For the first time I've been trying to fly the helicopters. Now I noticed that those things constantly want to go to the left: all the time I seems to be looking at a horizon that goes from down left to up right... I constantly need to steer into the opposite direction. Is this realistic or do helicopters require specific realism settings...?And btw are the default helicopters a bit realistic or am I wasting my time trying to get to grips with them?

Let me start by saying that I am not a helicopter pilot so I do not know for sure if the default helos are close to real life. I have heard that FSX is better at simulating helo flight than FS9 but that may not be saying much.That pull to the left is from the torque of the rotor blades. You will experience this with full realism in any single rotor helo (if modeled well). That torque is offset in dual rotor helos like the Chinook. One rotor goes one way and the other goes in the opposite direction so that the torque is evened out.

Flying a helicopter has been likened to trying to balance on a ping pong ball, and that's quite a good analogy, in that you have to stay ahead of it quite a lot, in order to make the necessary corrections minimal, because it is when things get out of shape that it becomes hard to recover them. There's definitely a greater need for good control coordination with chopper compared to fixed wing aeroplanes, which can usually at least fly themselves for a few seconds even when not well trimmed, but you need to be on the case all the time with a helicopter. Most fixed wing pilots are dreadful when they first get their hands on a chopper, so don't be too disappointed if you are all over the place at first, you are in good company.There is a fair chance you will need some different settings on FS for helicopters, because above all, smooth frame rates are paramount, since the horizon is your best frame of reference. Realising the frustration people were having with the FS choppers, the developers 'dumbed things down a bit' from earlier versions of FS where twitchiness was concerned, so the FSX choppers are a bit easier to fly than in earlier versions of FS, although ironically, it's a lot easier these days to get hold of a control system that better emulates a real chopper's controls.But as much as it is a bit simplified, there is a good deal of satisfaction to be had from being able to land the FS choppers where you want them, so it's not a waste of time at all. Most of the simplification was down to it being difficult to emulate a collective pitch lever's combined throttle and blade pitch actions with a single joystick. But if you don't have a suitable joystick which can do all that, all is not lost - an interesting thing to try is a joypad (of the kind you get on playstations), these can be had for about a tenner, and although they aren't much like a real chopper's control layout, you can emulate the control inputs of one quite well with a joypad, because it has two thumb operated controls which are effectively 'mini joysticks', so you can use the right one as a cyclic, and the left one as a collective with perhaps the front buttons to increase and decrease power settings. Still not ideal of course, but more flexible than a single joystick. Combine that with rudder pedals and you'll be getting pretty close to having something which can replicate a chopper's controls quite well for very little expense, especially if you already have a joypad controller, as many people do.Where flying is concerned, you do have to counter the tail rotor's torque with some opposite pedal a lot of the time in a chopper to keep it in a straight line, and there is no easy way around that, it's just the way they are. It will require a different amount of correction as you alter the power, so rudder pedals are almost a necessity if you have the flight model on the hardest settings. To get prepared for all that, a simple (well relatively simple) way to practice is to gently lift the thing off the deck and try getting a feel for the pedals by rotating on the spot. When you can manage that (in both directions), you can start trying to do it when also taking into account the wind, to keep you in exactly the same place, by using a bit of cyclic to pitch the rotor disk over a little, but keep in mind that you will have to alter the direction of that pitching as you turn. That's the bit that usually throws fixed wing pilots.After that, hover-taxying at just a couple of feet above the surface is good practice, and will get you used to the lower amounts of power required when you are in ground effect and the fact that as you start moving, translational lift will mean even less power is needed (that's why when you correct with tail rotor as you take off, it then suddenly seems as though you have over corrected as you back off the throttle). Translational lift (in case you are not sure of the term) is when the advancing rotor blade's effective airspeed is increased by the forward speed of the helicopter, and is somewhat countered by the retreating blade, but is also why the thing sometimes feels like it wants to roll a bit. As with a fixed-wing aeroplane, understanding what is going on is one of the keys to flying well.If you can get a handle on all that, it should then be easier to handle all the other stuff fancy stuff you probably are keen to try. but before you try all that, make sure you drop the fuel contents a bit. As you probably know, FS tends to load up aircraft with full fuel, and that's going to make things harder than they need to be, so don't forget to look at that! Also, try and fly in average weather with the pressure at 1013 Millibars (aka 29.92), since in high temperatures, choppers need a lot more throttle to fly well.Although certainly not realistic, you might find that it is initially helpful to fly from an external view, but don't stay with that too long, or it will end up as a crutch you come to rely on.Hope that helps a bit. I'm certainly no expert on choppers, but that's just a bit of stuff I've picked up over the years with the odd flight in a chopper and a general interest in them.Al

Wow, thanks for that complete tutorial!!! :(

I'd like to add more:Set your Realsim settings all to MEDIUM. FSX uses different flight models for MEDIUM and HIGH, and MEDIUM is optimized for rotary flight while HIGH is better for fixed-wing (athough I agree with the argument that MEDIUM is best for fixed-wing as well).Start with the FSX Bell JetRanger, as that's by far the most stable helo in the sim. Real world pilots often get started on the Robinson, but that one is more skittish than the Bell in FSX.Use the best flight controllers you can get. Poor flight controllers won't allow you the fine control you need for helos. Rudder pedals will allow you to control the tail rotor, but in fast forward flight the tail rotor won't steer you very much.Yes, the FSX helos are more realistic than the FS9 helos, but there is a long way to go to make helicopter flight more realistic in flight sim. Some add-on helicopters do have more realistic handling than the default vehicles, but some add-ons also have trouble with certain game controller configurations, resulting in unstable flight. If you cannot get the Bell JetRanger up and stable, then look to your controllers (or to your flight skills).Flying the rotary wing in the sim takes practise - start with hover, try hover taxi, and move on from there. We have a "rotorhead" forum here on AVSIM where you can find out more! Also, the FSX Learning Center has good info on getting started with whirlybirds. Helicopters are a lot of fun to fly in FSX, and are worth the extra effort!Jeff ShylukSenior Staff ReviewerAVSIM

Yes, the FSX helos are more realistic than the FS9 helos, but there is a long way to go to make helicopter flight more realistic in flight sim. Some add-on helicopters do have more realistic handling than the default vehicles, but some add-ons also have trouble with certain game controller configurations, resulting in unstable flight. If you cannot get the Bell JetRanger up and stable, then look to your controllers (or to your flight skills).Jeff ShylukSenior Staff ReviewerAVSIM

Jeff, can you recommend an addon helicopter that is at least as realistic as the default ones in FSX? Also is there an addon you can recommend to start learning to fly a chopper or the JetRanger is fine for a beginner?Oh, and one more thing - do you think it is a better idea to fly a helicopter in a virtual cockpit when very close to the ground as it will give you a better orientation as to the direction you are moving? It seems not normal to stare at the vertical speed indicator when you are 10 feet off the ground...

Dodosim's Bell 206 is the best Helo if You are looking for realism. Seahawk/Jayhawk from Aerosoft is also a nice package (much more complexed heli)

Dodosim's Bell 206 is the best Helo if You are looking for realism. Seahawk/Jayhawk from Aerosoft is also a nice package (much more complexed heli)

Wow, thanks for that - Dodosim's Bell is I guess what I was looking for :(

Also, I don't think it has been said above, set your joystick sensitivity to maximum and neutral zones to zero... because it is the way it is on a real helicopter. The commands are very responsive and you will need it so to control an unstable machine by nature.I encourage you to learn flying helos because in the end it is very rewarding and satisfying experience.And I confirm that the Dodosim http://www.dodosim.com/fsx206models.html is by far the best addon helo you can get today. For me Dodosim Flight Simulation is kind of RealAir for rotary wings. Extremely accurate flight model, wide range of helicopter physics and behaviours modeled with high fidelity. With that addon, realism must be set to HIGH (Maximum). And for newbies, the developers implemented several levels of difficulty. You also get an interactive tutorial for starting the turbine. Eventually the dynamic sounds are very immersive.It's an expensive purchase but worth every cent.And yes it is a good if not mandatory idea to fly helos from the VC because you need a lot of situational awareness, much more than on an aircraft.Happy flying on rotary wings !PS : get the free Rotorcraft Flying Handbook by US FAA: http://www.faa.gov/library/manuals/aircraft/ by the way you have also free interesting stuff for aeroplanes on that page. If you want a printed copy of those flying handbook, go to Amazon.com it's cheap, about 15-20 $.

Wow, thanks for that - Dodosim's Bell is I guess what I was looking for :(

Before you spend your money, do yourself a favor and give Jordan Moore's freeware Bell 412 a try. http://www.hovercontrol.comCheersBob ScottColonel, USAF (ret)ATP IMEL Gulfstream II-III-IV-VColorado Springs, CO

I vastly prefer a VC in a helicopter, but then again I am also devoted to TrackIR. The default FSX Bell JetRanger is far from the most realistic helicopter in virtual aviation, but I would consider it the most stable, the easiest to hover and the easiest to land: a great starting place for a rookie. As well, there are probably fewer clickable flight controls in the JetRanger than the Piper Cub. More or less, you just fly the thing. Jeff ShylukSenior Staff ReviewerAVSIM