What's the appeal(s) of Flying Heavy Airliners?

[Anxu00 176]

20 hours ago, Gypsy Pilot said:

Dead Reckoning really meant If I make a mistake I'm dead. 

Ha ha, and you are resurrected and try again  I agree with you.  Airliner sims are definitely buses and trucks.  The appeal I gather are the fact that one can "touch" and work the controls of a very significant piece of advanced engineering, and simply some of the largest aircraft ever built.  There is something to say about taking a big bird like the 747-8i or Airbus A380 up in the virtual sky.  One can also use the sim in total ridiculous way, such as to fly freight or less than 50% passenger load in short routes with over capacity huge plane, and well why not? The "fuel" is free and I don't like long cruise time.  I just have to be careful with fuel load to make sure my bird meet landing weight by the time I arrive.

[Gypsy Pilot 29]

21 hours ago, birdguy said:

You're right about one thing, Peter, sim aircraft are harder to fly than real aircraft; especially landing.

Dale, when I first started to fly the first instrument I had to learn how to use was the E-6B.  Does anyone remember those?  And flight planning meant spreading out a chart, drawing your route on it and circling prominent landmarks.  

The Luscombe I learned in had no avionics in it at all.  

Do todays pilots have to learn tower light signals?

Noel

 

Good morning Noel,

Yes, I do remember the E-6B.  I was always amazed how our pilot could find the carrier again using his E-6B.  Navy pilots have something that no other pilots have, their airport is never where they left it.  

I also remember Tower light signals and answering them with wing wags.

I forget when radios became mandatory but I think it was sometime in the early 50's.   

Dale

[birdguy 3,943]

Radios are still not mandatory for VFR flight in class E and F airspace Dale.

Noel

[Guest]

If anyone wants to just fly and be as close to the "Feeling" of flight as one can be (that includes the cold, noise, vibration, wind in the hair) without any hassle and no instructor requirements for a license OR medical, go buy an Ultralight (single seat).  Your ultralight just needs to be part 103 reg compliant:

https://www.eaa.org/en/eaa/aviation-communities-and-interests/ultralights-and-ultralight-aircraft/getting-started-in-ultralight-flying/about-faa-part-103-for-ultralights

Having flown Ultralights by myself (It does take a long time to get from A to B and I rarely flew if winds were above 6 Kts) you simply can't get any closer to the "feeling" of flight and you can still operate in Class B, C, D, E, and G airspace (see restrictions) with ATC prior notification.  But what a great way to buzz tree tops, land on small lakes, and land just about anywhere with about a 20Kts stall speed.

Real Flight is not as "exclusive" as many think.

Cheers, Rob.

EDIT: I do miss the Ultralight in P3D

[jabloomf1230 2,445]

45 minutes ago, Rob Ainscough said:

EDIT: I do miss the Ultralight in P3D

My solution. It's also a helpful aircraft for reviewing airport design.

[simmerhead 885]

2 hours ago, Rob Ainscough said:

 

EDIT: I do miss the Ultralight in P3D

 

I just moved whatever missing in P3D from FSX SE into the Add-ons folder. I still have fun with the ultralight when buzzing rooftops of those amazing real to life sceneries and airports. 

[Guest]

Love the GoPro ... and the gloves, a MUST have even on warm days.  I "think" I miss those days, not sure, I like the creature comforts of a C172 (like the heater for example).  If I ever go solo for Private, it'll be time for the GoPro (sounds like a song).

Cheers, Rob.

[Anxu00 176]

10 hours ago, Rob Ainscough said:

EDIT: I do miss the Ultralight in P3D

Rob, Ant's Airplanes made a Drifter ultralight that works well in P3D v3  or 4.

[michal 44]

13 hours ago, birdguy said:

Radios are still not mandatory for VFR flight in class E and F airspace Dale

There is no class F airspace, perhaps you meant G.

[birdguy 3,943]

You're right Michael.  I got this reference:

There is a big difference in requirements between airspace classes, and between flight rules used. As emphasized by vortaq7, no radio are mandatory for VFR in E and F airspaces in the US. But as soon as IFR is used, or A, B, C or D airspaces are entered, there are requirements for radio equipments (duplex voice, navigation, ILS, transponder, TCAS, SELCAL, GNSS, ELT)

But checking the FAA Regs it should be G instead of F.

Noel

 

[out 769]

4 hours ago, michal said:

There is no class F airspace

If you fly in the USA that's true.

[cleonpack93 79]

On 12/28/2017 at 10:27 AM, birdguy said:

You're right about one thing, Peter, sim aircraft are harder to fly than real aircraft; especially landing.

AMEN. I hear real airline pilots who also sim say this all the time. It's a lot harder to make the small inputs needed to the controls with a home simulator joystick or yoke.

[Guest]

1 minute ago, cleonpack93 said:

AMEN. I hear real airline pilots who also sim say this all the time. It's a lot harder to make the small inputs needed to the controls with a home simulator joystick or yoke.

Indeed, add to that the Radio tasks if one is flying Online, Checklists done "by self, to self', essentially doing two pilots jobs on your own...and...landing the plane at the end of it.

Well done Simmers - real world ain't got nothin' on us!

 

[birdguy 3,943]

Well done Simmers - real world ain't got nothin' on us!

Au Contraire Ganter.

One thing that is never mentioned when comparing real world flight to simming is the fear factor.  Something no sim pilot ever experiences.  But I venture to say that almost every pilot here has experienced it some time or other.  Hitting unexpected weather, severe (for a light aircraft) turbulence, getting lost.  I've experience all three.

That little pang of anxiety that you feel in the pit of your stomach is not programmable into any sim.

Even when you're up with an instructor and not expecting it when he pulls the throttle back while you're not looking and before you realize what happened you're looking for a place to land with that feeling in the pit of your stomach.

I once asked my instructor what to do if the engine quits at night and there are no lights on the ground.  He said, "Establish a glide and hope you don't run into the side of a barn".

And the thought is always in the back of your mind when you're airborne.  What can go wrong?

Did I check the fuel before I took off?  Do I have a chart with me incase I have an electrical failure?

No, that part of real life flying is never experience by a simmer.  It's nothing like an OOMs.

Noel

 

[Guest]

8 hours ago, birdguy said:

 

No, that part of real life flying is never experience by a simmer.  It's nothing like an OOMs.

Noel

 

Absolument, Noel,

 

Mind you, Vatsim can be pretty bloody nerve wracking at times.

Though still nothing compared to the first time my instructor demonstrated a power on stall in a Piper Warrior II. I can still feel the buffeting and yes, it gets you right in the seat of your pants for sure.