How do you sim?

[matta757]

Hey everyone,

I have been curious about this since I got into the cockpit building scene back in September. I am wondering how YOU use your simulator?

For example, it has been my dream since I was in fourth grade to become an airline pilot. I have had several influences along the way and it is still very much my dream to accomplish this. Sadly, when I picked and headed off to college in 2003/2004, the airline industry wasn't looking so good, so I chose to pursue my other dream of becoming a teacher (I have graduated, but of course now the teaching market sucks too, so I am currently looking for a teaching job). But I digress...

I use Flight Simulator to simulate real-world airline flights. I have TONS of extremely realistic AI traffic schedules to create an even more realistic feel within FS9. So when I fire up the sim, it is to simulate an actual commercial flight. I usually fly Delta, my favorite of the US carriers, and clearly my name gives way which aircraft I fly. I try to make my flying as realistic as I know how; I use the NOAA aeronautical chart database to access airport diagrams, DP's, IAP's and the like.

So how do you sim? I know many of you a real-life pilots, do you use your simulator to practice things like check-rides and emergencies? Or do you do what I do and fly actual flights from point A to point B? Just curious and hoping to gain some insight into everyone's simulator situation!

Regards,

Matt

[jackpilot]

Same here on the 737, even if the  cockpit  is far from being finished. Gate to gate, paper maps and plates,
As for the "real" I need a flight test as I did'nt fly for the last two month. Grrrr.
Next week  4 sure.
JP

[Pegger]

I am not a pilot, but the dream lives large within me. I intended to pursue aviation but the cost of tuition was far to high and plain old university was the only option for me. Luckily, now as a licenced land surveyor, I get the pleasure of flying to a lot of my job sites. Quite often it is a back country bush plane like a Norseman or beaver, or my fav...a turbo otter. Other times it is travelling to isolated communities on ATR's, Dash 8's, Saab 340's, Hawker Sidleys, Metro Liners, or King Airs. As such, this is my preferred style of flying. I am in the planning and study stage of my sim build, and it will be modelled after the King air. This will give me the platform I need to do twin turbo prop flights in and out of small isolated gravel strips. Many of my flight plans are formulated based on the experiences I've had with flying into northern parts of Canada.
Most of my flying is on VATSIM however there never seems to be anybody working Thompson or Churchill Radio when I get there!

[ETomlin]

Hey everyone,

.. I am wondering how YOU use your simulator?

...Regards,

Matt

For me Matt, I fly wherever I can land and takeoff in the Learjet 45. This has brought me near ultimate freedom as far as aircraft choice simply because I have a lot more fields available now that Im fully indoctrinated on the LJ45 vs. the 737NG that I had planned on building several years ago. Way back 10 years ago, it was my dream to build a 767 after seeing the Mike and Dave  Lehkemp project and eventually that changed to a 777 once I started seeing others doing it (Robert Prather, etc.).  Eventually this changed to the 737NG due to the enormous amount of parts available but time and budget dictated that I either build a generic sim, or consider somthing smaller like a Citation or Learjet. I was encouraged to consider the LJ45 and so I did, and now we have a very fast growing group of dedicated LJ45 builders with all sorts of software and hardware available for it.

As a result of having a smaller private jet, I have the benefit of flying into pretty much any field 4000'+ feet long. Many times if I know of a family member or friend that lives in some part of the country that Ive never been before, I will file a flight plan from A to B and often point B is where they live or fly out of. I use real world approach plates and charts as well as all checklists (from real LJ45 manuals none the less) and real world weather unless Im doing some "flight testing" where I need specific weather criteria. I hope to get back into flying online during the bigger online fly-ins once I get some parts of the sim updated.

Best of luck in your flights!

[bussgarfield]

Hi Matt,

I am in the very early stages of cockpit construction, a few pieces of wood cut here and there so I am very reliant at the moment of using the old key board and mouse in front of 3 screens.
I have a Saitek pro flight yoke, rudder and throttle sytem which when coupled to the MCP and VHF systems from Opencockpits, I can fly the FSX 737.

I am awaiting the new PMDG 737NGX to appear before I crack on with the construction to be honest but when flying I do my best to simulate flights between the UK and Spain and within the UK using printouts from Navigraph and trying to understand them enough to at least point the nose in the right direction.

I am on a very steep learning curve at the moment which is all part of the fun.

When not flying the 737, I use Air Haulier to make my company a little money. If any of you have not tried this little gem then I would urge you to have a go as it is not just the flying but also trying to keep your company in the black, thats the fun. And that is what this programme is all about.

I will keep the serious side of this hobby to the cockpit construction and the procedural flying.

Good question Matt, I hope you get more replies as it is good to know how everyone else uses their sim (and valuable time !!!!!).

Gary 

[when acting as a wave]

I've been on a very steep learning curve with the actual flying aspect of flight simulation lately and so it's all fairly new to me. I played a lot of early computer simulator games back in my teenage years but have subsequently found that this in no way prepared me for the bombardment of 'actual' issues that occur whilst seated in my father's ATR simulator.

He pays very careful attention to flying the simulator properly and so this has been my experience too. The major issue I have is the seemingly enormous gap between the visual cues my eyes are seeing and the data my brain is being sent via various gauges, maps, etc, which inevitably leads to me having major difficulty lining up the centre of the runway upon final approach (just need to trust the instruments more, I think); glide slope is no real problem (though I'm always too low and need to fly into it), but my controlling of the little yellow ball which directs me to the centreline is pretty abysmal. Also, (and you may have noticed) my terminolgy is pretty dire ... 

We're lucky to have several friends who are real-life pilots regularly use the simulator as well, either to give us feedback on the 'feel' of various new components we're trialling or to teach us new procedures. Man, I have to say that it's fantastic to watch actual pilots flying it - everything is so smooth and under control! We actually had some flight instructors down last weekend and they were performing various emergency scenarios, which was interesting to watch.

Unfortunately the overhead is undergoing some more surgery at the moment though, which means no flying for a bit ...

Dean.

[NAX228]

I had the first VATSIM flight with the cockpit yesterday!!! There is still much work left but after a series of testflights lately I finally took the step back to VATSIM.
The overhead is still only software and I actually started the OH build yesterday as well.
The intension is flying only in networks being VATSIM or the FLG multiplayer. The FLG server is a Oslo based high speed multiplayer server with a lot of traffic. Mostly norwegians using this one.


.


PS: How do I get bigger pics in here?

[MLeavy737]

Hello Matt,
  Interesting question you asked and i think it not only varies between builders but also varies  based on whats going on (aviation wise) in someones life. I know it has for me.  Way back when FSII first came out i was 14 or so and had been flying around with my Grandfather for  the past 10 years in his Archer II.  Although not taking lesson at that time, FSII allowed me to actually dig into aviation books and practice what i would read.. self teaching in a way. Was great times. I would fly the sim at home working on things such as VOR tracking and then fly with Gramps and try out what i was working on at home. 
  That went on for many years. As the newer versions of Fligh Sim came out i was doing the college thing and adding new ratings. Basically still following the same flight sim philosophy. Practice at home and apply that to the real deal. Always worked well.  Alot of my sim flying back then consisted of  firing up the sim and working on something specific as opposed to starting from cold and dark etc.
  When i actually started flying for a living (learjets/Falcons), I was basically using flight sim just for fun. I did all my job sim training at SimUflite in Dallas and a keyboard and joystick just didnt give me what i wanted from FlightSim anymore. Plus i started from a real cold and dark airplane everyday i showed up for work
  That brings us to the pit building days and when i saw what guys like James Price and Matt ford were doing about 10 years ago, i knew i had to build one just for my love of aviation. Plus the cool factor! funny thing..90% of the people i worked/flew with could not understand why on earth i would want to come home from a day of flying and build a sim lol. They always looked at sims as something they had to do twice a year and get stressed over.
  Long story short. When i llived in NY i had a 737 pit about 75% completed and the funny thing is that i used that thing for just about every type of flying you could do with a sim.  The building phase mostly consisted of test flights, turning on the sim engines running and launching down the runway. As the sim was more complete, my previous employer started to take an interest in using it for some flight training which mostly consisted of getting used to some of the tricky mountain airports we would fly into and shooting those approaches. Worked excellent and i would notice a huge difference because i would be the one actually flying with these FO's into these airports. The sim was also used a few times to actually check out a few guys for the hiring process! Basically consisted of a full interview type checkride. All handflown, takeoff, landing, holding and approach procedures.. I felt pretty proud of the sim at that point!
  On another occasion i had a friend who was awarded an interview with  Miami Air. Part of the hiring process was a checkout in a 737 sim. She was able to get the sim profile for the checkride and we were able to practice that for hours until she had it down perfectly. She got the job and i was once again pretty proud of the sim.
  The real fun for me came when i decided to apply to Continental Airlines.  You should have seen the look on the interview panels faces when i pulled out some pictures of my 737 sim that i had been building lol! Another long story short.. I got the job and have been flying 737's for the past 3 years. When i would come home on a few weekends during the 2 months of training i would sit in the sim and just go over anything i could. I wouldnt even turn the thing on. Would sit there and go over everything in my head, touching switches and moving levers, abnormals, normals, callouts, checklists, flows.. everything.
  Those were some of the last days my sim has flown. The past few years we were wrapped up trying and finally moving down to TX. Sim is in the garage waiting to be rebuilt. I think the main question is how will i now fly it once i get it up and running again? I think the answer is still a bit how i used to fly my sim but with a little something extra now. At first it will be a lot of short testing flights just to get things going and working. The real fun stuff and what i consider extra is going to be the full all out flights starting from cold and dark with full ATC and flying sim just like i do at the airline. I think ill be pretty happy when i can say "Yeah, that thing flys and operates just like the real thing!"
  Im also looking forward to some you guys coming down here to fly it! I promise ill take it easy on ya!

Thats how i sim

Mike Leavy
 
 

[Trevor Hale]

Excellent write up Mike..  Wow, I can see how proud you must be.

Trev

[Boeing Skunk Works]

I'd like to think that I fly the sim the same way a crew would on the actual aircraft.

There is no automation aboard this aircraft other than the AP for use during cruise, so all procedures are hand flown using the appropriate charts. Checklists are used, and the POH and aircraft manuals are within reach sould they be needed.

I have the sim setup for on-line flying on IVAO, but this has proven to be somewhat cumbersome having the software installed on a WidevieW system rather than the main FS computer. The controllers don't get any airspeed readout on me either. More experimentation is going to be needed to find a workable solution for this.

I enjoy flying the 727, more than I would any other aircraft. You really have to stay ahead of it, but it becomes second nature just like riding a bicycle after awhile. I think the greatest aspect of flying the 727 is that it navigates no differently than the light aircraft I trained in for an instrument rating. If you can navigate a Cessna, you can go anywhere in the world in a 727...if you have at least 4500' of airstrip.

The wing on this aircraft nearly doubles in size when everything is hanging out.

I fly in Europe. I got bored of flying in the US as most procedures are standardized and vary little in execution or procedure. There is the occasional challenging approach such as KDCA, but for the most part departures and arrivals are pretty mundane in the US. In Europe, nothing is standardized and you never know what you're going to fly into. Major airports are much like those in the US, but the smaller international and regional airports can be much more of a challenge. Procedures can be complicated and execution can be very intense requiring much concentration and control input & throttle finesse. Frequency change over for nav-aids must be made at the correct times and nav instruments must be re-set for some procedures while being executed all while hand flying the aircraft. It gets quite interesting at times. The more difficult procedures could greatly benefit from a second crew member in the cockpit working the radios, but alas, this is a single seater so I've had to learn to manage and plan ahead. It's very easy to screw up a procedure just by forgetting to re-tune a radio and by the time you've remembered it's too late to fix it. TIme to call the miss.

Overall, I really enjoy flying in Europe and it keeps my chops up.

[XOrionFE]

Thank you Mike and Michael for both of those enjoying reads and inspiration.  Describing how you guys use your sims is very motivating for me to keep up with my own.   Mike, it is very comforting to know that you place your sim in such high regards being an actual 737 pilot that gets to fly the real deal every day.  And Michael, your description of why you like European flying makes me aspire to someday get good enough with my flying that I attain some of that boredom you describe flying in the US.  Actually makes me think it will provide me many many years of challenging fun.

thanks guys for sharing.

scott

[Boeing Skunk Works]

Try one or two of these and you'll get the idea, and probably be hooked yourself.

RAK9 arrival to 24 at LKPR Prague

Any arrival or departure from LOWI, but particularly the hi-performance departure from 08, KPT1Z. Max speed 154 KIAS minimum 25° bank.

The LUSAR6 arrival DINIG3A/3N transition at LSGG, Geneva.

Arrival to London City from any direction. 5° glideslope. It's like landing the Shuttle. Seems like it anyway.

OCTET1 departure from LFMN, Nice, France.

Arrival into Sion, Switzerland. Start descending even before receiving the glideslope into mountainous terrain. Like flying down a ditch.

[MLeavy737]

Try one or two of these and you'll get the idea, and probably be hooked yourself.

RAK9 arrival to 24 at LKPR Prague

Any arrival or departure from LOWI, but particularly the hi-performance departure from 08, KPT1Z. Max speed 154 KIAS minimum 25° bank.

The LUSAR6 arrival DINIG3A/3N transition at LSGG, Geneva.

Arrival to London City from any direction. 5° glideslope. It's like landing the Shuttle. Seems like it anyway.

OCTET1 departure from LFMN, Nice, France.

Arrival into Sion, Switzerland. Start descending even before receiving the glideslope into mountainous terrain. Like flying down a ditch.

No problem Scott! Kinda enjoyed writing it and remembering some good times

Ohh and when flying in Europe or anywhere outside the USA dont forget to throw in a bunch of bad english and not being able to understand what the heck ATC wants from you.. All while trying to fly those tricky arrivals/dep and approaches That was my experience anyhow in the Falcon. Even some 737 flying these days in South America gets fun when its hard to understand them.. Usually weekend ATC is the worst down there when the A team is off

Good luck with the sim Scott and stay motivated. these things dont build overnight but they sure are fun to fly. I definately recommend visiting other builders sims when having the chance. Always helped for me when i was unmotivated. Better yet have people over to fly your and get them helping!

Mike Leavy

Mike Leavy

[ETomlin]

One thing that Mike Leavy said reminded me of something that was especially true for motivation- Try inviting some friends over that havent seen your sim ever, or in quite a while and take in the excitement that they show when their eyes light up. I had three guys over this weekend and before they entered the sim hangar, I had it all set up and running and ready to start up a flight (all PCs and projector running, etc.). They were blown away by the progress made since even Christmas time and when I see them get excited and ask questions, and you let them fly around some (of course, asking the dreaded question "What happens when you crash?") it is very rewarding and pushes you to continue building. Sometimes I forget how amazing it all is until a visitor comes over and sees it all for the first time.

[Boeing Skunk Works]

I wonder if when they meet airline pilots thay ask that same question?

Probably not. They can't even imagine the sceanarios that are given to pilots in the simulator they are being checked out in.

I cringe when ever I hear that question and I'd like to just slap the piss out the person asking it.

"Well, duh, the crash rescue vehicles rush out to the crash site, and there's ambulances and LE vehicles everywhere and thery're pulling people out of my basement left and right asking how did a 727 end up in a basement without destroying the house...

[ETomlin]

I wonder if when they meet airline pilots thay ask that same question?

Probably not. They can't even imagine the sceanarios that are given to pilots in the simulator they are being checked out in.

I cringe when ever I hear that question and I'd like to just slap the piss out the person asking it.

"Well, duh, the crash rescue vehicles rush out to the crash site, and there's ambulances and LE vehicles everywhere and thery're pulling people out of my basement left and right asking how did a 727 end up in a basement without destroying the house...

HA! THAT is what I will tell the next joker that asks that question. Very good answer.

[shaneb]

I like that Mike . .