sim software

[Helen Woods]

I have a student looking for some affordable software which will simulate

1. Flight in a C-172
2. ATC communications

I'd love some feedback and recommendations.

Thanks,
Helen

[tscottme]

"Helen Woods" > wrote in message
...
>I have a student looking for some affordable software which will simulate
>
> 1. Flight in a C-172
> 2. ATC communications
>
> I'd love some feedback and recommendations.
>
> Thanks,
> Helen

You didn't define "affordable" so I'll tell you about the best C-172
simulation I've ever seen. I've been using Elite for years.
www.flyelite.com. They have a basic version which includes only the C-172
and not a half-dozen other aircraft in addition to the Skyhawk. My only nit
to pick with Elite's C-172 is that it's power settings are about 100 RPMs
higher than my last real C-172. That is the type of variation common when
moving from one real aircraft to another real aircraft.

The basic or "Core" version of Elite is $199.

MS Flight Sim is a lot less money and provide the realism to meet his needs.
That won't be known until your student tries the program. I bought several
pc-sims before I bought Elite. With each program I found myself making
excuses for the program. That got in my way during IFR practice. Elite
just feels and acts like the airplane more than any of the others. Twice I
was able to pass IFR proficiency checks with virtually zero real life flying
before the flight check.


--

Scott

[akiley[_1_]]

Hi Helen, To add to this discussion. Elite is very nice, but if you
want ATC you have to pay another 160 or so for the IFR scenarios.
There are a LOT of scenarios though. They all have approaches, missed
approaches, full approaches, approaches missed to holds, to alternates
etc. Very good practice in my opinion, but for all that it will cost
him the core program plus the scenarios. The other thing lacking in
Elite is GPS. They have a Trimble GPS and a few other, but no King, or
Garmin which seem to be the standards.

I've also used Microsoft and it really is pretty descent. That has ATC
built in, but I'm not sure if they are quite as realistic as Elite.
But Microsoft has a pretty good Garmin 500 series GPS, plus a TON of
people make add-ons. I bought a totally implemented Garmin 500 series
add-on GPS for 35 or 40 bucks, and now someone's in the process of
making a Garmin G1000 panel add-on. See

http://www.mindstarprods.com/aviation/G1000_More_Pictures.html

I practiced NDB approaches over and over on Microsoft flight sim, and
nailed them right off in the real plane. akiley


Helen Woods wrote:
> I have a student looking for some affordable software which will simulate
>
> 1. Flight in a C-172
> 2. ATC communications
>
> I'd love some feedback and recommendations.
>
> Thanks,
> Helen

[Kyprianos Biris]

1. Best option is to try Microsoft Flight Simulator with this (free) add on
C172.
http://library.avsim.net/esearch.php?DLID=&Name=&FileName=ras172_fs9.zip
It is as real as it gets to real stuff. There's tons of stuff in the above
file library but this is a good one made by a flight school for their
students.

2. Ask him to register at www.vatsim.net network and fly MSFS on line with
www.squawkbox.ca in areas where there's active ATC. It's free of charge and
all it does is to simulate real ATC service which is actually provided by
other (live) users who instead of flying MSFS they provide ATC from their
radar scopes on the same network. The weather is updated live via the
network from real METAR sources. No strings attached.





"Helen Woods" > wrote in message
...
>I have a student looking for some affordable software which will simulate
>
> 1. Flight in a C-172
> 2. ATC communications
>
> I'd love some feedback and recommendations.
>
> Thanks,
> Helen