New to flying

[Wannabe Pilot]

I just bouth FSX, I have never played a flight simulator before, or had any other expireince with flying (in the cockpit). I am looking for suggestions to get me started. I have always wanted to learn to be a pilot, I guess this is the next best thing. I have taken some of the lessons and played around with taking off and landing, but I still have alot to learn. Thanks in advance for any help you can give this newbie.

R/S
Joe

[ozzy72]

Hi Joe, welcome to SimV! Well best advice is start with a nose-wheeled aircraft (easier ground handling) and practice lots before moving to something bigger. You'll find there is plenty of advice in these parts and we're a friendly (if slightly nutty) bunch

Ozzy

[-m@tt-4576]

Least I'm not the new new guy anymore.  8-)

Welcome Simv!

[Brett_Henderson]

You're off to a good start; You're interested and enthusiastic  :)

The best way to go about this, in my opinion, is to do it as close to real-life as possible. The built-in lessons are full of good info, but are buggy and can be a bit exasperating. I guess they're realistic in that to pass the private pilot checkride, you'll probably have to devote a good 40 hours of disciplined practice.. Just don't stake too much in the lessons, other than getting data and info that you're probably being exposed to for the first time.

If you're absolutely and totally new to all this; a good ground-school text book is a must. Fulling grasping the fundementals of; lift/thrust/gravity/drag ...  and how pitch/power/roll/yaw relate, is a good foundation. If you truly understand what, "getting behind the power curve" means,  your well on your way to setting up and executing proper approaches and climb-outs..

There's not the time or room here to say everything.. I think the best advice to give someone who wants to get the most out of simming (for simming's sake and for the frame of reference (cockpit and situational awareness) that will translate someday into real flying), is this:

- Stay in the 172 until you get the basics down to the point where taking off, climbing, finding your intended destination (no GPS), entering and flying a proper pattern, and landing smoothy and safely (in a 15 knot crosswind) are things you can do with ease.

-Then, mix it up with faster and more complex aircraft and start learning, what to me, is THE most realistic aspect of MSFS.... navigating (no GPS).  Fully understanding VOR/NDB navigation is a life-accomplishment all by itself.

-Then, onto genuine instrument training (which is so realistic in desk-top simulation, that the FAA allows 10 hours of real IFR training to be done on one (and MSFS is better than the FAA approved software)).

Flying by instrument only... knowing how to read and use approach plates ... finding your way x-country in one mile visibility, followed by flying a published approach (realistically) to see a runway suddenly appear, right in front of you is quite an accomplishment (keep that GPS off).

Hopping into a 747 and blasting into LAX is fun, for sure... Flying a Lear under the Golden Gate Bridge (inverted)(look out for Ozzy) is fun too. Just try to keep a realistic side going. If you're fine-tuning your ILS flying in a 172; trying to land a jumbo-jet will just throw your timing off.

One step at a time  

[eno]

Its very easy .......... Bright blue stuff = SKY ..... if that's above you then you're doing fine. Keep the Green/Dark blue stuff below equally you're doing fine. If the green stuff is getting bigger you're either landing or crashing... react appropriately.

Best thing to remember ......... It's only a simulator ..... you aren't killing anyone.


Have fun

Welcome to SimV.  ;D

[aussiewannabe]

It's only a simulator ..... you aren't killing anyone.

Well, that's at a major relief I've gotten myself in some situations (heli on runway playing chicken with an MD-80 rotating on take-off). If that was me in real life, I'd be dead for sure.

[Salo]

Its very easy ..........

Bright blue stuff = SKY .....

if that's above you then you're doing fine.

Keep the Green/Dark blue stuff below equally you're doing fine.

If the green stuff is getting bigger you're either landing or crashing... react appropriately.

Yep flying in its basic form.  :D I was in a similar situation , only thing I was in a 787 taxiing on the runway while a  piper taking off. It was a fun experience, not to be repeated though. .  ;D

[ozzy72]

I was in a 787 taxiing on the runway while a  piper taking off

Ever seen an elephant rape a mouse?

[MattNW]

The rookie pilot really only needs to learn three rules.

1. Learn the basics.
2. Learn the basics.
3. After you learn the basics go back and practice them over and over until they become automatic.

Sure you can jump into the seat of a 747 the first time you fly. Read up on the FMC and you can go almost anywhere in the world with only a few hours practice but pretty soon that becomes boring and you will end up here on the forum asking how to make the 747 land it'self and someone will tell you to go back and learn the basics in the Cessna. So to save time and typing learn the basics.

There's a reason the captain of a airliner starts out in a Cessna or similar airplane and works his way up.

Oh and welcome to SimV.  :)

[justpassingthrough]

[quote][quote]I was in a 787 taxiing on the runway while a

[aussiewannabe]

Ever seen an elephant rape a mouse?

nope

But I have seen AI try to rape a 737 waiting for take off clearance in FS9

OUCH!!!

[Flying Mouse]

I bet you the brake lights on the front plane did not work  

[a1]

1. Take all of the flying lessons.
2. Start with the Cessnas.
3. Learn basics ex. aerodynamics, aviation terms, instruments, navigation, etc.
4. Learn all of the controls.
5. Take solo flights around to familiar yourself when you feel you are ready.

6. RELAX, HAVE FUN

It took me a long while to get to know the sim inside and out. I just learned how to install aircraft 6 months ago. The lessons really helped me in learning how to fly.

Be patient with this. remember it is a SIMULATON not a normal game.  There will be long boring flights. This isn't BF2 or Counterstrike.  ;)

Welcome to SimV AKA madhouse.

[Xyn_Air]

Everyone has offered you such great advice, I feel quite daunted in adding my own two cents. But, I did want to offer you some encouragement, from one novice to another.

Even though I have been playing Flight Simulator off-and-on for sometime now, I have not, until recently, dedicate much time to it.  Now that I am experiencing a renaissance in my interest towards aviation, I am really re-learning and re-experiencing everything from scratch.  Here are some ideas and thoughts that may be helpful to you, as well, as you learn about aviation and Flight Simulator:

1) What everyone said about learning the basics is true!  The more you learn about flight dynamics, aircraft performance, and piloting skills the greater your Flight Simulator experience will be.  The tutorials are definitely a great place to start as they take you step-by-step through a natural progression of learning to fly.  Also, don't be afraid to do any particular lesson over and over until you are comfortable with it.  It may seem slow-going at first, but when you look back on it some time from know, you will be proud of your knowledge, skill, and accomplishments, and FS will be that much more rewarding and experience for you.

2) Don't be afraid to look up information anywhere and everywhere, and don't be afraid to look it up more than once.  Aviation has so many terms that are not part of everyday parlance.  Sometimes it may be embarrassing to have to admit that we don't know it all, but in reality it is perfectly OK to not know something.  Just look it up.  I do it all the time, and I use any credible resource I can find, from industry magazines and books about aviation to Wikipedia.  Heck, you may even want to e-mail your questions to airline companies or aircraft manufacturers; how cool would it be to get your questions answered by Boeing directly (if they can; it is OK to try without holding your breath)?  Don't know what a stick-shaker is? Google it, check Wikipedia, and look through your Flight Simulator resources.  Can't remember what that dang stick-shaker is?  Look it up again; I promise you, it is OK!  We cannot remember everything all the time, and especially only after one lesson.  Hey, even pilots use checklists to help them remember important details!

3) Don't be afraid to kick up your heels or take a break if you start to get overwhelmed.  Flight Simulator isn't just some video game without supernaturally performing aircraft and a suspension of all the laws of physics.  Beyond a game, it is, as the name implies, a simulator, and Flight Simulator does its best to provide you with authentic aviation experiences, including a challenging learning experience that takes time to progress through.  That being said, don't be afraid to just have a little fun now and again.  Don't worry, you aren't going to hurt anyone, least of all yourself, if you try 'barnstorming' your favorite major city and have a few (ahem) accidents.  Also, if you need to walk away for awhile to clear your head, don't worry; Flight Simulator and the FS community will still be here when you get back.  I think it is safe to say that most of us take flight simulation fairly seriously, but that is not to say we don't have fun.  Learning how to fly well and properly should be a primary goal for anyone interested in taking full advantage of the Flight Simulator experience, but you shouldn't kill yourself or the fun of flying to achieve that goal.

OK, talk about stretching my two cents for all they were worth and more!  I guess I should close up now before you go blind from the eye-strain of reading my wordy post.  Relax, take it easy, learn as you can, and don't forget to enjoy your experience.  I think you will do just fine!

All the best!