What sort of pilot are you?

HeyTomtheTank...When I first started a couply months ago I was just a lousy pilot....LOL

Now with some practice I mostly fly the C139 all over the US going from AirBase to Airbase..I usually haul troops,sometimes supplies..Always though I give my passengers the flight of their life.. To be remembered...

When time is short for me I like to captain my King Air around the Hawaiin Islands transporting vacationers from island to island.....Think I will go do that now ..Must leave in an hour and a half to take my two daufgters to Carrowinds...A paromont theeme park in Charlotte North Carolina..... See Ya.....Mason

tomthetank wrote:

😀 RadarMan got me thinking(so blame him)
What sort of pilot are you?Do you fly cargo or passengers?Local or international?Big or little?

I'm a simulated bush pilot! 😀 While I enjoy flying just about anywhere in the world where I can find interesting terrain and scenery, I especially love flying small prop planes along the coasts of Alaska and Canada. Northern latitudes where mountains meet the sea. I also like to find small airfields tucked away in mountain valleys and on little islands along the Inside Passage. Naturally, being a simulated bush pilot, I also like to land in unlikely places...where there's just barely enough ground to land on and take off from (beaches, little roads in thick forest, the tops of small plateaus, and even on a glacier or two!). Now and then, I'll shut down the engine, forcing myself to find a suitable landing spot to glide into.

I'm quickly becoming spoiled by enhanced terrain mesh, so I'm a little reluctant to fly over places where I don't yet have more detailed mesh installed. I have several more recent screen shots I need to prepare for uploading, but here are some of my first screen shots:

Good morning all. I guess I can put in my two cents.

I have only been flying sims for a few months now. I really enjoy the Cessna Grand Caravan. As far as piloting goes, I am getting better as time goes on. My navigation skills are getting better and my landing skills are good as long as I can use an ILS or at least have a VASI or PAPI to help me with the glideslope.

Does anyone have a suggestion for landing properly at an airport without a VASI or PAPI and no ILS? would love to know the secret to performing a proper landing at a small airport or field.

Happy flying all.

JimmyGlockner

I like to fly cargo (mail) and small passenger (private) aircraft. I usually fly out of KSEA or KBFI but I also enjoy flying out of small fields (dirt strips). Try "bobs" in Washington state.
I use props (taildraggers) almost exclusively.
Almost all STOL aircraft are enjoyable.
Yep I do fly jet fighters for a pleasant diversion, there is nothing like doing a barrelroll or an immelman in a F14 (Tomcat).

jimmyglockner wrote:

Does anyone have a suggestion for landing properly at an airport without a VASI or PAPI and no ILS? would love to know the secret to performing a proper landing at a small airport or field.

I've only had fs2004 for a few months, but I've come to really enjoy landing in challenging conditions (small airstrips with no VASI/PAPI, crosswinds, and especially on no runway at all...with just enough space to sqeeze into some place). Naturally, it takes a lot of practice in various planes to get a feel for landing, especially in a single monitor PC simulator, where limited views (like no real peripheral vision) and no physical feedback is available. However...it is quite possible.

At first, I practiced a *lot* using VASI lights, but didn't just concentrate on the lights themselves. Whenever the lights indicated a good glide slope, I looked around to see how everything looked as I approached the airport and the runway. Eventually, I got to the point where it was second nature to line up a good approach just about anywhere. After a while, you'll want to try steep turning approaches as well! 😀

Also...each plane has its preferred approach/stall speeds, and once you learn what these are for each plane you fly, you have a much better chance at setting up a decent landing. Perhaps also practice landings without any flap deployment, so that you have to carefully control the approach and landing speeds with only throttle and pitch. Finally, the timing and execution of your flare is the icing on the cake of a beautiful landing. If you flare at the right moment, with the proper speed, keep applying "back pressure" on the yoke as needed (as if you really don't want the plane to land), and allow the plane to slow down to stall and land of its own accord. This is the final "trick" for a "greased" landing.

Find a place to fly where there are many small airports in close proximity, so you can fly short hops from one to the other...landing under different visual conditions, with different obstacles to deal with at each. After a while, you'll be like me, and find just as many excuses to land as you find to fly!

Finally...always keep your "realism" settings on "hard", as you really do want to know when you've made too much of a mistake.

Happy landings! 😉

WaterSprite, thank you for your input on landings. I will certainly take your advice.

Happy flying.

JimmyGlockner

jimmyglockner wrote:

WaterSprite, thank you for your input on landings. I will certainly take your advice.

Hi JimmyGlockner,

Remember...I can only give simulated advice, because I'm only a simulated pilot! 😀

That said, I've learned many things that have helped my simulated flying by lurking on a Usenet news group about real flying: rec.aviation.student

Not only do I learn things there that I can put to use in the simulator, but I also take notes for when I can finally take some real flight lessons. Another "real flight" Usenet group that I lurk on is: rec.aviation.piloting

It's really nice when I can read something in one of those groups and apply what I've learned - at least to some degree - to my simulated flying experience.

I do hope you enjoy practicing your simulated landings. Even in the "real world" of pilots, "the art of landing" is a much discussed topic. Now and then, those real pilots even discuss flight simulation! 😀

Thank you WaterSprite. Most interesting. I will check the sites out.

Happy Flying.

JimmyGlockner

As I am a real pilot, My advice is 1. Know the field elevation of the strip you want to land on. 2. Most strips with no vasi are small, I'll assume you are flying a small airplane I.E. cessna 172, 182 etc. Set up your downwind leg about half a mile out from the strip and 1000' agl. as you get abeam the touchdown point, you set up a 400 to 500 fpm descent, at 700' turn base, your turn to final you should be at 500' or so. Typically in a light cessna your descent should be no more than 400fpm. The standard landing pattern is left turns unless otherwise noted.

LeadFoot, once again I hear from you. It is great to hear from a real pilot now and then. It gives us a chance to know what it is like to fly the real world. Your advice is most welcome. Thank you.

The only question I have is, how do I know when my downwind leg is 1/2 mile from the strip? Visually, I almost always seem to be too close or too far.

Happy flying.

JimmyGlockner

Well now I learned how to fly the Lear...To cool...So now I can fly at 48,000 feet at mach .81,,,about 425 MPH...

Can really cover some terrain now....HeHe.....

So I transport Jet-Setters around the country...You know,,the weathly...Business folks,,Ball Players,,,rock Stars....LOL

I'm getting rich cause I don't fly cheap........ 😂 😂 😂

Mostly, I fly large jets, 747 being my favorite. But when i'm not hauling a load of passengers, or dumping off cargo somewhere in africa, i'm scooting around in my Learjet, i enjoy flying low and fast (3,500ft) and checkig out sites like mount rushmore and whatnot. Oh, and once i did land my Learjet in Mt. St. Helens...for some strange reason, i sucked a tree into my engine and had to walk home

Fire_Emblem_Master, you crack me up.

I have walked home froom amny a flight!
Happy flying.

Jimmyglockner

watersprite wrote:

tomthetank wrote:

😀 RadarMan got me thinking(so blame him)
What sort of pilot are you?Do you fly cargo or passengers?Local or international?Big or little?

I'm a simulated bush pilot! 😀 While I enjoy flying just about anywhere in the world where I can find interesting terrain and scenery, I especially love flying small prop planes along the coasts of Alaska and Canada. Northern latitudes where mountains meet the sea. I also like to find small airfields tucked away in mountain valleys and on little islands along the Inside Passage. Naturally, being a simulated bush pilot, I also like to land in unlikely places...where there's just barely enough ground to land on and take off from (beaches, little roads in thick forest, the tops of small plateaus, and even on a glacier or two!). Now and then, I'll shut down the engine, forcing myself to find a suitable landing spot to glide into.

I'm quickly becoming spoiled by enhanced terrain mesh, so I'm a little reluctant to fly over places where I don't yet have more detailed mesh installed. I have several more recent screen shots I need to prepare for uploading, but here are some of my first screen shots:

Ye're a Person after me own heart! That could be me flying up there in Alaska. I usually use a float plane and just set down anywhere (definition of a bush pilot, I think!) My Bush Pilot package from Abacus is going to be here Any Day Now™ so I can go everywhere up there in Alaska.

jimmyglockner wrote:

Fire_Emblem_Master, you crack me up.

I have walked home froom amny a flight!

I'm assuming here that "froom amny" is an alternative spelling for "from many"? 😉

In any event, as a simulated bush pilot, I have many interesting adventures...some requiring a long hike out of the woods.

If anyone wants me to send them a .txt file of one of my little adventures (a Mt. St. Helens landing), send me a request via "PM", and please include an email address I can send it to.

Man, we got a lot of these bush pilots these days...Have you forgotten the long and proud line of commercial pilots? You know, if it wasn't for me getting up at my simulated start of work time of 4:45, and heading out to the airport to drive the equivilent of a gigantic bus around the skies all day, you wouldnt even have the parts to build your little bush planes!!!

I couldnt do it. I just couldn't be a bush pilot, I've been so soffened up by the autopilot these days, I'd go nuts trying to scoot around above a forest. But hey, I'm glad you guys enjoy your thing, but let me tell ya: Nothing beats the exhiliration of landing a 747 on a stormy Rome runway at midnight, and the thought that you just spent 9 hours of your life in front of a PC, clicking a mouse. I've botched landings before, and I get MAD when I sit there THAT LONG, AND SCREW UP THAT BAD.....you get the idea

See you around the skies...look WAYYYY up!

Fire_Emblem_Master wrote:

Man, we got a lot of these bush pilots these days...Have you forgotten the long and proud line of commercial pilots? You know, if it wasn't for me getting up at my simulated start of work time of 4:45, and heading out to the airport to drive the equivilent of a gigantic bus around the skies all day, you wouldnt even have the parts to build your little bush planes!!!

I do appreciate all your hard work...as I do love my cute little bush planes! 😀 However...

If I want an autopilot adventure, I'll just fly coach in a commercial airliner and enjoy the view from my window seat! If I want to fly, however, I want to not only monitor my instruments, but also constantly manipulate the controls in order to get the most out of the flight. As simulated bush pilots, we have the sort of "free flying" freedom that you "glorified bus drivers" can only dream of. 😛

Fire_Emblem_Master wrote:

I couldnt do it. I just couldn't be a bush pilot, I've been so soffened up by the autopilot these days, I'd go nuts trying to scoot around above a forest. But hey, I'm glad you guys enjoy your thing, but let me tell ya: Nothing beats the exhiliration of landing a 747 on a stormy Rome runway at midnight, and the thought that you just spent 9 hours of your life in front of a PC, clicking a mouse. I've botched landings before, and I get MAD when I sit there THAT LONG, AND SCREW UP THAT BAD.....you get the idea

A couple days ago, I took my "Bandit" (Peter McLeland modified Dreamfleet Piper Archer II...aka "Archer II on steriods") for a flight over the Himalayas. I flew out of Kathmandu in the afternoon, and landed in the late evening at another airport (sorry, can't rember the name of it just now). The flight itself, including the very nice night landing, was perfect. However...there was an unhappy ending to the adventure after all...

After taxiiing to the gates, I decided to go to the fuel station to top off the tanks in preparation for another flight. The filling of the tanks was successful and uneventful. However...I then had to "push back" from the fuel station using "Shift + P". After being pushed back far enough, I again pressed "Shift + P" to stop the push back, and wham!, the plane suddenly tilted back on its tail and crashed! Eek! This unfortunate accident effectively ended one of my most satisfying flights. 😞

Yeah, we all love the little tip-over incidents that plague all you small fries...hasn't happened to me since i switched to the big iron lol. You know, there's probably better things i could be doing, seeing as how I am sitting in my dumb PC apps. class. 😎

Oh well, at least i dont have to wash stuff till i get home 😞

Hey, fire...

so, you don't have to tell us what airline you are a big time pilot for...

But just in case I'm in europe again soon, what's the first letter>>>>///

Comon....

Well, let's see here, I'm still in high school, so i don't fly the real thing ( I wish i did!!! 😞 ) I dont have many repaints either....all I use is the landmark airlines one for now...i really want a Lufthansa one, but i'm too lazy to root around to get one, and my internet connection is too slow...bla bla bla 🙄

Fire_Emblem_Master wrote:

Well, let's see here, I'm still in high school, so i don't fly the real thing ( I wish i did!!! 😞 ) I dont have many repaints either....all I use is the landmark airlines one for now...i really want a Lufthansa one, but i'm too lazy to root around to get one, and my internet connection is too slow...bla bla bla 🙄

Here's a beauty, go for it!

http://www.projectopensky.com/downloads.php?aircraft=4hest&location=europe

All righty, thanks a bunch, my evening just got booked solid!

I think that there is something like a "rule of thumb" when landing at small airports without VASI or PAPI. On final approach the end of the runway should gradually appear larger, but it should "stay in the same spot" in your field of vision. If the end of the runway appears to be moving away you are too low on your glide slope. If the end of the runway appears to be moving toward you then you are too high on the glide slope. Try to get your rate of descent to the point where the end of the runway remains in the same spot, but gets larger as you approach it. 🙄

That's a good idea. I usually just set the autopilot for a glide slope of about -100-200 FPM. then i hand fly it while it AP controls my descent. Then i just flick it off and hand fly it to a good, soft landing. Yesterday i did a landing with a Embraer jet that would make even a pro Simmer cry. Not that i'm saying that i'm not a pro, but i dont brag a whole lot. I just do my best and help people that ask.