tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23876761457083631992024-03-05T02:07:10.616-08:00The Flight SimmerA digital guy in an analog world. On this blog I share my experiences with flight simulation and real life flying.hindwarfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01761756545909206858noreply@blogger.comBlogger20125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2387676145708363199.post-79214330665711150012008-11-05T21:25:00.000-08:002008-11-05T22:42:53.500-08:00CheckrideThe fog just lifted right before I took off on my flight to Bakersfield. The weather was beautiful and the winds were calm. The flight examiner at San Luis recently left, making the nearest examiner all the way in Bakersfield, and hour flight into the central valley of California. My instructor came with me to give me support, but it did little to calm my nerves. My knees shook and my stomach had been in a knot since the night before when I did my flight planning. In hindsight I can say my expectations for the test were way too high, and I was honestly not sure I would be returning a new member of the pilots club.<br /><br /><b>Oral Exam</b><br />The flight was uneventful and we landed just few minutes late to the FBO where I would start my checkride. The examiner greeted me at the door and we proceeded directly into the backroom to start the paperwork. A few snags later and it was the time I dreaded and looked forward to the entire summer. I sat at a large conference table, the examiner directly in front of my with my instructor observing at the side. "So tell me about the airplane we will fly in today," she prodded for the first time of the day. We went over the legalities and requirements to fly. The FAR/AIM opened and close, along with the aircraft manual as I tried to concentrate through the blur of questions, memorized facts and nerves. What the examiner was really interested in was my flight planning abilities. I had planned a flight from Bakersfield(KBFL) to Catalina Island(KAVX). I had never planned a flight through class B airspace or over water before my checkride preparations, so this was new territory for me. She grilled me about my decisions on my path through the class B airspace and my path over the water which turned out inadequate for a safe flight. (I wasn't high enough to glide back to land) We reviewed the weather for the day and I explained to her the sections of the weather briefing and charts. More rules and regulations were discussed and before I knew it, she started explaining what I would be doing during the flight portion of the checkride. A whole two hours had gone by, but I was relieved that the oral exam was over.<br /><br /><b>The flight</b><br />We walked out to the airplane, and I started the preflight. She did not seem to interested in what I was doing, but she would interject at portions of my preflight and ask me a question about the airplane. Her questions were phased as an ignorant person might ask, but always with a specific answer she was looking for. "So what is this odd device?" or "Is this normal if this move like this?" With the airplane in one piece we took off. My instructor swears I was in the runnup area for a while, but I don't believe it. (Even if the tach says differently) We flew the first leg of the flight I planned and flew to a practice area after it was determined I could follow check points. In the practice area we did a few maneuvers, stalls, and basic pilotage. The examiner kept asking me random questions about my past and flying. Finally, she said, "Ok to be honest, you are doing really well for only having 40 hours and I can't figure out why." Hundreds of hours in a sim, I replied. We then did some hood work, she got me lost, I got myself found, and only did one landing before she called my checkride over. I had passed. From the debrief I would say I did ok overall compared to other students, but for someone that only had 40 hours, the flying part was a cinch.<br /><br />I flew home that night excited, relieved, and most of all exhausted.hindwarfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01761756545909206858noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2387676145708363199.post-9849734594944191592008-09-17T20:09:00.000-07:002008-09-17T20:44:48.378-07:00Night FlyingAs it turned out, soon after my night flight back from Santa Ynez, we went through the rest of my required night hours with a combination of a cross country trip and pattern practice.<br /><br /><b>Salinas</b><br />I planned my first true night cross country to Salinas, a little over an hour away. The route hopped across VORs as we made out way north so I could have more hood time. My instructor hesitated a little bit before accepting my planned route north. My route home was simply following the 101 south in the same fashion as I had coming back from Santa Ynez.<br /><br />Soon after takeoff, I went under the hood, and followed the needle on the VOR indicator. The panel was barely lit by a flickering red light from the ceiling of the plane. After twenty minutes of flying my instructor had me look up. "What's the first thing you notice?" he asked.<br /><br />"It's black, there are no light." Then the common question quickly popped into my head. What's my plan of action if my engine were to fail at this very moment. I couldn't see any towns, no roads, no ground. I had led the plane over rugged territory, without a clear place to put the airplane if the engine where to fail. My instructor made his point very clearly. At night it is wiser to follow the roads of civilization then an invisible beacon out in the middle of nowhere.<br /><br /><b>Light less Landings</b><br />Having done a few night landings before on my cross country trips, I thought that the night practice would be just to reinforce what I had already learned and satisfy the night requirement for my PPL. The technique to landing at night was to slow the rate of decent as much as possible using peripheral vision as a guide and let the ground meet the plane. A few stop and goes later I was feeling very comfortable. My instructor had other plans. He reached over and turned off my landing lights. An electrical failure, he said. Not only can't I use my lights, I can't communicate with the airport to turn up the lights, so he turned them down. I would have to say this is the one thing that I had some fear for. I could see the airport, but the definitions were not clear, and I had no idea of where the ground was other then the ability to judge my altitude with my peripheral vision. I think on that landing I used up most of the runway easing the airplane onto the ground, afraid of where it was. A few of those I and I had my fill of light less night landing. I am sure they will still make me tense the next time I go up for night practice.<br /><br />Flight Hour Logged this post: <b>4.3</b><br />Total Flight Hours: <b>25.5</b>hindwarfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01761756545909206858noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2387676145708363199.post-64133119295818861952008-08-29T22:25:00.000-07:002008-08-29T23:25:27.646-07:00X-ray CountryWith the minor detail of learning just exactly how to operate an airplane, the <s>work</s> fun can begin. It was time to go places.<br /><br /><b>Bakersfield</b><br />My first long distance flight would be to a city called Bakersfield in the central valley oven of California. But of course it isn't as hoping into an airplane and going there. A detailed plan of the flight was required before takeoff. With the operating manual, a sectional, and a flight log I charted a course like a lost soul over well charted territory, literally.<br /><br />I'd make my first leg simple. We would go straight there. A straight line. Simple enough. Starting with a true course I found the wind direction. That gave me a heading. But the heading didn't correspond to a compass, so I needed the magnetic variation. But wait, the compass is off by a few degrees. Next, I went through speeds, times, fuel consumptions, checkpoint landmarks, airport and VOR frequencies, and performance calculations. All of this was on one sheet of paper. I am glad my road trips require quite a bit less attention.<br /><br />Next came weather. I sorted though pages of weather briefings and NOTAMS. Nothing special here, other then the temperature at altitude was reported to be 85F.<br /><br />But now with all that preplanned done, the flight went off without a hitch. My times were within a minute or two and the calculated course was off by no more than a few degrees. Shifting winds can't be predicted to well. We stayed long enough in Bakersfield to realize it was too damn hot, and headed for the cooler coastal breeze, but this time navigating by way of a nearby VOR.<br /><br /><b>Santa Ynez</b><br />My next flight was a bit spur of the moment. My instructor called me up at work to say he had time that night to make a flight, but with only a few hours of light, we could go far. The city of Santa Barbara would be preferable, but the Mode C transponder hasn't worked since I started flying despite numerous replacements. A smaller uncontrolled airstrip just outside the Class C airspace was another place I wanted to visit, but technically, Santa Ynez was to close to home and not a cross country. So my solution? Fly just a few mile north to Paso Robles, land, then start the cross country from there.<br /><br />The flight planning came much easier now that I understood the flow. I would use simple visual checkpoints and dead reckoning to navigate my way to the small airstrip of Santa Ynez. There was only one small problem. The sun was setting fast as soon as we left Paso. The lakes and buildings I used as checkpoints faded quickly with the light. Ditching the original plan, we found the nearest highway and followed the ant like line of car lights travelling towards our destination. We landed just barely still in legal day VFR hours. Luckily, that was all the instructed day VFR x-country hours I needed, because the flight home would be my first time flying in complete night conditions. We followed the same line of lights right back to San Luis completing my second x-country trip.<br /><br />Flight Hours Logged this week: <b>5.4</b><br />Total Flight Hours: <b>21.2</b>hindwarfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01761756545909206858noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2387676145708363199.post-67823364653735695492008-08-19T19:56:00.000-07:002008-08-19T20:46:56.469-07:00First SOLO!!!!After returning from an amazing trip down under, I was eager to get back in the pilot seat. My instructor was unavailable for the week so I practiced with another person. We prepped during our few flights for what I expected to come soon, my first solo.<br /><br /><b>A Review</b><br />My first flight of the week came one day shy of a month after my previous flight. Lets just say my newly minted skills broke form over that period of time. We spent the flight reviewing all the maneuvers I had learned. The skills came back to me with surprising ease.<br /><br />My next flight was supposed to be pattern practice an another airfield with some hood practice in between, but because of a inop transponder, Santa Maria tower requested kindly we stay out of their busy pattern. The day turned into a day of hood practice. We were also able to use the small and less used runway 25 at San Luis.<br /><br />The following day we stayed within the pattern at San Luis to prepare for my solo. The only problem was the wind. A variable cross wind made landings tricky, but with an instructor, it was a great time to figure out the proper crosswind technique. We also made great use of runway 25 again. Unfortunately due to the wind, my solo would have to wait one more flight.<br /><br /><b>Windy Again</b><br />My instructor scheduled today specifically to accomplish my solo. With 14 total flight hours, I was ready. I got off work today to find the wind blowing even harder since the last unsuccessful attempt. While it wasn't a cross wind, the wind was 15knots gusting to 25, not ideal solo weather. There was one more possibility, the untowered field, Paso Robles, to the north. To make matters worse, 63G was in the shop again for a 50 hour inspection. I would be flying an aircraft I have never flown before. N5269N. Usually a bad idea for a solo.<br /><br />We arrived over the airport, with the only other aircraft in the pattern reporting variable winds. Not again! My instructor said we should try a few touch and goes to test the wind and then decide. In the pattern the winds seemed to blow the plane around things were not looking to good, but amazingly enough, the air was smooth on final all the way to the crosswind turn. After three landing my instructor pointed me to the runup area. "I getting out."<br /><br /><b>The Solo</b><br />I sat at the runup area, the right seat empty, almost at a loss of what to do. I feel like I am forgetting something. But I wasn't. I took a deep breath and checked the checklist on more time. "Lights, camera, action." The words of my instructor played out in my head as I made my way into the empty runway.<br /><br />I throttled the plane down the runway, and it sprung to life quicker then normal. They sure mean it when they say the plane is much lighter without the instructor on board. My action came without thinking. Each step of the pattern practiced many times before this. Before I knew it my, first land came and went. Not bad I thought.<br /><br />My second approach just didn't start right. I was high, so I pulled the power. I was fast, so I pulled up. Too much of everything and I was over controlling. By the time I made final I was low and slow, 50 kts when I should have been at 65kts. Just to make things more flustering, a pair of birds played chicken with me just before crossing the threshold. I flared normally but dropped hard onto the runway with the lack of speed. On the bounce I put in the throttle and went around. No use try to salvage that. I just hoped my instructor didn't have any regrets after witnessing that.<br /><br />I need to two redeeming landing after that. With sheer concentration, I kept remembered my approach speeds, power settings, flap setting, all at the precise moment practiced. 500ft/min descents, and 500ft AGL turning final, everything matched up and I set the plane down with more finesse then I have before. Two more landings and a soaked shirt, I turned off the runway with a bit of relief. I had successfully soloed.<br /><br />w00t<br /><br />Flight Hour Logged this week: <b>5.7</b><br />Total Flight Hours: <b>15.8</b>hindwarfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01761756545909206858noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2387676145708363199.post-86691388414235043962008-07-14T20:27:00.001-07:002008-12-10T03:11:53.125-08:00Everyone else is stupid<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjagbYWNREimZCjvWAEsoSXpWuXQvgW0PsKeelxMeJP8wx4kzOtqCMWJ1l_92gX_xhyphenhyphenUEbQu84I5TjUSMlvjf-73PdtQK2ccZxtjL0drfKXB8pn7TKFkcm-GBHSY5b8DZRmU4qvC_aH4lg/s1600-h/N124ME.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjagbYWNREimZCjvWAEsoSXpWuXQvgW0PsKeelxMeJP8wx4kzOtqCMWJ1l_92gX_xhyphenhyphenUEbQu84I5TjUSMlvjf-73PdtQK2ccZxtjL0drfKXB8pn7TKFkcm-GBHSY5b8DZRmU4qvC_aH4lg/s320/N124ME.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5223102754228187538" border="0" /></a>Originally, my last lesson was suppose to go entail crosswind landing but the weather again did not want to cooperate. It was sunny and perfectly calm. So instead, we took a short trip north to an uncontrolled airport in <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Paso</span> Robles. My replacement plane N5173V was out of service for the day, so I flew yet another plane, N124ME. This was my last flight before my month long vacation.<br /><br /><b>Entering the Pattern</b><br />My instructor had one piece of advice for me. "Assume everyone else is stupid." You cannot be sure of what anyone else is going to do, especially at an uncontrolled strip with a lot of traffic. As we came withing ten miles of the airstrip, the radio was already buzzing with activity. With at least one aircraft already in the pattern, I found it hard to get my radio call in edgewise as three other aircraft announced their positions, all about ten miles away in some direction. One plane was two mile ahead. Another had left San Luis just before we did and was only a few miles behind. Meanwhile, another aircraft approached from the north on a nonstandard entry to the pattern. With some detailed communication and circling by other aircraft, everyone space themselves out quite nicely. I successfully performed three touch and goes in this busy environment.<br /><br />The key to today's flight: Constant communication with other aircraft. It help immensely to know where everyone was, and to let everyone else know where we were.<br /><br />Flight Time Logged: <b>1.1</b><br />Total Flight Time:<b>10.1</b>hindwarfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01761756545909206858noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2387676145708363199.post-13343499090277013002008-07-11T13:44:00.000-07:002008-12-10T03:11:53.527-08:001 Field, 2 Field, Short Field, Soft Field<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKj7QLsD6o3itNoaqZbo1xMibZz9pGac_6v_DUkqlorIrGrGYh9LndN4HzWwWeDEa_psjDN0CQO37fstzUEVWPmgsUgUD4vJFiiPJP7TPbGK6-lOf4FM8ejsvL8nTjt0Z0lxhp32EvD58/s1600-h/N5173V.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKj7QLsD6o3itNoaqZbo1xMibZz9pGac_6v_DUkqlorIrGrGYh9LndN4HzWwWeDEa_psjDN0CQO37fstzUEVWPmgsUgUD4vJFiiPJP7TPbGK6-lOf4FM8ejsvL8nTjt0Z0lxhp32EvD58/s320/N5173V.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5223102960001023010" border="0" /></a>We had a simple yet productive flight today. My normal airplane, N4963G was in for it 100 Hour checkup so I was flying N5173V today. It is always nice to fly something new for a change. The weather wasn't so great. The winds blew a thick cloud of ash over the area and by the end of the flight the plane was covered in a white ashy powder.<br /><br /><b>Soft Field</b><br />We started the flight out with a soft field takeoff. Use on grass or unpaved runways, the goal is not to get stuck and get into the air quickly. With 10 degrees of flaps, we roll onto the runway without stopping and go to full power. With constant back pressure, we lifted off the ground at 55kts. Then while staying in ground effect, we accelerated to climb speed before climbing away from the field. It wasn't until we gain sufficient altitude that the flaps were brought in.<br /><br />We flew out to Morro Bay for the first time since my first lesson and did maneuver practice. A marine layer fog in the ground, so there was nothing really to see. After a short review we headed back to the airport.<br /><br /><b>Short Field</b><br />Next we did a few stop and goes on the runway and practiced short field procedures. Completely stopped on the runway with 10 degrees of flaps, I move the throttle all the way in. Then I released the brakes. At 65 knots we lifted off and maintained maximum and of climb until clear of all obstacles. After a few of those, the lesson was complete.<br /><br />Flight Time Logged: <b>1 Hour</b><br />Total Flight Time: <b>9 Hours</b>hindwarfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01761756545909206858noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2387676145708363199.post-2824974164738684702008-07-09T15:26:00.000-07:002008-12-10T03:11:53.668-08:00Flying BlindYesterdays flight was almost all about hood work. We did our normal takeoff and proceeded to the practice area. It wasn't soon after I turned for the downwind departure my instructor handed me the hood and instructed me to wear. This was the beginning of the more boring part of my flight training to date.<br /><br /><b>Where are we going?</b><br />Nowhere as usual. It is just I couldn't tell with my head focused on the instruments. My instructor gave me heading call outs and altitude call outs as I blindly navigated around the skies. Left to... climb to... turn right AND decent to ... left 360...and on it went. Finally after 25 minutes of this he had me pull off the hood. First thing I heard on the radio. "Cessna 4963G, be advised, oncoming traffic at 12 o'clock, 2 miles at 4000." I was a little anxious looking for the traffic until I remembered, we were 1000 feet below and the traffic passed harmlessly above. What? Me doubt my instructor? Never...<br /><br /><b>Landing number 6. Why not 7 and 8 while were at it.<br /></b>With eyes to see, we headed back to the airport for some pattern work. Each time, my landing improved a little bit but was still off. My biggest problem was flaring too high. Looking at the runway, it seems a bit unnerving to continue nose down towards the runway as it gets closer. I would slowly flare up soon after passing the threshold, and I would end up level at 10 ft above the ground. The ensuing drop as the plane lost speed was not the most comfortable land. On the third and final time, my instructor forced my to continue the decent to the runway and flare just above the ground. I will have to say the landing this time was much smoother. My instructor claims I was hiding smirk on my face after that landing, but I didn't notice. I played it off real cool. ;-)<br /><br />Flight hours logged: <b>1.2</b><br />Total flight hours: <b>8.0<br /></b><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7PbWtXIGPblMHE2wxQ5DNs-aOssjVVAw2lzaqyEOOPbSWYeaWwkrP5vCzZvMQlqD70-0oAV6M64y0eR82xqWIxRO2l8kThlvkaJt5bYOpR8W5msOMqvNJoL5A3jTq8kAlrvCg553xa1E/s1600-h/flight_log_page1a.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7PbWtXIGPblMHE2wxQ5DNs-aOssjVVAw2lzaqyEOOPbSWYeaWwkrP5vCzZvMQlqD70-0oAV6M64y0eR82xqWIxRO2l8kThlvkaJt5bYOpR8W5msOMqvNJoL5A3jTq8kAlrvCg553xa1E/s200/flight_log_page1a.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5221610951796294178" border="0" /></a><br /><b><br /></b>hindwarfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01761756545909206858noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2387676145708363199.post-77765568996680426862008-07-06T22:33:00.000-07:002008-12-10T03:11:54.150-08:00You have just experienced a power loss!After a small hiatus from flying for the fourth of July weekend, I returned today to master a new skill, and something I already have experience in: Emergency procedures and instrument flying.<br /><br /><b>The Tower</b><br />I was greeted today with a welcome surprise. "Would you like to tour the tower?" my instructor asked. Of course I would. My instructor had just given a lesson the previous hour and decided to solo his student. I arrived a little early and was invited to join my instructor in the tower to check things out and watch the student solo for the first time. After bidding the student good luck, we made our way up the narrow staircase that led to glass room atop the tallest building around. Inside the tower this evening was one controller, manning clearance, ground and tower duties. It was slow enough that she could. She issued out clearances and held a decent conversation with us at the same time. It gives me even more respect for what they can do. It is also nice to see the face behind the person I talked to every day when I go flying.<br /><br /><b>What would happen if...</b><br />We performed a downwind departure today in search of clearer skies to avoid the smoke and marine layer that left visibility down to 7 miles. After leveling off at 3 thousand, my instructor had me perform a few clearing turns before presenting me with my first situation of the day. He yanked the throttle out and declared, "You have just experience a power failure, what do you do?" I remembered what he told me in ground school and when through my ABCDEs. Airspeed: Best glide. Best place to land: A flat fiend into the wind. Checklist: 7up and emergency power failure checklist. Doors: Opened and unlocked. Egress. Of course I did not complete the last two items but the entire situation was simulated. Next came the electrical fire emergency. We shut off all the electrical equipment in flight and snuffed out the pretend fire by cutting off all vent. (That fire better go out quickly or I might suffocate myself) The last simulation we did was another power loss, but this time, my checklist revealed that carb ice was to blame as power magically restored itself when I turned on the carb heat. (Or my instructors hand)<br /><br /><b>Under da Hood</b><br />En route back to the airport, my instructor handed my a pair of vision blocking goggles, enabling me to lose my peripheral vision. With my outside vision blocked I was told to maintain course and altitude as we approach the airport. With my experience in flight simulation, this part of the flight was a breeze. As long as I maintained my scan and had the plan trimmed correctly, I could fly just fine. Even constant vertical speed altitude changes with turns were simple while using the artificial horizon as my outside world. After a few minutes under the hood, I made my first completely unassisted landing today, with a much smoother flare. I didn't hold it up long enough, but I touched down with the wheels straight and just enough vertical speed.<br /><br />Flight Time Logged: <b>1 Hour</b><br />Total Flight Time: <b>6.8 Hours</b><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3pqLPIMXII-t_8ScxhyGfq3VJmhbkYWRoPVXE2NwulIbjzGqouCC9CmahIDTIp2o9aP60ikqHSlhPWIE9uOE3qL_Dyy3S3sQloHdSdt6dC9afdQ7We2fPcQ3B3P6ZDZx0Oo5Wn0CJObU/s1600-h/flight_log.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3pqLPIMXII-t_8ScxhyGfq3VJmhbkYWRoPVXE2NwulIbjzGqouCC9CmahIDTIp2o9aP60ikqHSlhPWIE9uOE3qL_Dyy3S3sQloHdSdt6dC9afdQ7We2fPcQ3B3P6ZDZx0Oo5Wn0CJObU/s200/flight_log.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5220154046238293458" border="0" /></a>hindwarfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01761756545909206858noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2387676145708363199.post-67058199313557613992008-06-30T18:21:00.000-07:002008-12-10T03:11:54.356-08:00A new plane for number 5Just before my flight yesterday, I got a call from the flight club say 63G will be out for maintenance, so they scheduled me in one of their newer Cessna 172SPs. Fine with me, as long as I don't go broke.<br /><br /><b>Differences in the SP from the N</b><br />My preflight highlighted some of the main differences between the two models: An alternate static source, 13 fuel sumps instead of 2, pressurized fuel for the fuel injection, and landing light positioned on the wings instead of the cowling. The inside of the cabin looked much nicer with the instrument panel somehow oddly familiar and identical to the panel I fly with in the sim. (end sarcasm) Starting the aircraft also requires a different procedure for priming the engine. Instead of the hand pump used in the N model, the SP has an electric fuel pump to prime the engine with. Other then all that, the laws of physics dealt exactly that same with the two aircraft.<br /><br /><b>Ground Reference Manuevers</b><br />The flight lesson was incredibly fun for the primary reason that yesterdays maneuvers were all done at 1000 ft AGL. Being this close to the ground, it was probably the first time I got to check out the scenery and look down, especially since the maneuvers required that I look at the ground instead of the horizon. Unfortunately, my next lesson will probably be quite the opposite.<br /><br />The primary goal for this lesson was to learn how to keep the ground track of the aircraft where I wanted the plane to go regardless of the wind. We started with a rectangular pattern around an agricultural field. Next we flew to a large water tower and flew circles around it. Lastly, from the tower we flew to the highway and practiced S-turns.<br /><br />Flight Time Logged: <b>1.2</b><span style="font-weight: bold;"> Hours</span><br />Total flight time: <b>5.8 Hours</b><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQWQGFB3GPZlgZ7HqVyEl_YnAtwCdyRjP5xzp5MGNGpiFmOdL114LkCL0B_zgs8CLHu0H_qO080W2c-3gd1YeCqSOa2VMxuhrKKSA4W4OTRiaEZWNTseGTZBNALnkkjX-SOPC3aNkIX0c/s1600-h/flight_log.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQWQGFB3GPZlgZ7HqVyEl_YnAtwCdyRjP5xzp5MGNGpiFmOdL114LkCL0B_zgs8CLHu0H_qO080W2c-3gd1YeCqSOa2VMxuhrKKSA4W4OTRiaEZWNTseGTZBNALnkkjX-SOPC3aNkIX0c/s200/flight_log.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5217872748092052834" border="0" /></a>hindwarfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01761756545909206858noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2387676145708363199.post-3678945586007615322008-06-26T20:04:00.000-07:002008-12-10T03:11:54.474-08:00Numero QuatroAt a time when the wind was blowing and the sky's were brown, I went flying. I also received my student pilot certificate after going though the shortest doctor visit of my life, the flight physical. Apparently I was kicked out of the doctors office for being too health. (Damn, I am starting to sound like Rod Machado and his lame jokes, boy does that guy get annoying).<br /><br /><b>A square in the sky</b><br />The primary objective of yesterday's lesson was to practice the traffic pattern. After an uneventful takeoff and departure(except for the very long hold for landing and departing traffic), we made our way out to the agricultural fields of Nipomo. Along the way we practiced all the basic maneuvers learned through the previous three lessons: Turns, climbs, descents, constant altitude speed changes, and proper trimming techniques. These were all things that would be very useful for the pattern maneuvers.<br /><br />My instructor picked a straight road through an agricultural field to use as a pretend runway. The wind was right down the road so it worked out great for practice. Starting from traffic pattern altitude, we intercepted the downwind at a 45 degree angle. the GUMPS check was performed. (<span style="font-weight: bold;">G</span>as both, <span style="font-weight: bold;">U</span>ndercarriage down and welded, <span style="font-weight: bold;">M</span>ixture rich, <span style="font-weight: bold;">P</span>ower as needed, and <span style="font-weight: bold;">S</span>afety lights and seatbelts) Using an intersection as the numbers, I announce my position over the radio to a fake tower, and started my decent. Throttle at 1700, trim 80, and flaps 10. Turn to base was performed with the touch down point 45 degree behind. Throttle at 1500, flaps 20 and trim 70. Check for traffic and turn final. Then trim 65 and 30 degrees flaps.<br /><br />Surprising me, we descended pretty low, probably scaring the only truck on the road as we descended to 500ft, maybe below. At the appropriate time my instructor announced go around and with performed the go around procedure. I did this several time to get familiar with pattern procedures.<br /><br /><b>So where is the runway?</b><br />All the pattern practice didn't apply to my landing this day.We we number 3 to land by the time we were abeam of the number so we extended our downwind few miles. By the time the tower called for us to turn base, I had lost site of the runway. It was just that smokey. I turned back towards the airport on the runway heading and we performed a straight in approach. I can say my landing a little better this time, but I ballooned quite a bit on the flare. Oh well, there is always next time to practice the landing.<br /><br />Flight time logged: <b>1.5 hours</b><br />Total flight time: <b>4.6 hours</b><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdQJqSodWuDROyv5jPR7C0aeFSawaKAWJQcdcTbHLDzF2a3DvNW5boBn7i3zW12Z-vd5hqB7khjxD7EPtBiK_v55bayUrwa50KfOHGEeMlwnoYIkVBnFKFm7uhbQUstNo_XRsCBH23e48/s1600-h/flight_log.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdQJqSodWuDROyv5jPR7C0aeFSawaKAWJQcdcTbHLDzF2a3DvNW5boBn7i3zW12Z-vd5hqB7khjxD7EPtBiK_v55bayUrwa50KfOHGEeMlwnoYIkVBnFKFm7uhbQUstNo_XRsCBH23e48/s200/flight_log.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5216402081746862898" border="0" /></a>hindwarfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01761756545909206858noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2387676145708363199.post-92227954568719712502008-06-23T20:27:00.000-07:002008-12-10T03:11:54.779-08:003rd FlightThe weather for my afternoon flight wasn't the best of conditions. The sky was hazy and brown from the 800+ small brush fires somewhere in Northern California. A 20 kt wind from the north west with gusts to 25 would make the departure and arrival quite bumpy. The level of concentration for this flight was much higher and I felt drained by the end of the hour flight.<br /><br /><b>You want me to talk?</b><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj60fqouiefOw4-miTbTxFqVF0fOlbxTqCHyPgXU2UzTd8eXV_P7XBaWZVGRkPjmcH16qoQ2yLyvTZ7CziQLI7VgRZuEaIxLJo3e0Z9har3MuG6l_xF203o0MRItISK4A7Xzf-zwaXXJhI/s1600-h/N4963G+and+tower.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj60fqouiefOw4-miTbTxFqVF0fOlbxTqCHyPgXU2UzTd8eXV_P7XBaWZVGRkPjmcH16qoQ2yLyvTZ7CziQLI7VgRZuEaIxLJo3e0Z9har3MuG6l_xF203o0MRItISK4A7Xzf-zwaXXJhI/s320/N4963G+and+tower.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5215302207114099346" border="0" /></a>I made the preflight today without a peep of instruction from my watching instructor. This detailed and seemingly long process(especially when I am eager to fly) has become routine and smooth. After the plane was preflighted and the engine started, my instructor turned to me and asked if I wanted to request clearance to taxi. I will have to admit this is my biggest fear of flying. (I get mic fright flying online) :-S But hey, I need to start some time. With a script, I got clearance from the tower and we were off and flying for the day.<br /><br /><b>Mushing along</b><br />Our flight today put us back over Avila Bay. Our other training area over Morro Bay was out of the question due to flight restrictions from military helicopter exercises. Slow flights was on the itinerary for today. We started by doing slow flights at 50 knots, full flaps. We did very shallow turns that made a standard rate turn seem steep, otherwise we would stall. Then we pulled out the throttle completely and stalled the aircraft. My first stalls lost a ton of altitude, but when I improved my technique, I could recover with minimal height lost. Lastly we did some power on stalls. With full power in we increase our climb until the plane stalled. I know it is easy to get distracted on a climb out but the sensation of nearly lying on my back as we pitched up to stall is hard to ignore. Hopefully this means departure stalls are easy to avoid, but I still need to be careful.<br /><br /><b>Without warning...</b><br />I landed. That's all. I landed, but it is still pretty damn cool. I made the standard 45 degree entry into the pattern and expected my instructor to take control as we flew abeam of the numbers. Instead he started giving me instructions. <i>Throttle back to 1700, flaps out 10 degrees,trim to 70kts, make the turn to base, flaps to 20 degrees, check for traffic on final, turn and line up for the runway, keep the numbers in the same spit, cut the throttle, flare, fly the plane though the roll out. Congratulations, you just landed the plane.</i> I did pretty well except for the last part. As I cut the throttle, I let the altitude drop to much. My instructor quickly righted my mistake and helped my make a decent flare. Thing is, I don't remember touching down. I think I had a bit of fright from the bad flare, and got amnesia of the touchdown. But oh well, I was excited to perform my first landing, albeit I had some help with the controls.<br /><br />Flight time logged: <b>1.1 hours</b><br />Total time logged:<b>3.1</b><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhmvYSViFSy-Jieon5jnWPzhUB4HvvmVlNehEo8lGy6AGt49rgAdv-w99ROUgRGUyifJwIcdDgaWjBDCdm1_UmQTpGxZvEMeHmk332WTUFa-kKWMOkf-LXA5T2mxeGemsr_hmskA8SgnU/s1600-h/flight_log.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhmvYSViFSy-Jieon5jnWPzhUB4HvvmVlNehEo8lGy6AGt49rgAdv-w99ROUgRGUyifJwIcdDgaWjBDCdm1_UmQTpGxZvEMeHmk332WTUFa-kKWMOkf-LXA5T2mxeGemsr_hmskA8SgnU/s200/flight_log.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5215304219083456802" border="0" /></a>hindwarfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01761756545909206858noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2387676145708363199.post-44258311188050165212008-06-22T13:18:00.000-07:002008-12-10T03:11:55.205-08:002nd Lesson<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiPVBt3X44bUjgZHPFVXwIfibpKLfcod2qUT-7JJGVFBX77txB_qHHGYsrz3phvzDEsilpYQA878TWE1tefRzIaR_WgQm4vDeiz-mL-XKdOdxfFTH5Fv8FBDinM2zcJjCcdXIvXY-NQSw/s1600-h/N4963G.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiPVBt3X44bUjgZHPFVXwIfibpKLfcod2qUT-7JJGVFBX77txB_qHHGYsrz3phvzDEsilpYQA878TWE1tefRzIaR_WgQm4vDeiz-mL-XKdOdxfFTH5Fv8FBDinM2zcJjCcdXIvXY-NQSw/s320/N4963G.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5214811544901503762" border="0" /></a>Planning around this stupidly hot weather(110F, ?!?!), my flight on Saturday was postponed to today, even thought the heat was still bothersome today at 9 in the morning. It only a cool 75 degrees will 10kt winds straight down the runway, but the sun in the windshield made flying to the east uncomfortable. Other then that, my second flight was another success.<br /><br /><b>Preflight</b><br />Originally my flight instructor was not going to teach me the detailed preflight until my second lesson (today), but because I have been through a few before with my pilot friends he went thought it with me in detail last flight. This allowed me to go through the full inspection with my instructor today just observing, making the occasional comment if I missed anything. The preflight is quite straight forward, as long as I follow a regular flow around the airplanes and checking the checklist for items.<br /><br />The last item he had me check... the door hings. "We don't want the door falling off in flight." He looked at the hing and tugged on the door a little. A metal hing pin fell out of the ground. Whoops! We secured the pin back into the hing and noted it needed fixing on the maintenance log.<br /><br /><b>A few Gs in the morning always brings a smile to my face</b><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWOqb_yyfTd4d1XlSNvcFJuH_bViM72ncVxTtrX0cN8NWDUVsWKDGz6UKjsaI2ph7KxcBb0_OqQuNO3wDDxKZtdJB8sT5s1hsxNYjHMZBahXtEYvHF3FlvpDGpodsbbUFLKxTIOvkariA/s1600-h/N4963G+Side.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWOqb_yyfTd4d1XlSNvcFJuH_bViM72ncVxTtrX0cN8NWDUVsWKDGz6UKjsaI2ph7KxcBb0_OqQuNO3wDDxKZtdJB8sT5s1hsxNYjHMZBahXtEYvHF3FlvpDGpodsbbUFLKxTIOvkariA/s320/N4963G+Side.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5214816150401466114" border="0" /></a>I took off completely unassisted today and we departed out to the south to fly around Avila Bay. Using the nuclear power plant in one direction and the sand dunes in the other as reference points, I performed 360 degree steep turns over the bay. With a solid handle on those, we practiced constant altitude speed changes, and lastly constant speed, constant altitude flap changes. To finish off the day, we flew back to the airport and entered the pattern. I followed along again as my instructor landed the aircraft.<br /><br />Flight time logged: <b>1 Hours</b><br />Total time logged: <b>2 Hours</b><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2C0jqohzJtYk2fbPVtBroc6-ibVrq9p2-RQiJ_ZG4mKtXQrA5ZkyoUoyVmaDqCc780EPdDj98CEqeKVEYYNLI_pbgXtO2i5QMP7LSmfLtsXEGIxwm3-p_B82gjD9buwyvfD_QX3qmgvM/s1600-h/flight_log.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2C0jqohzJtYk2fbPVtBroc6-ibVrq9p2-RQiJ_ZG4mKtXQrA5ZkyoUoyVmaDqCc780EPdDj98CEqeKVEYYNLI_pbgXtO2i5QMP7LSmfLtsXEGIxwm3-p_B82gjD9buwyvfD_QX3qmgvM/s200/flight_log.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5214813832482749618" border="0" /></a>hindwarfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01761756545909206858noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2387676145708363199.post-14238290271767553992008-06-17T20:13:00.000-07:002008-12-10T03:11:55.322-08:00My First Flight, Training that is.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaUwpcMNccUi6BLiHidaVKMNU8-36qvTeVfjGY8YTC-OyNtcP61irtFmyU7R6o_xMFJpWgVVwPjdeiB3PLkTDzb9w-uhV1vyjHf2BNINOeQ6_LiSmAE4ImioRrBdA73W5N9uk3p-sDr1I/s1600-h/flight_log.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaUwpcMNccUi6BLiHidaVKMNU8-36qvTeVfjGY8YTC-OyNtcP61irtFmyU7R6o_xMFJpWgVVwPjdeiB3PLkTDzb9w-uhV1vyjHf2BNINOeQ6_LiSmAE4ImioRrBdA73W5N9uk3p-sDr1I/s200/flight_log.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5213077475458720434" border="0" /></a>I started my real world flight training today. I cannot imagine how long I have been waiting for this day and the days to follow, for I cannot remember at what age I first looked skyward. I see my self quite fortunate that my current situation allows me the opportunity to receive my pilots license. I am going to keep a log of my experiences on this blog and will try to keep as current as I can. I am quite sure the rest of my post will not be nearly this long, as this was my first flight.<br /><br /><b>Introductions</b><br />The weather was incredible in San Luis Obispo for today flight. The weather was warm, the wind low, and the sky's clear except for the haze generated by the fires in Northern California. I met my flight instructor at Pig's Can Fly Aviation and we started my training. After a few introductions, we went over the flight plan for the day. The flight was very basic and would only consist of straight and level flight, climbs and descents, and normal rate turns. The physics of flight were briefly reviewed, and my experience as a aerospace student and flight sim hobbyist shined greatly in this knowledge; however, during this briefing, by instructor gave one word of caution about my flight sim experience. Resist the urge to look at the instruments. VFR flying is all about looking out the windows, feeling the plane in the seat of you pants, and listening to the sounds an airplane makes. While my sim can create the allusion of some of these senses, it really is a completely different experience, as I learned fly the SNJ-5.<br /><br /><b>The Plane</b><br />My level of excitement rose as we walked up to the Cessna 172N. It didn't matter that the aircraft clearly showed its age. This would be the very plane that I would get my license in. The preflight revealed its experience. The seams of the door stuck out a bit. The flight control surfaces were slightly warped from overzealous preflight inspections. The leather seats were dry and cracked.<br /><br /><b>Away we go</b><br />With the preflight done, and the engine started, we taxied out to the end of the runway and performed the engine runup. With everything satisfactory and permission from the tower, it was time to take flight. The takeoff from runway 29 went smoothly and we departed out to the west aiming our small aircraft for the large, but hidden rock(At this point I fully realized how smokey the air was) that defined Morro Bay. This would be the flight training area for the day.<br /><br />The instructor had me practice climbs, leveling off, descents and leveling off again. Shallow turns were made back and forth across the bay, as I practiced maintaining level flight in turns and keeping the plane level. Proporly trimming the aircraft was greatly stressed because once it was done, the plane just flew itself. Before I knew it, the hour whizzed by and we needed to return to land. I made the approach into the airport, but because it was just the first flight, the landing was left completely up to my instructor while I observed. Landing was uneventful and I help secure the aircraft back on the ramp.<br /><br />Total flight time logged: <b>1 Hour</b><br /><br />And so concluded my first instructed flight. Many thanks to my flight instructor, and I can't wait for my next lesson this weekend.hindwarfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01761756545909206858noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2387676145708363199.post-83873450402503001152008-05-31T14:06:00.000-07:002008-12-10T03:11:56.068-08:00SNJ-5<span style="font-weight: bold;">I thought it was supposed to be "April Showers"</span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihrHwiQd4bf9CeSQElib2xwZeueGnSws9DZn7pCxVEAOdoeU2NLEblKnWqz4MehIlO5aXLEkrVoMmEOfb31fJfMiJrYDyla6DpUOTWdoiJIfOucJQzYikQQQUBmbD7jef37AXtrKU6mz4/s1600-h/SNJ-5+Nose.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihrHwiQd4bf9CeSQElib2xwZeueGnSws9DZn7pCxVEAOdoeU2NLEblKnWqz4MehIlO5aXLEkrVoMmEOfb31fJfMiJrYDyla6DpUOTWdoiJIfOucJQzYikQQQUBmbD7jef37AXtrKU6mz4/s320/SNJ-5+Nose.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5206815963708368546" border="0" /></a><br />Commemorative Air Force(CAF) on the day of our scheduled flight, the weather was all but cooperating. It was the middle of May and it was cold, overcast and worst of all, drizzling. The only good thing was that, technically, the conditions were still VMC. But in all honesty, the most I expected out of the day was a tour of the CAF museum. We checked in and were introduce to our pilot for the day. "I prefer these conditions over a bright sunny day," were his words. Ok, so I guess we were going to fly. As the pilot was gathering his gear, his a large downpour developed. We would have to wait. Here comes thatWhen we drove up to the Camarillo tour.<br /><br />In the CAF museum they had plenty to look at while we waited: An F8F bearcat, A6M3 Zero, B-25 Mitchell, C-46 under restoration and more. The museum also has a ton of WWII paraphernalia. Definitely worth just visiting the museum alone for the small price of a donation.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR_SfEnPIGxVkUG9WEMPQm-9d14BXyJ7zmPRX5Tj4b-Fn3LRaAo8TvZhwppY8d1zzwHkA-kqn-t-lsKU_MTEwRFhV7FhewhtxdTuobKQ1R8JyGEfeqcuinOBXqtRDM9uMvBoWMV3cApNI/s1600-h/SNJ-5+tail.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR_SfEnPIGxVkUG9WEMPQm-9d14BXyJ7zmPRX5Tj4b-Fn3LRaAo8TvZhwppY8d1zzwHkA-kqn-t-lsKU_MTEwRFhV7FhewhtxdTuobKQ1R8JyGEfeqcuinOBXqtRDM9uMvBoWMV3cApNI/s320/SNJ-5+tail.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5206815293693470338" border="0" /></a>Once the rain passed the pilot took us out to the aircraft and asked us what we wanted to do with it. After all it was "our flight." "Stick time?" I asked. "Sure," he replied. My dad got to fo first and he was strapped into the aircraft. I sat back watch, snapping pictures and just waiting for my turn. His flight lasted twenty minutes and soon my time had come.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Flight<br /></span>I was strapped into the backseat of the aircraft and given a safety briefing: This is how the canopy open, the barf bags are over there, don't bother with the parachute, you won't have time to open it... The ATIS gave us our weather: 10 mile visibility, ceiling at 3800ft, 5kt winds out of the west. We were all set to go.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYC1UFe5sGVtoaXlMLk-TwG14QsIpq98HnbhhUygP9RN0tD9MpxsOR6wZo1z_IPN-du5nzdhWb23DkyR_CUP0S7OVt-zR52z-G1nmYmZnpVIOO1qT1xq-RTmmfYFgse2iQosccvUjj_UI/s1600-h/SNJ-5+Me.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYC1UFe5sGVtoaXlMLk-TwG14QsIpq98HnbhhUygP9RN0tD9MpxsOR6wZo1z_IPN-du5nzdhWb23DkyR_CUP0S7OVt-zR52z-G1nmYmZnpVIOO1qT1xq-RTmmfYFgse2iQosccvUjj_UI/s320/SNJ-5+Me.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5206815675945559698" border="0" /></a><br />With permission we taxied out to the run-up area. From there the pilot let me taxi to the runway. He took off in short order while I followed along with my hands on the controls. At 500ft agl, he gave control over to me. I was flying the airplane. My first few turns were quite uncoordinated as I skidded around the sky trying to determine how much rudder to give the aircraft to keep the ball centered. The feel of the control were much different then my joystick and pedals at home. The feedback from the aircraft gave a completely different feel to moving any of the control surfaces. The rudder was especially stiffer to move compared to the Saitek pedals I have.<br /><br />We practiced some steep turn, each getting progressively steeper. (Apparently, I wasn't being risky enough, but I didn't want to do 60 degree banks without doing a 59 degree first) Finally we did some stalls. This didn't go to well. I was so engrossed in how the plane reacted post stall that I didn't bother with the whole recovery part. Not good. I was watching the left wing drop off and tried to correct with aileron(don't). The right wing soon dropped and the plane entered a spin. It wasn't until then that I release back pressure and handed control back to the pilot. I did a few more with better results, and soon it was time to return to the airport.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUAWuBFKIkhcMZb5uKEg2B4aKUDggyQ028r0nezejF3ueydH3CDFVnoK2Bgc-ukfZGyjkkaSRLaD5015lJO-J4kY9n7BX84h6agN2pwzEmpd_gxv8rNlZ1IVBfTqaZGnpEIR0GwjYCgS8/s1600-h/SNJ-5+Cockpit.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUAWuBFKIkhcMZb5uKEg2B4aKUDggyQ028r0nezejF3ueydH3CDFVnoK2Bgc-ukfZGyjkkaSRLaD5015lJO-J4kY9n7BX84h6agN2pwzEmpd_gxv8rNlZ1IVBfTqaZGnpEIR0GwjYCgS8/s320/SNJ-5+Cockpit.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5206816135507060402" border="0" /></a>The pilot had me turn back in the direction of the airport while he contacted the tower. Requesting a landing on runway 26, we were given a straight in approach. The pilot wasn't satisfied and had something else in store for me. "Requesting a 360 overhead approach," he inquired and recieve permission for. I had no idea what a 360 overhead approach would be. He told me to aim for the runway and descend 2,000 feet to pattern altitude...without decreasing the throttle. Our speed increased to 160 knot by the time we reached the threshold. My vague suspicion of what the 360 overhead approach consisted of was confirmed when the tower announced,. "Break at the number." The pilot took control of the aircraft, banked hard left and pulled into a steep turn. Meanwhile he managed to drop the flaps and gear. By the time we finished the 360 degree turn we were configured for landing right on glide slope. With a smooth flare, he settled the aircraft down with barely bump. He gave control to me one last time to S-turn our way back to the hanger.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span>hindwarfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01761756545909206858noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2387676145708363199.post-8551121714255319462008-04-20T17:02:00.000-07:002008-12-10T03:11:56.961-08:00Rock 'n Roll (The motion flight simulator)In the past few months, and for the foreseeable future during my time as a student, I have been involved with the Cal Poly Flight Simulation Group. The flight sim lab is the only known student built, programmed, and run facility in the US. The past Friday and Saturday, during Cal Poly's Open House, we opened our doors to the general public to see and fly the unique simulator.<br /><br /><b>The Motion Sim</b><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT_B4B4O3vvIoT6qrTs4onVkN1WJN-eBgQkomrQ0rxNkY98ztzKDFsvxN7H3FYLFtEG84ZM3d8jtTw-ZFzf1qzeb-Rvt36dmbTSGN8mZLqPw2f6aqIWcz_-aocOdPW5zRW5iKfF3Gg48s/s1600-h/IMG_0001.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT_B4B4O3vvIoT6qrTs4onVkN1WJN-eBgQkomrQ0rxNkY98ztzKDFsvxN7H3FYLFtEG84ZM3d8jtTw-ZFzf1qzeb-Rvt36dmbTSGN8mZLqPw2f6aqIWcz_-aocOdPW5zRW5iKfF3Gg48s/s320/IMG_0001.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5191505379057626146" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTxUtRK4YcHkavlGzGbElsisSWG_Vb_PmQi1asGPJFFeoj7e96D9UIQjGgK9fgEjLqUGmEee2idCf4N9h0v-TuwXcBlA_zikGfpNTuy2y9KbfUJdmSyWoRd3gq4Lzeup7wO_q9ExdW9n0/s1600-h/panel.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTxUtRK4YcHkavlGzGbElsisSWG_Vb_PmQi1asGPJFFeoj7e96D9UIQjGgK9fgEjLqUGmEee2idCf4N9h0v-TuwXcBlA_zikGfpNTuy2y9KbfUJdmSyWoRd3gq4Lzeup7wO_q9ExdW9n0/s320/panel.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5191508312520289410" border="0" /></a><br />This group maintains a motion flight sim built using the cab of a student built RV-7. The cab is mounted to a motion platform that provides 25+/- degrees of pitch and roll. The simulation was programmed by students using Matlab/Simulink and C++, and outputs the flight data to X-Plane 8, used as the sim's graphics. Inside the enclosed cab the is one monitor to display the flight sim and a second monitor to act as a GPS moving map. Instrumentation is provided by a panel of standard analog readouts, including heading, altitude, attitude, and airspeed. Control of the simulator is currently only provided by a $20 off-the-shelf joystick, but we will soon integrate the aircraft's actual stick and rudder system (The cab was built with the original intention of actually flying).<br /><br /><b>Open House</b><br />On Friday and Saturday, we provided tours of our facilities and allowed anyone willing and able to fly the motion sim. Along with giving a brief talk and answering questions about the sim, I sat right seat with some of the "pilots." As the safety pilot I coached the pilots into making trafficpatterns around our local airport and attempting a landing. This experience got me thinking, "I could see myself as a CFI, as long a the students have a little more serious view of crashing."<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqwqDKiMq4sR7KzEgVdoR5h0qCJfToesG7EoZF6oU7vS2tQNcavB_aIcsPWYCZkUw2wY9r3pRukkS-utx-GtPr2Ctyb2MeVwyrLGA32JNZ8-lZ52NW35o8w2EGEhGWtt1vPYlrcUUawpU/s1600-h/Me+and+a+young+one.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqwqDKiMq4sR7KzEgVdoR5h0qCJfToesG7EoZF6oU7vS2tQNcavB_aIcsPWYCZkUw2wY9r3pRukkS-utx-GtPr2Ctyb2MeVwyrLGA32JNZ8-lZ52NW35o8w2EGEhGWtt1vPYlrcUUawpU/s320/Me+and+a+young+one.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5191508694772378770" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCEQs4ASx6WkRiFBnMxA3TL9Gq-V-a4TwzSqmjiGIYxeYJIPzj9n4YIkZv3F74UIOz8ZqiEHbtn90lWGUVEyRdqBqVjpNXtpHX4c7ccqX26eAwaKnAS-FgRq0Fu87Ll5rc8nZglI5UbDs/s1600-h/ATC.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCEQs4ASx6WkRiFBnMxA3TL9Gq-V-a4TwzSqmjiGIYxeYJIPzj9n4YIkZv3F74UIOz8ZqiEHbtn90lWGUVEyRdqBqVjpNXtpHX4c7ccqX26eAwaKnAS-FgRq0Fu87Ll5rc8nZglI5UbDs/s320/ATC.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5191508982535187618" border="0" /></a>hindwarfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01761756545909206858noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2387676145708363199.post-67393094213114248012008-03-15T20:13:00.000-07:002008-12-10T03:11:57.086-08:00Sweet kick in the pants!Tactile response is way underrated. An expensive and comfortable office chair might be great for sitting for long periods of time, but it does little to enhance my flight sim experience. So I took a risk. I saw an article about a product that converted low frequency sounds into a vibration felt by the body. I had heard of bass shakers for music in cars, but this was the first I realized this could be a good application for gaming.<br /><br /><br /><b>The Buttkicker Gamer</b><br /><br /><a href="http://www.thebuttkicker.com/gaming/products/bkgr.htm" target="blank">Buttkicker Gamer</a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheAnLv9-E9bMw7RMAMJeS4q2BgbjNORmNN47KpG-blicf8GLwf6xavz-el8E8i3vuPq1YiQl0_AfwYhoCshjhDEhKkp7lJ-bmWYFuVI2GPabuO7t6vnz2oC9cpmyAQHO_gSazJZ5AOYWI/s1600-h/BKGR_comp2_159w.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheAnLv9-E9bMw7RMAMJeS4q2BgbjNORmNN47KpG-blicf8GLwf6xavz-el8E8i3vuPq1YiQl0_AfwYhoCshjhDEhKkp7lJ-bmWYFuVI2GPabuO7t6vnz2oC9cpmyAQHO_gSazJZ5AOYWI/s320/BKGR_comp2_159w.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5178194088916208642" border="0" /></a><br />I have to admit, I was a little bit skeptical when I purchased this item. The price seemed cheap and I wondered if it would interface well will all my games. But reviews gave praise and I really wanted what the Buttkicker offered, tactile feedback of what I saw in my flight sim.<br /><br />Installing the Buttkicker was easy. Despite all the cables packaged with the device and the lack of documentation, all I had to do was connect the Buttkicker amplifier in parallel with my speakers using the provided splitter. No software or drivers to set up. The Buttkicker vibrating arm secures quickly and securely to the post of my chair and transfers efficiently the vibrations to my seat.<br /><br />I immediately realized the purchase was worth it. Starting iTunes was my first test. The deep rhythm of the bass drum and bass guitar shook my chair forcefully perfectly in tune with the correct vibration of the frequency. Next was something a review recommended, flying the DC-3. The big throaty engines provide a ton of vibrations that change frequency depending on the position of the throttle. I can start to fly by the seat of my pants by feeling how much power the engines are providing and not just by the sound alone. I can also now tell the difference between aircraft by how it feels just as how it sounds.<br /><br /><b>No system is without its fault.</b><br />And when I say "system" I really can't say it is the fault of the Buttkicker unit. There are a few small problems with my setup. First would be more of a problem with my chair. With the amplifier turned up, the vibrations shake the hell out of the chair, shaking any lose metal part, and adding the unwanted sound of shaking metal. I have rubber banded some of the loose parts of the chair, but not all sound can be avoided. The second problem is more of a problem with the sound output from the flight sim. Certain engine sound frequencies will have <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beat_%28acoustics%29" target="blank">beats</a>(Click link for explanation). It becomes annoying when the sound and feel of the engine pulsates.hindwarfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01761756545909206858noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2387676145708363199.post-74478668894844591632008-02-16T23:39:00.000-08:002008-12-10T03:11:57.759-08:00PMDG and the 747-400<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6YM7DkSYL7Lbc6Serx391h0iYtmPyQYxyLeOPDh-Pd0T_KkgXBn1zj-5Pem7TWU4zJymNw6klEYvpKF2cvtOqEGYpAXeIC1ER_9fevpCQ4NEj_nyFmsvjfkPag1cX3E1UsaV1AlnaCys/s1600-h/klm_takeoff.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6YM7DkSYL7Lbc6Serx391h0iYtmPyQYxyLeOPDh-Pd0T_KkgXBn1zj-5Pem7TWU4zJymNw6klEYvpKF2cvtOqEGYpAXeIC1ER_9fevpCQ4NEj_nyFmsvjfkPag1cX3E1UsaV1AlnaCys/s320/klm_takeoff.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5168585773924431298" border="0" /></a>I decided to dive head first into the world of payware aircraft and I didn't want to skimp on my first purchase. I had heard that PMDG provided great aircraft simulations so I looked at them along with the LevelD 767. The only reason I chose PMDG was I like the 747 better.<br /><br /><b>A 460 Pg Textbook</b><br />The first thing I did after I installed the aircraft was print out the manual. I wasn't about to step into the complex cockpit of the 747 without knowing a little about what I was about to do. Thankfully I have free printing services at work, because the 460 page manual would be an expensive thing to buy (not that the simulation itself was cheap). I just chipped in for a three ring binder and some dividers and I was ready to go. The manual included more than I ever wanted to know about a simulated aircraft: Normal procedures, abnormal procedure, weight and V speed calculations, FMC, checklists and more... YIKES, if going to college wasn't enough.<br /><br /><b>So how do you start this thing?</b><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGbJSb8_B9qfLR30RoxMhawW2k0xnhwaeuZsuOz-CX470_atwhCJsfVBP1lXhnG-XtbFY_ct2JjCMd3nuHFwnbJATj-EcfsT0gykudoqm5Cve-lJtOrdggYwx9tW6dNoJUfPlLMxK4NPA/s1600-h/747_flightdeck.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGbJSb8_B9qfLR30RoxMhawW2k0xnhwaeuZsuOz-CX470_atwhCJsfVBP1lXhnG-XtbFY_ct2JjCMd3nuHFwnbJATj-EcfsT0gykudoqm5Cve-lJtOrdggYwx9tW6dNoJUfPlLMxK4NPA/s320/747_flightdeck.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5168584408124831154" border="0" /></a><br />I am not going to be happy starting FSX, hopping in an already running 747 and just taking off. I could do that with the default 747. I want to know the ins and outs of this aircraft. My first run through the start up procedures took me a little over an hour. I had no idea where half the button were that they were mentioning. But luckily they were right about getting better at it. Now it takes me around fifteen minutes, and I am still improving.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Flies like the real thing, if I knew how a real one flew.</span><br />From what the website says, they put a ton of time into making the flight characteristics as real as possible. And for this, I will have to take their word for it. What I can say from my perspective as a flight sim enthusiast is that the flight model is quite complex and should be for such a complex aircraft. It becomes vital to calculate V speeds and takeoff lengths for a particular weight at a certain atmospheric condition. For every Vr speed I have calculated it has been on target with the aircraft rotating smoothly. The flight characteristics are very dynamic, changing with every change in configuration: Weight, balance, flight controls, trim, etc. I know this is ture for every plane in FSX, but this one just feels better. For the cost of the plane, it could just be psychological.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">We are looking for volunteers to take the next flight.</span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4Ja-No3yyM7A38rxQt4jprA2-yJ1oU71kKO8O7xELXTZ9q3_64eyjxoQhcskKdOYWJMLyyQAG9mlVEdDpWEIZH2shdCCalMr97Fo21dc5eQ8yu4TMDRpyhenuRk9zf-nlJM3jXl7o8CY/s1600-h/payload_manager.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4Ja-No3yyM7A38rxQt4jprA2-yJ1oU71kKO8O7xELXTZ9q3_64eyjxoQhcskKdOYWJMLyyQAG9mlVEdDpWEIZH2shdCCalMr97Fo21dc5eQ8yu4TMDRpyhenuRk9zf-nlJM3jXl7o8CY/s320/payload_manager.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5168585894183515602" border="0" /></a><br />The aircraft package also comes with a load manager, in which I can manipulate the weight of the aircraft all the way down to the passenger in seat 26B. (Sorry sir, we are going to have to bump you, the flight is overweight.) You can even configure the aircraft for three class seating, or fly a economy flight and pack everyone in. See what happens when you fly all your cargo in the front of that cargo hold or the back for that matter. (Good luck flying that.)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwJheDFBBuLA83MYmvZB0-Wz-yyAFH0iJ7yn_9JuUvK2oeDiniN48tn86FCtzurqZbHNnamsdX-Nq279HIv_2GvHYhH9GB1ng-sMWOUZXeyYVZaBGjXjOrHRDn-Sgc_SW1jpxytZNb_Ro/s1600-h/KLM_touchdown.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwJheDFBBuLA83MYmvZB0-Wz-yyAFH0iJ7yn_9JuUvK2oeDiniN48tn86FCtzurqZbHNnamsdX-Nq279HIv_2GvHYhH9GB1ng-sMWOUZXeyYVZaBGjXjOrHRDn-Sgc_SW1jpxytZNb_Ro/s320/KLM_touchdown.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5168583660800521618" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Its going to be a long flight.</span><br />Because the captain has yet to figure out how to land the plane. I will have to admit, my first two attempts to land resulted in failure, partly because I failed to recognize the sound that is the stall horn, and partly do to lack of planning. My head has been so stuck in the cockpit of this thing, that I tend to forget to look outside. It also doesn't help when I hadn't figured out how to align the IRS(Inertial Reference System). Point of this story, it is going to be a while before I feel as comfortable in the virtual flightdeck of a PMDG 747-400 as I do in the default 747. I will have to say, though, that I will enjoy every minute of it. There is just so much to learn and try. So who's up for a CAT IIIb approach? I can safety say I won't be at the controls for this one.hindwarfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01761756545909206858noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2387676145708363199.post-39198110703368444252008-01-22T18:02:00.000-08:002008-12-10T03:11:58.102-08:00My sim setup is complete! ...well for now.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJR1TgvA-BNBOhTewSn6-ITeLcYfoQUlzjwWM5bkxVtIiyln02VbTVueNJcZomYs9EB9zLf9D9ICgi8gFYPVOlpwxtTSA6IdSTz6StL9ufubqvUirp-IMogHjw1mfyUyMhvXBkI7zUPj0/s1600-h/flightsim_full.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJR1TgvA-BNBOhTewSn6-ITeLcYfoQUlzjwWM5bkxVtIiyln02VbTVueNJcZomYs9EB9zLf9D9ICgi8gFYPVOlpwxtTSA6IdSTz6StL9ufubqvUirp-IMogHjw1mfyUyMhvXBkI7zUPj0/s320/flightsim_full.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5159949058500226082" border="0" /></a><br />I am finally satisfied with all the peripherals for my flight sim computer. I thought I was done once I ordered my Saitek yoke and throttle quadrant, but instead of a throttle quadrant, the store sent me a second set of rudder pedals. So I sold those for a 100% profit and re-bought the throttle quadrant. (Morals? What morals?) Then for a completely unexpected and awesome gift, my father bought me a captains hat for my birthday. Sweet! Now I can attach the TrackIR to that hat and look like a COMPLETE dork while flying. Apparently I wasn't complete enough before.<br /><br />Thinking back, I have to wonder if could have bought flight lessons with all the money I spent on my flight sim equipment. In peripheral alone I have spent over $600. Barely enough to pay for a few lessons, but if you included my two computers, I would be half way to a PPL. Then again, I would have bought the computers anyway. Crysis is just too fun to pass up.<br /><br />Happy Flying<br />-Hindwarfhindwarfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01761756545909206858noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2387676145708363199.post-14556261739125978572008-01-09T21:20:00.000-08:002008-12-10T03:12:04.327-08:00X-Plane Vs. FSXOver the few years that I have been running my flight sim, I have alternated between two different flight sims. The first being X-Plane, and the second being Microsoft's Flight Simulator. Both of them are great flight simulators, but have their own niche. I have used X-Plane as the sim I use when I am engineering. Rarely I fly the default aircraft, but instead I fly aircraft models I have generated myself or aircraft I have modified. (A C172, with JATO rockets for example). When I am trying to be realistic in my flying procedures I tend to use FSX more due to the 3-d cockpit and ATC interface.<br /><br />The following is a list I compiled highlighting many of the different features of the two.<br /><b><br />Graphics</b><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM1KwTfyKyCMOcRdPGD6hKB9vhg7D9tRKwVVLoqx0F3ykmFy-uj6Ao8b0Tgc94GZSRRNUNethSG4mGQ00Q5KfNPycOsOZPGxFFiNkvnjpAxgFKz7bJl2RqpNBjkW3hhLNnJ1UrB1Dm4so/s1600-h/Untitled-1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM1KwTfyKyCMOcRdPGD6hKB9vhg7D9tRKwVVLoqx0F3ykmFy-uj6Ao8b0Tgc94GZSRRNUNethSG4mGQ00Q5KfNPycOsOZPGxFFiNkvnjpAxgFKz7bJl2RqpNBjkW3hhLNnJ1UrB1Dm4so/s400/Untitled-1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5201770453031850130" border="0" /></a><br /><i>FSX</i><br />-DirectX9<br />-Supports wo<span style="font-family:georgia;">rldwide terrain with 14 GB of scenery information</span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">-scen</span>ery objects for most major cities<br />-auto generates trees and buildings for filler<br />-high quality reflective water<br />-highly detailed aircraft and 3D cockpits for all default aircraft.<br />-can use multiple monitors<br /><br /><i>X-plane 9</i><br />-OpenGL 2<br />-Worldwide terrain with 70 GB of scenery information<br />Has a higher resolution terrain texture.<br />DOES NOT come with scenery objects such as cities and airport buildings but these can be downloaded off the web for many airports. If you load at an airport with default scenery, there will be runways, taxiways and tarmac but no buildings. The demo area is an example of what can be added as scenery files.<br />- Highly detailed aircraft<br />- 3D cockpits for SOME default aircraft.<br />- will only use multiple monitors if using Matrox DualHead2Go, or using networked computers.<br />- Reflective water<br /><br /><b>Flight Model</b><br /><i>FSX</i><br />-Aircraft performance is based on configuration files and variables given to the simulator before it flies.<br /><br /><i>X-Plane 9</i><br />-Flight model is based on aircraft geometry using blade element theory and engine performance variables. Wings are broken in to sections and based on the shape of the wing, airfoil shapes, and locations, flight model is determined.<br />-Higher quality flight model results from this and also allows for a built in aircraft design software. Make any airplane shape you want and see how it flies.<br /><br /><b>Interface:</b><br /><br /><i>FSX:</i><br />-Starts at a setup window, where there are options to setup a flight, read a tutorial, view pilot stats, etc.<br />-In-flight, the Alt key will bring up a menu where much of the flight setup and view options can be changed.<br />-Cockpit knobs and buttons in both 2D and 3D are clickable and can be mapped to a key or joystick button.<br /><br /><i>X-plane 9</i><br />-There is no setup screen. It put you directly into an aircraft. The program will start at the last airport you landed in the last aircraft you flew in. From there, a menu bar at the top is available to access all flight set up options, (aircraft, location, weather).<br />-Cockpit knobs and buttons are clickable in 2D and 3D cockpit modes.<br /><br /><b>ATC and other aircraft</b><br /><i>FSX</i><br />-The amount of air traffic can be set in the options screen and FSX will generate traffic to fill the airspace accordingly.<br />-ATC is somewhat realistic but has problems with certain things like separation. There are a few different voices that can be selected and don't sound completely like a computer.<br /><br /><i>X-Plane 9</i><br />-User specifically selects how many aircraft they want in the airspace at any given time. This traffic can be dragged around on the map by the user. The traffic seemingly randomly and does not follow normal flight patterns.<br />-ATC sounds like a robot but has more available commands, one example: declaring an emergency. ATC will also watch your speed and do things like tell you to slow down if you are going more than 250kts below 10000ft.<br />-ATC does not talk to other aircraft.<br /><br /><b>Failures</b><br /><i>FSX</i><br />-Crashing, overspeed, overstressed simple just stops the simulation<br />-Systems can be failed individually<br /><br /><i>X-Plane 9</i><br />-Crashing ends simulation<br />-Overspeed and Overstressing cause failures of parts of the aircrafts. Wings and flaps are damaged and fall off.<br />-Parts of systems can be failed. Don't just fail the engine, fail the drive shaft or ignition...<br /><br /><br /><b>FSX features that X-Plane does not have (by default):</b><br />-learning center<br />-tutorials and pilot lessons<br />-missions<br />-built in multiplayer<br />-in game Garmin GPS features<br /><br /><b>X-Plane features that FSX does not have(by default):</b><br />-Fly on Mars<br />-Scenarios such as: space shuttle re-entry, X-15 drop from B-52<br />-Airplane maker, airfoil maker, world maker<br />-Flocks of birds that damage plane<br />-ability to interface with a physical Garmin devicehindwarfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01761756545909206858noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2387676145708363199.post-39977941717310711502007-12-28T15:36:00.000-08:002008-01-27T15:44:55.155-08:003, 2, 1... Launch this blogToday marks the beginning of this blog. Basically, this is just a way for me to catalog and share my experiences with today's top of the line flight simulation software and hardware.<br /><br /><b>History</b><br />A bit on my history. I first began to fly simulators on a computer loaded with DOS (yes, just DOS) and a program called <i><a href="http://www.migman.com/ref/1990_combat/F117/F117.htm">F117A Stealth Fighter</a></i>. (That link is from a great website that lists most of the old flight simulators.) From then on I played many different simulators from Pro Flight 98 to other bargain bin combat simulators. Let's call this era my "early history".<br /><br />My "modern history" begins in 2005 with a new computer and a copy of X-Plane 7. I purchased a Saitek X45 and my addiction took off. (Did I just say that?) Since then, I have added numerous peripherals and computer hardware to increase my immersion into the virtual flight world. My current list can be seen on the right sidebar.<br /><br /><b>Expectations</b><br />I don't expect to be posting in this blog as frequently as other blogs, probably once or twice a month, maybe more if I am feeling talkative. During the my school quarters, I am very busy and I have little time to fly, but I am able to fly occasionally. It also doesn't help that during the quarter breaks I am frequently away from my flight sim computer (like right now). I am also toying with the idea of inviting guest commentators. I am sure other people could add greatly to the content of this page.<br /><br />Happy Flying<br />-Hindwarfhindwarfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01761756545909206858noreply@blogger.com0