I am curious to know how long did it take beginners, with no experience at all at flying, to actually start flying the big jets? I assume you go through a course in FS2004, right?
I'm just curious and eager to to start flying. I just bought the FS2004 yesterday and awaiting my computer to arrive. Unfortunately I have to wait a little longer.
Here are my spec guys:
P4 550(800mhz) HT 3.4GHz
1024 MB DDR2 SDRAM (533MHZ)
2 x 160 GB SATA (7200)
An extra removable 160GB (USB 2.0) UATA (7200)
DVD 16x optic player
DVD+/- RW+/- R/R9 player
PCI Express Geforce 6800 256MB
TV card with hard drive recoder and remote control
Soundblaster Audigy 2 ZS
cordless mouse/keyboard
TFT 19" 16ms analog and digital connector
Logitech Z-5300 THX (280W) surround sound system
What do you guys think? Will it be able to handle FS2004 with all it's add-ons and glory?
For the system specs: Looks like much more than anything I can afford. ;D Should be able to handle the sim OK. From the early days of FS 2004 release I've noted that the key factor is graphics card and bus speed. If you have 800+ FSB and a good video card then it seems FS 2004 works quite well.
The big jets can be flown right from the start but I doubt you'll have a quality experience with them if you don't work through the smaller aircraft first. In real life it takes many years to work your way up to flying the big commercial jets. Many pilots fly their whole careers without touching heavy iron except as a passenger. In the flight sim the progression is much shorter and the real length of time it takes you depends on the level of realism you wish to use in the sim.
With the use of the flight managment systems and AP you can usually transition into the large jets fairly easily once you have learned the basics. FS 2004 provides a fairly good system of flight lessons and they really help you learn the basics but the checkrides leave much to be desired. Don't kill yourself if you can't pass the more advanced checkrides. ACOF is really geared to those who are intrinsically motivated (like to learn just for the knowledge not a reward ie. ATP certificate).
Of course if you want complete realism you will want to spend much longer learning all the skills needed to fly the big jets like the professional pilots do. Start small and learn to use all the procedures first then work your way up until you can confidently handle a big jet using all the checklists and procedures.
You also don't want to pass up the many benefits of the smaller airplanes. I can fly the big jets in the sim but cruising along at 35,000 ft isn't the only way to fly. Although I can and do sometimes fly the heavies usually the biggest airplane I regularly fly is the ATR 72-500 from Flight 1, a regional airliner and that not near as often as some of the bush planes like an Otter, Maule or even a Piper Cub. There's much to be said about tooling along through mountain peaksand it's even more spectacular if you have some add on mesh. Lot of freeware meshes in the various libraries to enhance your mountain flying.
I want to fly realistically and if that means starting from scratch so be it. That's the fun part.