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Discussions Rules and Guidelines
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So - are you a 'true beginner' or do you pretty much have the basic flying skills down and want to start moving to something where you are flying realistically? (or, maybe some other goal?)
Dan
www.elitepremairvirtual.com
TeamSpeak: elitepremairvirtual.ddns.net
I mean, I know the basics of simple planes. I don't have much time logged in the game but 50% of that was in a glider, one of my favorites.
I have checked your website (love the background!) and would like to learn the basics of a Cessna, although the 'Book a Session' button is not working.
If you do not have TeamSpeak you can get it here: https://www.teamspeak.com/downloads Go to our TeamSpeak elitepremairvirtual.ddns.net and ask if there is anyone that can give you some pointers - maybe share an aircraft.
Unfortunately there are some who fly in the sim world that do not follow the rules of real world aviation - and even those of us that do will sometimes bend those rules to enjoy a bit of 'rogue flying'. But for me a big part of sim flying is doing things 'by the book'.
One of the basics of flying is flying a visual approach using a standard traffic pattern - you might find this video helpful:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AP0NquZsH5w&index=3&list=PL_NnG_PN8zwlLugBDpkLhzwfZqPnXNWnJ
This is the publication that is shown in the video:
https://www.aopa.org/-/media/files/aopa/home/pilot-resources/asi/safety-advisors/sa08.pdf?la=en
Dan
www.elitepremairvirtual.com
There are several folks at EPAV that do fly on Steam and I will watch for any activities that you guys are doing and join in if I can. When I do fly it is usually in mid-afternoon time (US Central time zone). Will have things ready to go in the event I can join you.
Dan
www.elitepremairvirtual.com
Hi, just got into FSX and aviation in general after learning that my dad had a pilot's license forty plus odd years ago (and flew a Piper Cherokee if you're curious). Having given up on trying to get a Cherokee add-on I downloaded to work, I've taken to the Cessna Skyhawk instead.
I just recently made a solo free flight from Yakima/McAlister field to Bandera State (a tiny backup airport strip in the Cascade Mountains).
I have difficulty reading the terrain on the GPS. Telling which bearing I'm on course for is easy enough, but other than really obvious mountains, I really suck at route planning (specifically altitudes). I literally just filed a flight pan for 5500 feet solely because in the Frank Peretti book "Flying Blind" they mentioned that the Cascades' peaks don't go over about 5000 feet.
What's the procedure for filing a flight plan that contains the proper altitude based on your route? Also, what's the procedure for changing altitude mid-flight on a VFR-based trip? Not once did I have to go IFR (although I did have to steer around one tiny cloud bank so as to not break the IFR rule of "do not fly into clouds").
Also, all of the other planes I heard checking in on Seattle Center while in free flight were just pre-programmed bots, yeah? Figured I'd double check unless EVERYONE is that professional on the radio (which I'd be shocked if they were given my experience with voice comms in other more game-y games, namely Arma 3).
I did download a DC-9 add-on (mostly because it's the plane I've flown on the most in my life time (six times to be exact). Do most multiplayer servers support the use of McDonnell aircraft add-ons or are most of the multiplayer servers just standard vanilla (mod-less)?
I've flown the first five tutorials (I absolutely despise the trike) and done one EXTREMELY sloppy successful landing on the Secret Shuttle Area 51 mission (I came in on the runway about 10,000 feet to high and did probably the poorest traffic pattern run in history). My traffic pattern landing at Bandera was also pretty sloppy; I came over a ridgeline, saw that my AOA was too steep and tried to fly parallel to the runway about 2000 feet above I-90 (the freeway running parallel to the runway) then circled back, almost clipped a wing on a tree then had a heart attack as the runway was so icy that my Cessna wouldn't stop with brakes applied and throttle idle. I managed to Tokyo Drift my way over to the south side of the field using the right rudder but it wasn't pretty.
Anyway, I use a combination of Xbox 360 mini controller and keyboard and am wondering how best to develop my VFR skills in more practice. Am planning a flight from Yakima to Seattle Int'l, probably still in a Skyhawk since its control boards are super basic for me, and I'd like to know what altitude is best.
((UNRELATED: I was fiddling with the transponder while in game because my dad told me 1200 is like default normal for single engine planes and 7700 is universal "mayday", but the Seattle Center (bots?) didn't seem to take any sort of action whatsoever to me setting my transponder to 7700. I take it transponder only matters in true multiplayer then, provided free flight is just bots?))
About the FSX-SE "ATC" (apologies to my ATC friends for suggesting that the FSX auto ATC is anything close to ATC) - again, just my opinion, if you want ATC then do it with real people. (And yes squawking 7700 does indicate an urgent / emergent situation). The other aircraft you heard are also 'bots' - the term AI aircraft, for artificial intellegence aircraft, is the flight sim term. Equally as annoying as the auto-ATC - when I fly I do so on line with other real human beings (and real human ATC) so I have my AI traffic set to zero.
So if you are interested in learning how flying is really done and you are 16 years of age or older (based on the info about your dad I'm guessing you are) then you are welcome to come visit us at www.elitepremairvirtual.com - our TeamSpeak address is elitepremairvirtual.ddns.net.
For your flight from Yakama (KYKM) to Bandera State (4W0) here are some basics:
See the Sectional (and hopefully, this link will give you the line connecting the two airports):
https://skyvector.com/?ll=47.19424275,-120.884035389&chart=301&zoom=4
Your direction of flight: 305 degrees magnetic
For that direction (and, any direction between 180 and 359 degrees) you can fly any altitude you want if you are below 3000 ft above ground level (AGL) - if higher, then you would fly an EVEN thousand altitude plus 500 ft. for VFR flight. So, I might pick 8500 ft - why that altitude in a minute but I will add that it is my practice, even when flying lower than 3000 ft AGL to abide by the westerly heading rule of even thousand plus 500 ft. if terrain allows.
If you are flying on a magnetic heading between zero and 179 degrees and more than 3000 ft. AGL then for VFR flight your altitude would be an ODD thousand plus 500 feet. So, for the return trip heading 125 degrees you might choose 9500 ft.
Why those altitudes? Note that between the airports there are several blue numbers that have one (or two) large numbers and a smaller 'superscript' number. Like the eight and the small five at the William O. Douglas Wilderness Area - and along your route to the east of that is a large 6 and small five. These are the Maximum Elevation Figures (MEF) for the quadrangle they are in - 8500 ft. and 6500 ft MSL (the MEF is given as altiude above mean sea level - MSL - what your altimeter reads). So you would not want to be below this altitude . Farther north to the east of the route the MEF is 7900 feet. Since you likely will not wander over to the Wilderness area you will likely be OK at 8500 ft and in uncongested areas the regulations say you should in general be 500 ft above buildings, people, cows, etc. - not exactly what 14 CFR 91.119 says but that's the gist of the rule.
If you want to change altitude then you can do so at pilot's discretion. Just as long as you abide by the even/odd thousand plus 500 ft. rule (if above 3000 ft. AGL or, like me, even if below 3000 ft. AGL, if the terrain allows me to). In real life if you filed VFR my recommendation if you change altitude is to amend your flight plan with your local Flight Service Station (FSS) - or, if you are fling in the sim with a real human ATC then you can let them know. The rules say you use your initial planned altitude when you file your flight plan but I think (in a real-life situaltion) the prudent thing to do is call up the FSS folks and let them know about your change.
Also note that for VFR flight in the airspace you were in the rquired visibility and cloud clearance is not 'clear of clouds' but rather 500 feet. below, 1,000 feet above and 2000 feet horizontal clearance from any cloud. (The visibility minimum is 3 statute miles). That assumes you are at the altitudes I mentioned. If above 10,000 ft. MSL then you need to up the 'below' clearance to 1,000 ft. below clouds.
And yes - your dad knew all of this and a whole lot more. For Elite PremAir Virtual you can learn as much (or, as little) as you want. We have a bunch of folks that just 'run the simulator' and enjoy flying by their own rules - even thought they have actually picked up on the important real-world things through sim experience). On the other hand we have (as we speak) three people that are about to take their Practical test for their Private Pilot License along with licensed real-world pilots and flight instructors.
Dan
www.elitepremairvirtual,com