Rant

[naughtybutnice6792]

Hi there folks!

I have been recommended by quite a few people to use RANT for my IR preparation, and I'm not entirely sure what it is! I know what it stands for, but I'm not sure how it works! I'm presuming its a computer program?

Is the only way of using it to buy a programe? (I have seen them for £84.99) And is it really worth the money?

Any help gratefully received!
Many thanks.

[Dictionary]

Yes, buy it! It really helped me understand NDB work.

[High Wing Drifter]

Yes, it is brilliant. Ditto, saved me airtime for NDB tracking and holds during my IMC.

It is a puter prog that provides a 2D top down graphical view, you just control the plane according to the very realistic graphical instruments. It is good because it doesn't confuse handling an aircraft and instrument interpretation, it just concentrates on the latter.

Get the demo at www.oddsoft.co.uk.

[My names Turkish]

I never used Rant, but a lot of people find it usefull.

Another one you may consider is Microsoft Flight Sim. I was really struggling with NDB work and I just love it now because I found it so easy after using FS. You can fly from practically any airport in the world. 95% of the time the navaids are still the same Freq as the ones on your plates so you can do all the approaches. I found it very difficult to hand fly as there is no feel, so you can set the autopilot to heading and altitude hold.You won't improve your manual flying skills but your proceedures should be sharp. This way your doing more than tracking your doing whole procedures and working out decent rates, flying DME arcs etc.

It will never be as good as practicing with a real aircraft or an FNPTII but its something you can use everyday and keep your mind sharp.

[Dictionary]

I tried FS 2002 but could never get to grips with it. As it was always far to sensitive in pitch, and i wasn't able to trim it out or hold the correcr attitude.

[My names Turkish]

Like I said in my post Dictionary. Use the Autopilot as it is too difficult to control and there is no feel. You set the autopilot to the altitude you want, and the heading bug on the DG.

The autopilot then flies the heading you want. When you want to change either of these you use your mouse to move the heading bug to the deisred and the same for alt.

That means the Autopilot is not flying the proceedure for you but you don't have to hadn fly it.

[Dictionary]

Cheers i'll have a go tomorrow. Going out now for a beer or two

[High Wing Drifter]

I think it depends if you are learning or practicing. I think RANT really provides the complete package of avionics, tutorials, exercises as well as airways, navaids, etc, etc.

I simply can't abide all the faffing around I have to do with FS just to practice the most basic things, and then with nothing more than a slideshow on my old PC.

[Dictionary]

I must agree with HWD, RANT is excellent

[18greens]

The big thing about RANT that distinguishes it from all other packages is it is programmed to simulate ADF dip. (MS flight sim does not do it, I'm not sure if elite does)

If you don't know what dip is you will by the end of the IR and you will thank your stars you bought RANT. Remember the final test with Mr CAA examiner costs £10/per minute. Don't mess it up for the sake of £80.

[cfb]

Just in case it's escaped your notice, Rant is published by Oddsoft Ltd, and as you might now have guessed, Oddsoft is the product of one Steve Oddy, CAA IR Staff Examiner of some repute.

Guess he should know what might be really useful for your all important IR preparation ?

[Piltdown Man]

Bicycle and chalk! Beginners - draw out the beacon and the hold. Now cycle to it. You can now see which way to join and how to take up the hold. Try from different directions. Advanced Users: Remove the patern of the hold and only leave the beacon. Doesn't take long but you do build up the picture of the hold in your head really quickly. But remember, you can't stop pedalling or you'll stall!

[captainjono]

Yep, definately buy it. After all for £85 what can you get in the air nowadays? you'd be lucky to get more than two possibly three practice entries/holds.

If you're new to instrument work or going for your IMC then you'll probably find that the first couple of instrument flights you do your brain will get somewhat overloaded! I bought rant mid-way through my IMC lessons and now wished I'd bought it before I started.

Just remember it will save you time, money and improve your instrument flying in the long run...

[Penworth]

Anyone any ideas where I could get a cheap second hand copy of RANT?

PW

[smith]

Penworth

Most aviation, comp programmes are copyright protected, so please don't advertise for 2nd hand on pprune. Antways I think the authors/producers of this info deserve their royalty cheques.

[jimbo jet set]

Try ebay- theres a copy on there for thitry quid

[sidtheesexist]

Mate of mine has had problems with his situational awareness (yep, can't find the bar after 6 pts!) and he's been using RANT now for quite some time ( can now manage 8 ) - he swears by it and is convinced it has improved his ability to see the ' bigger picture'

[spaceman1000]

try "train simulator" instead.

with RANT you will go nowhere. Holding are just for schools to take your money.

when you will drive your train, you won't need to do holds!