My first VR flying experience!

[Flybynumbers 42]

I have been on here busting you VR guys so I figured I should really experience it myself before knocking it. 

The only VR simulator option I have right now is Ultrawings on the oculus quest. I flew the ultralight.

If i had to pick one aspect that is different in VR flying is that your head is really on a swivel...on the downwind leg of a right hand traffic pattern I could really judge when to turn base leg by looking abeam over my shoulder. This aspect of flying is lost even with a multiple monitor setup. VR is the already the future of gaming...I have no doubt now that it is the future of simming as well. I am going to try out Aerofly FS2 and Flyinside.  I think flying VR in the MSFT 2020 scenery would be the ultimate flying experience so going to wait for them to launch a VR version.

 

Edited October 14, 2019 by Flybynumbers

[HighFlyer310 21]

Been exclusively using VR with P3Dv4 for the past couple years... absolutely no way I could go back to a monitor.  Not too long ago I tried & found myself distracted by a leaf blowing around outside. lol. VR is the future no doubt.  I do understand though for some people, its uncomfortable. Whatever you do... dont run right out the door after a lengthy session.. you'll get funny looks from people staring at the red HMD stamp on your face. lol.

[Airmail-Pilot 10]

38 minutes ago, Flybynumbers said:

I have been on here busting you VR guys so I figured I should really experience it myself before knocking it.

Thank you for your experiment and report.  Having no VR hardware ATM, I'm anticipating the increase in immersion that VR will offer.  And I say this as someone who's been using a multi-monitor setup for over 17 years now.

39 minutes ago, Flybynumbers said:

[...] on the downwind leg of a right hand traffic pattern I could really judge when to turn base leg by looking abeam over my shoulder. This aspect of flying is lost even with a multiple monitor setup.

I would like to add that although I agree with you about multi-monitor setup not being 100% useful for the downwind-to-base decision of a typical pattern, it's very helpful for the base-to-final decision.  That alone is what made me instantly realize so many years ago that I could never go back to a 1-monitor setup, at least not for VFR flying.

I hope to see more sensible, rational folks like you posting about VR in the future as I weigh my VR options.

[hs118 707]

1 hour ago, Flybynumbers said:

.I have no doubt now that it is the future of simming as well.

For home simmers who are not trying to replicate the whole experience of real world IFR/MIL pilotage or who do not have the resources for a full cockpit, you are probably right.

I have VR capability in my sim experience and found it very limiting, much like the difference between what a real world VFR pilot can do and what a fully trained commercial pilot can do. 

There is technology in the baking that can bridge the limitations of current VR face-mask tech and fully integrated, "holo" like physical cockpits but it is in its infancy. Until that matures, I will continue on with my cockpit, hardware, online ATC and kneeboard (just like the commercial bigboys and the military). 

PS I did 2 decades in stereo-photogrammetry (up to 14 hours a day) viewing, intrepreting, measuring aerial photographs in "virtual" 3D. The human brain is well adapted to interpreting spatial data in a 2 eyed, stereo configuration. Unfortunately stereo viewing is only one component of flight simulation.

Edited October 14, 2019 by yurei

[Nedo68 533]

welcome aboard! 😎

[Noooch 1,084]

Looking over your shoulder is also possible with Track IR, and I use it all the time now, it is so intuitive. I know VR and Track IR are not in the same category but neither their price. 

I can only recommend TrackIR for those (majority) who don t have the required hardware or money to fly in VR

BTW hope it will be supported!

Edited October 14, 2019 by Noooch

[MikeT707 1,181]

The thing I love about VR for me is the actual feeling of being in flight. You actually feel like you are inside an aircraft as the virtual cockpit surrounds you and when you take off your senses tell you that you are taking off. Also, it is great to look out the window and sense that you are at an altitude. 

I took to it right away and loved it since my first day of having my Oculus Rift, whereas it took my brother a couple of times to get his senses used to it, but he loves it now too. 

[hs118 707]

16 minutes ago, Noooch said:

I can only recommend TrackIR 

BTW hope it will be supported!

Ouch, I hadn't considered this future. I'm very dependent on TIR right now (no projection dome in the plans).

Edited October 14, 2019 by yurei

[BrettT 63]

2 hours ago, Flybynumbers said:

I have been on here busting you VR guys so I figured I should really experience it myself before knocking it. 

The only VR simulator option I have right now is Ultrawings on the oculus quest. I flew the ultralight.

If i had to pick one aspect that is different in VR flying is that your head is really on a swivel...on the downwind leg of a right hand traffic pattern I could really judge when to turn base leg by looking abeam over my shoulder. This aspect of flying is lost even with a multiple monitor setup. VR is the already the future of gaming...I have no doubt now that it is the future of simming as well. I am going to try out Aerofly FS2 and Flyinside.  I think flying VR in the MSFT 2020 scenery would be the ultimate flying experience so going to wait for them to launch a VR version.

 

Glad you are enjoying FBN!  Pick up DCS as well even if you just use it for cruising around.  It comes with two free aircraft (SU-25T and a training version of the P51)

[hs118 707]

10 minutes ago, BrettT said:

Glad you are enjoying FBN!  Pick up DCS as well even if you just use it for cruising around.  It comes with two free aircraft (SU-25T and a training version of the P51)

True this. With the NTTR scenery and Yak-52, it is an amazing VFR experience. The built-in ATC is terrible though. PilotEdge did some testing with a DCS capability...hoping they continue to expand in that direction.

It's looking like MFS will have a similar visual texture to DCS.

Edited October 14, 2019 by yurei

[Lenny777 299]

I began using Oculus with FSX couple of years ago with the FlyInside program. To be sure the new experience is great but several issues plague it. The first is resolution. That effects everything from the outside graphics to the interior gauges. I know there are new versions of VR coming out improving resolution but the system required to keep up in the context of VR and flightsimming starts to make it unreasonably expensive. Second, is the manipulation of charts, weather programs,  pop up gauges, etc.  normally done outside the sim and usually on a second monitor. FI was improving the ability to do this but very unwieldy, ackward and unpleasant.

I've ended up leaving my $700 Oculus unplugged. Until ALL these issues sort themselves out I would not recommend it.

[HiFlyer 9,343]

2 hours ago, Flybynumbers said:

I have been on here busting you VR guys so I figured I should really experience it myself before knocking it. 

The only VR simulator option I have right now is Ultrawings on the oculus quest. I flew the ultralight.

If i had to pick one aspect that is different in VR flying is that your head is really on a swivel...on the downwind leg of a right hand traffic pattern I could really judge when to turn base leg by looking abeam over my shoulder. This aspect of flying is lost even with a multiple monitor setup. VR is the already the future of gaming...I have no doubt now that it is the future of simming as well. I am going to try out Aerofly FS2 and Flyinside.  I think flying VR in the MSFT 2020 scenery would be the ultimate flying experience so going to wait for them to launch a VR version.

 

One thing I noticed when first trying vr was how easy it was suddenly to stick landings. The sense of depth was something I had never realized the importance of..... until it was given back to me, in 3D

The second thing was the immense, childlike grin on my face as I explored the various cockpits, astonished by things made clear to me that never were before.. Like how cramped some of them were and as said, how your head is on a swivel as you take it all in.

I think I smiled for weeks after first flying in vr.

[Ron Attwood 3,464]

Is it all right to say nice things about VR now? 🙏 The thing to be learned here is 'Don't knock it till you've tried it'

I ALWAYS hated cucumber until one day my wife (wonderful woman) asked me if I'd ever tried it. Er..no. So I tried it and you know what? Yep, I was right all along. Yeuch!

[Ron Attwood 3,464]

4 minutes ago, HiFlyer said:

One thing I noticed when first trying vr was...

1: I kept trying to lean my elbow on the side of the cockpit.

2: I kept trying to look down at my watch.

[hs118 707]

2 minutes ago, Ron Attwood said:

The thing to be learned here is 'Don't knock it till you've tried it'

And it matches at least one of your flight sim modalities.