IFR Simulators

[Bullet Remington]

I visited a couple of flight schools a couple of months back, and two of them had IFR training sims that were connected to a "normal?" PC. They had the yoke, pedals and power/prop levers and stuff. Looked close to the real deal!

Both CFI''s stated that TC had approved these thingies for IFR training.

Have anybody else seen these things? Anybody used them? Opinions??

Anybody know just where they get them and the price?? If they have any merit at all, I''d love to pick one up to play silly bugger with.

The least they could do is tie up the computer a little longer so the Queen of the West don''t bother me!!

God I hate building walls in the basement! Wonder what she has in mind with that small, windowless room???

 

[Bruised Armpit]

Bullet: Yes you can get an installation certified....here is what I have heard.

It has to be certified on site and has to have a second monitor which can be turned off for the student so they don''t see what the instructor is doing when he/she sets them up with failures, etc. As for the flight controls...you can buy some. I know that for heli flight controls you can modify a cheap joystick and buy a set of rudder pedals and you a set. Airplanes would only be easier.(I assume)
MS FlighSimulator 2002 has an intructor/dual monitor support (I have been told).
When I get bored I may take a crack at one for fun....I like to tinker!

 

[acrodisiac]

ASA sells the PCATD for US$2,700.00 (Without CPU & monitor). It is the one often used by flight schools and it is legit.
Personnally I don''t like it, although it does all the right things. A clever little throttle interface allows it to be rigged for SE or ME , complex or simple, very neat. What I don''t care for is the monitor display of instruments. They are not "life size" and the bug and setting dials are on a glareshield type panel, so the physical interface isn''t quite life like to me.
I feel a little more at home in an old AT810. Clunky but life like.
For the price MS2002 Flight sim does a great job of procedure training but stick and rudder flying qualites are sickly. Stick with the autopilot.

 

[Bullet Remington]

Thanks most kindly for the feedback, preshaded!

I've never had a go at the computer based training, but I can certainly appreciate the thoughts on the AT810! Played silly booger with that one quite a bit!

Wonkiest sim I ever played with was the CF104. Never could get the hang of landing with that one. Always popped the chute 25 feet underground! Fortunately, I wasn't flying fighters for a living!


Thanks again, I'll have to give those things a shot to see if they are worth spending the coin on. Anybody else have any opinions on the computer based trainors??

BA - I'll let you have a go at setting those things up! If it don't have a rivet or an AN fitting on it, I leave it for the coneheads! Takes half hour of "provacative encouragement" for me to get this puter to come close to working!

 

[YYB Pilot]

I am glad this conversation showed up.
Our flight school is currently interested in purchasing a new simulator, however money is lack due to students!
But are interested anways.
So if I understand correctly and can anyone point out in the CARs a reference to it.
If we got a new computer, installed Flight Simulator 2002 Pro or 2004CofF, got the USB yoke and pedals from CH Products and two monitors, one for student other for instructor, the Sim is certified by TC?
If so that be SWEET!!

 

[Bullet Remington]

YYB:

For the sim requirements, for TC certification the info is all located in TC publication # TP9685E.

If ya go into www.tc.gc.ca go to site search and enter flight simulators. The site you want has a listing for a whole hockey sock full of manuals.

Don't know if you can go direct but the whole address should look something like this:

www.tc.gc.ca/aviation/commerce/manuals/01simmanuale-/default.htm

Have fun, and do let me know just how you made out, please.

BR

 

[R1830]

I haven't spent time in one recently but I sort of remember most simulators, both nice sit in ones..Frasca..ATC, etc, at least the ones that don't model a specific type(no experience with the Hi tech Boeing deals from CAE)..anyway, the flying qualities of all of them were a little suspect. I figured that was half the fun, gets your scan going cause they don't fly quite like they should. Flightsim 2000/2/4 is a bit off too, but handfly that for a bit and you'll be good with scan and procedures, thats what a sim is there for anyway.

 

[Double Wasp]

Hey Bullet,
If you want to try something a little difficult on Flight Sim 2004, Fly the DC-3, Take off, retract the gear, go to the spot plane view from behind and try and make the tailwheel touch without crashin. It accomplishes nothing but with a few Kokanee in ya it can pass a couple of hours pretty quick.
DW