Practicing landings with G4 and need tips
06-24-2008, 12:37 PM
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Practicing landings with G4 and need tips
I'm practicing landings at Evergreen airport on Real Flight G4 over and over and over again and having trouble being consistent with my height at certain points of each attempt.
For an experienced rc flyer, at about what height should I strive for at the downwind leg, base leg, and beginning of the final approach.
Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks.
For an experienced rc flyer, at about what height should I strive for at the downwind leg, base leg, and beginning of the final approach.
Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks.
06-24-2008, 01:05 PM
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RE: Practicing landings with G4 and need tips
I found it hard to line up and land at the beginning of the runway on a sim because of the limited field of view. It was much easier when actually flying on a buddy box being able to use my peripheral vision. I wouldn't sweat it too much if you can still land them.
06-24-2008, 01:09 PM
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RE: Practicing landings with G4 and need tips
don't worry about being exact with the simm, just keep practicing and practicing. When you are flying the real thing not every landing or approach is the same, way too many variables. I have G4 as well and too me it just warms up the thumbs and is for training, but when flying the wind is real and I still get nervous once in a while. You can never have enough practice on the simm and in real life. It really does help you with the proper correction without misshap. Long winded, hope it helps.
06-24-2008, 01:17 PM
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RE: Practicing landings with G4 and need tips
ORIGINAL: Wilki01
don't worry about being exact with the simm, just keep practicing and practicing. When you are flying the real thing not every landing or approach is the same, way too many variables. I have G4 as well and too me it just warms up the thumbs and is for training, but when flying the wind is real and I still get nervous once in a while. You can never have enough practice on the simm and in real life. It really does help you with the proper correction without misshap. Long winded, hope it helps.
don't worry about being exact with the simm, just keep practicing and practicing. When you are flying the real thing not every landing or approach is the same, way too many variables. I have G4 as well and too me it just warms up the thumbs and is for training, but when flying the wind is real and I still get nervous once in a while. You can never have enough practice on the simm and in real life. It really does help you with the proper correction without misshap. Long winded, hope it helps.
I suggest getting used to how the plane feels at different levels of throttle; practice flying really, really slow, making turns, keeping consistent elevation. Practice using some rudder. Really just get to the point where you don't think about what direction to move the sticks, just keep flying until it feels natural. Rudder seems to take the longest in this aspect, probably because most people don't use it as much as they could. Also try flying in 5 to 10mph wind conditions.
06-24-2008, 01:38 PM
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RE: Practicing landings with G4 and need tips
It helps a LOT to use a 3D airfield instead of a 2D photofield.
Place cones or pylons at the end of the runway to help your alignment and to keep you focused on picking up the visual cues and attitudes, etc. for landing.
Also you may want to put up a pylon or two and practice making circles and figure eights around them.
You'll find it hard at first due to lack of depth perception ( something which can be cured with 3D shutter glasses with G3/G4! ), but eventually you'll learn how to do all of this without 3D depth cues.
Once you do, you'll find that you'll have NO problems getting things lined up at the field as a result.
Also practice flying the plane so that it is merely a spec in the sky. So you CANNOT see it's orientation.
This will teach you to learn how to fly w/o being able to see the plane well... a very important capability!
Place cones or pylons at the end of the runway to help your alignment and to keep you focused on picking up the visual cues and attitudes, etc. for landing.
Also you may want to put up a pylon or two and practice making circles and figure eights around them.
You'll find it hard at first due to lack of depth perception ( something which can be cured with 3D shutter glasses with G3/G4! ), but eventually you'll learn how to do all of this without 3D depth cues.
Once you do, you'll find that you'll have NO problems getting things lined up at the field as a result.
Also practice flying the plane so that it is merely a spec in the sky. So you CANNOT see it's orientation.
This will teach you to learn how to fly w/o being able to see the plane well... a very important capability!
06-24-2008, 01:48 PM
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RE: Practicing landings with G4 and need tips
I use the sims to work on my stick movement and orientation mostly. I've found that the landing on the sim is not that well simulated as it is in real world. For one, your field of view is not the same. Also, the wind simulation in G4 is constant. You set it at 9mph at a certain heading, it's ALWAYS 9mph in that heading. In the real world, that doesn't happen.
At my field, our wind has turbulence and the plane will always act accordingly (Jittery on landings), so you constantly need to adjust with ailerons and rudder. Here is a little video of me messing around sorry i've only been flying couple months so still learning but you can see in the end, how the plane reacts to the wind... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VpXWc0pAayI
I practiced my lands on G4, then I showed up at the field and it was not the same experience.
what the G4 DID help me with was orientation. When I was coming in for landings at the field, I knew that the controls reverse, G4 helped me a lot in that regard. I practice my orientations on the G4 a lot and now hardly think about what move to do, it just comes naturally.
At my field, our wind has turbulence and the plane will always act accordingly (Jittery on landings), so you constantly need to adjust with ailerons and rudder. Here is a little video of me messing around sorry i've only been flying couple months so still learning but you can see in the end, how the plane reacts to the wind... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VpXWc0pAayI
I practiced my lands on G4, then I showed up at the field and it was not the same experience.
what the G4 DID help me with was orientation. When I was coming in for landings at the field, I knew that the controls reverse, G4 helped me a lot in that regard. I practice my orientations on the G4 a lot and now hardly think about what move to do, it just comes naturally.
06-24-2008, 02:00 PM
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RE: Practicing landings with G4 and need tips
ORIGINAL: n19htmare
I use the sims to work on my stick movement and orientation mostly. I've found that the landing on the sim is not that well simulated as it is in real world. For one, your field of view is not the same. Also, the wind simulation in G4 is constant. You set it at 9mph at a certain heading, it's ALWAYS 9mph in that heading. In the real world, that doesn't happen.
I use the sims to work on my stick movement and orientation mostly. I've found that the landing on the sim is not that well simulated as it is in real world. For one, your field of view is not the same. Also, the wind simulation in G4 is constant. You set it at 9mph at a certain heading, it's ALWAYS 9mph in that heading. In the real world, that doesn't happen.
Try setting them to 40% for a more real world configuration.
ORIGINAL: n19htmare
At my field, our wind has turbulence and the plane will always act accordingly (Jittery on landings), so you constantly need to adjust with ailerons and rudder.
At my field, our wind has turbulence and the plane will always act accordingly (Jittery on landings), so you constantly need to adjust with ailerons and rudder.
If your field has a plateau ( which ours does ) you can set an emitter off one end of a runway to get some very realistic up/down drafts... the kind that hit you at the worst possible time and cause the plane to buck up, down and around with a degree of randomness.
ORIGINAL: n19htmare
I practiced my lands on G4, then I showed up at the field and it was not the same experience.
I practiced my lands on G4, then I showed up at the field and it was not the same experience.
The default settings give you an ideal day with little to no winds and/or constant winds.
06-24-2008, 04:09 PM
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RE: Practicing landings with G4 and need tips
Trun off the auto zoom.
Put flags at both end of the run way or 50- 100 ft beyound the run way. When making landing aprroches..have the model directly flying over
the flag. That's how I line up consistanly when flying at my real flying field.
I stand on a line that's been chalked to both flags.
That what my instructor told me what to do...since he went to the trouble of laying down a chalk line and putting up flags.
My model lands 15'-20' in front of me every time.
Put flags at both end of the run way or 50- 100 ft beyound the run way. When making landing aprroches..have the model directly flying over
the flag. That's how I line up consistanly when flying at my real flying field.
I stand on a line that's been chalked to both flags.
That what my instructor told me what to do...since he went to the trouble of laying down a chalk line and putting up flags.
My model lands 15'-20' in front of me every time.
06-24-2008, 04:13 PM
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RE: Practicing landings with G4 and need tips
ORIGINAL: flyX
Trun off the auto zoom.
Put flags at both end of the run way or 50- 100 ft beyound the run way. When making landing aprroches..have the model directly flying over
the flag. That's how I line up consistanly when flying at my real flying field.
I stand on a line that's been chalked to both flags.
That what my instructor told me what to do...since he went to the trouble of laying down a chalk line and putting up flags.
My model lands 15'-20' in front of me every time.
Trun off the auto zoom.
Put flags at both end of the run way or 50- 100 ft beyound the run way. When making landing aprroches..have the model directly flying over
the flag. That's how I line up consistanly when flying at my real flying field.
I stand on a line that's been chalked to both flags.
That what my instructor told me what to do...since he went to the trouble of laying down a chalk line and putting up flags.
My model lands 15'-20' in front of me every time.
Yup this helps immensely!
You end up learning NOT to rely soley on depth perception, but rather other visual cues, such as alignment to an object, flag, etc.
It makes you a much better flyer.
06-24-2008, 05:11 PM
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RE: Practicing landings with G4 and need tips
Also try adjusting the camera's setting in the setting's option. while in photo scene mode.
Increase minimum field of view and the camera's delay.
This will allow the model to drift off of center of the screne horizontally more, therefore making it harder for your brain to adjust . It'll enhance
a more realistic feel. It'll also give you a greater field of view.
You won't get a close up view of a model very often...but i don't buzz my head in real life either
If you leave it on keep ground in view...it'll look like the model is flying in a bubble when flying over head or at higher
altitude.....becuase the camera gose into auto zoom out.
You can also tried adjsuting the runway in photofield, enlarge it or bring it slighty closer to you.
Increase minimum field of view and the camera's delay.
This will allow the model to drift off of center of the screne horizontally more, therefore making it harder for your brain to adjust . It'll enhance
a more realistic feel. It'll also give you a greater field of view.
You won't get a close up view of a model very often...but i don't buzz my head in real life either
If you leave it on keep ground in view...it'll look like the model is flying in a bubble when flying over head or at higher
altitude.....becuase the camera gose into auto zoom out.
You can also tried adjsuting the runway in photofield, enlarge it or bring it slighty closer to you.
06-24-2008, 06:17 PM
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RE: Practicing landings with G4 and need tips
ORIGINAL: n19htmare
I use the sims to work on my stick movement and orientation mostly. I've found that the landing on the sim is not that well simulated as it is in real world. For one, your field of view is not the same. Also, the wind simulation in G4 is constant. You set it at 9mph at a certain heading, it's ALWAYS 9mph in that heading. In the real world, that doesn't happen.
At my field, our wind has turbulence and the plane will always act accordingly (Jittery on landings), so you constantly need to adjust with ailerons and rudder. Here is a little video of me messing around sorry i've only been flying couple months so still learning but you can see in the end, how the plane reacts to the wind... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VpXWc0pAayI
I practiced my lands on G4, then I showed up at the field and it was not the same experience.
what the G4 DID help me with was orientation. When I was coming in for landings at the field, I knew that the controls reverse, G4 helped me a lot in that regard. I practice my orientations on the G4 a lot and now hardly think about what move to do, it just comes naturally.
I use the sims to work on my stick movement and orientation mostly. I've found that the landing on the sim is not that well simulated as it is in real world. For one, your field of view is not the same. Also, the wind simulation in G4 is constant. You set it at 9mph at a certain heading, it's ALWAYS 9mph in that heading. In the real world, that doesn't happen.
At my field, our wind has turbulence and the plane will always act accordingly (Jittery on landings), so you constantly need to adjust with ailerons and rudder. Here is a little video of me messing around sorry i've only been flying couple months so still learning but you can see in the end, how the plane reacts to the wind... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VpXWc0pAayI
I practiced my lands on G4, then I showed up at the field and it was not the same experience.
what the G4 DID help me with was orientation. When I was coming in for landings at the field, I knew that the controls reverse, G4 helped me a lot in that regard. I practice my orientations on the G4 a lot and now hardly think about what move to do, it just comes naturally.
My G4 has turbulence. You have to dial it up, but then, you have to adjust the wind from 0mph too.
Also, if you watch the windsock, you'll notice that the wind shifts left and right. No it doesn't change direction radically. But it shifts as much as the wind shifted today at our field. Which is to say, it's average direction never changed but the sock did shift some.
06-24-2008, 08:46 PM
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RE: Practicing landings with G4 and need tips
Also, if you watch the windsock, you'll notice that the wind shifts left and right. No it doesn't change direction radically. But it shifts as much as the wind shifted today at our field. Which is to say, it's average direction never changed but the sock did shift some
The old saying is true: "If you don't like the weather in Vermont, wait a minute!"
06-25-2008, 04:28 AM
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RE: Practicing landings with G4 and need tips
ORIGINAL: flyX
Trun off the auto zoom.
Put flags at both end of the run way or 50- 100 ft beyound the run way. When making landing aprroches..have the model directly flying over
the flag. That's how I line up consistanly when flying at my real flying field.
I stand on a line that's been chalked to both flags.
That what my instructor told me what to do...since he went to the trouble of laying down a chalk line and putting up flags.
My model lands 15'-20' in front of me every time.
Trun off the auto zoom.
Put flags at both end of the run way or 50- 100 ft beyound the run way. When making landing aprroches..have the model directly flying over
the flag. That's how I line up consistanly when flying at my real flying field.
I stand on a line that's been chalked to both flags.
That what my instructor told me what to do...since he went to the trouble of laying down a chalk line and putting up flags.
My model lands 15'-20' in front of me every time.
I see Simulation/Edit Airport menu but can't find a flag object. How do you add objects, and the flag specifically, in G4?
Thanks.
06-25-2008, 06:00 AM
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RE: Practicing landings with G4 and need tips
I figured it out. Just couldn't find the flag objects which were listed under Events heading in the object pallete.
So, for anyone interested in doing this, go to menu Simulation/Edit<current airport>, click in the Folder Listing window the word Objects, then in the Object Palette, click Real Flight G4, then under that expand Events and click on Flag 1. The flag will then appear on the airport image and you can drag it to the position you want. You can hit the + button to zoom in for finer detail.
So, for anyone interested in doing this, go to menu Simulation/Edit<current airport>, click in the Folder Listing window the word Objects, then in the Object Palette, click Real Flight G4, then under that expand Events and click on Flag 1. The flag will then appear on the airport image and you can drag it to the position you want. You can hit the + button to zoom in for finer detail.
06-25-2008, 01:15 PM
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RE: Practicing landings with G4 and need tips
ORIGINAL: cappaj1
I'm practicing landings at Evergreen airport on Real Flight G4 over and over and over again and having trouble being consistent with my height at certain points of each attempt.
For an experienced rc flyer, at about what height should I strive for at the downwind leg, base leg, and beginning of the final approach.
Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks.
I'm practicing landings at Evergreen airport on Real Flight G4 over and over and over again and having trouble being consistent with my height at certain points of each attempt.
For an experienced rc flyer, at about what height should I strive for at the downwind leg, base leg, and beginning of the final approach.
Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks.
When I am doing pattern work I pick a certian height when the plane( on downwind ) crosses where I am standing on the runway. The height is whatever you are comfortable with. Too high and your downwind will be really long. So I pick a height and fly the pattern, keeping the nose down but not too much. fly the pattern and turn your base and final, nose still down and check where the plane spots on the runway. If you are long then you can extend your downwind to compensate. If short turn your downwind sooner. So the actual height of the downwind is whatever you are comfortable with ect. I like about 150 feet in the downwind for my normal planes, sticks and warbirds. Racers I like all the altitude I can get when the engine shuts down and I fly circles until I know that I have the runway made and then come in for my final approach.
Keep practicing. I have been flying for 8 years and still spend lots of time in the pattern doing touch and goes ect.
Richard
