Is being a pilot just like flying in FSX??? no rude comments!?

Question

ok i know its only a flight simulator, but im really starting to like it and i was thinking if it was like flying the real thing. when i play fsx i usually play like if it was the real deal(correct freq etc...) except i still need to learn acouple things..so is it like flying the real deal??

Answer 1

i hopped in a plane at 12 flew it perfectly so it helps but its not exactly the same fun to play. it teaches you alot

Answer 2

There are a couple of general principles that apply both to FSX and simulators in general.  First, no simulator is an exact reproduction of real life—because if it were, it would be real life, and not a simulation. So something is always sacrificed.  Second, all simulators accurately reproduce some aspect of the real world.  The parts that simulators reproduce accurately vary by simulator, and as long as the simulated parts match the requirements of the person using the simulator, the simulator does its job.

FSX, and desktop simulators in general, have no motion, and a limited visual display, so they are poor simulations of visual flight, aerobatics, and other aspects of flying that require the ability to feel aircraft movements or require a wide field of view outside the windows.  However, desktop simulators, including FSX, provide very respectable simulations of instrument flight, and with appropriate add-ons, simulators such as FSX and FS9 (the previous version) can provide extremely accurate simulations of instrument behavior, good enough to be directly useful for training for real flight.  The base version of FSX involves many game-like compromises and is only so-so for instrument flight, but with add-on aircraft and other enhancements it can be extremely accurate.

A distinction should also be made between certified and uncertified simulations.  A certified simulation is one that has been accepted as valid by some organization (usually the FAA) for some specific, narrow purpose, such as instrument training with an instructor, or other purposes.  A simulation can be extremely accurate and yet be uncertified, or conversely it can be certified for some extremely narrow purpose under specified conditions and yet be very poor in other respects.  Microsoft Flight SImulator isn't officially certified for anything, so you cannot log the time you spend with it for purposes of real aviation, but it is nevertheless very accurate for certain purposes, such as the aforementioned instrument practice (with the correct add-ons, a proper set of controls, etc.).  Even though you cannot log it, it's still useful practice as long as you understand the limitations.

Answer 3

my brother uses flight simulator and he learns a lot.  of course its like flying only in a computer.  but you wont get a adrenalin rush out of it

Answer 4

No. Never. It will be easy for you to fly in a flight simulator. But in the real world there are lots of thing you need to learn to fly a real plane. You can crash in a simulator for fun but not in a real plane...

Answer 5

No, it is a low cost simulator only. The controls don't respond the same, winds don't act the same, and a lot more. Its not a bad tool for student pilots to practice cross country/approaches, etc. But flying a real aircraft is quite a bit different and especially when you realize that when you're flying, you are the only one that can actually put yourself safely back on the ground.

If you can afford it, go to a local airport that has a flight school and buy a demo ride. You'll see its a little different.

Answer 6

Flight sim is a lot different from the real thing... if you want to know exactly how much you could always try a Trial Instructional Flight... for me it cost $80 for 40 mins and it was great.. but heaps different from flight sim. In the TIF you get to try a bit of hands on so if you do take it you will realise.

-Clear Skies & a Tailwind-

Answer 7

Not Really. The only thing that pilots like to use FSX for is instrument approaches.

Answer 8

The controls and flight characteristics ARE very realistic...  plus - a lot depends on your realism settings too!!

but like #1, it is just a computer...

Answer 9

Yes, but more on the no side. Flying in FSX (or any other simulator for that matter, except maybe commercial sims) sure has at least some level of realism and can certainly help you in learning the basics(!) of how to fly an aircraft, but it definitely does NOT exactly re-create the conditions, etc. of a real flight. Your visual perspective, etc. is different but more importantly, your controls in FSX will not be an exact replica of a real-life Boeing 747, for example.

Like you, I also use a computer flight sim (FS9) to learn how to fly ILS, etc. (and I'm not the worst pilot either), but I always keep in mind that flying for the real deal is completely different to what I'm doing on my computer.

However, like I said before using FSX CAN be very useful to get a feel of how it is like in the real world; I'm saying this because FSX can still reasonably duplicate real-world weather conditions, etc. and can certainly give you a head start in your pilot career if you go for it. I mean hey, someone who uses a computer flight sim at home has at least a little bit more knowledge in flying than the guy who doesn't~!

Answer 10

No, absolutely not.  It's great for instrument procedures (approaches, VOR and NDB tracking/orientation, etc.), but as far as the flight characteristics, it's not even close.  For example, FSX doesn't model ground effect.  Ground effect is a reduction in induced drag caused by the presence of the ground when you get within a wingspan of the ground.  It feels sort of like you hit a cushion of air.  It's VERY important to get a feel for what ground effect does to your airplane in real life.  Yaw behavior is also modeled very poorly in FSX.  I'd been playing flight simulators for about 10 years before I flew for the first time, and there was definitely a huge learning curve until I got my private pilot's license.  It helps for the instrument skills, but there is no substitute for the real thing.