I'm just about done my PPL. Have 48hrs in a Warrior. I've done 2 X-country flights and I can tell you that my Navigation training was made 500% easyer thanks to Flightsim. I fly 2 hrs every saturday then spend the week reflying my lessons with FS. Thanks to flightsim I was able to understand Navigation and the panel gauges before I even started my PPL. FS does help in a big way! Saves you money and time! Im ready for my check ride! Just wanna get a few more hours up. The people who claim FS is no aid just have a swelled head. I bet half of them don't even have a PPL.Well safe flying to all!Pete

I couldn't agree more! In fact I pity anyone working on a PPL without FS. Funny thing, I haven't told my instructor that I use FS. I just haven't mentioned it. I likely have several hundred hardcore sim hours including Vatsim. The "hardcore" part's kind of important. You have to work at it to make it valuable. I'm very happy with my Go-flight panel to. It's been a big help working on checklists and emergency procedures. I use a Dreamfleet Archer which I repainted as CF-GMX, the Cherokee I generally fly at school.Just like yourself, I spend time on the sim reviewing the last lesson and then I prepare for the next. If my instructor points something out (and he always does :-) ) I'll try and work it out on the sim before the next lesson. Even small things like positioning controls for the wind...or rolling instrument checks. It gets demo'd once by your instructor and by next flight it's routine. I'm working on circuits now and trying to improve my cross-wind landings and the sim has been invaluable. I even used the Sf-260 to prepare for spin training (in Canada we still do spin training for PPL).I'm not sure a great sim pilot can fly an aircraft safely without practical experience

I started my PPL in Canada. I lived in Regina for 6 years and started out with the Regina Flying Club in a C150 ( C-GWXH ) out of CYQR. I thnk the Aircraft rego is correct, don't have my log book on me. I started MY PPL in late 2000 in Regina. I got 12hrs up and I then moved back to my home in Australia and did'nt continue Flying again until Oct last year. I would guess that Flightsim has saved me about 5 hrs ( or $800 ) in lessons due to the instructor only having to show me how to do most things once! Like you I go home and refly my last lesson 3 or 4 times! Then the following week we dont have to spend much time on last weeks lesson.Pete

Kangan Batman TAFE in Victoria use FS2002 with the Real Air C-172 (same as in the library) and a Marchetti for training their pilots in the classroom, then they go out and do the real thing.Its a wonderful tool those who fly have available to practice in.

Hi Pete!Congrats and good luck with your checkride! Just wait until you get on with your IFR ticket - FS (or any good sim in general) will do wonders and save you lots of $$$$ ! :) -Damian (CMEL/Inst)[table border=0" cellspacing="30" cellpadding="0][tr][td align = "left"]Damian ClarkHiFi Simulation SoftwareDeveloper of ActiveSkyThe next-generation weather environment simulation for FS2002!http://hifi.avsim.net/activesky[/td][td]http://hifi.avsim.net/activesky/images/wxrebeta.jpg][/td][/tr][/table://http://hifi.avsim.net/activesky/ima...[/tr][/table