Flight simulator

[croyde]

Just returned from my birthday present. An hour at the controls of a 737 flight simulator built around an old Ryanair 737.

This is the one http://www.virtualflight.co.uk/our-sim

Did one take off and fly around and then several landings in various weather situations during the day as well as at night. The instructor congratulated me on good landings and general control and suggested that I should take up flying.

Really chuffed and still buzzing after a great 50 mile drive home, especially as I thought I'd be stuffing it into the ground at first.

Just a shame learning to fly is so darn expensive but maybe I might try one of those intensive courses somewhere sunny and cheapish, just to see if I can do it.

[GTIR]

Damn. Thought thread was "flight stimulator".

I bet Ryan Air would charge lots extra for that.

[skyrover]

get yourself a copy along with a Yoke, Pedals and throttle setup

http://www.x-plane.com

[kowalski655]

GTIR said:

Damn. Thought thread was "flight stimulator".

I bet Ryan Air would charge lots extra for that.

BUT being Ryan Air, they would start stimulating 5 feet from where you want to be
Actually that sounds like most blokes anyway

[Justin Cyder]

I flew a helicopter last week which came as a bit of a surprise & the next day, I mentioned to the pilot that I'd been looking at ppl courses. He said he thought it would be cheaper to get into Heroin.

Think I'll leave it.

[GTIR]

I pulled up outside a rather large house in the country to pickup a client that was on his way to the airport. I found him in his large garden struggling with a model RC helicopter. His wife was telling him to hurry up then all I heard was "Ohhh, shiiiit!" and the helicopter careered into his conservatory and broke into bits.

He shouted "sorry love." jumped in my car and off we set.

"Woops!" he said, as he buckled himself in.
"Er, aren't you a helicopter pilot?"
"Yeah, lol"

[Dodsy]

You can fly the real thing at the BA training centre - ok so its not cheap but its a whole lot more realistic. And scary. And a whole heap of fun.

My colleague managed to rip the wings off trying to break the speed of sound in a dive.... makes quite a bump in the sim! Now if I'm ever in a jet and the wings come off I'll know how to tell without even looking out of the window....

http://www.ebaft.com/fly/fse.htm

[thehawk]

Dodsy said:

http://www.ebaft.com/fly/fse.htm

A bit expensive and they don't have an A380

Lufthansa one is much better.

http://www.proflight.com/-proflight-e/index.php

[creampuff]

The thing in OP looks like a synthetic trainer, not a simulator.

Simulators move, synthetic trainers don't. Obvballs, it will cost much much less to have a go at a synthetic trainer. I've tried the 737 synthetic trainer at Westfield in London. Was about £70 for 30 mins, sometimes there are online discount vouchers. Not bad, I did a few circuits of Kai Tak. It was quite easy to fly, if the real 737 pilots have a simultaneous heart attack on a flight I'm on, I'll be sure to put my hand up

[anonymous-user]

skyrover said:

get yourself a copy along with a Yoke, Pedals and throttle setup

http://www.x-plane.com

Can you recommend a decent yoke, pedals and throttle?

[kowalski655]

Saitek do a good set, kr if you prefer a joystick their X52 ( i think that's what its called) is very good They also do control panels-radios, autopilot etc-it can get very expensive very quickly
I would go for Flight Sim X over X Plane- more add ons, loads of free stuff too..all sorts of planes, some with super compldx an realistic procedures, and scenery.

[FourWheelDrift]

Some people do go a little too far though when they get addicted to flight simulators at home.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nBWQyY8A5No
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MtOAWjlGsmc

[croyde]

Inkyfingers said:

skyrover said:

get yourself a copy along with a Yoke, Pedals and throttle setup

http://www.x-plane.com

Can you recommend a decent yoke, pedals and throttle?

For an iMac as well. Ta.

[VernalEquinox]

I made the mistake of buying an X plane / FSX setup after flying the full motion 737 at BA.

Sitting at your computer just doesn't compare. I ebayed the lot and started microlight lessons. Cheap as chips, in aviation terms, and exponentially more satisfying than flying your desk.

[mrmaggit]

Mr Dad had a go in the Phantom Simulator at Coningsby.

[skyrover]

VernalEquinox said:

I made the mistake of buying an X plane / FSX setup after flying the full motion 737 at BA.

Sitting at your computer just doesn't compare. I ebayed the lot and started microlight lessons. Cheap as chips, in aviation terms, and exponentially more satisfying than flying your desk.

Great if you have the £££££

but most don't.

A flight sim is also a good way to practice if you do decide to take lessons.

Here is my setup recommendation

Yoke and Throttle

http://www.saitek.com/uk/prod/cessnayoke.html

Trim wheel

http://www.saitek.com/uk/prod/trimwheel.html

and rudder pedals

http://www.saitek.com/uk/prod/cessnapedals.html

Accurate reproductions of the genuine article found in a Cessna 172

[bakerstreet]

skyrover said:

Great if you have the £££££

but most don't.

A flight sim is also a good way to practice if you do decide to take lessons.

Here is my setup recommendation

Yoke and Throttle

http://www.saitek.com/uk/prod/cessnayoke.html

Trim wheel

http://www.saitek.com/uk/prod/trimwheel.html

and rudder pedals

http://www.saitek.com/uk/prod/cessnapedals.html

Accurate reproductions of the genuine article found in a Cessna 172

I have been enjoying MS Flight Simulator for a few years. I don't think I will ever be able to afford actually learning how to fly. It would mean I have to give up my ambition of owning a E46 M3!

When I first started, Mrs Bakerstreet called me down to help with dinner and I shouted out that I couldn't as I was on my final approach in Kodiak! I got a lot of flack for that!

[anonymous-user]

Cheers for the recommendations!

[Roscco]

If the Ryanair Sim is built from the Jaguar painted up one on their website, i helped pull it to bits and chop it up in Preswick a few (7+ or so) years ago.

[croyde]

That's the one