Board index FlightGear Support Flying

Rookie questions...

Controlling your aircraft, using the autopilot etc.

Rookie questions...

Postby GonzaU2 » Fri Aug 24, 2018 3:24 am

Edited
Last edited by GonzaU2 on Tue Jan 19, 2021 7:40 pm, edited 1 time in total.
"Learning to fly" (PF-SYD)
GonzaU2
 
Posts: 13
Joined: Sat Aug 18, 2018 2:29 am
Location: Seville, Spain
Version: 2018.2.2.
OS: macOS High Sierra

Re: Rookie questions...

Postby PINTO » Fri Aug 24, 2018 6:16 am

For your cruise speed/altitude, and fuel calculations, it all depends on which aircraft you are flying. A Cessna 172 is going to cruise at a different speed and altitude than an A320 or an SR-71 Blackbird.

For your descent, a good rule of thumb is to take your altitude, drop the zeros, and multiply by three - and that's how far out you should start your descent. So if you're cruising at 37,000 feet, it would be 37 * 3 = 111nm. But, again, this can change depending on what aircraft you're flying.
Actively developing the MiG-21bis (github repo) (forum thread) (dev discord) (fg wiki)

http://opredflag.com is an active flightgear dogfighting community (using a system that isn’t bombable)
User avatar
PINTO
 
Posts: 966
Joined: Wed Oct 21, 2015 7:28 pm
Callsign: pinto
Version: stable
OS: Win10

Re: Rookie questions...

Postby drR0ckso » Fri Aug 24, 2018 9:48 am

GonzaU2 wrote in Fri Aug 24, 2018 3:24 am:Hello everyone

So I'm going to be a bit of a pain in the a*s asking a few silly questions... I used to use flight sims some years ago and now I'm back with this beautiful sim you've created, but there're a couple of things that maybe you could help me with...

I'm mostly using the autopilot right now. I watched a nice video about using route manager with the map and the fixes and I've achieved a few flights so far, but I have some basic questions... What's the normal cruise speed - altitude? When should I start descending and preparing for landing? Because many times I start descending with the autopilot when I'm too close to the airport, and the result is just not right :roll:


Anywhere from 500 ft above the ground to 1,000 ft above the ground up to the service ceiling of the aircraft, if you have supplemental oxygen or a pressurized cabin. If not, around 10,000 should be your limit.

Google the airport code and "chart" and pick one of the three results. Approaches and departures should be listed as well as frequencies for instrument approaches. You can program the frequencies of the Localizer and ADF into the radio, and then if you fly that ILS approach, you'll hear beeping as you pass over the outer marker, followed by the inner marker. Your horizontal situation indicator should show you if you are above or below the glideslope, or left or right of the center line of the runway. The Cessna 337 has dual radios, and one of them drives the HSI. Another footnote is that the white line on the speed gauge of the 337 is the range for flaps, which is why it ends while the speed is still in the green. You'll want to learn about V-speeds, particularly your stall speed and Vne, or speed to never exceed.

Last question is probably more difficult... how do I calculate the fuel? I know that depends on a lot of things and probably I should know maths or so to do it, so you don't even need to worry about that question.


Every aircraft has a POH: Pilot's Operating Handbook. This gives figures of merit, such as fuel burn per hour. Gallons for piston aircraft, pounds for turbines. Most of these you can located by Googling, since the aircraft model follows a real airplane to some extent. The POH will give your speed for best glide, best climb, and best cruise speed.
I speak only for myself.
drR0ckso
 
Posts: 37
Joined: Fri May 12, 2017 4:14 am

Re: Rookie questions...

Postby GonzaU2 » Fri Aug 24, 2018 3:59 pm

Edited
Last edited by GonzaU2 on Tue Jan 19, 2021 7:40 pm, edited 1 time in total.
"Learning to fly" (PF-SYD)
GonzaU2
 
Posts: 13
Joined: Sat Aug 18, 2018 2:29 am
Location: Seville, Spain
Version: 2018.2.2.
OS: macOS High Sierra

Re: Rookie questions...

Postby DK2132 » Sat Aug 25, 2018 7:59 am

There is no way to communicate AI's ATC or not that I know of but if you go to http://mpmap02.flightgear.org/ then you might find a live atc using open-radar or atc-pie or whatever
CALLSIGN: KLM-1
AIRPORTS: YSSY, KDFW, YBBN
HANGAR TYPE: mediafire
LIVERY REQUEST SITE: viewtopic.php?f=13&t=33472
LIVERY DOWNLOAD SITE: http://www.mediafire.com/folder/u4489dz ... FlightGear
User avatar
DK2132
 
Posts: 27
Joined: Sun Nov 26, 2017 8:36 am
Callsign: KLM-1

Re: Rookie questions...

Postby GonzaU2 » Sat Aug 25, 2018 3:11 pm

Edited
Last edited by GonzaU2 on Tue Jan 19, 2021 7:40 pm, edited 1 time in total.
"Learning to fly" (PF-SYD)
GonzaU2
 
Posts: 13
Joined: Sat Aug 18, 2018 2:29 am
Location: Seville, Spain
Version: 2018.2.2.
OS: macOS High Sierra

Re: Rookie questions...

Postby yanes » Sun Aug 26, 2018 10:34 pm

PINTO wrote in Fri Aug 24, 2018 6:16 am:For your descent, a good rule of thumb is to take your altitude, drop the zeros, and multiply by three - and that's how far out you should start your descent. So if you're cruising at 37,000 feet, it would be 37 * 3 = 111nm. But, again, this can change depending on what aircraft you're flying.


Good hint :wink: , loved it , thanks .
User avatar
yanes
 
Posts: 135
Joined: Tue Sep 02, 2014 2:14 pm
Location: Tunisia
Callsign: YANES
Version: 2018.2.2
OS: Linux

Re: Rookie questions...

Postby wkitty42 » Thu Aug 30, 2018 6:24 pm

PINTO wrote in Fri Aug 24, 2018 6:16 am:For your descent, a good rule of thumb is to take your altitude, drop the zeros, and multiply by three - and that's how far out you should start your descent. So if you're cruising at 37,000 feet, it would be 37 * 3 = 111nm. But, again, this can change depending on what aircraft you're flying.

that's a neat rule... i'll have to file that one for later use ;)
"You get more air close to the ground," said Angalo. "I read that in a book. You get lots of air low down, and not much when you go up."
"Why not?" said Gurder.
"Dunno. It's frightened of heights, I guess."
User avatar
wkitty42
 
Posts: 9124
Joined: Fri Feb 20, 2015 4:46 pm
Location: central NC, USA
Callsign: wk42
Version: git next
OS: Kubuntu 20.04

Re: Rookie questions...

Postby wkitty42 » Thu Aug 30, 2018 6:28 pm

DK2132 wrote in Sat Aug 25, 2018 7:59 am:There is no way to communicate AI's ATC or not that I know of

actually, there is but it is extremely limited, has to be used at the beginning of the flight, and only applies to startup, puchback, taxi, and takeoff... i used to use it but don't even recall, now, how i got into it... it is extremely picky and one turn out of sequence will disrupt it... what i really liked about it was being able to turn on the taxi path so i could find my way to the runway...
"You get more air close to the ground," said Angalo. "I read that in a book. You get lots of air low down, and not much when you go up."
"Why not?" said Gurder.
"Dunno. It's frightened of heights, I guess."
User avatar
wkitty42
 
Posts: 9124
Joined: Fri Feb 20, 2015 4:46 pm
Location: central NC, USA
Callsign: wk42
Version: git next
OS: Kubuntu 20.04


Return to Flying

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 0 guests