On Jan 19, 2:56*pm, Doug Hoffman wrote:
bildan wrote:
I'm a big fan of Condor but wing balancing isn't one of its strong
suites due to the limited peripheral vision afforded by a computer
monitor. *Many "wing leveling" problems can be traced to students not
using their peripheral vision - tunnel vision tends to develop under
the stress of a takeoff roll.

Fair enough. *Though the horizon in Condor is a darn good indicator (I
just checked with mine) and you *will* know it if your wings aren't
level and likely be punished (possible ground loop, not staying behind
the towplane, etc). *Seems to me that after a few hours on a sim one
will *not* have a problem with right vs left aileron. *I'm not
suggesting that the horizon should always be used to check wings level
during ground roll-out. I am saying that a sim like Condor *will*
solidly teach you left-stick from right-stick.

In fact, PC flight simulators demonstrate just how hard it is to
control a glider without peripheral vision. *You really need a 3-
monitor set up to use A PC flight simulator in a training environment.

I have to disagree. While 3 monitors would be nice a TrackIR device
works marvelously. *Even the coolie hat switch isn't that bad, but for
serious work like coring thermals the TrackIR is the way to go.

Wing down 'no-wing runner' takeoffs are mostly a relic from 2-33's
with tip wheels and should be used sparingly. *I'm not saying it's not
a skill to know but I question teaching it to a primary student
considering the glider types any new student can be expected to fly
these days. *Wing down takeoffs should NEVER be used with a CG hook or
on a winch.

Who suggested 'no-wing runner'? *Not I. *Condor runs your wing for you.

The "simulated" ground roll practice using a glider facing into the
wind allows logging hours of practice doing something you pass through
in seconds on a real flight. *I'm thinking a lot of broken fiberglass
could be avoided if all of us would spend an hour doing this each
spring.

Agreed. If you have all that readily available it seems like a fine way
to go.

I am just suggesting a simulator as a possible alternative if using that
is more convenient.

Living in Michigan it is common to not fly anything (real) from October
through April. I once had to take my flight review as my very first
flights after a long winter layover. *I was complemented on how well I
kept the turns crisp and coordinated. *I attributed that to "staying
current" using Condor.

I would also strongly recommend that a sim be used with rudder pedals. I
think it is a bad idea to get in the habit of using the stick without
your feet pressing the pedals properly.

Will the "simulated" ground roll practice using a glider facing into the
wind teach proper use of the rudder? *Condor will.

Regards,

-Doug

I'm not really arguing here - I like Condor and would like to see it
more widely used. Although, without a really good setup with rudder
pedals, it's somewhat limited. I tend to use it as an "animated
whiteboard" to illustrate a maneuver.

However, if you create a complete cockpit setup, Condor is a VERY
effective training tool.

BTW, Condor is also VERY good at creating flight training
illustrations with its jpeg screen capture feature. Any photo editor
can add text and graphics to the image. I wrote a highly illustrated
winch training syllabus with this technique.

Don't discount the peripheral vision thing. Track IR effectively
simulates swiveling your head which isn't the same thing as peripheral
vision. A pilot need to get visual information from the sides while
looking straight ahead.

Three monitors is a much better experience than Track IR - though more
expensive. I've seen some curved ultra-wide monitors that would
provide nearly 180 degree field of vision - ultra expensive but very
cool.