Navy Chief
Senior Member
Got some real-time flight sim navigation training last night....
Although I have been involved with flight simulation for many years, I have never taken the time to learn how to use the various navigation instruments. They were just pretty gauges on the screen that were mostly a mystery to me.
A few months back, I bought the Aerosoft "Andras Field" scenery. It's cool, because it is an ongoing project. Constantly changing, with free updates.
Anyway, the online flying at this scenery is through:
http://www.virtual-aviation.org/main/
They have a flight training part of the site, and I had my first lesson online last night. The instructor is a young 22 yr old, who is a flight instructor in Canada. We connected on Teamspeak first, and then talked via FSX once we were both online. That was awesome! It was a secure connection, so didn't have to worry about someone just "popping in".
We "flew" a CRJ700 from Ottawa to Toronto. He gave me instruction on navigation. Talked a good bit about the differences between real life flight instrumentation vs simulation; of which there is very little difference, actually.
He did the initial landing (with me handling the brakes). He then had me take off, circle around, and then land the jet myself. I was actually sweating, doing the landing! The technology is cool, because he could see what was on my monitor, as I could see his.
Here is the report he submitted to VAE:
Exercise: Pilot Navigation/Instrument Flying
Type of Lesson (Dual/Solo): Dual; Cross-Country – CYOW to CYYZ via YOW-VIE-YSO-CYYZ
Time Flown: 1.7
Landings: 2
Comments:
VOR: (used CRJ700 to shorten lesson time) Taught initial lesson on VOR interception/tracking basics, demonstrated effect of wind drift (ie tracking outbound YOW 258deg required crab angle of 263deg to offset drift, 285@24). Student demonstrated progress throughout the lesson, picking up the signs of drift faster as it happened. Student also demonstrated ability to tune and intercept new VOR and correct heading to next station. Instructor had to give mild input during the flight to notice drift and make suggestions on interception angle, but student quickly picked up the technique and required no further instructor input. Instructor demonstrated ILS approach at CYYZ on 06L
Overall Assessment: Next lesson (to take place in C-172) more VOR tracking/intercepting, and introduction to ILS approaches. OK for solo flight with VAE in VFR flight conditions ONLY. No solo IFR flying at this time.
Anyway, that was fun.
NC
Although I have been involved with flight simulation for many years, I have never taken the time to learn how to use the various navigation instruments. They were just pretty gauges on the screen that were mostly a mystery to me.
A few months back, I bought the Aerosoft "Andras Field" scenery. It's cool, because it is an ongoing project. Constantly changing, with free updates.
Anyway, the online flying at this scenery is through:
http://www.virtual-aviation.org/main/
They have a flight training part of the site, and I had my first lesson online last night. The instructor is a young 22 yr old, who is a flight instructor in Canada. We connected on Teamspeak first, and then talked via FSX once we were both online. That was awesome! It was a secure connection, so didn't have to worry about someone just "popping in".
We "flew" a CRJ700 from Ottawa to Toronto. He gave me instruction on navigation. Talked a good bit about the differences between real life flight instrumentation vs simulation; of which there is very little difference, actually.
He did the initial landing (with me handling the brakes). He then had me take off, circle around, and then land the jet myself. I was actually sweating, doing the landing! The technology is cool, because he could see what was on my monitor, as I could see his.
Here is the report he submitted to VAE:
Exercise: Pilot Navigation/Instrument Flying
Type of Lesson (Dual/Solo): Dual; Cross-Country – CYOW to CYYZ via YOW-VIE-YSO-CYYZ
Time Flown: 1.7
Landings: 2
Comments:
VOR: (used CRJ700 to shorten lesson time) Taught initial lesson on VOR interception/tracking basics, demonstrated effect of wind drift (ie tracking outbound YOW 258deg required crab angle of 263deg to offset drift, 285@24). Student demonstrated progress throughout the lesson, picking up the signs of drift faster as it happened. Student also demonstrated ability to tune and intercept new VOR and correct heading to next station. Instructor had to give mild input during the flight to notice drift and make suggestions on interception angle, but student quickly picked up the technique and required no further instructor input. Instructor demonstrated ILS approach at CYYZ on 06L
Overall Assessment: Next lesson (to take place in C-172) more VOR tracking/intercepting, and introduction to ILS approaches. OK for solo flight with VAE in VFR flight conditions ONLY. No solo IFR flying at this time.
Anyway, that was fun.
NC