Product Description

Get ready to take flight as two certified flight instructors guide you through the pilot ratings as it is done in the real world, starting with Sport Pilot training, then Private Pilot, followed by the Instrument Rating, Commercial Pilot, and Air Transport Pilot. They cover the skills of flight, how to master Flight Simulator, and how to use the software as a learning tool towards your pilot’s license. More advanced topics demonstrate how Flight Simulator X can be used as a continuing learning tool and how to simulate real–world emergencies.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #2789 in Books
• Published on: 2007-07-03
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 744 pages

Review
"THE book to read about serious flight–simulation".(fs–dev–support.com/jarn, Monday 17th September)

From the Back Cover
It′s the next best thing to being up there

Why use Microsoft Flight Simulator for real–world flight training? Because it gives you the best possible head start and enables you to learn at your convenience. Flight Simulator provides scenario–based training that lets you practice handling almost any situation. It offers advantages you don′t even get in a real plane—the option to set up any kind of weather or equipment failures, stop midway and redo a procedure, or get the view from outside the airplane. FSX isn′t a game. It′s a training mission for virtual and real aviators alike.

• Install Flight Simulator and set up a training program from Student Pilot through Airline Transport Pilot

• Use the custom flight lessons on the companion Web site to prepare for actual flight training

• Practice the fundamentals of flight—starting the engine, taking off and landing, and performing pre–flight checks

• Learn to handle different types of aircraft

• Experience the effects of wind and weather

• Prepare for emergency situations and learn to navigate by both old–fashioned and modern methods

• Communicate with air traffic control

• Build practice time that can help you prepare for license exams

Use stunning visuals to practice in any conditions

Master expert–level, high–performance maneuvers

About the Author
Jeff Van West is a certified flight instructor in both single and multi–engine aircraft and editor of the professional pilot magazine IFR. He has written training curricula for both computer simulation and general aviation programs.

Kevin Lane–Cummings is a pilot, flight instructor, educator, and technical communication professional. He has worked for aerospace megacorporations, science museums, flight schools, public TV stations, and Internet publishers.

Customer Reviews

Flying high
This is a mighty book that can take you from complete novice through to professional airline pilot without leaving your computer chair.

The premise behind the book is that microsoft FSX is so realistic now that it can be used as a real training aid to a training pilot. this book takes you step by step, chapter by chapter through a 'real' training course using FSX. The book is a vital companion to focus and direct your learning, it provides exercises (including some downloadable missions) to illustrate and re-enforce what you have read. Don't be fooled though, despite the serious content the book takes a generally light-hearted approach which stops it ever becoming too academic or dry.

The book take a well balanced approach to teaching you flying, avoiding overloading the reader with detail early on, as if you were learning for real. The book regularly highlights differences between the real world and the flightsim world, so that those using FSX as a true training tool will know where reality departs from simulation.

The main audience for this book then is someone wishing to train as a pilot in the real world with FSX as a supporting training tool, but the book also caters for those who just want to fly the computer in a more 'real' way. Amazingly the authors manages to balance these two aims very well, furthermore it makes the whole thing fun. I must say that I certainly learnt an amazing amount about flying within the first few chapters despite having flown real planes and gliders with the RAF cadets when I was younger.

I can heartily recommend this book to anyone who wishes to use FSX more as a simulator and less as a game. It also works as a users guide for FSX, which sadly is not officially available from Microsoft.

Why not 5 stars? Because it is all in B&W which causes some problems with some of the illustrations, possibly because the authors originally intended a colour print, but the publisher demurred later on. Generally this is OK, but occasionally the text refers to things which are difficult to make out in the fuzzy B&W reproductions. Personally I would have prefered to pay slightly more for full colour with higher quality paper because this would also brighten the overall look of the book. However this is only a slight issue and does not detract from the central value of the book which is the great writing.

File your flight plan now and prepare for take off!

Want to be a pilot? Using FSX for practice? This is the book for you!
If you are a serious flight simulator enthusiast or if you are using FSX for practice, I would seriously recomend this book to you. It covers small turboprop aircraft such as the Cub, cessna and the Baron.

The only downside to this book is that it isn't in colour.

A Flight Simulators Bible
As an author myself I am a very critical reader and very particular in what I read. But fear not. This book of over 700 pages is just Fantastic. Jeff Van West and Kevin Lane-Cummings have created a flight simulators bible. You will not be disappointed with this easy to read with lots of great drawings and diagrams. I think that even real pilots would appreciate this book. But it is a Must Have for those who fly the simulator. 10/10