Garyck From United Kingdom, joined May 2008, 46 posts, RR: 0 Posted (4 months 1 week 5 days ago) and read 1881 times:
Good Morning.....
Help....
I have had FSX from over 12 months, been trawling the skies from EGCC (Manchester) to various loactions all over the world, normally in a 767. I'm getting to the point where I want 'more' out of the 'game' so want to go Virtual. Having looked on the net, My head is pickled with the various Virtual Airlines and Vatsim ETC..............
I still have alot to learn as I have been flying 'direct' to my location and just doing what the 'game's ATC' asked me to do. I'm struggling to find how to fly 'holding patterns' and VOR (to be honest I don't fully get it). It took me ages to get ILS, Flaps and approach speeds etc correct.
I want to start nice and slow if that makes sense as I have read alot of post on various sites of 'experienced' atc and Pilots not liking newbe's due to mistakes.
Anyone one know of a Virtual Airline that'll alow this to happen, or is it worth trying to join a bigger virtual airline. i.e AVA or NWVA. Also what additional equipment is needed.
Hope you don't mind the honest approach of not knowing alot. I think its fairer to be that way to get a more accurate and helpfull responce. I feel alot of Newbe's may have been put off by reading some of the comments from 'experienced' people. Its like driving, We all had to learn at some point, and how frustrating is it to get stuck behind a learner.
FlyMIA From United States, joined Jun 2001, 3843 posts, RR: 5 Reply 1, posted (4 months 1 week 4 days 21 hours ago) and read 1869 times:
Read up on stuff on the internet, and do the flying lessons the flying lessons will teach you how to fly ILS, VOR. As for holding patterns you just fly around a certain VOR etc.. Now if you really want to get realistic buy a payware airplane they cost anywhere from $30-70 for the good ones. PMDG are the best IMO but too expensive. Flight 1 sells LevelD 767 which is a great one. The best one I have ever had is Digital Aviation Fokker 100/70
Now these planes take days if not a week or maybe two of studying and flying around until you can really fly them, they have everything, FMC,APU,Pressurization etc.. There is no GPS here. These are the type of planes you can fly Vatsim commercial flights in as they have all the SIDs and STARS in the FMC etc.. Just be patient and fly around and try to learn new things.
I been on FS since FS2000 and I continue to learn new stuff every time I use the program.
As for VATSIM I heard it is very realistic and I would love to try it one day but I just don't have the time, patients or equipment to set up all the stuff for the live ATC etc.. It seems like it would be awesome. But yes you do need to know a lot about flying to have a good time there.
"It was just four of us on the flight deck, trying to do our job" (Captain Al Haynes)
I hope you'll find some useful information...as far as the flying goes, I've had the luxury of having a retired UAL Captain teach me how to "fly". Even though I consider myself pretty experienced, he tells me that there is still TONS that I don't know. The internet is an amazing thing. You can look up "flying using VOR's" and you will find a lot of information. Same goes for ILS approaches, NDB's, etc...It's a lot of fun, but definitely not something you will learn overnight.
Quoting FlyMIA (Reply 1): do the flying lessons the flying lessons will teach you how to fly ILS, VOR.
Agreed. Take the time to do the tutorials, you'll be glad you did.
Zappbrannigan From Australia, joined Oct 2008, 247 posts, RR: 0 Reply 3, posted (4 months 1 week 4 days 2 hours ago) and read 1836 times:
If you've got any specific questions about anything related to navigation aids, IFR procedures, instrument approaches, anything like that, ask them here, I'm sure myself or someone else will be able to help out. And I like answering challenging, curvy questions
EDICHC From New Zealand, joined Nov 2006, 1015 posts, RR: 4 Reply 4, posted (4 months 1 week ago) and read 1703 times:
As a suggestion if you want to take your first step in to a Virtual Airline try the Flying Tigers group. It is a group of about 20 virtual airlines including the VA versions of mainly Star Alliance carriers (with one or two omissions and additions)
It is not too technical (to begin with) and has good learning resources and a very good fourm where many members I found were so helpful.
Unfortunately I don't have the web address but just google Flying Tigers Group and you should find it easily enough.
I can attest to the digital aviation Fokker, honestly the best realistic plane I have flown IMO, and I have just about every payware plane. Only thing that upset me was I wanted the AA scheme for FSX and the package didnt come with it, now with AVSIM down I can't find that livery, and I searched on flightsim, oh well I guess. But I used to fly on vatsim when I had the time and found it to be pretty fun. If you also wanna make it more realistic invest in FSPassengers, makes that a little more fun.
I have a good amount of add on's too, and I used to just about only fly long haul flights but with DA Fokker I just cant put it down. I have been doing short-medium hops on FS all the time now. MIA-JAX TLH-DCA, MCI-SAT everything I can think of this Fokker is just great and very realistic the virtual FO is the icing on the cake. I have also been trying to find AA paint for the 100 but since Avsim is down I cant find it.
And yea FSPassenger is great it makes FS really come to life. It makes me want to fly more to make more money, fly more passengers etc.. Makes you want to make a good landing, get above the turbulence etc.. Its great and the random failures make you pay a bit more attention especially during crucial parts of flight. I high recommend FSpassenger too.
"It was just four of us on the flight deck, trying to do our job" (Captain Al Haynes)
Garyck From United Kingdom, joined May 2008, 46 posts, RR: 0 Reply 7, posted (4 months 5 days 15 hours ago) and read 1657 times:
Just a small update, I have joined SimAirline.net. They have 27 Airlines you can choose to fly for, You don't need to fly with Vatsim, but they'd like you too. They have various tutorals and this way I can learn about flying VOR before going 'live' on VATSIM. Filed my first PIREPs, just waiting for my number.
I've found them very friendly, I've chosen to stick to flying Delta Virtual for the time being as there are hundred of routes to choose. You have to be careful that it falls in-line with the current 'skyteam' timetable, it has to be the correct aircraft for that route/flight number as well as the aircraft has to be Delta Colours. I found this great, flew ATL-ORD-JFK-ATL-LAX (MD88-CRJ7-757-777)
Managed to get my entire fleet of Delta from flightsim.com but struggled with one and can't find it anywhere. Has anyone got, or know where to get a 'Delta' A330 for FSX, I'm struggling.
Garyck From United Kingdom, joined May 2008, 46 posts, RR: 0 Reply 9, posted (4 months 4 days 17 hours ago) and read 1628 times:
Its a case of looking for the freeware aircraft on Various sites, I normally use Simviation, then make sure its for FS2004 or FSX (Not all 2004 will work in FSX). You then save to a temp location on PC, Unzip it then copy it across to the airplane file in simobjects of FSX. There are plenty of videos on youtube to show you how to do it.
I looked at that site when looking for a VA, but their seems so be a long wait to get accepted. so I didn't apply. They don't want to run with no more than 2500 Pilots, but currently have 2700.
I'm happy flying Delta Virtual with SimAirline.net, I haven't had to work my way up to fly airliners and get type rated like you do with some VA's.
Hopefully will do my first flight this week on VATSIM, just trying to get my head round SID and STARS, with me only having freeware, I don't have an FMC, so hopefully I can find a quiet airport to fly to and from and they vector me instead.
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