin]

Originally posted by yellowjacket:

Originally posted by APUtech:

Right; I'd forgotten that I have the Num 5 set to center all input.

Microsoft did not code the Num 5 key to center the elevator.

The control.xml file which is the source code for the key definitions will not accept any attribute but CENTER_AILER_RUDDER which I showed in my previous post.

Since you are the only one that has been able to center the elevator with the Num 5 key then by all means share the knowledge so many others that fly using keyboards can benefit.

So i'm confused...is there a way to bind num5 to reset pitch input or not?

[yellowjacket]

Originally posted by APUtech:

Right; I'd forgotten that I have the Num 5 set to center all input.

Many of us that fly using keyboards are still waiting for the answer on how you did this since Microsoft did not code the ability to center all 3 axes in FSX on one key.

You also said the following which misleads everyone in thinking it can be done using the key definitions which is not true.

Originally posted by APUtech:

Look in the key definitions and find out for yourself like I did and code it yourself.