How do you fly a Chopper?

[Guest byoung]

How is the flight model with the standard FS 2002 Bell?I find it really hard to fly?Are there other helicopters that you can download on AVSIM? If so which would be good for a beginner?Thanks!Barry

[PeterR]

The Bell that's included is the best one to start out with. Many of the other helicopters on the net use the same flight model. They just look different.Be sure to do the following in FS2002:1. Configure the joystick so that the X and Y sensitivity is maximum and the null zone is minimum. You want the stick to be as sensitive as possible otherwise you end up responding too late and working too hard.2. Turn off auto-coordination. You have to control the pedals directly either with the keyboard, with rudder pedals, or with a twisting stick.3. Set the General Realism for the aircraft so that it's one or two clicks to the left of maximum. Setting it to maximum is extremely difficult. One or two clicks less makes a huge difference. Setting it lower makes inputs more sluggish (not good).4. If you still have difficulty, download and practice the lessons at HoverSafe Academy. (http://members.shaw.ca/hoversafe/Hoversafe.htm)Flying an airplane is to flying a chopper what riding a tricycle is to riding a unicycle. But, once you master the helo it's so very cool.

[Guest]

Barry,Flying the Bell 206B is very subjective, I found setting realism sliders to halfway worked for me.Yes there are easier helicopters to start with - I recommend the Robinson R-22 (availalable at simviation.com) here is the link to it:http://www.simviation.com/fs2000heli1.htmNote it is a FS2000 helicopter - just dont tell it that it is now in FS2002 :)Some things to remember:Flying a helicopter is like balancing a plate on a stick.... no sudden J/S movements! everything must be gentle... your rudder pedals main purpose is to stop the helicopter spinning around it's axis by controlling the speed of the tail rotor... 99% of a/c turning is done by tilting the main rotor in the general direction you wish to move in.Very little J/S movement will have a great effect on what the helio does!Your Throttle's purpose is to change the pitch of the main rotor blades to create both lift and momentum... again gently does it....Try SPOT plane view and make your helicopter 'light' on the skids so that you can practice tilting the main rotor - to get a feel for it!Next increasing throttle/collective a little more will put you in a hovering attitude - NOW THIS IS WHERE THE 'STICK-ON-THE-PLATE' BIT COMES IN!Remember too much movement one way will almost certainly cause an over-corrective response in the other direction - so 1/8" or 1/4" is pretty much all you should need to maintain a hover - when you get to that stage :) !I hope this helps, dont be afraid to ask questions of anyone on this forum - we are all helicopter enthusiasts!Here are a few more links (courtesy of some of the forum members) to help you understand helios a bit better!http://www.helicoptersonly.com/html/maneuvers.htmlhttp://www.cybercom.net/~copters/helicopter.htmlHappy Flying:-rotor

[Guest]

I've only been flying helicopters for about 2 weeks now, but have learned a ton. Let me off these pieces of advice from hard experience. I think the vets would agree with all of them.1. Every movement should be accompanied by a movement back. For example. If you are stopped, and want to inch forward at 1 or 2 knots, notch your stick forward THEN BACK a few times. If you lean forward for extended periods of time, you will pick up speed fast.2. I found flying with just the instruments at the bottom of the screen the best mode for me. That way you can see what is going on but still have essential information.3. Also, fly with the digital attitude displays on at the top of the screen(Shift Z). This allows you to see exactly what altitude you are at when landing or heading for a roof top helipad. Try to get within 2 or 3 feet as you move into landing position. If you are at 20 feet when you stop, you can't see the landing zone, and you will wobble around to the wrong spot as you descend. The display will also give a digital readout of how fast you are going. Be aware, 0 knots is not really stopped. The digital reading is off by 1 or 2 knots.4. When pulling into a hover, keep an eye on your artificial horizon. At first, I had a hard time laying off the stick pull back when stopping. Often I'd end up sliding back words. When the display reads 0 knots, gently bring the ship back to level on the horizon. To assist with this, be sure your real horizon is in the middle of the screen. Some helicopters start with the horizon high or low. This will screw up you perspective when maneuvering. Use shift enter or shift backspace to move the horizon up or down to the middle before take off.5. Lastly, and most importantly, always maintain control of the helicopter. From the instant you move the collective off of neutral, you are flying the helicopter. Be on the lookout for drift any direction and correct with small movements before you get completely out of wack. Also, choppers can fly very slowly, so they try to lull you into looking at the cool scenery. Don't! While you are gaping at the Sears Tower, your aircraft is working it's way into an attitude that will kill you. If you want to enjoy the view, record your flight and play it later as a passenger. Also, if you are going to try to put down on a specific spot, like a roof or a helipad, stop short of the mark and hover a moment to be sure you are in full control. Trying to hit a small pad with an uncoordinated helicopter is like trying to play darts from the back of bucking horse.I tried nearly a dozen times to figure out how to fly helicopters over nearly 9 years of flight simming without success. I'd commanded stunt planes, props, and 747s like a veteran, but could never bring the choppers under control. With the advice of the folks hear, I gave it one more go and now have made a lot of progress fast. Consequently, FS2002 has become an entirely new game for me, with a whole new set of challenges. If you keep at it, you are in for hours of FlightSim fun unlike any you've had before.

[Guest Skymed]

have you tried my helicopter HUD?Do s search here in the Avsim library for helihud.............it may help you in your endeavours.

[Guest]

And in regards to the hud!, I would recommend it highly...CheersPete