AVSIM Special Feature Screenshot Tribute to FS2002 Part 8

Not long after the introduction of FS2002 several websites dedicated to FS helicopters, like "Keith's Helipad," closed; but thanks to many newcomers in FS helicopter design, a number and high quality of helicopters for FS2002 continued to become available at AVSIM and other flight simulation website libraries. Despite the MSFS design team forgetting to include some basic functions, many of the Helo designers were able to work around them and a whole new flock of rotor-winged aircraft have been uploaded.

In the various AVSIM forums, a question often asked is whether this FS helo or that FS helo contains an airfile that correctly duplicates the flight characteristics of the real thing? I've never really heard or read an answer (from some of the real-world helo pilots) whether any of them do or not, other than to say several available designs are reasonably close.

Myself not being a helicopter pilot (real-world) I've found flying the various available FS helicopters to be very interesting, a lot of fun, and frankly quite challenging. Fortunately, FS2002 supports a dynamic 3D virtual panel-cockpit, which seems to be the ideal arrangement for operating the average FS helo. I have found that flying a helicopter (in Flight Simulator) requires a much higher level of concentration (as compared to the average fixed wing aircraft) and once you learn to land your copter on a marked helopad soft enough not to do damage, the fun really begins. Over the last few months, one out of every three or four hours of flight time that I've accumulated in FS2002 has been in one helicopter or another—and I must say I am really beginning to enjoy it. In addition to some really beautiful helo designs there have also been some really terrific scenery add-ons (offshore oil-rigs, emergency and hospital pads, intercity helopads, etc.) dedicated to helos, that have provided additional challenges for the practiced FS helo pilot.

Though most that use Flight Simulator have indicated they prefer to fly medium to large airliners (80% according to our last survey at AVSIM), I'm sure that most like to take a break now an again and fly something with a different kind of challenge. I might suggest you try your hand at flying a helicopter and if not the default Bell 206, then download one of the very many available freeware helos; you won't be sorry! With a bit of search you can find any FS add-on helos you like; a few are equipped with an autopilot, with auto-hover—and many of these have controllable outside winches or offer firefighting systems. Look around, check the AVSIM library; there are big and small helos, civilian and military versions, whatever floats your boat and I'm sure there's something out there you'll like.

I'm not sure how most of these helos, designed for FS2002, will react in FS2004, but I'm assuming that most will function normally in either simulator. I once again here present a series of screenshots, without comment, showing a few of the many outstanding freeware helos that are available for FS2002.

"Screenshot Tribute to FS2002" continues here:
Part 9: FS2002 Screenshots for Bush aircraft