I have a lot of experience on flying Flight Simulators. Now I wont to fly for real.?

Question

I know pretty much everything there is to know about flying (Flaps, autopilot, how to do approaches, everything!) thanks to Flight Simulator.
Now I want to take real lessons.
Would my experience in simulators help me get a license faster?

Answer 1

Theres a saying the the aviation world that there is nothing more dangerous than a 100-hour private pilot because they think they know everything when the fact is they havent really been challenged by the weather or airplane yet, but the day is coming for them that they will have a real humbling experience, thinking they are invinsible... heading into really bad weather, not flying by the book, ect. ect. But now I'm beginning to re-think that whole philosophy, maybe the most dangerous thing is a 1000 hr. flight simmer. You don't understand that the real thing is much more fast paced and that you can die doing this, something you dont have to worry about in the friendly skies of FS. ATC is totaly different in the real world and if your like most flight simmers, you fly the jets on IFR runs all the time, fly the Cessna in VFR and try to with no help from ATC, maybe a list of frequencies of your VOR waypoints and just fly. While in flight, attempt a few coordiated turns, try a flight without auto-pilot, what about a full visual approach where your told to enter on the crosswind or downwind legs? could you do that? they tell you where to start and you do the rest. The way I see it you may know what flaps and autopilot are and you might even be able to tune the NAV1 radio for an ILS but when you see it for real, in a real plane with 0-0 vis. you won't know what hit you. Its not the same, facts are the same, flying is not. I encourage you to go learn to fly, tell your instructor that he need not say anything, you know it all, and listen to him laugh. Learn, have an open mind and know that a 10,000 hr. ATP is still learning how to fly. Sorry if that was harsh but this is real flying with real rules and real lives at stake, in the air and on the ground.

Answer 2

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Answer 3

The Flight Simulators you are talking about are most probably gaming softwares, so there will a lot of difference with the real thing. You can crash the aircraft more times in the Sim!

Getting the license faster is doubtful as each region requires the logging of certain numbers of hours before the licences are given. However, you are well aware of the systems and have the aviation sense, so you could be lot better than a normal student at the end of the training.

Nothing beats the real thing and no gaming simulates a tenth of the real-life scenarios that you might have to face.

Answer 4

%100 I am a real world pilot, but the reason I became interested in becoming a pilot was flight simulator, I was an expert in ms flight simulator so after flying for 2 years in virtual world I took the lessons and I can say that I knew almost everything! I finished the multi engine course after 5 5 hours of flying in a multi engine airplane only! Flight simulator rocks, I still fly in the simulator.

Answer 5

Well, you are learning how the different control surfaces interact with each other, plus how to scan instruments etc.
However, you don't get the "feel" of the aircraft, controls etc that you get with an aircraft.
I'm assuming of course, that you are following the instructional material with the sim, and not just flying around. In a similar vein, if you aren't performing the radio calls for real, you aren't properly tasking yourself. If this is true in your case, it could be counterproductive, as you'll have to unlearn some habits.
Regardless it will probably help you in groundschool, plus you will catch on to the concepts the IP is trying to present faster than someone without such experience.

Answer 6

probably not get you there faster since you need a required amount of flight time.....but it will definitely help you feel more comfortable in the cockpit of the plane and maybe shorten some aspects.
Not to mention flight sim is quite a bit different than the real thing ;)

Answer 7

I am a Certified Flight Instructor Instrument in rotorcraft, Helicopters. I used the Flight sim 2004 and it did great things for me. Not in private pilot but in instrument training. it worked great for the procedural training and routines that are used in instrument flight. Good luck.

Answer 8

not faster, no, as you will still require the minimum hours, but you will have a good idea of what happens, how, why and when. This will lead you in good stead for when you take flying lessons

Answer 9

In a way yes it will help you get your license quicker but you need to join a flying school. Do you want to fly for fun ? or a career? if its for career then you have to complete all the certificates, which includes PPL, CPL, ATPL, INSTRUMENT and Night flying.

Answer 10

The Real Life Flight Sim : http://LatestFlightSimulator.com/Instant