My suggestion is to learn the navigation in the GA planes first. You really need to understand how to fly from VOR to VOR and ILS approaches. I think it is also good to learn how to program the default GPS and navigate exclusively by GPS too. Once you have that down in GA you might step up the a King Air and try several flights from LAX to Las Vegas to learn SIDs and STARs and how to work at faster speeds. Then you can step up again to the default 737 and practice at even faster speeds. Then you'll slip into a high-detail and high-dollar Add-on with high confidence.

My suggestion is to learn the navigation in the GA planes first. You really need to understand how to fly from VOR to VOR and ILS approaches. I think it is also good to learn how to program the default GPS and navigate exclusively by GPS too. Once you have that down in GA you might step up the a King Air and try several flights from LAX to Las Vegas to learn SIDs and STARs and how to work at faster speeds. Then you can step up again to the default 737 and practice at even faster speeds. Then you'll slip into a high-detail and high-dollar Add-on with high confidence.

 

^This, navigation is the key. Once comfortable with navigation using beacons, radials etc the rest is systems and procedures.

 

Although I don't really agree on navigating exclusively on the default GPS, many get into the complex payware aircraft treating the CDU as their personal GPS that does everything (even if the aircraft doesn't have GPS system at all :P ).

Airbus has a very easy to learn cockpit. Try an A320. Ive flown the 737 and A320 - and the airbus has a more basic cockpit. Even the FMC is more convenient to setup for the pilot. Setup a climb speed and a cruise speed and the plane will fly itself the entire way.

If you wanna try something more complex but simplified, take a look at the QW757. Then from there, you can work your way up into the PMDG planes(747-MD-11-NGX etc)

Just go straight to whatever plane you want to fly. Its really straight forward and easy, just read the manual. I dont recommend getting a "lite" plane to ease the way into the more complete airliner simulations at all. I recommend getting great simulations that also has great tutorials.

Fictional dialogue.

(OP) Geez, so many directions, I wonder which way I should go for learning about the complex ways. :Worried: I'm sure the guys at Avsim will know.

 

(poster 1) Go North! (repeated twice, no explanation given)

(poster 2) What? North is so wrong, you should visit East first.

(poster 3) Guys, South is the way to go. I mean, I never saw anything else but the South, so it must be good.

poster 4 was deleted but later added that he's lost any situational awareness due to asking in forums before and now just follows the sun, sometimes the moon.

(poster 5) Well, there's an old saying, I don't know what it says and why, but you should go West, that's for sure.

poster 6 posted off topic but mainly referred to that compass from Pirates of the Caribbean.

 

After a lot of posts and a lot of answers.

(OP) I'm glad I've asked. :P

I can identify with TracyQ. I like the VFR in ORBX, and will often strike out in any direction on a whim. Then I think about a destination, but without a map I'm not sure of where in the city the airport is, the best approaches to the airport, runways available, etc. I know there is the FSX map, but that is a pain to have to stop everything and look it up, then leave it, etc. So how can I get vectors like Tracy was mentioning? Do I have to have a flight plan or switch to IFR? Thanks.

I guess the OP was looking for a way to nicely transition to flying airliners. Seems like you are looking for a nice software showing a map and some extra information. There is a freeware called Plan-G which may give you just that. It can run networked too, so a second PC comes in handy.

 

And welcome, sort of. First post at Avsim.

 

For things like looking up current IFR procedures (some older ones are in FSX) or assigning SIDs and STARs to you flying, you may need some more. A good flight planner (for IFR), some ATC being aware of those procedures (which the FSX one only is in a very limited way) and some plane with gauges being able to handle them.

 

So that's the part where things get a bit more complex.

Thanks for the welcome! Be retiring soon and will have more time to actually "learn" things.

In the meantime, if I'm VFRing around, and decide to head toward...say,Billings or Kelowna, for example, is there a way to get with ATC and have them start vectoring me in? Or do I have to make that decision before I start? Thanks again. I look forward to learning from the Avsim Forum in the future.

Id suggest continue flying your GA aircraft in IFR conditions.

 

Create a route and navigate along it without the use of the GPS.

 

Set your global weather to rubbish, try setting the visibility to around 500m from ground level to 10000ft, That way you are flying blind for the entire flight other than the use of the instruments.

 

Ensure you're arrival airport has an ILS, turn off all AI traffic, and dont use the ATC.

 

Planning your arrival will take a little bit of brain power as to make sure you are lining yourself up correctly.

 

Soon as your comfortable with flying like this, You'll find flying the heavies a whole lot easier.

Just want all the "repliers" to know that I am reading, and thinking/learning, from them.

 

It seems to me that I do need to do more work on the GA side of things before progressing to the bigger iron.

 

Still, one of the great things about FSX, and all simulators, is that the most that can get damaged by inexperience is one's ego. :)

Like a few previous posters I have also worked "backwards" so to speak. I started simming on FS98 by flying the default 737-400 and continued with this right through to FSX ( B738). I never even gave GA a second thought as I imagined they were just boring. In fact I couldn't have been so wrong, not least because by 2012 photo-realistic scenery has opened up flight simming in a whole new way. In addition to this I started out on real training (PPL) and suddenly found that my understanding of stick and rudder flying was zero. I started again from the very beginning with Carenado's C172 and Angle of Attacks free Avitor 90 training. I have now advanced to Aviator pro which brings in all the IFR flight training including chart reading etc. I only wish this type of online training was available when I set out all those years ago. I haven't flown a jet in fsx in about two years although I fully intend to again in the near future. FSX + add-ons is one amazingly realistic package, to do it ( and yourself) justice I would learn IFR techniques on smaller/slower aircraft before moving to heavies.