Rotortramp Posted October 4, 2012 Report Share Posted October 4, 2012 Back in high school I had a yoke and rudder pedals to practice on FS2002 (while training fixed wing). Not sure if it helped or not, but maybe some of you have a cool set up that you can perfect some maneuvers at home. Nothing compares to being in the cockpit, but perhaps it'll help just a little while killing time on a Sunday afternoon. I watched a video of someone who had a joystick and the "throttle" acting as a collective mounted to the side of a chair. Pretty clever. Lets hear what you got. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flying Pig Posted October 4, 2012 Report Share Posted October 4, 2012 The question is, how do you log it? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rotortramp Posted October 4, 2012 Author Report Share Posted October 4, 2012 The question is, how do you log it? As long as it looks the same, feels the same, and sounds the same; I see no problem in logging S-92 time with a homemade simulator made out of PVC pipe. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flying Pig Posted October 4, 2012 Report Share Posted October 4, 2012 When the track and balance is out of whack in our 500E, I log Huey time. However, to answer your question. Ive never really gotten into the livingroom flying. However, I did see a seat once that was basically PVC. The collective was bolted to the seat and it had an actual cyclic to practice auto entry. Aft cyclic, Collective down right pedal. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
apiaguy Posted October 4, 2012 Report Share Posted October 4, 2012 my very own "Steel Talons"... purchased for $250 on ebay... It does pretty good... not so much for hovering but all the rest... even autos. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nightsta1ker Posted October 4, 2012 Report Share Posted October 4, 2012 Rainman Simulations full control set combined with X-plane 10 is pretty accurate. Don't have much time for it though and that's fine with me! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jjsemperfi Posted October 4, 2012 Report Share Posted October 4, 2012 The biggest help for me is for instrument training. You can flight online with controllers and practice talking to ATC (they do a great job by the way) and practice your procedures, comms, and make mistakes on the computer instead of in the helicopter. It has really helped a lot for my IFR training. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spike Posted October 4, 2012 Report Share Posted October 4, 2012 Back in high school I had a yoke and rudder pedals to practice on FS2002 (while training fixed wing). Not sure if it helped or not, but maybe some of you have a cool set up that you can perfect some maneuvers at home. Nothing compares to being in the cockpit, but perhaps it'll help just a little while killing time on a Sunday afternoon. I watched a video of someone who had a joystick and the "throttle" acting as a collective mounted to the side of a chair. Pretty clever. Lets hear what you got. It’s called “chair flying.” It’s where you envision the maneuver in your head while sitting in a chair with a set controls, imaginary or not, and fly. The Japanese conglomerate Kawasaki Heavy Industries (KHI) utilized chair flying as an established practice for homework assignments with their students. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nightsta1ker Posted October 5, 2012 Report Share Posted October 5, 2012 It’s called “chair flying.” It’s where you envision the maneuver in your head while sitting in a chair with a set controls, imaginary or not, and fly. The Japanese conglomerate Kawasaki Heavy Industries (KHI) utilized chair flying as an established practice for homework assignments with their students. Is it effective? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heloidaho Posted October 5, 2012 Report Share Posted October 5, 2012 I think chair flying is effective. I've done it constantly in Army flight school, and a lot of IPs talk about doing it. Even without the nice videos that the 64 makes, it is very useful. You're just mentally walking through every procedure step by step so you can stay ahead of the aircraft the next day. For me it has paid dividends on time. Course, sometimes you don't know what you don't know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chitty777 Posted October 5, 2012 Report Share Posted October 5, 2012 Chair flying is only as effective as you want it to be. If you half-ass it, you'll get half-ass results. It's a great tool to mentally prepare yourself for the flight and everything associated with it. It can be as simple as practicing maneuvers, to emergency procedures, or comms with controlling agencies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gary-mike Posted October 5, 2012 Report Share Posted October 5, 2012 (edited) The Blue Angels "chair fly" the entire routine as a group, down to the second before going up. I figure it has validity if you truly apply yourself and try to be as precise as you can. personally, my only experience was doing ground runs and emergency procedures for the F-15 in my bath tub, I think it helped. I admit I did feel a little silly when I opened my eyes and came to the reality that I was naked in my tub doing about the same thing I did when I was four years old. (pretending to fly that is) Edited October 10, 2012 by gary-mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jsta22 Posted October 5, 2012 Report Share Posted October 5, 2012 I absolutely love flying my x plane 9, now 10! I definitely felt it kept me mentally in the game when I had some longer breaks during my initial heli training, say of a couple months or more... Now a little further along in hours, but never quite went for instrument yet, I like to set it to some dense fog, or dark as can be night, and fly the instruments only and track back to an airport away from my home town and back.. I do feel it also kept my cyclic pretty precise, and getting back into the heli, the instructor was surprised to find I was still accurate with the controls, radios and procedures.. Like I never stopped for the couple months! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gomer Pylot Posted October 5, 2012 Report Share Posted October 5, 2012 These days (or nights) about all the practice I get at home is in my dreams (or nightmares). I have two recurring dreams, which happen now and then. One is flying very low, with wires everywhere, and trying to dodge them, and the other is starting up and having severe overtemps I can't control. I've never overtemped an engine, and never hit a wire, but obviously both are things I think about a lot. I used to go through something like armchair flying before checkrides, going through a flight and imagining making instrument approaches, etc, and I think it helped, but I no longer bother. If I can't pass a checkride now, then I shouldn't be flying. I have never busted a checkride of any kind in 40+ years of flying, and the day I do will probably be the day I give it up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rotortramp Posted October 6, 2012 Author Report Share Posted October 6, 2012 Thanks everyone for the suggestions. I'll start looking into some of your ideas and see how they'll work out. Chair flying seems like a great idea too. Meditation is apparently very good for the mind and body, so combine that with helicopter flying and I think its a winning combination. If anyone is just browsing around on these forums I'll put out there that VATSIM combined with the flight simulator series (not sure about xplane) is an excellent tool for relieving communication nerves. It takes time to set up, but you communicate with live controllers in conjunction with your game play. Most people fly airlines out of major airports so you can practice being with the big boys. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michaels214 Posted October 7, 2012 Report Share Posted October 7, 2012 Your thread got me curious...so I did a quick search on ebay and this looks AWESOME! lolhttp://www.ebay.com/itm/Helicopter-Aircraft-flight-Simulator-cyclic-collective-/200828483479?pt=Motors_Aviation_Parts_Gear&hash=item2ec24f7797&vxp=mtr Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cryesis Posted October 7, 2012 Report Share Posted October 7, 2012 I used FSX with the dodosim 206 add on. bought the plans and built that. It worked pretty good but flying in the sim on FSX was quite a bit different compared to real flying. The dodsim 206 add on made it feel a bit more realistic and allowed you to perform autoroations. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rotortramp Posted October 7, 2012 Author Report Share Posted October 7, 2012 Your thread got me curious...so I did a quick search on ebay and this looks AWESOME! lolhttp://www.ebay.com/...24f7797&vxp=mtr You'd think they'd throw in the shipping for for $1400! Looks really nice though. I used FSX with the dodosim 206 add on. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qDgSfjCGUiU bought the plans and built that. It worked pretty good but flying in the sim on FSX was quite a bit different compared to real flying. The dodsim 206 add on made it feel a bit more realistic and allowed you to perform autoroations. That's actually the video I stumbled on. How complicated was it to put together? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michaels214 Posted October 7, 2012 Report Share Posted October 7, 2012 $69 shipping isnt too bad..I just dont know if $1400 is worth it, but for what it is it seems reasonable. I know nothing about simulators as im only in my 1st week of school - but if i did have money to throw around I would probably get it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cryesis Posted October 8, 2012 Report Share Posted October 8, 2012 You'd think they'd throw in the shipping for for $1400! Looks really nice though. That's actually the video I stumbled on. How complicated was it to put together? extremely easy to assemble if you buy the set of directions from the guy, If I recall correctly about 2 hours for everything 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rotortramp Posted October 8, 2012 Author Report Share Posted October 8, 2012 extremely easy to assemble if you buy the set of directions from the guy, If I recall correctly about 2 hours for everything Thanks, might be a fun weekend project to put together. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cryesis Posted October 9, 2012 Report Share Posted October 9, 2012 make sure you glue it together also, I didnt glue mine at first and everything seemed to move and pop out of place requiring re-adjustment. I would definitely get http://www.dodosim.com/fsx206.html as well, it really made a difference in the handling characteristics.....I have yet to find an r-22 that could be called accurate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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