On Sat, 23 Oct 2004 03:31:48 -0700, John Pearson <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> I'm new to the whole flying thing, am going to delta connections acadamy in > january. I'm just trying to learn a little before i go. How would I normally > determine the distance from a waypoint? Use a map. You can buy a sectional at your nearest FBO or flight school for <$10. The avionics will not be a part of your primary training, except maybe for a little VOR work near the end. They're going to teach you (a) to control the plane mainly by looking out the window, and (b) to navigate by looking out the window, at a map, at your watch, and at the compass. If you're using FlightGear to get ready for real training, I recommend strongly against messing around with VOR, DME, GPS waypoints, ILS approaches, etc., because you'll end up developing bad habits (like chasing the needle) that might take you weeks and cost you hundreds of dollars to undo. You have to be very good at holding heading, altitude, and airspeed visually before you are able to take advantage of advanced avionics anyway. Don't even think about touching the autopilot at this point. Just concentrate on learning basic stick-and-rudder flying using one of the trainers: the Cessna 172p (c172p), the Piper Warrior II (pa28-161), or -- if you're brave and want to try tailwheel -- the Piper J3 Cub (j3cub). The best thing, though, will be to go and do the $50 intro flight at a nearby airport now, even though you won't be starting training until January -- once you've handled the controls of a real plane (probably a 150/152, a 172, or a PA-28), what you see on the screen in FlightGear will make a lot more sense. On that note, here are some resources to get you started: 1. The classic book STICK AND RUDDER, still in print (order from your favourite online bookstore). Buy this now, and treat it like a bible, at least through primary training. 2. John Denker's site SEE HOW IT FLIES http://www.av8n.com/how/; it's very technical, but it will make more and more sense as training progresses. 3. My own tutorial A CIRCUIT IN FLIGHTGEAR http://www.flightgear.org/Docs/Tutorials/circuit/ All the best, and best of luck with your training next year, David -- http://www.megginson.com/ _______________________________________________ Flightgear-users mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://mail.flightgear.org/mailman/listinfo/flightgear-users 2f585eeea02e2c79d7b1d8c4963bae2d
