Flight Simulators Which one?
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Flight Simulators Which one?
I read with interest the thread on what to do when you cannot afford to fly. The software VFR Scenery England & Wales was mentioned for Microsoft Flight Sim 98. Is there an Oz version. It was mentioned in the thread that this helps with PPL Nav skills. I am very interested in developing my PPL Nav skills without actually flying, (not the prefered option, but....). Any thoughts on how to do this? Can flight simulators help?
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I found it extremely helpful, and from small aircrafts to big jets. I currently am still using 98 (pc slow) but I update it once in a while with new scenery/sound/panels/aircrafts.
Perhaps you can check this out.
http://www.flightsim.com
There database is quite wide. Enjoy and hope it works for you!
Perhaps you can check this out.
http://www.flightsim.com
There database is quite wide. Enjoy and hope it works for you!
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Guest
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How does it help?
Plan your route as per normal. Enter some wind/weather or let some one do it for you - so you don't know for sure.
Then fly the route as if it were real life. Use DR and map reading. Or just map reading if you want to get au fait with that.
When I used it I din't plan. I set off then made corrections as cross track errors developed.
I used a plane with an autopilot because I can't trim MSFS well enough to fly and navigate. Maybe that's just my machine.
And of course - you can use it for night navigation.
The beauty is there is no fear at all of being taken out by a Tornado and you can switch all your radio nav instruments off without feeling at all uneasy.
Plan your route as per normal. Enter some wind/weather or let some one do it for you - so you don't know for sure.
Then fly the route as if it were real life. Use DR and map reading. Or just map reading if you want to get au fait with that.
When I used it I din't plan. I set off then made corrections as cross track errors developed.
I used a plane with an autopilot because I can't trim MSFS well enough to fly and navigate. Maybe that's just my machine.
And of course - you can use it for night navigation.
The beauty is there is no fear at all of being taken out by a Tornado and you can switch all your radio nav instruments off without feeling at all uneasy.
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twistedenginestarter, mate, thanks for post. I went out bought MSFS2000 plus fancy joystick. I have just got a new PC for work, so its super doopa. I had a little trouble trimming at first, but got the gist of it and off I flew. Didn't land too well, crashed actually, pretty much dead actually. But I did navigate from an airport to another. I am keen to practice map navigation, so Im thinking the secret is to not have the GPS window in the corner!!
Many Thanks for all replies. MSFS2000 excellent.
Noodle
Many Thanks for all replies. MSFS2000 excellent.
Noodle
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Evo7. I work with computers all day, so joysticks and computer games are something I had avoided for a while now. But I can really see the benefit of the flight simulator with regards to flight planning, cockpit management and navigation on route.
To make it as realistic as possible, a joystick is a must. So I asked a few questions to the 'joystick people'.
USB is important. This is the standard these days I believe, and perfomance is enhanced. (A guy at work told me this, if anyone can explain further, please do).
I also believe that feedback makes it more realistic. You want to be able to 'fight' the yoke.
Get a joystick with power control (throttle). The advice I got was to go for a control that sits flat and you increase power along the horizontal, not vertically. Vertical power switches tend to become lose and the power setting doesn't always stay fixed. (No screw to tighten as the norm). This sounded like good advice.
You also need to be able to 'turn your head' quickly. So I got the 360 degree view switcher on the joystick too. Your thumb then becomes your head, so to speak, you use your thumb to turn your head, useful for keeping an eye out for traffic, and looking for runways etc etc.
I used my switches on the joystick for flaps, elevator trim, and I have two more spare.
The joystick I got also has a 'twist' component, which is rudder. You are right about the cost of pedals, very prohibitive. After one flight with my joystick though, the simulation of twisting instead of kicking in rudder is OK. I think the fact that you have think about doing something to trigger rudder is enough, doesn't matter whether its feet, or a twist.
So, after all that, my joystick is a Logitec. The name of it, would you believe I can't remember, but I will post tonight from home, with more details. Cost was 130 AUD. You can get exactly the same without feedback for 80 AUD.
Not sure if these numbers mean much to my foreign friends, given the ridiculous exchange rates.
Hope this helps, please ask more questions and given my limited but growing experience, I will help.
PS How far through the PPL are you?
Captain Out
Noodle
[This message has been edited by Captain Noodle (edited 15 May 2001).]
To make it as realistic as possible, a joystick is a must. So I asked a few questions to the 'joystick people'.
USB is important. This is the standard these days I believe, and perfomance is enhanced. (A guy at work told me this, if anyone can explain further, please do).
I also believe that feedback makes it more realistic. You want to be able to 'fight' the yoke.
Get a joystick with power control (throttle). The advice I got was to go for a control that sits flat and you increase power along the horizontal, not vertically. Vertical power switches tend to become lose and the power setting doesn't always stay fixed. (No screw to tighten as the norm). This sounded like good advice.
You also need to be able to 'turn your head' quickly. So I got the 360 degree view switcher on the joystick too. Your thumb then becomes your head, so to speak, you use your thumb to turn your head, useful for keeping an eye out for traffic, and looking for runways etc etc.
I used my switches on the joystick for flaps, elevator trim, and I have two more spare.
The joystick I got also has a 'twist' component, which is rudder. You are right about the cost of pedals, very prohibitive. After one flight with my joystick though, the simulation of twisting instead of kicking in rudder is OK. I think the fact that you have think about doing something to trigger rudder is enough, doesn't matter whether its feet, or a twist.
So, after all that, my joystick is a Logitec. The name of it, would you believe I can't remember, but I will post tonight from home, with more details. Cost was 130 AUD. You can get exactly the same without feedback for 80 AUD.
Not sure if these numbers mean much to my foreign friends, given the ridiculous exchange rates.
Hope this helps, please ask more questions and given my limited but growing experience, I will help.
PS How far through the PPL are you?
Captain Out
Noodle
[This message has been edited by Captain Noodle (edited 15 May 2001).]
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Thanks for that. Was it a "Wingman Force 3D - Force Feedback Usb"? I did a quick search for Logitech joysticks, and that seems to match your description - pretty reasonable at £37 too. I've no idea what the AUD->GBP exchange rate is, so I could be waaay wrong.
X-plane recommends a set of CH-Products kit that comes to the better part of 300USD - probably 300 pounds, too, given that we normally have a $1 -> £1 exchange rate for computer kit. Looks nice - pretty much like the Tomahawk setup, for a start - but that's way too much money.
I'm not really looking for absolute realism in a flight sim, just a chance to practice things - if it saves me half an hour in the air then it pays for itself. At the moment I'm very much a beginner - only 1.9 hours so far
- but I've only just started. Planning on getting 20 or so by the end of the summer, flying when the weather allows during the winter (almost certainly never knowing the UK 
) and finishing off the PPL next year, with an IMC if time and money permits. As far as I remember, USB is a good thing because the data rate is higher (although I'm not sure how much that matters for a joystick) and it can power the force feedback. Not sure if there is any other reason. Convenience, I guess.
All the best,
Evo
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Evo, you got the joystick in one. Works well.
I am 120 hours PPL, so I am too still a 'baby'. I can see great benefits of simulator, for me and for you. As you do each real lesson, do it again on the simulator. I started my flying training at Stapleford. I know what the weather is like in the UK and how it can disrupt training. The simulator can help, provided one does remember it is a simulator.
Enjoy learning mate. What school are you flying from?
Noodle
[This message has been edited by Captain Noodle (edited 16 May 2001).]
I am 120 hours PPL, so I am too still a 'baby'. I can see great benefits of simulator, for me and for you. As you do each real lesson, do it again on the simulator. I started my flying training at Stapleford. I know what the weather is like in the UK and how it can disrupt training. The simulator can help, provided one does remember it is a simulator.
Enjoy learning mate. What school are you flying from?
Noodle
[This message has been edited by Captain Noodle (edited 16 May 2001).]
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Just ordered one. Thanks.
I'm flying out of Goodwood, on the South Coast. I live a mile away, so its convenient, and seems like a great airfield. I've been wanting to learn to fly for years, and finally got started - I'm writing up my PhD thesis at the moment, which is a particularly grim experience, so I needed something to keep me sane. Wasn't quite prepared for the addiction, though
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Evo, Evo, mate......I got the joystick and have been practising on the Cessna 182. I realised I hadn't loaded the software for feedback. I got the box out of the garbo and retrieved the CD. Lucky for me I never take out the garbage.
I tried to load the software from the CD and I got a really strange error message. Some techie message that I had know idea.
Bugger I thought....I will have to call Logitec tomorrow. Then I had a brainwave. If you get an error when trying to load the feedback software, go to the www.logitec.com website. There is some blurb about needing a download. I downloaded the suggested software and presto, it worked. I now have feedback, and let me tell you Evo, it is f@@cken good. Heaps better.
Go for it.
Noodle
I tried to load the software from the CD and I got a really strange error message. Some techie message that I had know idea.
Bugger I thought....I will have to call Logitec tomorrow. Then I had a brainwave. If you get an error when trying to load the feedback software, go to the www.logitec.com website. There is some blurb about needing a download. I downloaded the suggested software and presto, it worked. I now have feedback, and let me tell you Evo, it is f@@cken good. Heaps better.
Go for it.
Noodle
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Regarding MSFS2000,
I am having trouble getting the 182 down onto the aircraft carrier after an engine failure. If I go straight in I can't lose enough height, if I try a LH circuit approach I lose sight of the aircraft carrier and splash..........
Any clues
Noodle
I am having trouble getting the 182 down onto the aircraft carrier after an engine failure. If I go straight in I can't lose enough height, if I try a LH circuit approach I lose sight of the aircraft carrier and splash..........
Any clues
Noodle
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I have no problem getting it into WW.
The problem is stopping and not ending up in Reading!!!
(I thought that I was the only person sad enough to try such things!!)
Landing the C177, stonking headwind, on top of one of the sky scrapers at Meigs Field is worth a go!!!
The problem is stopping and not ending up in Reading!!!
(I thought that I was the only person sad enough to try such things!!)
Landing the C177, stonking headwind, on top of one of the sky scrapers at Meigs Field is worth a go!!!
Guest
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Captain Noodles mate,
Check out here for Ozmate scenery....
http://www.megascenery.com/titles.htm
BTW, does force feedback give you the back pressure feel on the flare when landing?
[This message has been edited by training wheels (edited 23 May 2001).]
Check out here for Ozmate scenery....
http://www.megascenery.com/titles.htm
BTW, does force feedback give you the back pressure feel on the flare when landing?
[This message has been edited by training wheels (edited 23 May 2001).]
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Has anyone here got Fly!? I have MSFS2000+98+95+The one before that...But I think Fly! is better. It has better cockpits, and is more realisic overall. Does anyone have any comments. Also, I have a Microsft Pad, that senses motion, which is quite effective especially in the Bell Jetranger on FS98
Regards
Mike
Regards
Mike
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MikeSamuel
I have Fly!2K and the new Fly II. I also use Microsoft FS2K and X-plane.
So why all these sims?
Well Microsoft has the nicest "all round" sim with lots of add ons, etc. You can add ProFlight for ATC simulation and there's a huge number of add-on aircraft and panels available. Also, the scenery isn't bad. The frame rates are poor, though.
Fly!2K and Fly II do an excellent job of simulating the aircraft systems. The cockpits are highly detailed and it seems to me that you could certainly work on some basic cockpit procedures with these two sims. There are fewer add-ons available for them. Fly II was supposed to be much better than it actually is, and for moment I couldn't recommend it, although if they ever get the bugs out it will be a good sim. The flight models feel "better" than FS2K and if you have rudder pedals, the toe brakes are actually analogue rather than all or nothing.
X-Plane is an interesting beast since it is the work of one man. It has perhaps the best flight model of the mass market sims but feels rough around the edges. However, the frame rates are stunning.
Avid simmers are waiting with baited breath for Microsoft's Flight Simulator 2002. This is supposed to offer the best of everything on mid-range hardware. Since it hasn't been released, it is entirely possible that it makes tea too
More info can be found on the two most active flight sim web sites. These are:
www.flightsim.com
www.avsim.com
David.
I have Fly!2K and the new Fly II. I also use Microsoft FS2K and X-plane.
So why all these sims?
Well Microsoft has the nicest "all round" sim with lots of add ons, etc. You can add ProFlight for ATC simulation and there's a huge number of add-on aircraft and panels available. Also, the scenery isn't bad. The frame rates are poor, though.
Fly!2K and Fly II do an excellent job of simulating the aircraft systems. The cockpits are highly detailed and it seems to me that you could certainly work on some basic cockpit procedures with these two sims. There are fewer add-ons available for them. Fly II was supposed to be much better than it actually is, and for moment I couldn't recommend it, although if they ever get the bugs out it will be a good sim. The flight models feel "better" than FS2K and if you have rudder pedals, the toe brakes are actually analogue rather than all or nothing.
X-Plane is an interesting beast since it is the work of one man. It has perhaps the best flight model of the mass market sims but feels rough around the edges. However, the frame rates are stunning.
Avid simmers are waiting with baited breath for Microsoft's Flight Simulator 2002. This is supposed to offer the best of everything on mid-range hardware. Since it hasn't been released, it is entirely possible that it makes tea too
More info can be found on the two most active flight sim web sites. These are:
www.flightsim.com
www.avsim.com
David.