wrote in message
oups.com...
On Jul 6, 11:14 am, "Matt Barrow"
wrote:
[snip]
One thing I've been hearing is the advice to fly the approach you're
going
to use in your mind BEFORE your even take off. That way, good weather or
bad, there's no surprises under pressure.

How many people just pull out the chart and go at it, then wind up
falling
behind when a turn sneaks up on you?
[snip]

One thing my instructor told me was that he uses his flight sim
software to fly the planned approach and his alternates before leaving
for an IFR flight. He's got ~8000 hours. I think it's an excellent
idea and a great use of flight sim software.

John
PP-ASEL

That would be more better, too :~)

If that opportunity is not available, what one can do is something like
forcing yourself to have an "out of body" experience, where you mentally fly
the entire approach, trying to conjure up every sensation you expect to meet
along the way.

Notice the great golfers, that stand behind the tee before going up to hit
their shot; what they say they are doing is visualizing the swing, the ball
taking off, flying, and landing. Likewise, in baseball, the great hitters
said they would visualize the ball coming out of the pitchers hand and
approaching the plate where they would visualize knocking the hell out of
it. In the same vein, great pitchers have said they could "see" the ball
breaking just they way they wanted and hitting the target (catchers glove)
just they way they wanted. IIRC, the best at this mental game were Roger
Clemens and Steve Carlton.

The best flight sim, I would venture to say, is between your ears.


--
Matt Barrow
Performance Homes, LLC.
Cheyenne, WY