Landing is typically one of the last things that instructors teach their students. I usually start my students at a high altitude and simply ask them to make turns to the right or left, your choice, maintaining the same altitude. Since we're dealing with a simulator here a high atitude isn't necassary since we don't have to worry about destroying an airplane.

Take off, get to a comfortable altitude and trim your plane for straight and level flight - once at altitude and trimmed hit the 'P' on your keyboard. In G4 that will set the airplane position, so that each time you crash your plane it will return to that same position. Then practice making turns. Add a little aileron right or left, your chouce, and at the same time add in some throttle and/or up elevator to maintain altitude and to keep the nose from falling. Once you've made the turn and want to return to straight and level flight, add opposite aileron, and/or reduce the throttle and return the elevator to neutral to return to straight and level flight. You'll see that the plane will not immediately stop turning and it'll take time to stop turning. You'll eventually learn to "lead" the plane and start the process of returning to level flight at the proper time to make a 90, 180 and 360 degree turns. With time and practice, you'll begin to make "square" turns. You should never expect your plane to return to straight and level flight on it's own, that's not "flying" your own plane.

Setting the airplane position by hitting the 'P' on your keyboard will eliminate the need to always have to take-off and climb to altitude before beginning your turn practice. Once you have the turns down then you can start practicing your landings ... you'll find it much easier to line up with the runway and fly the pattern. Using the 'P' to set the airplane position (once lined up with the runway) will also help you practice transistioning from flight to ground without having to take-off fly the pattern and then line up your landing.


Don't feel bad about how much time you spend practicing ... I've had students that have taken years to get to the landing phase of thier training. I've also had students that have mastered it in days. Everyone's different.

Good luck.