IFR Sims for Home use

[kalavo]

Can anyone recommend any simulators for getting IFR skills current again at home.

Not after anything fancy or loggable, just something that reasonably accurately simulates an AI, TC, etc.... preferably with Australian navaids. Ability to randomly fail instruments or review the flight and realise I'm much safer on the ground a bonus :)

[av8trflying]

I use Flight Simulator 2004. It has all of the Australian aids and you can fly any approach that are listed in the DAP's.

It is not the be all and end all but I find that it does keep my skills up when I cant fly for real.

You can get copies on Ebay for about $20.

[E&H]

I have been using a program called VH-IFR since 1990. Very basic, has all the Australian Nav-aids, u can fail instruments, pause the session, view your track and altitude profile, clear the plot and start again, reposition yourself etc. As I said it is very basic but great for cleaning out the cobwebs and practing inbound to outbound adf intercepts, ils, vor and dme arivals.

I last updated the program in 1999 can't remember what it cost but worth every penny. PM me if u want more details.

[RogerRamjet01]

I am using FS2004, with the dreamfleet Baron 58 XP addon. That addon includes a fairly complete Reality XP Garmin 530 GPS which has australian RNAV approaches included in the database (or the ones that are of interest to me, I have not done a comprehensive check of completeness). Functionality of the GPS unit seems to mimick the real unit very well. The aircraft model appears to be quite nice as well.

[boardpig]

X-plane 9 with the Saitek throttle, yoke and rudder pedal thingies. Has all the aussie nav aids and the IFR weather settings are to be seen to be believed. The flying "engine" in much more like the real thing (turbulance etc) and so requires the continual fine adjustments you need to make in real flight. It's the same software used in the full motion flight sims by the FAA.
Downside -
Still in Beta (v9 anyways), will be full release in a few weeks. Needs a flight controller (joystick etc) keys are a joke. Needs a wee bit of pc power to run although turn off the scenery (as you'll be in IFR anyways) and its fiine. Not as "user friendly" as FS but much more realistic.
$79 from the web.

You can also pick up the previous version (8.64) for much cheaper on ebay etc. It has all the same nav aids etc so for IFR it would be just the ticket.

[Walrus 7]

If you lash out and get the Aeroguidance system from KTi you can use it for recency requirements.

Walrus

[QSK?]

X-Plane (USD 120; http://www.x-plane.com/)

Elite (About USD 250 http://www.flyelite.ch/en/products/index.php)

ASA's "On Top" v9.0 (about USD 150; http://www.asa2fly.com/On-Top-Demo-C151_category.aspx)

FS X

In that order

[pilotshorvath]

A wise man once told me:

"Using Flight Sim 2004 to learn how to fly a 737 is like playing with a naked Barbie doll to learn how to shag". :}

I'm guessing the Microsoft programmers didn't get some of the flight dynamics right for some of the jets! :O

[RogerRamjet01]

I would never say that FS2004 is something I'd use to learn how to fly a 737 or any other aircraft for that matter. I agree that the flight dynamics are not exactly high fidelity. But there is vastly more to keeping IFR current than having good flight dynamics.

[The Bunglerat]

Exactly! Only a type-specific full flight sim (or the real aeroplane) will ever provide accurate flight handling characteristics, but the value of home PC based flight sim products should never be underestimated by professional pilots. I've been using them for years, and they're great - provided they are used in the proper context, i.e. improving instrument scan and procedural stuff, nothing more.

[Hasselhof]

MS FSX is by far the prettiest, but X-Plane kills it dead in terms of superiority in the flight modeling department. If you just want to blast around VFR then I'd go MS FSX, but for use as a home IFR trainer then X-Plane all the way. Either way, make sure you get good quality flight controls. I just received my full set of the new Saitek controls and they're easily in the same league (if not better) than the CH Products series. The full set was around AUD450.

[boardpig]

Been using the Saitek bits and bobs for about a month now and they are brilliant. Used with X-plane it is the best sim experience you can get on a home pc setup. Add the TrackIR4 and triplehead2go from matrox and you'll never leave the house. :}