R/C AIRPLANE SIMULATORS

One of the more recent boons to the hobby is the flight simulator. Flight "Sims" have been around for a long time, but in recent years they have been improved by leaps and bounds. We can't stress enough what an important training tool a Sim can be.

Think about it. When you learn to fly, you have to coordinate your lessons with your instructor. While it's true that in many clubs, (Especially the smaller ones) you can go to the field and most of the experienced fliers would be willing to Buddy Box with you, but in most cases, you can only fly with a designated instructor, and in some cases, only on certain days of the week. Now add to the mix that if Tuesday is "Trainer Day" at your field, you may get rained out 2 or 3 Tuesdays in a row. Even if you have good weather, one or two days a week is not much "Stick Time".

If you have a simulator, you can sit at your computer and hone your flying skills even if it's raining or windy, day or night. It's literally practicing at home between lessons.

Flight simulators are the biggest singe reason why beginners learn much faster nowadays and you should seriously consider getting one.

With that said, let's talk about the simulators that are available.

There are two basic types: The expensive ones, and the cheap ones. Let's talk about the cheap ones first.

Cheap Sims

You can find cheap Sims all over the Internet at places like Ebay, I have even tried one, but I wasn't very impressed - In fact, I wasn't impressed at all. However, there is an excellent Sim available called FMS, which is not only cheap, it's FREE. You can download it right to your computer. The only catch is, you need a way to control it. Again, there are some controllers available, and some people even sell a cord that will adapt a transmitter to your computer, but the problem with these cords is that the plug needs to fit the buddy box input on YOUR brand of transmitter. Not only that, but recently one of the major players (Futaba) has changed their buddy box plug and I see a lot of these cords with the old style plug. To make matters worse, many of the people who sell these cords don't care if you get the right one or not, they just want you to buy one from them, so they are often vague as to which type of plug it has.

FMS

The good news is - You can get a controller to plug into your computer that will run FMS. Tower Hobbies sells it for $25 and we can both attest to the fact that Tower is one of the most reputable dealers of RC products on the Internet. Another company called HobbyLinc sells the same controller for $18, but we have never dealt with them.

High-End Simulators

If you've got the money, there are several top-drawer Sims on the market. The three most popular are (In alphabetical order):

AeroFly Pro	FS-One	RealFlight G4

These simulators boast graphics and physics that are so real that the first time I saw one I thought I was watching a video. For one of these Sims, you're looking at dropping about $200. But be careful, aside from the cost of the Sim, you need to be sure that your computer can run them. Unless you're a computer geek who understands what all of that terminology means, you may fine that the $200 Sim will cost you an additional $500 to upgrade your computer's processors and graphic card. If however, you or a family member plays some of the newer computer games with high-end graphics, you should be ok.

Which one is right for you?

Personally, I am totally blown away with the realism of the expensive Sims, but while you are learning, you simply don't need all of that stuff. You have to learn the basic hand/eye coordination needed to control a plane in flight. Moreover, you need to learn how to orient yourself when the plane is coming toward you (when some of the controls seem reversed). Either of these Sims is as good as the other for that.

A Final Note About Simulators

While a Sim is a fantastic training tool, it will not take the place of an instructor. Using a simulator without proper instruction can lead to developing some very bad habits, which can be hard to get rid of later. Even if you live in a remote area, chances are there is a club nearby. Most people don't think they have a club in their town because fliers tend to find remote areas so the noise doesn't disturb people, and they are often shocked to find out that there IS a club in town or just down the road.

That being said, if there is no club in your area, having a simulator is your best chance of success, but look for a club first!