Is bunk flying with video games effective for student pilots?

Question

there's a mock up and a laptop with MS-Flight Simulator installed... where will it be more effective to study procedures?

Answer 1

Yes and no.

I started flying flight sims in the 80s and I learned basic aircraft control and the types of instruments and how to read them.  But I learned a lot of bad habits (like fixating on the instruments instead of looking outside, using afterburners for stall recovery, etc).

Flight sims really helped me with my instrument rating since I would routinely shoot ILS approaches to minimums in a Lear Jet or 737; the only problem I had way slowing my mind down to Beechcraft Baron speeds.

Answer 2

I use it to maintain instrument proficiency. It's not logable, but I try to fly a route on the sim first so I'm familiar with the approaches and departures for where I'm going. I also use vatsim so I can get live ATC and they keep me in check on procedures.

Answer 3

I'd probably go with the mock up. It'll get you more used to the cockpit and flight environment than playing with a laptop will.

Not to say that the laptop and MS-Flightsim isn't useful for picking up some key concepts for less expense than using a full mock up.

When I was learning, I had (I don't even remember who made it,) F117 on the old 486 in college. It illustrated to me, for just the cost of my monthly power bill, the concept of pitching to the attitude I needed to maintain my airspeed and using my power settings to maintain my glideslope.

Three days of playing with it, and I started being able to routinely grease my landings. (A wet runway always helped, but I couldn't count on that all the time.)

The most effective training is taking it in the wallet and going flying. The cheapest way of learning a concept you have trouble grasping is playing with a flight sim. The best realistic training you can get on the ground comes in a mock up.

Mock ups have been around for a very long time, an aviation museum near me has a WWII vintage instrument training mock up. So the story goes, one fledgling pilot got so into his training, he broke his ankle bailing out of the thing.

I'd say go with what you know you need to work on and determine what's best for you. F117 saved me a fortune to learn a concept, full motion mock ups have taught me a great deal without actually having to spend the money for flying. And actually flying has been the best experience I ever seem to get. (The learning curve gets steeper when you realize that you can easily kill yourself if you're not careful enough.)

Fly the Friendly Skies!

JT

Answer 4

Well..it really depends on which simulator you are using. I have used many of them, from 1998 to the latest, X. I found that most of them were realistic in the controls and reactions aspect, but not in graphics. Flight Sim X is obviously the best. The graphics for ground scenery is outrageous. Using flight yokes, rudder pedals, throttle quadrants, etc will obviously make it alot more realistic. So, to answer your question, yes, using the simulation is very effective. Flight Simulation was developed by Ed Link in the late 1920s, when mail pilots were losing their lives because they were flying by the seat of their pants, with no formal training. Ed's invention drastically reduced the number of fatalities of pilots, not just in the postal field.

Nice touch there on the vatsim, wesley, I didnt even think about that, and on the use of the sim for familiarizing yourself with the approach and departure of the airport you are going to. That is one very nice thing about the sim, all the airports are very detailed, and the live ATC makes it SAWEEEET for student pilot training, and ATC training.