Flight Training

[jollyFE]

I start flight training for my private pilot next month, 4 of us in the office are in the same class and we were wondering if the most recent microsoft flight simulator would be of any benefit.

comments??


thanks

[Rolex]

The FAA doesn't approve software, but it does approve flight training devices (FTDs) and simulators. Displays and physical flight controls are the primary components in the approval process, but Microsoft FSX is the software used in many FTDs.

So, can it help you? Yes, it can help you understand the flow of procedures, navigation and comms faster than if you were exposed only during your training. Those peripherals can cause more anxiety for new pilots than the stick and rudder work.

I wish it was around when I first learned to fly. We only had Orville or Wilbur yelling at us from the ground.

[jollyFE]

Im not too worried about the comms portion (I was a flight engineer for 10 years in the AF).  I was looking more at the nav portion of things.  After we finish the private course we are doing the instrument rating. 

[Vudu15]

go get em Jolly 

[Babalonian]

Im not too worried about the comms portion (I was a flight engineer for 10 years in the AF).  I was looking more at the nav portion of things.  After we finish the private course we are doing the instrument rating. 

As Rolex hinted, it's really about the atmosphere you settup in junction with a software program like MFSX.  SFX is only a very versatile tool.  You can use it to have fun or play a "game", or you can use it in a settup that is extremely realistic and representative of actual flight. 

What aspect(s) of navigating are trying to immerse and familiarise yourself with?  I've heard of some training/practice exercises you can try with the actual physical maps to plot or track routes/paths, then using MSFX perform the flight.  Afterwards I think you can look at your flight and the in-game maps versus the ones you were working on physicaly to compare to... but I don't know if that has anything to do with what you're specificaly trying to do.

[fbEagle]

MFSX was and is a big help to me for my training. The instructor on our first flight said let me guess... you play alot of video games dont you. I said yes and named off FSX and this one. He says he can definately tell the ones who have "practiced" than the ones that dont use such "games"

[MutleyBR]

Hi.

Nothing about Flight Simulators, but... since you will start flight training, I would recommend reading William Kershner?s books.

They're well illustrated and discuss every aspect of flight instruction in detail, including most common mistakes and so on.

They're a great help. Since there are 3 other guys with you, maybe each one buys a different book and then you swap.

Also a great help is doing some "cockpit hours". If you can, go to the airport and spend some time, sitting in the cockpit,  doing checklists and memorizing the location of instruments switches, and so on. Don?t bother if people think you're crazy.(we know you are...  )

My first flight instructor told me to buy a "plastic mother", so when he yelled at me calling me  names, I?d know he was referring to that "plastic mother", not my real one, and take no offense... 

Buy yourself one too.

Good luck!

Mutley 


 

[Tupac]

Read "Aerodynamics for naval aviators"

[Tordon22]

Redbird crosswind simulator is what you need. They're pretty cheap too

[cpxxx]

As a stick and rudder pilot by profession. I'm tempted to say don't bother. But to be honest it might be useful. However as an FE in the Air Force you've been pretty much exposed to the reality of being a pilot. It won't help much with your Private but where it will come in useful is during your Instrument rating. You can practice procedures and approaches but AFTER you've been shown the correct method.

The flaw with games is the lack of supervision. You can create the illusion that you are doing it right if you have no Instructor to burst your bubble.

Quite honestly I had fun with sims until I began to fly for a living. Then reality bites. On the other hand Aces High never lost it's appeal. But of course I don't fly warbirds on a daily basis.

[bagrat]

The flaw with games is the lack of supervision. You can create the illusion that you are doing it right if you have no Instructor to burst your bubble.

this, fsx makes me feel like i can land an  fly a 747 no prob while doing no damage to the plane....must be true

[flight17]

The flaw with games is the lack of supervision. You can create the illusion that you are doing it right if you have no Instructor to burst your bubble.

Actually, if you do the actual lessons in FSX, you get "graded" on your performance and it holds you to the same limits you would experience during a real checkride (+/- 10kts airspeed, +/1 10 degrees heading, +/- 100ft altitude). Im not talking about the missions either, to find the lessons, you must go to the side menu (table of contents) and enter them through there.

I have flown about 1000-2000 real hours in FS since FS2000 and prior to that the "Fly!" series and it has helped me a lot. It wasnt until this past year that i actually did the lessons for the first time. I did the whole private lessons in about 15min and next came instrument i believe.

Instrument was actually really helpful because i was doing it just as i was finishing up my instrument ground school in RW, so i could practice everything we learned through it since i hadnt started flying at all yet (completed private and instrument ground school prior to flying at all, plus took and passed my private written)

If navigation is the section you really want to fly on, i would deffinately say do at least the instrument portion and maybe even parts of the commercial (I cant remember where the majority of the VOR/NDB, etc lessons were)

[MachFly]

I don't recommend you use FSX (or any microsoft flight simulator) to practice for your PPL, the flight physics is just not realistic. It is good for practicing procedures so it would be useful by the time you start working on your instrument, but not now.

I recommend you buy a Jappesen textbook for private pilots, I don't remember the exact name and I can't really check it as my book is a few hundred miles away at the moment (I'll get back to you with the exact name). It's going to cost about $60 and a lot of instructors will stay you don't need it but it will help you. The book basically covers everything you need to know in order to get your PPL. If you do get the book you will be a lot more prepared for the lessons and will end up spending significantly less money, the book will pay for itself.



Just out of curiosity, which plane are you doing your training in?



P.S. Check PMs

[jigsaw]

Get "Rod Machado's Private Pilot Handbook: The Ultimate Private Pilot Book"... best book for the PPL ever made.  Info on medical duration is probably out of date on it though.
Another great book (with current medical info) is "EVERYTHING EXPLAINED for the PROFESSIONAL PILOT" available directly from the author at http://www.aviation-press.com/

[B4Buster]

In my opinion, Flight Simulator did help a bit. I instantly knew where instruments were, and, more importantly, what they did. The flight characteristics are definitely off. It seems stall speeds are way lower than what they should be on some planes. The DeHaviland Beaver is almost impossible to get the stall horn buzzing for example. Not being too familiar with the aircraft in FSX outside of the 172 (my B19 isn't in the game ) I can't know for sure.  Jolly- you said you're interested in navigation. You can certainly become more familiar with glass cockpits, and even break out a sectional chart to practice VFR cross country flights. What I personally find a bit difficult is using the VOR to track radials. Seems easier to use in real life. Just my opinion though and you may find it to be the exact opposite.