helping my dad

[bob]

My sister and I recently bought our 70+ computer phobic father some flight
simulator gear. Dad was a F-86 fighter pilot getting out of flight school
just as the korean war ended.
because of this i purchased fs2002 and combat sim 2 because i saw/downloaded
the combat sim adaption that included the f-86/mig campaign. Bought a
sidewinder joystick, which installed so quickly that he was convinced it had
not installed. He has windows xp professional a 2400 mhz dell. It always
amazed me that he was certified to deal with nukes, but cannot find the
Start button (literally) if nukes had been controlled by computers back
then, I am not sure we would be here! My sister and i plan to buy him some
rudder pedals and even a better joystick if in fact he really starts using
it.

I am trying to help him long distance, and got him throught the installation
and registration and through the cessna training flight.

Can someone tell me some real simple things that I could direct him towards
to help him get into a little faster?
1) How does he review/assign what all the buttons on his joystick do?
2) How does he look around? That is, he appeared stuck on the forward view
with half the screen being the control panel. Is there a quick way to look
out the side window or view the plane from outside?
3) How does he get to the documentation (notice that i list this one last,
because I am realistic how often he will read it)

any suggetions on what flights or tricks i should suggest to him would also
be appreciated.

Bob

[Quilljar]

I am pretty well in yr Dad's age group and an enthusiastic flight simmer.
However ,my experience with my own contemporaries starting out on computers,
is that unless they are very enthusiastic about succeeding, then they find
it almost impossible to try to get it right. It is not a matter of ability
or intelligence, it is a matter of motivation. If he can get to see the fun
he will have, then he will teach himself. If it looks complicated, and he is
supposed to do it to please you, then there is very little chance. :-)

Try and be subtle!


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[bob]

but how about how to change what direction the screen is looking? or how to
configure the buttons I am convinced that if i can answer the quick
questions (found a web site about the handbook, and sent it to him, but
doubt he will dig into it enough) then he will make enough progress to get
interested and do it more

to be fair (and critical) dad has been using computers for 15 years. he has
never used them well, however....


"Quilljar" > wrote in message
...
> I am pretty well in yr Dad's age group and an enthusiastic flight simmer.
> However ,my experience with my own contemporaries starting out on
computers,
> is that unless they are very enthusiastic about succeeding, then they find
> it almost impossible to try to get it right. It is not a matter of ability
> or intelligence, it is a matter of motivation. If he can get to see the
fun
> he will have, then he will teach himself. If it looks complicated, and he
is
> supposed to do it to please you, then there is very little chance. :-)
>
> Try and be subtle!
>
>
> ---
> Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free.
> Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).
> Version: 6.0.556 / Virus Database: 348 - Release Date: 26/12/2003
>
>

[Paul Riley]

"bob" > wrote in message
r.com...
> but how about how to change what direction the screen is looking? or how
to
> configure the buttons I am convinced that if i can answer the quick
> questions (found a web site about the handbook, and sent it to him, but
> doubt he will dig into it enough) then he will make enough progress to get
> interested and do it more
>
> to be fair (and critical) dad has been using computers for 15 years. he
has
> never used them well, however....
>

Bob,

I am also an "old fud" <LOL>, retired military (US Master Army Aviator) and
a user of MSFS since FS95 in 1996. What Quilljar said is correct--he will
only get enjoyment out of it if HE makes the decision to use it and spend
the time learning how--with help of course. But FS2002 has a pretty good
learning curve, especially if it is your first sim. Sure you can jump in an
airplane, and go fly, especially if you have real world flying experience.
But you will NOT be able to use all the features (ATC and Real Weather, to
name a few) if you do not read and study.

Some quick answers to your questions. He can use the hat switch on the top
of the joystick for looking outside the aircraft. Should be 8 different
spots he can see, but the front and back will normally be inside of the
aircraft--some have virtual cockpits which will show airplane parts in the
outside views, even when not in virtual cockpit mode.

You can also use the keyboard number pad. Turn OFF NUM LOCK (hit the key to
toggle OFF and ON), then a combination of SHIFT+ either the 1,4,7,9,6,3 keys
will give you outside views.

To configure the joystick buttons, you assign them to different functions
using the ASSIGNMENTS menu. In Window mode, click on
Options/controls/assignments, then scroll down through the menu, find the
function you want to assign, click on it, click on change assignment, then
hit the button you want to assign to that function. If it already has a
function assigned, it will tell you what is assigned to it--then you can
decide to make a change or cancel. Pretty intuitive, really.

Be advised. FS can become addictive, if you are REALLY wanting to recreate
the flying experience. I maintain a complete set of Instrument and visual
charts and pubs (only slightly out of date, DOD FLIP--your Dad may recognize
that term) which I use for instrument flying in FS2002 and FS2004(FS9). All
of the airports in the US are there, have yet to find one that I did not
have the proper approach charts for. The Real Weather function does provide
accurate current weather existing at the time of download IF the servers for
the various reporting stations have been updated. Normally, they have. You
can go on the internet, to the NOAA web site, and get weather flight
planning info for use in the sim flight ahead of time. It will work--I do it
all the time.

To be honest, I find it really amazing how much you can simulate the flying
experience right at your home PC. If your Dad really loved flying, this is
the best way I know of to recreate what we used to do in our younger days,
now that we can no longer do it for real.

Hope this helps. Post back if there are questions--or better yet, encourage
your Dad to do so. He will find a lot of help on these newgroups. He can
also try Avsim.com forum, lots of good help there.
alt.games.microsoft.flight-sim newsgroup is also an excellent place to ask
questions. He should be bale to find it in his newsreader, and "subscribe"
to it.

Paul

[Quilljar]

Bob,
Tell your dad we will be waiting to greet him wgen he joins the NG. Just
tell us what handle he will go under. There are several old and bold ex
military aviators in the group! He will remember as we do, those days when
Pontius was a pilot!


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