At Home Sim Recommended for IFR?

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SergeyKataev@reddit

XPlane on Linux/Mac, or MSFS on a windows will do just fine.

No need for fancy pedals and quadrants - a basic joystick with throttle and rudder is good enough, mine is 10-15 years old Logitech, same model still sells now for less than $100.

No need for a fancy graphics card either, you'll press zero-viz button right after take off, and un-zero at the minimums. Low-res, low FOV and no fancy visual effects for better fps.

Ideally find a simulated plane with avionics similar to what you're actually going to fly in the actuals.

Your FF iPad won't have a moving map -> good, simulated GPS off for the checkride.

This gives me as much rust-off benefit as ATD, but doesn't count for 6HITS and doesn't cost money.

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taxcheat@reddit

Your FF iPad won't have a moving map

Really? Garmin Pilot can link to xplane and MSFS. I'd be surprised if that's a GP advantage.

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tincancan15@reddit

So can ForeFlight actually. You need to download a small software on your PC but it’s a minor inconvenience.

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StageMajestic613@reddit

No need if using Xplane. Just need to turn on the AHRS streaming in the settings menu, and FF picks it up just fine.

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Oh good :) My Android tablet with Avare doesn't
You can actually learn to fly the procedures without relying on it, and have an extra in real life.
I also miss out on radio exchange because no vatsim on Linux, but if you have it - awesome!

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skunimatrix@reddit

I use X-Plane. Used it to get familiar with Garmin Pilot as well while my plane was undergoing a panel update. X-Plane was designed for IFR practice. Doesn’t handle VFR as well as MSFS 202X.

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Hodgetwins32@reddit

X plane and keyboard and mouse is all you need, don’t waste money on sims.

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CSRAFlightCoach@reddit

Home sims are excellent for IFR. You don’t need much. Entry level Logitech and XPlane or MSFS. It’s not perfect, but all you need for practicing procedures.

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BigC208@reddit

X-Plane 11/12 has the best aerodynamics modeling. MSFS2024 has the best modeling of the G1000. I can fly a complete checkride before I set a foot in the door at Flight Safety for my 6 monthly sim training. I Have G1000 and GMC-700 auto pilot controller hardware from Aviatek but you can do without hardware. Joystick is enough.

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Santos_Dumont@reddit

I built mine for $2k-$3k. It mirrors my RV-14 setup. My goals were to become familiar with the G3x and how to shoot approaches. I can spend hours familiarizing myself with the approaches I fly and it costs nothing. It doesn’t replicate the sensation of actually flying the airplane, but helps me be proficient with all the instrumentation.

*Just a PPL, not trying to build time, just proficiency.

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Dangerous-Extreme257@reddit

What did you use to sim the G3X? Been trying to find a good sim for the same reason--learn this system better.

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Santos_Dumont@reddit

realsimgear.com has the hardware. Then you need a plane model from a designer that uses the G3X. The model will be specific to MSFS or XPlane. Right now the RV-14 only works on MSFS. You also need to pay attention to what virtual hardware is installed in the model. I bought a GTN 650 without realizing that the RV-14 model uses the 750. Now I've been waiting for that to come back in stock. In the meantime the RV-10 model uses the 650 so I've been flying that.

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dodexahedron@reddit

Instrument is where sims shine, because you can not only try out whatever conditions you want but you have the added "realism" of not having side windows and not being able to feel anything.

When training in VMC but under the hood, you still have lots of inputs that you may not have when you're in the soup.

Sims do lack the stakes of flying in actual, of course, which is worth noting snd a point against them.

Unless you rig something up to dump a bucket of water on your computer if you crash, that is. That might add some peril for ya. 😝

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AlexJamesFitz@reddit

I found a basic setup very helpful for IFR training. I just used an Xbox and a basic HOTAS.

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project-x-sim@reddit

I use these:

https://project-x-flaps.carrd.co/ https://project-x.carrd.co/

Hope this helps Clear skies

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acfoltzer@reddit

It certainly helps if you approach it right. Get a PilotEdge subscription and just enough sim hardware to be able to work your avionics and to taxi, take off, and land. Don't practice anything by yourself that you haven't done for real with your CFII. Get whichever between MSFS and XPlane has something closest to your real airplane, either built-in or a paid add-on (XPlane if it's a tie).

I can sing the praises of the PilotEdge controllers' professionalism and commitment to realism. But the bottom line is that being connected to a live service where someone will be upset with you if you pause the sim or miss your radio calls will make you take it seriously, and will force you to practice at the pace of real procedures.

The less realistic the flight controls, the better. It is never going to feel like the real thing, so you're better off making it feel like a toy so your muscle memory treats it like a completely different activity. I use an $80 Thrustmaster T.16000M, but cheaper would be just fine. I have not had good luck going all the way down to a gamepad. I had a big yoke and throttle quadrant and I do not miss them.

Avionics can get complicated. Try and match your real airplane as closely as possible. The RealSimGear hardware is nice if you're flying with something they support, but it's a bit spendy. My real airplane has a GTN 650Xi, so I bought a TDS GTN license and an $80 "portable touchscreen" display off Amazon. It lacks physical knobs and buttons, but the touch interface and the TDS software works exactly like it does in the airplane making it extremely useful for procedure practice. The Octavi IFR-1 is a neat little unit with physical buttons and a concentric knob. It complements any setup well but is particularly well-suited to GNS 430/530 or G1000 setups.

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FeatherMeLightly@reddit

Used xplane 11 all throughout instrument training. It's an excellent asset if you treat it like a training tool.

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surefirepigeon@reddit

100%. Obviously get a yoke with a throttle and trim buttons for hand flying practice. Play around with the gross weight and CG so the pitch attitude and power settings mirror your plane. Setup keys to do things like twist one click heading bug left/right etc. I logged 10 hours on XPLANE and then did a 1.5 flight before my CFII checkride after not flying instruments for 2 years.

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Vivid-Razzmatazz9034@reddit

Definitely a worthwhile investment. I spent $300 on a yoke and throttle (+$800 or more if you don’t have a pc) and it probably saved me 10 flight hours. In my experience it’s great for drilling approaches and holding after doing them with a CFI, but in the later stages I avoided it because even the best sims aren’t completely realistic and it seems like a better idea to do the “cleaning up” part in the aircraft.

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fhfm@reddit

For “realism”, it’s gonna cost you as much as a plane. For practicing, it’s totally doable on a normal persons budget. I have the honeycomb alpha and bravo and thrustmaster rudders. For IFR practice, there’s a really cool gizmo called the Octavia IFR that has buttons that mirror that of a garmin 430/530 and can also input into a G1000 plane. Of all my stuff, I’d say this little switch box is my favorite. It just sucks using a mouse to input into the garmin. If you wanna spend a few bucks more, realsimgear has a dummy garmin unit that connects via hdmi and gives you even more realism.

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swedishlightning@reddit

I highly recommend X-Plane and PilotEdge. Do the Pilot Edge IFR course. It will help you get an idea of the flow and allow you to make some common mistakes for free.

As others have said, don’t buy fancy hardware. You just need to be able to see the panel; no need for fancy scenery graphics. I had an old stick/throttle that I used for takeoff/landing and the used the autopilot after. You’re not building stick&rudder skills this way, just learning procedures.

Once you can do the flights using the GPS, put it on a random menu and do the whole thing again with VORs and DME.

Great way to build procedural reps so that your time in the plane is most valuable.

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gcys@reddit

It helped me a lot. Not only the sim itself, but a real ATC to practice approaches & procedures with: I used to fly with PilotEdge. I still do, but I used to too.

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TxAggieMike@reddit

It is pricey, but the Redbird TD or TD2

https://simulators.redbirdflight.com/products

Both meet the requirement of an FAA approved ATD and will have an LOA saying you can log the use toward currency or a certificate.

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__joel_t@reddit

Hmm...

If we assume $200/hr Hobbs, the TD costs about 45 Hobbs hours. If we assume 6 HITS takes 2.0 Hobbs, it would take about 22.5 years (assuming bare minimum to maintain instrument currency and not require an IPC -- 6 HITS/year) for this to be a positive ROI, assuming you're not renting out to anybody.

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FridayMcNight@reddit

It shouldn't be a major investment to get a useful sim. You don't need a high-end GPU for hi-res imagery (it's IMC). You don't need a yoke & pedals; a decent throttle & stick will do. X-plane will run on a lot of common hardware.

If you already have your IR and are current, it's pretty straightforward. If you don't have IR yet, some time with a sim-knowledgeable CFII will be really useful to help you set up useful scenarios, simulated failures, etc..

It can be done cheap, and it can be useful.

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bigbadcrusher@reddit

Speaking as someone who had thousands of hours with my at-home flight sim, it made Instrument training 100x easier. I did add-on aircraft, but only used the $40 Logitech Extreme 3D Pro for controls, no fancy yokes or rudder pedals.

I’d recommend it, especially if the sim has a plane with the same/very similar panel configuration to what you’re flying IRL.

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Diligent_Digiridoo@reddit

None. Please don’t. My worst students “trained” with a sim.

It builds poor habits and poor muscle memory. Unless you plan to build a 1:1 replica of your plane with all the same knobs/buttons/dials.

When I got my students to stop playing w flight sim they performed much better.

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I-r0ck@reddit

I’ve used XPlane and an Oculus Rift before. It’s a fairly cheap way to get started and you get the whole flight deck. The controls aren’t the greatest with this method, but for learning avionics and practicing approaches it works decent

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Im_not_very_good@reddit

I went cheap. Xbox (already had) MSFS, got the xbox yoke, setup auto pilot in the 172 with a G1000 and then just practiced briefing the plate, inputting the approach or departure, and then hit the sim speed to get me to the next airport, loaded the next approach and continued like that. I got very proficient with the G1000 doing this.

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Random61504@reddit

I use MSFS and some add-ons of the same planes I have flown. I just use a throttle quadrant, rudder pedals, and a stick. I fly with autopilot 99% of the time since it feels nothing like a real plane, but the autopilot and avionics work pretty much the same, so you can use it to practice your flows and shooting approaches. I didn't use it until after I learned the proper way to fly approaches in the real plane, then I used my home sim to build the repetition and memorize it, and it worked pretty well. It is nice being able to control the weather to practice going missed, practice approaches near you, and find random approaches that are tricky or have unique things about them to test yourself. I wish I new how many approaches I have done in my sim, it has to be in the thousands by now.

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samistheboss@reddit

It absolutely helped me learn holds and approaches. I use X-Plane with a custom aircraft that has avionics that match reasonably well what I actually fly. Hardware-wise, I have the Honeycomb yoke, Logitech throttle quadrant, and MFG Crosswind pedals.

Regardless, the "feel" of hand-flying it is not realistic at all, and I can't justify dumping thousands of $ into it to change that. I use the autopilot as much as possible in the sim for a few reasons: 1) avoid bad habits with hand-flying, 2) practice procedures and flows with less workload, and 3) practice managing modes on the autopilot itself.

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ltcterry@reddit

The night before my instrument checkride I flew the first bit of the assigned XC. I made a mistake early on. The next day I didn’t make that mistake. The DPE commented “most people turn the wrong way…”

There’s some minor value in practicing something at home after you’ve done it with your instructor. Near the end of training it’s ok to fly tomorrow’s lesson at home tonight.

Just remember, if you reinforce bad habits it becomes that much harder/more expensive to undo them.

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rFlyingTower@reddit

This is a copy of the original post body for posterity:

I’ve heard mixed opinions on whether an at home sim is worth investment for IFR practice. Has it helped anyone, and what did you have?

*If I were to get a sim, looking to do it very cheap just to practice procedures/approaches*

Thanks in advance.

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