brucew@bruceair.com
Seattle, WA
Every seat's a window seat on BruceAir
brucew@bruceair.com
Seattle, WA
Every seat's a window seat on BruceAir
In 2007, ASA published my book, Microsoft Flight Simulator as a Training Aid: A Guide for Pilots, Instructors, and Virtual Aviators. As the title suggests, it’s detailed discussion of how you can best use Flight Simulator to learn, practice, and polish a variety of flying skills (for more information about Flight Simulator is used in real-world training, see Flight Simulator in Aviation Training on my Web site).
The book includes a CD with more than 150 VFR and IFR Practice Flights, and I have posted additional Practice Flights on my Web site.
Microsoft disbanded the Flight Simulator team in early 2009. But Flight Simulator X, released in 2006, is still a great complement to flight training, and it’s a terrific tool for maintaining proficiency. (For more information about the features in FSX that support realistic training, see Information for Real-World Pilots at FSInsider.)
The arrival of the autumnal equinox reminds me that IFR pilots will soon have more opportunities to use their IFR skills, and I’m launching a new feature here at BruceAir: BruceAir IFR Skills Flights for Flight Simulator. Like the Practice Flights included with my book, these flights are saved sets of initial conditions (airplane, location, weather, etc.) that provide efficient starting points for a wide range of situations.
Most of flights begin the air, with the airplane in position to fly a transition, perhaps involving a STAR, and an approach. Others start at an airport and challenge you to fly departure procedures. Just load a flight and you’re ready to practice a procedure that will challenge your ability to fly IFR.
If you're familiar with Flight Simulator X and know how to copy and load Flights, here are the essential steps to get started with these BruceAir IFR Skills Flights.
If you need more help getting started, see the detailed information in the sections that follow below.
To use these free BruceAir IFR Skills Flights, you need a copy of Microsoft Flight Simulator X (these flights won't work with Flight Simulator 2004) and at least a basic joystick or yoke.
An elaborate home cockpit isn’t necessary (or often even desirable). These drills are intended to exercise your brain more than your stick-and-rudder skills.
To learn more about Flight Simulator and accessories, visit the Flight Simulator page at my Web site and the official Microsoft Flight Simulator pages, especially the Flight Simulator Learning Center.
You may want to refresh your knowledge about IFR flying before launching a flight. I’ve posted links to many excellent—mostly free—resources on my Web site.
For the BruceAir IFR Skills Flights, I especially recommend the Instrument Flying Handbook, the Instrument Procedures Handbook, the Aeronautical Information Manual, and the NACO Aeronautical Chart User’s Guide, all of which are available for free download as PDFs from the FAA Web site (links here). The AOPA Air Safety Foundation also offers excellent free resources, including Safety Advisors, interactive courses, and quizzes.
Please understand that I can’t provide individual instruction via email about the details of flying the procedures for these Practice Flights or using Flight Simulator. If you have questions about the procedures, IFR flying techniques, or Flight Simulator, please review the background information in Microsoft Flight Simulator as a Training Aid and the resources available here at BruceAir.com, and consult an instrument flight instructor.
To learn more about using Flight Simulator, visit the Flight Simulator Learning Center, the Web-like guide to Flight Simulator installed when you set up Flight Simulator on your computer.
To learn more about essential skills for using the Practice Flights with Flight Simulator, see “Microsoft Flight Simulator Essentials” on the Flight Simulator page at BruceAir.com, where you can download a .pdf version of a self-paced PowerPoint presentation to help you master virtual flying skills, plus quick-reference guides and other resources.
A copy of my book isn’t necessary, but you may find the background information about using Flight Simulator, flights, and other details helpful.
I provide PDF copies of the FAA NACO en route and IAP charts with each set of BruceAir IFR Skills Flights. Of course, you can also use Jeppesen charts if you prefer those versions.
Another useful source of online charts is Skyvector.com.
These Practice Flights reflect the procedures in effect when I created the flights. Some of the information that they’re based on may be out of date, and the database in Microsoft Flight Simulator is not revised to include the additions, corrections, and deletions incorporated in databases and charts required for real flight. If you compare the charts provided with these Practice Flights with current aeronautical charts and data, you may find that some procedures, navaid frequencies, altitudes, and other details are no longer valid or correct. In particular, note that GPS procedures published after a specific version of Microsoft Flight Simulator was developed are not included in the Flight Simulator database for the GPS. For more information about these issues, see “The Flight Simulator Database and IFR Procedures” in Chapter 2, “Using Flight Simulator as a Training Aid,” in Microsoft Flight Simulator as a Training Aid.
I post the BruceAir IFR Skills Flights to my Skydrive folders at Windows Live.
To use the flights, copy the appropriate files to the Flight Simulator X Files folder on your hard drive. That folder is usually inside the Documents or My Documents folder on your C: drive. For more information about copying the files, see Installing the Practice Flights (.pdf).
Each flight includes two files:
The file names provide essential information about the flight.
For example, the first BruceAir IFR Skills Flights focus on the ILS Rwy 21R approach at Pasco, WA (KPSC). I’ve provided three flights in this set, each of which begins at a different location so that you can practice specific skills, such as flying a DME arc and flying a full approach, including a procedure turn. I’ve set the weather to IFR conditions. Here are the file names:
As the names imply, the first flight begins near NIALS intersection, the second near the ALW VOR, and the third near the PDT VOR.
All of these flights use the Beechcraft BE58 included with Flight Simulator X.
You can switch to any aircraft in your Flight Simulator X hangar after you load a flight. Press ALT to display the menu bar, and on the Aircraft menu, choose Select Aircraft. For more information, see p. 113–114 of Microsoft Flight Simulator as a Training Aid or the Flight Simulator Learning Center.
To learn about loading a flight in Flight Simulator X, see All About Flights (PDF) in the Learning Center. The Learning Center also explains how to choose an aircraft.
Obviously, you must be properly trained, rated, and current and use valid charts and other information when you fly IFR procedures in the real world. In other words, these BruceAir Flights are useful as aids to help you understand and rehearse representative types of IFR procedures, but they are not intended to train or prepare you to fly specific routes, approaches, or departures.
The first BruceAir IFR Skills Flights focus on the ILS Rwy 21R approach at Pasco, WA (KPSC). You can find links to these flights and information about why I think they’re good tests of skill here.
