Youtube is your friend. I came into this on launch day without a clue what I was doing with the different avionics and such. I just started looking up how-to videos on YouTube. Only took a few videos and a bit of practice and now I know what every button, knob, switch, dian and gauge does in my GA aircraft cockpits and how to operate them.
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Check out You Tube for some really good Instructional Vids by ‘Squirell’ ( Spelling ? )
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You can also check out some of the community guides on these forums:
https://forums.flightsimulator.com/c/guides/new-pilot-help-guides/167
They don’t cover everything but should get you pointed in the right direction.
I’d also suggest you file a zendesk ticket (quick and easy) to ask for better instructional information. The more people that request this, the better: https://flightsimulator.zendesk.com/hc/en-us
Hopefully that is helpful to you.
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Yes! Great suggestion - I bought this book and have been using it as ground school.
Squirrel’s channel is great, lots of easy to follow tutorials on instrument and flight basics
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The prior version of the sim from 2006, FSX, had HTML based documentation explaining everything and dozens of training lessons to boot.
With MSFS we are expected to go watch hour of youtube videos, instead of reading a clear and concise document. 9 videos in from Squirrel just to get to how the autopilot works!
If you think there should be more documentation, upvote this wishlist item!
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Fly an airliner at a crowded aerodrome from the opposite runway and totally ignore ATC to make everyone’s day.
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After finishing the FS2020 6-mission “training”, you will feel craving for more. If you dont mind the aged graphics, the old FSX training missions were comprehensive and fun.
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I was FS back to I think FS98 or before, had that book since it came out. Still read it on occasion. It’s a shame the missions that go along with some of the training in there don’t work.
This is my first flight sim. What I would suggest and what helped me was using Squirrel’s YouTube videos, P Gatacomb’s Youtube Videos, and using PilotEdge’s series on VFR and IFR which you can find here: https://www.pilotedge.net/workshops
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The Clumsy Geek has some well thought out videos too: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCb2zxbsqpubC6HdOkXtTpPQ
There is SO much great free content out there. The problem is that there is almost TOO much, and it can be overwhelming for the beginner. Also, there is no quality control, so you can’t always believe what’s out there. For now, perhaps consider buying a ready-made course from somewhere like Sporty’s.
Hopefully, some enterprising young CFI will build a more comprehensive course around MSFS2020. As an instructor, I plan on using MSFS for a large portion of the syllabus. The graphics are that good. I was teaching with X-Plane, but the poor graphics are a limiting factor. MSFS will really excel when it gets multi-monitor support, better flight dynamics, and possibly force-feedback controllers.
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This will have you covered for a while:
https://www.faa.gov/regulations_policies/handbooks_manuals/aviation/
Especially the Pilot’s Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge, Airplane Flying Handbook, Instrument Flying Handbook, and Instrument Procedures Handbook
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The classic one. But not for free.
Two great ideas, but IMO overwhelming for the beginner, especially the instant-gratification “I want it now!” individuals that seem to frequent this forum.
An interactive AI-based course built around MSFS2020 would be awesome! I don’t know if there a large enough market to justify the work that would be required to build one.
Also, there is a reason we have instructors. Learning to fly isn’t exactly something you can learn on your own.
Agree. Texts like those FAA handbooks are very high quality handbooks that had a great amount of care put into them and they are outstanding for the knowledge part of learning to aviate. But it takes some commitment so it requires the motivation to already be there. Extended interactive training modules would be a really good thing,
The big problem is that none of the glass cockpits are modeled with enough fidelity to use real world instructional materials. And they don’t match the glass cockpits from FSX either so those materials are not applicable. In fact the Garmin devices are missing so many features that it’s not clear what Asobo even intends to work or what is broken and needs a bug ticket.
I tried looking at real G1000 tutorials and it just became an exercise in frustration.
With all the default aircraft having some kind of glass cockpit and regulatory bodies around the world phasing out radio based navigation beacons in favor of GPS, Asobo needs to step up to the plate and provide working default avionics to the standard of aircraft of today.
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Also check out Grippersim videos on YouTube, I believe he is actually a flight instructor and had started a set tutorial videos in MSFS that went into more detail than the in-sim training.
Yeah. If I worked for Garmin I’d be ticked off that my products were so dysfunctional in this sim. I’d send a team to Asobo to fix it. There are a lot of current, and future, pilots getting their first Garmin experience.
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+1 to Squirrel’s channel, really beginner friendly. Specifically his tutorial playlists:
If you want to fly an airliner, I’d suggest 320 sim pilot’s channel, he’s a real world A320 pilot, so he’s really knowledgeable in his videos. Here’s his tutorial playlist:
If you want to take a step up from beginner friendly tutorials (you mentioned navigational instruments in your comment), I’d suggest P Gatcomb’s playlist. He also has some basic tutorials as well.