Customer Reviews

Microsoft Flight Simulator as a Training Aid: A Guide for Pilots, Instructors, and Virtual Aviators

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I had some mixed feelings about this one after going through it cover to cover, but when I reflected on it, I appreciated the author's hard work putting it all together.

As a book, it covers (almost to the point of beating to death) why and how Flight Simulator (2004 and FSX) can be used as a training aid for flying... hence the title. Once you've read it, you've either been proselytized into the fold, or you've gotten annoyed and thrown it into the trash- in either case, I can't see reading it again unless I wanted to dig up the arguments to have with someone else. The text is also a little more oriented towards the instructor, more than the virtual pilot.

But where the real value lies is in the CD. Here, Williams has provided dozens and dozens of open ended practice flights for a student or instructor to practice various techniques (in both FS2004 and FSX formats). Yes, you could make your own, or maybe find some on the Net, but he's saved you the time - just copy over, load up, review the charts and briefings, and start flying. Each flight also comes with flight descriptions/briefings on the CD- though not in printed form (save for a few samples that in the book). There are also a lot of online references (e.g. pointers to the FAR/AIM online, and some relevant chapters on the CD in PDF form, etc)- nothing you couldn't get online, but at least here the pointers are all collected together. Still, to me all that was worth far more than the price of the book.

If you're a raw beginner and/or you just bought FSX the other day and are looking to learn how to fly from scratch, you'll probably need to look elsewhere first before coming here. This book won't tell you on the fly what you did wrong while practicing, and you'll probably need to be at least a little comfortable with configuring FS yourself (in particular, messing around with the subdirectories in your FS program installation directory). But if you're serious about practicing technique beyond mere sightseeing and you know enough about technique and you're enthusiastic enough to self-practice, this is a good book for you.

This is a well written book and a good introduction to FS as a Training Aid. I am a private pilot and have been using FS since it's inception. I have always had difficulty convincing instructors (ground and flight) and fellow pilots to review the program and perhaps use it as an adjunct in their training. Bruce Williams, an accomplished pilot, CFI, and at one time on the developer team of MS Flight Simulator does a great job of explaining how it can be of assistance to both the student AND the instructor. One can at least get a comprehensive overview as to how it can be used for the mere cost of a book.

Personally I have always loved flying the simulator. I enjoy "landing" at airports that I intend to visit, as well as those in Europe, Asia, etc. One can fly all of the approaches in simulated bad weather to any airport anywhere in the world using "real" charts and plates and frequencies etc.

I bought this book at the same time as Jeff Van West's book, and
I found that even though the latter makes you go download the missions
from the Wiley website, they were still much more useful. The lessons
on the CD with this book had no more structure than say something I
might have saved while flying. If you are buying a book that is
real-aviation oriented, West's book is a must have, this I would take
a pass on.

For rank beginners to MS FSX, the first half of this book, while a bit lengthy could prove helpful. My major criticism is that the book makes a fairly big jump to what could have been more substantive and useful information. I bought the book with accompanying CD to help me prepare for real world IFR training in a single engine G1000 aircraft. While there are loads of example flights that let you practice departures, enroute navigation, arrivals, and approaches, there is little discussion and preparation for these examples. It would seem that the book might then be quite good for instructors who are already familiar with these concepts.
All in all, while well organized and obviously written by a devotee of FSX, it failed me in my IFR training.

I have wanted to get my pilots license since I was 13. I could never get the cash.

The Flight Sim Pilot Training on Flight Sim 2004 and Flight Sim X is OK but not great.

This book is so incredibly awesome when it comes to how you can use Flight Sim to lean how to fly and the things that you shouldn't. (Let's just say the computer program is a little "optimistic")

I have talked to so many trainers who told me dozens of stories about people who got their sport or private pilot license in a much shorter time and cheaper because of this book.

And my local flight school instructor told me the more I can learn in Flight Sim the better pilot I will be because when he goes over the stuff I need to know he will be reminding me of the things I already know and filling in everything else.

He says all his pilots who have used Flight Sim saved from $1000 to $3000.

I bought this book ,partly based on other peoples reviews , crap,,, I wanted something to help my real world flying , possibly help me to practice ifr , while using FS X , this book is rubbish , I've since bought ms "FS X for pilots REAL WORD TRAINING " by jeff west and kev cummmings ,still only half way throught it and it's every thing this book isn't ,it GREAT , oh and if your new to FS X it'll tell you how to set it up and how to use it ,

This book had very limited usefulness when compared to the similar book by Van West.

Maybe it was me expecting a lot more from this book. but no unfortunately this book is made of general knowledge about fs and nothing else. Lots of pictures in monochrome meaning no useful information. Don't even bother to see sample pages. try something else.

...and student pilots using MS Flight Simulator for help in their flight training. As a private pilot I still find FS an amazing program and found the book useful as a guide to use it for training purposes. As another reviewer noted, the CD included is worth the price by itself.

Brian
Long Island, NY

I was expecting more information for the student pilot. I'm using msn sim x and could use a lot more help. I'm frustrated by the unexpected termination of certain lessons abruptly and there is no information that i can Find as to what I did wrong ?
Learning to fly is on my "bucket list". I had 3 1/2 hours logged time in a taildragger and just didn't have the time to go on because of business.
So, when you get something like "you seem distracted, I'm going to end this lesson now", or something similar, it is very frustrating. I want an intelligent exsplanation of my errors. I'm 71 years old, and I don't have the time (litrally) to keep repeating these lessons.
There, that should cover about every thing.
DR