realflight sim or wait for instructor
 

Hi all, I've posted a few times regarding the assembly of my first plane, a trainer, and received allot of help.

I've hooked up with a local club, talked to an instructor, and am going to get lessons.

I have a copy of Realflight, and started playing with it last night. I was thinking thinking this would give me a head start, but I'm wondering if I'm more likely to develop bad habits.

For example, I'm not sure how much to use the rudder in turns. I'm sure I could develop a reflex with enough hours of simulator time, that is not correct.

Well, should I hold off on the simulator until I have my first round with the instructor?

My wife and the kids are visiting her mother all day, I've got a day to myself, and was thinking while waiting on glue joints to dry I could use realflight....

I would ask the instructor, but I only have his work number, and I hate to see this day go to waste...

Thanks!

realflight sim or wait for instructor
 

Use the day. Just don't get carried away with rudder. :) :)

Start with G2
 

I'd say go for using G2. What ever bad habits you might pick up won't be ingrained because you'll only have a limited number of hours on the sim before you get out with your instructor.

In the club that I belong to, recently we've had newbies qualify for solo rating, not needing to fly with an instuctor on a buddy box, within a matter of weeks because of the stick time that they've had on simulators.

Good luck.

realflight sim or wait for instructor
 

GO for absolutely all of the time you can on the SIM. It makes things become second nature. (like turning the right direction when the plane is coming towards you) On a trainer, stay off of the rudder, you don't need it. (that comes from DESERT RATT)
I spend a lot of time on REALFLIGHT, I play with it flying different planes but it's really paid off for me.
And if I don't get on it, PAPA makes me. He says it's cheaper to crash the planes on the sim. then the real ones. And I can do any dumb thing i want to on the realflight. even crashing.

I have flown PAPA's PATTERN plane twice so far. And he made me land it also. Plus I landed my trainer two deadsticks today. It won't do a "STALL TURN" without the engine dying.


DESERT MOUSE (CODY)

realflight sim or wait for instructor
 

Thanks for the comments, that's the answer I was hoping for.

Also, thanks for the comments on the rudder, I wasn't sure about that.

Thanks again!

Rudder Use
 

Use the rudder? Don't use the rudder?

I introduce the rudder on the 3rd or 4th flight to new pilots. Some pilots handle the introduction well and others don't. If the individual doesn't respond well then introduction comes later. It always comes before learning to land however.

Throttle use is also included and intro pilots are instructed to leave the throttle at about 1/2 for general flying. Flying at full throttle does nothing but burn the fuel quickly.

Simulator use is a very good thing. It will teach you how to use the controls in a correct direction. Just remember there is no "reset" on the actual item! On the IMAC list (scale aerobatics) there were quite a number of reported expensive planes lost due to using a simulator and not changing gears when on the actual item.

I disagree with not using the rudder. At slow speeds the plane will react to rudder input with less drastic wing drop and less chance of a stall when lining up with the runway. (Large rudder throws are not needed and are a definite liability). :thumbup:

Answer to question: Use the elevator and ailerons first and then add the rudder once you are comfortable. Fly at about 200 feet up and start using the ailerons and rudder. You will see they are very different controls. Most instructions that are given that don't include rudder use are normally from an instructor that is not comfortable with it themselves. I have saved more than one plane when the ailerons gave out and the rudder only was used. Landings don't need to be made at ground zero. Up 50 or 100 feet until the student is comfortable will increase the learning curve and decrease the plane repairs.

"Push when inverted!"

EXCAP232

realflight sim or wait for instructor
 

While this answer may not be popular, but I recommend that you get all the time on the Sim you can. Be capable of flying all the planes and land them on the runway in all cases. You will find that you will learn a lot more good habits than bad!

realflight sim or wait for instructor
 

Use both! As much and as often as you can!
I'm an absolute newbie to this hobby too..I had my second day of instruction today. I've had a total of 6 "real" flights as of this afternoon, and on the second flight today, I sucessfully completed four landings and takeoffs. The last flight today was more of the same and the instructor didn't have to bail me out once!! I was in control of the plane from start to finish!

I'm sure the hundreds (if not thousands) of failed landings on RF have had something to do with what I accomplished this weekend at the field. I found that much to my surprise, "real" landing was easier than on the sim because I was able to judge my direction of travel and speed much easier IRL (In Real Life), than looking at a 17" chunk of RF land.

Also, if you can hook up with a good experienced instructior, you can get some practical knowledge that you just can't get on the simulator. Anytime you can play Martian Brain Sucker with someone who has had 20+ years behind the sticks you're bound to pick up a nugget or two that will save you rebuilding a plane at some time -- pay attention. Yesterday was a great example, a gustly little wind blew up at the field that kept most folks on the ground. Having driven 30 minutes out to the field, I was anxisious to get in the air. My instructor says, if you want to fly.we fly. As long as I had altitude, I was able to find out how wind affected the plane, it was immensley informative, and knowing that someone had my back, alot of fun. I didn't get to do any takeoffs or landings, but sometime down the road when it starts getting windy while I'm on my own, I won't panic (right away anyhow).

Wahooo!

realflight sim or wait for instructor
 

Real flight should hopefully help you with the control reversal. Wont help you fly the plane one bit but will definately put you ahead of the game. if your instructor is any good, he will teach you proper pattern procedure and common courtesy. Frankly, I have been flying 5 years now and most of my Hangar consist of very fast planes. I dont use rudder for anything but if you ever get an itch for aerobatics, rudder is a major player.

realflight sim or wait for instructor
 

DAVID,

Congratulations!! and welcome to the hobby. Flying in the wind can be fun. I love to see a plane "CRAB" in to a landing.

I'm a FIRM believer in REALFLIGHT or any other good flight simulator. I practice the PATTERN on it and as DESERT MOUSE has told you it's a requirement for him Since I'm the one whom foots the bill for wrecked planes. And All of the guys we fly with agree it has helped him immensely. We have an older gentleman who just started flying a few months ago, he couldn't shoot a landing, I mentioned the REALFLIGHT, He went out and bought the G-2 light. He had put his trainer in a couple of weeks ago and during the time it took him to rebuild it he practiced on R.F. He came out to the field last SATURDAY and did 10 landings, Not all great, not even good. He bounced most of them. (who doesn't beginning) But it gave him the confidence and courage to hit the runway.
And I mention the RUDDER thing out of experience! My instructor never told me anything about the RUDDER, and one weekend when he couldn't make it I went it alone, I decided to attempt a RUDDER turn.. Wrong thing to do with a high wing dihedrialed trainer!! It spun in. Now that I play with pattern maneauvers, I HAVE to use the rudder for correction. It will come when it's supposed to. MOST students have enough to think about just flying the plane, and not worrying about coupling non-essential inputs. (just my opinnion!)

DESERT RATT.

realflight sim or wait for instructor
 

I second Cyclic hardover with the rudder thing. i use aileron and elevator to turn, my rudder is used during aerobatics, and only sometimes on cross-wind landings (or for side-slipping a landing). Only a very few models need rudder to make a turn.

Of course, some people LIKE to use coordinated turns, but it is strictly a personal preference.

rudder use
 

I would take some flights and play around with the rudder to get used to how it works and what it does.
that way when you need it you will be comfotable with it.
set the wind in g2 to 90deg off the runway about 5mph and shoot landings useing rudder to help out.
but i wouldnt worry about it on your real plane until you are comfotable with useing it on the sim.

here is also something for the expierianced and new pilots to try in G2.

take the lt40 and make a copy to edit.
go to engine and take out all the downthrust and add 2.5 deg right.
exit out then add a few clicks up on the TX.
now take off, fly a figure 8, and land on the runway without touching the right stick.

you gain speed you "balloon" up and use the rudder to turn... but you balloon to far and you run out of airspeed and fall also you need to accelerate in the turns to keep altitude.

good practice for useing that left stick.

realflight sim or wait for instructor
 

I taught my self to fly with just the flight simulator. Probably have some bad habits but will work on them with time. I believe the hours and hours you can get on the simulator with different planes and conditions can only improve your reflexes and confidence.

About the rudder flying, I had practiced it by taking the 40 trainer in the package and modifying it to just having three controls (no ailerons) just for fun. Lucky for me I had the practice. Because on my first flight with my real trainer I hooked up the ailerons wrong (a good reason to have an instructor). When I got the plane up I immediately knew something was wrong and that the ailerons were not working according to plan, quick thinking allowed me to get the plane under control and on the ground without a major problem (nothing broken) although I didn't land on the runway it was all in one piece without any punctures. I credit this to the hours of training on the simulator.

Another thing you can do with some of the simulators is play around with all the flight characteristics of the airplanes so if you build one that is close to the ones they have simply clone them and change the weights, engines, etc. The only thing that is not too realistic is that the engines always seem to run perfect which has not been my experience at the field.

Good luck

Re: realflight sim or wait for instructor
 

For what its worth, my daughter when she was 9, wanted to learn to fly. So I had her train 20 minutes a day on the sim during the winter months.
Come spring, I took a trainer aircraft, took off and passed the TX to her and she was flying like she had been doing this for a long time. Better yet, she flew close and low because of the sim. It does work. But get an instructor anyway, because there is no reset button on the real thing.