Simviation Forums

Ok so i had this game for a few weeks and most of my landings consisted of too early, floats too much, and dear god thats the ground TOGO and Go Around then slamming into the nearest building, anyone have any tips considering how ATC on FSX just does not want your original flight plan? Only two good landings to date.

That's going to have a lot to do with WHAT you are trying to land. Cessna 150? Fully loaded A380?

In real like that's gong to include a lot of other important things, even how hot it is at the airport.


There will be plenty of people here to correct me, but this is a flight sim, not real life.

Make an imaginary mark on your windshield.


Keep that mark aimed at your landing spot.


Keep it there almost all the way until you're about to touch down.



The rest is everything that I didn't mention. Really. You have to know what it takes for YOUR aircraft to land. Things like speed, flaps, etc.

As stated your have to learn to crawl before you can walk and forget about running until you stop falling down while walking.
The only way you are going to learn is practice practice and more practice. I would recommend that you stick with VFR (VISUAL FLIGHT RULES) flight plans until you get better at flying. Navigation can be a daunting task especially if you have no idea as to what a VOR or NDB is and than there is the GPS approach. These are tools that you need to know what they are and how to use them.
Both FSX and FS9 have lessons I strongly suggest that you start there.
In the real world the first thing you would want to do is to go to Ground School where you will learn how a plane fly's and how to preform a pre flight check. Stick with the single engine aircraft like the Cessna 150 once you master that than think about the next step. The Mooney for example even though it is a single engine aircraft it is a little more demanding than the Cessna 150 as it has a Turbo charged engine retractable landing gear and a Speed brake of sorts.
so it is capable of flying faster and higher as it has a pressurized cockpit which comes in handy for flying over bad weather.
One other thing I would suggest is to turn off traffic so you do not have to worry about other aircraft.
ATC in both FSX and FS9 are really bad when it comes to traffic. You are on short final to land flying a B747-400 ATC has given you clearance to land when all of a sudden a B737.300 fly's through you and lands ahead of you forcing you to go around. When I am landing at a busy airport like KJFK (Kennedy airport in New York) I always turn off traffic so i will not have this problem.

Everything's pretty much spot-on here, it just takes trial, error and time. The one thing that's hard to get is making that aiming-point on the windscreen...if one's flying in 2D (not virtual), then that screen offers a small variety of centering/aiming marks on the display via the "View" tab in the upper-left, but we VC pilots don't get such luxuries...so we're forced to use our imaginations. There's a world to learn; heck, I've been a virtual pilot almost 9 years and there's still a lot. That's what keeps Flight Simming always fresh and intriguing.

I always lean on the VASIs/PAPIs for proper glide angle, always nudging the throttle forward/back accordingly. Flaps vs. payload weight and conditions is a biggie, too. Oh, and wait 'til you make your first flight into a 1,500-foot grass strip with no amenities...that'll be fun! Enjoy!

You might try saving the game just before you land so you can practice landing without having to spend time taking off and flying around the airport. Thats a luxury the flight sim gives over real life, if you mess up just hit refly and your right back up there ready to try it again.

AIRMAIL is correct !

my pilot father always lined up his Hula Girl on the runway line on approach !

Miss Hula' was never wrong !

Jetranger wrote:AIRMAIL is correct !

my pilot father always lined up his Hula Girl on the runway line on approach !

Miss Hula' was never wrong !

https://www.simviation.com/phpupload/upl ... 389830.jpg

I could do with Miss Hula' sitting on the handlebars on my Motorcycle when negotiating my way through the busy traffic in my Town!

Paul.... ... ... ...!

Fozzer wrote:...

I could do with Miss Hula' sitting on the handlebars on my Motorcycle when negotiating my way through the busy traffic in my Town!

Paul.... ... ... ...!

Don't try it, Paul. You could get whiplash!

I bet you a dollar that you did not use Pitch Trim on approach (as you slowed down). Slowing down (throttle, flaps) goes along with Pitch Trim use to keep your nose pointing slightly up (ie: attitude). We all went thru this 'Test Pilot' phase at first. Then we learned to read up on what it takes to fly/land these virtual (read 'Optical Illusion') airplanes. Then with practice (of CORRECT proceedures) we then were able to enjoy 99 % 'perfect' landings. Of course not all models have a good flight model (flight dynamics matched to type). Some use odd ball flight model from a default airplane that is not a match of that specific model's specs. Power is wrong, flaps is wrong, oswald is wrong, airplane geometry is wrong, fuel load is wrong, wing apex is wrong, center of balance is wrong, brakes is wrong, cnt pts is wrong, ETC! Right? Right!
Chuck B
Napamule

I still can't land heavies with consistency...but the failures are getting fewer and fewer. When I was learning to land, I found that using the axis indicator was helpful. You'll find it when your flying, under "Views" "Axis Indicator" Check it to the on mode and choose the design of your choice. It may take some time and patience in setting it up exactly for you and your plane but it works if you use it. Since you can turn it on/off at will, you won't need it until landing...just know it's there to use. We all want to get from here to there in one piece...and speaking on behalf of the flying public..we thank you for flying Orbit Airlines.....

The one thing that's hard to get is making that aiming-point on the windscreen...if one's flying in 2D (not virtual), then that screen offers a small variety of centering/aiming marks on the display via the "View" tab in the upper-left, but we VC pilots don't get such luxuries...so we're forced to use our imaginations.

I find that centreline of aircraft = centre of PC screen - usually where the logo is!

Do not be afraid - you can always walk away from a sim landing

Lots of good information for you to digest.

Here's another thought, especially since you like to fly heavies: if you have learned how to use the autopilot and ILS nav system, then couple the aircraft to an ILS approach. This will relieve you of a lot of the flying responsibilities and you can now practice adjusting flaps, etc. On an instrument approach, altitude is actually controlled by throttle and speed by pitch, but now the autopilot will hold the necessary pitch so you can practice the throttle and watch the pitch/trim indicators to see what's happening. The ILS will bring you to the correct position on the runway; speed and pitch, all based on flap settings, will determine if you can make a landing.

Just a thought...keep practicing and you'll get it. Best of luck.

Continuing the previous post...

If you try this method there are some interesting things you can do:
Initially, let the autopilot take you down to 200 or 300 feet above the runway; you'll be aligned and will have had time to get on the proper speed.
As you improve, incrementally increase the height above the runway at which you uncouple the autopilot: maybe 500 ft., then 800, then 1000 and eventually 1500 feet, which is the standard for glides slope intercept. By then, you'll be an ace at this.

Have fun!

Also, remember: final approach speed is 1.33 that of stall (e.g. 51 knots stall x 1.33 = 68 knots final approach speed). Another formula angle to remember in that aspect is 4/3, "4 parts approach, 3 parts stall".