Just downloaded and installed FSFS: great tool.

However, it seems strange that one first have to do a 'flight' before you can start do circuits.

In my time as a student pilot, I was first taught how to T/O, land and fly in a circuit before the instructor

let me do my solo and only then do flights to other airfields. Actually, talking to other trainers/instructors this method is still being used/preferred by them...

What is the reasoning behind this and do they really have to be dependant of each other ? I personnally like to go to the airfield, take the aircraft and tell my instructor that today I would like to do circuit training (ctrl + space - no related to score) or flight following.

 

Dieter de Wit

==========================

Thanks for the kind words about FSFS!

You raise an interesting point.

The manual says: "FSFlyingSchool instructors will not evaluate circuits until the pilot has proven basic proficiency at flying and landing the aircraft. A Landing Score above 70 and a Flight Score above 80 must be achieved before circuits can be flown with FSFlyingSchool."

I certainly agree that, in the real world, you would be unlilkely to fly off to other airfields before mastering circuits with your instructor.   The issue here is what FSFS means by a 'flight'. In FSFS, a flight is simply a takeoff and a landing, with a minumum of 30 seconds in the air. This can be done at the same airfield, or not if the pilot prefers.

The reason we put the flight score and landing score requirements into the system is that during extensive testing, pilots got into a lot of trouble with circuits until they understood the basics of how FSFS worked.
This led to a lot of frustration simply because certain key concepts in FSFS, such as 'flight modes' were not understood.

At the suggestion of beta-testers, we introduced the requirement that the pilot has already demonstrated a certain level of basic proficiency before getting into the demanding world of circuits, in which the instructor is watching the pilot's performance very closely.

So - if you want to get into circuits soon, just take off from your airfield, fly a safe and comfortable flight and finish it off with a good landing at the same airfield. In effect, you can fly a rough circuit if you wish, just don't try to go into 'circuit mode' first (FSFS won't let you).

I hope this helps explain our design.

Jeff Preston ('Squadron Leader') - FSFlyingSchool Publisher & Lead Developer


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