I've been into this hobby for decades.  Flipping and flopping between DCS and Xplane and MSFS and all the rest.  I'm pretty good at loading in SIDS and STARS, figuring out how aircraft work, taking off and landing, firing munitions, etc. 

 

What I'm not good at is just being a regular ol civilian private pilot.  I guess it's partially a function of just wanting to learn a plane, take off, do the thing, and land

 

But now I want to get deeper with Pilotedge or Vatsim, and I'm learning very quickly that I don't have nearly as many skills as I thought I did. 

 

For example, getting myself into a 45 degree angle on a downwind *IS HARD!!!*  

 

So I'm asking. Is it ok if I rely on GPS? The idea of learning VOR on steam instruments seems insurmountable.  I only have so many hours in the day.  

 

I'd be like that guy who you see on YOUTUBE getting yelled at by ATC because his IPad ran out of charge...  but my iPad would never run out of charge!    

 

I guess I'm asking for permission to cheat because I want to learn about going through different airspace and operating out of and into individual airports correctly, but always be tethered to GPS. 

 

is that OK?    (I can take a PMDG from KORD to KBOS and grease the landing following all the SIDS and STARS... but it's exponentially more difficult for me to go from KPDX to KRDM with a Cessna without the FMC and figuring out where the pattern is... etc.)

 

 

You can do the free lessons that come with MSFS. Those are really good for the basics.

After that, you should do the FS Academy IFR and VFR lessons: https://www.fsacademy.co.uk/

It's a fun way to use MSFS, but you are learning at the same time. They teach VOR and NDB navigation in the IFR lessons.

 

Edited February 27, 20242 yr by abrams_tank

You decide how you want to sim - there is no right or wrong. The only thing I would say is that if you're on PilotEdge or VATSIM, you should be able to follow instructions competently so you don't spoil things for the controllers and other pilots.

If you want to ease into it by using a GPS, I don't see anything wrong with that, as long as you can do what you're expected to do. Obviously, in the real world, VFR pilots are expected to be able to navigate without GPS, but this isn't the real world. That said, learning pilotage and dead reckoning is fun, and it's not harder than what you've been doing - just different and a skill set that you haven't exercised much, so of course you're not as good at it yet. Dive in, learn, and enjoy the process! 

I would say nowadays it is pretty much standard to use GPS in a small plane. The wealthy pilots have a GTN 750 installed, and that works very well in MSFS. The poor pilots just have ForeFlight on their cell phone. You then know precisely where you are (unless you are in a conflict zone, where it has become common that GPS signals are blocked or even falsified). You juts have to operate the autopilot manually.

The bottom line is: there is no cheating in using a GPS in a small plane. However, IMHO, it takes away a lot of the fun 🙂

Peter

I certainly helps to have flown in the real, but all you're really needing is some basic lessons, and believe it or not Shared Cockpit is going to save you hours upon hours of struggling to learn. It's exactly that flying with an IP in the real world, well, so long as the other guy knows what he's doing.

Also, do a general search online for "How To Fly An Approach", and you'll find a host of websites and videos, including using GPS.  GPS isn't cheating by the way, it can help you get lined up right and that makes it a backward kinda way of learning to shoot a visual approach, which is fine.  But there is a lot of fun and satisfaction to flying visual approaches in a non-GPS aircraft.  I don't know too many real pilots, including those that fly the heavy iron, that would ever not take an opportunity to fly a visual approach.  In fact, the visual for Runway 27R coming in from the South or East of Philly is a favorite of airline pilots for some nice, fun but safe reasons.  I love that approach as it factors in a lot of structures and scenery in a fairly tight turn while descending (rather than descending into a pretty large bridge - which is worse than you think because the bridge goes to NEW JERSEY and takes you toward the dreaded Jersey Turnpike (Arrggghhh!).  In truth, there are some nice places in New Jersey, just nowhere near Philly or New York.

Now I'll have to spend the rest of the day trying to forget New Jersey, thanks for that.  😉

 

One thing you’ll find helpful in joining the pattern at a 45 etc is using your HDG and CRS settings to give a visual of what direction you need to fly even if you’re going to hand fly.  

At minimum I usually set the CRS to the runway heading as a point of reference. 

I flew in both the USAF and as a GA pilot in Cessna 172 & 182s. Today, I am just a flight sim pilot. However, I use GPS and I fly without ATC. This is your hobby. How you fly is your business. Flight regs and procedures in real aviation are to prevent accidents. You can't kill yourself in MSFS. 

5 hours ago, JughedJones said:

But now I want to get deeper with Pilotedge

Yes, do this.  There is a structured VFR course that starts off easy, but get progressively harder.  You have to pass each flight/lesson before moving on to the next.  You are told if you passed at the end of each flight and any reasons why you didn't.

For VFR there simply isn't a more realistic place to be than PilotEdge.

Once you have VFR nailed, you can progress on to the IFR course which starts out with the basics and gets progressively harder.  You can move at your own pace.  PilotEdge has excellent documentation and training material.  They link to PilotWorkshop which has really excellent courses to purchase, both VFR and IFR.

Little navmap can draw a VFR pattern at any runway.  Follow that until you get the visual feel for where it is. 
 

it’s also much easier in VR. 

Edited February 27, 20242 yr by BufordTX

When I did my VFR PPL training I wasn’t allowed to use GPS. Initially it was tough to stay on top of things and always prioritize correctly (aviate-navigate-communicate). Not long after I got my license I purchased a cheap handheld GPS which really helped with situational awareness.

Im not on VATSIM, but if I was I wouldn’t imagine doing it without some sort of navaid.

2 hours ago, regis9 said:

One thing you’ll find helpful in joining the pattern at a 45 etc is using your HDG and CRS settings to give a visual of what direction you need to fly even if you’re going to hand fly.  

At minimum I usually set the CRS to the runway heading as a point of reference. 

Agree, I always do this in the sim when I fly visual approaches or traffic patterns. 

Edited February 27, 20242 yr by Cpt_Piett

20 minutes ago, BufordTX said:

Little navmap can draw a VFR pattern at any runway.  Follow that until you get the visual feel for where it is. 
 

it’s also much easier in VR. 

Agree.  I use Foreflight on iPad, but the concept (Little navmap) is the same. Use the tool to aid your situational awareness.  If GPS helps, then go for it.  Getting in to a 45 for downwind entry is a VFR maneuver, and that can be really immersive with VR. 
Whatever you do, have fun with it!  Keep learning.  

I also always have navigraph charts app open on my second Monitor for both charts as the moving map.  Maybe a bit of a cheat but I think it’s along the same lines as the information you would get flying with foreflight.

14 minutes ago, regis9 said:

I also always have navigraph charts app open on my second Monitor for both charts as the moving map.  Maybe a bit of a cheat but I think it’s along the same lines as the information you would get flying with foreflight.

I always use Navigraph charts on my ipad while simming - BUT, and this is a big BUT - I never sync to the in-sim position (moving maps) - as I like to be able to navigate without this feature. 

7 hours ago, JughedJones said:

 

For example, getting myself into a 45 degree angle on a downwind *IS HARD!!!*  

 

Private often called  "license to learn". In the past  during my first flight review my CFI was terrified  by a lack of fundamental skills, that he thought as private pilot I should have possessed. LOL Yes I had to eat my pride, tuck my ego, and re-learn basics! And yes you could guess, I had to fly few more times to get my flight review square away.

 Remember your private certificate is just piece of plastic to impress aviation authority, you actual piloting skills is within yourself - you can get away with passing checkride but can't cheat yourself ! 

I was a simmer way before I became pilot. Back in days sim graphic was not as advanced as today. You could do some things but not much! Today MSFS is true game changer! You can use it as training aid as no sim before because MSFS you can recreate training scenarios with realistic landscape as it is in real life!

Here is my advice to you as flight instructor. Do not settles on  with lack of skills or use GPS to compensate for it! GPS is good for what it is but it's not substitute to fundamental flying skills. Do practice 45 degrees entry visually, know where to put your heading, Of course there is no substitute for real flying but as training aid MSFS is the best value "$$ vs skills" that you can utilize ! 

3 hours ago, jmig said:

You can't kill yourself in MSFS

Unless you live on the 10th floor, get frustrated at a CTD and throw your PC out the window whilst forgetting to let go of it. 😜