Using Flight simulators for LSA flight training

patmike · Post by **patmike** » Wed Mar 07, 2012 5:58 am

thanks paul, i'll check it out

Paul Hamilton · Post by **Paul Hamilton** » Thu May 03, 2012 8:14 am

Keith Smith and all,
I have been incredibly busy teaching but want to say that I have looked at your PilotEdge system for simulator ATC training. Wow, looks great. Based on my quick look, yes this would be a valuable training aid for ATC towered airports.

Would love to take you up on the offer to test it out but right now I am trying to keep up with my students plus get some more books and DVD’s published.

I think this is a great application for those self directed students, but I personally like to act as the tower and provide scenarios that I have been through actually flying into towered airspace with my students.

However, PilotEdge would be a recommendation for those students, and pilots for that matter, who want the next level in simulator flight training for towered airspace. This also might work out for some schools who have flight simulators set up already.

Thanks for your input.

Keith Smith · Post by **Keith Smith** » Fri May 04, 2012 1:58 pm

Hi Paul,

Thanks for the response, I appreciate it, especially given your workload (I can relate).

Having the "guy in the back" providing the ATC is certainly the traditional way of providing ATC in flight simulation environments. The advantage of having a 3rd party provide the ATC and traffic is that:
1) there is other traffic to contend with

2) the student experiences the real anxiety of "pushing the button" and being "on stage" with everyone listening. This is an absolutely legitimate issue, and I'm sure you've seen it with your students in the past.

3) all of the ATC interactions are recorded and made available on the web site for subsequent review

4) there will be other ATC interactions taking place, requiring the student to listen out for THEIR callsign, just like the real airplane

5) Students are able to utilize this system both WITH an instructor at a flight school, and then on their own at home, or flying solo on the flight school's equipment, allowing them to reinforce what they've been learning with the instructor

I know you're busy, but there are some real advantages here. If you get just a sliver of time, let me know and I'll help you set it up through screen sharing, we'll have you going in less than 5 minutes at no cost.

Another approach would be to use both methods. Start out with your approach then when they're ready to try some interactions, put them on the network.

Keith

Keith Smith · Post by **Keith Smith** » Sun Jun 17, 2012 12:38 pm

We had an event yesterday on PilotEdge focusing on Van Nuys (KVNY). It has parallel runways and makes for some interesting training scenarios, with particular importance being placed on not overshooting the base to final turn (which would put you in conflict with traffic for the parallel runway).

Here's some audio recordings from that event yesterday:
http://www.pilotedge.net/recordings/hou ... _11930.mp3 (part 1)
http://www.pilotedge.net/recordings/hou ... _11930.mp3 (part 2)
http://www.pilotedge.net/recordings/hou ... _11930.mp3 (part 3).

The Sport Cruiser (N777NG), featured in parts 2&3, was flown by one of the members of this forum. Here's the ground tracks and vertical paths/speeds from his session at VNY:
http://peaware.pilotedge.net/flight.cfm?id=14747

Paul, I know you like handling all the ATC so you can set up various scenarios, but hopefully this illustrates the power of a live, dynamic system with multiple participants.

Events like this allow pilots to exercise the same thought processes they'd be using in a busy traffic pattern in real life.

theskunk · Post by **theskunk** » Sun Jun 17, 2012 8:54 pm

I'm going to just throw out there that we really don't need to pay too much attention to my ground tracks (pattern alignment) nor my v-speed/etc...

Keith Smith · Post by **Keith Smith** » Sat Jun 30, 2012 7:37 pm

LOL. If memory serves, you were asked to widen and/or extend for other traffic. The variation in your ground tracks is absolutely fine

Widgeteye · Post by **Widgeteye** » Fri Jul 06, 2012 1:55 am

You may want to checkout the flight sim FlightGear, it's free and contains a multitude of aircraft. You can also build your own aircraft if you know the math and the flight models. I don't so I haven't attempted this.

But they do supply howtos to help you create aircraft. It also contains the entire earth and every airport. All sections of the earth are downloadable by lat. long. You don't have to download it all. And if you have good enough internet connection it will download the sections on the fly if you choose that option. You can also do carrier landings if that's your thing.
It's been around for years and is for windows and Linux.

I have been using it for years and learned to do crosswind landngs with it. Since I live in a place where 20 MPH winds are considered calm it has been handy. Another nice feature is the weather is real time, you enter your airport identifier and it picks up the weather from the airport, you fly in the weather that is actually taking place outside.

Just do a search for FlightGear and start downloading.

Paul Hamilton · Post by **Paul Hamilton** » Mon Aug 13, 2012 10:16 pm

Looks like Zenith factory has a new simulator model of the 650.

see http://documents.zenith.aero/zenith-ch- ... files.html

to download it for X-Plane

theskunk · Post by **theskunk** » Sat Aug 18, 2012 8:57 pm

Paul,

How do the flight characteristics compare between a 650 and a 601? Have you flown both?

I've been toying with a 601XL thats for sale close to me and it seems more real now than ever (Just got married.. wife is FOR getting an aircraft!)

Paul Hamilton · Post by **Paul Hamilton** » Sun Aug 19, 2012 7:05 am

Yes I have flown both actual aircraft but not the Zodiac 650 simulator.

The 650 is a little nicer because they increased the angle of incidence (wing to fusalage angle) slightly so it takes off better and you can see better over the nose while flying. The 650 they also reduced the sensativity of the pitch slightly.

However, I have about 400 hours, teach, solo students, and do checkrides in the 601 and it is a great flying airplane. Most pilots transitioning to it from other aircraft really like it after about an hour or so.

Paul Hamilton · Post by **Paul Hamilton** » Sun Aug 19, 2012 7:09 am

theskunk,
Yes i got maried to someone who liked aviation and we are still married. Smart choice. Good start.

drseti · Post by **drseti** » Sun Aug 19, 2012 7:22 am

My first wife was a pilot, Paul. 20 years of marriage, and then she flew away.

Present wife doesn't fly, but 19 years in, she seems to be here to stay. You never know.

Paul Hamilton · Post by **Paul Hamilton** » Sun Aug 19, 2012 7:58 pm

Paul, roger that, Paul