Going back to RL flying

Moderators: Uros, OXO

Post Reply
olevold
Posts: 44
Joined: Mon Feb 04, 2008 10:08 am

Going back to RL flying

Post by olevold » Tue Feb 25, 2020 10:03 am

Has anyone here returned to real life flying after several years of Condor-only flying? Was the Condor "diet" helpful or disruptive?
Image

User avatar
Bre901
Posts: 1790
Joined: Tue Nov 22, 2016 8:57 pm
Location: Annecy (France)
Contact:

Re: Going back to RL flying

Post by Bre901 » Tue Feb 25, 2020 10:53 am

I have a double experience:

I stopped flying in 1991 after 16 years and 640 hrs (because of kids and work).
At that time I was an instructor and was flying cross country (200-300 km, not often enough because of instruction).

A few years later, I purchased SFS4 (no Condor at that time) and flew rather regularly on my PC.

In 1998, I went back to a gliding club where I was allowed to solo after 3 hours and 6 landings with an instructor. After 4 local flights I did two 200 km cross-country flights

As my SFS4 configuration was moderately realistic (90's graphics, no force-feedback, no pedals, etc.), I did maintain some piloting skills, but I think the major benefit at that time was for cross-country where it helped to maintain decision making.

The following years I went on flying cross-country for a few years (regularly flying 300-400 km in LS4, Discus, Pégase, ASW24, etc. - missed the 500 by a few km) and stopped flying again in 2006 (880 hrs total)

I purchased C1 late 2016 but didn't fly that much (150 hrs in 1.5 yr) as I was a bit disappointed by the weather model (especially in mountains where I used to fly IRL) and I quickly purchased C2 when it was released (I now have more Condor hours than RL).
I have a force-feedback joystick and a set of pedals

Last summer I went back to the club where I started flying and had a local flight on the very same ASK13 on which I had my very first flight, 44 years later, give or take a few days. :D :D

As I was accompanied by an instructor, I was allowed to sit in the front seat.
He let me fly the plane all the flight after release, and he only took the controls at the end of the final glide because he wanted to touch down closer to the hangar. :mrgreen:

In that case, I must say that I'm quite confident that Condor helped a lot keeping the piloting skills as it is quite realistic.
Frequently flying multiplayer with a TrackIR also helped maintaining the habit of looking out (VR would do the same)
As we stayed close to the airport I have no idea about the cross-country skills, but I see no reason why it wouldn't be similar, especially as the navigation tools are the same.
CN: MPT — CondorUTill webpage: https://condorutill.fr/

olevold
Posts: 44
Joined: Mon Feb 04, 2008 10:08 am

Re: Going back to RL flying

Post by olevold » Tue Feb 25, 2020 11:07 am

Thank you for sharing! I also use TrackIR and force feedback, and it feels quite realistic. In addition, Arne Martin Güettler (a genious) has done an amazing job recreating my home field Ulven in his Southern Norway scenery, so I can practice take-offs and landings there in an ASK-21. Now I feel confident it will actually be helpful to do so :-)
Image

User avatar
Bre901
Posts: 1790
Joined: Tue Nov 22, 2016 8:57 pm
Location: Annecy (France)
Contact:

Re: Going back to RL flying

Post by Bre901 » Tue Feb 25, 2020 12:33 pm

More and more clubs and organisations are using Condor as a basic training help besides RL training (what if ? is much easier to demonstrate and has less damaging consequences)

Most western air forces have re-discovered gliders as basic piloting trainers (the WW2 Luftwaffe was a precursor) and some use Condor :
http://www.condorsoaring.com/community- ... e-academy/
German air force at Wasserkuppe : https://www.mainpost.de/regional/rhoeng ... 5,10336951
CN: MPT — CondorUTill webpage: https://condorutill.fr/

lordauriel
Posts: 58
Joined: Thu Jan 30, 2014 10:12 am

Re: Going back to RL flying

Post by lordauriel » Tue Feb 25, 2020 1:17 pm

I started flying again in 2015, had to re-do my license after a 12 year break.
I was shocked how bad I was initially. Totally wrong at judging distances and heights, which was a result of FLYING X-PLANE ON A SCREEN with a wrong FOV setting (way too high) for months on end.

Eventually I got gud again. got loicense, but then was very insecure and lacking self-confidence due to lack of hours.

in 2018 I got condor 2, and in november 2018 I got VR.

The result in 2019 at the start of the season was night and day. No "first flight of the year" sickness, nothing. It was like I never had a winter break between seasons.

After I got a better flightstick (and I really want to get a VKB gunfighter 3 with desk mount next) and a throttle (used as spoiler lever), I am now at a point where condor keeps my proficiency up and lets me try and test things.

TLDR: Condor is awesome, but you need good gear and VR IMHO. I NEVER had a negative effect from it, like "Now i did 600 landings in Condor, maybe that did mess up my abilities IRL" - no, none at all. Every single minute spent in the sim made me a better IRL pilot.

addendum: I don't do silly things in Condor that would be plain stupid IRL. I fly condor as if it were reality, and I think thats something that can be dangerous if you don't treat it seriously and train bad habits

olevold
Posts: 44
Joined: Mon Feb 04, 2008 10:08 am

Re: Going back to RL flying

Post by olevold » Tue Feb 25, 2020 1:27 pm

Thanks.
Image

User avatar
timbaeyens
Posts: 257
Joined: Mon Sep 12, 2005 1:31 am

Re: Going back to RL flying

Post by timbaeyens » Tue Feb 25, 2020 11:20 pm

1500 hours total, couple hundred on my dg400 before I had to quit flying for 4 years due to medical reasons. Started RC flying again and Condor - 100 hours in the last year before starting to fly RL again. Did 2 check flights, and up in my ash26e ! No stress :)
TT

olevold
Posts: 44
Joined: Mon Feb 04, 2008 10:08 am

Re: Going back to RL flying

Post by olevold » Wed Feb 26, 2020 12:34 pm

Thanks for yet another encouraging reply :-)
Image

michaeljc13
Posts: 91
Joined: Sat Feb 23, 2013 1:46 am

Re: Going back to RL flying

Post by michaeljc13 » Sun Mar 01, 2020 11:28 am

in September 2019 the British Gliding Association held a Seminar to discuss the way forward with Simulators as a complimentary teaching tool. 19 clubs attended. Many had a Sim ,ranging from 5 screens down to 1 ,/ VR / but all had the same mind set that a Sim - with correct supervision and structured learning program - would help with Real Life flying. A program is currently being worked on .

Post Reply