I don't fly it real world, but am fairly picky about a realistic view..I vary my zoom as to what I'm doing.. Will be between 0.45 to 0.60, just depending on what part of the flight, and what I need to see. IE: On takeoff, I like to be able to see at least theleft side engine n speeds, etc.. So I'll zoom out just far enough to be able to see the leftside of the center engine screen. That way I can see my L n speed, etc. Would be better tobe able to see both engines, but to do that zooms out a tad too much for my tastes.In flight, I'll vary.. But I never zoom out more than .45 ever, and .50 is probably the average.One thing.. I imagine that in real life the panel is pretty danged wide.. This ain't no 182...So unless you move your eye point/view around, you are not going to see much of theright side looking straight ahead. And the panel will seem big, and fairly high in a way,although like one said, you should need to look down a bit to see the panel.Anyway, I run from .45 to .55 on average. I'll vary it some during a flight, and often zoomin on things like the CDU, unless I bring up the 2D view. I'd never tried aligning with the HGS, but when I flip it down, it's a pretty good fit as is,the way I run it. So far in this plane, I've never really needed to adjust my seat up or down.I usually leave it at default. Seems about right.I don't have tracker IR, etc, that that may be one reason why I zoom out a tad more thanthe ones using it. When I move my view, it's with the space bar and mouse, which is kindof clunky compared to tracker IR.

I'm not a RW pilot, I just fly gliders. I set my zoom to 80% sometimes 70, no less. I do have track IR otherwise I'd have to zoom out to see anything. I do set my view back slightly, for example I'll set 80%, move my head towards the monitor slightly and press reset view for TIR, this is like sitting back in the chair as by default your sitting on the edge of your seat! The MCP in real life is close and very easy to reach, and you do need to look down to see the MFDs.Dan.

That's the difference between VFR and IFR flight. VFR you look outside and not at the gauges other than to crosscheck information. Now, when IFR in clear weather you do need to keep a look out for traffic since VFR traffic that is not talking to ATC might be there, and you can't always count on ATC to tell you, but flying the airplane is done from the gauges, not by looking outside. Will you ever go back and get your PPL? Thanks, Bruce.

Bruce, I don't mean to question your knowledge or judgement or if you have any RW flight training / experience , My instructor told me during a VFR flight (not VMC or IMC or IFR) the instruments are just for reference but that does not mean you do not check , he said when in a SLF cross check everything from wings level, nose attitude everything and then refer with the instruments. IFR he said it is a completely different ball game. Maybe it's different with the big babes. I never had a chance to a flight experience in the pit in RL. I do not know if I will go back and get a PPL , right now it's just too expensive for me hopefully in the near future I will.

I am a captain on a Beechjet / however have sat in 737 Level D Sims as well, and I can tell you the view is mostly out the window in front of you, the panel is close and the flight displays require quite a glance below you to see them... the same in the bizjet as well...In fact that's how my NGX VC is set up... I can't show a pic right now..but sometime will, however, remember in REAL JETS where you can't be looking at the airspeed tape easily, since it's so far below your viewpoint ... you have the FO call out speeds on approach all the way to touch down... "ref plus 10", "ref plus 5" all the way in on final.. that's why, the guy flying can never see the guages, and look out the window at the same time....so flightsimmers please note that... I have my ezdok mapped keys on the joystick give me that rapid glancing view down to the gauges when I need them, then pop back up out the large front windshield!

Airliners always fly IFR regardless of the weather. This does not mean they won't look outside during a visual approach for example, but it does mean they have the bonuses that IFR provides, which has been mentioned previously in the thread.Some confusion seems to be stemming from the abbreviations of terms.IFR (instrument flight rules) is a set of rules that the flight is flowen under. It provides the extra ATC support as well as the ability to fly in cloud. When flying IFR your main point of reference will be the instruments.VFR (visual flight rules) is also a set of rules, not weather conditions that you can fly under. Most of VFR flights are the "low and slow" GA aircraft. In VFR the primary point of reference will be the view outside, with the instruments used to support the outside picture. VMC is the actual weather conditions that it is legal to fly under VFR. In Australia VMC is (simplified) 5000 meters visibility, and you must remain clear of cloud( certain spacing required depending on airspace)IMC is the conditions that you must be flying under IFR to fly in.In relation to the ops question, I find the most comfortable zoom level for me on my 22" non wide screen monitor when flying the NGX is about 40. But as others have stated the actual view from the real thing requires you to look down to actually see the gauges. (The HGS is great in the sim, but I imagine it been a wonderful feature of the real aircraft that will really inhance the flying of the Jet)Again as others have stated. The Glareshield comes out a long way in the real 737. The time I went in a NG sim, and in the real aircraft I was amazed at how far back the screens actually are from the MCP. It's a feeling I've never experienced in a sim. The A320 appears the same from my few brief glimpese in its FD and I presume othe large aircraft are too.

Do the words "airspace class" ring a bell?

Do the words "airspace class" ring a bell?

Let's clear the IFR/VFR/IMC/VMC issues first before going down that route Class A all the way if it was up to me Jay Cargo

Let's clear the IFR/VFR/IMC/VMC issues first before going down that route Class A all the way if it was up to me Jay Cargo

Yep let's clear that as some of us have had some sort of training and some not.

There should be a website with aviation explanations for those who have had no training at all. Often, flight simulator makes you learn things, not only in a very simple way, but also in a wrong way. IMC-VMC-IFR-IFR-S/VFR-N/VFR are not 6 types of the same thing. They are very different concepts. Some are a set of conditions, and others are a set of rules. Those rules, combined with the airspace you are flying in, will also determine which services will be provided, the equipment that you need and what type of traffic you will be separated from or informed about. Those services can be ATC, Traffic information, Traffic Advisory or Flight Information Service.

I totally agree, Omar. And my apologies for mixing terms here, it is correct that there is no " IFR weather" , but it becomes a slang term in clubs where pilots know what is being intended to be said, even though the instrument oral flight test ( mine at least) has a question about this. But it's not right to say it that way.@ Ironmaiden, no worries, I think we are saying the same thing, but I never get offended about anyone questioning anything I say or write ;) , unless it's at work where I construct financial projection models along with some other economists...... The fights we all have about the economic events in the future sounds like a kindergarten at times :) .Thanks, Bruce.

. The fights we all have about the economic events in the future sounds like a kindergarten at times :) . Thanks, Bruce.

Haha cool.