Simviation Forums

How do you make your aircraft leveled off at an altitude. I'm really noobish in FSX but I'm trying to learn. I've had the game since 2007 and its still hard to fly professionally. I took the fsx lesson to learn how to level off the airplane, but I can't get it right. Can someone explain how? I keep going up or down, and I have to use the flaps just to try to stay at the same altitude.

You have to "trim" the aircraft.  Depending on the airspeed, the forces acting on the control surfaces can become unbalanced, and you fix this with trim.  As you increase your airspeed, you will need to trim the nose down, and as you slow down, you have to trim the nose back up.  You should re-trim the aircraft with every change in airspeed, but you'll find that you have to do it a little more often than that too.  If you're using a joystick, it's best to map the "elevator trim up/down" keys to buttons on your joystick since you'll have to use them rather often.

in all truthness, your aircaft will NEVER be perfectly level.  In normal "level" flight, you will ALWAYS have a 1-3 degrees nose UP due to the lift of the wings.  If you have ever flown in a REAL airliner, when you are at a cruising altitude (oh lets just say 30,000 feet) have you ever tried to walk from the tail of the craft up to the cockpit?? If so, have you ever noticed that it feels like you are walking slightly UPHILL   Well, there you go. you will NEVER be perfectly level.

you can maintain a desired altitued through PITCH / Thrust, or by using AUTOPILOT.


if you want to use AutoPilot, hit SHIFT+Z+Z+Z and look at your altitude that is being shown, or just look at the gauges on the panel.  Your Altitude will be +/- 5 of whatever you have it set for because........ THE EARTH IS ROUND "CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS!!!" You cant fly straight level from KSFO to KJFK.  you will have to start somewhere around 45-50,000 and you would end up at the same altitude with the middle being something like 15,000.  (exageration to set the point)

I understand I have to trim the aircraft, which I did do, but than my plane will randomly start going up or down, and never straight. But I'll try again.  :D

Also how do you set your desired altitude and speed?

I wanna learn how to use auto pilot, and make the airplane be able to ascend/descend to a desired altitude and level off there. But I don't know what exactly to do.

[quote]I understand I have to trim the aircraft, which I did do, but than my plane will randomly start going up or down, and never straight. But I'll try again.

Even when you are perfectly trimmed for level flight, you still have to occasionally adjust by making small corrections on your controls.

Before I step into this.. I need to know which aircraft you're using.

I'm trying to fly jets, like the 737.

Alright, with jets like the 737, its a little bit different.

You gotta practice this stuff, and master the theories behind pitch/power, in small, slow airplanes first.

Even if you

Pitch, Power, Bank and Trim - learned that just like a 'times table'.  Brett, you're right on about the 172 to start but methinks that's not the popular answer.

[quote]Pitch, Power, Bank and Trim - learned that just like a 'times table'.

Alright thanks for the tips. I'll try them out for sure. I have another question. When taking off, do you do anything with the flaps? Do I lower them or leave them be, and simply pull back on the stick. And once I'm flying up 10 degrees, do I have keep the thrust at maximum?

Alright thanks for the tips. I'll try them out for sure. I have another question. When taking off, do you do anything with the flaps? Do I lower them or leave them be, and simply pull back on the stick. And once I'm flying up 10 degrees, do I have keep the thrust at maximum?

Those sound a lot like