Sport Pilot Talk

Yes what is said about the student looking at the instruments is a problem. Why? because the after evaluating all the LSA airplane models for flight training, plus looking at the X-Plane and Microsoft Simulator X Cessna 172 models, it has been most interesting to note my biggest challenge of using these for VFR flight training is that all you can see is the instrument panel. Yes if that is as far as you go than I would also say this is a big problem for VFR training.

No wonder all the CFI’s have the concern about students looking at the instruments while flying. That is about all you can see in the flight simulator models. With the existing fleet of flight simulator airplanes you can not see outside. BIG PROBLEM.

Almost every model I had to go in and adjust the pilots eye point to be a useful VFR training bed. Both X-Plane and Microfoft Simulator X have this capability but it is the most important adjustment or personal setttings to use the LSA and 172 models for VFR training. I think the model makers spent so much time on the instrument panel which is their main focus so they highlight it. They built their model for instrument flying and not VFR. This is what we can fix.

Here is a perfect example:
http://simulatorflighttraining.com/airc ... e-gallery/
note the Cessna Skycatcher. One view, the main cockpit view shows 2/3 of the computer screen with the instrument panel. Not practical for VFR.
The other screen shows about 1/6 as the instrument panel and the rest outside the cockpit.

Yes at first initial glance the flight simulators are made to look only at the instrument panel until some adjustments are made for VFR training.

_________________
Paul is a Sport Pilot CFI/DPE and the expert for ASA who writes the books and produces the DVD's for all pilots flying light sport aircraft.
See www.SportAviationCenter.com www.Sport-Pilot-Training.com and www.BeASportPilot.com to Paul's websites

Thanks for your post, Paul!

I had no idea those adjustments could be made in X Plane. I basically train using my 32 inch HDTV as the main view and I fly only in "3D mouse" view, which allows me to move the mouse in the direction that I look, inside and outside the cockpit. It helps me develop accurate site pictures in the pattern, it helps me with my collision avoidance, it helps me judge my descents based on site alone and it helps me keep an eye on the instrument panel at a glance as I would in actual flight.

It is all about the view out the window. Once you figure this out it which is half the "game" it usable. I ended up getting a Saitek throttle which makes the throttle control exactly like my real airplane and this has made a big improvement also. see the picture at the bottom of the page:

http://simulatorflighttraining.com/flig ... -hardware/

_________________
Paul is a Sport Pilot CFI/DPE and the expert for ASA who writes the books and produces the DVD's for all pilots flying light sport aircraft.
See www.SportAviationCenter.com www.Sport-Pilot-Training.com and www.BeASportPilot.com to Paul's websites

We have had two unusual students who soloed in less than 5 hours. Why? Because they were flight simulator experts.

How do we solve the staring at the instruments problem, we use the "towel torture" that covers up ALL flight instruments and they learn the basic "Stick and Rudder" principles.

We now have complete lesson plans at:
http://simulatorflighttraining.com/flight-school/

_________________
Paul is a Sport Pilot CFI/DPE and the expert for ASA who writes the books and produces the DVD's for all pilots flying light sport aircraft.
See www.SportAviationCenter.com www.Sport-Pilot-Training.com and www.BeASportPilot.com to Paul's websites

Paul, check this out!

I believe the flight simulator has just been given a whole new meaning to real-world training:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B5-wRIa9GDg

I have heard of this technology and will give it a try.

_________________
Paul is a Sport Pilot CFI/DPE and the expert for ASA who writes the books and produces the DVD's for all pilots flying light sport aircraft.
See www.SportAviationCenter.com www.Sport-Pilot-Training.com and www.BeASportPilot.com to Paul's websites

We just found another productive way to use the flight simulator for training --- using it for un towered and towered airport communications. This has been especially helpful for towered airports. You use the airport of your choice, and the instructor acts as the instructor in the airplane, and also simulates the tower. All the procedures for entering, exiting, taxi back, switching frequencies, transponder, phraseology, etc. can be practiced on the ground in a less stressful and less expensive environment. The more we use the flight simulator the more benefits we figure out for flight and ground training.

_________________
Paul is a Sport Pilot CFI/DPE and the expert for ASA who writes the books and produces the DVD's for all pilots flying light sport aircraft.
See www.SportAviationCenter.com www.Sport-Pilot-Training.com and www.BeASportPilot.com to Paul's websites

Just finished another video where it shows an pattern with the simulator and the airplane with similar views. I think this is the format I will use for my upcoming virtual flight training series.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HMaoSl_f3io

_________________
Paul is a Sport Pilot CFI/DPE and the expert for ASA who writes the books and produces the DVD's for all pilots flying light sport aircraft.
See www.SportAviationCenter.com www.Sport-Pilot-Training.com and www.BeASportPilot.com to Paul's websites

Just installed X-Plane version 10 http://www.x-plane.com/desktop/landing/ and the TrackIR5 http://www.naturalpoint.com/trackir/02- ... works.html two new significant updates. As you might expect, both took a while to fine tune to become usable.
X-Plane 10, as you might expect requires more computer power because of the additional detail of the landscape/roads plus the more realistic clouds. I found that reducing the clouds was the easiest way makes it run smoother.
TrackIR5 which moves your view based on your head movement, the default settings were too much set at 1.0. I ended up reducing the sensitivity to 0.7 and it works great. In X-Plane 10 it works with the virtual 3D view and being able to switch back and forth from the 3D to the standard cockpit looking forward 2D view makes this work great.

_________________
Paul is a Sport Pilot CFI/DPE and the expert for ASA who writes the books and produces the DVD's for all pilots flying light sport aircraft.
See www.SportAviationCenter.com www.Sport-Pilot-Training.com and www.BeASportPilot.com to Paul's websites

Paul,

Have you ever used pilotedge.net for flight training? I'm flying a lot (lately) to Class D airports from my uncontrolled field, and am trying to get a handle on things. I'm still on the 14 day trial, but interacting with a live individual has made me much more confident in just speaking on the radio.

I've sent a recommendation to the founder that he create (or work with somebody like you to create) a course that helps sport pilots with their Class D/C/B sign off. I think that getting the procedure down in a sim would be amazingly helpful for the transition to the real world.

theskunk,
If pilotedge.net works like they say it does it would be a real good training tool, especially if you are on your own simulator. I actually like to “be the tower” or other pilots at non towered airports on my simulator so I can develop scenarios for the student. But this looks like one more tool in the toolbox for all pilots.

_________________
Paul is a Sport Pilot CFI/DPE and the expert for ASA who writes the books and produces the DVD's for all pilots flying light sport aircraft.
See www.SportAviationCenter.com www.Sport-Pilot-Training.com and www.BeASportPilot.com to Paul's websites

Has anyone tried xplane 10 with linux. I just did the demo and so far so good. had to use the mouse since i don't yet have a joystick or pedals yet. Does the full version of xplane have a flight design ctls as one of the ac options? That's what I'm learning in in the real world.
thanks
Pat

patmike,
I would go to the x-plane forum and I am sure they can answer your question on the technical details of operating systems.

see http://forums.x-plane.org/index.php?act=idx

This has been very helpful for me for issues such as this.

Hope this helps.

_________________
Paul is a Sport Pilot CFI/DPE and the expert for ASA who writes the books and produces the DVD's for all pilots flying light sport aircraft.
See www.SportAviationCenter.com www.Sport-Pilot-Training.com and www.BeASportPilot.com to Paul's websites

Hi Paul,

theskunk lead me here a little while ago (there's something you don't say too often) and I've been following your conversation regarding the use of simulators for sport pilot training.

I'm a sim junkie myself...30 years and counting (I'm 37). I'm an instrument rated pilot, flying a Lancair 360 out of Lincoln Park, NJ. I'm one of the few pilots at my airport who actually goes into actual IMC (YT video) on a regular basis and enjoys it here in the busy NY airspace. I've also flown that aircraft into JFK, PHL and even ATL (YT video). The only reason I have the confidence to do that as a low-time private pilot (about 350hrs) is because of the thousands of hours I've spent flying (and controlling, admittedly) on networks that provide ATC to simulator pilots.

PilotEdge is the first commercial network to offer this type of service. It differs from the free offerings by fixing all the little things that stop the free services from achieving any serious penetration in the real world pilot community:
- lack of guaranteed ATC coverage,
- lack of guaranteed quality,
- large numbers of pilots that aren't there for the same reasons as you
- radio systems that don't model the real world,
- a fundamental limitation of not being available in a commercial setting.

I designed PilotEdge from the ground up to fix those problems, and more.

The method that you're using, simulating the role of ATC is the way the airlines have done it from the beginning...the proverbial "guy in the back of the sim". Our VP of Commercial Operations is actually a 737 FO with Delta, he knows that world very well.

We think there is a better way, and even have ways of allowing the sim instructor to communicate the "special requests" to ATC, so they can still set up the scenarios they want. That, and the "guy in the back" approach really doesn't generate the butterflies that real-world interactions can generate. There's also a distinct lack of traffic in a standalone environment. There's a LOT that we offer.

I'd love for you to give this a try. Let me know if you have 5-10 minutes to get this set up (all you need is a broadband connection, a headset, and FS9/X or X-Plane 9/10). I'll set up a demo account and you can experience it first hand to draw your own conclusions.

If there's significant interest from the members of the forum here, we might be able to set up a group rate, too. For now, I would encourage any AOPA members to check out the AOPA Lifestyles program.

Regards,
Keith Smith

_________________
PilotEdge - Professional ATC for Flight Simulators
KS Flight Log - detailed flight logs and audio from flights around the NE

Sorry for the flood, but in reference to the mention of pattern work earlier in the thread, here's a video of a go-around from an instrument approach that turns into a lap of the pattern with 2 other aircraft, flown on PilotEdge.

The flying is nothing short of horrific, my bad for trying to do too many things at once and not paying any attention to the flying itself.

That's with X-Plane 9 and a really low end PC. That's a simple 2d cockpit using the left 45 deg and left 90 deg views.

Note: ignore the message saying "coming soon" at the beginning...the system was launched on Oct 1. This video was filmed before we even entered the public beta testing phase on the network.

_________________
PilotEdge - Professional ATC for Flight Simulators
KS Flight Log - detailed flight logs and audio from flights around the NE