A few months ago, I completed a set of upgrades to my home flight simulator cockpit that I chronicled in FLYING issues 952 and 953 titled “Build Your Best Sim” (Parts 1 and 2). In February’s Issue 955, I introduced and recommended live ATC services that you can add to your simulator, and specifically how they can bring the simulator environment to life in a truly compelling way—increasing learning, immersion, and fun.
Writing the articles in that specific order was intentional as I wanted to illustrate what is possible once you have your home sim built to your own specifications. Through this lens, my purpose has been to share how compelling home flight simulation can be. My personal focus is using my sim to learn as much about instrument flying as I can before starting real-world lessons in the future, but you can customize your experience to reflect your own goals.
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In this first installment of another two-part series, I’ll describe another effective service specifically designed for home flight simulator pilots—ideal for the beginner, hobbyist, or aspiring real-world pilot. FlightSimCoach.com is a service that offers flight training virtually, so you can schedule instruction on your home simulator but with a real-world certified flight instructor. While this time cannot be logged, there is still great value that can be attained.
Diving Deeper Into the G1000
After a few years of flying with a RealSimGear G1000 PFD and MFD in my home sim, I realized that I was only using the basic functions. For the G1000 to be the backbone of my instrument flying, I had a learning gap to close.
I searched for lessons on YouTube, of which there are many, but eventually was led to a group course taught by FlightSimCoach.com that is delivered over Zoom by a CFI. About 10 of us—from all over the U.S., Canada, and Europe—joined the live class session from our home sims with cameras on. In this virtual ground school format, the CFI provided short flying scenarios that we flew in our simulators to learn basic G1000 functions.
The group class format was a good value, but FlightSimCoach.com really found its stride when it began improving the offering for individual one-on-one virtual lessons. Recent improvements to the website have made it easier to use and book with instructors. After finishing the group course, I felt I’d benefit from live one-on-one lessons with an instructor who had specific subject matter expertise with the G1000.
All instructors with FlightSimCoach.com have impressive real-world credentials, including professional piloting experience, type ratings, and other instruction accreditations and experience. You can read over their credentials prior to booking. Importantly, all have a passion for and deep technical knowledge of flight simulation software titles like X-Plane and Microsoft Flight Simulator. They also understand the advantages and limitations of delivering flight sim instruction. Drawing on their real type ratings, they have deep aircraft and avionics systems knowledge and understand how to effectively translate it into the sim environment.
- READ MORE: Review: ‘Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024’
Want to start flying airliners and learn their systems on your flight simulator? You can book a lesson with an instructor who has a real-world 737 type rating. Need to learn a Garmin 530W, GTN 750, or G1000 (like me)? Most avionics systems are an easy lift for these instructors. They can go much further too, over the course of a few lessons, which can be booked in a discounted package, as they can teach you an abbreviated or full IFR curriculum. You can also learn multiengine operations and international flying operations (like how to cross the Atlantic observing the correct airspace and communication rules), and the instructors are versed in private pilot VFR training as well.
Lesson Planning and Practice
After working through the first few chapters of the online Sporty’s Pilot Shop instrument course, I found my first few lessons with my FlightSimCoach.com instructor to be a quite effective reinforcement of the concepts learned. I began my lessons with a free consultation during which we reviewed my instrument training goals.
My first instrument lesson began on the ground, with my instructor briefing a scenario where I would receive vectors for an ILS at a local airport in the Boston area. Together we reviewed the approach plate, with my instructor highlighting important details on screen. As a novice, the approach plate can be intimidating, but it helped to watch him flow across it in real time. When I needed clarification, we paused and went into greater detail, just like in a real ground lesson conducted in person.
With my instructor’s Zoom screen set up on my second monitor, I had my airplane running on my primary display so that I could follow along in setting up the G1000 avionics in real time. I shared my primary display with him over Zoom so that he could see exactly what I was doing in my cockpit. Working together in this live format, I found the concepts starting to jell. When it was time to start the flying part of the lesson, he took over live ATC duties, I called him for my clearance, and we reviewed the CRAFT acronym as he tidied up my inelegant readback.
Soon, we were in the air, and I was departing the Boston Class Bravo, with my instructor riding along via Zoom. I was busy cleaning up the airplane after takeoff and following my instructor’s vectors out of the airspace so we could set up for the ILS approach we intended to practice. When my G1000 NXi did something unexpected, I paused the sim while my instructor quickly researched the issue. In less than a minute, he had diagnosed the problem, found a solution, and we were back to flying.
Before concluding the lesson, he spent a few minutes checking some basic simulator settings and found that I had inadvertently skipped a few months of Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 (MSFS2020) updates. Having his help to optimize my simulator was another valuable part of the FlightSimCoach.com experience. Lessons are available in 60-, 90-, or 120-minute increments, and the service recommends scheduling longer lessons if you are tackling larger subjects like an instrument rating. Closing out the session, my instructor wrote a few notes in the logbook tab of my account, so we would remember where to pick up on my next lesson.
Founding of FlightSimCoach
Born out of the need for better remote training options during the COVID-19 pandemic, company founder Mike Catalfamo, a former airline pilot and Boeing engineer, realized that under the watchful eye of experienced flight instructors, meaningful instruction could be delivered remotely and bad habits could be effectively mitigated.
“While there’s no substitute for in-aircraft experience, we believe that effective use of simulation can make actual flight training more efficient and focused on safety-critical tasks,” Catalfamo said.
In addition, Catalfamo and his instructors have found that students often end up needing technical help as a well-running simulator leads to better flight lessons. I experienced that firsthand, but didn’t realize that most FlightSimCoach.com students benefited too. Catalfamo also shared that his team has worked with 15-20 flight sim pilots over the last few years who are in their 80s and 90s and have found the joy of flying again in the virtual environment.
“It’s been particularly rewarding to help those pilots who haven’t flown in decades reignite their passion for aviation through modern flight simulation technology,” he said.
If you’re interested in an instruction session with FlightSimCoach.com, here are some tips to keep in mind prior to your first lesson:
Make sure you complete all simulator updates one day in advance of your lesson. Especially with MSFS2020, updates can take a few hours to download.
Having Zoom running on your gaming PC will allow your instructor to see your cockpit/flight deck, so they can follow along with your inputs.
Attach a second monitor to your flight sim so you can place the instructor’s Zoom screen on it and it doesn’t obstruct the view of your cockpit.
Get your flight sim fully up and running 30 minutes before your lesson, making sure all of your flight controls and avionics are operational.
If planning on instrument work, make sure your ForeFlight, Navigraph, or EFB software is up to date, so you can quickly download plates during your lesson.
If you need any simulator troubleshooting or optimization assistance, write your questions down in advance, reviewing them ahead of the flying portion of your lesson.
The more complex your flight simulator is, in terms of how much hardware and equipment used, the more time you should take to prepare it ahead of your lesson. It will give you more time to learn with your instructor.
This column first appeared in the April Issue 957 of the FLYING print edition.
