new to all this

[Guest hargi22]

Hi first of all this is my first post, couldnt find were i should post this really so if its in the wrong place mods feel free to move it.I had a quick look at a flight sim magazine this morning and thought id like to get into it?What i want to know is what softwear and that i would need to get started? what do you recomend for like a beginner and what advice do you have?Id like something that is llike real life but something that is not overly difficult for the time being?Also how far do some of you take your hobby ( if thats the right word)

[Guest wayupthere]

On behalf of little ol' me, Welcome Hargi..? ;)Ok, ill work through your list.1. You wanted to get into it?. = Good Decision :(2. What software?. = Any version of Flightsim ofcourse these days FS2004 ;) Hardwarewise a Big harddrive, fast CPU(FS is VERY CPU dependant) and equally good graphics card.3. For a beginner?. = Stick to the default aircraft at first and do some lessons. Learn the basics of flight.4. You want something that is lifelike, yet not overly diffc.? = Even the easiest "most lifelike" has proven to be difficult for starters (do you have any idea's at all about how and what makes an aircraft fly?)5. How far does one take it? = For some it's just a casual hobby, yet for others, well they build their own flightdeck at home, nuff said huh ;)Enjoy your stay here, read the rules and have Fun.. :D

[Guest WScott52]

>Hi first of all this is my first post, couldnt find were i>should post this really so if its in the wrong place mods feel>free to move it.>I had a quick look at a flight sim magazine this morning and>thought id like to get into it?>What i want to know is what softwear and that i would need to>get started? what do you recomend for like a beginner and what>advice do you have?>Id like something that is llike real life but something that>is not overly difficult for the time being?>Also how far do some of you take your hobby ( if thats the>right word)Hello! and welcome.First this part of the forum is for real world pilots to discuss real flying issues but it is not enforced very strictly and in some cases real world and sim flying questions overlap.The current big dog in the flight sim market is Microsoft's Flight Simulator 2004: A Century of Flight. The forum devoted to FS2004 general issues is here:http://forums.avsim.net/dcboard.php?az=show_topics&forum=121Like "real life" but not difficult is something of an oxymoron. Real life flying is a complex, difficult task and Microsoft tries to emulate it as well as possible on the PC. MS2004 does have realism and difficulty settings so it doesn't overwhelm a beginner. MS2004 also has a built in Flightschool that will at least get you flying in the sim. At it's most realistic MS2004 is used by flight students and real pilots to practice procedures and approaches.As the other poster said, some fans of the game/sim just buy a joystick and are happy with that. Others spend thousands of dollars building simulator cockpits with multiple monitors, subwoofers, and real controls and gauges.You also need to do an honest evaluation of your computer. FS2004 is one of the most demanding applications out there. If you have an older, low end computer you may be disappointed in the experience the sim gives you. If you have a state of the art, high power machine you should be fine. If, like me, you have something in the middle you can probably run well with some of the scenery and detail levels turned down.My advice: Get FS2004 and a joystck. Go through the Flightschool lessons and learn to fly the default aircraft. By that time you should know if this is something you want to stick with. If it is then you can start thinking about add-on aircraft, scenery, input devices, etc. This forum is a good place to come with questions.By the way, I have flown real aircraft and earlier versions of FS but am fairly new here and new to FS2004. Welcome and good luck.

[elche 5]

Welcome aboard!! :DMicrosoft Flight Simulator is what I use. Started back with MS95, and now using 2004 'A Century of Flight', and will definitely be using every other version to come.There is also X-Plane, but I haven't used this so I can't really comment on it."Id like something that is like real life but something that is not overly difficult for the time being?"Flying in real life is challenging, and Fs2004 can be as well, but the realism can be toned down, and the built in Learning centre is a great place to start learning!! Honestly.I use the Sim quite a lot in my real world flying. I find it helps with Normal/Emergency procedures, and navigation training. There are also some great add-ons out there that have helped me in familiarising myself with a particular aircraft.It

[BobK 0]

Welcome to the hobby, "harqi". These guys have given you a pretty good idea of what to expect and what to look for. This (Avsim) is a good place to start. Follow the forums and check out the downloads. You can learn a lot.Another idea you might look at is a Virtual Airline that offers flight training. The instructors are usually very good at what they do. You may also find a virtual flight training center. Hope to you around. ;)

[jagabom 21]

Some of us take our hobby all the way. Limited only by funding.jimCYWG

[Guest jboweruk]

And/or room.....Welcome to the hobby Harqui, I think if you stick with it you will get hooked like the rest of us, say goodbye to your life if that happens."We are all just prisoners here, of our own device...." The Eagles 'Hotel California'