First Solo Completed!!!

[Zaphod]

TSC mentioned a 'trial flight', and I wonder if that meant a 'real' flight where a pilot takes you up and lets you put your hands on the controls for a bit.

Aye, thats the one. Good to hear you've got wonderful memories of already doing it - you should do it again!

[Brett_Henderson]

Taking the time to learn the fundementals IS quite a thing to be proud of. MSFS will teach you priceless lessons and instill a piloting way of thinking, if you let it.

I cant't wait until you come back here to post about your first, realistic cross-country flight in a 172. You know.. where you sit down and plan it all, realistically. Load and fuel the plane accordingly (you and two passengers/bags allowing much less than full fuel tanks)... get your weather briefing, file an instrument flight plan (know how and why your doing it, to the point of being able to do it for real).. account for winds aloft when deciding on a scheduled fuel stop; have alternates in mind....

[TSC.]

[quote]** I doubt you'll be back asking, "How do you land a 737.. I did this and this and this and I keep crashing ?"

[Brett_Henderson]

OK.. you owe me a coffee  ... I laughed so hard it's all over the place.. you might owe me a keyboard, too..  

[TSC.]

I'll get you some Nescafe sachets off ebay Brett, but I can't promise a new keyboard - You'll have to hang it on the line for a while.  ;D

Cheers,

TSC.

[Xyn_Air]

** I doubt you'll be back asking, "How do you land a 737.. I did this and this and this and I keep crashing ?"     **

There are two things that have really caught my attention about having learned the difference between "playing" and "flying":

1) Before, I was still able to land all manner of aircraft, including passenger liners (funny you should mention the 737, because that is one of my favorite aircraft of all-time to fly in FS).  But, now I see how much I was missing, how much I was doing wrong, and how little control I really had over the aircraft when things went wrong.

For example, I could land a 737 without crashing, and I knew that a 'gentle' glide slope was important, but I was unaware of proper glide slopes and how to use the PAPI (heck, I didn't even know what a PAPI was, let alone where to look for it).  So, picture a 737 coming in at about 300 feet . . . 15 miles before the runway!  Yeah, wind shear and hills got to be a bit of a problem, not to mention visually sighting the runway was near impossible.

Now, I am learning all the tools and skills that a pilot should have at their disposal that allows them not only to take off, fly, and land, but to do all that correctly even when their are unexpected events (and the computer now spends less time screaming at me about terrain).  Eventually, I will be back to flying the 737's, but this time when I do it will actually be "flying" and not just a game.

2) I can actually have a semi-intelligent discussion with other aviation enthusiasts and understand what is being discussed.  TOGA is not a set of bed linens that you wear, PAPI is not a slang term for father, chord line is not something you sing around the campfire, and trim is not something you do to a lawn with the prop.

Tonight I plan on starting the next set of lessons (Private Pilot, I believe).  This set definitely looks to take more time, but I am up for the challenge!  Nothing harder than what people really going to flight school have to learn!

[Brett_Henderson]

Tonight I plan on starting the next set of lessons (Private Pilot, I believe).  This set definitely looks to take more time, but I am up for the challenge!  Nothing harder than what people really going to flight school have to learn!

Funny thing about the private pilot lessons in MSFS, is that they're more like an instrument drill. Not of course, about instrument procedures, but to pass it (in the sim) it's more about an instrument scan than VFR piloting skills.

It is aggravating, not entirely realistic, and actually more difficult (in some ways) than a real checkride... B U T  ..  by the time you pass, you'll find yourself holding altitude, heading and airspeed like a pro, when you're just flying for fun. That's really the trick to passing it in the sim. You'll get more instinctual about how to roll in and out of turns without losing or gaining altitude/airspeed. "Knowing" how to do it, and doing it without thought, are two different things.

Keep us posted  :)

[JBaymore]

I just have to say here that this is a GREAT discussion going on.  It cuts to the essence of what Flight Sim can offer.

best,

....................john

[Sir_Crashalot]

I think I am going back and take the lessons all over again. Although I can land any aircraft (except those pesky whirlybirds) in any given circumstance in the way it is supposed to be done, I still lack some skills. I haven't got a clue about VOR's and NDB's for example. I rely to much on the GPS. Plus it would be nice to earn those certificates (instead of coying them from the FS folder.....)

Crash

[Xyn_Air]

I didn't want to start a completely new thread, because what I have to write is really just a continuation of what I first wrote about here in the OP.  Anyway . . .

I passed my Flight Simulator PPL checkride!  On the first attempt even!  I am quite excited as that means this weekend I can start the lessons on Instrument Pilot.  Oh, I know this is just a "game", but I really feel great about finishing the second set of lessons and getting that FS PPL.  Virtual awards aside, I have noticed that since I have been doing the lessons and working on flying correctly, my flying experience in FS has improved dramatically.  Plus, I'm just pleased to get through the checkride in one go; I think it means I must have been paying attention to the lessons.  ;D

It's funny because what I thought would be hard wasn't, and what I thought we be easy I almost messed up. What I thought would be the most difficult would be the steep turns.  Man, I hate steep turns, or at least those where I have to make everything stay withing certain ranges (air speed, altitude, etc.).  Anyway, I think the checkride was the first time, in all the times I practiced, that my steep turn went pretty much flawless.  Of course, I then almost missed my landing, something that I wasn't worried about too much because I normally don't have any problems with landings.  This time I came in pretty hot, but managed to be on the glide slope by the time I was over the runway.  Of course, I added flaps at the last minute because I had to wait for my air speed to come down . . .  :-[

Anyway, I passed, I passed, I passed!  Can you tell I am happy?  ;D

[MOUSY]

Congrats... yea steep turns suck. But when you finally nail them, you get a bit more air in that balloon of yours. 8-)

When you get through the Instrument Pilot Checkride, let me know. I always seem to end up too far right of the VOR when executing the missed approach for some reason. That's as far as I can get.

[Crussell]

Congrats, Now onto Private Pilot

I did mine a few days ago, Luckily, Rod Machado is so annoying  ::)

[Brett_Henderson]

[quote]Of course, I added flaps at the last minute because I had to wait for my air speed to come down . . .

[Xyn_Air]

Congrats, Now onto Private Pilot

I did mine a few days ago, Luckily, Rod Machado is so annoying  ::)

Er, um, if you read read my latest post, that is what I just finished - my FSPPL.  Do you read every line on the checklist?

Heh heh.  I'm just teasing.  I only point out that I have already finished the FSPPL checkride because I am so incredibly chuffed about it.

Thank you for the congrats!  :)

~Darrin

[beaky]

Way to go, Xyn... did I miss it or did you not tell us what aircraft you did your lessons in?

I must say I am impressed: after passing a real-life check ride and a BFR, I found the FS9 lessons to be nearly impossible (mostly because the virtual instructor's instructions were non-sensical, at least in my install, but also because flying with precision in FS is sometimes harder than in RL).

A little advice: beware the feeling that having mastered the FS curriculum, you will "be ahead" if and when you try it for real.
In some ways, you will have an advantage, but there are many things  that are different- for example, in FS9 my virtual instructor tried to tell me that when flying a standard pattern, you do not descend on the base leg.   :-?
Not necessarily anything wrong with that, but I was NEVER told to do that and never heard of such a thing... very strange.
Another MAJOR difference is ATC. Communications in FS bear little resemblance to real life.... you'll find out.
the good news about that is that in RL it's not difficult to get a grip on, and when the chips are down, you are talking to a human being, so you have some flexibility there.

What's the same? the fundamentals. Even the lousy default C172 likes to be flown by the numbers, and it has all the things that need to be dealt with in the right sequence. FS can be a very useful tool towards pilot certification, once you understand the differences.