Back 👨‍✈️ in the air again, well virtually

My youngest boy found this flight simulator and wanted me to try it. I prefer flying IRL but I gave it a shot. I am a pilot, but I have not flown alone in over 20 years. As you will see, I am way out of practice but once you learn something, you never forget. I did fly some years ago but not as "pilot in command" and I did not log the flight.

I first flew when I was twelve years old. I was permitted to do whatever I wanted to and the owner of the plane would only grab the stick if I did anything dangerous. I flew for about two hours. Later in life, I went for my ticket and never wanted anything more than a single engine, land rating for VFR (visual flight rules). If it were possible take you all up in a rental plane I would but I have not found a flight school in this crisis ridden country.

This video was made using geo-fs and flying a Cesna 152, which is the plane I flew several times per week back in the 1990's. I used to fly on a team working for "shadow traffic" searching for gridlock all around the city. I did the flying, not the reporting.

I chose the same airport that I used to fly out of in the U.S. so this is my old stomping ground. Come fly with me as I knock the rust off my skills.

I know it is just a game but as a pilot, I can never reset or make a grave mistake. In the game I can turn off the engine for simulated engine failure but could never do that when flying in real life - if it did not restart, I would have to pay to have the plane removed from the field where I landed and there would be an FAA report and an NTSB investigation.

As you watch, you will notice that the mouse moves around the screen. That is the "stick" or yoke for controlling the aircraft. As a pilot, I use instruments for keeping the plane in the air and for navigation. Looking out the window is only needed for linging up with the runway. I explain a bit about the main instruments at the beginning.

Flying in the pattern - Practice landings - different configurations
44:00 Practice Stall
46:00 Simulate engine loss - fly back to airport-emergency landing
Talking about procedures for engine failure
51:00 touch down a few feet before reaching the runway
54:00 simulated engine failure after takeoff, aproach to landing, (keyboard mistake)
1:05:00 emergency landing in a field
1:08:00 slow flight (for following vehicles in traffic)
1:11:00 flying at stall speed