Ok I have been trying to go out and fly my new plane since I got it,But it has Rained every day and itlooks like it is going to keep raining for the next 3 or4 days! So I have decided to invest in a RC Flight Simulatorwith Remote! For those days that I cannot fly b/c of weather!

Are they Worth The Investment and do they actually help you learn?
What Type of Simulator should I get?

Simulators are one of the best tools out there. While they are no substitute for an instructor, they ARE a great way to practice your hand/eye coordination.

Think about it - You go to the field with your instructor, get maybe 3 or 4 flights in (if you're lucky), then you go home and think about what you learned until next week's lesson (Providing it doesn't rain next week)

OR...

You go to the field with your instructor, get  3 or 4 flights in, then you go home and practice what you learned for a week.

As for what kind to get, they are all good. They have slight differences from each other, but you really can't say that any one is better than the other. Personally, I don't think anyone NEEDS the super high-end graphics of the expensive SIMs, but they ARE nice to look at. So if money is an issue, you can just buy one of these:

http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...XSJR9&P=ML

And download the FMS flight simulator for free. (Note: FMS does not work with Windoze Vista - but then, what DOES?  )

[quote]ORIGINAL: MinnFlyer

(Providing it doesn't rain next week

Hey MinnFlyer

It don't rain in Indianapolis, hummm don't rain in Michigan either. I use the sims to practice a certain maneuver i.e., Flat spin, when I can do it without having to set the reset button all the time, then I try it at the field. No reset button there.

A Simulator is an excellent way of keeping in practice. I used FS One and it was a great tool. Every evening I flew atleast for an hour. It helped a lot to keep my memory fresh and my reflexes (and doing the correct stick movements with the reflexes) quick. I flew a different kind of plane for 10 minutes in that hour. For example I would start of with a Mustang...fly that for a while...then fly a Corsair...then I'll fly with the Edge...etc etc you get the idea. I found that flying the different planes on the sim kept my mind sharp - because for instance the Corsair on the sim bounces easier than the Edge. Things like that. The great thing about the sim is you can adjust the wind etc.

Like Minn said - it's not a substitute - but it is great for keeping yourself in good practise.

Just don't buy a peace of junk that you will get tired of in a few days. Sims are a great tool but you get what you pay for cheap is what it is . I have the G4.5 and every on around here loves it, It is not a toy If used right.

I still have G-2 and use it once in a while when learning something new or going over a sequence to get it locked into my brain. For the most part it doesn't get used very often. Today I will turn it on and freshen up my brain and fingers doing rolling circles then tomorrow I will go out and do them for real. It's a lot cheaper then learning something at the field, the crashed planes just pop up and reset. They are good leaning tools.

ok Ihave windows Vista So what flight simulator does work on this cruddy system

I have the Realflight G4.5.  I love it.  I used to fly a PT60 and I will have a new one in the air in a couple of weeks.  The first one I flew was back in the 80's so I realize I am a beginner again.  But what I do know is that the PT40 in Realflight has very similar flight characteristics to the real a/c.  And when you load a differant bird you can really tell the differance.  Flying the P51 or a Jet on the Sim is so differant from my PT40.  And you see and feel the differance with the Sim.  Buy it!!!  They are a great tool for learning.  I will be adding the expansion pack that has my next plane (Tiger 60) before I consider flying it for real.  I have a question...you do have a guy with a buddy box to help yoy, right? 

I have Vista as well on my laptop.

200 bucks for Realflight and 25 for the expansion packs.  I think it was money well spent.  My wife calls it my "game". 

Hey buddy Fsone works great on my laptop with vista... by the way it's only 100 bucks instead of 200 because no more packs or anyting are being produced but it IS one of the high end sims and has always competed with realflight

I have a very old puter, a gateway 486, I had windows 98 and it worked just fine, I had to upgrade my video card though. I have windows XP now it it still works fine.

The Expansion packs are free to download at Great Planes. Except for the new one, 6.

get a spad, old engine, stand under a shed or something so your tx doesnt get wet and fly in the rain.
just make sure your servo's are in the plane and you have decent visibility.
you could do it w/ a balsa plane. you just have to make sure your balsa isnt getting wet and can dry if it does.

I think i have narrowed it down to Realflight G4.5 or Fs1 not to sure but I will know tommorw when I go buy it lol

hey buddy. both great sims... but save 150 dollars and get fs one if you're on a budget, many argue that Fsone has the most realistic physics anyways... although realflight has more planes and night flying and stuffl ike that but you won't be bored with fs one it's a lot of fun and really does help you out