protzler

To expand a little on what Jarhead said, depending on what's preventing you from obtaining a class 2, you can get waivers. For example if you're colorblind, they can do the lantern test (though I think I read somewhere that they are going to start phasing those out ever since that 727 took a nosedive on approach). I don't have a current FAR/AIM with me but it explains it all in there. Also, try to get a pilot friendly examiner. I've heard all sorts of horror stories where the examiner didn't want to do anything extra, so would fail them right off the bat without even considering a waiver.Speaking of medicals, has anyone taken the Army flight medical? What a pain that is. I got my latest done a few months back and I thought I was going to fail the urinalysis test (too much sugar), then the eye test (those depth perception cards are hell), then the blood test since I had high cholesterol. Oh, and then I needed a waiver for something I did almost 15 years ago. All in all it was a month-long ordeal!

Cargo Air CondIt's on the right side of the overhead.

What he said. It also models failures. I'm very impressed with it and think it's the best out there.

For those that would like to see more on this incident

You're absolutely right Kevin, I do think the words we are using are confusing each other. The way I'm reading your posts, which I'm thinking I'm reading incorrectly, is that you're saying that you can't have a proper, correct, or whatever you want to call it landing without the stall horn going off. And I just don't think that's really true. I guess the sentence that I tend to focus on is the, "something that would make its existence known if everything had been done right." It seems like you're implying that I'm doing something wrong, which I really don't think I am. And I've flown with some extremely experienced guys that would have told me that I was. All I'm saying is that hearing the stall horn isn't an indicator of a proper, correct, or whatever you want to call it landing. Like I said before, every once in awhile I will set off the horn. Naturally, it happens a lot in the PA18 since I prefer to do 3-point landings rather than wheel landings. I very rarely float in the tricycle gear aircraft, and rarely do I not have a great, smooth touchdown...in other words, I have textbook landings. Where I tend to float is at high altitude airports. Mainly, Sedona. But that's a whole other topic! :(

I didn't think that I actually had to say that I used sight as well. Since I guess I apparently do, then yes, I use eyes as well. I thought it was obvious that if you do everything right, then the stall horn really isn't needed, and you shouldn't be waiting for it.

I hear the Majestic Dash-8 is excellent.There's always the Flight 1 ATRPMDG's Beech 1900's are simple aircraft, but fun. Their Jetstream looks amazing, but they only made it for FSX, so...meh.Those are what come to mind. I'm sure there are more!

Good post!

Same. I prefer to go by seat of the pants. Not to say waiting for the horn is a bad thing. I just know that where I learned to fly, they didn't teach you to listen for the horn, but to go by feel.

Umm...What? I don't know how it works in Cessna's, but it's not that way in every GA airplane. And as such, not every flight instructor will tell you to.I rarely hear them in the Pipers I fly. I hear it a lot more in the PA18 I fly, but even then, not every time. And I've made many, many excellent landings without ever hearing the stall horn.

Haha, yeah I figured I may have. If it's any consolation I'm right beside you! The last good tower sim I played with was BAO's Tower. After farting around with ATC Sim, I have a feeling that their tower sim will be a good (if not the best) one!He also has a Twitter, though I don't think it's updated very often. Here's the site: Aerostudios TwitterIt may be worth watching for updates, rather than going through the facebook looking for info. :(

ATC Sim 3 should be released fairly soon. It's a tower sim. Check out the ATC Simulator facebook to see some screenshots.

The developer of ATC Simulator 2, Russell Davis, is a great guy! I bought the program over a year ago, then lost it. He helped me out when I didn't have the same E-Mail, couldn't remember my order number, etc. Basically, I had no proof to give him saying that I am who I say I am, and it wasn't a problem. The only proof he had was my E-Mail address, which is my full name, and it's a government address.Not only that, but when he sent me the download link again, he upgraded me to the professional edition! He's working on ATC Simulator 3, and I'm definitely going to buy it the minute I see that it's out. If it's anything like the second one, I'll be more than pleased.Just my $.0002

The other one was a Dakota, not an Archer.

You answered it! Sorry, when I typed it I was tired.Thanks!

Do any of you know if FS models the increase in thrust when increasing the prop pitch a bit? I'm really wondering about that, considering it doesn't slow you down at all realistically when you put the props into full low pitch.

I'm not sure if they still do it, but didn't British Airways use to have the fear of flying flights? I think I recall seeing a BAe-146 filled with people afraid of flying where the Captain told them everything going on for the whole flight, etc......Looked to see if I could find it. I'm not positive this is the one I saw in the video (I can't find the video now), but: http://www.aviatours.co.uk/I hope that this may help!

If you're thinking of flying for the airlines some day, pick up "Flying the Line" by Hopkins. Hell, pick up Volume II as well. They're both excellent books.Then, read Fate is the Hunter by Gann. Amazing book about the golden era of flying.

In that case I apologize that I didn't help you at all. :(

Sometimes flightaware isn't the best for European flights. However, http://www.flightstats.com will give you the information you seek...just not the route. Here's the link to that flights information:http://www.flightstats.com/go/FlightStatus...ightInformationFlightaware will give you the route close to it's departure time.Hope this helps!

Not to derail the topic, but was the sidestick you flew a Cirrus by any chance? The first time I flew one, I asked the instructor if he'd mind if I did some steep turns. After I got permission, I moved the stick a typical amount...about the same as I would in a Cub, and I did a wingover! Responsive airplane, the Cirrus!I've had more fun in aircraft with sticks than yokes, but I think that's more about the rest of the airplane than what you use to control it. I forget what I was watching, but an F-16 pilot was talking about the sidestick in that. He said that it doesn't even move, but is manipulated by pressures from your hand. When asked, he said that even the greenest of pilots warm up to it extremely quickly.

You'd be surprised at how easy it is to go from yoke to stick and vice-versa in the real world. It takes all of about 20 seconds (if that!) to get used to it!

My most scary moment in real aviation was my first solo in a conventional gear airplane. The plane was a Super Cub. I taxied out, ran up, took off and flew the pattern correctly. Even the approach was good. It's when I flared and touched down that I screwed up.For those of you that may be unaware, in a tailwheel airplane, it's extremely important to do two things when landing:1.) Keep the tail straight. This is of utmost importance. The CG is behind the mains, so if given the chance, the tail would like nothing more than to swing out in front of you.2.) Keep the stick back! In a 3-point landing, you want that tail stuck on the ground. If it's up even a little bit, your chances of groundlooping are high. On wheel landings you want the tail up, but up enough so that its in a flight attitude. Not somewhere between flight attitude and having all wheels on the ground.Anyway, when I was working up to solo, I had a nasty habit of not getting the stick the whole way back, so the tail would tend to float a couple inches to a foot off the runway. My instructor and I both thought that I had beaten the habit, however, so he let me solo.We were both wrong.As I crossed the threshold, not only was I not PERFECTLY straight, but I held the tail somewhere between doing a wheel landing and a three point. Naturally, combined with not being straight, the tail started swinging around on me. I panicked, with the thought of getting the stick back and then straightening out not even entering my mind, as the nose of the plane turned left and as it started to skid, howling, on the right main. I was heading off the left side of the runway, yelling vulgarities the whole time, when it hit me: GO AROUND. So, I shoved the throttle forward and pushed forward on the stick. About two or so seconds later, I saw the edge of the runway disappear under the nose, so I pulled back on the stick and popped up in the air. Once I saw I was airborne, I lowered the nose a bit, banked right to get back over the runway, and started letting in my flaps. Only after I was safely back in the air I told the tower I was going around (fly the airplane first, etc). The tower came back laughing acknowledging my go around. The only thing I wanted to do was fly away from the airport, and hopefully never land. Seeing as that was an impossibility, I flew the pattern, came back in, and made a normal landing. While taxiing back, my instructor waved me to the ramp where I shut down and, shakily, got out. I was extremely afraid of tailwheel's after that. I didn't even want to look at them. My instructor forced me to take the reigns again though, and we did more takeoff and landing practice. When I felt comfortable enough to try it again, I did very well.That was the dumbest thing..or most noobish thing I've done in an airplane.The second most scary thing that happened to me was on a cross country. Again, with my instructor. This time we were in a Warrior. We spent the day flying to mountain airports in Arizona. First we went to Payson, then Sedona, then Flagstaff, then Prescott and then back to Chandler. Payson and Sedona were normal. When we got to Flagstaff however, we saw that the density altitude put it somewhere in the 10's of thousands. We decided that we would do a touch and go instead of a fullstop.If any of you have ever been to Flagstaff, you will know that the airport is surrounded by pretty tail pines. We figured that the touch and go would minimize the risk of not being able to clear them. The landing was normal. We raised the flaps, and powered up. even from a rolling start, it took us about half of the remaining runway just to get to flying speed again. We stayed in ground effect as long as we could, and we still were nowhere near a comfortable climbing speed. We were out of runway however, so we eased back on the yoke and cleared the trees by about 7-8 feet. From there we had a climb rate of between 30-80fpm. Wasn't fun.Not having learned our lesson, and thinking, "Well, Prescott is around 3,000 feet lower," we headed down and did a full stop taxi back. Took off, hovered in ground effect, and started...hovering in ground effect. It just would not climb. If any of you have flown out of Prescott, you know that taking off on either of the 21's leads you over the town with rising terrain. We would have little spurts of climbing at about 100-200fpm, but then we would start sinking. As soon as we hit 400ft, we made an intermittent turn to the left to go in a valley created by a mountain and a hill. I say intermittent because when turning we would loose all our lift. And it was only a 5-10 degree bank!We made it though, obviously. Once we got some altitude, it could breath a little easier. My instructor and I both decided that day not to go north in Warriors in the summer anymore. I should also mention these were old Warriors, all with cruise props.

I agree. I always blamed it on the lack of ground effect. Obviously not the only reason, but I think adding that would allow more tricks to be done to make takeoff's and landings a lot more realistic.

Awesome, thanks. I thought I read somewhere that they could be built so that you could switch between the two. I haven't had the pleasure of flying one (yet), but I am looking forward to it. I've only heard great things, and they look really good.I'm also glad to hear that it can hold two big guys, and that it's a little wider than the Cessna. It makes me want to look into building one if/when I decide to make the jump from renting to owning (way down the line)!