In article ,
says...
Dave Doe writes:

You don't know jack - there is simply no way you can simulate the
nervousness a student pilot might experience during flight and
conversation with ATC - sitting in front of a fuken computer.

The simulation works very well, since it involves most of the same factors
that produce nervousness.

No, you *know* you're flying a simulation, and the brain *knows* that,
and you *know* you can't get into *real* trouble.

So it's nothing like the real thing at all.


Additionally, like most sim folk, you've probably done things very
differently from the real world (eg. you've mentioned you've flown
heavies). Well in real life, you start off doing a PPL. You don't
progress until you've done that. You are still a few thousand hours
away from flying a heavy. You have not done that in on your sim. As a
result, your flying on the sim is NOTHING LIKE reality.

for eg, picture this: you've done 6 or 7 hours on your PPL.
"Yesterday" you did your first solo. "Today" you are on your own
(taxying out and everything) and doing your second solo session, flying
in a grass circuit in a busy aerodrome that has a parallel RWY that
heavies and other traffic are using. A perpendicular RWY also exists.
Lets say you have:
36 and 18 and you're on 36 *grass* (simultaneous ops are approved on the
parallel RWY's). And there is 09 and 27 (but there is no 09/27 grass).

There are a couple other students (presumably) in the grass circuit with
you; you are happy that you are spacing yourself well and happy with
your touch-n-goes.

Your hour's up and you advise full-stop on your downwind call. ATC
clear you "left base, number 2, 36, report sighting 73 on short final".
You read back and report traffic in sight. You fly a longer downwind
for the sealed RWY and turn base. You hear the 73 cleared to land. You
hear a call to other traffic, you're mentioned, and they are number 3
(it's another 73). Then ATC call you are ask you to keep your speed up.
Getting nervous? You see on your base leg the #1 73's about to taxy off
the RWY, and looking to your right, you see the other 73's powerful
landing lights in the distance. Your begin your turn to final, you were
70kts on base, but being told to "hurry it up" you've pushed the nose
forward and not taken more flaps. You turn to final early as you're now
fast, at 450 AGL (you feel OK about that), your AS is now nearly 90kts.
You hear ATC advising the 73 they're now #2 (to you). You're now
levelling a bit, power off, grabbing flaps, and configuring for your
approach and flare. (Did you remember carb heat? - oh well). You're
150 AGL, speed's good, full flap. What's your next move?

Given your answer, I'll have some more questions for you.

--
Duncan