tips/rules of thumb re sims

[half-full]

any of the more experienced out there who could offer advice on how to fly (e.g. steep turns, stalls, etc.) ANY simulator within acceptable standards? rules of thumb, if indeed there any, that should enhance any skill that has been acquired thus far?
i currently fly 737-300s.
thanks.

[A Very Civil Pilot]

Scan, scan & scan again. Don't forget the basics. If you can do that, they will assume you can learn how do to all the other bits a new a/c will need.

[Yellow Sun]

AVCP

You took the words right out of my mouth. I fully endorse your comments. The only thing I think that I can usefully add is "don't forget to trim".

YS

[fireflybob]

My advice for the simulator?

Treat it just like the real thing!

Remember Attitude + Power = Performance.

Have a look at the "Flight with Unreliable Airspeed" and make a note of the common phases of flight and the required parameters

>Also, bearing in mind that as you are being assessed in the Sim, you are mentally stressed before you start! <

Mike Jenvey, I know what you mean but be careful about the power of "auto-suggestion"! If you "incant" this sort of belief it tends to come into your reality!

How about saying "My performance in the simulator gets better and better with every detail"!

[Genghis the Engineer]

A few thoughts from an Engineer who flies - but not in sims, but has had a passing interest in their design and certification.

Certain things are very hard to get right in a sim - these are yoke / pedal feel, lining up the view between windows, and the slip-ball (you wouldn't believe the engineering fudges that go into the slip-ball in a sim).

So, what I'd suggest is ignore those and apply a little gamesmanship.

- Use one view at a time, and ignore peripheral vision through the other windows, unless the design team were particularly inspired they'll be slightly wrong and confuse you.
- If turning, ignore the slip-ball as far as possible and simply use the amount of rudder you would normally.
- Judge control input by position, not by force. This is totally counter-intuitive but matches the way the sim "thinks".
- Rely upon instruments, they're much easier for the programmer to get right than the view.
- And if all else fails, point out forcefully that you'd never display such poor airmanship as to get into that position in the first place.

G


N.B. And the word from a friend who writes the software for these things, usually on the night shift, is that the best way to win a dogfight between two simulated A320s is to turn the ground off when the chap in the other aircraft isn't looking.

[half-full]

thanks a lot to you five chaps! i'll bear in mind all your comments/suggestions.

[West Coast]

Master the trim, master the sim. Works for me in the stall series and steep turns