Well this is interesting. The Royal Air Force has adopted MSFS for their simulated Spitfire cockpit, including air crew training for it:

 

Edited October 14, 20223 yr by abrams_tank

I don't understand....it's a game!

Just now, MarkW said:

I don't understand....it's a game!

beated me ... want to write the same.

Maybe for their RAF casino ...?

4 minutes ago, MarkW said:

I don't understand....it's a game!

Do I detect some sarcastic undertones lol 🤣

I think I need a moustache like the guy in the video for my sim, uhm I mean game sessions 

Edited October 14, 20223 yr by RJC68

Just now, RJC68 said:

Do I detect some sarcastic undertones lol 🤣

 

Perhaps!

Wicked! Don’t tell Laminar Research this. Games are so educational!

Sorry…. “IF YoU WaNT a SCeNerY SiMulAtor THeN StICk To YoUR GaMe BuT If YoU WaNT a ReAL SiM X PlaNE iS tHE oNe 🤪” - x plane forums 

Sorry guys, the evolving CFD,weather and soft body simulation plus the royal airforce using it isn’t good enough. Maybe when a few more big names switch over….

Edited October 14, 20223 yr by Ridvan Celik

Keep in mind this is being used as a procedural trainer for a one-of-a-kind flying museum piece--the same kind of procedural training that has been successfully done for decades with cardboard panel mock-ups and static CPTs (essentially a hardware cockpit with the switches, but no working gauges).  And use for area familiarization is something that can just as easily be done with Google Earth or another program that produces a bird's-eye moving map view over satellite or aerial terrain mapping.

Now when the RAF starts using MSFS for actual flight training of their A-400/C-17 crews, Hawk or Typhoon pilots, etc then give me a call.  That requires more than a non or semi-functional cockpit layout.  In the meantime, replacing a cardboard mock-up trainer with MSFS may be nifty, but it's really not technically impressive...

MSFS is an entertainment product and should be used for that purpose. Nothing more, who cares if its not certified for military or commercial use no one or very few % on Avsim uses it for that purpose anyways. It just another silly my sim vs your sim arguement as always.

Edited October 14, 20223 yr by jbdbow1970

That is a wonderful initiative by the RAF. They have invested money and a number of people from engineers to pilots to see this program get off the ground. Also a great boost for VR given the detailed scenery in MSFS. This set up is a great familiarization tool for the pilots to observe complete landmarks and ground features at different altitudes and at different airspeeds. A good scenery sim helps your piloting skills to identify key landmarks and geography at different altitudes especially in circuit and holding patterns plus approaches. Practice in this type of a setup before and in parallel to the real world experience will build proficiency in pilot skills.

1 hour ago, Bob Scott said:

Keep in mind this is being used as a procedural trainer for a one-of-a-kind flying museum piece--the same kind of procedural training that has been successfully done for decades with cardboard panel mock-ups and static CPTs (essentially a hardware cockpit with the switches, but no working gauges).  And use for area familiarization is something that can just as easily be done with Google Earth or another program that produces a bird's-eye moving map view over satellite or aerial terrain mapping.

Now when the RAF starts using MSFS for actual flight training of their A-400/C-17 crews, Hawk or Typhoon pilots, etc then give me a call.  That requires more than a non or semi-functional cockpit layout.  In the meantime, replacing a cardboard mock-up trainer with MSFS may be nifty, but it's really not technically impressive...

That might be a point, but you have to admit in the end once the fm of MSFS is polished, its inevitable that they do.. Why wouldn't they? I think most companies using simulators that want the latest (I hear some still use <FSX) will switch to MSFS. You will have a great world, weather and flight model... what would be the deciding factor between MSFS and other sims? license cost might be the only thing IMO.  

As Bob Scott indicated, this is not about RAF flying training. The Battle of Britain Memorial Flight is a small subsidiary unit set up to maintain and operate the Spitfire, Hurricane and Lancaster aircraft used for fly pasts at state functions and other special occasions. It is separate from the day to day operational activities of the RAF.  The BBMF pilots have been a mix of serving and retired RAF pilots, who have to obtain type ratings and maintain currency on these classic aircraft. The use of MSFS by the BBMF  is really for familiarisation of their pilots with the Spitfire cockpit, plus any other uses they may find for it, but It has no connection with flying training in the RAF.

 

2 hours ago, Bob Scott said:

Keep in mind 

Do we need Two (2) threads on this in this forum?  See below:

 

 

From the YT page, there’s this link

https://www.raf.mod.uk/display-teams/battle-of-britain-memorial-flight/news/bbmf-launch-a-brand-new-spitfire-simulator-experience/

That website gives us this information 

The Battle of Britain Memorial Flight Spitfire simulator project began in April 2022 with an empty shell of a cockpit. The vision was to create a one-to-one scale replica Spitfire cockpit that, in conjunction with a virtual reality headset, would deliver an immersive experience of flying a Spitfire MkIX. Its purpose was for use as a demonstrator at air shows, as well as having the possibility of becoming a training aide to be used by future pilots and engineers.

So it looks like this system is primarily being developed for use in public engagement/recruitment activities, but probably also being evaluated for training purposes. It’s not clear that it’s being used for training at this time.

I use MSFS as actual training aid. Even at the current stage  it can offer a lot !

But hey I imagine 100 years ago we were people who so future in horses. LOL