How many pilots do you know who do all sorts of advanced flying on their simulator but are no where near that level flying their RC helicopter? Are you one of them?
   A simulator’s confined field of view and two-dimensional representation of three dimensions makes it harder to fly than the real thing, so why are pilots better at flying the simulator? The reason is obvious. There is no consequence to crashing.
    Pilots are free to learn new orientations and maneuvers unimpeded by the knee knocking (and inevitable cost and downtime) that accompanies these activities when flying an RC helicopter. And, compared to the noise, smell and excitement of real RC helicopters, piloting a simulator is pretty boring, so it’s natural to liven things up a little by getting wild. But if getting good at flying the RC helicopters is the goal, is flying the simulator at a level way beyond your actual piloting skill the best way use a simulator?
   There is no question that using a simulator improves piloting skills. Simulators for full-scale aviation have been around along time and are used extensively for initial and recurrent training of commercial and military pilots. And although it’s usually less costly to train in a full-sized simulator than the real thing, it still isn’t cheap. The training time is strictly scheduled and focuses on conditioning the trainee to give the proper response to a given situation. No time is spent on simulating situations that are not appropriate for the level of the trainee and none is wasted on unrealistic simulations that can condition the trainee to give inappropriate responses.
   RC aviation isn’t quite so serious nor the negative consequences so grim as they are in full-scale aviation. Sure RC helicopters can be dangerous but there is much less riding on the skill of the pilot and it costs only a few cents in electricity to run our simulators. But even though there may be no "serious" or financial reason to exercise restraint on your simulator, by routinely playing around on the simulator at a level way above your real flying level you become accustomed to flying the simulator differently than you fly your helicopter. It makes flying the simulator less similar to flying the real thing and because of that it loses some of its effectiveness as a training tool. If the goal is to advance your flying skills, simulator time is best spent working at a level appropriate to your real flying and keeping it as realistic as possible. You want what you’re practicing on the simulator to be readily transferable to your flying.
   Obviously it’s better to take risks with the simulator than with your helicopter, so try new stuff on the simulator first. Keep the new stuff limited to incremental advances and really try to avoid crashing. You want to practice the new orientation, transition, or maneuver and not practice crashing. As soon as you can get through some new maneuver on the simulator, do it with the real thing. Once you try it with your helicopter you’ll find it easier to do on the simulator which will then make it easier to do on the helicopter and so on.
   When using the simulator, take off, fly for 15 or 20 minutes, then land and take a break before the next flight, just as you would when flying the real thing. Practice is most beneficial when you’re fresh and can maintain a high level of concentration so it’s best to spread your simulator flying out over the day. Do a session in the morning and a session in the evening if you can. Using the simulator every day is good up to the point that your concentration starts to drop or you start losing enthusiasm. Take a break for a few days or even a few weeks, if that’s what it takes to get it back. You might find it best to use the simulator only every other day. If your situation (weather, job, family) keeps you from flying your helicopter for long periods of time, it’s even more important to work at keeping your simulator practice as realistic as possible.
   Keep learning new stuff but don’t practice crashing. You might try using a technique taught by many sports coaches-positive visualization. Spend time imagining, in detail, successfully flying the new maneuvers with your helicopter. Although it may seem silly, it has been proven amazingly effective in sports like tennis and golf.
   One thing to watch for when learning something new is that it can interfere with something you have already learned. You’ve been pushing the stick one way, a new orientation forces you to practice pushing it the other way and then you go back to the old orientation and need to push the stick the old way again. I have rarely crashed working on something new. Virtually all of my crashes occurred just after trying something new when I was back flying in an old familiar orientation. My concentration was down and I simply pushed the stick the new way rather than the old way. So spend a little of each simulator session practicing the stuff you already know, before and after working on new stuff.
   None of these suggestions are hard and fast rules. Learning is an individual process so it is best to adjust the methods to accommodate the skills, aptitude, attitude, and interests of the student. Some might argue that exercising this much discipline with the simulator isn’t much fun and that the whole point of this hobby is, after all, to have fun. I’d have to agree, but in the end what’s more fun-goofing around on the simulator or becoming an accomplished helicopter pilot?
   From IRCHA Bulletin
   Richard, McKenna, editor
   Everett, WA

   Until next month, keep the wheels pointed down (at least while landing) and the clean side up.     Bill.