Why are sims important?

[glgaglros]

Seems like they are asking mucho dollars for a piece of software...when we can learn on the the real thing. Doesn't make sense if you ask me.

[Ade]

it depends what you fly. Sims really come into their own for helicopters. helis arent cheap and one wrong move can easily cost you as much as a good sim.

Ade

[fhhuber506771]

Sims... when you crash you hit a button and get a new plane. You can make a lot more mistakes without having to mortgage your house to pay for aircraft.

You can sharpen your skills on the sim when the weather outside is intollerable...

there are sims that will work to help improve your flying skill without depleting your pocketbook. FMS is free. There's instructions and a little program to hook up any TX's buddy cord port to your sound card MIC jack and use that to operate the sim. Costs about $5 if you have someone make the cable for you.

Sure, the free sim doesn't have all the features and fancy graphics of the $200+ ones... but FREE makes up for a lot.

[CanCanCase]

G3.5, Phoenix, ReflexXTR, FS One AND the iMac I fly them on still cost less than what I'll have in my Pitts Python when I'm done with it. There's no WAY I'm taking that bird out in the wild until I've got a few hundred hours (at least) with as realistic a simulation as possible. Call me paranoid, but do you think any of the TOC pilots learned to fly rolling harriers 3' off the ground with a REAL plane?

Actually, for us with such a short flying season, G3.5 has become a winter hobby in and of itself. I spend a great deal of my spare time modeling new planes, re-working the color schemes, flying the sim models, learning new maneuvers, etc.

My sister in Law asked me why I used a "video game" instead of flying the real planes outside at the field. I asked her why she used an internet chat forum 12 hours a day instead of meeting people face to face outside in the park! Now she understands...

-Case

[Sdr]

It all depends on your perspective. Just using it to help get your first airplane in the air? No it really doesn’t make sense. At that level, IMHO actual flying is the best method. Where sims really shine is pushing the envelope of your flying skills.

If someone could quantify the skills I’ve gained by using a simulator, then compare the cost I would have incurred going to the flying field, to achieve those same skills. If you ask me, it doesn’t make sense NOT buying a simulator.

[Ade]

Sdr, with helis sim time for total noobs makes a massive difference. I have handed control on buddy box to guys that have never flown a real heli but have had plenty of sim time and they have just got on with flying it no trouble at all.

i think the same is true of fixed wing too.

Ade

[cozzykim]

Sdr, with helis sim time for total noobs makes a massive difference. I have handed control on buddy box to guys that have never flown a real heli but have had plenty of sim time and they have just got on with flying it no trouble at all.
Speaking from my experience as a heli noob I totally agree with that.

I need sim time to train my stick fingers "muscle memory" just enough to give me an edge in the real world, especially when learning bunny hops, tail in, side in, nose in and circuits etc.

These are all SO close to the deck to start with that a sim is an absolute MUST.

Then my guess is that you probably don't NEED a sim when you can fly basic manouevers with no problems, but that you'll need one again when you start to go inverted and again when you're sharpening and practicing your aerobatic skills.

In other words (IMHO) a sim is most useful to give you an edge when you're learning a new skill.

BTW I've said elsewhere that my 10 yr old daughter can thrash me around the Nurburgring with a Subaru Impreza WRX in GT4, but NO WAY is she driving the real one in the driveway :eek: :D
ergo, there's no substitute for experience with the real thing :confused: ;)

Regards

Kim

[Sdr]

Sdr, with helis sim time for total noobs makes a massive difference. I have handed control on buddy box to guys that have never flown a real heli but have had plenty of sim time and they have just got on with flying it no trouble at all.

i think the same is true of fixed wing too.

Ade

I agree, for learning how to fly a Heli, a sim is an absolute must.

For someone who’s only desire is to learn how to fly an airplane around the pattern, that person is better off investing the $200+ in fuel and putting the rest towards a second plane.

[Pinecone]

With crash costs at $20 to many hundreds per crash, it doesn't take long for a sim to pay back. And considering people have had multiple crashes on one battery pack cycle. :)

Even in airplanes you can moves on teh sim that may cause loss of your airplane. Let's see, $200 for sim, or crasha giant scale airplane? If you are talking fomies, maybe they don't make as much sense, but you can fly the sim anytime day or night, no matter what the weather.

[Malc C]

Reasons why its worth getting a sim

* As already stated, the cost of crashing an aircraft can be a few ££ or $$ up to a complete right off. If you've never flown before a sim is a great way of making sure you have a feel for the basic stick movements without having to get that with the real thing and risk crashing.

* Practice - you can practice and log many hours on the sim, at any time of day or night - something you can't always do in reallity due to weather, of the fact its dark !

* Progression - once you have established the basics you will want to move on and try new tricks or push your flying envelope further. Using a simulator enables you to do this without risk to you or the model.

Yes there is no sim on the market that is anywhere like the real thing (like the idea of Kims daughter driving the Scuby around :) ) but, they do provide that basic training that allows someone to safely make the transition into real flight. My 13 year old son has been flying helicopters on AFPD and he can master the hover quite well, I then let him have a go of a Piccolo and he managed to maitain a decent hover for some time (before the wobbles crept in).

[Hawker]

Sims pay for themselves and then some, right away! I was at an r/c field back in 1992 and was watching a guy fly his low wing plane. I had a nice camera with me (film type) and jokingly said I'll trade the camera for everything I need to get me flying. He did, I got his tool box, radio, plane, you name it. My first attempt at flying resulted in a nice crash because I thought the plane would right itself after turns. Well, it didn't, it got far far away from me and crashed in an empty parkinglot at full power (it was a gasser type plane - not very pretty, but inspiring enough for me to want it).

So shortly after that, I bought that old sim by Dave Brown (VERY simple graphics) and got good with those planes and heli's. My next plane I was able to fly very well immediately. I got good with that one and then moved on to bigger and better planes.

Now I have Reflex XTR and AFPD and when the weather is crummy outside, I can still get my r/c "fix" and really enjoy flying in comfort at home. It's not exactly like the real thing but comes darned close and serves a great purpose. :)