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Flight Simulator


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Want an accurate feel of how the real helicopter flies? Go buy a radio controlled helicopter and learn how to fly it. These miniature helis fly exactly like the full size helicopters. All of the same phyisics apply. You can demostrate settling with power and the proper recovery technic, autorotations, absolutely everything you can with the real ones. I think that my JR Vigor CS RC helicopter help me with the principals of flight more than any of the simulators. I had logged over 500 flights with my RC helicopter before I started training, and I experienced two severe crashes. Down side RC helicopter dig deeper into your pocket than the simulator.

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Yeah, I was looking into RC helicoptere. The thing that you mentioned is what turned me off.. The price of it all.

 

For someone who should be saving for training, should not be spending.

 

Yea. I have $3500 bucks tied up into mine. It burns a 1 gallon of fuel in 8 short 12 minute flights. One gallon of fuel cost $19.99. When I crash I must spend the greater portion of this all over again. Many tell me that I am crazy, but I tell them all of us helicopter pilots are crazy for spending so much to enjoy our passion for flying. Maybe you would prefer 12 to 15 more hours of training in your logbook.

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Many tell me that I am crazy, but I tell them all of us helicopter pilots are crazy for spending so much to enjoy our passion for flying

 

So true.

 

Why couldn't we have just enjoyed fishing? :lol: Although I do enjoy fishing, just not as much as flying!

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Haha, don't kid yourself - fishing is probably an even bigger money pit. As a percentage of the value of all my possessions, my fishing gear is probably the largest besides my vehicle. And then you factor in the cost of getting to where you go to fish. And if you have a boat...well that in itself is a bottomless pit.

 

To be somewhat on topic, I've been playing with FSX as well. Have any of you guys done the flight lessons with Rod Machado? I'm about halfway through them, it's kind of fun but he really focuses on staring at the instruments. Not sure if all fixed wing flying is taught like that but I know that's one of the ruts a lot of guys with simulator experience get into. Not being aware of their surroundings and being fixated on the dash. Probably because scanning isn't as easy in the simulator as it is in the real world so you don't get used to looking at both your instruments and outside the cockpit.

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I fly on a base that gets extensive actual (1400 RVR departure and mins arrival yesterday, standing by this morning as our destination is at 1/8 of a mile) and we used Flight Sim for LOFT (Line Orientated Flight Training) every year before going to the BIG sim.

 

We actually have a designated room, with two monitors side by side, joystick and plate holders permanently installed, and I used the editor to set up a panel the same as our aircrafft, and tweaked the performance abit to closer approximate our performance. It was ideal to brush up on your scan (much more difficult to fly than the real thing) and hash out procedures and decision making, with the Training Pilots coming up with all kinds of plausable scenarios.

 

Unfortunately it was decided that we get enough actual that we needn't bother, and it was dropped from the syllabus after a couple of years. It's a great training aid for IFR in my opinion.

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I have FSX. I went for my 1 hour intro flight last weekend, the first step of many toward my commercial rating. The instructor had wonderful things to say the whole flight like.... Your a natural, you'll be on a minimum hour training program....

 

My favorite was.... I'm usually sick by now, are you sure you have never flown before?

 

FSX has helped in a few ways I think.... one is "Twitch control" (flying with a joy stick). The other is becoming familiar with the gauges, what they do and what they mean. I think sims are a great tool to add to the tool box.

 

Just my two cents.

 

Mike

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