We think we know what we're doing...

[xhado13]

Okay, heres what I thought was a pretty funny thought.

So in Flightsim, we're this "Ub3R 1337" pilot right. Which we really are, I mean we know how to start up a 737-500 from cold & dark right.
We can fly a Cessna 172, a 737-700, and Airbus A320, Airbus A330, A Tupelov whatever (I have no idea about those things lol) in flight sim, but could
we really in real life if we had the opportunity with no previous training?

Now I've heard plenty of times that compared to real world aviation, Flight Sim is completely different.

But anyways, I just think its so funny about how us non-pilots think we know so much about aviation, when really there is this whole other world we
haven't experienced.

"I bet I can fly a 737 in real life if I had the opportunity!" I've heard that before, and I wondered if I could. I remember a while back there was a
topic about whether you could fly the aircraft if it was under a specific situation and you were the only one close enough to being a pilot.

Its similar to what I'm talking about, but honestly I think I could fly...lets say a 757-200 if there was nothing wrong with the plane. Maybe not as
smoothly as a trained pilot, but I think I might be able to at least ILS or even CATIII my way down

But if it were airbus, you'd all be dead.

Haha only joking, I've gotten quite good with the Airbus.

^^SEE THATS WHAT IM TALKING ABOUT. I DID IT MYSELF

But you get my point, whats your opinion on this?

[AeroJim]

from my private pilot license experience, there are a lot of things in a small plane in real world that is different than the sim.
Also, radio procedures, placement of things, visual cues, its all different.

[Daza XIII]

Not flown for while (12 years) but did have roughly 100 hours of light aircraft in my log book and I’ll agree there are plenty of differences.
But if faced with that dream/nightmare situation of having to land the plane I think what FS might give you is an appreciation of at least
what you are trying to achieve.

Quite a few years ago on our local news there was a story of how two people went up in a light aircraft, the passenger his first time ever.
The pilot then had a heart attack and died. The passenger thankfully managed to work the radio and got down helped by another plane
who found him then flew along side and talked him all the way through. While he did get down it was real heavy landing I think in part due
to the pilot flying alongside not being able to give too much information which would overload the novices brain. If I remember right it was
a flapless landing as the pilot thought the novice was having a hard enough time simply flying to add in extra procedures. Put one of us in
the same situation and it would make sense to set flaps etc so we would be better able to cope.

Never flown anything big myself but I would guess the same sort of thing would still be true. We would know to get on the radio and shout
mayday to start with then with FS experience you could take more information in and be able to ask the right sort of questions to anything
you didn’t understand.
Not saying it would be pretty but I’d certainly give and FS pilot a far higher chance of succeeding than someone with no experience.

[ameval]

nah real life and simming is two different things. First problem, in an emergency in real life like for example something fictional, the pilot has a
heart attack and the copilot pass out, and you´re the only one close enough to a pilot with 500 of simming, you probably s**t your pants while you
control that aircraft and you probably will land 5 miles short or the runway and If you do make it to the runway you probably stall and break the
gears and then make a flame and make the whole plane explode (well maybe I´m being a little bit exaggerated) and second problem, is that you do not
know how to control an aircraft I mean anyone will probably be able of takeoff a Cessna and if skillful enough even landed but if we are
talking about big jets I do not think is possible w/o any training you know what I mean at least you might be able of control the aircraft with the
yoke but it would be hard simming is a lot more easier so...

Third problem is like aerojim already said the manipulability and recognizability of all of the buttons of the aircraft...

But in synthesis FS appetites you with real life planes

Regards,
Pd.* I´m talking about someone x



Post Edited ( 11-28-07 03:51 )

[crowebird]

actully, if in full radio contact with the tower, and experience, I think an autoland could be properly exectued, granted it probably wont be
smoothly done, but you never know.

[xhado13]

crowebird wrote:
actully, if in full radio contact with the tower, and experience, I think an autoland could be properly exectued, granted it probably wont be
smoothly done, but you never know.

True. I have id say no lie a couple hundred hours down in the LDS 767. I think I would know what buttons/gauges would be because the purpose of add-on
aircraft like level d is to be as realistic as possible.

Like said above, with full radio contact it shouldn't be too tough

[Garbagecan]

bullshit

[Daza XIII]

Plus I do wonder when experienced pilots say there is no chance an FS flyer could handle the real thing if this may be a myth anyway.
The statement may have little to do with flying and a lot more to do with professionals massaging their own sense of self importance.
Lets be honest, it wouldn’t look good to have put in years of training only to have some idiot who messes about with computers do an
adequate job of flying the plane for real would it.

[Jambone]

I flew in one of the professional 737 Simulator, the pilot (a real one) complimented my flying, he said he couldn't have done any better himself.

I think I would be OK Seeing as the landing was a manual, with ILS it should be a breeze, you would be surprised how easy the planes are to control

[Garbagecan]

http://www.myvideo.de/watch/305247

[AeroJim]

I flew a Jetblue ERJ sim and it was awesome, i had a great landing. Smoother than my girl's, well anyways.

[Joeflyer]

Jambone wrote:
I flew in one of the professional 737 Simulator, the pilot (a real one) complimented my flying, he said he couldn't have done any better
himself.

I think I would be OK Seeing as the landing was a manual, with ILS it should be a breeze, you would be surprised how easy the planes
are to control

Well done, James! You are correct in your assessment of how easy it is to control an airplane. I have always told non pilots that the easy
part is in flying the airplane. The hardest parts are managing the cockpit and maintaining a 3 dimensional thought process while in IFR
conditions.

@Garbagecan...WTF was that???

[Joeflyer]

AeroJim wrote:
I flew a Jetblue ERJ sim and it was awesome, i had a great landing. Smoother than my girl's, well anyways.

I want to see your end of flight report, sonny I bet your girlfriend spanked your a-- on the landing

[lcrane]

I echo garbagecan. I thought the same until I put my money where my mouth is and took a lesson. As soon as I started up the plane I knew that it was
different. Understand something. The Cessna practically takes off by itself. And it's used as a trainer because it's "easy" to fly. But getting down
is a whole other matter. It's not an ego thing. That's just your ignorance talking. As a private pilot I've had to study the NTSB database. There are
too many reports of some person deciding to joy ride in a plane and winding up in trouble. And most wind up killing themselves and/or their friends.
One kid I read about stole a plane and realized that they couldn't land it. The tower talked them down but on touchdown there was a prop strike and
they flipped the plane killing the passenger. The "Pilot" survived after killing his friend. They both played flight simulator and thought they could
fly the plane. Don't be a fool and think you can beat the odds or you'll wind up in the ranks of the dead. Be a man. Get a hold of $50 and go down to
your local flight school and take an intro flight. What you're saying would be the same if I told you that I could play football because I've played
Madden Football. I might understand the plays and know the rules but head-to-head you'd kick my a**! ( I'm only 145lbs and 5'8". You'd kick my a**
easy ) Same with playing flight simulator (note the word "playing" ) and flying in real life. I've taken a number friends flying and a number
wanted to land right away. I've also know friends that have taken lessons and quit after their first solo flight. Stop this train of thought that just
because you play pilot you can do it in real life without any training. That thought process is going to get you or someone you love killed. One
stall, tail spin recovery, or steep turn and you'll know right away that reality is not at all like flight simulator. I'll leave with this open
invitation. I rent out of Falcon Field in Mesa, Arizona. The 172 costs $92/hr (640lbs useful load) and the 182 costs $125/hr (1100 useful load). If
you want to split the cost, I'll take you up. We'll take off from KFFZ and fly east over Roosevelt Lake then south over to Globe then back to KFFZ.
It's about 1.3 hrs. I'm not an instructor yet but will be happy to walk you through all aspects of flight. Any pilot on this forum would do the same.
The only I require is that egos and attitudes stay on the ground.

James, understand something about flight schools that have nice 737 simulators. They will tell you anything to get you to spend your money there. I
got caught in that trap at West Wind at Deer Valley. I spent over $5000 until I realized it was a money pit. Once I restricted the money flow to fit
my budget, they didn't want anything to do with me. I now pay as I go and the school that I'm at now work with my budget. It's good and nice what they
said. Just be careful.



Post Edited ( 11-28-07 23:33 )

[Jambone]

Joe, I found that watching out the window with A/P off and trying to keep Altitude and Heading right was extremely difficult, I would look out for 2
seconds and find myself banking or pitching a little bit and have to correct myself but over correct