So I stumbled upon the site last night at work while I recalled the words of one of the people from my old R/C club back in Alaska:"flying a sim is much more difficult than it is to fly in real life". Did a search, and found a thread or two here that more or less asks for the opinions of other (seasoned or otherwise) pilots on what they think about that sentiment.

But long story short, I've noticed a post or two that I've found to be a bit harsh toward a poster on whatever given subject, and though I don't agree with the sentiments in question, I have to question if those same sentiments are shared among the general populous here.

That being said, how do things work at your individual flying sites down here in the lower 48's? I realize that things differ from place to place and person to person, so go ahead and put in your two cents.

Back in Alaska, for example, with the Alaska Radio Control Society, I paid my dues, joined the AMA, and got access to the ARCSflying sites. 's really the only reason I had to join the club in the first place. As far as I know, we didn't have any "solo" requirements of any kind, nor did we enforce any real rules other than general common courtesy, and that you place your club IDin the frequency board to let others know that that frequency was taken.

So... what's up in your neck of the woods?

to quote: "I realize that things differ from place to place and person to person," that's pretty much how it is</p>

We have no real solo requirements, but an experience today may very well cause that to change. You can read about it in another thread if you'd like.

As far as sim vs. life, well I'd say it depends on who you ask and what aspect you're referring to.

Sims do not replicate nerves, people, sounds, birds on the strip, hawks chasing your plane, mid air collisions, glow engines being tuned behind you, girlfriends at the field hoping to see a few good crashes, etc.

Sims are a game, and you can hit a reset button. You can do things on a sim that can not be done in real life, things like extreme slow flight with certain planes, etc.

I think once you become an established pilot, the simulators restrictions become apparent. We get into some pretty complicated physics with our planes, and it's hard enough to describe them, let alone replicate them in a use friendly software interface.

To me, the sim seemed very easy at first and flying in real life was more challenging. Now, a sim is very crude (I have used a few different ones) and either holds me back or can teach me bad habits.

I fly a lot by feel, and a simulator simply does not feel like a real airplane, no matter how expensive it was.

Sims are a wonderful tool.</p>

A wrench is a wonderful tool too. But if you plan to rebuild an engine, a wrench is only one of the tools you need.</p>

Sims are a great way for a beginner to learn hand/eye coordination. It allows a student of our sport to do "Homework". In some respects, they are more difficult than the real thing, and in other respects they are easier. The bottom line is, they are not the same as real flying, but they DO help the student to learn. </p>

They should not be used instead of an instructor, they should be used in conjuntion with an instructor.</p>