[simpits-tech] Helicopter in FS2004

[Matt Bailey]

On Thursday 23 October 2003 09:34 am, you wrote:
> On Thu, 23 Oct 2003, Brian Sikkema wrote:
> > Helicopters DON'T fly... they're just so ugly the ground repels them! :)
> >
> > Brian - Son of an Army grunt, and seasoned veteran of the chopper/fixed
> > wing wars
>
> LOL!   Personally I like: "Helicopters don't fly - they merely beat the
> air into submission"
>
> And of course, was it gene's comment: A thousand spare parts flying in
> close formation?
>
>
> Incidentally, helo's in FS2004 are waaaaaaaaaay too easy. Nowhere even
> close to the real thing. If you want more realistic helo flight - get
> x-plane.
>
>
> Roy.

	I remember when I first started flying helos in X-Plane (back in 5.3x) I was 
like "GOOD GRIEF this is hard, I'll never learn it! How does anyone fly these 
things?!?!" After a number of sessions of what seemed like no progress, I was 
eventually fairly comfortable with them. Then version 5.6x came along and the 
things were even more unstable! "Ahhhh no way!" But before long I was flying 
them ok again. Of course, that's not to say I'm a competent helo sim pilot by 
any means. :) I can get them off the ground, travel in the general direction 
of where I want to go (with the helo pointed more or less the direction I 
happen to be going) and get them back on the ground within a few feet of a 
specified point without cracking the runway pavement. :)
	Any time I try another sim that has helicopters I find them ridiculously 
easy. There's just no comparison. In X-Plane there is NO hands-off. I've 
heard an R/C helicopter pilot mention this about the models, said when flying 
R/C helicopters there is no "relaxing" like with the planes, you're on your 
toes 100% of the time.

	-Matt Bailey