Dwight B. Van Zanen
Pre-takeoff checklist
- Joined
- Dec 3, 2006
- Messages
- 417
- Display Name
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DBVZ
Do any of you use a home flight simulator for IFR training?
My IFR flight instructor suggested getting flight simulator software to develop the instument scan. I did, and was surprised how realistic the whole thing is. I tried to use it with the mouse, but that was just not sensitive enough and not very effective for training. I felt silly buying a game joystick, but that works quite well. I specify an IFR flight from and to any airports I want to use, set up the NAV radio's, ask for an IFR clearance, and take off. It gives me altitudes and vectors etc for an ILS or NDB or GPS approach. The only real problem is that it has 2 cockpits. One with all the instuments available but you can't look around, and one that is a "virtual cockpit" that does not have all instuments but lets you look around. (you need a joystick with a "hat" to look around, and one that has 3 axis controls, including rudder, helps) You need the regular cockpit for the IFR portion, but the transition to VFR for the landing segment requires a transition to the virtual cockpit. Kind of like the real transition to visual flight, except you can pause the program to change cockpits - can't pause to adjust for real on short final. As for how it helps with training, the IFR portion is getting easier with practice in making very precise corrections early.
Has anyone else tried this? Any other instuctors recommending it?
My IFR flight instructor suggested getting flight simulator software to develop the instument scan. I did, and was surprised how realistic the whole thing is. I tried to use it with the mouse, but that was just not sensitive enough and not very effective for training. I felt silly buying a game joystick, but that works quite well. I specify an IFR flight from and to any airports I want to use, set up the NAV radio's, ask for an IFR clearance, and take off. It gives me altitudes and vectors etc for an ILS or NDB or GPS approach. The only real problem is that it has 2 cockpits. One with all the instuments available but you can't look around, and one that is a "virtual cockpit" that does not have all instuments but lets you look around. (you need a joystick with a "hat" to look around, and one that has 3 axis controls, including rudder, helps) You need the regular cockpit for the IFR portion, but the transition to VFR for the landing segment requires a transition to the virtual cockpit. Kind of like the real transition to visual flight, except you can pause the program to change cockpits - can't pause to adjust for real on short final. As for how it helps with training, the IFR portion is getting easier with practice in making very precise corrections early.
Has anyone else tried this? Any other instuctors recommending it?