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Manny

Question for Real World Pilots

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Having recently completed my fATPL and weeks away from that elusive first job, I use FS to keep both interested and in practise.The sensation of flying is very average, as are most flight models, however, just being in the right state of mind and making sure I think about and consider everything I would be doing in the real aircraft helps keep the mind sharp. It was commented during my training (particularly the IR) that I had very good situational awareness, that I put down almost entirely to FS.Oh, I also enjoy being able to do all those things I couldn't/wouldn't be allowed to do in real life, it's fun.Ian

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Real flying is very serious stuff. I look at weather on my intended route about 4-5 days out (on TV, etc.), then as I get within the 24 hour period of my flight I'm getting TAF's which I'm constantly watching and using for decision making. There's checking all the IFR and VFR charts for currency, then when at the plane about 30 minutes doing a pre-flight and getting organized (this is a Cessna 172). Clearance Delivery, taxi to the active is usually a 3/4 mile event (more time), watching control positions for whatever wind is present and looking for other a/c while keeping the ATC chat from tower to other a/c in the foreground. Run-up is another 10 minutes, IFR release when I call that I'm ready, wait for my turn to be given permission to take the active, initial headings and altitude, take-off and contact departures. Lots going on before I even get off the ground and it's all major serious stuff with zero tolerance for error.In FS, I do the opposite. Start FS with me on the active and I'm off, It's not a substitute for real flying, it's a fun thing that I can relax with when I get home from work. Plus the added bonus of realistic instrument flying that adds to currency (not legally though, FS has no recognition for currency in the FAA's eyes).One's serious, the other's fun. And sometimes it is interesting to actually go through the entire start-up procedure of something that I would never fly.Bruce.

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1. $$$$$$$$. Even with a multitude of addon's, the cost of flightsim is minimal. Real world cost per hour to say nothing of maitenance and other requirements is only exceeded by what I spend realtive to the cost of having a wife.2. I have owned a J3 Cub and Older model 172. I never will be able to own a Gulfstream V, DC3, Pilatus, Airbus or 747-400, but can have a virtual experience with them through FlightSim.3. A learning experience relative to High altitude, International, and high speed flights which again I will never be able to experience in the real world, but is pretty well simulated in flightsim.4. VatSim may help one's communication skills for real world flight.I am sure there are many others, but I do think flightsim offers a learning experience which is of some slight value in the real world. After all, good piloting I believe requires as much mental practice as physical practice anyway. Of course, too much practice may have one hunting for mouse buttons instead of the real thing.Happy flying:RTH

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Guest TRK3586

I'm currently working on my private license and I'm hopefully another 2 solo cross countries from getting there. I tried to post my pics on here from my first solo cross country, but that didn't really work out.In terms of using FS, I think it is an excellent tool for use with IFR as well as VFR training, (that's a pilot talking who's at the bottom of the food chain :) ). I've been using FS since FSFW 95, and I've come a long way since then. With some help from professionals in the industry that I met online, I've already learned how to fly a lot of instrument procedures in FS. My CFI is amazed at how much I know about instrument procedures already. I attribute my knowledge to a certain dispatcher who works in the industry. I'm enrolled in a 141 flight school right now, and this semester we're starting Instrument courses. Because of my use of FS, I think I have a leg up ahead of most of the kids in my class. I was explaining DP and STAR charts to a classmate of mine the other day. My CFI is always telling me to "try it out in flight sim tonight and we'll do it tomorrow" --He also believes FS is an excellent way to hone skills. Even though I'm barely a pilot, I've been dreaming of the day that I could respond to one of these posts :)Tim

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Guest Tim W

Pretty much all of my flying these days is work related commercial stuff. I rarely fly GA aircraft for pleasure as it's too expensive in Europe. For relaxation and fun I prefer the computer. That way I can fly aircraft I will never have the opportunity for fly in real life. Vintage props are my passion but also the odd old airliner but now and again I succumb to a trip in the PMDG 737 as well.Horses for courses!Cheershttp://members.chello.nl/t.westnutt/realair1.gif

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Guest av84fun

What he said.SEL/MEL/COMMERCIAL/INSTRUMENT

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Guest av84fun

<>I'm surprised to read that. I was an Elite user for many years...almost from the beginning of that sim and believe that MSFS passed them up long ago in almost every catagory from flight dynamics (when you thin down to the best of the breed)to panel functionality. Of course from a scenery point of view FS9 blows Elite away. And there is the price issue...like Elite is 4-5 times more money.Just IMHO.Regards,Jim

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Guest Kefuddle

Yes well, The point is with instrument scan practice (IFR), the secenery is irelevant, but detail like lag in the VSI is not. Elite understand this. Indeed, there is little distraction when flying Elite; no pauses, no sudden changes in clouds, no suddenly wildly fluctuating altimiters...just practice. In the area if FM there is an another important point overlooked: When practising IFR, you are practising procedure; Elite is written to perform to book numbers, FS isn't. Another key area that Elite excels at is that the interface does not overtly intrude on the flying like it does in FS. It takes me three-five times longer to select a frequency, squawk, QNH in FS than in Elite and about 1.5 times longer in Elite than in RL (approx of course).Elite Core is

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Guest aca_dia

You can pretty much achieve the same environment with Fs9. Turn off detailed clouds and turn down the eye candy. Set visibility to 1/16 and overcast from the surface to 20000

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Guest 737_Pilot

Lucky for me what I fly has a Collins EFIS so>with Rxp Jl2 gauges in something like the FSD Cheyenne (or the>very nice Collins panel in the Aeroworx B200) I get super>smooth instruments and a panel that matches what I really fly.Give me a screenshot of the two panels will ya, I'm interested in what those avionics look like?And please make it in 1024x768 so I can see it, thanks.

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I've got 2400 hours, an ATPL, and I still sim probably 10 hours minimum a week on top of flying 100+ real hours a month... I generally only fly the heavier iron on flightsim with flight computers because this is ultimately what I want to get to... unfortuneatley the bulk of my flying is running above the tree tops at 300 feet in restricted visibility, and whiteout conditions well grounding 200 knots in a Navajo. So for me being able to load up an IFDG airbus with the PSS panel and plug in YWG.FAREN.YDR.VLN.YDC.BOOTH.CANUCK5.CYVR is a welcomed sigh of releif as I sit back and watch someone else do the work :) I always do the approaches though, never use autoland.Chris

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Guest aca_dia

Sure thing. These are right off my screen and not reduced (1280x960). I did use photoshop to lower the quality a bit to get the files sizes down a little. edit: I changed this post to plain text so the images do not load (so dial up people don

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Guest Kingair315

For good GA Traffic, as busy as you want it, you can use GA-Traffic. Ive got 89 AI GA aircraft installed, and at KFUL after adding parking with AFCAD have 35 on the ground when loading it. Now my traffic on a Sat, is as busy as it used to be in real life at KFUL. Aircraft taking off and landing every few minutes. GA-Traffic, will make AI aircraft out of most any GMAX aircraft, and you can add lots of repaints. You just have to add the repaints, before doing the conversion. It leaves the original aircraft, as is, so you can still use it to fly normally. They ones I do not use, I moved out of the aircraft folder to C:backup fs9aircraft. So if I want to use them later, can just copy them back. Bob

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Guest Kefuddle

There has been a big price cut recently. Core is now about half the price it was. I bought Core just before the price chop. I complained and the great people at Elite offered to refund the difference or to upgrade me to premium which has the prop, jet and TP aircraft.The rest is just horses for courses. I wouldn't suggest that Elite can compete with FS. I personally just don't get as much from FS anymore.

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Used properly, MSFS is a great proficiency tool, especially for instrument flying. I've made believers out of two skeptical CFII's when I showed up for my periodic instrument comp checks with nothing but hours of recent practice in FS flying the actual approaches. Of course, you can reinforce bad habits in the sim just as easily as good ones, so some study and discipline are important, and as a rated instrument pilot, I'm working from a foundation of good habits taught by actual dual instruction. 900+ hours in Cessna's, Pitts, Citabria, Harvard.....


John G.

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