Microsoft Flight Simulator X For Pilots: Real World Training

As I write this review, I think back to when I was a kid who had a passion for aviation in the early/mid 90's, and taking off in the Learjet from old Meigs Field along the Chicago waterfront. It was nothing fancy, and there were no yokes and rudder pedals connected to the computer...just the arrows on the keyboard, F4 for full throttle, etc. And what felt like 5fps if you were lucky (rolling eyes). But in 2002, when I started pursuing my PPL, I was able to take basic concepts from even those times of clicking the arrows, and applied it to real flying. At 10.5 hours, my instructor signed me off for solo flight, since I had been able to pick things up so quickly, and I definitely give some credit to the flight simulator growing up. As I skip ahead to the present day, I think about what it would've been like to have this book growing up. It's basically like having a certified flight instructor sitting next to you at all times, whose brain you can pick whenever you have a question. I bought this book about 4 years ago since I hadn't flown in real life for awhile, so I could refresh my memory on things that I knew I had started to forget, but also I bought it just to have. I never imagined the amount of information it'd have in it. The book begins with the most basic information from the physics of flight, to teaching you how to conduct a GPS approach. You will also learn how to read an approach plate and land in one mile visibility with an ILS approach. It also is such a great source of reference for just anytime you want to read-up on something you already know about and apply it with practice on the simulator. It also has a really good section for helping to learn some of the basics of the "glass cockpit," in the event you're about to be transitioning from the old gauges to the Garmin-1000!!! I now have twins who will be sitting behind the yoke in the computer room soon. My boy has actually already grabbed it a few times, but at 19 months he's not quite there yet...haha But when the day comes, this book will basically allow me to be his flight instructor. The information in this book is worth thousands of dollars when you consider the cost of a flight instructor ($22 an hour in 2002-03 was cheap compared to what they probably are now). I recommend buying this book for any person who has a simulator, whether you're new to flying or a veteran. If you're planning on pursuing aviation in real-life, it will save you A LOT of money long-term, since you won't have to practice so much on a real plane!

I highly recommend this book to anyone that is serious about flying and wanting to obtain their Sport or Private Pilots License. This book begins with a simple explanation of how aircraft work and what makes them fly and takes you through the steps to get you airborne and flying. The book continues teaching you flight maneuvers, what to do in the case of emergencies and how to anticipate emergencies and act to prevent them from happening in the first place. The book teaches you to operate all the equipment inside an aircraft from the standard 6 pack of instruments, (Airspeed Indicator, Attitude Indicator, Altimeter, Vertical Speed Indicator, Heading Indicator, Turn Coordinator) to the advanced glass panels being found in aircraft today. The book teaches you to use the radio stack (Audio Panel, COM1/NAV1, COM2/NAV2, Automatic Direction Finder [ADF], Distance Measuring Equipment [DME], Transponder and Auto Pilot) for basic navigation before continuing on to teach you to use both the Garmin GPS 500 and the state-of-the-art Garmin GPS 1000 for straight line navigation from one place to another. It helps you to understand how to read and use aviation charts, teaches you how to fly in Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) and advanced flying techniques. What is more, the book uses flights / missions that are all ready set up and downloadable from the web for free to fly missions teaching you various points in the book. The flights are easy to understand, fun to fly and teach you a great deal about what flying in real aircraft are like. If you are looking to get your Pilots License or just want to know and use all the same tools and techniques that pilots use, get this book. You won't be sorry!!!

When I first looked at this book what really came out was the fact the authors recognized that Flight Simulator 10 (FSX) offered limited ability to view your surroundings. A reality which resulted in many users of FSX focusing excessively on instrumentation which is the exact opposite of expectations in real world flight unless of course your flying under instrument flight rules. Upon getting started with the book I decided to take things from the beginning even though I had previously mastered the basics of flying real airplanes. I can without doubt tell you this book brings a new vision to FSX and presents learning how to fly from a far different perspective than the tutorials and missions alone which come with FSX. The way the authors have presented the material teaches the importance of focusing on whats outside the aircraft. This is so very critical if you plan on flying real aircraft. Critical for your safety, getting to your destination (VFR), and the safety of your aircraft, other aircraft, and everything on the ground including other people. I can only applaud this approach to flying with FSX. Frankly I believe the way the authors present development of flying skills is a better approach than that deployed with FSX because it brings the importance of focusing on activity outside the plane into primary consideration. Isn't this why we fall in love with flying for the most part anyway? Think about it when you made the decision to learn to fly was it based on the planes dash board and controls or being able to sail effortlessly through the sky and marvel at the beauty of the clouds and the scenery below? The one thing which I did have a desire to change when first beginning to read the book was to use a different plane other than the Piper Cub. A plane which was more sophisticated, faster, and complex to fly, but that's when the reasoning of the authors became fully understood. Picking the Cub as the trainer was more a necessity to teach us focus on the skill and art of flight and in the real world. I was also very impressed with the fact that the book went beyond FSX and simulator flight by providing the details of differences between simulators and flying real airplanes. Simple things like the actual engine start procedure for the Cub were pointed out for example as was discussion of back pressure on the stick or yoke differs away from simulation in a real plane. Discussion of readjustment of FSX control settings were presented to help readers master the skills being taught. All of this is essential to those using FSX who desire to fly the real planes. This kind of instruction helps us understand why simulators are a great learning tool and also where they fail to paint the whole picture of flight. For the downside I felt it would be advantageous to have had color photographs of images in FSX. Those color images however were presented as downloads from the publishers website along with simulation scenarios to be loaded and used while practicing what the book presented. If the photos had been in color and a few other small details of how to setup of the down-loadable files had been present I would have given the book 5 full stars. Let there be no doubt as to the teaching intent and presentation of the words, for that I do give this book a full 5 stars relative to the audience to whom it is targeted. This is a should read for anyone who has an interest in learning to fly a real plane and who desires to use FSX to help them augment the learning process. Sharing what you are learning with your flight school instructor is a great idea and giving them a copy of the book to read and follow along with you is even better. This book along with the instruction which came with FSX will go a very long way to helping any new pilot and it is also a good refresher for those who have already learned the flight skills.

I can only describe this book as excellent. For anyone wishing to become familiar with the knowledge of the intricacies of real world aviation by using Flight Simulation X, I heartily recommend this book to them. It is written in a manner which is not only easy to read, but is profusely illustrated with photographs, diagrams and charts in an order which makes great sense, and which provides not only a lucid learning experience, but one which is highly enjoyable. I found this book to be a great read and, as an aviation novice, one which I would consider to be invaluable as a reference, to be used many times, now and in the future. In my opinion it is a "must buy" for any would-be aviator.

This book was written by two knowlegable men. They offer excellent advice throughout. My problem with it is the style of the authors. It's just fine for some people. Me? I do not like the light-hearted approach with interjections like, "what your mother always told you," or ... your spouse calling you to dinner..." blah, blah, blah. I can completely do without the banter like that. I'm not saying they are not sophisticated, there is a wealth of knowledge within. But Bruce Williams MS Flight Simulator As A Training Aid might be more up your alley if you don't wnat to hear/read that light-hearted s***. I feel Bruce's approach is a little, well, a lot more sophisticated in nature. The two books, yes, I bought both, disagree as to whether you need to buy a yoke, peddles, etc. Mr. Williams states that a joystick will suit your needs just fine as many yokes etc. aren't really that good. However, he further states pretty much that if you insist that you in fact want a yoke, etc., he recommends the better choices with which the authors of this book concur. (CH products.) I agree that for VFR, the joystick will suit your needs just fine. However, for IFR, I will be investing in the peddles, yoke, throttle quadrant, eh I think I'll go for the throttle quadrant first, but that's a personal recommendation if you are using FSX as a training aid, not as (just) a game. My advice, is buy this book: if the interjectures bother you, filter through the static best you can, AND supplement this book by getting the other one mentioned. They aren't that expensive. Other reviewers, in most instances, but not all, did not appear to consider the significance in their own statements regarding what they overlooked. Maybe some of them wanted to discourage others from knowing as much as they do from having read either. Or perhaps, well I won't go so far as to say they might not be very serious students. It might be implied, but, eh. Whatever. If the relatively small investment is not that much of an issue, again, I recommend getting both books. If you really feel you only need or want one, I can appreciate that. So what it comes down to, is what writing style is your preference to read. Light-hearted approach, get this book, you'll love it. (I don't, but I like the information it offers. Also, it does not come with a disc OR an Appendix which it tells you early on you can reference Appendix B for more on Slewing. Appendix B is nowhere to be found. There's no Appendix A either. The book ends at Chapter 27. Well, there IS an Index. No appendices though. Maybe it's at the web site, somewhere. Looks like more searching is required than desirable. (wiley.com) Have a look. The other selection by Bruce Williams doesn't have an Appendix either, BUT he doesn't tell you to look there to one for anything, AND his comes with a most cool CD-ROM, along with access to a pretty good web-site AND the point I was making, Williams' is a lot more down or up the alley of those who don't care to hear or read the silly-a** nonsensical superfluous comments. I have a sense of humor, don't get me wrong, but the authors of this book and I would not remain in the same room for long if they were my instructors. I would look elsewhere. Finally, in going to Wiley.com, this books website, I'm not thrilled, but that's me. With maximum optimism, in closing I will say: you will not close this book without having learned something of value. The guys who wrote it are not stupid, I just don't like their style of prose and delivery, it doesn't suit my personal taste. Here's an update. The book says on pages 6-7 to go to wiley.com type the title in the search field to access links, blah, blah, blah: this IS a joke right? I didn't find the two authors funny before, but their "web site" is a wash-out, total waste of time. You get squat there. If you enjoy wasting time, this is your number 1 pick right here. WFN

My opinion is anybody who gives this book less than five stars is REALLY hard to please or has some pet peeve they can't turn loose of. I have spent (wasted in many cases) lots of money and time on GA training books in the past and ignored this one for quite a while as "just another book on flying." When I saw the price drop below $20, I decided to take a risk. Wow! This could be the best training book I have every bought. I hate to be dramatic about that but honestly, I probably have fifteen books of this nature and this is the clearest, most well laid out of any of them. I love the way the authors bring FSX into the training as yet another tool to help you practice your technique. The online material (especially the films) are very helpful too. It is obvious these guys did not write this book because they are "professional authors" but because they really do love flight training. This book is a labor of love and you would do yourself a disservice by passing it by.

If you have ever been interested in flying, or getting your pilots license, I highly recommend this book! I've always wanted to get a pilots license, but could never afford it. So I did the next best thing.... SIMULATORS! I have flown all versions of Microsoft Flight Simulator and then some, and this book teaches you how to be a real pilot using Flight Simulator X. You wont be able to get your pilots license this way, but it could definitely help. It teaches you all aspects of getting your license. Tells you about all the proper procedures to doing everything! It also has links to downloading the individual flight scenarios for Microsoft Flight Simulator X. So while you read the book, you can also follow the instructions and perform the operation in FSX. Again, if you have EVER been interested in flying the proper way, this book is a must!! It's well written, and easy to follow. I always have it sitting next to the computer when I'm flying.

This book is a learning guide structured for individuals wanting to use FSX as a training device (flight simulator for pilots) to become real pilots, flying real airplanes. For existing pilots, the book covers things already old hat. However, I found that it was better to start at the beginning and quickly go through the topics so that I could learn how to use FSX in a realistic setting. Without this book, it would be a significant pain, using the very limited instructions that come with FSX, to get set up in a realistic environment. For that reason I would recommend it to anyone who is a pilot and wants to run FSX as a simulator training tool. The ideal book, would be like this book, but including only the later chapters and beginning with a start up and configuration guide to get the real pilot ready to use and understand FSX quickly. I guess what I am talking about is an FSX user manual for actual pilots, not gamers. There are some strange things, such as reference to appendices that are not in the book. It turns out that these appendices can be found at the book publisher's web page. (The book suggests that the web page is used to augment the book, and there are various downloads that are needed as training material referenced in the text.) Somewhere, up front, it would be nice if the authors provided an FSX user guide listing the various menu settings, and controls. You have to skim through the various lessons to glean this info. My criticisms are minor, and all in all, I would recommend this book to any would-be or existing pilot wanting to use FSX for training. Jack

I bought this book after attempting to wade my way through the FS 2004 Pilot Training Tutorials and then upgrading to FS-X. What an excellent book! It is a shame that it seems that the only reason previous reviewers marked down to 4 stars from 5 is the lack of colour illustration. If you read the text you find that you can download all of the book's illustrations along with an enormous amount of other information and flight senarios from the publisher's website - problem solved. Now to the book - the FS tutorials start you in a Cessna - I found this plane twitchy and difficult for a beginner to handle (or maybe it's just me) - the book starts you in the Piper Cub - a much more primitive (and easy to fly) option. It is a very uncomplicated plane and teaches you a lot about "seat of the pants" flying rather than too much dependence on using instruments. The authors (real pilot trainers) say that they find people coming to real flying from FS keep their eyes too much on the instruments and not enough out the window. I think the Cub goes a long way to solving this (and it's great fun to fly). The Cub is great for sightseeing flights, but you can't really do the Himalayas as they're mostly beyond its service ceiling. There is a great deal more in this book about the realities of flying in the real world and dealing adverse conditions that the documentation and training in FS don't deal with. They also explain a great deal better about how to control the planes. This book is written for FS-X but I think it could be used in FS-2004 as all the planes used in the book are in both versions of the software. You would have to be aware that some of the key commands differ between the two versions and I haven't tested whether or not the flight senarios are compatible. 700 plus pages and loads of megabytes of downloads of pure gold. I have no hesitation in give 5 stars (and more if I could).

il volume è una delle migliori vie d'accesso al volo, simulato o meno. espone gli argomenti senza mai essere troppo prolisso, andando sempre al punto, come i veri manuali operativi. portato a casa con l'obiettivo di andare un pò più a fondo nel volo simulato, può essere anche un'ottima preparazione pre-corso se in futuro volete portarvi a casa anche un brevetto vero. Consigliato

El libro llegó en excelentes condiciones.

Hier kann ich mich nur den Vorbewertern anschließen, es handelt sich heirbei um ein wirklich gutes Buch. Da ich vor kurzem mit dem FSX angefangen habe, wollte ich auch ein Buch haben, welches einem die Technik hinter dem Fliegen auch sehr gut vermitteln kann. Ich habe mir einige Bücher angesehen, darunter auch dieses. Dieses Buch habe ich mir erst zum Schluss angesehen, da ich eigentlich unbedingt eines in deutscher Sprache haben wollte. Denn ich habe mir direkt das Add-on für die 747 gekauft und war doch ein wenig mit den Schaltern im Cockpit überfordert. Das Buch ist in einem sehr verständlichen und leichten Englisch geschrieben. Klar, Fachbegriffe muss man gelegentlich nachsehen, aber das ist ja auch normal, wenn man fach fachfremd ist. Es erklärt einem erst einmal die grundlegenden Prinzipien des Fliegens. In den ersten Kapiteln wird man nach und nach an die Technik und Instrumente herangeführt. Ein ganz klarer Vorteil ist, dass man sich die Übungskapitel auch für den FSX herunterladen und durchspielen kann. Das macht die ganze Sache dann auch noch einfacher. Egal ob es ums Wetter, die Kartennavigation oder Spritberechnung geht, es werden zu jedem Thema verschiedene Links von Webseiten aufgeführt, die einem dabei helfen können das Ganze besser zu verstehen und auch einzusetzen. Es ist wirklich gut, dass man alles recht gut lernt und gleichzeitig auch versteht und sofort einsetzen kann. Es gibt zahlreiche Programme die einem die Arbeit natürlich abnehmen und alles vorberechnen. Aber als Anfänger sollte man die Geräte auch alle verstehen und auch manuell bedienen können und genau das wird hier vermittelt. Man ist allerdings nicht gezwungen sich von Kapitel zu Kapitel durchzuschlagen, aber als Anfänger ist es empfehlenswert. Ich denke mir auch, dass es für Fortgeschrittene sehr interessant ist. Nochmals kurz in Stichpunkten zusammengefasst: + sehr leicht verständliches Englisch + Technik des Fliegens wird ausführlich erklärt + logischer Kapitelaufbau + Lernkaiptel sind download- und im FSX durchspielbar (finde ich persönlich wirklich super) + ausführliche Erklärung der einzelnen Instrumente und Bedienelemente im Cockpit + Links zu bestimmten Themen werden aufgelistet und auch kurz erläutert. Negative Punkte kann ich bis jetzt noch keine finden, da meine Fragen bisher alle geklärt werden konnten.

Simply the best there is. Extremely detailed and nice lessons