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Home > Archive > Flight simulator > October 2005 > newbie how to use questions
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newbie how to use questions
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| john h 2005-10-30, 2:32 am |
| Dear simmers
I am an old real world general aviation pilot. I've been out of the serious
flying world for several years and so I thought I'd try FS2002 to start to
get my head right. I sure can't afford to rent real aircraft anymore.
What I really want to practice is the mental exercise of flying approaches,
holding patterns etc. while maintaining situational awareness. I bought
FS2002 for $20 at the local CompUSA. I am astounded at how good the visuals
are. I set it up to fly from my local airport to the a nearby class C field.
I actually found the field by visual reference. It even has the major
buildings and towers in the about the right places. Now however I when I
started to actually use the sim for other than just playing, I discovered
that:
1. I can't taxi. I only have a joystick no rudders. So while I can make a
turn with the joystick I can't turn within the confines of a runway let
alone stay on the taxiways.. Is there a trick with function keys?
2. I can find no aircraft manual that describes how I tune radios and what
radio is connected to what display. I see a GPS display but have no idea how
to use it. Can I program waypoints? Can I set it to my flight director? The
manuals I have give some basic aircraft speeds but no detailed information.
On power settings controls and instruments. I notice that the master switch
seems to work but I have no idea how to start a turbine (the C-208) How do I
crank the seat up so I can see over the glare shield?
3. I can find no IFR charts, neither low altitude enroute nor approach
plates not STARS/SIDS. I can download current approach plates from the FAA
site but don't know if they match the frequencies in FS2002.
4. The joystick I have has numerous buttons which map in mysterious fashion
to functions. I like the coolie hat which serves to change my display rather
than as trim function as I would normally expect. I believe it will take
some time for me to figure out the mapping and then to learn to use them as
I fly. I do find it difficult to use the mouse, function keys and joystick
all at once. I don't seem to be able to use my stick left handed so I have
the right free for mouse and keyboard. The problem is that the handle and
associated buttons/switches are molded to fit the right hand only.
5. I do find that flying the sim to be more difficult than the real thing as
the responses to control inputs are too much in pitch and too little in
roll. The frame rate also seems a little slow which no doubt adds to Pilot
Induced Oscillations.
6. Is there some place I can find all the documentation? I have never been
very good at hunting Easter eggs and I find that most modern computer
documentation seems to be based on the Easter egg hunt methodology. You have
no idea how many or where just look under every bush until you get tired of
it. You never know if you have found all the eggs or not. I am of the old
school. Start with the top level overview or over all theory and
progressively work down in details. I prefer a concept to base the details
on, But of course I am an old guy stuck in my ways.
Any hints any of you may provide on how to operate /use this beast will be
gratefully received. But I have no money to buy the latest CH products, the
fastest nvidia graphics cards and other goodies.
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| Dallas 2005-10-30, 2:32 am |
| Welcome john,
You've asked so many questions it would take one guy an hour to answer them
all. :-)
How about this, I'll answer a couple of questions and someone else can
answer a couple more.
quote:
> 3. I can find no IFR charts, neither low altitude enroute nor approach
> plates not STARS/SIDS. I can download current approach plates from the FAA
> site but don't know if they match the frequencies in FS2002.
MSFS purchased the Jeppesen database to use in the simulator. The
frequencies would be frozen in time for the year 2002. For the most part,
current chart frequencies match the simulator's. You can also access the
data from the simulator's map view, but it's cumbersome.
These sites have free charts:
http://www.myairplane.com/databases/approach/index.php
http://www.aeroplanner.com/flightpl...roachplates.cfm
Non US approach plates:
https://164.214.2.62/products/digitalaero/index.cfm
Airport Info:
http://www.airnav.com/
quote:
> 5. I do find that flying the sim to be more difficult than the real thing
as
quote:
> the responses to control inputs are too much in pitch and too little in
> roll.
You can set control sensitivities in the simulator by pressing
ALT>O>C>sensitivities - then use the sliders.
quote:
>The frame rate also seems a little slow which no doubt adds to Pilot
> Induced Oscillations.
How bad are your frame rates? Press Ctrl+Z twice in the sim to display them
on the screen. There are ways to improve frame rates, get back to us on
your numbers.
Dallas
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| Gerard Verhoef 2005-10-30, 5:31 am |
| I'll try some of the other questions. The simple ones might be in my league.
"john h" <jf)hawk.nospam@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:jSX8f.1959$2y.673@newsread2.news.atl.earthlink.net...
quote:
> Dear simmers
>
> 1. I can't taxi.
I use a joystick with twisthandle. Twisting the handle is the rudder and at
the same time making ground turns.
You can change the assignments in the menu, so perhaps you can assign aome
keyboard combinations to the rudder, but the best way is to have a joystick
(or yoke with pedals of course) with 4 axis (counting throttle as the
fourth)
quote:
> 2. I can find no aircraft manual that describes how I tune radios
Mouseclicks on the left or right from the freq numbers will set them. If you
have a wheelmouse the wheel will do the job as well.
and what
quote:
> radio is connected to what display.
I don't understand what you mean by that. The radio says nav1 or 2 and com
etc. There are burrons tha mute and un-mute (is that the correct English?)
the morsecode that identifies to what the radio is connected.
If you file a flightplan ATC will automaticaly change the frequenties for
you.
Someone else can perhaps make some additions to this answer (or corrections
for that matter).
<snip>
Happy flying and welcome in this NG
Gerard
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| Wim Dijkgraaf 2005-10-30, 5:31 am |
| For taxiing in FS2004 I set AP/IAS on 15 and with the F-LOCK locked I can
use the breaks F11 and F12.
With ctrl+R you can disconnect the IAS.
Wim Dijkgraaf
"Gerard Verhoef" <Gerard_Verhoef@Hotmail.com> schreef in bericht
news:Zb%8f.145$zc1.35@amstwist00...
quote:
> I'll try some of the other questions. The simple ones might be in my
> league.
>
> "john h" <jf)hawk.nospam@yahoo.com> wrote in message
> news:jSX8f.1959$2y.673@newsread2.news.atl.earthlink.net...
> I use a joystick with twisthandle. Twisting the handle is the rudder and
> at the same time making ground turns.
> You can change the assignments in the menu, so perhaps you can assign aome
> keyboard combinations to the rudder, but the best way is to have a
> joystick (or yoke with pedals of course) with 4 axis (counting throttle as
> the fourth)
>
>
> Mouseclicks on the left or right from the freq numbers will set them. If
> you have a wheelmouse the wheel will do the job as well.
>
> and what
> I don't understand what you mean by that. The radio says nav1 or 2 and com
> etc. There are burrons tha mute and un-mute (is that the correct English?)
> the morsecode that identifies to what the radio is connected.
> If you file a flightplan ATC will automaticaly change the frequenties for
> you.
>
> Someone else can perhaps make some additions to this answer (or
> corrections for that matter).
>
> <snip>
>
> Happy flying and welcome in this NG
> Gerard
>
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| > I fly. I do find it difficult to use the mouse, function keys and joystick
quote:
> all at once. I don't seem to be able to use my stick left handed so I have
> the right free for mouse and keyboard. The problem is that the handle and
> associated buttons/switches are molded to fit the right hand only.
Got an idea for one of the problems
move your joystick to the right hand side of your keyboard. Use RH for
joystick and LH for buttons etc.
Flying with the left hand on joystick feels very awkward for me too......
Bryan
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| Iain Smith 2005-10-31, 7:42 pm |
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"john h" <jf)hawk.nospam@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:jSX8f.1959$2y.673@newsread2.news.atl.earthlink.net...
quote:
> 6. Is there some place I can find all the documentation?
Welcome John. Go to the menu and select "learning center". This may have a
lot of the info that you're after. :0))
Iain
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