X-Plane for private pilot training?

[Lemond23 0]

I'm currently intending to begin a private pilot course. So, I thought it would nice to buy a sailtek yoke and ruddder pedals and use X-Plane as a training tool. Anyone used or uses X-Plane as a training tool? What are your experiences with it?One very unrealistic thing I note on X-Plane is that the aircrafts are much stable! It's like a "stiff flight"! I remember X-Plane 7 wasn't that stiff. Now, when you turn the yoke, the aircraft doesn't bounce a bit. It's very, very unrealistic. Please, fix this X-Plane!Thanks,Teo Halfen

[60North 120]

Now, when you turn the yoke, the aircraft doesn't bounce a bit. It's very, very unrealistic. Please, fix this X-Plane!

You need to explain what you mean by this, real aircraft certainly don't "bounce" when you turn the yoke..M

[Tierborn 203]

You need to explain what you mean by this, real aircraft certainly don't "bounce" when you turn the yoke..M

I get this as well .. the nose gear bounces, like he said!

[GoranM 3,818]

I get this as well .. the nose gear bounces, like he said!

Where did the OP say the nose gear bounces??And if the nose gear bounces, then you have some serious issues with your installation. (Going by your previous posts, I thought you didn't even have X Plane installed)Perhaps you could make a small video and show us what you mean by the gear bouncing. Trial version of Fraps is free and allows 30 seconds worth of recording. Maybe then we can help you with your problem a little bit more.

[Tierborn 203]

Where did the OP say the nose gear bounces??And if the nose gear bounces, then you have some serious issues with your installation. (Going by your previous posts, I thought you didn't even have X Plane installed)Perhaps you could make a small video and show us what you mean by the gear bouncing. Trial version of Fraps is free and allows 30 seconds worth of recording. Maybe then we can help you with your problem a little bit more.

implied .. how else would you bounce? "serious issues with your installation" - you are so dramatic .. heheI have all flight sims .. Flight Unlimited, XPlane, MSFS, etc .... I have maintain that I would like to see both sims make it, thats the only thing you should have concluded from my posts, not that I dont have xplane I get the nose gear and skid and bounce on sharp turns (more skid that bounce).. lets say that I am doing a rolling take off from the hold short line .. i will often get a nose gear skid and sometimes a bit of a bounce. I just assumed it was an issue with the stock aircraft.

[GoranM 3,818]

implied .. how else would you bounce?

It's possible to bounce in the air as well. I bounce more in the air than I do on the ground...and that's only because of turbulence.

"serious issues with your installation" - you are so dramatic .. hehe

If it's bouncing at the extent that you are implying, then I would say it is a serious issue with something in your installation...seeing as no aircraft I have in x plane "bounce" at all on the runway when turning...unless it is a dirt runway. But then again, you didn't specify. If it's doing something it's not supposed to be doing, I'd say it's "serious".

I have all flight sims .. Flight Unlimited, XPlane, MSFS, etc .... I have maintain that I would like to see both sims make it, thats the only thing you should have concluded from my posts, not that I dont have xplane

It took you all those posts to say what you just said in half a line? I never would have guessed!

I get the nose gear and skid and bounce on sharp turns (more skid that bounce).. lets say that I am doing a rolling take off from the hold short line .. i will often get a nose gear skid and sometimes a bit of a bounce. I just assumed it was an issue with the stock aircraft.

Again, I have never seen any kind of bounce...unless you are on a dirt or gravel runway, taxiing at high speed.

[Tierborn 203]

It's possible to bounce in the air as well. I bounce more in the air than I do on the ground...and that's only because of turbulence.If it's bouncing at the extent that you are implying, then I would say it is a serious issue with something in your installation...seeing as no aircraft I have in x plane "bounce" at all on the runway when turning...unless it is a dirt runway. But then again, you didn't specify. If it's doing something it's not supposed to be doing, I'd say it's "serious".It took you all those posts to say what you just said in half a line? I never would have guessed!Again, I have never seen any kind of bounce...unless you are on a dirt or gravel runway, taxiing at high speed.

Thanks for the help!

[60North 120]

I get this as well .. the nose gear bounces, like he said!

He said his aircraft DOES NOT bounce... (meaning he wants it to bounce.. )

Now, when you turn the yoke, the aircraft doesn't bounce a bit. It's very, very unrealistic. Please, fix this X-Plane!

M

[Lemond23 0]

I don't know how to expresse that in english... I mean: the biggest problem on X-Plane for me is that when you turn the aircraft, , specially the small ones, the wings don't "swing" a bit... the moment you stop turning the joystick, the aircraft instanly stops turning too... very, very weird and unrealistic.Teo Halfen

[Geofa 108]

To answer the ops original question, I have used flight sims since I started training in 1989 for every rating I have gotten, and found them most useful and quite a money saver-so yes I would invest in a good yoke and rudder pedals as a start.Both xplane and fs are leagues above what I started with-however I think what you want to concentrate on is specifically what you want to train for. For instance, as a beginner one of the things you will want to "untrain" is trying to steer the plane with the yoke, and the correct yoke positions for xwind takeoffs while steering with your feet. Either xplane or fsx will do fine here but I think if you get a good payware xplane aircraft (not the default) you will find the takeoff experience more realistic in xplane, and a more accurage rudder usage requirement. You will want to set up and save for instance an xwind takeoff-then practice the takeoff over and over on the sim. You will also want to practice taxiing in the sim with the yoke in the correct position for winds. These two areas are huge examples of how you can save money while practicing on the ground. You can also do your ground reference maneuvers, and play back your track later to see how you did-of course compensating for winds that you put in. Now when you get to an area of power settings and expected performance I think you will find fs more useful. Also when you want to match your exact instrumentation of the aircraft you fly in with high resemblance to what you fly you may also find fs useful. For navigating by pilotage you also may find fs more useful, especially with all the addins that give you rw objects, roads, cities to navigate by.So my advice would be buy both sims, invest in some hardware, and get whatever add ins you need to duplicate your rw experience to the highest degree you can. You will find the investment will more than pay off in saved time, money, and increased safety.

[tutmeister 726]

I think you can deduce from his post that English is not his first language, so perhaps some more help and a little less sarcasm might actually help the OP... I believe he means that air density isn't simulated like real life physics. Like when you turn in real life, you can feel the air "bouncing" you around and even forcing you past your intended heading in heavier turbulence, while in the sim you merely turn the yoke and the aircraft cuts through the air until you counteract the motion with the yoke.

[Guest HowardHughes]

I don't know how to expresse that in english... I mean: the biggest problem on X-Plane for me is that when you turn the aircraft, , specially the small ones, the wings don't "swing" a bit... the moment you stop turning the joystick, the aircraft instanly stops turning too... very, very weird and unrealistic.Teo Halfen

Based on this post I'd assume he means;1) When you roll back to wings level, if you are in an unbalanced turn you often get a little nudge from the yaw as you roll back.2) GA aircraft don't tend to halt their roll imediately. They often float ever so slightly past the roll end point, unless you account for it by returning your yoke to centre before you have finished the roll.

[Lemond23 0]

Geofa, I learned a lot with you reply it. Thanks!

2) GA aircraft don't tend to halt their roll imediately. They often float ever so slightly past the roll end point, unless you account for it by returning your yoke to centre before you have finished the roll.

]That's the point! The smaller aircrafts halt their roll imediately after you center the joystick. I tested on windows 7 and windows xp, and this problem continues. Don't know how about you, guys.Thanks,Teo

[GoranM 3,818]

Geofa, I learned a lot with you reply it. Thanks!]That's the point! The smaller aircrafts halt their roll imediately after you center the joystick. I tested on windows 7 and windows xp, and this problem continues. Don't know how about you, guys.Thanks,Teo

Can you list the aircraft this has happened on?Payware? Freeware? Default?

[Lemond23 0]

Can you list the aircraft this has happened on?Payware? Freeware? Default?

All smaller default aircrafts. For exemple, Cessna 172.