Hi All,
I picked up G2 at my local hobby store yesterday ($215 w/tax - ouch!) but after just an hour or two of flying the PT-40 around, I was hooked. I'm convinced that this is going to allow me to get my reflexes and eye-hand-stick coordination down ALOT sooner than just weekend flying and will likely save my trainer plane alot of pain and suffering as well (although I will certainly still use an instructor).

The program seems very realistic from what I can remember of the first lessons on my Eagle2 years ago. I tend to have the same problems in the sim that I did in my real flight training so they must be doing something right.

I am curious to try "Aerofly Pro" after reading some of the enthusiastic comments on this board. Has anyone out there used both?

As far as G2 goes, I have only 2 complaints (which are really more just observations than complaints):

1. I'm always getting disoriented with respect to where the runway is. I tried using the "glance at the runway key" but it didn't help that much.
2. The other thing I wrestle with is depth perception. When I think I'm lined up to land on the runway, I fly into the fence behind the runway. Is anyone else out there having this trouble. I suppose, as with anything, you eventually develop a "feel" for it - we'll see.

One other thing I should mention is be careful not to inadvertantly rest the transmitter box or your hands on the keyboard while your flying. I did this and accidently opened up something like 30 veiwport windows. I didn't realize there were 30 windows on top of each other and keep wondering why the window was not closing - and those 30 viewports slowed my computer down to a halt.

So with that problem fixed, today I went back to the hobby shop to check out the expansion packs and after flying the "Tracer" around for awhile, picked up expansion pack 3. If the real Tracer flies anywhere near as smooth as the simulation does, that'll be my 3rd plane (first a trainer, then a stick of some kind, then the Tracer). In many respects (at least on the sim) the Tracer was alot easier to fly than the PT-40!

Well time to do more practicing...
DB

Both of your observations are actually relevant to flying the real thing as well.

Keeping an eye on the runway out of the corner of your eye, especially while landing, when you don't want to take your eye off the plane is one of the more difficult things about flying. It's actually worse in the simulator, but that's not a bad thing, as, if you get the G2 right, you will probably do it right in real life.

The other thing you mentioned is even more lifelike. It's a fact that the model is further away than you think when you first fly. Many people try to land the other side of the runway!.

Again G2 helps you with this.

I bet you will find that, once you get the hang of landing on the simulator, the real thing will be a lot easier than if you went straight into flying your model.

G2 is great. It's even good when you get more advanced when you want to practice aerobatics.

Be assured that the time you spend on the simulator is definitely not wasted.

Good luck!
-David C.

Hi Don,
I've had RealFlight since it first came on the market, back then I thought RealFlight was the cats meow from the Dave Brown Sim I previously had.
Since I got RealFlight and steped up to G2 Interlink, Its made a world of differience. My flying has got 100 times better, I've moved up to a low wing plane faster and now am starting into Intermediate Aerbatics this flying season. Due to work schedule and family live my flying time has been cut drasticly. So I rely on my Sim when I can't fly at the field.
One thing to solve you orientation problem is to edit your flying field and use two plyon poles. Move these poles to the far corners of your flying field as far as they will go, then make them 50 % scale. They will help you figure out where your at . Then use your horizone or keep the tops of the trees at the bottom of your screen and fly just above them. Use these two thing and you'll fing the run way everything. Just gets getting alittle use to.
Your plane size maybe too small, so you might want to edit your plane and change it to 2.0 or 2.5 scale in the edit screen. Get there by pushing "E" on the key board.
Hope this helps you.
NEDYOB

I just got my G2 last week, one thing I do before I even take off is go to "view" then down to view ground and click it. To me it gives the same view impression as if your at the field. Runway is almost always in sight for oriantation. Bad part is, you dont have as good a picture on the plane, I have almost become board with flying the pt-40, now I add weather problems to spice things up.....try a 10 knot gusting to 12 or so.......the thing is almost like a kite. I try to...
A) land
B) see how long it will hover without power
C) try to hover backwards with just enough power to hold steady

Will see this weekend if the sim really helps flying the real thing.