There is one slight difference between a sim and the real thing. You get killed or injured when you botch things up badly enough. For all those instrument rated pilots out there. Do you remember the first time you flew on the gauges without the CFI and shot a real approach vs under the hood. Wee bit different when you have to do it right and know that you can't peek.

Ross, I'll give you a call when I have to fly and I'm not feeling all too well (and think I may pass out during the flight) :)Take the little one along for the adventure! ;)Flyinggriffin understands what I'm talking about. How come, that even after you've spent countless hours doing ILSes and NDB approaches on FS, you suddenly feel like your brain is the size of a peanut when you're sweating in a tiny Cessna going 60 knots on an approach the first time? Because it's real.

Before I went for my real pilot's license, I had learned to fly over countless hours in the right-hand seat, flying with friends in their airplanes. I thought I knew basically how to do it. However, when I went for my license, my instructor didn't want to hear anything about my previous experience. He took me back to the very beginning, and in our first hour, just made me fly straight and level - nothing else. At first I was annoyed, but as things went along, and now in retrospect, I realise he did the right thing. He made sure that every step in learning to fly the correct way was covered, and any bad habits were erased. He made me a pilot, as opposed to someone who knew how to fly.Another difference for me from simming and real world: doing the in-flight Flight Tests, with an un-smiling Flight Test Examiner watching you, and then there's the written exams - and knowing that your future depends on these. And that feeling when you pass....My first instructor, the man who gave me my flying skills, such as they are, was killed on 18/06/98, at CYMX, when the commuter he was flying crashed on final approach, after an in-flight fire. Cockpit transcripts showed that he and the captain where doing the emergency checklists, etc., totally professionally, until the end. Every time I fly now, whether it's on the sim or in real life, I make sure I fly to his standards, as a tribute to him and what he taught me. That's real life, and the sim will never quite teach you that. My own take, is that real flying comes with real responsibilty and real consequences for every action and decision you take, something that doesn't come on any sim - and that can make a difference in how you think and feel, and how you fly.Mike F.

I had some good instructors allso. Had a good friend whom I met after I did my cross country flight and before I got me licence. He had a comercial, multi eng, instrament licence and was a cetified instructor. He was going for his instrement instrucor cert. He picked me to practice his technics on. We spent many, many hrs with yours truly under the hood. At first straight and level then recovering from unusual attitudes (like hammerhead stalls), scan,scan,scan, trust the guages. Vertigo will kill you, you have to trust the gauges, repeat, repeat and do it again. Navigation then approaches. Over and over again. Finally it got to the point where it became like swimming or riding a bike, I mean your brain would get wrapped up with the airplane so you became one. Soon after every approach was on the money. He explained thats when many pilots go wrong, they think they have it mastered and begin to take things too casually. Something to watch out for.Then many monthes later I got into some bad weather on a flight back to my home airport. Completly in cloud, it can happen fast! Made a VOR approach (no ILS) and broke out of the overcast a 1/4 from the runway, landed hot, no go arrounds for me that day! The rain & wind was so strong I only had to use about 200 ft. of runway and turned onto the taxiway/ramp and right into the hanger. My instructor (they were waiting for me) said, " what the hell you think your driveing, an F86". It was a Cessna 150.Steve Chapdelain went to work for the FAA, last I heard he was stationed at a facility just So. of Denver.That man saved my life as far as I'm concerned.That was about 40 yrs. ago.Regards

Has anyone wondered why this person asked this question? :-)

Err, falcon999 got a point.Sure it would be a big step, but at least you would'nt slam the brakes on at FL300 or some in a panick. They use sims for ATP for the check ride AFAIK.The crane simulators I mentiond below made a BIG difference. They are not computer sim's they are much like the real deal sims that Flight Int. (I think) uses. They sit on hydroulic rams etc.If you really want to do it you can, and you will find a way!Regards

I think no one here is saying that FS will make him/her a pilot nor that it serves as a tool for real training. FS together with good add-on's, only provides SOME familiarization about real procedures, instruments, the big picture of an aircraft. FS it's like an interative multimedia learning center. Imagine what would it be to just reading in a book about how an attitude indicator performs, versus seeing it in action in FS. A picture worth's more that 1000 words right? I know some people that would give an arm and a leg to have this kind of "cheap" tool when they were studing to become pilots just a few years ago. It realy HELPS STUDING, NOT PRACTICING!For the rest of my opinion see another post of mine in ths thread.

Thanks to you all for your comments. I have increasing respect for anyone who can fly a real world big jet

I agree. A friend of mine flew international routes in a South African Airways Boeing 747-400 for many years - WOW, a 744 captain! He now does the local routes instead so that he can spend more time with his family - I guess he's made his money. Do I envy him? Oh yes! Who wouldn't?I have tremendous respect for his kind simply because it takes more than just good flying skills, but good temperament and discipline. You are after all responsible for the safety of hundreds of lives.I would love to have the opportunity to fly a real plane, any real plane for that matter. It would be interesting for me to see just how well I would fair.Thanks for the comments - interesting thread.Philip.

Well, one of the things that realy deserve my respect and admiration reffering to pilots is how concentrated and relatively calm they are in case of emergencies! I mean you realy need guts to remain calm and go through checklists and manuals when let's say there is smoke in the cockpit. Or as an example the pilot who almost managed to land the aircraft without hydraulics in Sioux City! Respect!CheersThomasEdit: Sorry if this is a bit OT.

Yep - that's a big part of my respect too. This is where I have to be honest, I don't think I would cut it when it comes to being calm under pressure. The United crew in that DC10-10 were amazing - shows a high level of optimism too.Philip.