Greetings,

This may be a bit off the FS2002 subject, but there is a tangential connection ...
I took an introductory flight lesson today in a Cessna 172, believing that I'd finally get one chance to fly a real plane and then return to simming (which is faaar more affordable). Well, now the flight bug has really bitten me and I want to go for the license. I'm sure many of you can identify.
The FS2002 connection lies in the fact that the instructor made a point of saying that all his students that had prior experience with the program fared much better than those who did not. He said the program is so realistic that some people who are very proficient in it make a seamless transition to actual flying.
Have any of you also decided to go for lessons based on your enjoyment of FS2002?

I did it in reverse order,,,  (flew first,,then discovered FS), and I have yet to find a pilot or instructor that has anything but good to say about this simming stuff. The only thing missing  (outside off 360 degree, real-time viewing) is the "sensation" and g-forces.

My cousin (Bell 206 for a living pilot) thinks it's the best/cheapest way to grasp "flying a pattern" and learning to "scan" the panel.

I know one pilot who over-came his mental block about IFR flight using the sim,,,that alone is a testimoial   

Because of my simming enjoyment, my wife booked a microlighting lesson for a recent birthday (hence the name), and I flew this 2-seater with an instructor from Popham airfield near Basingstoke (England) down to Portsmouth and back. It was a terrific experience, and I hope to do more of this kind of thing when I get back to England from the US.

Ouch, i heard it was cheaper to learn in america (over here it can be done for abour £4000 ($5500?). Anyway I've had a couple of lessons in C-172s, one in a Tamahawk and one in a Jodel, and I only had to pay for the Tomahawk . As to flight sims as training tools they can be useful but I've heard more bad press from real pilots than praise.

I'll call some other flight schools and see if they charge considerably less. The flight school I mentioned is based at a rather large county airport. I suspect that schools based at strips without control towers may be more affordable. Hooray for barnstorming!!

I'd love to have a go at flying a plane but I wouldn't trust myself, If I keep crashing in fs2002 then what chance do I have in a real plane 

If you do a little (allot actually) of research and leg-work,, you can get flying for next to nothing and with a little luck, profit from it.

Here's a scenario:

Three people get together and purchase a C172 (price is irrelevant as, unless you crash it, it will hold it's value)..

You then get with a CFI and arrange a "package deal" for his services. In return for a steady flow of "paid" time from 3 people, you negotiate a discounted rate. Outside of one of you needing an "inordinate" ammount of training, this works out well for everyone.

In the mean time, you make the plane available for lease to other students,, or pilots in general. (this ususally off-sets the cost of insurance and routine maintenance)(or helps with it anyway).

After a predetermined time period, you either agree to keep the plane or sell it and walk away, certificate in hand 

With a little luck (and maybe some effort "fixing-up" the plane, you sell it for more than you paid,,  well you get the idea)

Even if all doesn't go smoothly, it would still be less expensive than just "renting" the plane for the 100+ hours it would take to get 3 guys airborne...


++special note:  this scenario assumes you plan to "expidite" your training and jump right into flying and building time. Remember,, you'll be making payments on the plane and if it sits idle ,,it defeats the purpose.

Interesting point about buying a C172 as a group and leasing it.
I checked on another flight school and the cost would be roughly $7,000 to get the license. The only added cost is a Cessna training kit ($300) and the headset (anywhere from $200 to several hundred). Ground school is self-taught using the kit.
One way I can rationalize doing this is thinking that perhaps, one day, I can move up to instrument rating, multi-engine, etc. etc., and maybe become an instructor. Hey, I can dream, right??