FS Reality-too long

[Guest]

Just went thru the interesting posts about FS realism.There were several mentions about performance charts. Right on the money.Only problem is: Reading and understanding these charts is a subject all its own. Today a G-4 type rated pilot must go thru 3 weeks (I think) of ground school/simulator time to advance to the G-5, simply because of the difference in cockpit displays, navigation and a/c systems. And it is hard to see the outward difference in the two aircraft.I have found some sim models that appear to be fairly accurate and of course some that don't even come close, 350 kts one minute after takeoff and 300 kts at flight idle and level flight is surely not realistic.I am a retired corporate pilot ATP type rated Citation, Westwind and Gulfstream 2.8,000+ hours of RW jet time.I received my type rating in the Gulfstream solely by simulator and ground school which was two weeks long with no weekends off, check ride was in the simulator.My first time in the real G-2 was the day after I received my type rating. Flew the left seat with Chief Pilot and an instructor on board. The only requirement to haul passengers was 3 takeoffs and landings to a full stop which I did when we got home. Keep in mind the simulator was a full-motion sim and basically the only difference was the G-forces experienced in the airplane.My final sim ride was actually not very realistic. Flight from ORD to MSP and had 13 malfunctions at one time or another, as many as 5 at one time, this included icing, hydraulic failure, electrical problems and a 30 kt. crosswind on landing with a 300 ft ceiling and one mile visibility. Try that on a sim.Thes simulators approach the cost of the real aircraft so you can imagine how realistic they must be.MS simulator is a pretty good program, gives the non-pilot a great way to learn the basics if he puts his mind to it.There is no way that a newbie/non-pilot can performa complete cross-country flight on this sim the way it should be done but after all this is a hobby and if one gets his kicks out of thinking he is flying like a RW pilot then so be it.The secret to improving your sim skills is simple....read, read, read, then practice, practice, practice.Find a virtual airline that has a training program that requires some form of proven ability to advance in rank.There are a lot of them that will accept anyone and give them a Captain rating without any semblance of ability on the applicants part. I have seen those with advanced ratings in a VA that did not know what a radial is.The big problem with FS2002 is that it is useless for performing check rides which is really the only way to grade an applicant and to help someone with problems.FS98 was great for videos.FS2000 was a turkey, did not show flaps or gear indications properly,some gauges were indicating idle, some had no sound other than idle and these were default aircraft.Both these aircraft videos of a 45 minute flight were about 120KNow comes FS2002, a 5 minute flight is 1 MB ! !!!!!! No way to do a proper check ride and send in a 10 MB video for grading, come on M$oft, lets get real for those that want to learn.Been there, done that.FAA Flight Check Pilot: Captain, what controls your airspeed?Captain (on check ride): The throttles.FAA: WRONG, It's the elevators.Captain taxis onto the runway, stops and then proceeds to pump the yoke back and forth several times.FAA: What are you doing?Captain: Just trying to get up some airspeed so that we can take off.FS2002 comes along and it is the worst.

[Guest]

"FAA Flight Check Pilot: Captain, what controls your airspeed?Captain (on check ride): The throttles.FAA: WRONG, It's the elevators.Captain taxis onto the runway, stops and then proceeds to pump the yoke back and forth several times.FAA: What are you doing?Captain: Just trying to get up some airspeed so that we can take off."Says it all. Nicely put!Regards,Rob Young