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It is possible to teach yourself to fly instruments...Build your own simulator
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There was a period in the repertoire of my aviation career that I was a total Penguin (i.e. all flap and no fly). On a whim I wanted to find out for myself if there were any computerized flight simulators that rose above the level of video games. I suppose that I am getting cantankerous in my old age, I have a life experience (of blowing things up for real) that causes me to view with great disdain any computerization of war, and extra epically if it is pandered to our younger generation as a “game”.
Putting my philosophical eloquence aside, there was one program that garnered my attention: Microsoft’s 2004 Century of Flight. The program was only $35 so I bought it. To go along with the software I decided that just a computer game stick and throttle would be sufficient.
My initial set up was not intended to impress anyone, I only wanted to do an appraisal of how well everything would work. I made loops with masking tape and just stuck the two items of hardware in front of my computer screen. I was absolutely astounded with what I was beholding!
A slight digression, during my tenure with the airlines every six mounts there was an appointment with “the box from hell”. The reason airline pilots don’t like simulators is because unlike a real airplane, the examiner can cause malfunctions of any and every variety…which they do with glee. But…when you crash the simulator all that happens is the instructor beats you over the head and says, “you dumb s---, don’t you know you’re not supposed to crash?" And about crashing, there is one maneuver that is famous for turning more planes into scrap aluminum than everything else combined…the V1 cut.
I was sufficiently impressed that I wanted to make the device portable so as to use for a training aid if I resumed flying as a CFI. Behold my wondrous contraption! Hey…it works, not only does it work but everyone that flies it is impressed.
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As my ability to fly my invention increased (and this did take practice), an inherent limitation became increasingly objectionable; no rudder peddles. The throttle did have a control for the rudder, but it was not practical to use. Consequently, you couldn’t do realistic practice involving engine failures.
I had a new purpose in life…find hardware that more realistically duplicated a real airplane, off to the Internet, Google “Flight Simulator Hardware”. Ah Yes! Here’s just what I need…a yoke for the low-low price of $15,000, a throttle quadrant for $8,000 and rudder peddles for another $8,000…I kept looking.
The yoke I have cost me $175, the throttle quadrant was $100, and the rudder pedals were $120 (prices have changed since I bought these). Ohhh, I was sooo happy! For five minutes…this dinky computer monitor I have should be bigger.
What to do? Shop around! First I needed to know what was available, a facet of determining the exact requirements of what I needed was; “Do I really need a computer monitor?” The answer is No, a HD TV will do very well. I shopped around, found what I wanted, waited until it was on sale, and bought it. The TV was the singular most expensive item, even on sale, my 30” flat panned HD TV was $1,100.
All toll, I have about $2,000 invested in this simulator. Is this worth the price? I will assure you, and this in the framework of a 40 year aviation career, that I have never used a more valuable training aid. I can practice zero-zero approaches, I can do V1 cuts, if you don’t do the V1 procedures just right, it crashes just like the simulators at SimCom (and it’s fun to fly).
An idea popped into my head: There is a social activity that has developed at many-many FBOs; Aviators of days gone by will have a Sunday morning gathering just for the love of aviation and fellowship with people of similar interests. I took my invention with the laptop out to Atlantic Aviation at the Cuyahoga County Airport were there is an association of “Senior Aviators”, and requested that they apprise my device…they did!
These Senior Pilots (I suppose I am one) were all pleased with the ability of my devise to hone one’s pilot skills. They were: Tom Sanzo (the pilot of N17HF & N04C based at Atlantic), Joel Gordon, Ray Bayless, and Clarence Clark. I extend to them my gratitude of conveying to me their opinion based on life experience.
To see more pictures that are a figment of the imagination of my computer, click on:
picasaweb.google.com/WriterAllan/JustOnesAndZeros#
Also see: Gizmo Watch; Actually, I'm flattered
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