Home flight simulators - Good or bad idea for a trainee pilot?

[Builds By Baz]

It's been recommended by some in my path and shrugged off by others.

 

As a trainee pilot with less than three hours of flying experience, Is it a good idea this early to have a flight sim at home for practice and familiarity?

 

I used to have Microsoft flight simulator back in 2006, with a Saitek joystick and throttle control, but I had no idea what I was doing and didn't keep it long.

 

If they are a good idea, what would I need? Stick or yoke, rudder and brake pedals, power and choke? How close are they to the real thing when it comes to learning and practice?

 

Where would I get one of so? I am learning to fly, so obviously cash is important right now, so are there second-hand ones that would fit the bill?

 

Baz.

[rgmwa]

I’m sure you will get lots of opinions. I don’t think they help much for flying because you don’t get the seat of the pants sensations, noise and movement of a real aircraft to develop your sight picture and coordination. I think the time and cost would be better spent on lessons and studying the books. 

Edited Monday at 11:55 AM by rgmwa

[Ian]

I think that it's worthwhile but not quite in the way that you expect. Flying is quite easy but like learning to drive it takes time and it's full of things that can bring you undone.
If you can afford it - go with a flight sim with a 3D headset, this helps you with your spatial awareness and get a yoke, joystick pedals to make it as real as possible. What it might be worth doing is to chip in with a few other trainee pilots because you're not going to be doing this 24/7, but it is way way cheaper than flying.
Can you cut 5 hours of training time off - yes definitely. 

 

What flight sims can do is assist with the muscle memory, radio calls and spatial awareness, when is a good time to turn base, I've lost power, what are the steps I go through. 
Because it is so much cheaper even if it's not as effective as being in a plane you can do the rough cutting on a sim and polish in the plane.

 

Like you, I don't really enjoy using a sim, but it is a useful tool. 

If they weren't useful airlines and the military wouldn't use them. 

 

[BurnieM]

If you can add the gear for less than $200 to an existing PC then it is worth a try.

 

If you are paying $2000+ for a new PC and gear then I think it is more worthwhile to spend the money on additional lessons.

The top end sims give you a feel for the plane but desktop sims only give you a mental exercise without developing much of a feel for the plane.

 

[danny_galaga]

I think it would be great for practicing navs. 

[facthunter]

A full motion simulator will cost 1,000 's of dollars/hr of operations. It's designed to do emergency Procedures where doing it in a Plane used to get People killed. You need to be securely strapped in or you can get injuries. Its for ONE type of Plane ONLY IF it's Part of a Conversion to a type process.. There's usually about 6 sessions of four Hours Plus One  4 Hour test  all as a crew. After that you jump in the real thing and fly it.. Google Map can help you plan a flight to places you are not familiar with.. You are in the Hands of your Instructor so to speak.  Work with Him/Her. Nev

[Ian]

1 minute ago, BurnieM said:

If you can add the gear for less than $200 to an existing PC then it is worth a try.

 

If you are paying $2000+ for a new PC and gear then I think it is more worthwhile to spend the money on additional lessons.

The top end sims give you a feel for the plane but desktop sims only give you a mental exercise without developing much of a feel for the plane.

 

Flying lessons are so expensive pretty much anything which lowers training time and reduces the likelihood of failing an exam is money well spent.
If it cuts a few hours from your training or If it gets you through a test it, it's paid for itself.

What's the hourly rate with an instructor - do the maths?

 

And you can sell it once you're finished if you want.

[BrendAn]

When you look at the link trainers they used to teach airforce pilots in you would think modern pc simulators should be way ahead of those.

[facthunter]

I have "time" in a link but it's all in a context. Modern sims save Lives by allowing you to do things which if done in the real thing, run a significant risk of being fatal. They are so good that Info from a Flight data recorder entered into their intel can work out exactly what the real plane flew like in a crash situation, but they cost more than what a smaller plane would cost to operate. WW2 training casualties were about 17% and they also FAILED the Bottom 10% on each course. Too bad if you got  on a Course of Geniuses..  Nev

[Jabiru7252]

30 years ago I used a flight simulator on my home computer to practice using the VOR and NDB as it simulated those instruments very well. Also, for navigation training it could be useful for getting time, speed distance calculations etc. up to speed. As for actual flying, I have never been very impressed. I did fly a real simulator, as big as a caravan back in 1980 while working in London. That was fun.

[Ian]

Current simulators with a current VR headset are a massive change from the old simulators. They are completely immersive and engage your spatial senses
I'd strongly suggest to anyone making recommendations about the relative benefits or the technology to try what is currently available. You'd be surprised, I've also tried the big old caravan sized sims and it is a completely different experience.
The steps change over the last few years is huge.

[Garfly]

23 hours ago, facthunter said:

....  WW2 training casualties were about 17% ....

 

Yes, as this USNavy training film puts it, more pilots and aircraft were lost in training than in combat.

 

 

[facthunter]

In the early days the 'graveyard Spiral' killed just as Many. The first thing in such  situations is 'Spin OR Spiral'? The correct response is completely different.  As far as it goes, that Mil Training film is OK, but there's a lot more to it and Different Aircraft Behave a lot differently. You must know the Plane you are in. (and have enough height).    Nev