RedBird FMX Simulator

Krieger

Krieger

Well-Known Member
Dear Brain Trust,

My flight school is considering a RedBird FMX Full motion SImulator. All the benefits are fairly obvious and well documented with various forms of propaganda.

Is anyone aware of any negative qualities the simulator might be associated with?

http://youtu.be/0gdb9JkXv64
 
I've heard the full motion part breaks often and doesn't really provide any benefit to the student. I know I've been in one and it still feels nothing like the plane. I've never had experience with one in a flight school though.
 
I like it because it saves me money as an instrument student. When I was private student, it allowed me to simulate lessons before actually going flying helping to reduce my anxiety about them (such as unusual attitudes or stalls).
 
scramjet said:
I like it because it saves me money as an instrument student. When I was private student, it allowed me to simulate lessons before actually going flying helping to reduce my anxiety about them (such as unusual attitudes or stalls).
Click to expand...
But did the actual motion help or would a regular computer based simulator have worked as well?
 
The flight school i went to had one and I used it a handful of times. Thought it was kind of lame and I don't feel like it really helped much.
 
Don't do it. From someone with firsthand experience with them, they are garbage. They run off Flight Simulator X software, and the full motion really doesn't add anything to the training environment that's beneficial to the student.

My $.02
 
Was not impressed. Motion feels more like an arcade ride than anything real. Sim based on FSX is nothing like a Frasca or Elite.
 
The one that my old college has is constantly breaking down; more times than not, it is due to the software.
 
I've had a few students in them. I think it's a good tool, much better than the Frasca I used when I was an IR student. The motion is somewhat cool, but the software has frozen a few times during a reposition. If you are going to use it for g1000 familiarization go ahead and skip the sim and instead just hook the plane up and go through it there. Half the time the G1000 in the sim won't do what it is supposed to and the moving map MFD is so slow it's useless(which isn't necessarily a horrible thing as I'd like my students to not spend too much time glancing at it anyway). Overall, I think it's on alright sim and a useful tool to help students get some instrument practice in while saving plenty of money.
 
amjon said:
But did the actual motion help or would a regular computer based simulator have worked as well?
Click to expand...
I think it does because although the motion can never duplicate real life (g forces, etc), it adds the element of motion. I think this gives students an added bonus because it helps them to learn how to tune out seat of the pants indications and rely on instrument indications, obviously a fundamental aspect of instrument training (or instrument reference training in private pilot training). Granted, it's not highly realistic motion, but at least it's there unlike non motion platforms.
 
Not impressed. The flight models are so-so. Their navigation software and integration with the 530 and what not is horrible. ENDLESS software bugs that cause plenty of things to just not work (like tuning a LOC in and getting the CDI display on the 530 to show your course deviation, but nothing on the HSI- and yes, before anyone asks, it was set up properly, as the HSI was working just fine on a GPS course a few seconds ago, and all I did was hit the GPS/VLOC button) or work intermittently. The "motion" is like an arcade game, and doesn't even come close to feeling like a real aircraft. I'm also aware that their reliability isn't great.
 
Thanks for the input guys.

I need some hard numbers with the reliability issues. For example, 3 out of 10 sim sessions cancelled. Or, the simulator was broke 30% of the time. Also, when it was broken, how long did it take to fix?
 
Krieger said:
Thanks for the input guys.

I need some hard numbers with the reliability issues. For example, 3 out of 10 sim sessions cancelled. Or, the simulator was broke 30% of the time. Also, when it was broken, how long did it take to fix?
Click to expand...

I can't offer you that off the cuff.

I will say that when I got into the box it took Redbird Support ~1.5-2 hours to "fix" the machine, and then it crashed again about :30 into the session. And then it took them another two or so to sort it.
 
Krieger said:
Dear Brain Trust,

My flight school is considering a RedBird FMX Full motion SImulator. All the benefits are fairly obvious and well documented with various forms of propaganda.

Is anyone aware of any negative qualities the simulator might be associated with?

http://youtu.be/0gdb9JkXv64
Click to expand...

Legally you can just buy an ATC 610 sim with rudder pedals and a plotting chart and your getting your students the exact same value. I am speaking of logging the time. The redbird is really expensive and you still can't log a circle to land.
 
Do what I did when I was researching it, Call other schools that use it, don't rely on he said she said and people that haven't actually owned one. I called about 12 or 13 schools across the country and could find zero bad things said. Most were extremely satisfied with it, a few had some minor gliches and they said it was fixed in short order. All said that was an excellent training platform.

I haven't got mine yet.... I'm waiting on the airport to finish construction and finish a fight with the IRS, but fully intend to get it up and running by the first of the year.

It does not use MSFS, although its does use Microsoft ESP visual simulation platform, Its used by Northrop Grumman and I believe they actually bought it from Microsoft. They use it for most of their military simulations, I figured if it was good for them, it might work for me.

Remember.... Talk with current owners that you find (hint: Google) its a big investment..... research

and they're working on the circle to land part

Good Luck
 
I recently flew the large full motion sim, and the best way to describe it is it's like flying a plane with vertigo. That's just my experience. The school I part time with is looking into their new desktop sim for the (guided independent flight instruction through king schools). I didn't like how the "g1000 panel" in the full motion was no where near the actual set up for a cessna 172/182. It's a neat design but i'm not really sold quite yet.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top