2 minutes ago, The Flight Level said:

Yes, absolutely. I never mentioned that I had flight sim experience at any time during my lessons. Just focus on the lesson at hand and continue to absorb and absorb!

Exactly.

"Ears Open, Mouth Shut" goes a long way towards success in life 👍

14 minutes ago, UrgentSiesta said:

“Ears Open, Mouth Shut" goes a long way towards success in life 👍

Dad! Is that you?!

On 6/11/2025 at 8:50 AM, tonywob said:

The problem with using flight simulators is that those who go on to do real flight training often end up taking their bad habit of staring at the instruments too much with them.

I had this exact problem as well when I did lessons after using FSX many years ago. My instructor had to keep telling me to look out the window instead of at the dials when doing the usual basic tasks such as, turns, straight-and-level, ascending/descesnding etc

Hah! I guess I'd be the perfect student then - I barely look at anything in the cockpit when I'm "flying" in the sim! Wouldn't know what to make of most of it anyway <grin>

Edited to add - That's when I bother to stay in the cockpit when I'm flying, which is probably only about 20% of the time. The view's much better from the outside.

Edited June 18, 2025Jun 18 by andy1252

Re: developing bad habits from home simulator flying, that strikes me as less a product of any given simulator software/hardware and more a product of learning through solo experimentation with no instructor watching to correct you. (Unlike the presumably instructor-driven teaching that was the original topic of this thread.)

Maybe we'll eventually have virtual flight-instructor software that uses eye-tracking to tell you to stop staring at the instruments. 😁

 

10 hours ago, Magenta Line said:

Re: developing bad habits from home simulator flying, that strikes me as less a product of any given simulator software/hardware and more a product of learning through solo experimentation with no instructor watching to correct you. (Unlike the presumably instructor-driven teaching that was the original topic of this thread.)

Maybe we'll eventually have virtual flight-instructor software that uses eye-tracking to tell you to stop staring at the instruments. 😁

 

Not to worry! I do have a lot of bad habits, but the ones that involve flight simulation affect absolutely no one and are therefore harmless. As for staring at the instruments, I do that as little as possible -- I am a VFR pilot mainly, fascinated with exploring the world in MSFS2020 and 2024. If I had a flight instructor, he or she would be appalled -- but, my friend, we are talking about desktop computer flying, so let's all relax! 

Edited June 19, 2025Jun 19 by cobalt

Edit: Nah, wrong thread 

Edited June 20, 2025Jun 20 by Krakin

Not sure if this was shared...

https://indiandefencereview.com/i-am-an-airbus-a350-pilot-and-i-use-flight-simulator-to-learn/

:TLDR

Quote

“It’s an incredible help in many areas,” he says. “I could explore the cockpit, understand the displays, and develop a quicker, more fluid visual circuit.”

By interacting with the systems virtually, he gained valuable muscle memory and a deeper understanding of how everything worked together.

The Limitations of Flight Simulator

Despite its impressive capabilities, Flight Simulator 2024 isn’t without its flaws. Valentin acknowledges that the software, while powerful, doesn’t replicate the reliability of a professional training simulator. Glitches like freezes, unresponsive instruments, and even inaccurate system responses are not uncommon.

“There are a lot of technical issues,” he admits, “for example, the checklist interface sometimes conflicts with the actual systems.”

While these quirks might cause some frustration, Valentin emphasizes that the tool remains useful when considered as a supplement to professional training, not a substitute.

 

Some features, like the heads-up display (HUD) found in the real A350, are still missing in the game, though developers promise improvements in future updates. Valentin is quick to point out that these technical challenges don’t detract from the overall value of Flight Simulator as a learning tool.

“It’s far from perfect,” he says, “but for a game, it’s incredibly realistic.”

 

On 6/18/2025 at 11:01 PM, Magenta Line said:

Re: developing bad habits from home simulator flying, that strikes me as less a product of any given simulator software/hardware and more a product of learning through solo experimentation with no instructor watching to correct you. (Unlike the presumably instructor-driven teaching that was the original topic of this thread.)

Maybe we'll eventually have virtual flight-instructor software that uses eye-tracking to tell you to stop staring at the instruments. 😁

 

The only real problem I had in the beginning was prior to instrument training, I kept getting yelled at for looking at the instruments when practicing steep turns. The instructor wanted me to use the horizon to judge my climb/descent during these turns, well muscle memory of glancing down kept taking  over... In the end there were no real bad habits to break out of due to flight simulation, if so they were corrected without much notice/issue.

Edited June 20, 2025Jun 20 by Mike_CFII_MEL

2 hours ago, Mike_CFII_MEL said:

The only real problem I had in the beginning was prior to instrument training, I kept getting yelled at for looking at the instruments when practicing steep turns. The instructor wanted me to use the horizon to judge my climb/descent during these turns, well muscle memory of glancing down kept taking  over... In the end there were no real bad habits to break out of due to flight simulation, if so they were corrected without much notice/issue.

From the many posts I've seen on this subject over the years, as someone who never had flight lessons (except on one occasion), I have the distinct impression that flight simulation experience -- if it matters at all -- is much more likely to be a net asset, rather than a liability, for someone learning to fly. 

Edited June 20, 2025Jun 20 by cobalt

1 hour ago, cobalt said:

I have the distinct impression that flight simulation experience -- if it matters at all -- is much more likely to be a net asset, rather than a liability, for someone learning to fly. 

It seems to be an accepted part of most training regimes so I guess most people think it has value.

On 6/14/2025 at 2:22 PM, sd_flyer said:

CFI is certified flight instructor! 

Off topic but I heard of a CFI who didn't get hired at his flight school after they asked him what his certificate was called and he said Certified Flight Instructor.

Apparently the FAA calls it "Certificated Flight Instructor."

In aviation the only thing you can be sure of is there's more unknowns ahead. 😂

4 hours ago, WestAir said:

Off topic but I heard of a CFI who didn't get hired at his flight school after they asked him what his certificate was called and he said Certified Flight Instructor.

Apparently the FAA calls it "Certificated Flight Instructor."

In aviation the only thing you can be sure of is there's more unknowns ahead. 😂

The FAA also wants us to call students “learners” but doesn’t issue “learner pilot certificates” … so there’s that 😅

I can, from my own experience, mention at least an application of FS 2024 which has actually been useful for me in preparing RL soaring tasks - the quality of the scenery is so good that MSFS has helped me identifying possible land-out spots for my RL flights, just in case, and in some specific scenarios I have actually simulated a landing at some of those spots to be able to check if I was taking the correct decisions...

For specific soaring techniques unfortunately FS 2024, just as my other General purpose sims Xp12 and AeroflyFS 4, it's no good - for that purpose I use Condorsoaring, but the free "Portugal" scenery for Condor is way inferior in quality and details compared to MSFS 2024.

7 hours ago, WestAir said:

Off topic but I heard of a CFI who didn't get hired at his flight school after they asked him what his certificate was called and he said Certified Flight Instructor.

 

I'm not sure what to make of this anecdote. CFI who apply for flight school first must satisfy entry requirements (hours, dual time and etc) and then go through vetting process demonstrating flying and teaching skills . That is how it's done to my knowledge.

4 hours ago, sd_flyer said:

I'm not sure what to make of this anecdote. CFI who apply for flight school first must satisfy entry requirements (hours, dual time and etc) and then go through vetting process demonstrating flying and teaching skills . That is how it's done to my knowledge.

I know what I make of it