Flight Simulators

[techrat]

This is the Rocketry Forum, but some of the people here are pilots, and some of the people here are aspiring pilots. I'm in the middle of a project to clean out a portion of my house, fix up, repaint and then do something with that space and one of the things I am considering is a flight sim space. It would be at least 2 monitors, but probably 3, a decent sized corner desk to hold those screens, and a control yoke with foot pedals and any other USB equipment I can find to make a realistic flight sim.

Has anybody done this? Basically, I want something that I can use to actually train myself to fly before I spend the big money to sit inside an aircraft and take some lessons. Advice? Suggestions?

 

[Funkworks]

Around 2010, I had this setup with 2 screens (with Flight Simulator X). Saitek gave the best bang for your buck. I was planning on adding a 3rd screen, and seperating engine noise from communications (ideally, you want comm from a headset, and engine noise from external speakers), but moved on to something else and sold everything on eBay.


There might be more options now, but I haven't followed up.

 

[KC3KNM]

Around 2010, I had this set up with 2 screens (with Flight Simulator X). Saitek gave the best bang for your buck. I was planning on adding a 3rd screen, and seperating engine noise from communications, but moved on to something else and sold everything on eBay.
View attachment 550724

There might be more options now, but I haven't followed up.

Logitech makes that same set now after they acquired Saitek. I've got one and it's still a solid setup.

Three monitiors is the way to go if you can. MSFS (need a pretty beefy computer to take advantage of the insane graphics) and X-Plane are both good options. I moved my whole setup to my racing sim rig and just use the flight yoke and pedals on that when I want to fly stuff, but that does take up a lot more space than a desk based setup.

 

[Blast it Tom!]

That's one more hobby that I don't have the time for. Plus my computer could use an upgrade. But I also have the Saitek hardware, the X-52 pro joystick, throttle and rudder pedals. Only one monitor. One thing that I consider essential is my TrackIR system. You wear a hat with reflectors on it that an IR camera mounted on the monitor "watches" so that if you move your head, the screen changes accordingly. Invaluable!

 

[Spitfire222]

This is the Rocketry Forum, but some of the people here are pilots, and some of the people here are aspiring pilots. I'm in the middle of a project to clean out a portion of my house, fix up, repaint and then do something with that space and one of the things I am considering is a flight sim space. It would be at least 2 monitors, but probably 3, a decent sized corner desk to hold those screens, and a control yoke with foot pedals and any other USB equipment I can find to make a realistic flight sim.

Has anybody done this? Basically, I want something that I can use to actually train myself to fly before I spend the big money to sit inside an aircraft and take some lessons. Advice? Suggestions?

I'm a recreational private pilot, and I frequent flying/pilot forums. The consensus from student pilots, instructors, etc is that flight simulators do more harm than good when it comes to people with no previous flying experience. Due to the law of primacy, you're very likely to pick up some bad habits that a flight instructor will have to "undo". You're much better off saving the money you spend on all of the flight simulator hardware and using it on actual flight lessons.

Flight training for a private pilot is very visual and feel based, which is something that flight simulators are very poor at. They're much better suited to supporting flight training for a follow-on instrument rating after you get a PPL. Since instrument flying is heavily procedure based, a simulator can cost-effectively replicate that.

 

[Blast it Tom!]

I'm a recreational private pilot, and I frequent flying/pilot forums. The consensus from student pilots, instructors, etc is that flight simulators do more harm than good when it comes to people with no previous flying experience. Due to the law of primacy, you're very likely to pick up some bad habits that a flight instructor will have to "undo". You're much better off saving the money you spend on all of the flight simulator hardware and using it on actual flight lessons.

Flight training for a private pilot is very visual and feel based, which is something that flight simulators are very poor at. They're much better suited to supporting flight training for a follow-on instrument rating after you get a PPL. Since instrument flying is heavily procedure based, a simulator can cost-effectively replicate that.

I can back that up just from sitting here attempting to maneuver in simulated combat - and I do mean simulated, not easy-peasy shoot'em up arcade crap - if you can't fly reasonably well, you're dead. But there is nowhere near the feedback from your environment or the aircraft, especially when it comes to stalls and such things, engine sounds, mixture control, so many things that you have to keep an eye on. You don't feel what your plane is doing, or how it's accelerating your backside.

But since I'll likely never be a pilot, it's fun and engaging enough. I have add-on high detail terrain and scenery and can pinpoint where my house should be, even if it isn't there.

And if you get a simulator and the hardware, do get yourself a TrackIR. Seriously.

 

[KC3KNM]

I can back that up just from sitting here attempting to maneuver in simulated combat - and I do mean simulated, not easy-peasy shoot'em up arcade crap - if you can't fly reasonably well, you're dead. But there is nowhere near the feedback from your environment or the aircraft, especially when it comes to stalls and such things, engine sounds, mixture control, so many things that you have to keep an eye on. You don't feel what your plane is doing, or how it's accelerating your backside.

But since I'll likely never be a pilot, it's fun and engaging enough. I have add-on high detail terrain and scenery and can pinpoint where my house should be, even if it isn't there.

And if you get a simulator and the hardware, do get yourself a TrackIR. Seriously.

There doesn’t seem to be any reasonably priced yokes with feedback which is a bummer. I just ordered a “buttkicker” setup (https://thebuttkicker.com/?gclid=Cj...0bfp_wyBFjwsvChag4-3RJXOSPLZi1QAaAqxqEALw_wcB) for sim racing and I’m curious how well it’ll translate car feel. I’m going to try it out with some flight sims as well, might be able help the butt sensor function with the sims.

 

[Blast it Tom!]

Well, I'd be interested to know how that works out - I had the old Microsoft force-feedback stick and it went bad, so have had the non-feedback stick since. But I very seldom have the chance to virtually fly...