Long-time MSFS user here.  With fixed-wing GA aircraft, Pipers and Cessna’s, I am OK and getting better.

But I am a total noob when it comes to flying helicopters. I bought this add-on a couple of days ago and it's potential is enormous.

My problem is: how do I learn to fly it properly?

I am using a fairly standard joystick, the Thrustmaster T.16000M, and I've read the Bell 47G manual from FlyInside.

I have it on it's easiest setting.  I can sometimes get it to hover, but often not even that far. And once it’s up, I can never land, so far, without crashing.

Is there a video series or webpage that goes into step by step detail on how to fly this bird? I bought it because I am a ‘low and slow’ guy and I want to take in the scenery. The Bell 47G seems perfect for that if I can just figure out how to fly it.

If anyone knows where a total beginner to heli's can find detailed instructions I would be very much in your debt.

Edited August 19, 20214 yr by mick92627

Try tutorial of UH-1 in DCS

 

Thanks.

Hi,

The following is a tutorial for X-Plane, which, like DCS, has a very good helicopter flight model. You can switch between simulators and fly using what skills you've learnt in either. Don't know anything about MSFS.

There's also the FAA Helicopter Flying Handbook: https://www.faa.gov/regulations_policies/handbooks_manuals/aviation/helicopter_flying_handbook/

You can try the x-plane demo for free with this freeware helicopter: https://forums.x-plane.org/index.php?/files/file/39269-bell-429/

Good luck.

Feel free to disregard, but having spent many hundreds of hours in this little beauty i would suggest trying a couple of things...

Firstly, learn it with everything on hardest settings if that's where you intend to end up.  I realised far to late that I'd just been fighting against it in "easier" modes. It seems to auto correct a lot of movements in the easy modes which you naturally fight against and it all ends up messy and doesnt really help you when you go to fully realistic mode.    It may well take longer to get the hang of, but you wont have to re-learn everything later.

With a normal joystick I've found it a lot easier (and reading forums it seems most joystick users haver found the same) to put the sensitivity in Heli Manager to maximum.  This means you end up using really small inputs and don't end up fighting the spring in your stick all the time.  I instantly got a lot better a lot quicker as soon as i did this.

... then its just LOTS of practice.  It'll probably be very frustrating at times to begin with, but when it starts to click it becomes the most rewarding aircraft to fly in the sim imo.

If you use multiplayer and have a mic (and teamspeak or discord) and you'd like to practice with someone sometime then just message me.  I'm a terrible teacher but i can fly the thing 😄

Good luck!

Edited August 19, 20214 yr by The Moose

My most important learning was to never simply let the joystick go back to the neutral center position after an adjustment. Instead I try to hold the stick in a certain position and make only minor adjustments, giving the helicopter time to react. Some people even remove the centering spring from their joystick, so it does not automatically return to a neutral position. 

Oh, and look at a point in the distance during hover!

Rotor Sim Pilot has some good tutorials on YouTube. Most of the time he uses the H135, but they can be applied to the 47G as well. 

Man I sure wish the Hovercontrol website was still around.  What a great resource that was for rotary wing Sim enthusiasts.  I learned a ton of things there. Woulda been so cool to see what it would be like there after MSFS gets official support for helicopters.