Perspective

Have been using Real Flight 9 for about 5 days and am flying in Intermediate Mode.

One of my big problems seems to be not judging properly when to turn final from base leg. I seem to mostly be turning short.

Is this normal? How can I judge better - practice I expect?

So much different from flying a real plane as in that case I could judge from viewing the field below.

Thanks for any helps or tips.

4-5 minutes would make for a very long base leg, thus a downwind unreasonably wide, even for a jet and, since you are making separate legs, I'm assuming a light aircraft, and that you turned base from a left downwind at roughly the point where the numbers were at the 135º point (relative to the nose), or 45º behind your left wing, with downwind being half a mile or slightly more from the runway, and somewhere near 1,000 ft. AGL.

I suppose you are using the hat switch or some such to change views. One thing you can try is, after turning base (I'm assuming left traffic, and proper approach speed), is to snap to the 90º left view and initiate your turn to final somewhat before reaching the final approach path, with how much needing to be left to practice. When past the halfway point in the turn, snap your view to straight ahead. It'll take practice. Do this first with no wind at all. Try to, at least initially, make all the approaches to the same runway and develop a feel for that one, then do the same for some other runway, perhaps at some other airport.

NOW, a key observation is that once you are properly aligned with the runway on final (no wind, now) the runway will be parallel to the sides of your screen, pointing at the top of the screen like a clock hand at 12 o'clock. Get that sight picture. Remember, too, that you don't have to maintain a constant bank in the turn, so long as you keep it no more than a medium bank angle, so you can vary your rate of turn somewhat to allow for smoother corrections.

If you're not in a light single, then the details will need to vary with the speed and maneuverability of the aircraft, but the principles are the same.

He is flying a remote control ('RC') airplane and not an airplane in Flight Simulator. Cheesh!

Then he should have said so. Not being familiar with all the sim add-ons, I expected it was a sim on a PC, since this is a simulator forum, so I answered from that perspective.

Then he should have said so. Not being familiar with all the sim add-ons, I expected it was a sim on a PC, since this is a simulator forum, so I answered from that perspective.

Don't know what Chuck is referring to. Real flight is an RC flightsim.

Flying a 'real' aircraft in FSX etc. from tower view presents exactly the same problem like an RC sim.

He joined just to get 'Newcomer Services'. He is new and he need/demands Service! Ha.

The solution to his not being able to see where his RC Airplane is in relation to the runway is to get a FPV Goggle. Then he can see what the 'pilot' of his RC Airplane is seeing and thus better gauge when it's time to turn to final. The goggles are around $300. But he has to also have a game pad with transmitter, plus Lipo batterys to run it all. Antennas, cables, etc. Too much monkey business for me!

Chuck B

Napamule