Red Bird sims

comstsa

comstsa

Well-Known Member
Hey, I just got hired on @ a new flight school that just acquired 2 Red Bird FMX's, 1 MCX, and 2 TD simulators. They will mostly be configured as C172SP with the G1000. We instructors get to play on them for the next couple of weeks before the flight school officially opens. I was just wondering if anyone here has any experience with Red Bird sims? I would really like some training tips, likes, dislikes, any bugs to watch out for, etc. Also, I've never used the G1000 (or any glass for that matter), although I've read the manual and played with it in the sim for about an hour... any training tips with it would be nice too. Thanks.
 
We have one, I don't have much time in it but...

The "redbird 1000" looks vaguely like the g1000 and sort of works the same way but is different software wise in some key ways.

The knobs don't have the same tactile feel either, and you have to turn them slowly or the thing you're changing either doesnt change or moves backward.

The instructor console is pretty basic, but is functional, setting weather is kind of annoying. If they were smart they'd go to a wireless connection and an android or iPad tablet

We had a lot of issues with it early on, and had to get a new computer unit shipped out right away, but lately it's been reliable enough.

If redbird upped the quality of the components they use they'd be world class.




Sent from 1865 by telegraph....
 
We had two of the full motion sims (I believe that's the FMX), and the Crosswind trainer. All great tools for a fraction of the price of something equivalent from Frasca. Not Frasca quality, but very functional. As far as the equipment goes, the mechanicals are bulletproof. The software, not so much, but what do you expect from a lightly modified version of MS Flight Sim X. We had daily stories of sim "crashes" but a simple reset fixed almost everything, and Redbird's customer service was unmatched for the other issues.

The instructor station is crude compared to a Frasca, but useable. The thing is, you have to completely change your sim paradigm to get the most use out of these. You have to almost think of it as an airplane replacement. If you treat it like an airplane, and plan your lesson accordingly, then you do some limited set up at the beginning of the lesson, and then don't touch the instructor station for the rest of the lesson.

We used them to do VFR training on IMC days; for maneuver introduction, even
 
(stupid phone touchscreen...)
...even on VMC days; and of course, IFR training. You can also use it to practice emergency procedures more realistically than in the airplane.
 
We have 2 Redbird FMX, one single and one multi engine trainer. They tend to be a little "buggy" but their tech support is fairly descent. We only have the conventional instruments, and like previously stated you have to turn the knobs slowly. Changing the weather will take a little getting used to, and be sure you get the updated instructor software, failing instruments can be tricky, i just use post its. Save all your GPS approaches till the end of the training session, using the GPS tends to freeze the sim. The main computer which runs the graphics should be faster, around big cities it gets laggy.
 
Red bird is great for the price, ours is setup for a 172 g430. My only compliant is it tends to freeze, and doen'ts work exactly how the 430 in our plane works. It's Hard to teach flows and procedures when the panel is off from what your fly for real in too.
 
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