We have a week to go until the release of the next generation of Microsoft Flight Simulator for PC. For aviation beginners or why not professionals too the MSFS includes the Flight Lessons section. As your flight instructor Jess Molina or Captain Molina, as you choose which name to use, will teach you the basics of flying divided into a five short flight lessons before you are cleared for your first solo flight. Area to fly these school flights will be the state of Arizona in the United States. Aircraft for training is the very popular plane to start flying hobby or career, the two-seat Cessna 152.
- BASIC CONTROLS – Turning the yoke left or right controls the bank with the airelons. Pushing or pulling the yoke controls the nose up and down position relative to the horizon with the elevator. Pedals move your plane nose to the left and right with the rudder. Using yoke and rudder simultaneously during banking prevents the tail to slip, to remain in safe flying conditions. The toe brakes of the pedals in Cessna 152 is to keep the plane stopped on the ground and after taxiing procedures.
- ATTITUDES & INSTRUMENTS – If pulling the nose upwards during in-flight the speed starts to decrease. If you push the nose down below the horizon line the speed starts to increase. It is like driving a car in an uphill or downhill without accelerating or breaking. The artificial horizon instrument tells the position of your aircraft nose without looking out of the window but of course, flying by looking outside is much more relevant.
- TAKE-OFF & LEVEL FLIGHT – Take-off is usually done with the full power and after passing low altitude the throttle is loosened to climb-out power settings until the pre-planned cruise altitude is reached. When leveling your plane for planned cruise altitude, you first set the cruise power setting and then trim the plane nose to maintain the current altitude. With the longitudinal trim, you ease the yoke forces to zero not to have to steer the nose position strongly all the time.
- LANDING – In landing the most important two things are when steering your plane for landing on the final leg is to control the speed with the yoke and descend rate with the throttle. Maintain the runway shape as the same for the whole time during the final leg to prevent going too low or too high and apply flaps only if, in case of engine failure, your plane would glide to the runway safely.
- TRAFFIC PATTERN – To fly safely with other air traffic around the airport and runway, you have to always fly the traffic pattern which is a rectangular shape route usually a left-hand side of the active runway heading. It consists of upwind, crosswind, downwind, base leg, and final parts. If flying a cross-country flight to another airport you will have to pre-plan your approach to join the traffic pattern first on the downwind section and then start to decrease speed for landing, according to the checklist.
Microsoft Flight Simulator will be available for Windows 10 on August 18, 2020, as downloadable worldwide from Microsoft Store and Steam as well as boxed disc-publication from Aerosoft. Prices are for Standard 69.99 EUR, Deluxe 89.99 EUR, and Premium Deluxe 119.99 EUR.
