ALL FLIGHT SIMULATOR DISCUSSIONS IN HERE

Josh1540 · 23-12-2008, 12:40 PM

Hey Xarea.

Originally Posted by Xarea

1. If your flight is like, 9 hours, do you actually have to sit there for 9 hours?

If your flight is usually considerably long, then you are able to speed up the flight up to 16 times normal speed with autopilot engaged. Usually, when flying an airliner, it will be autopilot which will be doing most of the flying for you. As autopilot will be in control, you can obviously just leave the game running and browse the internet or go somewhere. It is sometimes necessary to come back and check up on your flight because autopilot can be your worse enemy at times, so just checking on your flight path, fuel consumption and for any failures every 30-45 minutes is usually the best thing to do. For those long haul flights, I usually take off at 9/10pm, then do a check every 45 minutes up to midnight, then go sleep and when I wake up, I should be near to land.

Originally Posted by Xarea

2. How do you know what to fly?

There is a selection of default aircraft you can fly, from the light aircraft (Cessnas) to heavy jets (Boeings). There are also some aircraft used in the olden days, such as the Wright Flyer and Vickers Vimy. Then again, it depends if you buy FS2004 or FSX (FSX is the newest one but you must have outstandingly great computer specs for the best graphics and framerates). If there is a certain aircraft missing, then there is a high chance you can download it from the internet from a variety of websites to do with FS. Some websites charge you to download, whereas some websites don't. Payware is always more realistic than freeware, so if you're also looking for a touch of realism, go with the payware (PMDG, Level D, Wilco)... after you've learned about how to take to the skies!

Originally Posted by Xarea

3. Is their a tutorial on how to fly when you start the game?

Just by selecting a free flight, you will learn the basics of flight within the first 20 hours of playing by looking around on your own. There are also a number of excellent tutorials on the game by a real life flight instructor, Rod Machado. He will teach you about the cockpit instruments, some certain manuevers such as stalling, turning, climbing, descending and level flight and the basics of taking off, taxiing and landing. There are some more advanced tutorials by him as well, such as different approaches, how to navigate using your instruments and sudden failure to all engines. The best thing about the tutorials on Microsoft Flight Simulator is that you first read a tutorial, then you get to fly and Rod will teach you in the air. You will then have the chance to do a checkride, which is showing off the skills you have learnt. After you've learnt the basics, it is practice which will improve your flying on there. Don't try and be too impatient - if you cannot do something, then keep trying. It took me about 3 months to finally land on the runway properly.

There are also hundreds of websites with tutorials covering a range of issues. But try the tutorials in the game first. Once you are extremely happy with everything you have learnt, then you can improve on your knowledge by learning about reading charts and phraseology for air traffic control (there's a great thread about ATC phraseology in this section).

Best of luck!

Josh1540 · 23-12-2008, 12:42 PM

Wow, fantastic shots Matt! The PMDG 747 is a great model!

Josh1540 · 23-12-2008, 12:45 PM

Great shot Myke. Is that 744 payware? Looks bloody nice!

Josh1540 · 23-12-2008, 12:58 PM

Originally Posted by *****

Someone can't take a joke.

Haha, :eusa_wall
Nothing like a good old ILS approach.

Some great shots there too! Glad you had a great flight, despite the ATC troubles. I know what you mean with the ATC. One time, I was flying with the FS built in ATC and was on a final approach to Glasgow. I had lost one of the two engines and was "declaring an emergency" (even though that isn't possible with FS2004).

Suddenly, Glasgow tower cleared some Bombardier to take off from the runway I was landing at, meaning I had to then go around. However, I ignored ATC and landed anyway just as the Bombardier was rotating.