When I click button #1 (CH Yoke) OR the . on the keyboard it turns off the brakes initially. I cannot engage the brakes again using either although the lesson is telling me to engage the parking brake. I tried it within create a flight with the same results.The word "Brakes" flashes for a few seconds but does not engage the parking brake. In settings/assignments I tried it with repeat at its default all the way to the right and then all the way to the left - that being even worse besides the fact that I don't know what "repeat" refers to in the settings.Also, is the reason the altimeter in the 172 is a little over 400' at Seattle because that's where this airport is above MSL???Thank you.Louis

Parking Brake is Ctrl+., not just . Button 1 is used to apply and release regular brakes, NOT parking brakes. Check Options/Controls/Assignments in the FS menu.SEA is 433 elevation. That will show if you have the current altimeter settingt--or, if using default weather, 29.92 (Standard).Check the following web site for info on just about any aiport in the US:http://www.naco.faa.gov/index.asp?xml=naco/online/d_tppAlso, airnav.com will have about the same info, both sites are excellent. Hope this helps,Paul

PaulThanks - it does help. I am able to use . or #1 to to disengage but not to re-apply. Once off I am unable to use either to apply or release the regular brakes although the pedals do that.Louis

I think you are missing what he just said. Think of your car (assuming you have one). You hit the brakes to slow down, but use the parking brake when you are parked and especially on a steep hill.They are two different things. You are applying your brakes when hitting your #1 yoke button or the period (.) key. That is not the parking brake though. To activate the parking brake you have to hit your control button and the period key at the same time.

Really - I do understand perfectly what Paul (and you) said. (I do have a car by the way :-)) I guess I was getting too mired into semantics.It is always helpful though to have more than one explanation and I appreciate that.Louis

Hi LouisI take it you are using CH USB pedals, as am I. I've also found that with these pedals I can only use . or #1 button to disengage parking brakes and nothing else. However CTRL + . still resets the parking brakes. If this isn't working you could try reassigning it in control assignments. You could try assigning just the . to set and release the parking brake as it no longer opperates the regular brakes (I think I'll try that myself). The repeat bar adjusts the power of the brakes and should be set to the right (default). By the way some aircraft have a parking brake or parking brake indicator on the instrument panel or a pop-up window and you can set the parking brake by clicking on it. I'm glad to see you are making good progress in your flying. I hope you're doing a lot of flying just for fun, besides the lessons.David

Well semantics here is important as they are two different things. So you are saying that ctl/. doesn't set your parking brake?

Ctrl + . does set the parking brake now that I know about it.I was wondering why the . or #1 flashed on and off. It must need to be held just like brakes but I am using the ch rudder pedals for stopping now.Louis

OK that's good then. The brakes may be flashing on and off because of the FSUIPC setting. I used to use my pedals for the brakes as well, but that function broke :-( Booo hoo... Now I use the button on my yoke for brakes.

Hi DavidYes I do have the CH USB Pedals, and CTRL + . does reset the parking brakes. That's a good idea about resetting the . and #1 key for the parking brakes since I can use the pedals for the other brakes.I couldn't find a parking brake and/or indicator on the 172.That is nice of you to say so but I would not call what I am doing "good progress."I am on Lesson 5 and what doesn't make sense is when I am told I am distracted when I am doing as instructed and put the nose down and attained a speed of 85 knots. That's exactly what he says to do.As for flying for fun I'm not there yet. Wish I was and could.I have taken off in a couple of aircraft, but I have to abort as I don't know how or where to find a place to land.Good thing this isn't the real thing since you can't push a button and escape or abort a flight and live to talk about it.BTW, I recently bought the book, "Stick and Rudder" which so far has been very helpful in clearing up some things and helping me to grasp some concepts. Are you familiar with it?I will be happier when I at least get off and past the proverbial square one.LouisP.S. And just think, 100 years ago no self respecting Indian would even consider piloting airplanes or for that matter, using e-mails and the Internet. :)

It can't be the FSUIPC setting because I removed that program for now.Maybe my FS-04 program is haunted!?!Louis

"P.S. And just think, 100 years ago no self respecting Indian would even consider piloting airplanes or for that matter, using e-mails and the Internet."Hi LouisI don't think those things were around 100 years ago, but then neither was I LOL.You should spend some time just flying for fun, that's what I think it's all about, and I think you'll be surprised at what you can learn without the constraints of being told what to do by an instructor. Try departing from KSEA and head west through the mountains. Watch your altitude though and be careful not to get caught in a climbing valley, where your plane can't gain enough altitude and you also don't have room to turn around. (You learn this quickly from bush flying!). Or head south and follow a road, or a river when you come to one. There are endless beautiful places to fly. Don't worry about landing. When you come accross an airport if you want to land make a save first, then if you crash you can retry the landing as many times as you wish. There is an awful lot to be learned by flying like this, and I think you are focusing too much on lessons. Go do some fun flying and sightseeing!Davidedit: Louis, you are already past the "proverbial square one". You can take off, control your altitude and direction, use the compass. That's about all you need to go enjoy the sights! And no, I havn't gotten around to "Stick and Rudder" yet but sometime in the winter I will, thanks for the suggestion.

Those things certainly were not around 100 years ago and we (Indians)were barely surviving. We've grown in population and we're still around no thanks to the usa but we won't get into that being as it is WAY beyond the scope of this forum, and I don't want to get yelled at. Or worse, thrown off because having this forum has been priceless to me.In fact, sometimes I feel a little guilty picking everyone's brains and my barrage of infantile questions everytime I hit a sticking point.I am getting the altitude part but not direction and use of the compass (yet). And speaking of the CH Pedals I still need to get the feel of how much is too much or too little. I often wander into the grass. Thank goodness not always.How do you save a flight?LouisP.S. Speaking of books, and one that I think was recommended on this forum is "Air Frame." It's a novel by Crichton. It was very good and fun reading because I actually understood a lot of the jargon and terminology.Any other good fiction on (non-military) flying, planes and airports besides the Hailey novel?

LouisI absolutely agree with what you said at the start of your post, but I don't want to start World War III in here! You save by pressing ; and then do what the menu says. As for staying out of the grass there is a trick to steering. Start the default flight, the C172 at KSEA, and look at what part of the instrument panel lines up with the runway center line. It should be the right side of the attitude indicator (artificial horizon). Now taxi slowly keeping this location on the panel lined up with the runway line (focusing more in the distance, rather than up close) and this will keep you going straight, with a little practice. Every panel has a location like this and if you keep it lined up with something in the direction you want to go it will help a lot. After a while this will become so second nature that you won't even think about it any more. I don't use the default 172 but I just tried it and it isn't the easiest thing to steer, maybe its just my controller settings though. David