This is not my question but a question of one of my most near friend who is struggling to survive in the sim world. He doesn't know anything about flying. He had equipped a FS9 sim in his system some months ago but literally it appears to him just like a dark world. Although he completed some flight training courses available in the sim but neither makes him able to fly flawlessly. He really likes the 737 but had never been able to take it off!!!

So, I will request everyone in this forum to give some tips and advice on literally how to fly an airplane like a pro or just flawlessly. Also would he ever be able to fly 737 in near future?

Thank you!

Just like IRL, start small like C152, C172 or SR22, 737 is not for blank start.

You sure he is using FS9? (FS2004) which is very old, but a good thing is it came with a very nice ground school by Rod Machado, just follow it and you can learn from start with firm step. IMO it's much better than modern gamely "training courses" that takes like only like 5 steps to get you land all too soon. If it's not FS9, then find good training materials, for free you have FAA's airplane handbook here or See how it flies. And I'd also recommend Rod Machado's book and Stick and rudder . Tone of others online, but if the first course take you off in less than 5 minuets, I'd not recommend that, wrong start step.

I won't say you'll need 250 hours on C172 to start consider 737 in sim just like real life, but at least get a A-B flight without issue before step ahead, I train pilots from 250 hour small prop to 737, it takes 1 month and more full time ground school and 16*4 hours simulator course. And then you can only fly as FO under heavy supervisor for your first few hundreds of hours. Good thing take time.

As with a RW Pilot, "you have to Crawl before you can Walk". Your mate needs st start off with something like the Default Cessna 172 in FS9 to learn the 'basics' of Flight. Learn what every Instrument is, what they tell you, and how to set each Instrument up. That's even before taxiing off the Ramp to the Runway. Downloading the Airmen's Information Manual is a goldmine of information that explains a lot about the Terms used when flying:

https://www.faa.gov/air_traffic/publications/atpubs/aim_html/index.html

Once your friend is ready to get into the air, the next steps are to see what it looks like in practice. When I started out over a Decade ago, I found this collection of Tutorials very helpful in explaining many of the Procedures someone starting out needs to understand and learn:

The worst thing one can do is to jump in and try to fly an Airplane without having any knowledge about how everything works. It leads to frustration and eventually giving up the Hobby altogether. Hopefully this advice will help. Give it a try, and see how it works for him. Good Luck! 🙂

Two screens. The one in front of him a flightsim. The one next to it playing a Youtube video. Monkey see, monkey do.

The 3 engine JU-52 in msfs2020 when first released, had no manual. I had to copy the motions of a teacher on Youtube to start it from cold and dark.

You want to learn how to fly. Most people are near to an airstrip that teaches real flying. Sitting in front of a pc will only show how they fly.

Edited December 18, 20241 yr by G-RFRY

@C2615 & @ViperPilot, my friend had really liked your advice. He is looking to read the FAA Airplane Handbook (I too myself will surely read it! 😀) and he is also planning to cover all the FS9 flight lessons and some YouTube FSX tutorials...

9 hours ago, C2615 said:

You sure he is using FS9? (FS2004)

Yeah, he is using FS9. Although, he was asking if FSX had better flight lessons then he would surely upgrade to it. Can someone clarify about it?

Thank you!

FSX, does indeed have better flight lessons!  Is your friend using the default 737s from FS2004?  If using a TDS model,
then adding 2 or 3 clicks of elevator trim will help in getting it off the ground and into the air!

11 hours ago, USMC Aviator said:

@C2615 & @ViperPilot, my friend had really liked your advice. He is looking to read the FAA Airplane Handbook (I too myself will surely read it! 😀) and he is also planning to cover all the FS9 flight lessons and some YouTube FSX tutorials...

Yeah, he is using FS9. Although, he was asking if FSX had better flight lessons then he would surely upgrade to it. Can someone clarify about it?

Thank you!

The flight lessons is almost the same, FSX have better default C172 panel so it's a big plus

Make sure go to the "learning center", not the first few "mission" that pretend to be "tutorials"

Follow the step and get your in-game private license and instrument rating, the lesson and test there is not far away from the real thing, but anything beyond that falls short though.

FS9 came with 737-400, while FSX with 737-800, but both of them are very not authentic to the real thing. Not sure how far your friend want on this ride, the best rending of 737 on FS9 would be iFly one but the FS9 version is not on sell anymore, while FSX version still can be bought. (PMDG NG for FS9 and NGX for FSX are also out of stock)

Edited December 19, 20241 yr by C2615

2 hours ago, C2615 said:

The flight lessons is almost the same, FSX have better default C172 panel so it's a big plus

Make sure go to the "learning center", not the first few "mission" that pretend to be "tutorials"

Follow the step and get your in-game private license and instrument rating, the lesson and test there is not far away from the real thing, but anything beyond that falls short though.

Thank for these tips he will surely follow them in order to be a better sim pilot.

 

8 hours ago, charliearon said:

Is your friend using the default 737s from FS2004?

No, he is using the payware ifly 737. This is because he inherited the sim and all his payware & freeware addons from his late grandfather. He would had been lucky if his grandfather had taught him how to fly! 😌

The OP's friend has FS9 installed on his Computer, as the OP alluded to in his initial Post. We should let him figure out the inner workings of what he has before engaging in another time consuming back and forth about the merits of one Sim platform as opposed to another, or the merits between one version of a complex airplane versus another?

I appreciate that the Simmer in question wants to get into the air and play ASAP, but if he cannot even get the airplane in question off the ground without even an understanding of why, how does that help him out in the long run? 

8 hours ago, ViperPilot said:

The OP's friend has FS9 installed on his Computer, as the OP alluded to in his initial Post. We should let him figure out the inner workings of what he has before engaging in another time consuming back and forth about the merits of one Sim platform as opposed to another, or the merits between one version of a complex airplane versus another?

I appreciate that the Simmer in question wants to get into the air and play ASAP, but if he cannot even get the airplane in question off the ground without even an understanding of why, how does that help him out in the long run? 

Sorry to say, but I am unable to understand what you are asking. It would be kind enough if you repost what you are tending to ask.

As to say again, my friend is using FS9(FS2004) and he is not a real world pilot. He is a doctor. He just went through some flight lessons in the sim and is now somewhat comfortable flying the Cessna. But when it comes to jets like 737, moreover starting it from cold and dark, makes him very difficult to survive. He just wanted to know how a real world pilot starts up the 737, continues smooth taxi, takes off without any flaws and lands like a butter on bread. He just wanted to know the right and the safe way to fly. As I am not a pilot, I couldn't give him the absolute appropriate answer. Although I had been in the sim world for a long time and till now I had been a master in flying those nice propeller airplanes of literally small size, I mean to say the Cessna, Beechcraft, King Air, Twin otter and more. Although I learnt flying from Rod Machado's book but the FS9 tutorials helped me a lot. When it comes to commercial jetliners, then I am not a pro but although can take off from ground and land somewhat safely but not in the safest way. That's why I came in this forum!

22 minutes ago, USMC Aviator said:

Sorry to say, but I am unable to understand what you are asking. It would be kind enough if you repost what you are tending to ask.

As to say again, my friend is using FS9(FS2004) and he is not a real world pilot. He is a doctor. He just went through some flight lessons in the sim and is now somewhat comfortable flying the Cessna. But when it comes to jets like 737, moreover starting it from cold and dark, makes him very difficult to survive. He just wanted to know how a real world pilot starts up the 737, continues smooth taxi, takes off without any flaws and lands like a butter on bread. He just wanted to know the right and the safe way to fly. As I am not a pilot, I couldn't give him the absolute appropriate answer. Although I had been in the sim world for a long time and till now I had been a master in flying those nice propeller airplanes of literally small size, I mean to say the Cessna, Beechcraft, King Air, Twin otter and more. Although I learnt flying from Rod Machado's book but the FS9 tutorials helped me a lot. When it comes to commercial jetliners, then I am not a pro but although can take off from ground and land somewhat safely but not in the safest way. That's why I came in this forum!

Sorry about that; my Post was in response to those who were chirping about how FSX is better vs. FS9, etc.

First of all, which 737 is your friend flying? The one included in the Sim, or an 'add on' Airplane? If it's the 'iFly' 737 add on, first he needs to reference the Pilot's Checklist or Flight Manual that should have come with the Airplane. It will list all of the Procedures for Engine Start, configuring the Radios and other Equipment like Flaps, etc. and calculating the Fuel, Passenger and Cargo loads in order to get the proper Aircraft Weight set. Those values are critical in order to get the Airplane airborne. Also in the Documentation are the "V Speeds", which tell you the Speeds you need to reach in order to both Take Off and Land, Approach Speeds for Landing, Speeds for extending Landing Gear and Flaps, etc. The Manual and Checklist Procedures are similar to what a real World Pilot and Co-Pilot would review and set up for Engine Start, moving away from the Gate, taxiing to the Runway, and lining up on the Runway for Take Off.

24 minutes ago, ViperPilot said:

First of all, which 737 is your friend flying?

My friend and myself too are using the ifly 737 add-on Aircraft.

And yeah, I and my friend had read the manuals and it helped us a lot. We also watched some YouTube videos on how to fly the Ifly 737. These together were surely promising. My friend is now aiming to read the FAA Airplane Handbook as well as Rod Machado's Private Pilot Handbook in order to deeply understand the aviation world.

I would thank you everyone on the behalf of my friend. We would surely approach in this forum whenever necessary.

Thank you once again!