Flight sim

ZUM

New Member
Would it be a better use of money to invest in a good computer system and flight sim setup at home in the range of i'm guessing $1000-$1500 to be able to work on instrument type of training at any time for free, or just put this money into actual training costs?
 
Isn't there a limit to how much you can use. I think you need a CFI also. That's what I want to do you planning on useing Elite. The good thing is tho you can do your multi on it to so you can get time alot cheaper but you need that CFI next to you.
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I'd put it into actual training costs. Nothing against sims (haha, riiight), but like C-kid said, you need an instructor for any of it to count for anything. You can always go to a local flight school and rent a sim for cheap if you want to practice out of the plane.
 
I realize that the "training" on the home PC flight sim wouldn't count for any actual time, but in terms of simply practicing scanning, approaches, and general instrument flying, I'm wondering if the cost/benefit of getting the computer/sim (don't have a computer at home) would be a useful investment.
 
Get a computer, but don't go out and buy something like Elite if your just practicing IFR get something like X-plane or FS2004, both great sims. I would say it helps you. I flew IMC on those sims and last summer I started flying actul IMC in real life and had no problem at all.
 
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in terms of simply practicing scanning, approaches, and general instrument flying

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FS2002 works just fine and for a fraction of the cost.

I spent a few hours practicing on the thing myself. No need to go out and drop a butt-load of $$ on an Elite system. Sink the majority of your money into flying the real thing.

Good luck.
R2F
 
my mind is being read here. don't know it it's good :>
how about the hardware for running the X-Plane?
i'm a Mac user (heavy user
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), but i'm willing to compromise and let a Windoze box in the house. any suggestions for simple setup that will run it in a decent fashion? what about a yoke & rudder pedals? did anyone experience any issues with these?

is anyone running a home sim on a Mac? that would be my first pick honestly.
 
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is anyone running a home sim on a Mac?

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My Mac "simulates" being a real computer at work ...

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Bad joke ... sorry.
 
ya know what, you and me in a dog fight, name the sims, name the planes,

.... ( right now, busy compiling a fresh can o' whoopa$$
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Yeah does your G5 have two gerbils or four?
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Sorry .. it's just too easy.

I'll quit now.

I actually do like Macs especially for desktop publishing and graphics manipulation (i.e. Photoshop). Honestly!
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X-Plane is developed on the Mac, so it probably works as well or better than it does on the PC (where it works quite well).
 
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Yeah does your G5 have two gerbils or four?
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Ahhh, so that's what the "G" stands for. I'd imagine that the G5 is running 5 Gerbils.

I think MSFS is good for understanding the basics of flying, but is no replacement for the real thing. I'm in the process of using it to work on my approaches, i.e. power for altitude and pitch for airspeed, to prepare me for the real thing.
 
Go out and buy yourself a cheap P2 or somthing and a copy of FS98, and maybe a cheap joystick too. All the instrument stuff you need is there, the later versions of FS just add better graphics, more planes and ATC but the instruments are basicly unchanged.
 
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Go out and buy yourself a cheap P2 or somthing and a copy of FS98, and maybe a cheap joystick too. All the instrument stuff you need is there, the later versions of FS just add better graphics, more planes and ATC but the instruments are basicly unchanged.

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True. If you're working on instrument stuff, graphics really don't matter. And the ATC function sucks terribly.

That said, I am dorky enough to own MSFS2002, and I can't for the life of me figure out how to use the EHSI's or MFD nav modes on the King Air, Boeing airliners, learjet, etc....anyone want to give me a hint as to how I might go about figuring them out? I can't even select frequencies to display on them. Are there directions located anywhere?

-Zach
 
Thanks for the feedback. I think i'll buy something that is bare bones cheap just to have something at home to practice on when my monthly flying funds for instrument training dries up.
 
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