FSX - The Value of the Default Aircraft

(CONTINUED FROM THE ENTRY "WHY THE SUDDEN INTEREST IN FLIGHT SIMULATION?")

First, while the default jets in FSX are simplified versions of their real world counter-parts, they serve a specific purpose. Not just to entertain the casual simmer who likes to fly, but they also introduce the beginning virtual pilot to some key concepts they should master before they progress to more realistic addons like Wilcopublishing/Pilot in Command, PMDG, etc.

Some of the key concepts are as follows:

-What the MCP (Mode Control Panel) is and how to use it.
-What an autopilot really is, its functions and limitations (VNAV & LNAV).
-How an FMC (Flight Management Computer) works even though it is absent in the default FSX airliners.

Let's examine some of these in-depth:

The default Boeing 737 and 747 both have an MCP (Mode Control Panel) common to all Boeing aircraft. The purpose of the MCP is to allow the pilot to fly the plane without physically touching the yoke, or pedals. It is an interface between the pilot and the autopilot and serves a crucial role in monitoring and adjusting the autopilot while en route.

The key concepts beginning FSX pilots need to mater using the MCP are simple ones like maintaining level flight (altitude), consistent cruise speed (Mach/IAS), heading (direction), and if the plane moves up, or down and how fast (vertical movement & speed).

For example, using the MCP the pilot can control where the aircraft points (direction) using the Heading Select Knob. This is referred to as Lateral Navigation (LNAV), or Horizontal Navigation. The pilot can also control if the plane climbs or descends and how fast using the Vertical Speed knob. This is called Vertical Navigation (VNAV). The pilot can also tell the plane how fast or slow to go using the Speed Select Knob.

These are very simple concepts, but they become important for virtual pilots to be aware of in payware addons where more complex features are present, but that are still based on these very basic concepts. As a point of fact, the MCP on the default planes is almost identical to the more realistic ones you find in expensive payware addons. This is why it is so important for beginning FS pilots to become proficient with the MCP in the default planes before they advance to more realistic addons.

Most important of all it is paramount they understand what is going on behind-the-scenes with regard to what the autopilot (FMC) is doing *for* them to help with the virtual work load when flying the plane.

The best analogy I can think of is when we were all learning basic math in grade school. We all know 10/2=5... But think back to when we were four, or five and learning why this is so. We would have 10 Popsicle sticks and our teacher would say divide them into two groups consisting of five sticks each. He/she then might have said, count each stick one by one and make sure the total was 10.

This same methodology can be applied to knowing what an autopilot is doing for the pilot while flying. Where this becomes very important is in case something goes wrong (MSFS malfunction; addon bug). If the pilot has a firm understanding of what the autopilot *should* be doing for them and is aware there is an error, this also means they have the knowledge of how to correct the error and salvage the flight. It's like knowing 5+5=10, but your malfunctioning calculator keeps displaying 5+5=100. You know know this is wrong, but more importantly you know *why* it is wrong, too.

This is a prime example of how the default jets serve as a platform for virtual pilots to master fundamental skills that will serve them long after they have moved on from the default planes.

On a personal note, whenever I learn a new route (city pair), I like to use the default planes and do what amounts to a dry run using the basic autopilot (GPS) and MCP. Once I successfully take off and land at both cities (reversing the route), I then load up an expensive addon like the Wilcopub Airbus Series... And it makes the flight experience with those addons much smoother becuase not only am I more familar with the physical aspects of the route like the terrain, but I can also adjust things on the expensive payware addons in the FMC I am now aware of when I was in complete control in the default planes. Things like approach speeds and other nuances that make flying an art and not an exact science in many respects.