Simviation Forums

I'm not sure if it has been asked before on these forums, but I'm interested to hear your view on the matter. Which do you believe is easier to fly in? The real world, or the simulated?

I believe there are benefits to both. I do not have a very powerful computer, I do not have TrackIR, I do not have a fancy homebuilt cockpit. Therefore, it makes it harder to look around and observe the surroundings. If I need to flick a switch I either have to remember the button assignment or move the hatswitch, zoom in and find it. When there's lag in the game it can make it harder to control the aircraft and as my joystick does not respond to every minute detail, not all controls are as subtle as they could be.

Real world flying is expensive and comes with all the risks, it's quite clear that it is the 'real deal' but I find flying in the real world to sometimes be easier as I can feel the effects of the aircraft better. When flying on the game, usually at night or in bad visibility, I sometimes lose my heading or altitude, but in the real world I find I'm able to keep those much better as I can actually feel the aircraft pitching or rolling so I have a better understanding of where I'm going and how to correct it.


I'm not saying all kinds of real world flying are easy. Air racing and military pilots do a heck of a job, as do airline pilots. But I am talking about typical flying (unless of course you are one of the aforementioned) such as in props, perhaps gliders. Things like that.


Personally I find real world flying, though I have limited experience, to be easier than in the game. I've only taken the controls in mid flight but I find that because I'm able to control everything as I want to (I am not limited by strange physics which sometimes act on the aircraft in MSFS) and I can see everything and control it exactly, that I find it easier to do. Being able to feel the effect of the controls and the forces on myself and the aircraft makes it, to me, easier to handle than on flight simulator.


How about you? Would you agree? I know some people enjoy flight simulators just for the ease they give you in typical and good flying conditions, but as a whole, do you think it is easier to fly in real life or in simulated?


Cheers

Real life is much easier, in terms of actually handling the aircraft. We get used to the differences,and it's asking a lot to get total realism,

These end up being some of the most interesting threads.. I'll jump in

I think for recreational flying, real life is easier, but for more complex stuff, life IMC and heavy metal, sim is easier.

I think this total depends on the type of sim you're talking about to. I find Flight Sim X to be incredibly hard to fly sometimes, thank goodness everything pretty much has an autopilot in the game. The simulator that I've done most of my instrument training on is a different story. That's a real simulator, the only thing it doesn't do is move. It's got a full 180 degree wrap-around screen with graphics realistic enough to navigate on. With that being said, partial panel or just lack of a good scan in that thing will result in a spiral dive or something that in real life, would kill you, haha. The real flying in a real airplane is, in my opinion, the easiest to do things. You feel the movements, the bumps, you can hear the noises, everything feels 3-dimensional, in the sense that you can feel the movements, the rolls, and pitches. With that being said though, always trust your instruments over your senses.

Seat of the pants flying.
It's easier in real life because you can actually feel what the plane is doing, instead of relying on gauges alone.

Real life is way easier.  I think its because you have more control over the aircraft and get to see how things actually work.  In a FS for a computer you also have dead gauges (that modelers don't feel like doing) and systems.

The way I see it, flying ATP in simulator would probably teach you just enough to be able to make an emergency landing in a real 737 if your pilots were unconcious, assuming you know where to look for gauges and manuals.

One thing that's much easier in FS is Screenshotting.

It is far easier to stay alive in the simulated world

Matt

It is far easier to stay alive in the simulated world

Matt

..."Invincibility" is my favourite word... ...!

Paul....I need it in my Motor-Bike!... .... ....!

It is far easier to stay alive in the simulated world

Matt

Hmmm..

It is far easier to stay alive in the simulated world

Matt

Is this the MSFS simulated world, or the World of Warcraft simulated world?

I had the chance to go up in a CAP 182 a few months ago.

From that, I would say that real life is significantly easier than simulated, primarily because you can fell what the aircraft is doing, rather than have to get all your information from a screen.

That has its downsides however, mainly in the form of airsickness...

Flying for real is much easier than in the sim.  You have the feel of the aircraft, plus the overall view.  The only upside to simming, its cheaper, and it won't kill you.