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The Right Way and The Wrong Way to Flight Sim

Read Time=4 Minutes


Right and Wrong. One answer is right, and the other is wrong because there can only be one right, right?

Wrong.



I’ve been seeing a lot of chatter across the internet (facebook, forums, twitter, emails to me) about how there is one right way of doing things with flight.

If you’re looking for all the right answers to your flying questions, you’ve come to the wrong place here at Angle of Attack. Hear me out.

An aviator is nothing but an intelligent decision maker. As a virtual aviator, you make decisions on a continuous basis, and you have to make those decisions really fast;, ‘on-the-fly’ as it were.

There is not a pilot in the sky, or an aviator for that matter, that can recall everything he or she has learned from text and sources and instantly have the right answer. THIS PERSON DOES NOT EXIST. If you are trying to be this person, stop trying.

An aviator is educated on consequences to their actions. Consequences to their machinery, their passengers, their health, their safety. Everything you will learn from Angle of Attack or another source of information is only there to teach you PART of the decision making process.

What are the other parts of the decision making process, in very simple and non-scientific terms in my mind when it comes to a pilot?

1. Knowledge
2. Gut Instinct
3. Intelligent Action


Knowledge

Knowledge is the first and the least important of all the steps. Yes, I know that sounds crazy, but I’ve known of some knowledgeable pilots that have gotten their licenses and then done some really stupid things. Things that didn’t make sense at all.

So although the aviation education system teaches you bits of knowledge (AOA included) it only goes so far. This system cannot be there in the cockpit with you when you are flying.

Your education doesn’t matter anymore the second you leave the ground. At that point, it is all up to you.

Gut Instinct

Sometimes there is something in the pit of your stomach that tells you to do things a certain way. This ’6th sense’ is more a culmination of experience and observance than it is something you’re just born with.

I don’t believe pilots are simply born great. You’ve got to work at it. You’ve got to earn that gut instinct that whispers in your ear and says, ‘I’ve been in this situation before and I don’t think I want to do that, what are my other options?’.

Gut instinct is therefore, in my mind, much more important than knowledge.

Intelligent Action

I do not consider myself to be a ‘smart’ person. I was average in grade school and I flunked out of college. I was never really fast at reading and I never got into the more advanced maths. I also do not write like an english professor.

But I do consider myself to be an intelligent person, or, at least and intelligent aviator.

I know that fuel in my tanks is sacred, altitude below me is a blessing, and a smooth day in the air is a sign that I should be on alert. I’m a decision maker. I think things through. I don’t take risks. And I stay put when things aren’t looking good enough for my comfort zone.

I take my knowledge, and then I take my gut instinct, and I make an intelligent decision. One that is right in my mind at the time, and for that situation on that day.

Conclusion

If you’re looking for a book with all the answers, a course that’ll teach you all you need to know about every fine detail of flying, or somewhere that’ll make decisions for you, you’re looking in the wrong place. This ‘place’, if you’re looking for it, is as unachievable as a pot-of-gold at the end of a rainbow. It doesn’t exist, my friend.

However, if you’re looking for a way to be intelligent in your aircraft, even if they’re virtual, you’ve landed at the right airport here at AOA. Our teaching methods are unconventional and our thoughts are a bit wacky at times, but they work, and you will become a confident aviator that can take nearly any situation in a flying craft and turn it around in your favor.

There is NO right way, or wrong way… There is only the airway in front of you and the brain above you.

Good luck.


Comment below on your thoughts on doing everything perfect on your flights. Do you get stuck in the trap of trying to be perfect all the time? If so, how can you start looking at your virtual flying in a different way? How can you improve your gut instinct and intelligent action?


  • http://thralni.ermarian.net Benjamin van Soldt

    I agree with you Chris. The way I see it, is that it’s not a bad thing to make the mistake or suddenly find yourself in a troubling situation you hadn’t forseen. The thing that IS bad, is if you don’t correct your mistake! Really, make all the mistakes you want, as long as you find a suitable solution and know how to get out of your trouble. THAT’s what flying is about for me.

    Sure, it’s great to fly that 747 from A to B without problems, but if there is a problem, what do you do? Run, scream and panic? No, here is where the real challenge is: getting yourself out of problems. That said, I have never used the failure settings on my addons because I want to fly, quite simply. The more experienced I get however, the more i’ll probably fiddle around with those failures, making them appear at random so that I’ll have to judge what to do myself and get myself out of the trouble

    • http://www.flyaoamedia.com/ Chris Palmer

      Very cool, Ben. Increasing those realism settings like failures is certainly one way to start boosting experience. I like your 747 analogy. Very cool!

      Sometimes we all get caught up in doing the perfect landing and we forget to put our landing gear down ;) That’s a perfect example of a bad pilot.

  • Daniel Valido

    It’s really a loft of fresh air to see your approach to flying Chris!

    When I’m out in flight simulator I didn’t try to do things the right way or the perfect way… Instead I try to fly the fun way with relatively accurate flying techniques. I think you use FSX a lot like me and that’s why i like your videos so much I guess…

    Throttle on!

    • http://www.flyaoamedia.com/ Chris Palmer

      This isn’t only how I use flight simulator, but how I fly in the real world. I could be stuck on numbers all day and never leave the ground. Most numbers are never accurate anyway. They rarely tell you what will happen.

      But if you know how to take things as they come, then go for it.

      I’m not saying don’t do your weight or fuel or takeoff climb calculations, I’m just saying there’s a lot more behind flying than just that knowledge stuff.

      And, even then, there is no right or wrong way to do things for the most part. A lot of it is up to your style and how you do things.

  • http://www.navlog.net Fred Woodbridge

    I don’t know, Chris. It seems to me that there *is* a right way and a wrong way to approach flying, real or virtual. I could make the argument that the wrong way to fly is the way that ends up killing you and your passengers, real or virtual.

    The good pilot is the pilot that conducts a safe flight, from start to finish. Even further, the good pilot is one that makes the proper and *correct* decisions based on any number of skills and knowledge as to how to conduct that safe flight.

    • http://www.flyaoamedia.com/ Chris Palmer

      Fred,
      We are in agreement. I’m not saying there’s a wrong way to fly, I guess what I’m saying is there is more than 1 way to do things. Those decisions just have different consequences and procedures.

      What isn’t the case is one set of guidelines and rules that any pilot can fly and get the desired result. There are too many intangibles and loose ends that cannot be planned for.

      Thanks for the comments.

  • David Pritchard

    … And those are the skills we’re here to learn :)

    • http://www.flyaoamedia.com/ Chris Palmer

      Amen!

  • Bruce

    Reminds me of the story about there being no such thing as an “old bold pilot”. There are young pilots, There are old pilots, there are bold pilots etc etc. Knowledge, common sense & the desire to get home for dinner is all you need.

    • http://www.flyaoamedia.com/ Chris Palmer

      Yup! Very true. I went through a situation yesterday where we were away for a week on a trip, it was my birthday, and if the weather was too bad then we wouldn’t go.

      Thankfully the weather was good and we didn’t have to make that decision, but I was willing to stay put if I needed to.

      • Scorpio47

        A belated HAPPY BIRTHDAY to you, Chris!! :)

        (Mine was 20 days ago, but unfortunately I did not have to make that decision about taking off or not… I am glad you had a safe trip!)

  • http://ehangar.net Timothy

    Hey Chris,
    been a while since I’ve been on! Nice to see some more blog activity! Just sayin’ hey! :)

    Tim

    • http://www.flyaoamedia.com/ Chris Palmer

      I need to get some more ‘free’ articles out. I’ve been so busy making all the awesome stuff for AviatorPro that I haven’t had a lot of time. I hope to free some time up by getting some help, then I can get back to it.

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