That G3 simm looks like it could teach a hell of a lot. If I was to get one it may be another 6mos. or a year until I could get the first plane for my 12 year old son. He says get the simulator (and he is excited about flying). What do you think?

Simulators are a tremendous help. They will give you a good idea of how the real thng works. Even if you become real good at it, don't let that foolyou into trying a plane by yourself because if you do, you will be in for a rude awakening. Even if you fly a simulator for a couple months, you will be in good shape when you go up for the first time and it will help speed up your solo time.

Simulators are an excellent tool to help you, not only starting out, but as you progress also. While many of them are very good and realistic, THEY WILL NOT TEACH YOU HOW TO FLY.

They will definitely speed up your learning and solo time though, however, you will still need an instructor.

If you want to buy G3 Make sure your computer system meets the minimum requirements. It requires a high end vidio card for maximum performance. Also give the Areo Fly Pro sim a look.

Absolutely!!! No brainer!!!!

Take a look at the Aerofly Pro too. It's at least as good as G3 and less money. They advertise here on RCU.
Dennis-

A simulator is a great investment. I bought mine before my first plane. It helped me decide if I wanted to go ahead and take the plunge. As said, it will not teach you to fly, but it will help you learn the basic thumb/finger tip moves you will need. I still use mine during periods of bad weather, or if I want to start practicing new flight manuvers.

I guess I will be the odd man out. I say get a plane instead of the simulator.

a simulator is a great tool and can help make you a better pilot, but a plane is IMHO a much better investment and a whole lot more fun.

Definitely get a sim. You can crash as many planes as you want on the sim and you won't feel the least bit remorseful.

definitely get the sim first. i've had the sim for 6 months now and i have learned, and crashed, alot. i'm going to get my first plane in a couple of weeks and having been practicing on the sim i feel much more confident about "doing it for real."

Definitely get the sim first! Here are my reasons...

1) You can see how you like RC planes and/or helis before you make a larger investment to actually buy one (and buy all of the support equipment necessary for it)!
2) You can get much more experience for your time and money... crashes cost nothing and your plane is rebuilt instantly by hitting the space bar!
3) Once you get so you can consistantly take-off and land in the sim, you will probably be able to solo after only a few flights/sessions with an instructor when you get your real plane (I did).

Flying a real plane will be different, but most of the things newbies need to learn, you can learn very effectively using the simulator. Just keeping perspective on the controls when the plane is flying: away from you, towards you, inverted & away from you , inverted & towards you, overhead, etc. will take some time, and the sim will teach you this quite well. Learning how to make turns, do loops, rolls, snap rolls, etc. will also be easily learned in the sim. Turn some wind and gusts on in the sim for a little more realism once you've mastered things without it.

Sim first, plane next, repairs last

I`m with kingwoodbarney and a couple of others. No brainer. Sim first.

Not only will it give you a good grounding (it won`t teach you to fly), but if your son decides he`s not as interested as he thought, it`s still there as a video game for a rainy day. G2`s are going cheap right now, and as somebody else said, the G3 required a top end video card which your computer may not have.

Another tip is go to the aerodynamics forums and read up on how flight controls operate before trying the sim. At least then you`ll have an idea why you`re moving which sticks where.

Often overlooked is the fact that a name brand simulator has resale value. When I got to where I wasn't using Realflight G2 a couple of years ago, I traded it for a kit built Something Extra complete w/ 50 size motor. You may not do as well, but you can recoup a significant part of the purchase price later.

BTW - I also bought the simulator first, then soloed on my second day at the field. Been on my own for 4+ years now. I think this is a great way to get into the hobby.

Live long, and prosper
Jerry L. Gubka

I disagree with the comment...."It won't teach you to fly." I purchased G2 Lite and practiced for approximately 4 months before taking my trainer to the field. After having an experienced pilot take my plane up and trim it out, I took over the controls and proceeded with 7 touch-and-go's on my first flight. Then after only five trips to the field with my trainer, I was a little bored and decided to move up big time. I then built a H9 Funtana 90 and followed the same process as I did with my first plane by having an experienced pilot trim it out. I will tell you that there is nothing more exciting than watching peoples faces when you arrive at the field with a 3D plane and tell them that this is only your 7th time to fly. I got many negative comments from the old timers about how a computer can only teach you so much, but after they watched me fly ( I assume they thought they would help pick up the pieces) they seemed to have a little more respect. I know not everyone will have the same experiences as me, but I also believe that if someone is capable of flying and landing all of the planes on the simulator with total confidence, then they will have a perfect solo flight their first day with minimal help. I will suggest that you let the instructor make the final decision whether you are ready or not to land. Good luck.....with your new hobby!!

Sims are great, they teach you a lot and will speed up the learning curve a ton. If money is tight, there are free sims that will do the same thing and you can get the plane too. You can find used to help you with the price of stuff and get into it a lot cheaper. Depends on your goals.

Personally, if it were me, I would say get a good plane (.40 size) and a good radio with a buddy box and a good engine and join a club, get a good instructor and fly. The sim is good, but your son will tire of it very quickly if he really wants the plane. I use mine a ton to learn new stuff for the heli, but hardly ever use it for fun any more.

Just my 2 cents.

Sims are helpfull but are not a replacement for a real trainer. The problemes being no matter what people say the sims are not highly realistic. Also their is no fear involved. I can easily do all sorts of crazy stuff on my sim that I would not even attempt in my trainer. By all means get the sim and use in conjunction with a trainer.