Sport Pilot Talk

Paul Hamilton · Joined: 21 May 2007 Posts: 351 Location: Reno/Tahoe Nevada

Additionally, hearing what qualified/seasoned CFI's DO NOT like about flight simulation for VFR pilots is most helpful for me to find solutions to these questions and/or problems.

I forgot who said "you have to know the problem before you can find the solution" but thankyou for the input.

Paul Hamilton · Joined: 21 May 2007 Posts: 351 Location: Reno/Tahoe Nevada

new Zenith STOL CH 750 airplane model up and it is pretty good. See bottom of page:
http://simulatorflighttraining.com/flight-simulator-airplanes/light-sport-airplane-x-plane/

Paul Hamilton · Joined: 21 May 2007 Posts: 351 Location: Reno/Tahoe Nevada

We now have 15 flight lessons plus a checkride at the simulation flight training "flight school" section. These are similar to the actual flight lessons I do.
Main site is:
http://simulatorflighttraining.com/

and the flight school section where the actual lessons are located is at:
http://simulatorflighttraining.com/flight-school/

This has been a long time goal on mine to get this to the point where you could choose a LSA, get a good program running (X-Plane and FSX), utilize good hardware, modify the pilots view for VFR training (so you can see out rather than only be able to see instruments, and finally provide a complete flight and ground training system to FAA sport pilot standards.

SSDriver · Joined: 15 Apr 2011 Posts: 31 Location: NJ

This is an interesting thread. I'm a low time student but I've been a pretty serious flight sim junkie for the last 20+ years. I enjoy(ed) flight sims but one event in in my Flight training last month made me swear off the keyboard/yoke at least for now. I had my lesson on forward slips and initially it scared me to death. Nothing my CFI did wrong, it was just something I hadn’t mentally prepared myself for. I'm good with performing them now BUT after that initial lesson, I rushed home, fired up FSX and wanted to practice with it and for me, it was pointless and I couldn’t duplicate a reasonable/usable scenario to practice with.

The biggest advantage I had with Flight sim was prior to first lesson, I have complete confidence and familiarization with Navigation instruments and tuning radio, altimeter, etc.

The biggest disadvantage I had believe it or not was the Sport Plane I have been training in does not have an Artificial Horizon and I was really concerned about that first time I sat in the left seat. Another thing I had to adjust too was the incredibly slow reaction in the real world to the instruments compared to the simulator. First couple flights I had a hell of a time trimming the plane, I was like a dolphin jumping through the water until I stopped worrying about what my VSI was showing me. :lol:

I do see myself utilizing it probably when I get into cross-country training. Everyone is different and I do believe there is a place for Flight Sims. For Navigation and General familiarization for me?, was very helpful.

Hopefully the technology continues to improve even more in the future.

just my 2¢

Paul Hamilton · Joined: 21 May 2007 Posts: 351 Location: Reno/Tahoe Nevada

One area I have found that students need help with is the basic concept that the stick is your basic speed control, not the throttle.

Simply using the stick for speed control and the throttle for climb and descent rates (at a constant speed) is an important concept that must be learned and understood which the flight simulator can be of help for this.