What's the best simulator for little people?

[belouder]

I'm thinking of a flight sim for the boyz (it helps rationalize my "hobby" fund if they are flying too!!).

What have folks found to be the best or what to stay away from? And at what ages have folks found is a good time to start? Any success stories? How have folks dealt with little hands and controllers? Nano-second attention spans?

Thanks,
BK

[jtlsf5]

Brian,
There's a great story on Pg. 9 of the December issue of Model Aviation. The wife of a die hard flier talking about how her (then) 2 year old started playing on Dad's simulator and is now (2 or 3 years later) soloing. This is how the next generation gets started.

I think the answer to your question is any simulator as long as you put the time in to teach them how to use it, and as soon as they show any interest at all is young/old enough.

JT

[rdwoebke]

BK,

I have had hopes since my daughter was born of getting her into flying. So far, it has not really panned out.

Here she is at 1.5 years old. She will turn 5 next month.

I let Katie play on the simulator some and if you have a JR or a Spektrum transmitter, you can download and install crrcsim for free. All you need is a line out cable (lots of folks have these laying around from old CD players and what not) or you can buy one at Rat Shack for $4.00. Plug it into the mic input on your PC or laptop.

Recently I have been letting Katie play with one of these:

http://www.amazon.com/Air-Hogs-Havoc-Heli-Colors/dp/B000NSFO3W

Sometimes you can find them on sale at Target for $15.00. The one we have just kind of spins but she does OK with it taking off and keeping it flying for a minute or so, then gets tired of holding the throttle up and lets it drop.

I too heard about the kid that learned to fly from messing with his dad's simulator. It is an interesting story and that kid is a kind of RC prodigy.

Ryan

[Jim Deck]

I had a "Cockpit Master" simulator with a USB box that let me use one of my transmitters as the controller. My 10 year old grandson loved it and asked when he could try one of my sailplanes. When told him that he'd have to learn to land on the simulator first as my sailplanes didn't have a reset button to instantly recreate them after a crash, he lost interest as he found that too difficult.

[rdwoebke]

One possible solution to that, Jim, is bouncy planes. I don't know much about 10 year olds (yet), but my wife had a cousin that was I think 13 or so and he got a bouncy Air Hog type plane and was up and running with it quickly. The Air Hog biplane is a good flyer (sometimes they have to be tweaked, but that in itself is a learning task).

I think there are a lot of diffrent philosophies with teaching kids to fly. I have one buddy that swears that you should not even give the kids a transmitter until they are 15. Others think you need to acclimate them to planes at a very early age lest they get more interested in video games first.

Oh, and so far as finding simulators too difficult, I actually agree. I think it is easier to fly a real plane than one on a simulator.

Ryan

[rdeis]

My boys (7 and 9) are still too short on attention for simple flying. They will turn circles with the Slow Stick, and will fly FMS for a little while, but they soon get impatient because the airplanes don't shoot and blow stuff up....

(Although they do find crashing FMS on purpose to be great sport! Perhaps I can teach them that once they become proficient pilots they'll be able to bury the sim model deeper and deeper in the sim terrain?)

The elder one does indeed enjoy his Air Hogs biplane, though he seems to have more fun teaching his friends to fly it than he has flying it himself!

[Kenny Sharp]

I had a "Cockpit Master" simulator with a USB box that let me use one of my transmitters as the controller. My 10 year old grandson loved it and asked when he could try one of my sailplanes. When told him that he'd have to learn to land on the simulator first as my sailplanes didn't have a reset button to instantly recreate them after a crash, he lost interest as he found that too difficult.

Agreed...
Landing on the simulator was a pre-requisite for 9 yr.old Nick, before I let him loose with his Easy Glider.

[John Walter]

I am not convinced that simulators are the answer. I taught my son (Littleflyer) how to fly with a Multiplex Easy Star. He was about
12 as I recall. The electric power solves the problem of needing thermaling skills to keep a sailplane aloft for more than a few minutes. The Easy Star is also less prone to prop damage than is the Easy Glider.

Once Jeffrey got the hang of an Easy Star, he started to fly HLG from a ministart then a built-up DLG.

After he read about Cody winning the gold medal at the 2006 F3J WC, Jeffrey wanted to try full house. He bought a used Pike Superior when he was 14. With his DLG skills he was able to do a hand catch on his second flight with the Superior.

He was 16 when he flew at the F3J WC this past summer. I "taught him everything I know" about flying. Now I need him to teach me what he knows!

[Kenny Sharp]

I'm not sure it's an all inclusive answer either, but throughout the years, Nick has played around with sims, and was simply flying them around...most of the time they were flying HIM around.

Once I gave him the goal of landing...and the reward that followed....he got it right away.

Let me also say that Nick has just recently this past season, expressed a real interest in sailplanes and DLGs.
Travelling to the ESL Contests with me , and him interacting with the members there, is what sparked his interest in joining in.

[ACooper]

I have an FS One sim and am very happy with it. You can find them for about $100 now. And the upgrade pack has a Supra in it. Your PC will need alot of Video RAM. I had to install a new 3D card in mine but it has always worked great. The card does generate alot of heat though so make sure your PC is well vented.

PS..I second the Easy Star...great trainer.