[simpits-tech] Sim landing vs Real thing

John P. Miguez simpits-tech@simpits.org
Thu, 26 Sep 2002 07:11:39 -0500


This is a multi-part message in MIME format.

------=_NextPart_000_000D_01C2652B.F5946F20
Content-Type: text/plain;
	charset="iso-8859-1"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

"If it helps your pride any, landing Sims is way, way harder than the
real thing."

I agree!  I have over 2500 hours in T-37s, T38s, B-52's, F-4s from my =
Air Force days.  I also have about 250 hours in Cessna's.  Most of the =
time Sim flying is harder than the real airplane.  I think the reason =
are two.  Sim controls are sloppy compared to a real airplane.  In the =
real world once the aircraft is trimmed up it will practally fly itself. =
 Not so in MSFS.  2002 is much better than older versions, but have you =
ever tried to refuel or fly formation in a sim?  The fine control needed =
there is just not available in a sim.

The second reason is "seat of the pants."  You can't feel the aircraft =
in a sim.  Pilots in real aircraft use this all the time.  The pilots of =
a bygone era use to land Jenny's and Stearman's with out the use of =
fancy instruments.  They felt the aircraft and listened to the sound of =
the wires.  The T-38 is a hard aircraft to land.  Once you roll of the =
perch and start the final turn, you are on the edge of a stall.  You =
often fly the final turn with a slight tickle of a buffet.  Two little =
buffet and you over shoot, too much and you die.  One of the hardest =
things for a student pilot to do was to learn the feel of this buffet.  =
It was done by feel.

In regards to the sim pilot who couldn't land the F-16.  Welcome to the =
club :)  I ripped off the landing gear of many a F-16 in Falcon 4.0.  I =
actually corresponded with a flying buddy who had flow both the F4 and =
the F16.  One thing to watch is you VVI.  You much keep the rate of =
descent around 500 feet/min.  Get over 1000 ft/min at touchdown and you =
will have problems.  This is not easy to do in a sim with out watching =
it closely.  In the real world, you set your power for aircraft weight =
and flow the AOA.  That took care of your descent rate.  If it got too =
high, you could FEEL it and correct

Hope this helps,

John
aka "Cheau".

------=_NextPart_000_000D_01C2652B.F5946F20
Content-Type: text/html;
	charset="iso-8859-1"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN">
<HTML><HEAD>
<META http-equiv=3DContent-Type content=3D"text/html; =
charset=3Diso-8859-1">
<META content=3D"MSHTML 6.00.2719.2200" name=3DGENERATOR>
<STYLE></STYLE>
</HEAD>
<BODY bgColor=3D#ffffff>
<DIV>"If it helps your pride any, landing Sims is way, way harder than=20
the<BR>real thing."</DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>I agree!&nbsp; I have over 2500 hours =
in T-37s,=20
T38s, B-52's, F-4s from my Air Force days.&nbsp; I also have about 250 =
hours in=20
Cessna's.&nbsp; Most of the time Sim flying is harder than the real=20
airplane.&nbsp; I think the reason are two.&nbsp; Sim controls are =
sloppy=20
compared to a real airplane.&nbsp; In the real world once the aircraft =
is=20
trimmed up it will practally fly itself.&nbsp; Not so in MSFS.&nbsp; =
2002 is=20
much better than older versions, but have you ever tried to refuel or =
fly=20
formation in a sim?&nbsp; The fine control needed there is just not =
available in=20
a sim.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>The second reason is "seat of the =
pants."&nbsp; You=20
can't feel the aircraft in a sim.&nbsp; Pilots in real aircraft use this =
all the=20
time.&nbsp; The pilots of a bygone era use to land Jenny's and =
Stearman's with=20
out the use of fancy instruments.&nbsp; They felt the aircraft and =
listened to=20
the sound of the wires.&nbsp; The T-38&nbsp;is a hard aircraft to =
land.&nbsp;=20
Once you roll of the perch and start the final turn, you are on the edge =
of a=20
stall.&nbsp; You often fly the final turn with a slight tickle of a=20
buffet.&nbsp; Two little buffet and you over shoot, too much and you =
die.&nbsp;=20
One of the hardest things for a student pilot to do was to learn the =
feel of=20
this buffet.&nbsp; It was done by feel.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>In regards to the sim pilot who =
couldn't land the=20
F-16.&nbsp; Welcome to the club :)&nbsp; I ripped off the landing gear =
of many a=20
F-16 in Falcon 4.0.&nbsp; I actually corresponded with a flying buddy =
who had=20
flow both the F4 and the F16.&nbsp; One thing to watch is you VVI.&nbsp; =
You=20
much keep the rate of descent around 500 feet/min.&nbsp; Get over 1000 =
ft/min at=20
touchdown and you will have problems.&nbsp; This is not easy to do in a =
sim with=20
out watching it closely.&nbsp; In the real world, you set your power for =

aircraft weight and flow the AOA.&nbsp; That took care of your descent=20
rate.&nbsp; If it got too high, you could FEEL it and =
correct</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Hope this helps,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>John</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>aka "Cheau".</FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>

------=_NextPart_000_000D_01C2652B.F5946F20--