MS simulator vs non-virtual flying

[mjc507]

First I would like to ask the question of what real world pilots think of MS flight simulator? With all of the add-ons that is available for that program some of us have learned to read Jepp charts, program a real FMC, fly in real world weather, fly SIDS/STARS, configure fuel and download checklists that the pros use.

Let me preface what I'm really about to ask by saying that although I have over several thousand hours of flying time (over 5 years) I don't pretend to know how to fly a real plane. Many things in the FS simply can't be simulated, though as the panels get more real and you have access to every switch and lever along with a lot of good documentation we do learn some good technical info as well. Here's my question: How well would I do on the actual simulator and is it true that flying the real thing is easier than flying the simulator (the real one, not on a PC)?

My virtual airline is British Airways and I not only fly their actual timetable, but many of their company routes as well. I do short hauls in the B734 and mid to long hauls on both the 763 and 777. I have had my share of mishaps (windshear that FS can't predict) but most (95%) of my flights over the last two years have been successful. I understand the language that you speak and can even see where realism has fled in films where the flight attendant landed the plane after the flight crew were snuffed.

Currently I am an architect with more of an interest in flying than sitting in an office all day. What are my chances of being a pilot with a major airline (I am 28) especially in the wake of 11 September? Would I have a leg up in school having the simulator experience?

One more question to really fuel the fire: If, for some reason that I couldn't possibly fathom, I had to fly a real plane and make an ILS approach, could it be done by a "wannabe" simmer?

I know that each of you make your job look easy and I don't want anyone to think I am suggesting that anyone could do it. I look forward to your responses.

Cheers,

Michael

[M.Mouse]

Try using the search facility and you will find enough posts on thge subject to occupy you during your next long haul 'flight'.

Enjoy.

[reverserunlocked]

I think we can safely assume M Mouse isn't a simmer!!!

;)

[Evo]

One more question to really fuel the fire: If, for some reason that I couldn't possibly fathom, I had to fly a real plane and make an ILS approach, could it be done by a "wannabe" simmer?


This one was done some time ago - here (http://www.pprune.org/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=63654).

Oh, and I like the title - "non-virtual flying" :rolleyes: :hmm:

[ratsarrse]

One more question to really fuel the fire: If, for some reason that I couldn't possibly fathom, I had to fly a real plane and make an ILS approach, could it be done by a "wannabe" simmer?
It's that old disaster movie scenario. Which film was it where they turned on the autopilot and an inflatable pilot popped up?

I'm sure this question pops into many people's heads at some time or other on boring and uncomfortable longhaul flights. I think my reaction if I discovered that the people at the pointy end were incapacitated would be, "We're shafted then." You'd have to have a go at it though, wouldn't you? It's got to be better than just sitting there and accepting the inevitable. There's always a chance you might end up back on the ground in one piece. Who know, they might even be able to use the plane again one day...

[Mac the Knife]

I'm neither a pilot nor a simmer, but having just returned from another bumpy trip to South America I'd have thought that your best answer would be to buy some time on a real full-motion sim and get them to give you some moderately unpleasant weather for takeoff, cruise and landing.

Hats off to the guys who stay cool and aviate when things are bouncing around.

[P.Pilcher]

As an ex-instructor I can state that before everyone had computers and most flying enthusiasts had filght simulators on them, the IMC students that I taught managed to achieve a much higher standard of applied I.F. in their 15 hours of training if they practiced on computer flight sims than those that did not.

Many years ago I was ground instructing at a middle eastern military flight training establishment. A new colleague who was an I.T. instructor joined who had no experience of flying whatsoever. He got interested in finding out about how to fly and the only thing I had to help him was a copy of the original FSII which he could run on his old 5.5 MHz IPM PC! I gave him a few briefs and every lunchtime he practiced with his "game". He discovered that he could get his aircraft on the ILS at, say 15 N.M., save his position and then try to fly the aircraft (using the keyboard!) down to decision height. The beauty of it was that when he came off, he just reset to his saved position and had another go until he managed to do it.

After about 12 weeks of this, we were due home on leave, so I suggested he put into practice what he had learned and so I put him in a C152 to see how he got on. Once he realised that the aircraft behaved the same way as his computer flight sim he managed to fly visually as though he had received several hours of instruction. Then I gave him a radar vectored I.L.S. I have never before or since seen a person with about 20 minutes flying experience fly an ILS from 10 miles down to a decision height of 200 feet without any problems whatsoever!

[reverserunlocked]

I've never flown an airliner, but I'm a PPLer and have flown a few proper airline full-motion sims in my time (737, Trident and A320) and they very different to a PC simulator.

PC sims are great for a bit of fun, as it's nice to push all the switches and start up the APU and bing the seatbelt signs etc, and some of them are truly excellent (the A320 professional add-on sticks in my mind) for learning all about procedural flying, SIDS, STARS, ILS approaches etc and if you've got a powerful enough PC you can get all the bells and whistles.

But, and this is the big but, a PC can't replicate the feeling of actually 'flying'. Certainly I know what a Cessna feels like to fly and the FS one is much, much harder to fly visually than the real thing because you're missing all the sensory clues that you get in real life. You've got that big panel in front of you, you fly in a 2D world, and even with a force feedback stick, the 'feeling' isn't there.

[paulo]

My experience in trying to use pc sim experience in real flying, albeit limited, is that it's not bad for "flying by numbers" scenerios.

I practiced some radio nav in flight sim and found it worked a treat for me doing it in an actual aircraft - basically I'd already got used to "picturing" my VOR tracks, twiddling the OBS, dialling up new beacons... that sort of logistical stuff isn't really much different between the sim and the real thing. (Except in the latter you do have a load of engine noise, RT, lookout to do etc, so you're a bit more hassled.)

Most PPL flying isn't the numbers stuff, but I reckon you'd have a better chance of flying an ILS than I would (my flying passion is aeros - no numbers at all!).

If you could get me to visual, I'd take over from there thanks... :ok: