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Microsoft Flight Simulator 2004



 
 
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  #1  
Old July 26th 03, 11:36 AM
Steve House
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Default Microsoft Flight Simulator 2004

2004 is due to be released next week
The MS Force Feedback joystick works well with it.

"TripFarmer" wrote in message
...
Does anyone own this? I was thinking of using it at home as I start my
instrument training for help with repetative proceedures.

If you own it do you have a recommendation for a Yoke or Joystick?

Thanks in advance.



Trip



  #2  
Old July 26th 03, 12:17 PM
Cub Driver
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Does anyone own this? I was thinking of using it at home as I start my
instrument training for help with repetative proceedures.


It gets a rave review in the current issue of AOPA pilot.

I have always scoffed at Flight Sim, because what I saw on the screen
didn't resemble what I see when I drive my Cub along at 2900 ft AGL.
But that review made me feel wistful that my puter isn't up to the
demands of this edition of MS Flight Sim.

The reviewer, by the way, was talking about its use as a
flight-training tool. The conclusion in short was: yes yes yes!

all the best -- Dan Ford
email: www.danford.net/letters.htm#9

see the Warbird's Forum at http://www.danford.net/index.htm
Vietnam | Flying Tigers | Pacific War | Brewster Buffalo | Piper Cub
  #3  
Old July 26th 03, 06:19 PM
Yossarian
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While I'm sure FS2004 is great and all, that wasn't much of a review
considering Rod Machado was paid by Microsoft for the training materials he
added to the game. I was a little irritated that AOPA put what was
essentially an advertisement in as a product review.


"Cub Driver" wrote in message
...

Does anyone own this? I was thinking of using it at home as I start my
instrument training for help with repetative proceedures.


It gets a rave review in the current issue of AOPA pilot.

I have always scoffed at Flight Sim, because what I saw on the screen
didn't resemble what I see when I drive my Cub along at 2900 ft AGL.
But that review made me feel wistful that my puter isn't up to the
demands of this edition of MS Flight Sim.

The reviewer, by the way, was talking about its use as a
flight-training tool. The conclusion in short was: yes yes yes!

all the best -- Dan Ford
email: www.danford.net/letters.htm#9

see the Warbird's Forum at http://www.danford.net/index.htm
Vietnam | Flying Tigers | Pacific War | Brewster Buffalo | Piper Cub



  #4  
Old July 26th 03, 06:35 PM
Maule Driver
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"Yossarian" wrote in message
t...
While I'm sure FS2004 is great and all, that wasn't much of a review
considering Rod Machado was paid by Microsoft for the training materials

he
added to the game. I was a little irritated that AOPA put what was
essentially an advertisement in as a product review.


I'm not surprised. I read the article several days ago and discounted it
because it sounded like Machado had a relationship w/MSFS or at least was
just doing a product announce in exchange for something. A nice job by MS -
now for some objective assessments.



  #5  
Old July 26th 03, 07:23 PM
Icebound
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TripFarmer wrote:
Does anyone own this? I was thinking of using it at home as I start my
instrument training for help with repetative proceedures.

If you own it do you have a recommendation for a Yoke or Joystick?

Thanks in advance.


You might want to peruse the MSFS forum at www.avsim.com. (you have to
register free to post, but not to read).

Quite a few real-world pilots hang out there, and they would be able to
give you the perspective of someone who both flies real-world and sims.

From what I have seen there in the past, my guess is that their overall
opinion will be positive re use of sims for instrument training.

Be cautioned that, although formal Microsoft requirements are somewhat
lower, you will need a fairly powerful computer to make good use of the
sim.... with cpu probably in the 2.gHz-plus range, and one of the newer
AGP video cards. And if you find a difference of opinion about the
usefulness of sims, it may be as much because of shortcomings in the
users' hardware configuration as because of shortcomings in the sim...
.... be aware of the computer power that the proponent (or critic) is using.

I do agree with the other posters that you have to take reviews with
some skepticism, and that most are, in fact, little more than a
disguised ad. Machado has provided the "flight training" parts of the
Flight simulator manuals for the last several versions, and obviously
has had a tight relationship with MS for years. Nevertheless, I
understand his Flight-instruction credentials stand well on their own,
so his involvement and opinions on the sim ought to count for something.


--
"The Final 20 percent of the Project... requires 80 percent of the Effort"
---- paraphrased from Vilfredo Pareto (1848-1923)

  #6  
Old July 26th 03, 08:00 PM
Ben Jackson
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Default

In article ,
TripFarmer wrote:
Does anyone own this? I was thinking of using it at home as I start my
instrument training for help with repetative proceedures.

If you own it do you have a recommendation for a Yoke or Joystick?


I have 2000 and 2002. The latter has a lot of nice features for
actual pilots, especially the virtual cockpit with working gauges.

The CH Products Yoke and Pedals are great, though I don't actually
use the rudders as often as the yoke. Someone recommended the
MS Force Feedback stick. That didn't work well at all with 2000,
so I returned it. At least buy it locally so you can try it. 2k2
came with a rebate coupon for it, maybe 2k4 will too.

--
Ben Jackson

http://www.ben.com/
  #7  
Old July 28th 03, 06:36 PM
Tune2828
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Default

what's the retail on this? sorry if question's been asked already

anyone ever use vatsim?

http://www.vatsim.net/

let's you link up with other sim pilots, and some play controller. -so if you
fly from DEN-LAX, you have real people vectoring you / sequencing finals, etc
the whole trip. i've perused their site but never have time to learn and
download whatever i needed - but i like i think the concept's pretty cool
  #8  
Old July 31st 03, 06:30 PM
Marty Ross
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Default

Yea, I played around with VATSIM while practicing for my IFR practical test.
Several times I found it helpful for practicing my radio work/phraseology,
vectoring/navigating, holds, and approaches. However, more often than not,
I found it frustrating and a waste of time.

It was interesting and sort of helpful -- several times I got controllers
that were on the ball and handled me in a realistic way (I asked them to
assign me a hold and for practice approach clearances), yet some were
interrupted by phone calls, their children, etc. so often that it was just
not worth the time. It's a forum for simulator pilots and controllers in
training, so you find all sorts of levels of competency. Also, the
controllers in my area don't come on at regular times, so it's really a "hit
or miss" proposition for me to find one that will give me what I want. By
the time I got myself organized for the flight, often times the
controller(s) I wanted to speak with had logged off...

It's indeed a cute idea, and it CAN work pretty good. But, "I've been there
and done that" just about describes it for me after a week or two of trying
it out...

"Tune2828" wrote in message
...
what's the retail on this? sorry if question's been asked already

anyone ever use vatsim?

http://www.vatsim.net/

let's you link up with other sim pilots, and some play controller. -so if

you
fly from DEN-LAX, you have real people vectoring you / sequencing finals,

etc
the whole trip. i've perused their site but never have time to learn and
download whatever i needed - but i like i think the concept's pretty cool



  #9  
Old July 26th 03, 09:40 PM
Neal
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Default

On 26 Jul 2003 05:36:09 -0500, "Steve House"
wrote:

2004 is due to be released next week


[sarcasm, disbelief, and contempuous attitude mode = ON]

Did they make sure and remove Meigs Field from its database?

[sarcasm, disbelief, and contempuous attitude mode = OFF]
  #10  
Old July 27th 03, 12:28 AM
Peter Duniho
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Default

"Neal" wrote in message
...
Did they make sure and remove Meigs Field from its database?


I dunno what the "sarcasm, disbelief, and contempous [sic] attitude mode"
business is all about but...

What I read in the r.a.simulators newsgroup was that Meigs Field is still
there, but no longer the default starting point for the game.

Pete


 




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