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How much can I realistically expect to learn in a PC based flight sim with really good peripherals?


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Life finally has me in a place where I'm about to seriously start pursuing my PPL and eventually getting my own plane.

Within the next 7-8 years, I think I'm looking at attainable goals being a PPL with my IFR, and a M20J with my name on it.

I think I'm able to shortcut a lot of this.

Knowing all of the engine and mechanical stuff is easy. I spent several years doing race engine development. I got bit by the flight bug when I got a ride in a M20TN, and pointed at the TIT indicator and asked the pilot if he pulled on the mixture knob until the TIT gauge read ~1600 degrees once everything was settled in and the engine wasn't under a lot of load. That's without ever having been in a GA aircraft before. 

I was also a Navy Electronics Technician, so I already understand all of the radio fundamental stuff. I had to maintain glide-scope indicators and other ATC systems. I could talk a bit about how stuff like VOR sidebands work and why rain matters with some of these radar systems. I also had to maintain all of the comms gear for an entire carrier strike group, so the basics of just talking on busy radio circuits is second nature to me.

I also went out and got a bunch of stuff from Sporty's. Real metal E6B flight computer. Real FAA VFR/IFR charts. Plotting tools. Terminal procedures publications and knee-boards, grease pencils, etc.

A lot of the pain in the ass of an instrument rating seems to be endless hours practicing doing plots, fucking with radios, figuring out radials, crosswinds, dew points, studying endless FAA rules, etc.

I have a copy of X-plane 11, with a really nice PC running everything. Maxed out graphics on a gigantic monitor that fills up most of my FOV, and still pushes ~30 FPS (which still sounds like it's above FAA required minimum frame rates). I have full analog controls for everything like rudders, toe brakes, yoke, throttles, mixtures, prop pitch, etc.

I also went out and picked up a copy of this:

https://www.carenado.com/sitecarenado/product/m20j-201-xplane/

From what I've seen on the internet through pictures of real cockpits, this all seems like a realisticish simulation of the real deal, as far as fundamental IFR stuff works.

I'm already at the point where I can use an ADF beacon and the cockpit card to plot distance to VOR beacons or other POI's shot off a VOR radial. I learned a lot of fundamentals of things like the difference between heading and course while I was still in the Navy. I understand the basics of drift.

Have I totally maxed out my knowledge towards a real IFR rating by only using this video game and some fancy controllers? Or is it worth investing more time and effort into x-plane to get a decent mastery of plotting? Am I wasting my time here? Or if I get really good at doing plots on paper charts, is that actual useful knowledge I'm carrying over towards an IFR?

I fully understand that when it comes to the actual dynamics of handling an airplane, a simulator like this is mostly useless, and I need a LOT of seat time. It also sounds like I might be totally uninsurable at any sort of reasonable rate on my own M20J until Hit 500 hours.

My question to y'all is this:

I understand I still have a mountain of knowledge to learn, but is x-plane worth spending more time in? Or do I need to be burning AVGAS and instructor time to really learn this stuff?

Thanks in advance everyone. This seems like a really great community.

Edited by AnotherWeirdNerd
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Don't know about Xplane, but I used MSFS as a student pilot before my cross-country flights, to check the area around each stop to make sure I could find / identify the airport. It can also be handy for practicing known maneuvers.

For you, I'd say it's too early to worry about IFR plotting. I've taken lots of grief here for having paper charts, but even with a sectional in my plane, all I ever used was a yardstick, pencil and highlighter. Most folks nowadays just use a tablet, and even I am mostly converted, but it's still nice to be able to look at a real sectional and not have to zoom in to read the writing then zoom out to move, only to zoom back in again . . . .

But your motivation is certainly admirable! Go through your lessons like that and you'll be finished with your PPL in short order. Remember, there are some nice Pre-J Mooneys out there too, at mkre favorable prices! No, you can't buy my C just yet . . . .

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Xplane 11 is great. Flying needle skills watching airspeed and altitude are the same as in the aircraft. Developing a scan is what’s important. The keystrokes on the FMS/GPS in real life will be easier. Some of the ad on panels and aircraft don work as well as the stock aircraft. I think I just need some technical help to make FMS match the real thing. Ie the 737 FMS and the citation FMS are the same in the sim. But flying and needle watching are identical. Dial the turbulence up off the stop, throw some wind, fly at night. You almost don’t notice It’s a sim. 
-Matt

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Hmm, my concern would be learning bad habits before taking any lessons from a CFI.  Law of primacy may make unlearning those bad habits a challenge (wasted time and money).  I got my PPL way before simulators were a thing...but, I did find FlightSim pretty useful for practicing when getting my instrument rating...after I'd had some instruction from a CFII.

Good luck!

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X Plane can be an excellent tool for practicing procedures, learning to stay ahead of the airplane.  But, I agree with MikeOH.  Bad habits can be hard to undo.  And the X Plane panel might not be anywhere near to what you’ll end up flying.  

Go get your PPL written done first and get some lessons under your belt with a CFII.  Tell him what your aspirations are and follow his lead.  You might be further ahead in the game if you don’t take too big a leap in the beginning.

tom

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Here is an analogy that I think may help you understand the difference between operating a simulator on a PC and actual flying.

You may discuss it with your buddies, read books and watch movies about sex but until you have actually done it, you won’t really understand what it is all about.

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Get 15h lessons with your CFI, to learn “feel flying”: lot of chair flying and then you can solo flying the aircraft with sound and outside visual clues only while all instruments covered (not sure they do this these days)

Then go back to the sim and learn “process flying”: navigation, instrument flying, radio, checks, procedures, emergencies...

Don’t mix the two, “feel flying” and “process flying”, the simulator will be bad for the former but very valuable for the latter, for instance in emergencies there is no way you can throw them at yourself in “chair flying” (you are always on top of the aircraft) but the simulator does it and will sharpen your “emergencies process” but keep “emergencies feel” for later :lol:

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1 hour ago, Ibra said:

Get 15h lessons with your CFI, to learn “feel flying”: lot of chair flying and then you can solo flying the aircraft with sound and outside visual clues only while all instruments covered (not sure they do this these days)

Dunno about the "these days" Part. Covering the instruments for VFR maneuvers has, AFAIK, always been a training technique some instructors use and others don't. I'd bet that in a room of 100 instructors less that 5 would say they use it or even heard of it. 

I'm one of those who do. I do it on checkouts and I like to include a no instruments landing on flight reviews. I usually ask the pilot of they've ever done one. So far, I haven't gotten a yes answer to that question,

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7 to 8 years for you PPL and plane ownership?  That is a long range goal and is good.  I got my PPL in 1987 and it was 23 years before I owned a plane but I stopped flying for 15 years in between. 

As other suggested above flight simulators are good for certain parts of your training.  I find it is easier to fly a real plane than a simulator.

To get you license do this:

  1. Set a goal to get your license in 5 to 6 months
  2. Make sure you have $7,000 to $8,000 sitting on the side extra cash not needed for anything else.  This is above any emergency cash you need for a covid type situation.  This eliminates the excuse I do not have the money to go flying this week.
  3. Once you start lessons try to fly once or twice a week.
  4. Treat flying lessons like you are going to your kid's soccer game, dance recital whatever.
  5. You miss a flight lesson ONLY for what you would miss an event for your kid or bad weather.
  6. Select a flight school or independent instructor.  I prefer independent instructors over flight schools.  An independent is looking to get you your license a school is looking to get hours JMHO and from personal experience.
  7. Pick a time of year in your area that has pretty good weather.  You don't want to start in the winter in a place that has lots of bad fronts coming through every week
  8. Read the flight training manuals.

Follow this with discipline and dedication you will have your license in less than 6 months.

As for phase 2 getting a plane:

  1. Once you have your PPL coordinate, rent borrow and fly different types of airplanes.
  2. Define your mission of what you want to do with your pilot license
  3. long cross country overnight travel
  4. short day trips
  5. buzzing around the pattern
  6. flying over the city with friends
  7. Find the plane that best suits you primary mission for speed, range, useful load, number of seats, visibility etc.

This will allow you to make a good decision on the type of plane you need the most.

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3 hours ago, midlifeflyer said:

I'd bet that in a room of 100 instructors less that 5 would say they use it or even heard of it.

About the same estimate I have in mind, 5/100 will push you to look completely outside for attitude and trust newton law on power & pitch 
The other 95/100, you will need to bring laminated V-speed card to fly the C172

No critics on precise flying using lot of numbers/instruments, if you can do that well done but too much of it in early flying lessons kills the feel flying element, the latter is what matters for safety, especially when when human performance is low or when the numbers are going all over the place 

For simple aircraft, if you take a simulator addict on the PPL course, they will be 100% chasing AI & ASI & ALT during the turns using the 4 controls, it will take 10h to unlearn that :lol:  

For complex aircraft, I think flying precise numbers make more sense but should not be at the cost of looking outside to cross check: I had one guy on LHS who was always one inch from tail strike on every landing he did in his aircraft (for some reason he also likes to glance at speed tape, synth-vision and AoA while on flare?), I don't know what is wrong with "his numbers" but quick glance down left to ground and aircraft nose showed me he always landed with steep nose attitude, at first I was thinking that is how he lands his aircraft (not very familiar with his type) but I felt uncomfortable being RHS with that view and zero chance to save it, but all went ok when everything got covered and eyes sent outside, he admitted later that he had two skid scratches and one hit on the rudder in the past two years...

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16 hours ago, AnotherWeirdNerd said:



My question to y'all is this:

I understand I still have a mountain of knowledge to learn, but is x-plane worth spending more time in? Or do I need to be burning AVGAS and instructor time to really learn this stuff?

 


Welcome aboard AWN...

You can get...

1) lots of practice...

2) lots of knowledge...

3) lots of learning...

4) lots of money saved...

 

5) Find the search button... look up MSFS.... around here... this will give some insight of how actual Mooney pilots use some low cost simulators... MSFS2020 is just about to be released....

6) Search some more... you will find some actual simulators that aren’t very low cost at all...
 

In the end... the more you know about flying in the simulated world the faster you can progress through flying in the real world...

Simulation training is great when you have a plethora of time, or are short on cash.... or both...

There is no substitute for the real thing....

 

How you will know...

  • do all the requirements using a simulator...
  • you will know the requirements better... 
  • you will know procedures better...
  • you will know failures better...
  • you will know radio calls better...
  • you will have better questions to ask...
  • you will be a better student...
  • Expect that you can learn some bad habits equally well...
  • Expect that you can’t learn the feel of the brakes from a keyboard...

Doing all this is technically extra work...

You may save plenty by not having to repeat lessons that often occurs when spacing lessons out over time for budgetary reasons...

Use the simulator to support your actual/real flying lessons...

 

Find a good flight instructor that you really get along with... Your preparation using a sim may be really obvious... This could be a good thing...

PP thoughts only, not a CFI...
 

Best regards,

-a-

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16 hours ago, AnotherWeirdNerd said:I understand I still have a mountain of knowledge to learn, but is x-plane worth spending more time in? Or do I need to be burning AVGAS and instructor time to really learn this stuff?

I do most of my glider & engine mountain and valley flying first on google map 3D views (no need for FSX), that would cover 90% of the local knowledge you will get from a local instructor at least on navigation/process (this road route takes you to dead end?, that city and that feature you will turn? here you need to be at 12kft? Here and there few land out options) 

The mountain flying element may need someone on RHS, there are about 5 principals to keep in mind, I am sure you can read them in any book yourself, they are not that obvious or relevant when you keep lot of margins but they become very important if you push more on the risk profile, having someone with calm nerves in the RHS will save you a deadly mistake while you expend your experience, even experienced pilots do make those mistakes by it’s a conscious choices, for unexperienced pilot it is ignorance or fear of what is safe or not, flying bellow sector altitude due to weather near terrain is one example...

I have to admit some stuff did get scary without RHS irrespective of how much I learned and prepared myself, night VFR and cloud flying without instrument training, after 10min I did wish someone was around

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5 hours ago, Ibra said:

About the same estimate I have in mind, 5/100 will push you to look completely outside for attitude and trust newton law on power & pitch 
The other 95/100, you will need to bring laminated V-speed card to fly the C172

The interesting part is that landing with no instruments typically results in nailing the proper airspeed. Basic  pitch and power. 

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23 hours ago, AnotherWeirdNerd said:

https://www.carenado.com/sitecarenado/product/m20j-201-xplane/

 

I'm already at the point where I can use an ADF beacon and the cockpit card to plot distance to VOR beacons or other POI's shot off a VOR radial. I learned a lot of fundamentals of things like the difference between heading and course while I was still in the Navy. I understand the basics of drift.

Nobody flies like that any more! :lol::lol::lol:

We all use GPS, IPad, magenta line and stuff.

Don't get me wrong, it's good to be in the mindset. Reading, talking about it, thinking about it really gets the gears going. I think you can shortcut some of your knowledge based training by being well read and in the loop before you even start. You'll be able to grasp the teaching and convert to long term memory on the first try rather than the instructor having to repeat.

But that's about where it all ends I think. The real "feel" of flying an airplane is nothing like a home desktop simulator. Actually when I started flying real planes, I was surprised how much easier it feels than simulator or RC. Being there in person with real feel is just different. However, the fact that flying RC or simulator is trickier doesn't necessarily mean it teaches you to fly a real airplane.

However, when you're talking about 500 hours, IFR, owning a Mooney, it's hardly about learning to manipulate controls or plot IFR courses. It's like 90% mental. A combination of knowledge, experience, and judgement to make the right decisions in every phase of making a flight and scrapping one. Very little of this will come from a simulator (at least one without an instructor and a real training program behind it). It sounds like you already maxed out or nearly maxed out what you're going to learn without getting into the real deal. Good luck.

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I had many many hours of sim time before embarking on ppl. I ran xplane ? V5 on an old Mac laptop that had so little processing power every flight became an IFR / IMC endeavor (that’s how xplane deals with bottlenecks- it lowers the visibility). 

My thoughts: 

1) it’s a useful IFR trainer. It’s ok to use it as such before PPL.  
2) you will get proficient with being in the system / making radio calls etc if you use pilot edge or vatsim (disclosure Keith Smith runs pilot edge and is a friend). 
3) it will not teach you how to land or how to do airwork in a meaningful way. It will get you about 70% there but you need some way of getting feedback to avoid reinforcing bad habits.  Flying in a shared cockpit with someone experienced could be useful here.  
4) I’d really caution the “seat of your pants” training mantra that Ibra referred to above.  The law of primacy is incredibly powerful.  A student who learns to fly by referencing outside and cross checking inside is much less likely to rely on seat of the pants flying in situations where it’s frankly dangerous or deadly (moonless nights and inadvertent IMC). From the perspective of learning to reference instruments and making that your “law of primacy”, desktop simulation can be a useful countermeasure to seat of the pants where it doesn’t belong. 

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Your opening comment is confusing to me, life has you in a place that you are ready to start your PPL trainIng and the persuit of a Mooney. Yet your time line 7 to 8 years is quite a long bit.  Tomorrow is promised to no one so get out to the nearest airport that offers flight training and start living the dream for real.

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11 hours ago, 1964-M20E said:

To get you license do this:

  1. Set a goal to get your license in 5 to 6 months
  2. Make sure you have $7,000 to $8,000 sitting on the side extra cash not needed for anything else.  This is above any emergency cash you need for a covid type situation.  This eliminates the excuse I do not have the money to go flying this week.
  3. Once you start lessons try to fly once or twice a week.
  4. Treat flying lessons like you are going to your kid's soccer game, dance recital whatever.
  5. You miss a flight lesson ONLY for what you would miss an event for your kid or bad weather.
  6. Select a flight school or independent instructor.  I prefer independent instructors over flight schools.  An independent is looking to get you your license a school is looking to get hours JMHO and from personal experience.
  7. Pick a time of year in your area that has pretty good weather.  You don't want to start in the winter in a place that has lots of bad fronts coming through every week
  8. Read the flight training manuals.

Follow this with discipline and dedication you will have your license in less than 6 months.

And that is very important if you're trying to get a job with the airlines. Every day that goes by puts you further down the seniority list and depending on your age, is diminishing your career earning totals.

But if you're not working towards a flying career, then sorry, but I'll disagree with some of this. I do agree with #6 above. But I was given this advice for years and never was able to get all this dedication and money together at one time. Life and other expenses always got in the way. Then I got some very different advice, and 11 months later I took a checkride and got my license. So here is what worked for me.

  1. Don't be in a hurry to get the "license". Flying lessons are often more fun than the first year after getting your license. Unlike a car drivers license, you'll find none of your friends running to the head of the line to fly with you the day you pass your checkride. Most of them will be like, "bro, you've been a pilot for like 20 minutes, check back with me in a year or two and if you're still alive, maybe I'll get in that little death trap with you." Even after you pass the checkride, the one guy willing to fly with you is probably still your CFI. So don't be in a hurry, enjoy the lessons.
  2. Finances... you need enough money in your pocket to pay for one lesson. No more than that. I found the more lessons I took, the more I started cutting out other things in my life like drinking with the guys, golf, etc. Just so I could fly more often. But never mind the whole amount, you only need enough to pay for the next lesson. This typically allowed me to fly once a pay period.
  3. Get the right CFI. For #1 to be fun, you have to have the right CFI. Don't walk into a flight school, put down a five figure deposit and enroll in school like its the first day of 5th grade. Rather treat the search for a CFI like the search to hire the right employee. You'll want someone you get along with, that you agree with, that you like hanging out with, and who knows with regards to everything outside the cockpit, you are the boss.
    1. I interviewed five CFI's, then I flew with two of them, and settled on one. We became good friends and flying together was always a wonderful experience and something I looked forward to.
    2. You'll want a CFI who lets YOU fly the airplane. The other CFI I flew with, (the one I didn't hire) seemed to want to show off his flying skills. The guy I did hire, would only take the controls to demonstrate something, and never just because I was starting to do something wrong. You want a CFI secure enough in his abilities to let you do all the flying.
    3. I also wanted a CFI who would let me set the schedule. Obviously the CFI or the plane might not be available, but I'm the boss, I set the schedule based on his availability.
    4. I wanted a CFI who would allow me to handle ground school, studying, homework, etc. If I need help, I'll ask. But I'm an adult, I can probably figure out how to pass a 60 question multiple choice test.
  4. After choosing the CFI, fly 2 or 3 lessons.
  5. Go get a Medical so you can solo when the time comes.
  6. Keep taking lessons until you solo. Congrats! You are now a pilot. The rest is ratings and paperwork.
  7. Start studying for the written exam and get it out of the way.
  8. Continue to fly as often as you can...
    1. If you have the money in your pocket for a lesson
    2. If you have the time and desire to take another lesson
    3. The CFI is available
    4. The plane is available
    5. The weather is acceptable
  9. You'll finish when you finish. Have fun enjoy the process.
  10. After all, you're an adult. You should be able to waste your time and your money however you like. (A CFI who thinks you're wasting his time, is the wrong CFI. He's getting paid by the hour after all.)

After I received this advice, I started the search for a CFI the next day and passed my checkride 11 months later. I've still never owned a J, but I do have in Instrument rating and an M20K, my second Mooney.

PS... I hate simulators and wouldn't waste my time with one. 

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4 minutes ago, bonal said:

Your opening comment is confusing to me, life has you in a place that you are ready to start your PPL trainIng and the persuit of a Mooney. Yet your time line 7 to 8 years is quite a long bit.  Tomorrow is promised to no one so get out to the nearest airport that offers flight training and start living the dream for real.

After all, the clock is ticking on that Medical... none of us will hold one forever :(

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The time frame is too long. You should be able to get PPL and IFR in a year or less. It is much more efficient to train a few times a week and just get it done. Folks who train one flight every two weeks because they are busy may never reach the goal.

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57 minutes ago, gsxrpilot said:

And that is very important if you're trying to get a job with the airlines. Every day that goes by puts you further down the seniority list and depending on your age, is diminishing your career earning totals.

But if you're not working towards a flying career, then sorry, but I'll disagree with some of this. I do agree with #6 above. But I was given this advice for years and never was able to get all this dedication and money together at one time. Life and other expenses always got in the way. Then I got some very different advice, and 11 months later I took a checkride and got my license. So here is what worked for me.

  1. Don't be in a hurry to get the "license". Flying lessons are often more fun than the first year after getting your license. Unlike a car drivers license, you'll find none of your friends running to the head of the line to fly with you the day you pass your checkride. Most of them will be like, "bro, you've been a pilot for like 20 minutes, check back with me in a year or two and if you're still alive, maybe I'll get in that little death trap with you." Even after you pass the checkride, the one guy willing to fly with you is probably still your CFI. So don't be in a hurry, enjoy the lessons.
  2. Finances... you need enough money in your pocket to pay for one lesson. No more than that. I found the more lessons I took, the more I started cutting out other things in my life like drinking with the guys, golf, etc. Just so I could fly more often. But never mind the whole amount, you only need enough to pay for the next lesson. This typically allowed me to fly once a pay period.
  3. Get the right CFI. For #1 to be fun, you have to have the right CFI. Don't walk into a flight school, put down a five figure deposit and enroll in school like its the first day of 5th grade. Rather treat the search for a CFI like the search to hire the right employee. You'll want someone you get along with, that you agree with, that you like hanging out with, and who knows with regards to everything outside the cockpit, you are the boss.
    1. I interviewed five CFI's, then I flew with two of them, and settled on one. We became good friends and flying together was always a wonderful experience and something I looked forward to.
    2. You'll want a CFI who lets YOU fly the airplane. The other CFI I flew with, (the one I didn't hire) seemed to want to show off his flying skills. The guy I did hire, would only take the controls to demonstrate something, and never just because I was starting to do something wrong. You want a CFI secure enough in his abilities to let you do all the flying.
    3. I also wanted a CFI who would let me set the schedule. Obviously the CFI or the plane might not be available, but I'm the boss, I set the schedule based on his availability.
    4. I wanted a CFI who would allow me to handle ground school, studying, homework, etc. If I need help, I'll ask. But I'm an adult, I can probably figure out how to pass a 60 question multiple choice test.
  4. After choosing the CFI, fly 2 or 3 lessons.
  5. Go get a Medical so you can solo when the time comes.
  6. Keep taking lessons until you solo. Congrats! You are now a pilot. The rest is ratings and paperwork.
  7. Start studying for the written exam and get it out of the way.
  8. Continue to fly as often as you can...
    1. If you have the money in your pocket for a lesson
    2. If you have the time and desire to take another lesson
    3. The CFI is available
    4. The plane is available
    5. The weather is acceptable
  9. You'll finish when you finish. Have fun enjoy the process.
  10. After all, you're an adult. You should be able to waste your time and your money however you like. (A CFI who thinks you're wasting his time, is the wrong CFI. He's getting paid by the hour after all.)

After I received this advice, I started the search for a CFI the next day and passed my checkride 11 months later. I've still never owned a J, but I do have in Instrument rating and an M20K, my second Mooney.

PS... I hate simulators and wouldn't waste my time with one. 

This is great advice. One thing I’d add is beware of young time builder CFIs! They can disappear at the drop of a hat when they get enough hours and find a job. Might be different for the time being but by the time you are completing your training, it may be inconvenient to have to change to a new CFI solely for the reason that yours bailed!

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I've used FAA approved flight simulators for the past 20 years as part of our Accelerated IFR curriculum. My experience is it really only might save a few hours of the 15 hours of required CFII instruction.

The main reason it fails is that a lot of flying IFR flying is muscle memory in terms of knowing where the buttons are and understanding the avionics. The PC simulators are really good for understanding procedures and pausing the scenario for the instructor to interact. In terms of actual IFR application in your aircraft with your equipment, it doesn't really seem to help much.

Accelerated-ifr.com 

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On 7/25/2020 at 9:54 PM, 201er said:

This is great advice. One thing I’d add is beware of young time builder CFIs! They can disappear at the drop of a hat when they get enough hours and find a job. Might be different for the time being but by the time you are completing your training, it may be inconvenient to have to change to a new CFI solely for the reason that yours bailed!

I had mine bail.  He washed out entirely.  Best part was I got a great few instructors out of his departure.  

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3 hours ago, Phil K said:

I've used FAA approved flight simulators for the past 20 years as part of our Accelerated IFR curriculum. My experience is it really only might save a few hours of the 15 hours of required CFII instruction.

The main reason it fails is that a lot of flying IFR flying is muscle memory in terms of knowing where the buttons are and understanding the avionics. The PC simulators are really good for understanding procedures and pausing the scenario for the instructor to interact. In terms of actual IFR application in your aircraft with your equipment, it doesn't really seem to help much.

Accelerated-ifr.com 

And being able to hold the plane upright while bouncing around, looking at your chart and dialing the radios. Sitting in a comfy chair just doesn’t do it. 
 

-Robert 

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On 7/24/2020 at 7:11 PM, AnotherWeirdNerd said:

 

As far as working toward the PPL, I didn't find a sim to be terribly useful.  Most of the training you need to do for the Private is developing stick and rudder skills, getting a real feel for controlling an airplane with seat of the pants feeling and visual references. 

I use X-Plane 11 (used to use 10) and a moderately decent sim cockpit with a yoke, rudder pedals, throttle quadrant, radio and switch panels.  I also have the Carenado 201J and it isn't very accurate in terms of handling characteristics compared to my 1978 201.  It's not completely wrong, but I wouldn't use it to train other than for IFR simulation. 

That brings me to instrument training, which is where the PC simulator really shines.  I did a ton of work practicing approaches and instrument procedures in my home simulator.  Doing that saved me a ton of time in real airplanes, and allowed me to go to my weekend lessons well prepared for training under the hood and in actual IMC.  Flying an hour or three in the evenings on the simulator helped me to retain the lessons I learned in the real cockpit.  Often I would duplicate the previous lesson's work in the simulator, which really helped me fix things I or my instructor thought didn't go so well in the real airplane.

I definitely recommend using the simulator for IFR training.  Also, look into Pilot Edge, a very good service that puts you in a simulated ATC environment with actual controllers and other pilots.  It costs about $20 a month for the basic service, but it's well worth it.

Sometimes I use the simulator when I'm about to head to an unfamiliar destination to get an idea of how the instrument procedures work, and also it gives me a good look at how the physical environment around the airport looks (which can be really helpful for unfamiliar areas).

Edited by 1001001
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