Simulator Version to practice IFR

I started IFR ground school last night, and I'm thinking of using a flight
simulator for practice. I'm wondering if this is a good idea or not.

I've heard Micro$oft is (only) good for IFR practice. If used without
instruction, is it likely to cause harm, no nothing, or help?

I probably have a version from 1998. Is that usable? I don't think I have
enough hardware to run FSX, or should I locate the previous version?

On Mar 6, 10:40 pm, "Steve Foley" <steve.fo...@att.DELETE.net> wrote:
> I started IFR ground school last night, and I'm thinking of using a flight
> simulator for practice. I'm wondering if this is a good idea or not.
>
> I've heard Micro$oft is (only) good for IFR practice. If used without
> instruction, is it likely to cause harm, no nothing, or help?
>
> I probably have a version from 1998. Is that usable? I don't think I have
> enough hardware to run FSX, or should I locate the previous version?

I have MSFS and "logged" more than 200 hours flying the Archer II from
Flight1 (my Dad's first plane) and then switched to the C172 once I
found out I would get to take lessons for real. It made me very ready
to put my hands on a real plane because I knew what a plane is
supposed to do and how to read the panel. Used correctly, it was a
great "pre real life" introduction. With 19.8 hours in my actual
logbook I tried to go back and "play" FS and HATED it. You can't see
anything, the ground looks all wrong, the controls tell you nothing
about what the plane is doing. I told my CFI this and he kind of
laughed. He did say though that when I start my IFR training it will
be very helpful because you can't see anything. My CFI has about 7000
hours and teaches everything up to and including multi, instrument and
commercial. If he thinks FS is a good aid for IFR training I am going
to believe him.

As for the version you should run, I would try to find FS2004. FSX is
pretty, but you don't care about that, and takes serious hardware. My
understanding is that FSX has basically the same flight engine as
FS2004 with a lot of eye candy added in.

Congrats on starting IFR. I'm going all the way to at least single
engine commercial so I'm ready to get the PPL done.

I'm a low time pilot presently taking IFR training and have been using
MS Flight Sim since version 4 on a DOS machine. I have had three
different instructors tell me that using a Flight Sim can have a
benefit when working towards an IFR rating. I grab the approach
plates and set the sim to IFR conditions allowing me to break out of
the clouds at just above the minimums for approach. I usually fly a
hold and try to change my approaches so I get a variety of ILS, VOR,
and GPS approaches.

It may not be beneficial for everyone, but I believe it does help me.

John

On Mar 6, 9:40 pm, "Steve Foley" <steve.fo...@att.DELETE.net> wrote:
> I started IFR ground school last night, and I'm thinking of using a flight
> simulator for practice. I'm wondering if this is a good idea or not.
>
> I've heard Micro$oft is (only) good for IFR practice. If used without
> instruction, is it likely to cause harm, no nothing, or help?
>
> I probably have a version from 1998. Is that usable? I don't think I have
> enough hardware to run FSX, or should I locate the previous version?

Lest we all forget, Anthony does not and never has flown a plane, ever. He
does not possess a pilot certificate and never has. He has never worked a
G1000, G530, a VOR, or the door handle to a plane.

His only flight "experience" is through playing MSFS, which is his only
basis for anything related to really flying.

On Mar 6, 10:40 pm, "Steve Foley" <steve.fo...@att.DELETE.net> wrote:
> I started IFR ground school last night, and I'm thinking of using a flight
> simulator for practice. I'm wondering if this is a good idea or not.

Steve,
Speaking from my own experience, it is a great idea. Once again, I
highly recommend using the Elite program along with their IFR flight
training manual. It's good to have a syllabus to follow from simple
steps like knowing the various manifold pressure, rpm setting and trim
for each phase of flights, doing the oscar pattern etc before doing
the holds and learnng different approaches.
To prevent developing bad habits, I'd suggest trying to get some
flying experience while doing the sims. I did not have any 'formal'
IFR training besides the 3-hours instrument time required for the PP
before starting my self study Elite program. However, I had half a
dozen or so hours as back seat passengers while my husband took his
instrument lessons. The CFII which he had was a great pilot but his
firehose teaching style was quite overwhelming. The infrequent
lessons due to weather & schedules etc. were totally inefficient. So
we decided to go for the accelerated training route and used the sims
along with real practices in our plane serving as safety pilot for
each other to prepare for the actual training.
I had mentioned several times before that it only took us 5 days of
intensive training with Bill Zaleski in Schenecdaty NY before Bill
signed us off for the checkrides. We lucked out and had quite a bit
of real IMC time that week. So far, my instrument training was the
most efficient and least costly part of my flight education (with the
minimum required instrument training time and less than $2000 total
including checkride fee). The $250 or so which I spent on the Elite
program and the manual was a huge bargain.
BTW, I also had Microsoft FS 98 and 2000 along with X-plane but for
training purpose, the Elite is way superior. The only drawback of the
Elite is the lack of current GPS such as the Garmin 430. Not sure
whether Elite has added this feature for newer version.
You can download the trial version of the Elite which has full
features but works for 5 minutes or so. If you think that MS FS is
similar enough, I would recommend you at least get the Elite
Instrument flight training manual eventhough it is much more better to
use it in conjunction with Elite program so that you can compare your
flight tracks with the ideal tracks.

Hai Longworth

John wrote:
> I'm a low time pilot presently taking IFR training and have been using
> MS Flight Sim since version 4 on a DOS machine. I have had three
> different instructors tell me that using a Flight Sim can have a
> benefit when working towards an IFR rating. I grab the approach
> plates and set the sim to IFR conditions allowing me to break out of
> the clouds at just above the minimums for approach. I usually fly a
> hold and try to change my approaches so I get a variety of ILS, VOR,
> and GPS approaches.
>
> It may not be beneficial for everyone, but I believe it does help me.


It's excellent for practicing instrument procedures and for keeping your scan up
to snuff. I've been using it for that for quite a while. As a matter of fact,
that's the only thing I use MSFS for. If I want to experience flight, I get in
an airplane.



--
Mortimer Schnerd, RN
mschnerdatcarolina.

> > No question that for actual maneuvers like crosswind landings or
> > stalls or spins or dealing with sudden gusts the only way to learn is
> > to go real.
>
> For some of these operations, "going real" can get you killed. There is a
> point at which the consequences of practicing a hazardous operation for real
> and failing outweigh the advantage of having the experience--and that's one
> point at which simulators come in handy.
>

Learning to handle crosswind landings and gusts is not hazardous if
done in a real airplane with a real instructor. At the same time there
is no other option to learning it either.. Not learning to land in
strong crosswinds is actually more dangerous than the opposite.(did
you see the video of the Lufthansa jet last week?). Unusual attitudes
and stalls are part of the PPL syllabus so without doing those well,
nobody gets the license and they cannot be practiced on a simulator. I
find simulators useful for aspects of flying that are only peripheral
to the actual act of flying like learning about VORs, high density
altitudes, getting a feel for a crosscountry flight before the actual
flight etc.

>
> It _could_ be taught with simulators, although this particular operation isn't
> risky enough to require the safety of simulation, as you observe.
>
> What about engine failures?

Engine failures are best practiced in a real airplane with the engine
idling. Another option is to take some real gliding lessons to get a
better feel for energy management.

By his comments, it is obvious that Anthony again knows nothing about
aviation or flying.

Yes, I could see where leaving your apartment could stop traffic and scare
children.