Newbie question on expanding use of PE

[wpatrick]

120ish hour VFR pilot here, slowly working on my IR stuff and building my hood time in the real world. I've flown five or six real-world approaches into Johnstown PA, and have practiced some holding patterns but that's about it. I've ventured out to the first flight on PE a number of times (L52 to San Louis), but being new to X-Plane as well learning how to control my sim plane is more difficult than the real world. I'd like to get the VFR ratings in PE, but having some difficulty orienting myself in the pattern just to make good crosswind/downwind turns and a stabilized approach. Looking out the windows of the sim plane and actually "seeing" where I am seems to be the most problematic thing.

Anyway, I wanted some words of wisdom from those who use PE to learn, fly in the sytem, etc. What might be my best course of action for continuing to advance with PE, and not be one of "those guys" to the wonderful ATC resources on the network?

Thanks all!

[kleistad]

Pattern work is really difficult in the sim, I have a hat switch on my yoke allowing me to quickly glance to the right or left side. I also use the compass to help me. I am not a real world pilot, but have heard some say that pattern work is Harder in the sim than in the real world.

The way I found was best to learn to fly on pilotedge, was to do the training program, the CAT and I ratings. And doing it in a aircraft that I knew well, and was easy to fly. I used a C172 and Baron 58. Slow aircraft gives me the extra seconds of thinking time I need.

You being a RW pilot, just treat it as a real flight, be prepared and know your aircraft.

One thing I found in X-Plane is tuning the sensitivity of the controls is important, and may vary from aircraft to aircraft

Hope this helps a little

[wpatrick]

Thanks KL - yes, that's helpful. I set up some quickview keys in X-Plane that helps a bit too, and switched to a low-wing which is what I normally fly in the real world - both of which helped some. I also use the heading bug as a runway reference that helps with turns in the pattern. I'm guessing I just need to fly more and work through the PE training program a step at a time.

Thanks for the input!

[Shinjo B]

A trick I've found to flying a good pattern in the sim is setting the heading bug to the runway heading (or its reciprocal) before you enter the pattern. That makes it a lot easier to stay parallel on downwind and to square your turns when you enter xwind or base. It's not ideal since you'd really be looking out of the plane in real life, but it's just one of the basic drawbacks to a desktop sim and we have to learn to live with it. TrackIR also helps a ton if you're willing to invest the dough.

Altitude control is a real pain, but will get better as you practice.

At the end of the day not being able to feel the plane does make for more difficult pattern work, but you can get better at it. Pick a plane you like and just fly a few circuits until you get the hang of it.

[pipeorgan]

The best way to fly patterns is in VR. Not sure how it is in in X-plane as I am a P3D and AFS2 pilot but it is so so like flying in a real aircraft but with out g forces. It is difficult to fully explain but try it if you can.

[pipeorgan]

The best way to fly patterns is in VR. Not sure how it is in in X-plane as I am a P3D and AFS2 pilot but it is so so like flying in a real aircraft but with out g forces. It is difficult to fully explain but try it if you can.

You do need a powerful system although with AFS2 I get very very smooth operation with the Rift and a GTX 780 Ti. Unfortually though PE does not support it yet but when it does I believe it will be the future, especially for VFR flying.

[bbuckley]

I use ForeFlight both RW and in the sim. I always select the most appropriate traffic pattern in FF and between that, setting the HDG bug to RW hdg and a couple quick glances using the hat switch it seems to work out. I consider the sim (I fly FSX) and PE as great practice for RW in procedures, comm, headwork, etc but I don't worry too much about it for feel and handling. That's something I just have to go flying to get.

Welcome and enjoy!

[dz006]

Hi - Look to use something like Chaseplane or EZCA to enable you to create configurable "views" from the cockpit, I have 4 setup especially for patterns (left, right, front-left and front-right) and assign then to keys or switches and you can quickly look out the cockpit to ascertain your position - alternatively go for TrackIR whereby you can literally turn you head and look out of the cockpit in a "realistic" manner.

[BFG]

The heading bug tip is a good one, but also use ground references otherwise crosswinds can blow you to / away from the field and mess up your pattern.

A big key to getting the pattern right in the sim is to get your altitudes and speeds right. Presuming you're flying GA, you should be at pattern altitude when you enter (typically 1,000 AGL, but not always - sometimes it's 800 or 900 and the AF/D info for the field will tell you). Then make sure you're flying the correct procedure for the airplane you're in. Forgive me if this is repeat for you, but in most trainers (172s, Cherokees), it is something like:

- Enter the pattern on the downwind leg
- When you pass your desired landing point (typically the numbers on the landing end of the strip), cut the throttle to 1,500-1,700 RPM, fuel pump on, carb heat, first notch of flaps
- Adjust pitch / trim so you are flying 90 knots. This means pointing the nose below the horizon and then setting your trim so it stays there at a speed of 90 knots.
- When the field is 45 degrees behind you, turn onto the base leg.
- Next notch of flaps on base, which should naturally slow you to 80 knots or so.
- Turn to final (and a hat switch that shifts your view is a good way to judge this).
- Final notch of flaps, airplane slows to 70 knots or so.
- Coming to the fence / airport boundary start to reduce remaining power, plane slows to 65 knots or so.
- Over the fence begin to smoothly take out final power and make your landing.

That's a typical outline. Each airplane has a more specific flow and set of numbers. But if you trim the airplane to fly at 90 knots after passing the landing point on downwind, the flaps should do the rest of the work to slow the bird without you having to adjust power too much or mess with your pitch. That's a stabilized approach.

The thing I've found in the sim is that you really need to:

- Be sure to fly a tight pattern. Patterns real-world are close to the strip so you can make it if you lose the engine. On the 172 at 1,000 AGL on downwind the strip should be about half-way up the strut out the window (a quick glance out the window can show this). On a low-wing airplane it should be about half-way up the leading edge of the wing.

- Be ready for a fast turn onto base. Once you cut the power to 1,500 and add first flaps, the 45-degree point /turn onto base comes up quite quickly. It's usually only 15-20 seconds between when you cut power / add first flaps and start turning base in a real-world trainer. That's not a lot of time. Once you pass the landing point the pattern should feel like it moves along quickly.

There are RW pilots on the network with a lot more experience in this than I have, but those were the key things I needed to get right for the sim patters to be right.

[BFG]

Oh, and a stabilized approach does not mean "you never adjust pitch or power." Real world your hands are on the yoke and throttle and you're making adjustments because the winds, air, etc. are constantly in motion. But they are little tiny adjustments, not big ones. If you're adding 500 RPM to gain altitude the approach isn't stabilized. But if you come out of base a tad low and add a little power to correct, that's normal, etc.