Thanks Timmy for helping get the point across. I thought for a second that i was going to get tar and feathered. Personally i feel much more confident knowing at least the little bit that I do about flying VOR's and tuning them in intersecting them. stuff like that. But like i said i don't look at it in a sense of oh i could go jump in a cessna and do it blind folded i look forward to learning in more. I just want the headsup and knowledge so its at least someone familiar and easier for me to comprehend.

 

There is a big difference between learning how to work a VOR and doing pre-solo attitude flying. For example, if you point is that your sim will help you in learning to land a 152, I'd say I disagree. If your point is that a sim will help you learn VOR procedures, then I'd agree.

 

I found that sims didn't help private pilots as much as they hurt. It did help on navagation, but they wouldn't look outside, and their plane handling was poor. There were a few exceptions, I had one guy who had never flew a real plane before, and he was holding altitudes, looking outside, everything. He was flying like a 30 hour pilot. I can't say the same for most in his position, though.

During instrument training, however, sim time is priceless.

 

Plus, student pilots already don't look outside. Once you mention what the instruments do they just get glued to them. It's kind of interesting. I currently have two students who are doing a combined private/instrument syllabus. I'm having to break them of the half-scan thing they do naturally. When they are VR, they don't look outside enough and when they're IR, they haven't developed a totally effective scan so they have many of the same problems either way.

 

DE727ups

I agree with you 100%. I'm sorry guys that i can't portray what i'm trying to get across any better. Let me try one last time. When i made my comment about the sim i simply meant that it was a good aid to help learning pilots or even full time pilots keep up to date when flying wasn't able. Like in my case i don't have the funds until school starts to go out and fly everyday. That being said i use the flight sim to familiarize myself with more instrumentation then anything else. I realize that its' not real and i will have to still learn alot. But if i can understand what a VOR is and how to tune in a radial and how to fly that radial(in a sense of staying online) then by god i'll take it. I'm trying to get through school as quickly and painlessly as possible and if i can at least know what something is before an instructor tells me "ok this is VOR" and all the complicated stuff that goes with it i'll take it. Does that make sense hahahah.

 

[QUOTE= A flight simulator is a great training aid when trying to fly. Now that being said i would highly recommend you do it the right way and buy a proper yoke(not joystick) and rudder pedals. My current setup im flying on my 57" dlp television(oh ya its that nice) and a flight yoke and pedals. ![/QUOTE]

How much it costs? Where can u get cheaper?

 

i don't quite understand your questoin spectrum but if your asking about the sim it cost 60 bucks at just about any stores that sells computer games. The flight yoke and pedals you can get for about 250 new on ebay. Now the tv isn't essential my television just has a hookup for a computer so i am able to use that as my computer screen. Otherwise you'll need a pretty fast computer and monitor.

 

Hey, I'm 26 and I still use flight sim all the time Mainly just for entertainment anymore, but recently I found a very realistic ERJ 145 (I'm starting training on that airplane in a month) and downloaded the software. Complete with FMS, full autopilot, photo real cockpit with the majority of systems/controls available to use. I think it will help quite a bit, especially learning the autoflight systems and FMS programming. Stick and rudder wise I'm sure it's not the best for training, but for procedures and flows, I think it's a useful tool, especially at the level of detail alot of flight sims are coming to.