The realistic world of simmers

[Pluto7777 10]

Hi guys, do not know if this topic belongs here, but anyway, this is my experience after 2 years sim.

As aircraft enthusiast i am happy in experiencing the life and skills of real pilots by means of this great medium called flight simulation. But i can see that a very big part of simmers is doing the utmost in getting the most realistic scenery, people share thousands of pictures that rather belong on a catwalk, its becoming a battle of getting the most realistic, most natural, most beautiful pictures of the ENVIRONMENT of an aircraft ! The hobby seems to be evaluating to a process of "distillating" the most realistic environment, pictures only available at real airports and inside real cockpits are now "photoshopped" by means of flight simulators. Sweet sun pricking through woolly clouds, spiraling condensation at wingtips, water drops must reflect as diamonds in the sky...OMG ! apparently this community is divided in artists and pilot enthusiasts, no ? FSX - P3D - FS etc.. they all have the part of "failures simulation" - i wonder how many simmers are frequently using this part ? But this is what irl pilots do ! Flight simulation training in order to become better pilots. I am interested in getting the skills of a real pilot. Where are the forums where i can discuss about faulty circling approaches, best reaction in case of hydraulics failure, training low vis cat2 &cat 3 approaches, VOR approaches, STOL take offs, etc..

This is my cup of tea ! I am not interested in becoming the best virtual artist !

Next time a am with my cousin (CPL) at the airbus jump seat, i ll take some pictures and post them here as "made in my P3D" - i ll expect hundreds of reactions; pse send me yr settings - what addons are u using ? - ur shader settings pse ? -  these pictures look real, how did you do it ? 

Better not to do it ?  i could get banned by doing this !

[hjsmuc 393]

Interesting post. Indeed, many here including myself are very focused on the aesthetic part of sim flying. Which is part of the fun I guess. Having an ATP cousin myself I still have to get on this jump seat though.  :wink:

[Patco Lch 1,459]

I understand what you're saying but what more then any other thing makes flight so wonderful if not the view?

[Paraffin 2,197]

Well, one of the main things I enjoy in flight sims is dealing with challenging weather conditions. I fly mostly light GA bush planes and helicopters. It's a blast to duck through the clouds and try to find a tiny airstrip in the mountains, then deal with a cross-wind landing. 

 

Weather effects aren't just eye candy. Realistic depiction of weather tends to go along with increased graphics depiction of the rest of the world outside the cockpit. It's hard to separate the two.

 

There are some other things that increased graphics capability can improve. For example, allowing sloped runways on high resolution terrain mesh, or better wave modeling for seaplane ops. Helicopter pilots in a flight sim need all the high resolution they can get for ground texture and nearby objects, so they can judge the height above ground in the last seconds before touchdown. Try making a smooth landing on blurry low-res terrain in a helicopter and you'll see what i mean.

 

We need the hardcore aeronautical modeling and procedures too, but I think these visual aspects are just as important for anything but basic IFR practice, where the view outside is irrelevant.

[FormerSF3 15]

 

FSX - P3D - FS etc.. they all have the part of "failures simulation" - i wonder how many simmers are frequently using this part ?

 

These failures are nice to have as part of the simulation, but they are timed based so they might not happen in critical times.

 

When I need to get proficient outside of the company training, I do use one of the failure features found in FS9 and FSX.  Leonardo also has failures in their software but they don't quite cut what I need to have happen.

 

One of the things the company trains on is the engine failure at V1.  Leonardo has a fire warning that happens but leaves the engine running.  So to get around this I have to trick FSX.

 

First, I time the aircraft from throttle application on the runway to when it hits V1.  Usually 45 seconds.

Next, I go in to the failure menu and select "Fail Random Engine" and the time interval is between 1 minute and 1 minute.

Upon exiting the menu, the clock has started.  I wait about 15 seconds and apply the takeoff thrust.  At about V1 +/- 5 knots one of the engines will quit.  I then proceed to practice the engine failure on takeoff scenario.  I might fly the pattern or reposition back to the runway and repeat.  I do 1 run-through of the complete engine failure shutdown checklist moving the appropriate switches to the positions they need to be in.

 

Also, I might practice ILS approach to a LNAV published missed, LOC approach to VOR published missed, CATIII autoland. 

 

I like how you mentioned the scenery.  My visibility is never more than 1/2 mile.

[Alan_A 1,650]

Lots of good writing here about why the view matters.

 

Read his book, too.

[Samaritano 303]

View and scenery is important to me but not the most important. I like following procedures and flying by the numbers and sometimes I'm so concentrated and busy that I can't even appreciate what's outside.

I feel that there is a lot of "screenshot simmers" that hardly complete a point A to point B flight and that is fine. Everyone can use the sim as they please. I do enjoy looking at those artistic screenshots.

[Metal_Sky 14]

View and scenery is important to me but not the most important. I like following procedures and flying by the numbers and sometimes I'm so concentrated and busy that I can't even appreciate what's outside.

I feel that there is a lot of "screenshot simmers" that hardly complete a point A to point B flight and that is fine. Everyone can use the sim as they please. I do enjoy looking at those artistic screenshots.

Agree totally. View and eye candy is far less important to me overall.

[skelsey 765]

 

 

Where are the forums where i can discuss about faulty circling approaches, best reaction in case of hydraulics failure, training low vis cat2 &cat 3 approaches, VOR approaches, STOL take offs, etc..

 

Plenty of places -- not least here!

 

I agree with you to an extent in so far as I have no great interest in the screenshot forums, whether posting or reading. That said, I do enjoy the view to a certain extent, and the spectacular views out of the 'office window' are certainly a large part of why many people are inspired to become pilots. Enjoying the view and having an interest in the technicalities of flying technique don't have to be mutually exclusive.

In a nutshell -- all you have to do is read the topics that interest you and avoid the ones that don't. I've certainly engaged in plenty of excellent technical discussions here on AVSIM over the years.

[Pluto7777 10]

Maybe the time is ready to bring up a re-organisation of forums (even this).Apparently the flight sim community has developed in 2 different trends; scenery enthusiasts and flying-skill practitioners.

[Murmur 3,940]

Agree totally. View and eye candy is far less important to me overall.

 

So why aren't you all flying Aerowinx PSX or Elite IFR?

[out 769]

Apparently the flight sim community has developed in 2 different trends; scenery enthusiasts and flying-skill practitioners.

 

Nonsense. I enjoy both and so do most simmers I know (and I know many).

 

Just enjoy what you like. You are not required to buy and install payware airports, textures, land features, etc. Even better for you as you will have better in-sim performance.

I enjoy recreating flights in the most real environment possible and find zero conflict between it and flying my top notch aircraft by the books.

[sgreen91 182]

 

 

So why aren't you all flying Aerowinx PSX or Elite IFR?

 

I do fly Aerowinx just for what the OP posted.  Looking forward to PMDG rendition though.  I'm into learning systems and flying procedures. When I fly P3D (which I do quite often)  I have no addon scenery only afcads that represent the airport at least 90% correct, basic cloud and sky with default HDR which sometimes I actually turn off.

 

I have bought plenty of scenery though, but over the past year I've just concentrated on the flying aspect and actually spend much more time flying as I don't have to worry about VAS or FPS etc.

 

I enjoy it my way but that is what is great about this hobby is its up to you to decide how you want to enjoy your virtual flight.

[simmerhead 885]

I don't get your point?

 

You sound like a priest. This isn't a religion. There is no right way or wrong way to use a flight simulator game. To each his own...

[out 769]

By the way

 

I am interested in getting the skills of a real pilot.

 

Apparently someone is using your forum name at other fora: http://forum.aerosoft.com/index.php?/topic/113893-is-payed-help-available/&do=findComment&comment=766374