Just wanted to share my experiences with VCs and the VRInsight head tracking device.I was always sceptic about the usage of VCs, and to be able to make my own conclusions, I purchased VRInsights HAT Track (mostly because it's cheaper than TrackIR and less problematic in bright environments).I mostly fly airliners the type of PMDG's MD-11, LDS 767 and Leonardo's MD-80 and always was in 2D panel mode only (except one time when I purchased Ariane's 737 which has no 2D panel). My opinion is that 2D mode is sufficient to fly those planes in almost all situations. But there are rare cases where I always wished to have more "3D feeling", for example approaches to Funchal and Tegucigalpa. The runways are hard to track in 2D mode and an approach is difficult because of the lack of "peripheral vision".Reading the many comments in the forums of people who praise the VC and say 2D isn't needed anymore, I expected a lot from the head tracking device and even planned to switch to VC only mode.Now I have several hours of experience with the HAT Track, and I tried a lot of different settings. As a conclusion I can say that the usage of such a device allows me to fly maneuvers in 3D mode which are way harder in 2D, if not almost impossible. But: This is true for almost pure visual maneuvers. I found it very impractical and almost impossible to manage e.g. the MD-11 flight deck in VC only mode. All in all the head tracking device allows great freedom of view when looking at the outside world, but is lousy when used to read and handle things in the flight deck. It feels a too unnatural, and I can only select between not being able to hit a button because the slightest movement of my head causes the pan view to follow this movement and the button kind of "vibrates" below the mouse pointer, or to reduce the movement sensitivity and then need to move my head a lot to pan around.So, having made my experiences, I must say that there's absoloutely no replacement for a 2D cockpit. I'll use the head tracking device in case I need "special view" for a specific approach or when I fly small VFR planes. A switch to VC and omit the 2D cockpit for me is completely unthinkable, at least for complex airliners.Because of the way head tracking devices work, I cannot see a possible improvement in that area. My device works perfectly, but I find it not suited for the handling of complex airliner cockpits. Maybe it's better for different kinds of games.Andreas

Someone once let me have a go with one of these things and my experience was similar to that you describe.However, those who have persevered and got a little more experienced with it tell me that there is no way they would go back to the 2D cockpit.So may just be a case of patience and a little more time and practice.IAN

It does get easier with practice. I use the TrackIR and have a button on my yoke that freezes the TrackIR when using difficult to reach buttons etc so that my head movements no longer impact on the process. It makes it much easier.

I have TrackIR, and my experience is similar to yours. I can't imagine flying smaller aircraft like the A2A Cub, Lotus L-39, or the Dodosim 206 without it, but I rarely use it for airliners. In the VC-only PMDG JS41 I prefer to use the mouse to pan and zoom.

Ditto what steveo38 says above. There is also this to consider: Many manufacturers of FSX sims and moving to no longer including a 2-D panel of any kind on their products making a head motion device of some kind an absolute necessity. Adding the functionality of locking the view easily into place (see again stevEo38) is the best way to go. if your VRInsight device does not offer that functionality then you have purchased a cheaper, low end knock off IMHO.Yes, all the VC head tracking devices require a definite learning period, soon you will wonder how you ever got along without it.

Just wanted to share my experiences with VCs and the VRInsight head tracking device.I was always sceptic about the usage of VCs, and to be able to make my own conclusions, I purchased VRInsights HAT Track (mostly because it's cheaper than TrackIR and less problematic in bright environments).I mostly fly airliners the type of PMDG's MD-11, LDS 767 and Leonardo's MD-80 and always was in 2D panel mode only (except one time when I purchased Ariane's 737 which has no 2D panel). My opinion is that 2D mode is sufficient to fly those planes in almost all situations. But there are rare cases where I always wished to have more "3D feeling", for example approaches to Funchal and Tegucigalpa. The runways are hard to track in 2D mode and an approach is difficult because of the lack of "peripheral vision".Reading the many comments in the forums of people who praise the VC and say 2D isn't needed anymore, I expected a lot from the head tracking device and even planned to switch to VC only mode.Now I have several hours of experience with the HAT Track, and I tried a lot of different settings. As a conclusion I can say that the usage of such a device allows me to fly maneuvers in 3D mode which are way harder in 2D, if not almost impossible. But: This is true for almost pure visual maneuvers. I found it very impractical and almost impossible to manage e.g. the MD-11 flight deck in VC only mode. All in all the head tracking device allows great freedom of view when looking at the outside world, but is lousy when used to read and handle things in the flight deck. It feels a too unnatural, and I can only select between not being able to hit a button because the slightest movement of my head causes the pan view to follow this movement and the button kind of "vibrates" below the mouse pointer, or to reduce the movement sensitivity and then need to move my head a lot to pan around.So, having made my experiences, I must say that there's absoloutely no replacement for a 2D cockpit. I'll use the head tracking device in case I need "special view" for a specific approach or when I fly small VFR planes. A switch to VC and omit the 2D cockpit for me is completely unthinkable, at least for complex airliners.Because of the way head tracking devices work, I cannot see a possible improvement in that area. My device works perfectly, but I find it not suited for the handling of complex airliner cockpits. Maybe it's better for different kinds of games.Andreas

HelloIf possible in the VR hatrack software map your middle mouse click to pause the movement.That way you look where you want to click and freeze the motion in a natural movementI nearly bought the VR unit when my last TrackIR died but the VR's software looked a bit crude compared to the TrackIR'sStick with it and you will be flying complex airliners without problem, the pause function mapped to the middle mouse is the best way to tame these devices.

Andreas,I have been using Track IR4 for a year now and I must say I have not had the problems you mentioned. I fly airliners 90% of the time and it is now 2nd nature to me. I only freeze the tracking device on short final.Indeed, I can't imagine flying without it. Having pop up panels alleviates a lot of the issues with the mouse pointer and so I use them a lot. Just my 2 cents. Approaching Kai Tak in a 747-400 on a foggy night using head tracking all the way is a near religious experience for me :( !Alex C

Having pop up panels alleviates a lot of the issues with the mouse pointer and so I use them a lot.

Funny how everyone does things differently. I love my TrackIR because it enables me to fly from the VC only without having to open any pop up panels! :( They spoil the idea of being there for me! I have flown all kinds of aircraft, from the Foxbat to the MD11 and I refuse to fly without my TrackIR! I hardly ever use the pause button: when I want to do something in the MD11 VC I just bend forward as I would in real life and do what I want to do... I have no problem with it at all. Need to do something on the overhead? I just look up and do it. It's SO natural! Recently I bought the Quest Kodiak, also because you can do everything from within the VC: I have no problem at all using the middle MFD (GPS) without pausing the TrackIR... I have to say though that I have set it up in such a way that the view is constantly steady.Some people have to get used to devices like these: it only took me an hour to know I would never fly without it anymore. And btw the TrackIR may cost more than that VRInsight thing, but well... quality comes at a cost... :(

Just to add my 2c to this: I'm of the opposite opinion of the orginal poster, I won't purchase any airliner that does not have a virtual cockpit because 2D panels just do not cut it for me. However when I was first starting out in FS, all I flew were the 2D panels because the VCs were too scarily complex for me. To each their own; fly however you feel comfortable, it is your computer and simulator afterall. :(I don't have TrackIR yet, but am considering purchasing it in the New Year.

I may as well throw in a couple of cents in support of the TrackIR, too. Almost all of my r/w flying was done through the '50's and '60's, with the odd hour or two since then. Much of that time was spent doing aerobatics, and that demands a very fast and free view in all axes. The TrackIR makes this possible, so I have most of A2A's superb aircraft: the magnificent RealAir Spit 14, the Carenado 152 II, the Eaglesoft Citation II, a modified Icarus Gold Pitts S2 - and the Leonardo Maddog Pro. All these aircraft are flown with the VC. My mouse is a Logitech RevolutionMX, which has a small button behind the wheel, and this I use to make the screen freeze in order to operate switches/buttons etc.. The very systems-intense Maddog has lots of switches, circuit breakers, rotary knobs and levers, and is pure pleasure to fly in the VC mode in 3840 x 1024, so the rule for me is - if it doesn't have a VC - I don't buy it.

I'll further add that in the case of needing pop-ups, I use a few here and there too. That's what a second monitor is for. TrackIR makes using a second monitor a no brainer.

I can't really imagine flight sim without head tracking. Yes it could be better, but it's also a huge leap over the joystick hat switch. Some folks take to head tracking very quickly, others are slow or no-adopters. Most of us, myself included, need some learning time. I would kindly suggest spending a few hours pushing GA aircraft around before climbing into the cockpit of a big airliner. You need the head tracking motion to be absolutely second nature, otherwise you will find that the tracker feels cumbersome. You will always be fighting the control rather than working with it, until such time as you put in some GA practise. Besides, spending time in Cessna checkrides won't hurt your flying skills. Jeff ShylukSenior Staff ReviewerAVSIM

Using a Dualhead2Go Digital with two monitors, giving me a picture of 3380x1050, 2D Panels are no option for me, because they are ridiculously streched. For a year or so now, I am using TrackIR and there is NO way for me going back to not using it. I tried flying without it - it's like the difference between a photo and a movie.Having TrackIR and some hardware for the instruments (MPanel, Saitek) is absolute heaven. Add voice recognition (MCE), and you are IN the cockpit.

I had bought TrackIR 3 when it came out several years ago and have been using it ever since. My only problem with it was that on airliner cockpits, I would often need to reach a switch either all the way across the panel or way up top on the overhead panel and had to bend my head in weird angles to get at it. Some switches were unreachable simply because I did not want to increase the sensitivity too much as it gave me motion sickness. And without the increased sensitivity, the sensor would move out of range of the camera before it panned far enough to reach the switch.Now, I just got TrackIR 5 for Christmas and it is much better. Besides fitting onto my LCD monitor much better than TrackIR 3, it also has a wider field of view so I can keep the sensitivity down but still have plenty of travel before the sensor goes out of view from the camera. This allows me to pan all the way across the panel to reach the switch I need.