Instructional software for flight simulators
Greg Trainer
Im doing some research into what users demand for flight simulators in terms
of instructional software. If there was a product on the market that offered
interactive, instructional and training in any aviation topic...what would
you like it to be??
Teaching navigation concepts, instrument flying, basic fundamentals
etc...what would you like to see in an interactive package for the flight
simulator user.
Thanks
bl...@nospam.com
<tra...@iinet.net.au> wrote:
>Hi all,
>
>Im doing some research into what users demand for flight simulators in terms
>of instructional software. If there was a product on the market that offered
>interactive, instructional and training in any aviation topic...what would
>you like it to be??
For me, it would be instrument training (and recurrent training). For a
while last year (as I was working on my instrument ticket) I was
considering trying to pull the expertise together to develop an add-on
module that would allow FS2002 to serve a similar purpose to what ASA's
interactive trainer does. (I'm not talking about their flight simulator
- I'm referring to the other instrument package that has some simulator
aspects but is more geared towards modular instruction. I can't remember
the name of either package at the moment.)
The upcoming FS2004 is supposed to have an SDK for its ATC
functionality, which would be where most of the interface work would
probably need to take place (FS2002 doesn't provide this). It would be
nice to have a package that would put the pilot into a situation,
monitor the pilot's performance, and grade the results. I'm not just
talking about individual approaches, but (ultimately) an entire IFR
flight, from the planning stage to chocking the wheels at the
destination airport.
It's possible that the improved ATC in FS2004 - e.g. support for more
types of approaches and more flexibility while en-route - will provide
most of this, but of course that remains to be seen.
Dave Blevins
Tim Ferrell
"Greg Trainer" <tra...@iinet.net.au> wrote in message
news:3e9a706c$0$17...@echo-01.iinet.net.au...
> Hi all,
>
> Im doing some research into what users demand for flight simulators in
terms
> of instructional software. If there was a product on the market that
offered
> interactive, instructional and training in any aviation topic...what would
> you like it to be??
airspace restrictions and weather.
Downloadable charts (VFR and IFR) would aid greatly in the initial
planning cross-country flights. MS 2002 has virtually no system for
determining airspace and requirements.
MS 2004 may address the weather issue but what I would like to see from
a training aspect no definite 'go, no go ' situations in terms of
approaching fronts, wind shear etc.
Just my opinion, Tim
BillyJoe
MSFS2002 has some basic instructional capabilities, and they're not too
bad considering you're getting free flight training for all of $50 depending
on
where you get your copy. However, it has some shortfalls that frustrated me
as a beginner pilot.
They're all done with scripting, which is fine for most purposes, but it's
sometimes as dumb as a stone. It will tell you things like "you're too low"
or "that's too much aileron" when you're in straight and level flight. The
messages are basic, and often delayed from the event that they relate
to. (For the previous example, you might HAVE BEEN turning too fast,
but you're back to level now.)
Other cases are also frustrating. For example, if you don't meet the
instructional profile perfectly it will sometimes let you fly for an hour
without telling you what to do next. You're left wondering if you missed
a step - there are no time-based reminders of what to do. A good example
of this is in the VOR navigation section, or during fast turns. If you come
out on the wrong heading, you can just sit there forever and it will never
tell you what to do next. The only way to respond is by entering a very
slow turn so you pass through the trigger heading at an angle the AI
thinks is "close enough" to straight and level flight to let you move on.
That's confusing as all hell for a beginner!
There are lots of other problems. The AI fights you for control of the
plane sometimes without telling you. It also has a nasty tendency
to remember the wrong control settings when it releases the autopilot
to you to try out a lesson, so all of a sudden you're diving when the
instruments and controls say you SHOULD be straight and level.
And sometimes the autopilot stays on too long, so you have to correct
for its mistakes.
And my gawd are Rod's jokes bad. Sigh.
If I had a wishlist, I would take the list of lessons that MSFS2002
includes, and just make them work properly. I would also add some
critical elements like flying practice loops combined with 500' ascents
and descents, correctly following a few pre-made VFR flight plans, etc.
Most importantly, I would set the lessons up to work just like a
"real" lesson - right from the takeoff, with no autopilot engaged. Once you
learn how to takeoff, climb, and trim, you shouldn't have an autopilot
doing all of that for you every single time.
A single "turns" lesson isn't enough; I've had to invent practice lessons
of my own. It shouldn't be hard even in a scripted environment to expand
this to a larger list. For example, you might start with standard rate
turns,
then practice minor heading adjustments, then fly a pattern, then fly a
pattern with an ascent on one of the legs, then one with a descent, then
one with both, and finally a downward spiral to drop altitude without moving
very far. All of these scripts aren't much more than the basic script with
a few more elements in each, but they would add a LOT of depth to the
instructional content. I don't know. Somehow, having a checkride after
8 lessons just doesn't feel right. =)
Finally, there are elements that are totally missing, such as handling
wind drift properly, handling instrument failures, handling engine
failures, etc.
Regards,
Bill
AL Mills
instruction just yet. What we need is a flight dynamics model (option?) so
we can simulate the real thing. Just try to slip your 182 into a small
airfield and you'll see what I mean.
--
AL Mills
USAFD
(U.S. Air Force Dad (as 0f 3/28/03))
Icebound
All of the above, of course. The problems with modern (recreational,
PC-based) flight simulators is not so much their failures at
instruction, but it is their failures to advise me when I have "done
good".
Billy Joe's post about MS version of interactive instruction is pretty
close.... they have a pretty good basic instruction, but it does not
quite work properly, confusing the student with poor synchronization of
comments-to-action and minimal useful feedback on what is happening
correctly or incorrectly.
What I would like to see is a sophisticated scoring system... which
scores my flight according to some criteria. For example, allow me to
specify "patterns", and the software scores my altitude control, square
corners, wind-drift compensation, etc.
Specify "Touch and goes", and it scores deviations from the correct
approach and touch-down airspeeds, deviation from threshold, vertical
velocity at touchdown, etc.
Specify "cross-country point to point", and it scores my fuel
consumption, altitude control, course tracking, .... plus all the other
stuff re approach pattern and landing.
For IFR approaches it scores the adherence to pattern courses,
altitudes, glide-slopes etc.
In that way I can keep repeat a flight over and over, trying to make my
technique better and better, and knowing whether I have improved it, or
not.
I would like to be able to "turn on" instruction at any time for any
flight, and have the FS tell me how I am deviating from optimum (and my
cumulative demerits to that point).
--
"The Final 20 percent of the Project... requires 80 percent of the Effort"
---- paraphrased from Vilfredo Pareto (1848-1923)