Got Microsoft Simulator 04 today

[cmsuav8r]

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What? It shouldn't take that much memory. I have an OLD computer that has 1GB and a 16mb video card, and FS runs just fine. I have to run everything on very low resolution, but it still works.

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That's true. I just like to have my settings turned way up so I can look at the eye candy.

 

[BCTAv8r]

I downloaded an fs addon manager and found out that I have about 7gb worth of addon aircraft.

 

[AREA_5150]

Another great site to get free aircraft is,www.ai-aardvark.com. This site has beautiful model aircraft, that are extremely easy on frame-rates. If you want a ton of eye candy, without your video card suffering to keep up, I would recommend this site. Plus, there is a great, "how to.." to adding planes models/paint kits to the correct folders in FS9.

You want Boeing, they pretty much have the entire family of jet aircraft, with paint schemes.

And yeah, Project AI is a awesome site as well. Get the planes with the flight plans, so that's a bonus.

Jetdoc.com is a great site on learning how to make your own flight plans, adding aircraft to folders, adding panels, adding paint kits...etc.

However, should have just waited until late summer when FS10 comes out.

AREA 5150

 

[Michael_F]

Another site I have to mention is www.vatsim.net. VATSIM stands for Virtual Air Traffic Simulation. Basically, what it is is online flying with human ATC. It is def. the most realistic way to use MSFS. They just released Squawkbox 3 today which is the interface between MSFS and the VATSIM network, and it really makes flying online much easier and smoother.

 

[ZeroPapaGolf]

Not sure if anyone mentioned it yet, but www.simviation.com has lots of good aircraft and scenery, and a great forum.

 

[Maximilian_Jenius]

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However, should have just waited until late summer when FS10 comes out.

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What are going to be the major differences on MSFS10 in relation to MSFS04?

-Matthew

 

[AREA_5150]

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However, should have just waited until late summer when FS10 comes out.

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What are going to be the major differences on MSFS10 in relation to MSFS04?

-Matthew

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Well actually, that would be, "MSFS-06". And as far as the differences, I really don't know. All I know is hear-say, and that MS is suppose to make the airport AFCAD's mucho better, and the communications is suppose to be reworked. Plus, weather is going a step further. But, like I said, all hear-say. MS is keeping a tight lid on FS-06. Might try doing sometype of search to find some news on the release of it.

AREA 5150

 

[aloft]

Actually, FS10 aka Flight Simulator 2006 (or possibly Flight Simulator XP, maybe?

) is correct. Flight Simulator 2004 is also Flight Simulator 9 -- look at the directory name on your computer.

 

[mtsu_av8er]

I still love fartin' around with MSFS!! And I still fly the 172SP!!!

Then again, this is the guy that spent years in the infantry, only to get out and start playing infantry-based PC games...lol.

 

[Thair81]

Just wondering...

Do any of you guys feel that the Flight Simulator program is a useful tool for training and learning or is it more of a fun thing for just playing around?

The reason I ask is because I myself have only ever played it once, years before I learned to fly. I think that I tried to fly the Concorde and couldn't even get it to move. I lost interest quickly after that!

I once asked my instructor what he thought of the MS Flight Sim and he advised against using it, thus I have never considered using it.

Let me know what you guys think.

Thair81

 

[Thair81]

Oh just one more thing, and this is slightly off topic...

Lloyd, I checked out your website and the photo blog...pretty interesting. Is it just me or does the day in the life of a flight instructor revolve a great deal around meal times?

Just asking because there seems to be a lot of pictures of lunch.

Just curious.

 

[mtsu_av8er]

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Lloyd, I checked out your website and the photo blog...pretty interesting.


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Well, thank you very much!! I didn't think anybody actually read that...lol.

I haven't updated the webpage in ages, and the blog is about 2-weeks behind. More on the way!!!

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Is it just me or does the day in the life of a flight instructor revolve a great deal around meal times?

Just asking because there seems to be a lot of pictures of lunch.

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well, I do eat at least twice a day....

 

[Maximilian_Jenius]

Still want to hear how it was with your highschool student tag alongs?

-Matthew

 

[aloft]

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Do any of you guys feel that the Flight Simulator program is a useful tool for training and learning or is it more of a fun thing for just playing around?

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Flight simulators (MSFS isn't the only game in town) can indeed be a useful training aid, as long as you recognize their strengths and weaknesses and act accordingly.

Due to the lack of visual fidelity in even the most advanced PC-based sims, a student working toward their PPL would be best served not messing around with a PC sim AT ALL until you start to work on radio navigation and the cross-country phase. During pre-solo and initial solo flights, there's just too much "negative transfer" going on between flying a sim and flying a real airplane. In this stage, you're working on developing proper sight pictures and muscle memory, neither of which are reinforced by a PC sim, they're just too different, even if you're using a yoke & rudder pedals. Pre-flying your student cross-country flights--especially your solo XCs--can be useful as it can give you a degree of familiarity to what has to happen and when.

Where PC-based sims shine is in practicing instrument flying procedures. Though none have great external visual fidelity, most have the instrument panel down pretty good (I prefer X-Plane to MSFS because its instrument displays are many times more fluid). Because instrument flying is done exclusively by reference to the flight instruments, external visual fidelity isn't a big factor. Moreover, instrument flying isn't about sight pictures and muscle memory, but of instrument scan and interpretation, and maintaining a sense of positional awareness. In other words, my take on IFR ops is that it is predominantly a mental exercise, and one that can be worked out with a PC sim.

 

[sorrygottarunway]

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well, I do eat at least twice a day....

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LUCKY!

I slap on an IV line before I go up teaching.

 

[mtsu_av8er]

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well, I do eat at least twice a day....

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LUCKY!

I slap on an IV line before I go up teaching.

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Well, sometimes it is from the wheel of death. . .

 

[mtsu_av8er]

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Still want to hear how it was with your highschool student tag alongs?


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Man, those kids were cool! I think that they both got a really good idea of what it was like to be in this industry. For the sake of reality, I kind of mixed up their schedule. Most of my days start at 0800 or before (some as early as 0530), and I made sure that they got to see what it was like to show up, have coffee, get a weather briefing, check the status of the aircraft, fuel states, etc, etc - all before 0700.

They got to see what it was like to be constantly 20 minutes behind schedule all day, and being forced to squeeze lunch in between endorsing a logbook and walking out to another airplane. They got to fly with me at least once each day of the week - except for the day that they got to see a full day of cancellations.

They got to watch me with just about everything that I did, and they asked a ton of questions. One of them seemed to be more interested in the business aspect of being a CFI more than anything else. He really dug the fact that you have to be your own cheerleading squad, marketing department, secretary, crisis manager, maintenance manager and personal scheduler. All while trying to keep the planes right-side-up!!

If I get the chance, I'll be doing it next year!!!

 

[Thair81]

Aloft,

Thanks for the detailed explanation. It definitely answered my question.