Flight model and the real world pilot (opinion requeste...

[Guest acolvard]

First, in my opinion any instructor that would ever intentionally turn off an engine in flight is a dangerous instructor. This is irresponsible and creates a lot of risk, for everyone, you, the instructor, other pilots, poeple on the ground, even the rescue crew coming to clean up the mess. There are way too many variables. Let's say you are over the airport when he/she does it, sounds harmless until you are at 100 feet perfectly lined up and that new pilot messing with the new glass panel pulls onto the runway in front of you. Can you get the engine started, probably, but maybe not. What if the low time student pilot decides to pull up harshly to avoid the plane? Stall and crash. Too many varibles, not worth your life when idle accomplishes nearly the same effect, both physically and mentally.Also, I completed over two hours of spin training. But, I did this in aerobatic planes, a Marchetti and a Pitts, over the ocean. Very safe and a great training tool. I highly recommend this approach. These planes are made for these types of activities and can take the abuse. Would I do this intentionally in an old trainer 152 from 1980? No, why take that risk? Check out http://www.aircombat.com/I am a very big risk taker. I have sky dived many times, rock climbed, rode a bull (not mechanical), road raced motorcycles in the AMA for many years. All of this was completed with the proper equipment under controlled circumstances, that is responsibility.Another adreneline rush FSX can not simulate is IFR. Flying IFR in IMC at a busy airport with a difficult approach plate and real weather and turbulance with the radio calls being rapid fired and traffic, mountains, spatial disorientation.... did you forget to start the timer. FSX just can not put that kind of pressure on a pilot, although it greatly helps with profiency. Vatsim helps, but the reality of putting your life and others (maybe your family) in jepordy if you make a mistake is not there.Also, In my opinion the pressure of landing is not there. FSX recreates much of the process, but without the motion in the seat of your pants it is just not the same.The RealAir Marchetti is a great FSX plane. It does "feel" very much like the real plane. But so does the FSX 172 for the most part. Every real plane is different. I have flown several different 152's, 172's, 182's, Archers, Cherokes, and Arrows. Every model and every plane feels a little different. But those are the fine points of flying. Fly with FSX, play with the different planes available and find the one or two that you like and enjoy the simulator for what it is worth. If you want the real experiance, call the nearest Cessna Pilot Center, for $49 you will not regret the experience. But be prepared your credit card may see some future wear and tear.

[ahuimanu 50]

I am happy to hear others admit the fear of heights thing.I had the exact same experience that ron did, but I was looking down at ocean. In Hawai'i, they have a flight-following/reporting system for inter-island flights. All cross-country is inter-island. Since the tradewind-induced cloud layer is usually around 2000' or less, you are going inter-island BELOW that. Sure, you can go higher, but the reporting system works at the low altitudes and my FBO wanted me to use that reporting system.Very funky being on your first solo cross-country, at 1500' and looking down over the gear out the window of a 152. I learned to not look down after that. However, looking down the wing on a steep turn or turn on a point wasn't as bad.I haven't flown the real thing in 10 years due to expense... it is just too hard to casually rent and stay current. I'm sure those with a little bit o' jingle in their pockets don't feel it, but for most folks, flying the real deal is just too expensive.While I only have 130 hours, those hours help me maintain a perspective on what MSFS is and is not giving in terms of fidelity. With the fuel crisis (which may not ever abate), flying is, more than ever, out of reach for mere mortals.

[ahuimanu 50]

Yeah, actually stopping it seems a bit off. I've done simulated engine outs with an instructor all the way down to about 100 feet, but the engine was wind-milling the entire time. I've never done simulated engine outs without and instructor. If you cut the engine and it doesn't come back to life, training becomes reality.

[ahuimanu 50]

In my curriculum, in the early 1990s, I was not shown a spin. I did do a half-turn spin on my first time out after soloing due to pushing the rudder the wrong way on a power-off stall recovery. My instructor and I HAD done heavy ground school discussion on spins and I believe I am here typing this today because of it. Perhaps actual instruction on spins would have been even better.That half-turn spin was frightening.

[Johan_Dees 84]

Lets say that realism is all in the eyes of the beholder..For everybody realism is different, unless stepping in a real one.. and that varies also between a Cessna and a Boeing..On simming it is just a lot of imagination, a bit of MSFS and a tad of as real as it gets.I had, and have adrenaline situations in FS, just because of crasing is out of the picture.. a sort of playing DiD (dead is dead) no carreer option in FS, but FS should auto format your HD, or deny acces for a month to it after a crash. That will keep the adrenaline up I guess..Anyhow, good stories, nice talk. I have also tried the real thing myself and I can recomend it, but in Europe it is for the elite.. very expensive. But if you can, try it.. and find yourself instantly looking to the instruments instead of outside!JohanA LITTLE LESS CONVERSATION, AND A LITTLE MORE ACTION PLEASE..http://www.jdserver.mine.nu/johanGlobal Logistics VAhttp://www.jdserver.mine.nu/va

[Guest j-mo]

>But if you can, try it.. and find>yourself instantly looking to the instruments instead of>outside!Yeah, that's what happened to me a few months ago! I took a Discovery Flight and was so proud at how well I was keeping my eyes on the instruments. Still, I felt like I wasn't keeping things smooth. That's when the instructor told me to look outside and watch where I was going instead of keeping my eyes almost glued to the panel. Made all the difference in the world. My altitude and heading became, and stayed, stable.I'm not qualified to comment on the OP's question, but I can say that I haven't found anything in FS that comes close to duplicating the FEELING of flying. Yet, I enjoy simming immensely.

[Guest PPSFA]

What a GREAT thread!! I have been a commercial pilot since 1971 and have used FS for a variety of reasons beginning with the 95 version.FSX for me has been a real eye opener. Normally I just jump in and fly, using multiplayer with 5 or 6 friends. However either Im getting senile or its getting more real, as recently 2 things have happened that never did before:On a flight into Mexico City, real world weather, night time, CJ1, I actually broke a sweat getting onto the approach.On another flight into Alaska (I dont remember which airport but it was short and high altitude), the weather was below minimums, almost 0-0, and when I looked outside on the approach, I had vertigo for a few seconds,I dont know about anyone else, but thats #### close to the real thing for me !!XP Pro SP2-FSX SP2AMD FX60-8800GTS-2 Gigs RAMFEX-GEX-UTUSA-FSGenesis-and a bunch of other stuffComputer optomized by www.fs-gs.com

[Guest mephix]

Thanks so much for all the wonderful reading, and thanks to this thread I have a new aircraft in the hanger, the RealAir SF260. I took a flight in her today, (Triplehead2go, TrackIR, FEX, around FlyTampa's beautiful St. Martin), and words just just can't describe the feeling... No it's not the real thing, but thanks to ACE's and all the addon developers, to me, it sure feels like it! We're all very lucky to have the ear of real life pilots/sim enthusiasts in this wonderful forum. I've been lurking since FS9, and this is a great community. Thanks again!T.J.