4 ms·

If you play flight sims it's a lot of fun planning and then actually flying to a new destination using only those paper charts (or Skyvector as indicated by ano

If you play flight sims it's a lot of fun planning and then actually flying to a new destination using only those paper charts (or Skyvector as indicated by another commenter). No GPS or in-game maps allowed, just use your compass, clock, radionavigation and possibly visual landmarks like the old days. Then try that at night or during a storm for a even more intense challenge.

WanderPanda 3y ago
Do the sims include functioning VOR instruments these days? That would be quite helpful during the night :D
- leetrout 3y ago
  Yes indeed
- greensoap 3y ago
  Also, the sims can introduce error and distance matters (too far away and you won't receive the VORs signal --- mountain in the way, you won't get the signal). Like in a real plane.
- NovemberWhiskey 3y ago
  At this point, full global navaid and aerodrome databases are almost at the table-stakes level for hardcore flight simuation. You might well have a fully-functioning flight planning system that has all the approaches and an autopilot that will fly them in coupled mode.
  - shostack 3y ago
    The simbrief and navigraph integrations directly into the working title Garmin avionics is amazing. I can link my flight plan easily and see charts on the screen in the glass cockpit in VR. And if I'm flying steam gauge I can have a VR overlay located near my lap that is like having an iPad with Foreflight on my kneeboard.
    - NovemberWhiskey 3y ago
      And, of course, you can actually take it to the next level and have the sim send data to a real iPad with Foreflight in simulation mode.
  - mysteria 3y ago
    That's why it's so rewarding to learn how to do all this the manual way. I started playing with the G1000 which basically did everything via GPS, then I tried some older planes which required the use of separate charts and VOR.
- MaxRegret 3y ago
  I remember flying VOR radials in Microsoft Flight Simulator 5.1, released in 1995. It came with a printed Pilot's Handbook [1] that included IFR procedures, explained how navaids work, and included various sectional charts. [1] https://archive.org/details/microsoft-flight-simulator-v-5.0-1993-pilots-handbook-en https://archive.org/details/microsoft-flight-simulator-v-5.0...

WanderPanda 3y ago

Do the sims include functioning VOR instruments these days? That would be quite helpful during the night :D

leetrout 3y ago
Yes indeed
greensoap 3y ago
Also, the sims can introduce error and distance matters (too far away and you won't receive the VORs signal --- mountain in the way, you won't get the signal). Like in a real plane.
NovemberWhiskey 3y ago
At this point, full global navaid and aerodrome databases are almost at the table-stakes level for hardcore flight simuation. You might well have a fully-functioning flight planning system that has all the approaches and an autopilot that will fly them in coupled mode.
- shostack 3y ago
  The simbrief and navigraph integrations directly into the working title Garmin avionics is amazing. I can link my flight plan easily and see charts on the screen in the glass cockpit in VR. And if I'm flying steam gauge I can have a VR overlay located near my lap that is like having an iPad with Foreflight on my kneeboard.
  - NovemberWhiskey 3y ago
    And, of course, you can actually take it to the next level and have the sim send data to a real iPad with Foreflight in simulation mode.
- mysteria 3y ago
  That's why it's so rewarding to learn how to do all this the manual way. I started playing with the G1000 which basically did everything via GPS, then I tried some older planes which required the use of separate charts and VOR.
MaxRegret 3y ago
I remember flying VOR radials in Microsoft Flight Simulator 5.1, released in 1995. It came with a printed Pilot's Handbook [1] that included IFR procedures, explained how navaids work, and included various sectional charts. [1] https://archive.org/details/microsoft-flight-simulator-v-5.0-1993-pilots-handbook-en https://archive.org/details/microsoft-flight-simulator-v-5.0...