About the Authors iii
Credits iv
Acknowledgments v
Part I: Preflight 1
Intro: Why Use Flight Simulator for Real-World Flying? 3
Why We Fly 4
How to Use This Book 4
Procedure Training vs. Scenario-Based Training 6
What's on the Website 6
Chapter 1: Flight School Setup 9
Installing FSX 10
Looking at What's New in FSX 10
Getting the Right Hardware 11
Processor, Memory, Video Cards 12
Monitors 13
Flight Controls and Headsets 13
Adjusting Performance Settings 14
Organizing Your Cockpit 16
Key Flight Sim Commands 17
Use of Slew for Practice 19
Using the FSX Built-in Flight Lessons 19
Selecting a Real-World Flight School 20
Aircraft Types 20
Environment 20
Instructor 21
Costs 21
Introductory Flight 23
Working with Your Flight Instructor 23
FSX as Part of a Lesson 23
Shared Cockpit 24
Using the Practical Test Standards 25
Plugging in to Pilot Communities 26
Key Points for Real Flying and FSX Built-ins 28
Chapter 2: First Flight in the Piper J-3 Cub 29
Flight Fundamentals for the Pilot 30
We All Have Our Limits 31
The Four Fundamental Gaits of Flight 32
Visualize Your Control Surfaces 33
Trim 36
First Flight in the Cub 38
Start the Engine 40
Taxi 42
Takeoff 44
Practice the First Three Gaits and Trim 46
Make Turns 47
The Tail's Balancing Act 49
Fly Once Around the Lake 50
Approach the Airport 51
Land 52
Rollout 54
Takeoffs, Landings, and Go-Arounds 54
Key Points for Real Flying and FSX Built-ins 56
Part II: Sport Pilot 57
Chapter 3: Ground Reference Maneuvers 59
The Effects of Wind 60
A River of Air 60
Heading, Course, and Track 61
Ground Reference Maneuvers with Wind 63
Coordinated and Uncoordinated Flight 63
Ground Reference Maneuvers Flight 63
Rectangular Course 65
Turns Around a Point 68
S-Turns 70
Steep Turns 73
Crosswind Takeoffs 75
Forward Slip 77
Sideslip and Crosswind Landings 80
Ridiculous Winds 83
Maximum Demonstrated Crosswind 83
Worst Crosswinds-Kona, Hawaii 85
Key Points for Real Flying and FSX Built-ins 86
Chapter 4: Airport Operations 87
Uncontrolled and Controlled Airport Operations 88
Airport Procedures 88
Radio Communications 95
Other Aircraft 98
Airport Weather and Notices 99
Post Mills to Lebanon Municipal 102
Startup 103
Taxi and Takeoff 104
Approach and Landing 105
Depart for Lebanon 106
Approaching Lebanon 109
Land and Taxi 109
Take the Cub to Beantown 109
Key Points for Real Flying and FSX Built-ins 113
Chapter 5: Old-Fashioned Navigation 115
Planning a Trip 116
Reading Charts 117
A Route from A to B 118
Dead Reckoning 119
Pilotage 120
The FSX Flight Planner 121
How High to Fly 123
Fly Left, Look Right 125
Who Owns This Airspace? 125
Moving Loads, Burning Gas 130
A Multileg Flight Using Pilotage 132
Take Off and Turn South 132
Seriously Dead Reckoning 139
Key Points for Real Flying and FSX Built-ins 141
Chapter 6: Emergencies 143
In-Flight Emergencies 144
Immediate-Action Emergencies 145
Urgent Situations 148
Emergency Training 149
Power-Off Descent 150
Rapid Descent 153
Oddball Emergencies 155
Key Points for Real Flying and FSX Built-ins 157
Chapter 7: Performance Takeoffs and Landings 159
Aerodynamics of Performance 160
Takeoff and Landing Calculations 160
Rate and Angle of Climb and Descent 162
Short-Field and Soft-Field Procedures 163
Short Runways 164
Soft Runways 167
Off-Airport Operations 170
Yet Another Runway Surface 171
Key Points for Real Flying and FSX Built-ins 172
Chapter 8: Slow Flight, Stalls, and Spins 173
Taking it Slowly 174
The Aerodynamics of Slow Flight 174
The Separation Begins 175
Stalls with a Twist: Spins 176
Taking the Cub for a Spin 178
Slow Down 178
Power-off, or Arrival, Stalls 181
Departure, or Power-on, Stalls 182
Now for Some Spin 183
Catching the Bus 186
Key Points for Real Flying and FSX Built-ins 187
Part III: Private Pilot 189
Chapter 9: First Flight in the Cessna 172SP 191
Transition to the Cessna 172SP 192
Modern Aircraft Instruments 194
The Flap About Flaps 199
Other System Differences 201
Checkout Flight in the Cessna 172SP 206
Engine Start 207
Radios Use 207
Taxiing and Runup 208
Takeoff and Climb 209
Basic Maneuvers 210
Approach and Landing 214
Advanced Maneuvers 215
Performance Takeoffs and Landings 216
Emergency Procedures 217
Key Points for Real Flying and FSX Built-ins 220
Chapter 10: Radio Navigation with Tradional Avionics 221
Follow the Invisible Road 222
Finding the Beacon 222
Flying a Radial 224
But How Far Away are You? 232
Flying with GPS 233
Flying Cross-Country with Radio Navigation 235
Off You Go 237
The First Turn 238
North to Duluth 239
Giving George the Controls 239
Direct with GPS 242
Getting Unlost and Going Elsewhere 244
Key Points for Real Flying and FSX Built-ins 246
Chapter 11: First Flight with the G1000 247
Welcome to the Age of Glass 248
A Distributed System 249
The Primary Flight Display 249
The Radios 256
The Multifunction Flight Display 258
G1000 Cross-Country 263
Getting Set Up 263
Taking Off 266
Staying on Top of Things 267
Using VORs 268
Try it with a Crosswind 270
No Wind Vector!? 270
Key Points for Real Flying and FSX Built-ins 271
Chapter 12: Night Flight 273
When Darkness Falls 274
Vision and Illusions 274
Night Flying Techniques 278
Lights 280
Emergencies 284
Night Flight in the Cessna 172SP 285
Departure 285
On Course 287
Arrival at Flying Cloud 288
Night Flight in the G1000 289
Key Points for Real Flying and FSX Built-ins 290
Chapter 13: Weather 291
Weather Theory and Data 292
Weather Hazards
Weather Controls and Effects
The Joy of Scud Running 301
Scud Run in Cessna 172 with G1000 306
Key Points for Real Flying and FSX Built-ins 307
Chapter 14: Maximizing Performance 309
Quick, Clean, and Cool 310
No Replacement for Displacement 310
A New, Blue Control 311
Stuff Hanging Down and Sticking Out 312
Introducing Flight Profiles 314
Fly Fast in a Mooney 317
Getting Everything in Position 317
Pouring on the Coals 319
Climb, Clean, Cool, Communicate 319
Picking Up Speed 321
Coming Downhill 322
Combinations Count 322
Going Down and Slowing Down 323
Arriving at the Airport 324
Approaching for Landing 324
Landing 326
Mooney under Glass 328
Key Points for Real Flying and FSX Built-ins 330
Part IV: Instrument Rating 331
Chapter 15: Basic Attitude Instrument Flying 333
Fly in the Clouds 334
IFR Ground Checks 334
The IFR Scan: Attitude is Everything 336
The Autopilot 338
IFR Weather 339
IMC Flight in Mooney Bravo 340
Basic IFR Maneuvers 342
Advanced IFR Maneuvers
Heading Home
IFR Flight with Garmin G1000 347
Key Points for Real Flying and FSX Built-ins 349
Chapter 16: IFR Flight 351
Flight Plan Creation 352
ATC and Flight Plans 352
Instrument Charts 354
Departure Procedures 355
En Route Operations 360
Arrival Procedures 369
IFR Flight to a Visual Approach 370
Preflight 371
Flight 374
Departures, Holds, and Arrivals 378
Flight Plan 378
Departure 380
Hold (No Wind) 381
Hold (Wind) 383
Arrival 384
Garmin G1000 385
Key Points for Real Flying and FSX Built-ins 386
Chapter 17: Instrument Approaches 387
The Final Miles Between Heaven and Earth 388
The Instrument Approach Plate 388
VOR Approaches 390
Localizer Approaches 403
The Big Kahuna: ILS Approaches 407
Down Through the Muck: Flying Approaches 409
A VOR at KPAE 409
A LOC at KAWO 423
An ILS at KPAE 429
String PAE AWO BFI Together 436
Do it with Wind 437
Key Points for Real Flying and FSX Built-ins 439
Chapter 18: GPS Approaches 441
No Ground Station Needed 442
A Basic GPS Approach 442
Overlay Approaches 444
RNAV Approaches 446
GPS Sensitivity 449
Using the GPS 450
Fly Some GPS with a Six-Pack 455
KSHN GPS Rwy 23 455
RNAV Rwy 34 Approach at KFHR 471
The VOR or GPS Rwy 6 at KHQM 480
Instrument Approaches on the G1000 489
GPS Rwy 1 at KPWT 490
ILS 17 at KTIW 498
Key Points for Real Flying and FSX Built-ins 503
Chapter 19: Additional Instrument Approaches 505
More Ways to Get Around and Down 506
NDB Approaches 506
DME Arcs 509
Localizer Back-Course Approaches 512
Visual and Contact Approaches 518
Circle to Land 523
Multiple Approaches-Calm Wind 526
An NDB at KTIW 527
A DME Arc at KOLM 531
A Back Course at KSLE 533
A Contact Approach at KBFI 535
Multiple Approaches-with Wind 537
NDB Approach with Wind 537
DME Arc with Wind 538
LOC BC Approach with Wind 539
Combo with a Side of Wind 539
Key Points for Real Flying and FSX Built-ins 541
Chapter 20: IFR Emergencies 543
IFR Emergencies in Theory 544
Partial-Panel Flying 544
Other IMC Emergencies 551
Recovery from Unusual Attitudes 555
Lost Communication 557
IFR Emergencies in Practice 562
Partial Panel 562
Electrical Failure 563
Unusual Attitude Recovery 564
Unexpected Emergencies 565
Key Points for Real Flying and FSX Built-ins 567
Part V: Commercial License 569
Chapter 21: Multiengine Flying in the Beechcraft Baron 571
Flying Multiengine Airplanes 572
Redline and Blueline 572
Some Other Baron Points 574
Getting Up to Speed in the Baron 577
Taxi the Twin 579
A Lean Machine 580
The Takeoff Briefing 581
Patience, Patience 581
Flight Profiles for the Baron 582
Baron on the Gauges 587
Doing Performance Takeoffs and Landings 591
What Makes the Field Short? 592
Crosswind Approaches 594
Key Points for Real Flying and FSX Built-ins 596
Chapter 22: Commercial Flight Maneuvers 597
Loading and Performance 598
Weight 598
CG and Aircraft Performance 600
Flight Maneuvers-Eights on Pylons 603
Commercial Flight Maneuvers 605
Steep Turns 606
Slow Flight and Stalls 607
Weight and Balance Flight Testing 609
Single Engine-Only Maneuvers 609
Steep Spiral 609
Emergency Approach and Landing 610
Chandelles 611
Lazy Eights 613
Eights on Pylons 615
Key Points for Real Flying and FSX Built-ins 616
Chapter 23: Flying with One Feathered 617
One Engine Down 618
Single-Engine Aerodynamics 618
Engine-out Procedures 624
Single-Engine Approaches and Landings 627
What's Happening Here? 627
Single-Engine ILS 633
Single-Engine GPS Approach 634
Single-Engine Crosswind Landings 635
Additional Single-Engine Work 636
Engine Failure on Takeoff 636
VMC Demo 638
Drag Demo 639
Key Points for Real Flying and FSX Built-ins 641
Part VI: ATP and Beyond 643
Chapter 24: Multiplayer 645
Sharing the Virtual Skies 646
How Multiplayer Works 646
Getting into Multiplayer 647
Hosting a Multiplayer Session 649
Setting Up Shared Aircraft 653
Joining a Multiplayer Session 654
Playing Well with Others 657
Let's Chat 658
Radio Chatter 658
Flying with Other Airplanes 661
Flying with Another Pilot 662
Climbing into the Tower 665
Your World, Their World 669
Key Points for Real Flying and FSX Built-ins 670
Chapter 25: Virtual Airlines and Online Flying 671
Virtual Airlines 672
Finding a Virtual Airline 673
Hubs and Pilot Bases 674
Moving Up the Ranks 674
Multiplayer 675
Online Flying 676
Starting Out 677
Communication 678
Training and Experience 679
Real (Virtual) Controllers 680
Events 684
Key Points for Real Flying and FSX Built-ins 685
Chapter 26: Virtual Air Traffic Control 687
Pushing Tin 688
Software Requirements 689
Becoming a Controller 690
The Radar Screen 691
Communication 695
Working with Other Controllers 696
ATC Positions from the Ground Up 698
Clearance Delivery 698
Ground Control 700
Tower (Local) Control 701
Approach (and Departure) Control 704
En Route (Center) Control 706
Key Points for Real Flying and FSX Built-ins 708
Chapter 27: Conclusion 709
Pelican's Perspective 710
Index 711
