What are they really like?
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What are they really like?
I was speaking to a fellow colleague the other day and he said that his son also wnats to be a pilot, but he is too young at the moment. However, this hasn't stopped him from trying to get as close as he can to aircraft and so his father bought him Flight Simulator 2000.
Now, his son finds it wonderful and says that the graphichs of aircraft are quite realistic. He has downloaded aircraft from the Internet and thoroughly enjoys playing on it, creating routes from Hong Kong to LA in all sorts of aircraft etc etc.
But, my question is, are they really an accurate representation of flight. Now, I know that it is impossible to re-create the actual feeling and bumps etc, but the weather and dynamics of it seem to be quite accurate. Has anyone got an opinion from first-hand experience on their effectiveness?
Now, his son finds it wonderful and says that the graphichs of aircraft are quite realistic. He has downloaded aircraft from the Internet and thoroughly enjoys playing on it, creating routes from Hong Kong to LA in all sorts of aircraft etc etc.
But, my question is, are they really an accurate representation of flight. Now, I know that it is impossible to re-create the actual feeling and bumps etc, but the weather and dynamics of it seem to be quite accurate. Has anyone got an opinion from first-hand experience on their effectiveness?
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FL390,
The PC-based flight sims are increasingly useful as procedural training aids (such things as dialling up correct radio frequencies, flying radials on VORs, basic flight navigation etc) but there is no substitute for actual time in the air.
Put the two together and you have a fairly good all-round builder of experience. Some training organisations do make use of PC-based sims for nav training and reinforcement of basic concepts, as well as instilling the idea of managing aircraft systems for operation of more complex a/c.
If the young man becomes very adept at the sim, it is highly likely he will pick up the skills of flying real aircraft very quickly. This may well see a reduction in his hours necessary to achieve various training milestones.
By all means sim away, but I'd urge your colleague to get his son into a real aircraft ASAP if he shows promise, committment and really wants to make a career out of it.
The PC-based flight sims are increasingly useful as procedural training aids (such things as dialling up correct radio frequencies, flying radials on VORs, basic flight navigation etc) but there is no substitute for actual time in the air.
Put the two together and you have a fairly good all-round builder of experience. Some training organisations do make use of PC-based sims for nav training and reinforcement of basic concepts, as well as instilling the idea of managing aircraft systems for operation of more complex a/c.
If the young man becomes very adept at the sim, it is highly likely he will pick up the skills of flying real aircraft very quickly. This may well see a reduction in his hours necessary to achieve various training milestones.
By all means sim away, but I'd urge your colleague to get his son into a real aircraft ASAP if he shows promise, committment and really wants to make a career out of it.
