GPS help

[CHEROKEE 140]

Does someone have a plain, english language version of how to use the GPS in FSX?  The version in the Learning Center is hard for me to understand.  When I was flying for real, there was no such thing as a GPS!  

Thanks, Old person. :-/

[Brett_Henderson]

Actually, the learning center is the best way (outside of one-on-one instruction) I've seen for learning the GPS.

I can give you the quick and dirty way to get to an airport, if that will help... then it's really up to you to play with it and learn. The good news is that it functions so much like the real thing, that you'll be able to transfer the learning (and vive-versa)..

OK.. Once its up and displayed, the first button you hit is "direct to" . It's the "D" with the little arrow throught it (just like real flight plans).

Then go to the big knobs, bottom right. Using your mouse on the INNER SMALLER knob you can scroll throught the alpha-numeric selection cursor (you'll see it change.. if your mouse has a wheel, you can "roll" through characters). Once you have the first letter in the airport's identifier... move your mouse to the BIGGER OUTER knob and move the cursor to the next position.

Repeat this procedure until you've entered the entire identifier and then hit the "Enter" button. You'll be prompted to hit it again to confirm and then one more time to "activate".

You should see a nice, line from your plane that will go straight to that airport.

Come back after you've gotten that far and I'll continue.

[MattNW]

You and I are in the same boat. When I was flying a GPS was someting you found in military cockpits only. I don't know of any tutorials but it really helps to print the section on the GPS. Makes it much easier to be able to look at both at the same time instead of Alt-Tabbing back and forth.

[Tchkinjiu]

Yea, I knew I would use it a lot, so I just took 30-60 minutes and read the whole article, glad I did.  Question of my own real quickly though... is there any way to set up a flight plan (wpt to wpt, etc) outside of the fs flight planner?

[CHEROKEE 140]

Thanks to all who replied to my post!  I am printing all 45! pages from the learning center on GPS. I need to stop being so lazy for a change.

Tchkinjiu: There must be some software on the internet to create a flight plan,  but I have not fond any
for FS pilots; but see "http://www.globalair.com/myflightdept/flightplanninginfo.asp" if you have a  Pilot Certificate.

[Brett_Henderson]

is there any way to set up a flight plan (wpt to wpt, etc) outside of the fs flight planner?

If you mean enter a series of way-points from the GPS..  alas, no. That's one of the few areas where reality falls short. But other than that (and the ability to customize the display for several users), it functions very much like a real-world GPS..

[Tchkinjiu]

Ah ha, thanks guys.

[Rich H]

Why did you post in FS2000?