With just three weeks to go until the official start of EAA AirVenture 2011 (http://www.airventure.org), many are already preparing for their annual pilgrimage to Oshkosh. The campgrounds were opened a week ago, allowing those staying at the airport a chance to pick out their favorite piece of turf. Many are in the final stages of planning their flights (if they haven't begun the trip already - people come from all over the world to enjoy the shows, the workshops and much more).
However, I wonder how many people take advantage of the opportunity to use the multiplayer option in FSX (or, to a different extent, in FS9) to practice procedures for one of the biggest weeks in aviation. The multiplayer experience, assuming a relatively well-run, professionalism-driven session, can help the pilot understand what to expect and what's to be expected (shameless plug: I often host a session at Oshkosh with this very goal in mind), as well as allow him or her to make master technique and clean up those approach skills without risk to life, limb or wallet. These sessions also help would-be controllers get accustomed to high-volume environments with tight airspace requirements.
Is practicing on FSX a substitute for real-world experience? No. Every pilot should still practice the Plan-Brief-Execute-Debrief approach. However, using FSX to work out some of the kinks before climbing into a real-world cockpit can help make things go a little smoother.
So, if you're planning to go to AirVenture this year, or even if you'd just like to fly around for a bit in the "world's busiest airspace", go fire up your FSX, get into a good multiplayer session, hop in your favorite plane and make the trip north. If nothing else, it'll get you excited for one of the most exciting events in modern aviation.
However, I wonder how many people take advantage of the opportunity to use the multiplayer option in FSX (or, to a different extent, in FS9) to practice procedures for one of the biggest weeks in aviation. The multiplayer experience, assuming a relatively well-run, professionalism-driven session, can help the pilot understand what to expect and what's to be expected (shameless plug: I often host a session at Oshkosh with this very goal in mind), as well as allow him or her to make master technique and clean up those approach skills without risk to life, limb or wallet. These sessions also help would-be controllers get accustomed to high-volume environments with tight airspace requirements.
Is practicing on FSX a substitute for real-world experience? No. Every pilot should still practice the Plan-Brief-Execute-Debrief approach. However, using FSX to work out some of the kinks before climbing into a real-world cockpit can help make things go a little smoother.
So, if you're planning to go to AirVenture this year, or even if you'd just like to fly around for a bit in the "world's busiest airspace", go fire up your FSX, get into a good multiplayer session, hop in your favorite plane and make the trip north. If nothing else, it'll get you excited for one of the most exciting events in modern aviation.