learning to fly

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Member for

18 years 7 months

Posts: 261

Hi all

A question for real pilots amongst you. I am having thoughts about possibly taking real flying lessons at some point in the near future towards a PPL.

I have just bought (out of curiosity more than anything) FS2004.

My question is this: are the flying lessons (and the sim itself) in FS2004 relevent and helpfull as pre-experience of flying lessons? or will they just poisen my mind with un-realistic / un-accurate stuff.

I am intelligent enough to realise that a sim provides no physical feedback and cannot therefrore teach you to fly, but what i want to really know is if the naivgation / instruments etc are realisitic compared to real flying ??

Thanks in advance

Original post

Member for

24 years 2 months

Posts: 16,832

Neither really.

There is nothing in FS2004 that will help you particularly towards your PPL. But neither will having some fun 'flying' your computer have any adverse effect.

Probably a better way to spend your time than zapping aliens in Half-Life.

Once you get onto serious radio nav work, usually if you go on from the basic PPL to an IMC qualifiction, then it is of a little help.

Meanwhile, just enjoy it for what it is. A flying game.

Moggy

Member for

18 years 7 months

Posts: 261

Probably a better way to spend your time than zapping aliens in Half-Life.

Ahem...just call me Dr Freeman :)

Cheers for that Moggy, I spose FS2004 will help me learn some of the lingo and procedures, if nothing else.

Will struggle on real lessons without a "Slew" control and zoom eyes tho :)

Michael

Member for

24 years 2 months

Posts: 16,832

Will struggle on real lessons without a "Slew" control and zoom eyes tho :)

Michael

Nonsense.

Once you start lessons you'll find real aircraft are on permament slew. You are just getting settled into the lesson and your instructor tells you to head back as your hour is up. Seems like about 20 minutes at most, so it looks like a 3x slew.

As for the zoom eyes? That's called an instructor.

Instructor: "Just head back to the field"

Hapless student: "Where is it"

Instructor: "Over there, you can see it clearly"

Hapless student: "I can't" :(

Moggy

Member for

20 years 7 months

Posts: 2,623

Moggy is correct (as usual)

Michael, I would suggest holding off from flying FS2004 for the 1st part of your training, FS2004 will teach you to automatically have your eyes in the cockpit, something that you cannot take into real world VFR flying, once you start that bad habit it is hard to shake, and one that you do not want in the early stages of a PPL.
What I would try in FS2004 when you progress to navigation is when you have been on a real world Nav Ex try flying the exact flight in FSim with the winds set etc, you will find that you will arrive at your destination perfectly (if flown correctly obviously) as you did in real world, that makes it alot of fun

Dean

Member for

19 years

Posts: 81

I found FS2004 superb for practicing the Nav side of things, esp the VOR. Infact, the VOR radials are incredibly accurate and the frequencies are spot on.....065 radial from Daventry takes you right over the top of Conington, just like the real thing!!

Also if you have good photographic scenery, you can practice VFR navigation and get into the habit of writing down times, headings making ETA/track corrections and practicing diversions.

How about using it to fly circuits and help you to memorise your pre-landing checks, radio calls, speeds and go arounds etc.....??

You will never learn HOW to fly/handle an aeroplane with MSFS but is VERY useful for the things I have mentioned.