Computer Flight Simulations for Training
Guest
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Computer Flight Simulations for Training
Hi all
Didn't know whether to put this topic here, or in the computers/internet section: Apologies if it's in the wrong place!
I've got the Microsoft 98 flight simulator - just the basic, with no add-ons.
Trouble is, I can't really get control over it just using the keyboard. I've heard that you can attach a joystick, and 'rudder' pedals to it, but my computer is a few years old now. It only has 64 mb of memory, a 2gb hard disk drive, and a celeron processor.
Saying that, it is configured for optimum use, and moves along at a reasonable rate.
Do any of you ladies/gents out there use this add on software? If so, is it any good?
any answers appreciated
ariel
Didn't know whether to put this topic here, or in the computers/internet section: Apologies if it's in the wrong place!
I've got the Microsoft 98 flight simulator - just the basic, with no add-ons.
Trouble is, I can't really get control over it just using the keyboard. I've heard that you can attach a joystick, and 'rudder' pedals to it, but my computer is a few years old now. It only has 64 mb of memory, a 2gb hard disk drive, and a celeron processor.
Saying that, it is configured for optimum use, and moves along at a reasonable rate.
Do any of you ladies/gents out there use this add on software? If so, is it any good?
any answers appreciated
ariel
Guest
Posts: n/a
MS Flight Simulator 98 should run fairly well on your system even though it is getting on a bit.
If you want to improve the performance of the game I suggest upgrading the memory to 128mb (cost you about £30-£40)
..or you could go out and buy a decent graphics accelerator card that uses up to date rendering and refreshing technology. (Will cost you anywhere from £50-£400)
On a final note MS Flight Sim 98 is not a flight Sim until you've bought a joystick - it is simply a must. Go out and part with some serious cash and do it properly.
A force feedback joystick would be a great add-on but a standard flight joystick with a throttle control is just fine.
Rudder pedals I don't know about - never used them or tried them so its unchartered territory for me.
Try www.cclcomputers.co.uk
they are a decent company who offer goods at extremely competitive prices. They are based in Bradford but will deliver all over the UK. You can even buy online.
Hope this helps
If you want to improve the performance of the game I suggest upgrading the memory to 128mb (cost you about £30-£40)
..or you could go out and buy a decent graphics accelerator card that uses up to date rendering and refreshing technology. (Will cost you anywhere from £50-£400)
On a final note MS Flight Sim 98 is not a flight Sim until you've bought a joystick - it is simply a must. Go out and part with some serious cash and do it properly.
A force feedback joystick would be a great add-on but a standard flight joystick with a throttle control is just fine.
Rudder pedals I don't know about - never used them or tried them so its unchartered territory for me.
Try www.cclcomputers.co.uk
they are a decent company who offer goods at extremely competitive prices. They are based in Bradford but will deliver all over the UK. You can even buy online.
Hope this helps
Guest
Posts: n/a
Whats everyones opinions on Flight sims?
Just bought a flight sim to try out, by the way i'm a real time pilot. I just wondered what everyones views were who ever you are..
My view on first impression was that it was quite real-like however some flaws due to the speed of my machine made the experience less of a thrill..
[This message has been edited by Intersection (edited 28 April 2001).]
My view on first impression was that it was quite real-like however some flaws due to the speed of my machine made the experience less of a thrill..
[This message has been edited by Intersection (edited 28 April 2001).]
Guest
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I quite like the Trident at Biggin Hill ...
No seriously, I've played about with one or two while trying to think of ways of maintaining currency on the IR without paying for it. Lots of them have pretty pictures, which I don't pay that much attention to I'm afraid, but the one that's the dog's b******s for IFR currency is one that's put out by Jeppesen. I think it's called flite pro. It also runs on my mate's manky old steam powered PC, I couldn't tell you the spec but I'm sure it uses a damn sight less processor power than FS2000 ...
No seriously, I've played about with one or two while trying to think of ways of maintaining currency on the IR without paying for it. Lots of them have pretty pictures, which I don't pay that much attention to I'm afraid, but the one that's the dog's b******s for IFR currency is one that's put out by Jeppesen. I think it's called flite pro. It also runs on my mate's manky old steam powered PC, I couldn't tell you the spec but I'm sure it uses a damn sight less processor power than FS2000 ...
Guest
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Fly! by Terminal Reality is very good for IFR training. It even has nice graphics. The good things are that nearly every switch in the cockpit works (the odd one or two don't), and the weather and flight phyisics are very accurate. I tried to land an ice covered Piper Malibu at an aerodrome with 6000'ish feet elevation. Did it!!....just 
PSP 1.3 (that famous 744 sim) is great for FMC trainging (has about 95% of the pegasus operations).
------------------
Eat My Vapour Trail
PSP 1.3 (that famous 744 sim) is great for FMC trainging (has about 95% of the pegasus operations).
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Eat My Vapour Trail
Guest
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You should take a look at x-plane. I know this doesn't sound like a Flt Sim but more like some space shoot-em-up, but it's the only semi-professional simulator at an affordable price (about $40). I bought mine direct which i think is the only way.
Take a look at www.x-plane.com
Take a look at www.x-plane.com
Guest
Posts: n/a
I've been using various FS for 10 years. They kept me 'current' when I took a dosh (lack of) enforced break from my training, but I found it invaluable as part of my IMC course. I could practice approaches, holds etc FS 95 & 98) and now fly the FS 737 for fun practicing SIDS and STARS etc. Well worth the investment.
No doubt Saab Dastard will now tell me I need a bit of kit for my pooter to improve the speed of the graphics.........
No doubt Saab Dastard will now tell me I need a bit of kit for my pooter to improve the speed of the graphics.........
Guest
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Even I muck around on MS FS2000 for a laugh, occasionally. It is good for trying out approaches at unfamiliar airfields - if you have up to date plates. However, FS2002 will be released this autumn, and it promises to be a whole lot better, as it's based on the Combat Flt Sim 2 graphics engine - no need for a P4 1.7Ghz/512mb RAM/60GB HDD, unlike FS2000! It will run at 50 - 60fps on an Athlon 800 with a GeForce 2 32mb card.
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Scroggs
Wannabe Forum Moderator
[email protected]
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Scroggs
Wannabe Forum Moderator
[email protected]
Guest
Posts: n/a
Flight sims. A slightly different viewpoint.
A friend of mine e-mailed this to me, it is worth a read.
http://www.flightsim.com/cgi/kds?$=main/op-ed/ed102.htm
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" size="2">After nearly two decades of happy and enthusiastic flightsimming, I recently decided to take the opportunity to fulfill a life long ambition and gain my pilots license. To all those out there who are like me and dream of actually flying a real plane instead of a simulated one, I’ve only got one piece of advice. DO IT. Find the money, save up for it and just go for it, because anyone who enjoys flying a sim of any kind is sure to never regret taking the next step that leads from fantasy to reality.
But I’ve got to tell you, don’t think that years of simulated aircraft flight will in any way prepare you for the challenges that you’ll face when piloting an aircraft when it really counts. The following is my account of the difficulties and mixed emotions that I faced whilst going through my flight training. Don’t take this as gospel though, since I’m sure there’s folks out there that will disagree with my story. All I’m saying is that if you think you’re prepared to take to the sky, think again because you may well encounter similar emotions that could change the way you feel about flying.
Firstly I’ve got to say that it never ceases to absolutely amaze me as to how far flightsims have come. To all those out there who spend their hours developing new software, hardware, planes, flight models, textures etc., etc., to give us such an enjoyable experience, I thank and congratulate you all. I think we’re getting ever closer to the goal of having a truly realistic flight experience on a desktop PC. With the upcoming release of FS2002 and FLY! II, by the look of it, I think we’re about to experience the next big step that brings us closer to our goal. I can’t speak for the new software just yet, but as to all existing sims out there, don’t be fooled into thinking that its anything like that famous slogan “As real as it gets”. I’m sure a lot of others out there will agree with me on that one. Real is sweat pouring of your brow, sitting in a single-engine light plane on final approach with no one there other than yourself to put it down safely. No off button, pause button or auto-land here. You do it, do it right or you might not walk away from it.
I thought I was a pretty good pilot on the desktop. I flew everything and anything I could get my hands on, completed complex aerobatics maneuvers, precision approaches, transcontinental journeys, bad weather landings, low altitude flight, dodging skyscrapers, emergency landings etc. I’m sure I’ve made my simulated passengers scream with fear more than a few times due to a departure from controlled flight ;-), and the simulated death toll from the myriad of crashes would surely prompt all governing flight safety bodies to immediately revoke my license, but in short, I love flying, always have always will, and thought I could do it all. Not only in simulated flight, but I also gave myself a pretty good chance if I had to do it for real. Heck yes, pilot and flight crew collapse with food poisoning on a 747, “Let me through ladies and gentlemen, I’ll land that plane!”
I’m only a fledgling in the real world of aviation, but now that I’ve had a few hours under my belt as Pilot in Command, I’ve grown to have a whole new appreciation for pilots in general. I’ll have to tell you, if that flight crew on the 747 really was out of action, I sure as hell wouldn’t be so fast to put my hand up. I’d probably give myself a big fat ZERO chance of landing a modern airliner safely without any assistance. Sure you know the basics, the attitudes, maybe even the speeds, location of controls. But do you really know how to control something without knowing how it feels? Of course not. It’s not just for fun that commercial pilots spend hundreds of hours practicing and learning. If it was that easy, they’d probably just say, anyone who’s got a copy of MS Flight Sim, line up, because it’s just like the real thing!. Now I haven’t been at the controls of a anything bigger than the average motorcar with wings, but I’m sure it doesn’t get any easier to land an aircraft as they get bigger, heavier and faster.
One thing I was really hoping for was the fact that what I was learning in real life could be practiced on my PC at home. My training aircraft was a Piper Tomahawk, so I visited the FlightSim.Com file library for a popular flightsim equivalent. The plane looks great on screen, but you fly it for two minutes and you realize that as hard as you may try, there is absolutely no comparison you can draw from flying the real thing. Take away the things we can’t simulate such as movement and g-forces, we should still have accurate handling, speeds and performance. None of those things seemed to really be close enough to do any serious practicing on the PC. I threw that poor little Tomahawk into turns and situations that would have made my instructor reach for the eject handle and meant certain death in the real thing. Sure, I can hear a lot you saying it’s the flight model, but it’s not just that. Flightsim just doesn’t come close in simulating a real environment. These are light planes, you get danced and pushed around all over the place. The Tomahawk only weights about 800 odd KG’s so any gust of wind and thermal updraft effects the flight path significantly. When flying in the real thing you’ll be constantly adjusting trim, flap, power, elevator, aileron and rudder inputs to suit the conditions. On the PC you can fly as if on autopilot with a minimum of input, hands off the stick, no flaps, no worries. Steep turns at slow speeds, easy. Landings are a piece of cake every time.
One of the hardest things I found to do in real life was cross-wind landings. Again, easy as can be on the desktop. Just hold the controls as required and the perfect simulator world will guide you to a smooth touch-down. I can tell you that I wish I had a training tool that would have let me practice with a little more realism, because in real life you start to get awfully nervous and even scared at times when you realize that you have to do this right. No second chances.
Before I started my flight training you could have asked me, “will you ever be sick of flying?” and I would have answered “Not a chance!… fly all day if I had the chance”. Now, I’m not so sure. There have been days when I’ve stepped out of the plane feeling totally exhausted after only an hour of flying. There’s been times when I’ve felt dejected and totally in doubt as to my own abilities (5 crappy landings in a row will do that to you!). It’s often an example of “The harder you try - the worse you get”. Sometimes you just had to walk away and come back another day with a fresh attitude. Next time round you’d nail every landing and ask yourself why it didn’t work last time. Simple answer is stress. There’s a lot going on, and it’s easy to get hung up on something trying to focus too hard on one thing, and in the process forgetting vital others. The flightsim doesn’t have that stress and unfortunately you don’t seem to get an opportunity to practice functioning under stress effectively in a safe environment. Maybe it's because today’s sims are much too easy to fly. I think that developers should look at what’s possible to decrease the gap from the arcade feel to that missing realism in order to give people a simulator that more closely resembles the actual difficulties encountered in real flight. I know this again opens up the big can of worms debate of eye-candy vs. realism feel. Prior to flying in real aircraft I would have opted for the eye-candy in my sim, but now I’m craving the reality and it’s no where to be found. What about giving those who want the added realism the option?
Being such a confident pilot during my flightsim outings, I really thought I’d breeze through the training to be top of the class, but there’s been some stumbling blocks along the way which I never thought I’d encounter. Flying a PC is easy, flying the real thing is so much more difficult, and I think today’s simulators can give people a totally false sense of security and ability with their claims of realism.
But don’t be put off in any way. The challenge of flight is both fantastic and rewarding. Get out there and do it, because you’ll gain a whole new perception and appreciation for what flying is all about. The only difference between then and now is that when I spend time on a flightsim, it’s more of a game to me rather than a simulation pretending to be real life.
Who knows, with the ever increasing realism factor in today’s sims, we may well say one day “As real as it gets” holds true.
</font>
But I’ve got to tell you, don’t think that years of simulated aircraft flight will in any way prepare you for the challenges that you’ll face when piloting an aircraft when it really counts. The following is my account of the difficulties and mixed emotions that I faced whilst going through my flight training. Don’t take this as gospel though, since I’m sure there’s folks out there that will disagree with my story. All I’m saying is that if you think you’re prepared to take to the sky, think again because you may well encounter similar emotions that could change the way you feel about flying.
Firstly I’ve got to say that it never ceases to absolutely amaze me as to how far flightsims have come. To all those out there who spend their hours developing new software, hardware, planes, flight models, textures etc., etc., to give us such an enjoyable experience, I thank and congratulate you all. I think we’re getting ever closer to the goal of having a truly realistic flight experience on a desktop PC. With the upcoming release of FS2002 and FLY! II, by the look of it, I think we’re about to experience the next big step that brings us closer to our goal. I can’t speak for the new software just yet, but as to all existing sims out there, don’t be fooled into thinking that its anything like that famous slogan “As real as it gets”. I’m sure a lot of others out there will agree with me on that one. Real is sweat pouring of your brow, sitting in a single-engine light plane on final approach with no one there other than yourself to put it down safely. No off button, pause button or auto-land here. You do it, do it right or you might not walk away from it.
I thought I was a pretty good pilot on the desktop. I flew everything and anything I could get my hands on, completed complex aerobatics maneuvers, precision approaches, transcontinental journeys, bad weather landings, low altitude flight, dodging skyscrapers, emergency landings etc. I’m sure I’ve made my simulated passengers scream with fear more than a few times due to a departure from controlled flight ;-), and the simulated death toll from the myriad of crashes would surely prompt all governing flight safety bodies to immediately revoke my license, but in short, I love flying, always have always will, and thought I could do it all. Not only in simulated flight, but I also gave myself a pretty good chance if I had to do it for real. Heck yes, pilot and flight crew collapse with food poisoning on a 747, “Let me through ladies and gentlemen, I’ll land that plane!”
I’m only a fledgling in the real world of aviation, but now that I’ve had a few hours under my belt as Pilot in Command, I’ve grown to have a whole new appreciation for pilots in general. I’ll have to tell you, if that flight crew on the 747 really was out of action, I sure as hell wouldn’t be so fast to put my hand up. I’d probably give myself a big fat ZERO chance of landing a modern airliner safely without any assistance. Sure you know the basics, the attitudes, maybe even the speeds, location of controls. But do you really know how to control something without knowing how it feels? Of course not. It’s not just for fun that commercial pilots spend hundreds of hours practicing and learning. If it was that easy, they’d probably just say, anyone who’s got a copy of MS Flight Sim, line up, because it’s just like the real thing!. Now I haven’t been at the controls of a anything bigger than the average motorcar with wings, but I’m sure it doesn’t get any easier to land an aircraft as they get bigger, heavier and faster.
One thing I was really hoping for was the fact that what I was learning in real life could be practiced on my PC at home. My training aircraft was a Piper Tomahawk, so I visited the FlightSim.Com file library for a popular flightsim equivalent. The plane looks great on screen, but you fly it for two minutes and you realize that as hard as you may try, there is absolutely no comparison you can draw from flying the real thing. Take away the things we can’t simulate such as movement and g-forces, we should still have accurate handling, speeds and performance. None of those things seemed to really be close enough to do any serious practicing on the PC. I threw that poor little Tomahawk into turns and situations that would have made my instructor reach for the eject handle and meant certain death in the real thing. Sure, I can hear a lot you saying it’s the flight model, but it’s not just that. Flightsim just doesn’t come close in simulating a real environment. These are light planes, you get danced and pushed around all over the place. The Tomahawk only weights about 800 odd KG’s so any gust of wind and thermal updraft effects the flight path significantly. When flying in the real thing you’ll be constantly adjusting trim, flap, power, elevator, aileron and rudder inputs to suit the conditions. On the PC you can fly as if on autopilot with a minimum of input, hands off the stick, no flaps, no worries. Steep turns at slow speeds, easy. Landings are a piece of cake every time.
One of the hardest things I found to do in real life was cross-wind landings. Again, easy as can be on the desktop. Just hold the controls as required and the perfect simulator world will guide you to a smooth touch-down. I can tell you that I wish I had a training tool that would have let me practice with a little more realism, because in real life you start to get awfully nervous and even scared at times when you realize that you have to do this right. No second chances.
Before I started my flight training you could have asked me, “will you ever be sick of flying?” and I would have answered “Not a chance!… fly all day if I had the chance”. Now, I’m not so sure. There have been days when I’ve stepped out of the plane feeling totally exhausted after only an hour of flying. There’s been times when I’ve felt dejected and totally in doubt as to my own abilities (5 crappy landings in a row will do that to you!). It’s often an example of “The harder you try - the worse you get”. Sometimes you just had to walk away and come back another day with a fresh attitude. Next time round you’d nail every landing and ask yourself why it didn’t work last time. Simple answer is stress. There’s a lot going on, and it’s easy to get hung up on something trying to focus too hard on one thing, and in the process forgetting vital others. The flightsim doesn’t have that stress and unfortunately you don’t seem to get an opportunity to practice functioning under stress effectively in a safe environment. Maybe it's because today’s sims are much too easy to fly. I think that developers should look at what’s possible to decrease the gap from the arcade feel to that missing realism in order to give people a simulator that more closely resembles the actual difficulties encountered in real flight. I know this again opens up the big can of worms debate of eye-candy vs. realism feel. Prior to flying in real aircraft I would have opted for the eye-candy in my sim, but now I’m craving the reality and it’s no where to be found. What about giving those who want the added realism the option?
Being such a confident pilot during my flightsim outings, I really thought I’d breeze through the training to be top of the class, but there’s been some stumbling blocks along the way which I never thought I’d encounter. Flying a PC is easy, flying the real thing is so much more difficult, and I think today’s simulators can give people a totally false sense of security and ability with their claims of realism.
But don’t be put off in any way. The challenge of flight is both fantastic and rewarding. Get out there and do it, because you’ll gain a whole new perception and appreciation for what flying is all about. The only difference between then and now is that when I spend time on a flightsim, it’s more of a game to me rather than a simulation pretending to be real life.
Who knows, with the ever increasing realism factor in today’s sims, we may well say one day “As real as it gets” holds true.
</font>
Guest
Posts: n/a
I remember once, when I was working in a computer store, a guy I sold a PC to, who promptly returned his copy of Flight Sim 2000, telling me it was more of a simulator rather than a game.
I witheld my smiles and temptation to say "Well Duh"
being the true pro that I am.
The guy had a point though. He had young kids, and all kids really want to do is have fun. They want to throw the joystick around, rather than touch it once every now and again to correct the localiser.
These sims may appear too easy to a real flyer, but Microsoft and Take2 (creators of Fly!) only really want to sell their product, and the easier it is, the more they will sell, and their customers will enjoy it.
I'm sure there are loads of really professional sims out there, but then again, the trend for home users is towards the easier game-type sim...
If you are looking for good realism without braving the weather, then suck up to BA, and they might let you into one of their sims
I can't see how one can think that sitting in the spare room, with a joystick and if you are lucky a pair of pedals can be realistic...and the view is rubbish
Anyway - I'm having a trial next week, so I'll have a bit of a broader opinion...
Good post though, Regards
Mike
[This message has been edited by MikeSamuel (edited 01 June 2001).]
I witheld my smiles and temptation to say "Well Duh"
being the true pro that I am. The guy had a point though. He had young kids, and all kids really want to do is have fun. They want to throw the joystick around, rather than touch it once every now and again to correct the localiser.
These sims may appear too easy to a real flyer, but Microsoft and Take2 (creators of Fly!) only really want to sell their product, and the easier it is, the more they will sell, and their customers will enjoy it.
I'm sure there are loads of really professional sims out there, but then again, the trend for home users is towards the easier game-type sim...
If you are looking for good realism without braving the weather, then suck up to BA, and they might let you into one of their sims
I can't see how one can think that sitting in the spare room, with a joystick and if you are lucky a pair of pedals can be realistic...and the view is rubbish
Anyway - I'm having a trial next week, so I'll have a bit of a broader opinion...
Good post though, Regards
Mike
[This message has been edited by MikeSamuel (edited 01 June 2001).]
Guest
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Although, as you correctly say, real life flying is a completely different ball game to sims, I have read certain posts on this site that recommend certain PC based sims for A/C familiarisation/IFR practice etc.... I'm sure it would be beneficial for some (all !) to find out which of these programs would be a worthwile investment to practice such skills. Programs such as FS2000 and the like are obviously more 'arcade' orientated, but I've heard of other more serious packages that accurately model flight dynamics/instruments ...etc.. It might be useful if anyone could post any recommendations - because some of these packages cost some serious dosh....
Guest
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I must say, Fly! has fairly good cockpits...They are much more interactive, are bigger, and you scroll around them...They have GPS and full instrumentation. You also have the choice to start the aircraft and do other routines if you want.
To put it clearly, I think they are better than MSFS.
As Fly II is out in the US I think, it may be worth trying to get hold of it, as it's bound to be an improvement on this...
If you are in the UK, Fly! (the original) can be found for about a tenner, or if you are lucky a fiver
Good luck,
Regards
Mike
To put it clearly, I think they are better than MSFS.
As Fly II is out in the US I think, it may be worth trying to get hold of it, as it's bound to be an improvement on this...
If you are in the UK, Fly! (the original) can be found for about a tenner, or if you are lucky a fiver
Good luck,
Regards
Mike
Guest
Posts: n/a
I've been a flightsim junkie since an early age and even now pretty much the only games I have for my PC are flightsims of one sort or another.
I now however have a PPL with 200hrs behind me and am just about to sit my ATPL Tech exams so I've got a much better idea than I used to of what's realistic and what isn't.
My opinion is that there are a number of good simulators out there but I've not found one yet that has everything.
To me these would be the pick of the bunch:-
Flight Unlimited 3 - For me this gives the best feel of flying a light aircraft VFR, both on the ground and in the air. The external visuals, handling, turbulence and weather effects are truly excellent. The only snag however is that the cockpit panels are a bit naff and not very realistic.
FLY! - Just doesn't feel right to me I'm afraid however it is very pretty. The best thing about this sim is the attention to technical detail. I used the 737 and 767 add-ons whilst studying my ATPL techs to play around with things I'd just been reading about. You can fiddle around with bleed air, hydraulics, electric's, fuel, pressurisation, start sequence etc to a much greater extent than on any other sim. (Other than 747-PS2)
Airline SImulator 2 - Having never flown a real big jet I can't really testify to its boasts of being the most realistic handling sim on the market. I have however spent a couple of hours in a well know Trident sim and it feels very good to me. The main thing I like about this is its simulation of the Automatic flight and EFIS systems.
I tended to find myself studying a bit from the OATS stuff and then playing with it on this sim. Modes arm at 1500' RA as the book says they will and everything else works just as I'd studied right down to a full autoland with GPWS etc. My only gripes would be that the graphics are pants and the FMS is a bit simplified but still not bad with both LNAV and VNAV availiable.
Just my thoughts anyway, if there is a sim I'm missing out there that has everything then please let me know !
Regards
Des
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Something will always spoil your fun.....
Beer has the Hangover, Sex has the STD, GA has the CAA !
I now however have a PPL with 200hrs behind me and am just about to sit my ATPL Tech exams so I've got a much better idea than I used to of what's realistic and what isn't.
My opinion is that there are a number of good simulators out there but I've not found one yet that has everything.
To me these would be the pick of the bunch:-
Flight Unlimited 3 - For me this gives the best feel of flying a light aircraft VFR, both on the ground and in the air. The external visuals, handling, turbulence and weather effects are truly excellent. The only snag however is that the cockpit panels are a bit naff and not very realistic.
FLY! - Just doesn't feel right to me I'm afraid however it is very pretty. The best thing about this sim is the attention to technical detail. I used the 737 and 767 add-ons whilst studying my ATPL techs to play around with things I'd just been reading about. You can fiddle around with bleed air, hydraulics, electric's, fuel, pressurisation, start sequence etc to a much greater extent than on any other sim. (Other than 747-PS2)
Airline SImulator 2 - Having never flown a real big jet I can't really testify to its boasts of being the most realistic handling sim on the market. I have however spent a couple of hours in a well know Trident sim and it feels very good to me. The main thing I like about this is its simulation of the Automatic flight and EFIS systems.
I tended to find myself studying a bit from the OATS stuff and then playing with it on this sim. Modes arm at 1500' RA as the book says they will and everything else works just as I'd studied right down to a full autoland with GPWS etc. My only gripes would be that the graphics are pants and the FMS is a bit simplified but still not bad with both LNAV and VNAV availiable.
Just my thoughts anyway, if there is a sim I'm missing out there that has everything then please let me know !
Regards
Des
------------------
Something will always spoil your fun.....
Beer has the Hangover, Sex has the STD, GA has the CAA !
Guest
Posts: n/a
Unusual,
You should pickup a copy of 767 pic for MS FS.
Start by going to Wilco's web site and downloading the manuals.
The FMC is about 90% accurate, the instrument panels 99%.
I also have a wide collection of sim's, and have my PPL with around 200 hrs.
Mike
You should pickup a copy of 767 pic for MS FS.
Start by going to Wilco's web site and downloading the manuals.
The FMC is about 90% accurate, the instrument panels 99%.
I also have a wide collection of sim's, and have my PPL with around 200 hrs.
Mike
Guest
Posts: n/a
I would disagree with the original quoted message. I think the desktop sims are *very* realistic.
I have just attained my ppl in the last year, and it all started after playing with MS FS2000.
Before playing with the sim, planes / flying were a big mystery to me, but I'd always been curious about them.
After having the sim for only a couple of months I decided that I was going to go for the real thing !
For anyone who has never flown before, and is wondering what it's all about, these sims are a fantastic tool. For VFR flying, you will learn the 'sight pictures' associated with the different flight attitudes, climbs, descents / turns.
The instrument panels, ground navigation (VOR / NDB / ILS) , location of the airports, and modeling of the scenery are almost excactly like the real thing ! In fact all the frequencies for the Navvaids, the location of airports, and the runway headings and lengths are the same as the 'real' ones.
Before I did my first x-ctry for real, I did it the night before in MS FS, and the ground scenery, location of the towns, roads, was almost exactly like the real thing.
The instruments react realistically enough that you will get the basic ideas, ... pull the nose up and the airspeed will decrease ...... bank the plane and the DG / compass will move.
Anyone interested in learning how instrument flying works, either in a light plane or in the 'big iron' can experience it all with these sims. A number of these sims are certified after all by the FAA and Transport Canada for instrument training !
I just bought the '767 PIC' addon for MS FS, and at the same tiime I bought one of those 'flight in the cockpit' videos This addon is amazing. It models the 767 99% accurately. If you want to learn how to program an FMC/FMS, and fly a big Boeing with their AFDS (autopilot), this is THE sim to have (and it's only $40 !!!). The 200 pages of documentation are outstanding !....... (You can dowload it from Wilco's web site and check it out for free).
I ususally alternate my 'simming' time between a Cessna 182, or the 767. The 182 gives me practice that I can use for real, and the 767 is great for playing with 'big systems'.
If I ever get my own plane, I might not use the sim as much, but until that day simming is a great substitute when I can't afford to fly for real as much I would like.
Mike.
I have just attained my ppl in the last year, and it all started after playing with MS FS2000.
Before playing with the sim, planes / flying were a big mystery to me, but I'd always been curious about them.
After having the sim for only a couple of months I decided that I was going to go for the real thing !
For anyone who has never flown before, and is wondering what it's all about, these sims are a fantastic tool. For VFR flying, you will learn the 'sight pictures' associated with the different flight attitudes, climbs, descents / turns.
The instrument panels, ground navigation (VOR / NDB / ILS) , location of the airports, and modeling of the scenery are almost excactly like the real thing ! In fact all the frequencies for the Navvaids, the location of airports, and the runway headings and lengths are the same as the 'real' ones.
Before I did my first x-ctry for real, I did it the night before in MS FS, and the ground scenery, location of the towns, roads, was almost exactly like the real thing.
The instruments react realistically enough that you will get the basic ideas, ... pull the nose up and the airspeed will decrease ...... bank the plane and the DG / compass will move.
Anyone interested in learning how instrument flying works, either in a light plane or in the 'big iron' can experience it all with these sims. A number of these sims are certified after all by the FAA and Transport Canada for instrument training !
I just bought the '767 PIC' addon for MS FS, and at the same tiime I bought one of those 'flight in the cockpit' videos This addon is amazing. It models the 767 99% accurately. If you want to learn how to program an FMC/FMS, and fly a big Boeing with their AFDS (autopilot), this is THE sim to have (and it's only $40 !!!). The 200 pages of documentation are outstanding !....... (You can dowload it from Wilco's web site and check it out for free).
I ususally alternate my 'simming' time between a Cessna 182, or the 767. The 182 gives me practice that I can use for real, and the 767 is great for playing with 'big systems'.
If I ever get my own plane, I might not use the sim as much, but until that day simming is a great substitute when I can't afford to fly for real as much I would like.
Mike.
Guest
Posts: n/a
I've got a reasonable number of hours in 60 odd types, but have not until recently played with flight sims since the rather crude one on my ZX81.
I spent a tenner on MS FS95 which is available in most of my local shops and have been playing with it. Two handling issues spring to mind; firstly when I can land any light aircraft without undue difficulty, why am I completely incapable of landing FS95. I think it's two things that are missing - firstly control force feedback, and secondly periferal vision.
The second big weakness is that I'd love to know who told Microsoft that the Cessna high-wing singles automatically spin off a stall. They don't, and the spin mode is too nose-high and slow too!
However, when I started learning to fly on a UAS Bulldog I was given a cardboard cockpit and used to sit at the kitchen table with it and a set of FRCs practicing my checks. I think for a real aviator the real benefit of these PC flight sims is similar - the ability to practice checks and procedures. Whether it's running through the FRCs for a new light aircraft, or learning to program a 767 FMS, I think this is a very useful tool.
But no, it doesn't teach you how to fly.
G
I spent a tenner on MS FS95 which is available in most of my local shops and have been playing with it. Two handling issues spring to mind; firstly when I can land any light aircraft without undue difficulty, why am I completely incapable of landing FS95. I think it's two things that are missing - firstly control force feedback, and secondly periferal vision.
The second big weakness is that I'd love to know who told Microsoft that the Cessna high-wing singles automatically spin off a stall. They don't, and the spin mode is too nose-high and slow too!
However, when I started learning to fly on a UAS Bulldog I was given a cardboard cockpit and used to sit at the kitchen table with it and a set of FRCs practicing my checks. I think for a real aviator the real benefit of these PC flight sims is similar - the ability to practice checks and procedures. Whether it's running through the FRCs for a new light aircraft, or learning to program a 767 FMS, I think this is a very useful tool.
But no, it doesn't teach you how to fly.
G
Guest
Posts: n/a
767 PIC is still only a game as is MSFS- which is designed for a large proportion of gamers and to make microsoft money. If you want something that is more or less identical to the real thing, try Precision Simulator 747 by Aerowinx. The graphics are crap but it has over 95% of all the systems of a real 747-400 with a fully working FMC. This programme was written not for gamers but rather for pilots etc.