Simulation to reality

[expat]

Just seen an interesting program on Discovery (UK)

The program asked the question weather you could learn on FSX and then jump into the cockpit. The program took a game tester from one of the bigger PC mags that was an FSX helicopter expert and then put him in a Robinson R22 with an instructor and sat back to see what would happen. The guy in question had never flown in the real thing. They started with the hover. Normally we where told, it would take about 50 flight to master this. After about an hour he had it, a bit untidy, but the basics where their. Forward flight he got to grips with right away. The whole thing was rather interesting. I would say without a doubt you could not do it without the instructor, but to speed up the whole process, who knows.

Matt

[C]

Mmm, interesting.

I didn't see the programme myself, but it doesn't surprise me - the thing they quoted about the 50 flights sounds a bit dubious - maybe more of a researcher to journalist/scriptwriter balls up perhaps, seeing as a PPL(H) only requires 45hrs - certainly the chaps at Shawbury don't get that long...

Doubtless to say it proabably does make it easier - I was probably the first generation to get a useable FS version (FS5) at 13/14 years old, and by the time I first learned to fly properly at 17/18 (FS98/2000) it did make it a lot easier - I also noticed it with some of the young cadets I flew last year - asking them if they'd flown FS at all - some of those who were able to handle the aircraft reasonably confidently had used it in the past. However those are all the "motor" skills - what you cannot teach on a 19' CRT/TFT are the more important things, such as airmanship.

On a similar note, the RAF computer chaps built a FS2004 based trainer for Tucano studes a Linton, although this was used to teach navigation techniques (the "event cycle") rather than flying (as we've got the real sim for that - which can't be compared to FS for realism! )

Would have been interesting to see. Hopefully it'll be repeated once I've got Sky in a month or two!

[Mobius]

My CFII says he can definitely tell a difference in instrument students who have used FS and those who haven't.  Not so much with VFR flight, but when flying by the instruments, people who have used flight simulator seem much more able to pick it up quickly.  I can definitely say it helped me practice procedures and such during my training.

[Xyn_Air]

My father's friend, who flies and instructs using a Cessna 170, has advised me to stick with FS until I have the money and time for proper lessons.  It isn't so much that FS is a replacement for actual flight training, but it can be an additional tool, especially with fundamental theory and basic familiarization.  And, if it is all you have while waiting, it is by far better than no practice at all.

My father also uses FS and is receiving training from that same individual.  My dad says the biggest differences are physical sensation and visual reference.  Despite whatever the force-feedback game controller advertisements tell you, you just cannot 'feel' what is going on physically in FS. And, regardless of multiple monitors, virtual cockpits, and a convenient hat switch, your visibility is severely impaired in FS (one way in which FS is perhaps harder than real life!).  Other than that, my dad has said that the aircraft in FS behave much as the aircraft he trains on and vice versa, and of course, the aviation terminology and theory is the same.

If taken for what it is, it sounds like FS can be a considerable help when moving on to real life experience.

[beaky]

I agree that it probably helps most people to practice with the sim ( a few hours with FS5 helped me with things like pattern procedures and basic navigation when I was earning my PP), but even for IFR procedures, it's unwise to think X number of hours in the sim equals X number of hours of dual training in the real thing... it just doesn't work like that. Even though a large chunk of the required training time for the IR in the US can be done with sims (but not "games" like FS), there's a reason why there must be actual flight time.

I seriously doubt that the FSX heli expert showed real mastery on that first flight, although clearly he was at an advantage, having flown many hours in simulation.

And remember: you can jump into the cockpit any time, sim hours or no, if you want to learn to fly. I still think of each flight as a lesson.