janhawk92

I recently bought a GreatPlanes RealFlight G3 simulator and I work with it almost daily trying to be as good as I can get before buying my first plane. What is your opinion of the GreatPlains RealFlight G3 simulator? I have never flown a RC plane before so I don't know how the real thing compares to the simulator. How will I know if I can fly well enough on the simulator to fly the real thing? I know my first plane needs to be a trainer and thats what I am going to get but I would like to know when its time. When will it be the correct time in my progress to buy a trainer and try it? Thanks for helping a NEW guy!!
Mark

horace315

My Feedback: (15)

simulators are basically good for orientation,you will have an advantage over someone that hasn't had the use of it,but,don't try to let it take the place of a instructor.that would be your best assurance of not crashing your new trainer.the instructor will let you know where you are in your progress,some people take to flying these planes right off others need several months and longer.there is a lot of difference in a simulator and the actual thing you don't have the adrenaline pumping as hard,it is like driving a car on a video game then getting out in traffic in the real thing.nothing will take the place of a instructor.i used the g2 to orient my daughter with her trainer that helped her a lot but she took several months with an instructor,i think it would have taken her longer without the simulator.they are very good tools IMO.

RCKen

My Feedback: (9)

As Horace said, simulators are a good thing. But...... They can be a bad thing too. I've seen people pick up bad habits from simulators that have to actually be "un-learned" before they can be taught to fly.

Here's a list of some of the "bad" habits one can develop (but definitely not limited to just this list):
1) Failing to keep the plane straight during takeoff run.
2) Climbing out too steep.
3) Not maintaining a constant altitude while turning.
4) Turns that aren't smooth, too sharp, etc.
5) Forgetting that there is a left stick.
6) Not lining up with the runway during landing approach.
7) Using ailerons instead of rudder to make course corrections when landing.
8) Using the elevator to extend the landing when you realize you're short.
9) Failure to learn the signs that a plane is about to stall, and what to do to avoid it, or recover from it.

Now don't think that I'm saying to not use the simulator, because that's not what I'm saying. What I am trying to say is that if you are serious about learning to fly then use the simulator as a real training tool. Find and instructor and talk to him about what you want to do. If a simulator is used properly it can dramatically decrease the time that it take you to learn to fly. They also can be a great tool to improve your skills after you have learned to fly.

Hope this helps

Ken

Cyclic Hardover

My Feedback: (3)

Simulators are great but can give you a false sense of "proficiency." If you can get to flying that thing around real good and learning the control reversal and the rest of it, you'll be in good shape when you start off with an "INSTRUCTOR." Very few have succesfully gone from a simulator to flying on their own with no help but probably busted up the plane a few times or totalled it completely.

opjose

All of the above is excellent advice.

The instructor is a MUST.

The sim will cut down on the amount of time before you certify, quite a bit though. (three trips out for me... thanks to the sim.)

One of the things which caught me by surprise going from G3 to the real thing, were the takeoffs.

My real plane had a hard yaw and slight roll at takeoff that is not modeled in the sim. Ground handling is also very different and terrain dependant.
This and trimming/adjusting your first plane is where IMHO the instructor/training sessions are worth their weight in gold.

The sims don't teach you any of this.

bigtim

My Feedback: (13)

the real flight G-3 sim is awesome and I should have got one years ago .opjose has a good point ,the sim does not account for a out of trim plane or even gusty winds , although I have to add the sim also allows you to experiment with different moves and push your self with no consequence other than a sore reset thumb.
if your using the sim to get used to your radio and get the basics of flight your light years ahead of the curve and when it is flight time you will have a basic idea of what your doing.
the knock that you are going to develop bad habits, sorry, not buying it, a bad habit is something that puts someone in danger or crashes your plane for ya, when you do get your plane in the air your instructor will give you some basic advice that when using the sim later will help perfect your technique .
for some "proper technique " is only there way to fly and none other.
having learned in the 70's and come back a few years ago all I needed was a few refresher flights ,after using the NEXTAR sim and having my trainer properly trimmed for flight by a experienced pilot, I have been flying on my own ever since.
there are allot of ways to approach flying a RC plane most will work fine the bad habits you may pick up will soon be dropped as soon as you realize that they don't apply to the real thing, like jerking on the sticks for one.
my club also has formal flight certification, and informal flying they don't get all wound up on flight proficiency unless you want to earn your patches, some clubs wont even let you fly until you pass a barrage of tests and get your badge.
bottom line is get your trainer go to your local club ask for some help and see what actual skills you have developed with all this sim practice you may be surprised by your ability

wedgewing

Purchased the G3, and many of the add-ons as a new pilot just as you. Some of the other posters hit it right on the head, especially with the comment on lack of rudder training and reliance on elevators. I never had the delusion that the sim was going to be the same as putting the bird in the air, but it does help significantly on the control aspect of the plane flying toward you. The first time I flew when i tried the hobby years ago I made a nice go around until the plane faced me, went for correction using ailerons, and buried it. Did the same thing to my neighbor's yak 55 (that things was too goosy for me to start with) and we both shared a laugh.

The simulator helped me learn to use !QUOT!less!QUOT! control inputs, and I found that if I increased the throws to make flying a little more difficult I was able to work on problems before they got out of hand. Instead of trying to !QUOT!save the day!QUOT! with a heroic control change, I learned to change my flight path enough to get out of trouble, gain some altitude, maintain control, and use a series of maneuvers to get back on course.

I cannot believe that many of the planes fly as easy as they do on the G3, but some I have flown are really close. I flew a flat out that is very close to the simulation, but what you lose is the relationship you, your plane, and the ground have. there is a view option that lets you keep the ground in sight, and it provides a somewhat fish-eyed perspective, but also helps increase your ability to keep situational awareness.

Once you start flying, and your heart is pumping because you now realize this is completely different, you will love the real thing better. i now go back to the sim to help me work on what I am doing during the flight so I can become a better flyer. I was fortunate to have someone guide me through learning to fly, and while the sim helped me, i think it is more important to have at least someone there who has flown to get you through the initial flight stages. Planes cost more than they did years ago, and while it is inevitable that you are going to have an accident, you will have less with even minimal human instruction.

Winds failed to die tonight before dark, so the skies were not filled with two neighbors' planes chasing around. looks like it is a sim night tonight.

KP