Opinion DOES FLYING SIMULATORS HELP YOU BECOME A PILOT?

[Beefjack105]

I Wanted to raise the question if the flight or air traffic simulators help improve aviation knowledge and could it benefit you in becoming a pilot?

for example, there's this game I've discovered called (snip, -mod edit), its basically air traffic control simulator. i've linked the trailer below, let me know your thoughts:

 

[woodsmoke]

No. If simulators would help then they would be used during the training of pilots.

 

[Guest User]

i vaguely recall from years ago seeing some "flight simulations" the military was looking into. it was a lot more than just a game on a screen, though, the point was that you were placed inside a replica cockpit of the plane and went through as if it were the actual thing. the windows were the screen and would simulation the environment around you and whatnot.

the entire thing is/was supposed to be supplemental to actual training, a kind of "before you actually get in a plane" kind of deal, similar to how astronauts go through training simulations of being placed inside models of the rocket before actually getting inside the real one. don't know what became of all it.

but either way, i'd say it's less about teaching you how to be a pilot and more about helping you practice skills you have learned beforehand.

 

[Guest User]

I've been playing GTA San Andreas for 10 years now, unable to drive with the speed higher than 30 MPH when driving with my dad. So no, it does not.

 

[Dr. Wolf]

The category of "simulators" is very broad, to the point where it includes pieces of software with wildly divergent design objectives. There are "simulators" that are pure games, designed only with entertainment in mind, "simulators" that will happily function as the core of a $150k+, FAA-certified training machine, and everything in between. So there can't really be an answer to your question other than "it depends" IMO.

 

[BattleRifle BR55]

When my brother and I were growing up, we both got into two different types of simulators. Our uncle gave him a flight yoke and Flight Simulator 9, and I had various steering wheels up to the Logitech G25/7 wheels and played various games, Need for Speed Shift being my go-to.

His simulated flying got him accustomed to not just the flying portion, but the plane and engine management, and gave him a head start when he went to college for it where he graduated with honours. He's been an actual pilot for the last 6 years or so, and was recently promoted to Captain in his current airline.

My use of simulation-grade steering helped me when it came time to learning how to drive. I was ahead of the curve as I was already very familiar with ~900 degrees of steering play, and I picked up learning how to drive stick very easily; I didn't stall the first time I attempted to move the car, and I had rarely stalled over the next couple months as I became proficient at it. My Mazdaspeed 3 has a heavy clutch and, considering the cars I've driven over the years (including a buddy's 2017 Ford Mustang with a paper-like clutch and overall video-gamey feel), is seemingly difficult to drive.

I'd say that, in our experience, off-the-shelf simulators were definitely a great start.

 

[RichHopefulComposer]

I think simulators definitely help. You'll learn all the gauges and stuff, and get the basic ideas of flying down. It's not like flying a plane is impossible, anyway, or pilots would all die on their first day out, lol.

 

[The Sentient]

No. If simulators would help then they would be used during the training of pilots.

What? Not sure if this is a joke.

And the answer to the OP is yes, most definitely.

Having played Flight Simulator for a few years, particularly with a Cessna. A pilot friend (also an FS user) was confident enough for me to land his real life Cessna on that experience alone.

Couldn't have done that playing Pokemon Go instead.

 

[woodsmoke]

What? Not sure if this is a joke.

Yes it was a joke. I think everyone knows simulators are used in the training of a airline pilot.
Cool story about your friend letting you land.