"Can you fly a plane?"

[Guest georg]

The ones here who really want to try that feeling, consider doing PPL. I guess that after having spent about 1000-1500 USD into flight hours, you will do your first solo flight and then you really are ALONE up there :) I know it's still a general aviation aircraft, but not THAT MUCH different if talking about flying and not systems. Myself I now usually land real Cessnas also like I do with airliners in FS - throttle to idle just a few meters above the runway, not too high flare and very short or no stall warning. The best is that I get extremely soft landings this way.I've even seen some flight schools in the USA offering a dedicated course which takes you towards solo flight and you don't have to learn any further if you don't want or can't afford it.IF there ever was such a need that I would have to land an airliner without having flown one before, then this is what I would do: if the conditions (fuel, aircraft state) permit, I would take the autopilot off and try to fly by hand according to the flight director. Then you get the first feeling of how that particular plane handles and how sensitive and hard the controls are. The worst you could do is to fly with autopilot all the time and take it off just before touchdown. On landing, radar altimeter is of great value because you really don't know how high the cockpit is and when the wheels exactly touch the ground. All this is ofcourse speculation and I don't want to think what would happen if there were strong crosswinds.

[Guest dre777]

Here is the link to the article regarding the locked cockpit door.http://www.avweb.com/newswire/11_40b/briefs/190726-1.htmlAndre

[Guest SteveK]

Markus,I think that what you have siad is very correct.As a flightsimmer and a "real" Cessna pilot, I think that I am able to comment on this issue.I started simming before I even held the yokes of the first Cessna I ever flew, and I can say that it was not that difficult getting to grips with how the aircraft flys, and what to do if you wanted to bank the aircraft, or put the nose up or down. The instructor pilot who I first flew with did not believe me when I told him that I had never flown a plane before. Once I started my training, there was a lot of info that you need to know that you just cannot get from flying around in the FS world. As a pilot yourself, I am sure you will agree with me that you just cannot get the "feeling" of real flying anyware else, than real flying. The general situational awareness that you have to have all around you while you flying is also another subject on its own.So, if an average flightsimmer were to sit in a Boeing cockpit for the first time and attempt to fly the plane, they would possibly not have much clue what was going on. And yes, if an average flightsimmer, who has some time in a "real" aircraft were to do the same, I think that they would at least have a good chance of bringing the bird down in an emergancy. Even for myself, with a number of hours on a Cessna, I think that this would not be as easy as it sounds, and I would imagine it would be a lot of effort and concentration to do so.Saying this, it is still my dream to pilot an airliner someday, maybe when my "rich uncle" comes home and gives me loads of cash to do my ATP licence.:-lol Until then, I will continue to fly PMDG when I want as close to "absolute realism" as I can get.Cheers,

[Guest John Khan]

Hi all"Dream on" - is the best thing that has been said here.I have a private licence with endorsements upto a Beech Baron 58, unfortunately I can't afford it nowadays.I started real flying years before I knew about PC simulators.I have a bit of experience with full-motion airline simulators; the 737, 767, and Airbus A320. How? - you may ask. - Because some of my former instructors went on to become airline pilots, and when they had their training sessions I was occasionaly invited along for a bit of a "fly". They said that these sims are also very different from the real aircraft, and the technicians could always fly the them better than the pilots.It would not matter how many others were around to give advice, or how much ATC was around, I would very much doubt anyone without any real flying experience would be able to handle a real aeroplane, especialy a very big one, and even with limited experience it would be very lucky to get it on the ground in one piece, or stay in one piece after it hit the ground.The automatics in the modern aircraft would certainly help with the approach and even the landing, maybe, but without them you would not have a hope, no matter how much Flightsim "experience" you have had.Luckily we will never get near having a go at a big, real one, but, if you wonder how you'd go with a small one, there are thousands of flying schools around everywhere who would be only too happy to let you try for not very much cost. Ask for a TIF, - a Trial Instruction Flight.Go and have a go and then say something.Georg.It is a lot harder to fly on instruments than visual and takes many hours of intensive training, you would not have a hope of flying anything with reference to the flight director, believe me.RegardsJohn Khan

[Guest georg]

John,Absolutely agree with what you said. Real jetliner is different story from every simulator we can find on the Earth.I believe I formed my idea a bit wrong. I meant that if autopilot is on, the aircraft is usually configured into some stable setting i.e. following the FMC route with LNAV and keeping constant altitude. Flight director represents the current autopilot modes and provides you with guidance whether the aircraft is flying exactly correct or has to turn, climb or descend. If now taking the autopilot off, the flight director will still represent the selected AP modes and therefore you could hand-fly the airplane as FD suggests :) Actually here is the moment when the PMDG 747 and other high-end simulations for FS become very useful for real airline pilots. IFR navigation is practically identical to what you get in real and if you can do everything right in FS, it doesn't take very long until you become familiar with the environment of the real counterpart. I'm not talking about a situation right now where you would have to fly an aircraft which has lost its pilots. Then the feelings are certainly way different from what you would have with a certified instructor.

[lostmoon 0]

i can say for sure, that if i could choose who would be at the controls of a heavy in case of pilot incapacitation, i would want it to be someone who has flightsim experience to someone who has zip.max

[Guest spiers]

hi, my dad and i was talking about some aircraft accident and just because of my simming, he said "you'd know the controls" when he said it i thought of course i would ive done loads of sim hours, but looking at this thread im unsure. If someone said we need a pilot i wouldnt say no, even though id have no experience, if somone came along who had experience id probs sit in the F/O seat and help him with flaps etc im sure it would be much easier with someone by your side. First thing id do if the plane was not level would be to press the HOLD button on the altitiude to level the plan out, then check the speed and change it accordingly. Id then sit down take a deep breath and look out of the window for any mountains etc, then check the horizon then FMC.Id then look for some manuals and try to contact somone on the distress freq which should be listed in a manual somewhere. I just think if the planes AP is working how we all couldnt land? We have done it so many times so we not again? I mean there is a few changes such as how to work the reversers but we would know about the autobrakes, put them to max probs wouldnt even need the reversers, then just leave it on the runway, parking brake on, someone should help you once on the ground.I think the only problem would be panicing, just remeber the sequences such as Arm spoiler, flaps, gear and vREF speed.If i needed to land a 747-400 i think i would be able to, but any of plane then no, i know the 747-400 well due to its my favourite aircraft thanks to PMDG.

[Guest georg]

If I landed it successfully I wouldn't let anyone out before they have let me taxi the thing to the gate :D

[Big_Les 1]

I learnt to fly and got my PPL, CPL IR/IMC some time ago and then got into MSFS afterwards (when the money ran out!) In my opinion it's easer to fly the real thing than a sim, you get far more visual clues and control feedback. It is however a problem in the real thing if you get something wrong (sweaty palms). The thing is Commercial pilots cannot get stuff wrong and they are bound by strict procedures which normal simmers usually don't follow.... Take off for a simmer is usually something like "flaps 20...whatever", hit the TOGA button, silence "TOCW" horn pull back at around 150 ...ish gear up, flaps fully up and away we go... PRESENT FORUM EXCEPTED:-) So in summary I think you could handle a real aircraft in an emergency, not sure if you could handle the thought of impending death if you made a mistake though.....Paul Yates

[Guest John Khan]

PaulI agree with you completely, it is easier to fly the real thing than the sim, but only if you know how to fly for real. All the real airline pilots that I knew say the same thing, they don't realy like the sim., as all they ever get in it is things going wrong!!When actualy flying, you can have a quick look at the runway, say, on downwind or base, and back to the instruments and flying immediately, and you are getting the "feeling" of the aircraft, - or whatever you want to call, - it all the time.On the sim you are forever changing views and when you are trying to look at where the runway is you can't seee what the aircraft is doing and so on.......But you have to be able to fly the real one in the first place.RegardsJohn

[Guest]

Simmers:I think that in an emergency situation on a plane the size of a 747 there are bound to be some PMDG pilots on board. PMDG pilots can be found everywhere these days. These planes are being flown in 27 different languages. Knowing this you would likely have to fight for the chance to get onto the flightdeck. Upon gaining access to the flightdeck you would then have to win the argument whether it's pitch or speed to control descent et al. On a serious note though I believe that now with the knowledge that simmers do have from using PMDG the chances of survival have increased in the event that an emergency did happen.From the more advanced simulations (PMDG) I have learned that I need to learn a lot more. Being a flight enthusiast for a long time I thought I knew a quite a lot but found out that I know a lot less than I thought I did. And if this forum wasn't here I'd know even less than I do now. When I listen to ATC from CYYZ or see a jet on final the experience has been enhanced by what can be done on my own PC.For those of you who do share your knowledge you have my appreciation. And for those who upload screenshots and videos you have my undying gratitude.Rick

[Qavion 19]

"any professional pilot, or crewmember will agree with me on that"Seems unlikely that it would open with the loss of an engine. It certainly wouldn't happen on a 744.I'd be more concerned that someone would shoot you down because the average person wouldn't be able to operate the audio selector panel to tell them why you were flying around erratically in controlled airspace :(Cheers.Q>