how to level off your plane?

[2Low]

Hi everyone,
First post here. Reading this thread convinced me to register. I like the helpfull advice and desire to teach I'm seeing here. I need some learnin' myself.

Back on topic,
Although all the advice being given is correct it may be that it is something much more simple.

When I first started with FSX (a whole 8 months ago) I had trouble trimming several of the aircraft correctly. I felt I was flying a yo-yo. What helped me was;
1/ taking the lessons provided (still had some troubles),
2/ adjusted the repeat rate in the control settings for the trim buttons and 3/ eventually purchased a Saitek x-52 and mapped the trim to a rotary knob (this worked best).

Although you need propper technique it won't help you much if your controls are too coarse to dial it in. This can be very frustrating and make it much harder to learn that proper technique.

I may be way off here but thought I might point this out.

Repeat rate for trim buttons is accessed through Settings - Controls - Buttons/Keys in FSX.

Look under Settings - Controls - Control Axes to map your trim to a rotary knob or slider if you have one availible. I found this worked best for fine tuning.

If I am wrong here maybe this can help someone else searching for an answer to the same issue.

Rob

[BFMF]

well, as i said, it will not be EXACTLY to real world specifications, but I do have well over 8,000 hours logged in FS2004.

Wow, that's quite a bit. Is that all real time, or with the liberal use of time acceloration...?

[Capt.Propwash]

well, as i said, it will not be EXACTLY to real world specifications, but I do have well over 8,000 hours logged in FS2004.

Wow, that's quite a bit. Is that all real time, or with the liberal use of time acceloration...?

all flights are logged WITHOUT time acceleration.  All flight times are as is.   (yeah yeah, i know... i have nothing better to do with my life or time. and i need more hobbies)
roughly 5-6 hours every day MONDAY - Friday
sometimes up to 15 hours on SATURDAY "AND" SUNDAY

so lets just say 6hrs a day (times) 365 days a year = 2,190

so, 2190 x 5 years (number of years FS2004 has been out) = 10,950

There might have been a few days that I did not fly ensim, so I am subtracting a number of hours for that, or days that I went to visit my now fiance' while she was in college.


oh... and roughly 4000 hours of REAL WORLD "break riding" for US AIRWAYS.

[BFMF]

well, as i said, it will not be EXACTLY to real world specifications, but I do have well over 8,000 hours logged in FS2004.

Wow, that's quite a bit. Is that all real time, or with the liberal use of time acceloration...?

all flights are logged WITHOUT time acceleration.

[DenisH]

I  can't see the point in flying the push-button jets. The real challenge in FS is flying the old taildraggers and the later model single and twin engines in real weather . I've been flying FS 9 (and lately FSX) for only 6 mos now and have yet to try a jet. The luddite in me resists! 

[BSW727]

Well, having learned to fly in 172's and Mooney's, I don't see the fun in pushbutton planes either, but there are plenty of builders and desktoppers who get a real charge out of it.

For an aircraft to practically take off itself and perform a CATIII landing to a roll-out sort of makes the pilot more of a monitor than a pilot. And I'd venture to guess many desktop pilots couldn't get from point A to B without the FMC and AP/AT combo. And handflying a SID or STAR? Forget about it.

Though I know full well professional pilots are very well trained in flying the aircraft, it's a very tempting cheat for those in the sim world who are too impatient to start with such a 'lowly' airplane as a 172.