Flight Simulators as a Training Aid
 

I'm sure most pilots or trainies are aware but some might not be. 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. It makes a world of difference when trying to gain muscle memory and general comfortablity with the aircraft and systems. I have gotten to the point that i am actually flying vors and doing some instrument approaches and stuff. Now granted i use it simply to familiarize myself with the instruments and how everything works. but shooting approaches and just general flying is very very accurate(especially with microsoft flight simulator). Now for the disclaimer a flight simulator is just that A FLIGHT SIM and should not replace real world experience or instruction. All comments made where in an attempt to help trainies familirize themself with an aircraft on days they cannot fly weather or price permitting. whew!

Goose,
Saw your other post so I take it you have little to no actual flying experience? If so, what is the recommendation based on? I do agree that flight sims or desktop trainers are useful, but teaching yourself bad habits isn't the way to go.

I don't know. The problem with the flight sim guys and learning how to fly is they don't want to look out the window.

i've got about 10 logged hours not to mention countless right seat time I do have some experience I was simply stating that using a flight sim would allow a person to keep themself up better then not doing anything at all. i don't fly the thing like i'm a pilot I know i'm not. But it does get me used to knowing how the instruments work and just general familiarty. Don't get me wrong i don't think anyone should attempt to fly on a flight sim forever then think they don't need as much real flight time. i was just offering to people like myself that in the case that you can't fly because of weather or whatever you can always use it as a backup to keep you sharp.

oh and to answer your question about recommendations. The local plane rental/flight school recommended it. My best freind with commercial flight degree and also a commercial pilot recommended it and my uncle pilot for Fedex for over 20 years highly recommended it. Again not as a knowall teach all instrument but a tool to get yourself used to way aircraft handle and the layout operation and use of instruments ADF, HSI, stuff like that.

It is simply that, just a tool in guiding some people to learn the planes, but I agree, it does have some side-effects for most people not looking outside. Another thing that causes the same side-effect is brand-new airplanes. All the toys inside, people forget what's outside!

Why not a joystick? The Airbus 319/320 you fly by a joystick (in the real world)?

the way i got around that little stumble was buying another gadget (muahahah) what it does is sit on top of your screen and recognizes when your head turns(a little goes along way) so if i turn my head a little to the left the screen shot turns to the left. Don't know if i captured the idea or not but again it helps when looking for traffic and quickly needing to look a direction.

because i haven't gotten my ppl yet. so why familiarize myself with an aircraft i might never see the cockpit of. I usuallly only fly around in the cessna 172 and maybe a bonaza or mooney.

I'll tell you one thing, I've had a few student who spent thousands of hours (yes, thousands, because they kept a log of how much time they spent in it) playing on MS Flight Sim and I didn't have to spend hardly any time on the operation of the VOR. That's usually a big snag for a lot of the students that I begin with.