Download Free Flight Simulator Here
> (All links open new windows)Download Free Flight Simulator ? - The Benefits! Copyright 2002 © HowardSullivan
So your looking for an RC flight simulator? There are so many available now it can be very confusing but this article will help clarify things.
To start with I will suggest that you do yourself a huge favor and
download free flight simulator
FMS (Flight Model Simulator) because it's an excellent toolif used properly. The big mistake that so many people make is tobelievethat the simulator will teach them to fly. A simulator cannot teachanything, whether you download free flight simulator or anything else.They are simply not programmed with that ability. Many softwarepackages have abuilt-in tutorial that allows the user to step through the functions oftheprogram as it explains how to use each one. The RC flight simulator does not havethisfeature. For instance, it does not explain that stickmovementsshould be gentle and only enough to get the model to perform amaneuver. It doesnot explain that the model must be controlled into and out of a turnwith theailerons. These are the functions of an instructor. The flight simulator is atool topractice the maneuvers that have been taught by an instructor. Astudent pilot,especially a beginner, can develop some very bad habits while using asimulatorthat are difficult to break later. There is a young pilot who taughthimself to fly using an RC flight simulator (I don't know if it was a download free flight simulator or not). When he arrived at the field toget some one-on-one instruction, he had already developed some bad habits. Hemanaged to fly circuits around the field maintaining a good altitude although alittle low according to the instructor. The problem that he had developed washis execution of the turns. He would make the turn with a series of very quickmovements of the aileron stick. This was obvious by the erratic banking into theturn. The instructor showed him on several occasions how to make the turnssmoothly with gentle movements of the sticks. He is now flying an aerobaticplane and his turns are only slightly less erratic. For beginners, RC flight simulatorsare excellent tools for building spatial orientation, motor skills, andconfidence. For more experienced pilots, flight simulators, even the download free flight simulator, can help in buildingmotor skills required in doing the more difficult maneuvers. The amount ofbenefit that the pilot can gain from the simulator depends entirely on how wellthe simulator emulates the model. On most simulators, the flight characteristicscan be adjusted so that it more closely emulates the "feel" of the model. Noneof the flight simulators have progressed to the point that the flight physics areperfect but they are close enough that they can be of significant benefit. Dne of the most difficult things tomaster for the beginning pilot is approach orientation. There is a naturaltendency for the beginner to move the stick in the direction he wants the modelto go. When the model is moving toward the pilot, the aileron and ruddercontrols are reversed. This means that in order for the model to turn to thepilot's left, the stick must be moved to the right. Using a simulator, even a download free flight simulator, allows thepilot to practice approaching maneuvers for hours on end so that it becomessecond nature to move the stick in the correct direction for the model to takethe desired flight path. After approach orientation has been mastered, all othermaneuvers start to become easier to accomplish, especially landings. The primary benefit of flightsimulators, including FMS download free flight simulator, is that of building motor skills. The pilot, whether a beginner orexperienced, can practice specific maneuvers for hours without having to beconcerned about weather, time of day, temperature, or number of people at thefield. The motor skills that are developed through hours at the simulator arebasically the same as "muscle memory" in golf. This means that the skills arerelated more to the muscles reacting to a simple command than the brain sendinga series of commands to the muscle. For instance, the pilot wants to perform asnap roll with a Giles 202 model. He thinks "snap roll" and his fingers simplymove the sticks to the appropriate position rather than his having to think inwhat position the sticks need to be. The end result of the muscle memory iswhere modelers get the term "feel" for a model. Since there is no positivefeedback system built into a transmitter, there is not true feel for a model.The feel of the model comes from the difference in the expected feel based onmuscle memory and the actual feel from the movement of the sticks. Many beginners do not progress aswell as others simply because of a lack of confidence. This is especially trueif the student is not able to fly very often due to conflicts in scheduling timeto devote to learning to fly. With each trip to the field, he must re-learn someof the things that he has forgotten during his absence from the field. He mustagain reinforce his motor skills and regain his muscle memory or feel for thetrainer. Since his progress may be much slower than that of other students atthe field, he may become frustrated and much less confident. The download free flight simulator allows the beginner to practice what he has learned to maintain or improve hismotor skills and not lose his confidence. When he goes to the field, he willsubconsciously think, "I can do this." A few years ago, there was anarticle in one of the leading R/C magazines about the benefits of an RC flightsimulator. There was a story of a young man who flew a club trainer a few timesthen bought a flight simulator. He knew enough of the basics to be able to honehis skills on the different model configurations offered on the simulator. Afterseveral months of practicing on the simulator, he went back to the field andflew every model at the field including a ducted fan jet plane. He had noproblems with basic maneuvers because he had developed the skills requiredthrough many hours of practice with the simulator. This is an extreme case butit shows what can be accomplished through using a simulator, even FMS download free flight simulator, if the basic methodshave been taught. If pilots get proper instructionand use the flight simulator to practice what is taught, it can be ofsignificant value in learning to fly or to perfect various maneuvers. It cangreatly increase the "stick time" that the pilot is able to achieve in givenperiod of time. It is a tool that if properly applied can help a pilot toprogress at a much faster rate than normally possible. Above all, it is up tothe pilot to make sure that this tool is properly applied by getting the rightkind of instruction and not try to learn on his own. If, after you download free flight simulator FMS, you want to explore commercial versions, then be sure to take a look at the hugely popular Great Planes and Hanger 9 simulators below...and enjoy!

Click on above photo
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