As I'm not a real world pilot, I've often wondered what I should actually be able to see over the panel. I know it varies from aircraft to aircraft. I also understand that it

With GA planes it partly has to do with how tall you are, I'm pretty tall so I can see to the end of the cowling including the spinner.

I agree with the previous poster.The most significant thing for me the first time I flow from a cockpit was how steep the view down towards the landing strip was compared to the feeling one gets in the sim.

Here is an eye level view video shot while flying with my brother. The engine start is the view you really have (although seats are very adjustable, up/down forward back). Gives a pretty good idea of the FOV you have. Only thing in FS is with the side view, when the seat is raised it is blocked by the upper part of the door, it's not that bad in a real 172.http://www.virtual-speed.com/stiff/media/c...72ctyzsmall.wmv(BTW, the stall horn was acting up and the ending was a gag!)

On the flip side of that, I'm fairly short, so can only see partially over the panel, depending on the plane. For example, in the Archer, I can see the cowl, but I'm not looking down at it. It's just below eye level. In the Seminole, I can't see the cowl unless I stretch. I'm, 5'11 just so you know, and that's without adjusting the seat height, but sliding it forward a bit.I've included two crappy diagrams. :Dhttp://forums.avsim.net/user_files/168844.jpghttp://forums.avsim.net/user_files/168845.jpg

Just curious, what aircraft? Thanks for responding.

Great video. Funny ending. Just a quick question for you. It looks like you were sitting a little further back than your brother. Was his seat pulled up further than yours? Looks like from his position he would have seen more of the cowling than from your vantage.

Interesting watching your brother - seems a little leaning forward ie needed if you want to see directly ahead/down. I find this a bit of a struggle with GA in fs - In the vc I always have to zoom out, move up then pan down to get a better balance between out front and panel.Maybe one day I'll finally cave and get TIR - I need it!! :)regards,Markhttp://www.dreamfleet2000.com/a320/custbanner2.jpgPC Power Silencer 470/3.2HT/2048mb/ATI X1950pro/SB Audigy

Great video. Really enjoyable just watching it.

Great vid. Had a very very brief feeling you were going swimming at the end there. :(

I fly the 172 and there are two big differences from the sim.1.. Not only the cowling can be seen, but there is a much better view downwards over the nose.2.. In the real 172, you are looking at the guages, rather than down at them.Ray Keattch.

>2.. In the real 172, you are looking at the guages, rather>than down at them.What do you mean?Marco

Went out and sat in the plane for this pic. A Van's RV6A, and has a sliding canopy somewhat like the RealAir SF260. Sorry for the out of focus panel & dusty windscreen. :)Took a good look of what I was seeing while looking straight ahead; then ,moved my head back to put the camera about where my eyes were.The depiction of the panel, then glare shield, followed by the windscreen and cowl are fairly representative of the amount of cowl that I see.My peripheral vision allows me to actually see more to the sides, as well as the bottom of the panel, but it's out of focus, as my real attention is to what's outside the windscreen. I would have to look down to use controls such as the throttle, prop, and mixture.I usually prefer a 75% zoom rate in FS9 (VC's), as well as using "shift-enter" to raise the seat for landings in a virtual cockpit.L.Adamsonhttp://forums.avsim.net/user_files/168866.jpg

I would agree, I fly the C172. There's only so much that you can do with a scene electronically "painted" on a flat surface 1-3 feet in front of you. I found this extremely disconcerting when learning to fly, as the sim presents a distorted view of what you actually see. True, it does a great job, but a 2D (regardless of 3D scenery in the sim) depth of field of up to 3 feet is very different to a 3D view with an infinity depth of field. Like most others here that both fly and sim, after a while you are able to separate the two and don't expect one to emulate the other.However, instrument flight is a whole different animal. Here, in the real aircraft, the gauges are on a 2D panel about 3 feet away from you, and the sim does an amazing job of reality. Awesome.Here's what I found in doing my instrument, and I wish I was a CFII to watch others as they experience this. Be on the gauges (with a view limiting device) while flight training for several hours. The world you see is a 2D view at about 3 feet, just like the sim in either IFR or VFR. Then, on long final, I was told to remove the view limiting device and land the plane. All of a sudden your depth of field goes from 3 feet to infinity, and it's totally overwhelming- and I badly botched landings for some time until I mastered this, which I found is common. Bruce.

My reactions were to pan as (we) you were on APPReally the best .realistic..hey I have done that app many times.That was great!!!!:-beerchug Mike