Posted: 7/9/2004 9:01:28 AM EDT
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Thinking about buying it. is it any good? iv heard it's the best. I think im going to get a pilots liscense and figure its a good way to check it out. |
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The only thing I have found it of use for is the instrument ticket, and even then only for procedural items. Up until you solo, you'll be concentrating on basic aircaft control. MSFS (or any other sim, really) is bad in this regard because without an instructor present, you are going to learn and then reinforce the bad habit of starting at the instruments and not looking outside enough. Sure, the instruments are important, but the rule of thumb for VFR flight is to be looking outside at least 95% of the time. If you want to use it as a training aid, my recommendation would be to go for an intro flight, and then ask your instructor what he/she thinks about it. If you want to just play it like any other game on a PC, go for it! |
Damn why does everyone have wall marts by them. i cant get ammo or cheap games from wall mart because there are none arround me. i think they are banned from the bay area of kali. |
Minimum specs for graphics dialed down to near-wireframe levels... At full-bore, it is quite impressive to say the least... The 2002 version even had my local private-only airport (Timmerman Field) modeled, instead of just the big one (Mitchell Field) or worse, just Chicago airports like the old MSFS did... When I was trying to start on my license, and using the Cessna CD-rom course, it was usefull as a way to 'see' what the book/CD were talking about (I was planning on doing the written first, then the practical)... |
thanks for the input. i've had some stick time a couple of flights on my uncle in laws planes. the school i am thinking about going to told me to get it and practice on it alot. but now that you mention it they probably meant after a few flights with an instructor. im sure its easier to teach someone who doesnt start with bad habbits. thx |
It's the same price everywhere I have seen it.... |
yup they have it at ebgames for 29 now. the last time i looked it was 80. sweet |
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I'll back Chief on this one. For instrument work and building a good instrument scan...Flight sim is awesome. I would recommend getting the USB yoke and pedals combo (for about 200 bucks on line) and that will also help with instrument coordinated turns (and cross control in crosswind landings). It will enforce bad habits in a new pilot, such as instrument fixation, so use it with caution. I had it all through private ticket and instrument ticket. For private...it helped with the "look" of the runway on final...you know...too high...too low. But other than that...it was uneventfull. It really gets fun when you pipe it to a large screen tv, and shut all the lights out. Get up close, you can actually induce vertigo (spatial disorientation) if you rock back and forth a little bit. You see yourself pull back on the yoke and put too much rudder in...pretty soon your at right wing low, and 20 degrees downpitch....which you would rather do in the living room than at 5500 msl. Good game overall...I run it on an old HP celeron 900 with 128 mb ram....sluggish to start...then great. Go get it...it's just as good as anything I've seen from Sporty's or John and Martha King. Signed.... Kurt_700hrs in the air and still flyin_Austin (yes I know 700 ain't all that much...but gimme time) |
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Spend the money on some flight time in a one-filthy or a Tramahawk. Get the books and start studying for the written. Your flight instructor can sign you off for the written. Step away from the computer and go learn to fly a real airplane. BTW if you want to get hopelessly addicted, attend the Oshkosh flyin this summer. |
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I have FS9 (2004) now and I'm very impressed by it. If you get some of the tweaked add-ons, it's not very far from photo-realistic. Of course you have to have a UeberComputer to run all the settings at max. Nothing like flying my P-3 Orion through the Cascade mountains to land at NAS Whidbey. I used the original FS4 when I was getting my private ticket in Hawaii. It was useful in reviewing the days lessons like coordinated turns, turns around a point, slowflight etc. Just minimize the instruments for VFR flight. Where it really shined was for the Cross country flights. Especially the solos and the long one to an unknown airport. I just flew them on the sim a few days before so in real life everything looked familiar. A great help and it makes you feel much more comfortable. For U$30 you can't go wrong. Go to Flightsim.com and/or Google for lots of free add ons.  Fritz |
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