learning to fly with yoke and pedals and ...

Hi,

My first post and a question:

My intention is start flying soon. Before i do that I intend to buy Flight Sim 2002 and read up on it and to get the yoke and rudder peripherals . From my own research I have read that many people believe this helps with flying.
Do you agree?
The second question is a bit more complicated since I can't upload the picture.
The yoke and pedals I have seen - 2nd hand - are CH products but are not the most recent ones. I will try and describe it.
It has been described as: CH Virtual Pilot Pro Pedals and single lever yoke. It looks cheap with grey plastic.
The shape is as follows: xR Rx
x Rx Rx x
x Rx Rx x
x xGxxxxxxxGxx x
x xxxxxxxxxxxx x
x xxxxxxxxxxxx x
x xx xx x
x xx xxx


Thats the best I could do.It has 3 red buttons (R) on both the left and right upper arms and 2 grey buttons(G) on the main panel.
If you understand what I have drawn and recognise it , do you think its worth getting? ( about $60-70 for both) Will it help with my learning to fly and is it realistic. The plane I think I'll be flying is the cessna 150.
Thanks for any help!

Hi,

There's a problem with using separate rudder controls in a flight simulator in that it's actually LESS realistic than not using them!

In reality, you can FEEL how much rudder to apply to counteract the pull of gravity on the pilot (you) as the plane banks in a turn. This becomes second nature - like riding a bicycle - and you don't have to think about it.

If you use separate controls to manage coordinated flight, you have to keep staring at the little ball thingy to keep in balance. This is not realistic, and detracts from important stuff like trying to maintain a constant altitude through the turn.

In advanced flying - such as attempting an approach in a stiff crosswind - separate controls are required. I have a sidewinder joystick with a twist-grip, which I can use for rudders if necessary, but most of the time I have the flight simulator control the rudders as this is more realistic. If I want to use uncoordinated flight for a landing, I tick the menu option as I enter the approach.

If you want pedals get pedals, but it won't increase your flying realism, and they're expensive. If you want to learn to fly, get a joystick with a built in rudder control.

Hope this helps,

Greg.