Originally Posted by
ppilot
1) The sim is extremely pitch sensitive, but not the least roll sensitive. So, if I have to bank the airplane it's very hard not to pitch it. It's also not the least trim sensitive; I have to trim the hell out of it to counteract a fingertips worth of yoke movement. This is giving me a hard time with my altitudes.
This is true for most simulators. While today's sims are very good, they are almost always harder to fly than the airplane. Unfortunately, this is something you will have to deal with for the remainder of your career. Use the autopilot when you can. It will give you a chance to catch your breath and retrim the aircraft for you.
I'm used to using a given power setting to achieve a given airspeed in a given situation...attitude plus power gives performance. I'm not getting this in the sim. When I ask, the answer is always 'I don't know, grab a handful of power and use it.' I'm constantly getting too fast, then bringing the power back too far, and then getting too slow.
If the "old timer" won't give you basic pitch/power settings for a given maneuver, pull the young guy aside and ask him. Ask some buddies who are going through the program. Once you're within the ballpark of your target airspeed for a given maneuver, you should rarely need to make large power adjustments. Keep them small, like a half of a knob to a knob-width at most. SCAN SCAN SCAN!
Instruction. I have an 'old-timer' instructor as well as a new guy that he's training. They argue a lot, the older one is extremely abrasive, and they are constantly stopping/restarting me in the middle of maneuvers to make some fine point that would more effectively be made in debrief. When they restart the airplane is all over the place. The older fellow has told me that I stink (figuratively) and that he doesn't think I can do this.
Different people react in different ways. Some respond well to the old school method where the instructor screams, yells, etc - others do not. If you're the latter, I would consider asking for an instructor change if that's a possibility. It's YOUR training! Also, the sim is usually out of trim when they reposition it and take it off freeze. Don't let this rattle you - just be ready for it.
Last, "chair fly"
everything you can, and put extra emphasis on engine-out procedures, non-precision approaches, stalls/steep turns, or whatever is giving you problems. I've been at this for 20+ years and still do it before going to the box. You will be surprised how much easier everything else becomes when you don't have to "think" about how to do a given maneuver. Good luck!