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Prepar3D to supplement Real Pilot Training?

Yes can help

I am currently taking private pilot training in the UK, flying out of Cambridge airport (EGSC), in PA28 Warriors. What I have found is that flying a flight simulator (I have P3D) is not helpful to do in advance of learning the maneuver, but it is helpful to practice the maneuver after you have already been taught it properly by your instructor in the real aircraft. However, I think for this to be the case you need to have a simulator aircraft that has similar control panel and similar flight characteristics to the actual aircraft. I have the A2A Cherokee - not exactly the same as the warrior, but have discovered by comparison that the flight characteristics are nearly the same (approach speed, rpm settings, flap performance...). You also need to have a yoke, throttle, pedals, and trim wheel in my opinion for it to be helpful. A lot of proper flying is flying straight and at altitude, and you need all of these to simulate the difficulty of doing this in the real aircraft. In particular, trimming the airplane is fundamental, and you really can't do it without a trim wheel. I fly P3D over ORBX FTX England and UK2000 VFR airports, that has a reasonably accurate version of EGSC. These are close enough to help in practicing taxiing, circuits and landings.

A lot of what I practice is staying at circuit altitude (1000 feet QFE at Cambridge), how far to fly the downwind leg before turning base - reducing power, setting flaps and trimming for descent - judging when to turn final. The A2A Cherokee flies accuratly enough also to help in practicing the landing itself- judging the right altitude to flare.
 
TheAviator said:
I am currently taking private pilot training in the UK, flying out of Cambridge airport (EGSC), in PA28 Warriors. What I have found is that flying a flight simulator (I have P3D) is not helpful to do in advance of learning the maneuver, but it is helpful to practice the maneuver after you have already been taught it properly by your instructor in the real aircraft. However, I think for this to be the case you need to have a simulator aircraft that has similar control panel and similar flight characteristics to the actual aircraft. I have the A2A Cherokee - not exactly the same as the warrior, but have discovered by comparison that the flight characteristics are nearly the same (approach speed, rpm settings, flap performance...). You also need to have a yoke, throttle, pedals, and trim wheel in my opinion for it to be helpful. A lot of proper flying is flying straight and at altitude, and you need all of these to simulate the difficulty of doing this in the real aircraft. In particular, trimming the airplane is fundamental, and you really can't do it without a trim wheel. I fly P3D over ORBX FTX England and UK2000 VFR airports, that has a reasonably accurate version of EGSC. These are close enough to help in practicing taxiing, circuits and landings.

A lot of what I practice is staying at circuit altitude (1000 feet QFE at Cambridge), how far to fly the downwind leg before turning base - reducing power, setting flaps and trimming for descent - judging when to turn final. The A2A Cherokee flies accuratly enough also to help in practicing the landing itself- judging the right altitude to flare.
Click to expand...

Great reply, thanks.

I think that's a really good suggestion to practice with a simulator only 'after' you have been taught in the real thing, and using a similar sim model with accurate flight modeling along with the hardware necessary to simulate the actual cockpit.

Its allot to bring together but necessary.

My concern is that the flight school I would like to get my training at uses Cessna 162's, for which good sim models are few and far between. I'll have to do as you've had and find a model that closely resembles a 162 and assemble the appropriate hardware to match the 162 cockpit.
 
codeseven said:
Great reply, thanks.


My concern is that the flight school I would like to get my training at uses Cessna 162's, for which good sim models are few and far between. I'll have to do as you've had and find a model that closely resembles a 162 and assemble the appropriate hardware to match the 162 cockpit.
Click to expand...

I have never heard or seen a Cessna 162? 152 and 172 yes, but not a 162. Do you have a picture?
 
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