[Harryday]

Hi all on the forum,

Im 15 years old and am starting flying lessons in a Cessna 172, and was wondering if using flight simulator x coupled with a joystick is in anyway useful towards my learning?

[carlmeek]

I suspect nobody has answered this because it's a much debated point.

I believe that for a 15 year old who has had no lessons, and has no instructor or pilot to advise them, a flight sim will do more harm than good.

Once you have had a few lessons it could be helpful (in moderation) as it would let you practice a couple of things, and you would at that point appreciate how unrealistic the simulator is.

I remember during my training using it, practicing the relationship between attitude, power and practicing landings. I think it helped. I didn't spend much time on it.

If you spent tens of hours on a sim and then went for a real lesson it would probably do more harm than good!

(Other opinions are available)

[Paul_Sengupta]

I think the opposite...but with one caveat, that FS trains you to look at the instruments too much - which needs to be un-learned.

Then you need to learn it again if you go for your IMC rating.

[Rob P]

As above. Not really, treat it as a pastime, not training.

That said, with photorealistic scenery it can be good for practicing overhead joins etc.

Rob P

[seanjd]

I agree with Paul

I used MS Flight Sim for a long time before doing my PPL.
It's great to learn checklist and I had no issues with the instrument part of the PPL course, but initially I was spending too much time looking at the instruments instead of out of the window. No big disadvantage, but something I had to work a bit harder to adjust to, in real world flying.

I think it did help me, so would say there is no harm in using it before and during your training.

[joe-fbs]

I use a PC sim' a lot for practicing IMC flying but have never found any useful for the sort of pure visual flying one does pre-PPL. Even with three screens, a proper yoke & quadrant, and add-on scenery, a not inexpensive set-up at a flying club, all of the cues (visual, audio, motion) were wrong. Pre-PPL the money is better spent on real flying. Checklists can be practiced for free sitting in an aeroplane in the hangar (master switch and mag's staying off).

[joe-fbs]

PS Harry Day, a famous name in aviation. (Well if like me you read and watch endless WW2 stuff).

[FlightDek]

I found it useful for building hand-eye co-ordination for my left hand on the yoke

Dek

[Nick T]

I found it incredibly useful when practising nav. I bought the VFR scenery packages, planned my routes, flew them with the 'real world' weather, looking for the roads, towns, railway lines etc. out of the 'window' and cross-referencing them with the maps. Also good for the VOR tracking and finding out your position.

Always 'flew' my routes in Flight Sim before doing them for real in the lessons and it did help me immensely.

Other opinions are available

[Cessna57]

I was near my GST when my nephews invited me to have a go on their sim, which had a proper yoke, pedals and a throttle quadrant. Only 1 screen though.

I tried to fly a circuit, but failed miserably as I couldn't look out of the side window and judge my base leg or final turn. (In retrospect there was probably a button for 'look left')

I almost crashed during my landing. I'd hate anyone to believe it's like flying.

It might be good for nav or IMC training, or fun.

I think it best sums up a flight sim when your 11 year old nephew says "I thought you could fly uncle! Anyway, move over, this has a Ford Trimotor, I'll show you how to fly it"

[treborsnave]

I use X-plane a lot and have found it really useful . I downloaded a great model for my home airfield - White Waltham and then added a lot of the additional visual markers (trees, churches, factories etc) to practice the different circuits that result from the three runways. Also I've found the "get me lost" function really cool when it comes to practicing radio navigation.

[Harryday]

PS Harry Day, a famous name in aviation. (Well if like me you read and watch endless WW2 stuff).

That's pretty cool

[Harryday]

WOW didn't expect that much response in such short time,

Thanks to all that have answer and i will take into consideration what you have all said, I only really play maybe 2-3 hours a week so i can only assume that that if i keep doing so i will not gain many habits and also get to know the cockpit of the plane, dial locations and the like
thanks again
Harry

[CapnM]

I used FSX on the build-up to my skills test a few months ago.

I wasn't overly confident with VORs, and as it was the only instrument in the aircraft, I wanted to make sure I nailed it in case I had to do anything more than a position fix (I didn't, as it happens!). I found it extremely helpful, especially as it didn't cost anything compared to hiring the aircraft for an hours instruction! I suspect it's equally useful for other radio navigation aids, of which I'll come to realise when I start my IR(R) later this year.

[riverrock]

As others say, it doesn't help with basic aircraft control (landing, taking off, stalls) or use of the radio. The views and physics engine just aren't good enough to stimulate real control, and at the beginning of flying you should hardly be looking at instruments.
The aircraft I flew were too different to any of the models I saw in FSX so it didn't help me with check lists.
It might help with some of the later parts of the course (nav, instruments) although you'd be better waiting for instruction first or you will develop bad habits.
It is useful to practice higher level (instrument) flying. For that I only use the auto pilot (tell the aircraft to turn to x heading).

So at the beginning, think of it as good fun rather than true preparation for flight, then when you start flying lessons, go in with a fully open mind.