737 Simulator Experience

[Flyaways]

I've been given a voucher for an hours experience in a 737 fixed base simulator.

Has anyone had this kind of experience? What did you do (circuits, touch and go etc)?

And does the fact it's fixed base make it much different from a motion simulator? Do you feel like you're in a simulator or does it really feel you are flying?

Thanks :D

[Hotel Tango]

I did some fixed base sim time in a B727 a great many years ago - long long before FS came out - and enjoyed it. Not so sure it would impress me much these days. Still, if it's free I'd go for it.

[Flyaways]

It wasn't free, it was paid for and given to me as a gift :p

[Hotel Tango]

It's free as far as you're concerned which is what I was inferring.

[John Farley]

Flyaways

There are three components to any aircraft simulator:

1 The mathematical model of the subject aircraft aerodynamics, propulsion and equations of motion etc.
2. The outside world display.
3 The motion system.

If you pour enough money into 1 and 2 they can theoretically be perfect.

No matter how much money you spend on 3 it can only ever be a very rough representation of aspects of the real motion. Indeed it always has elements of false cues (cues that are not in the aircraft in flight).

When assessing (or developing) a simulation I always do it motion off. This way you know what you are dealing with and that the end result will always be harder to fly than the real thing because you are missing the real motion cues. In flight motion cues felt through the seat of the pants give you just that little advance warning of what is happening before you see it on the aircraft instrument displays or the outside world display. That is the little bit of help you are missing in a fixed base sim.

As to whether will you ever forget you are in a sim and not an aeroplane is a very interesting matter.

In my experience pilots fall into two categories - those that given enough workload and need to concentrate to try and achieve the task will certainly forget they are in a sim. (I am one of those) and those that never forget it is a sim. whatever the circumstances. I suspect the latter are probably in a minority but I do not know that to be a fact.

Bottom line so far as you are concerned forget any lack of motion - it is not an issue.

BTW you should NEVER control an aircraft primarily based on the seat of your pants but on the outside world picture and the instruments because in many circrcumstances our inner ears can get completly screwed up by flying so they MUST be ignored. (They were after all developed to help us move about on our hind legs or perhaps horses)

[John Farley]

Flyaways

Have you done it then?

[Flyaways]

No i've got it booked for just over a weeks time.

Thanks for your post, it's interesting :ok:

[Big Eric]

Is this with UFLY737 in London by any chance ?

[Flyaways]

No it's not with them.

Another question, how much can you fit into an hour? (Roughly):)

[Doors to Automatic]

With a wrap around visual system and a bit of vibration built into the seats the only motion you really need for entertainment purposes to get you to 95% of the effect of a Level D sim is the forward and backward axis i.e. acceleration and deceleration.

[tomahawk_pa38]

Flyaways,

Please let me know how you get on - I've got a voucher to book for a session in the Northampton 737 so wil be keen to hear what you get up to and your experience.

[ZFT]

With a wrap around visual system and a bit of vibration built into the seats the only motion you really need for entertainment purposes to get you to 95% of the effect of a Level D sim is the forward and backward axis i.e. acceleration and deceleration.

The pitch axis is used to give the accel/decel cue, not surge

[fantom]

Exchange it for ten minutes in a 320 sim.

[Docent]

Hello.

I was *extremely* fortunate a couple of evenings ago to have 45 minutes in a large airline's Airbus A300 flight sim with a training captain. (First time, and possibly last time, though he promised me another session if I were ever in that city again -- an invitation made out of more kindness than true intent, I am sure. :)).

I was so overstimulated by the experience that I barely even noticed the sim's movement except for takeoffs and landings. On my second approach (I had time for two landings and some guided flying at low altitude), my captain (sitting in the right hand seat) asked me if I could hear and feel the undercarriage lowering, and I had, but I was mostly head down chasing control bars.

In fact, I was prompted by the cap'n to look up several times, because the whole experience to me became so head down, and the sight of the runway stretching out in front of you is lots of fun.

My guess is that if you are as engaged as I was, then lack of motion may not matter a great deal.

Learned some interesting things including the concept, as it was put to me, of "rolling with the ship," and of "walking it over" (to the runway), and had a brief but very interesting conversation about sim training and the current interest in training for upset in cruise.

Your time in the sim will evaporate in seconds. But I suspect you won't ever forget it. I'm happy to answer any questions you have but answers will only reflect my experience there. I am not a pilot, only an enthusiast and a former very poor simmer before children happened. I hope you have someone with you in the right hand seat who will make all the calls and generate an increased sense of reality, if one were necessary.

Again, I was very lucky and appreciate my good fortune very much.

Cheers, Docent.

[24043013]

For anyone interested, I had the experience on Monday.

I'll be honest, you know it's not real because the display isn't sharp and it's a little blurry (when you're trying to make out the runway ahead). You can see on YouTube there are some guys with FSX on the max setting and it looks amazing. The sim isn't like that, it's more what you'd expect from a computer with decent graphics.

Having said that, the interior is spot on and very good. You do get immersed in it with the screens all around and when the plane banks you do feel it bank a little, even though it's not got motion.

It's an amazing experience and it's great if you use the instruments. Because of the graphics it's difficult to land it visually (The runway is just a spot of white until you get within a few miles). I did two circuits and it was great fun and i'll never forget it. The graphics is just me being really picky.

Don't be put off if you've got the experience coming up though, it's real good fun!