In one sentence describe the single most beneficial aspect ...

[Doering]

of flight simulation in terms of how it has helped you as a pilot?

For me, setting up altitude height in the circuit and especially on final.

[dougbush]

Learning to fly by reference to the instruments.

[cwilliamrose]

Not at all for the sport biplane airplanes I fly.

[rwanttaja]

It lets me try things I really, REALLY shouldn't do in a real airplane.

There's a porn analogy here, but I think Hal would cancel the posting...... :-)

Ron Wanttaja

[Mayhemxpc]

Understanding instrument flight

[martymayes]

but I think Hal would cancel the posting...... :-)

Or counsel the poster.....

[rwanttaja]

Or counsel the poster.....

I don't mind that part, it's when Hal sets me down and makes me write "I will not be an ****** on the forum page" two hundred times. That hurts.

Ron "Writer's cramp" Wanttaja

[CHICAGORANDY]

Simming also allows those of us with a lifelong passion for aviation but not the discretionary income to become a real pilot .... to fly. A good control yoke, throttle quadrant and rudder pedals, an IR head tracker, a fast PC and a large monitor combine to provide a truly enhanced desktop flight experience for about $1500.

I'm given to understand that airplane ownership or rental and a Sport or Full pilot's license has been known to cost just a 'wee' bit more than that - LOL

[lnuss]

Until my best friend died (a real world pilot/instructor), it was a way for us to get together and chat*, as well as explore the continent (occasionally the world) while connected via multiplayer, and to enjoy a semblance of flying. Health had grounded both of us, and he was in Dallas and I'm in Denver.

* We used free software called mumble: https://www.mumble.com/mumble-download.php

[Dana]

Not at all for the sport biplane airplanes I fly.

Ditto.

[Doering]

Until my best friend died (a real world pilot/instructor), it was a way for us to get together and chat*, as well as explore the continent (occasionally the world) while connected via multiplayer, and to enjoy a semblance of flying. Health had grounded both of us, and he was in Dallas and I'm in Denver.

* We used free software called mumble: https://www.mumble.com/mumble-download.php
Great to hear that side of Flight Simulation!

[Eric Page]

I'm given to understand that airplane ownership or rental and a Sport or Full pilot's license has been known to cost just a 'wee' bit more than that - LOL
Have you ever considered flying an ultralight, or powered paragliding? Both are heaps of fun and much cheaper than traditional airplane ownership.

[2ndsegment]

As someone walked up behind me and said about two years after I began work at Douglas Aircraft. "See What I Mean?"

[Mayhemxpc]

I am going to amend and revise my previous post. For me as a pilot, my original comment stands. But, I have a different comment as a flight instructor, based on out chapter's flight simulator set up. (Long intro for one sentence.)

To introduce Young Eagles and rusty pilots to the fundamentals of flight and the interaction of flight controls -- before getting into the plane.

[2ndsegment]

I chose you to reply to as my parents were teachers and my sister also. I myself always tell people right away, I am not a teacher." But I recently realized I have "teacher emotions" I have genuine blood sweat and tears emotional tie to failure that I tried to support. There is no sense of loss or emptiness. So here is a hint for those who gloss over it. For someone who rode a motorcycle and is used to leaning and to passengers not leaning, The kind of simulator without a moving base "leans the wrong way!" I realized this at a contractor who was making a electronic warfare officer training aid with a junked real set of EWO gear driven by various prop electrical, mechanical, and pneumatic items. To give realistic scenarios a pilot console was built with a projector TV and a technician flew that setup as the pilot while a student was allowed to act out the EWO aspect.

As I stood behind the technician I was moved to say "it's rolling the wrong way!" But I held my peace and the group of engineers I was with did not learn my view. Do you understand this post? Probably not so I would suggest this cue. The McDonnell engineer simulator with a ball for display had a pilot seat that was fixed and had a g-cushion to give the seated "pilot" a prompt that he was making a pull on the stick. I considered a "differential g-cushion" that had two sides to the seat cushion to prompt the student which way the simulated aircraft was rolling. Then the glare shield would begin to roll in that direction and when the horizon seemed to roll the other way in contravention to the rules of inertia as if you could move the earth with your joy stick or yoke it would all be consistent as real pilots view things. I have kept this to myself as it is unnecessary on moving base simulators or even the 5-DOF on a boom with rolling pitching cab. QED

[Mayhemxpc]

Side to side motion simulates yawing, and particularly uncommanded or uncoordinated yaw, which are each extremely undesirable. No need for a rotating platform for that. Otherwise, in a properly coordinated turn, there is no perception of rolling, except for visual cues. there will be the g-load factor, but again, in a properly coordinated turn, that will be staring don, not to the side, as would be the case if the platform tipped. If the turn is to coordinated, then there will be a perceived imbalance, which can be simulated in a sidewise motion. Sideways motion can also be used to stimulate a sense of the "leans." This is particularly effective if combined with a hazy light from the side.

In my experience, sideways tipping of the platform generally produces an unrealistic sensory effect when simulating a coordinated rolling motion. However, a backward pitch does reasonable job of a "momentary" g loading. But this is all off topic.