Flight Simulator Software - Any Help or Just a Game?

"Bob Moore" wrote in message
68...
"Earl Grieda" wrote

The Navy appears to think that students with MS Flight Sim
training are better than students without Flight sim training.

But your post does not indicate in which phase of training the
advantage appeared. Pre-solo, Primary, Advanced, Basic Instrument,
Radio Instrument...or one of the other phases. All of the CFIs
who have posted here agree that there is value when used during
instrument training, but not during the "learn-to-fly" training.


The impression I get is that it is used right from the start. The
individual who pioneered it, and convinced the Navy of its value, had never
flown a plane but felt he needed some way to catch up with his peers who had
already flown.

"Have you heard of Herb Lacy? In 1998, the ensign and U.S. Naval Academy
graduate saw a lifelong dream fulfilled when he was accepted into Naval
flight training. But Lacy, who had never flown an airplane, found himself at
a disadvantage in the extremely competitive program—many of his classmates
had previously received flight instruction, and some were certificated
pilots.

Lacy decided to level the playing field. He bought a copy of Microsoft’s
Flight Simulator 98 and used software tools to create a representation of
the Beech T–34C Mentor in which he would learn to fly. Lacy even added local
landmarks near Naval Air Station Corpus Christi, Texas, to help him with
situational awareness. He spent more than 40 hours flying the customized
simulator before climbing into a Mentor cockpit.

His efforts were so successful that not only did Lacy graduate near the top
of his class, but the Navy investigated the idea of using computer gaming
software for training. An experiment showed that when pilot trainees
practiced with Flight Simulator, 54 percent more received above-average
flight scores. So the Navy decided to issue Flight Simulator 98—modified
with a software shell, much like Lacy’s version—to all of its flight
students."

http://www.aopa.org/pilot/features/future0004.html