Hi there!As a rookie, I thought that attending the flight lessons offered in FS2004 would be helpful for actually knowing what exactly I'm doing by intuition. But this turned out to be much more difficult than I expected...Apart from the "Your skills are quite moderate" and the "You seem to be distracted" messages (I don't know the exact wording, as I'm using the german version), there's a different problem in the landing lession. While I approach the runway, the teacher keeps on talking and talking, about a fish dinner and other unimportant stuff, then he finally tells me what to do when I'm about to reach the runway. But in this very moment I already touch the ground for a more ore less good landing (for my skills...) The simulator then interprets this "landing" as a crash and aborts the lesson.Is it because I'm too fast? Or is there a different workaround for this problem?Thanks for your help!Greetings,Holger

Hi Holger, I would say that your approach speed is too high and/or you are failing to flare on landing. However, the experts might have other opinions.One problem I have when doing the "Private Pilot Check Ride" is the lack of time given for trimming. When I climb to 2000ft and start to trim for level flight (it normally takes me a couple of minutes to get it correct for level flight), the instructor almost immediately goes on to the 90 degree turn. I end up trimming and turning at the same time which results in me getting in a bit of a mess!! :-) Victor

Hi Victor!>I end up trimming and turning at the same time which results>in me getting in a bit of a mess!! :-) Trimming... good point...Everytime the instructor tells me to adjust speed/throttle/alt/slope/whatever and afterwards to trim, I find myself nervously clicking those two buttons on my joystick, desperately trying to do something I would expect to be much easier in RL... (honestly, I never tried it!)After a few tries, I gave up. Since then I try to keep the altitude "by hand", which seems much easier to me. But probably I'm just lacking the exercise. :-)Greetings,Holger

If you have a rotary control on your joystick Holger you may find that easier to use for trim setting rather than using buttons.

"I find myself nervously clicking those two buttons on my joystick"HolgerYou shouldn't be "clicking" the trim buttons but rather holding down one or the other to trim up or down. You may not have them set up properly. Go into the controller assignments and find elevator trim. Ther will be one for up and one for down, and next to each will be a "repeat" bar, which adjusts how rapidly the trim responds. If they are set all the way to the left the response will be very slow, or you may have to keep "clicking" the buttons to get a response. Set to the right will give a very rapid response when a trim button is held down. I have mine set right about center. Hope this helps.David

Hi David!>I have mine set right about center. Hope this helps.I never thought about this solution...I'll try it. Thanks a lot!Greetings,Holger

>Hi David!>>>I have mine set right about center. Hope this helps.>>I never thought about this solution...>I'll try it. Thanks a lot!>>Greetings,>Holger>I never thought about it either. I tried it last night and it does seem easier. I'll see how it goes over the next few days.Thanks for the suggestion.Victor