Flight Simulator Student Pages

Flight Simulator 1

FLIGHT SIMULATORSTUDENT INFORMATION

Area of Study: Transportation

Objectives:

Students will explore the basic principles of flight and the parts of an airplane.Students will fly a plane in a simulated airplane flight.

Related Occupations:

Aircraft Pilots and Flight EngineersPilots are highly trained professionals who fly aircraft and carry out a wide varietyof tasks. There are two pilots in the cockpit crew in larger aircraft Some pilotsmay be in smaller craft and fly to complete a specific task such as a test pilot,dusting crops, forest reseeding, fire fighting, tracking criminals, monitoringautomobile traffic, or performing rescues and evacuations. Most pilots havelearned to fly in the military, but there are many individuals who have learned incivilian flying schools approved by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

Air Traffic ControllersAir traffic controllers coordinate themovement of air traffic to make surethat planes stay a safe distance fromeach other. Air traffic controllersalso must manage traffic delays, andflights between airports as well askeep pilots advised about weatherconditions. Nearly all air trafficcontrollers are employed and trainedby the Federal Government.

Aircraft and Avionics Equipment Mechanics and Service TechniciansAvionics Mechanics and Service Technicians perform scheduled maintenance,make repairs, and complete inspections required by the FAA. Inspections takeplace on aircraft following a schedule based on the number of hours an aircraft hasflown. The mechanic or technician may inspect, engines, landing gear, brakes,pumps, instruments, control surfaces, etc.

Flight AttendantFlight Attendants primary responsibility is to ensure that safety regulations are followed.They also try to make flights comfortable for passengers. Flight attendants may worknights, holidays and weekends. An intensive formal training administered by an airlinecarrier will last from 4 to 7 weeks once hired for the job.

Cessna 172N Skyhawk 100Australia - Western Australia, April 22, 2001

Airliners.Net - Neville Murphy Photo -

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Flight SimulatorOccupational Choices

Focus: Aircraft Pilot

Classes to take inSchool:

•Algebra•Geometry•Computer Science•General Science•Drafting•Electricity/Electronics•Physical Education

After High School: All pilots who are paid to transport passengers orcargo, must have a commercial pilots license withan instrument rating issued by the FAA. To qualifyyou must be 18 years old and have at least 250hours of fight time. Pilots must pass a written testthat includes questions on safe flight, navigationtechniques, and FAA regulations. Pilots usuallystart with smaller commuter airlines to gainexperience needed to qualify for higher payingjobs with the large airlines. Airline pilots who flythe large passenger jets must fulfill additionalrequirements. Experience in the Armed Forcesmay give the prospective employee an edge.

Personal Characteristics• Good Communications skills• Quick thinking• Unafraid of Heights• Overall Good Health• 20/20 vision with or without glasses.• Ability to read and write technical reports• Must work in team situations

Employment Opportunities• Military• Commercial Airlines• Flight Schools• Police Force

Earnings:Earnings vary widely depending on factors

such as type, size, and speed of the plane andthe number of miles flown. For example, jetpilots generally earn higher pay than turboproppilots. Earnings also vary depending onweather you are flying for an airline or flying asa commercial pilot.

In May 2006, median annual earnings ofairline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers were$141,090. Median annual earnings ofcommercial pilots were $57,480 in 2006.

Source: Occupational Outlook Handbook 2008-2009 Edition

The Work:Pilots must plan their flights very carefully.Pilots have to be able to read their instrumentsat all times as they can not always see wherethey are going. They have paperwork to fillout on their flight once completing it. By law,airline pilots cannot fly more than 100 hours amonth or more than 1,000 hours a year.Pilots are gone often from home as manyflights are at least overnight trips.

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Key Words and Definitions

1. Air Speed Indicator - gauge that shows the speed of the plane through the air.

2. Altimeter - gauge that shows how high above sea level the plane is.

3. Altitude - distance above sea level.

4. Attitude Indicator - (Artificial Horizon) an instrument in the cockpit that uses a miniature airplane and a horizon bar to reflect what your plane is doing in relation to the ground and sky.

5. Control Tower - In larger airports, clearance or approval for takeoff must be given by the aircraft controller who monitors traffic in the control tower.

6. Descending - opposite of climbing, coming down to a lower altitude.

7. Flight Plan - A destination is picked and the route mapped before takeoff.

8. Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) - Navigation between destinations may be done with on-board GPS systems.

9. Kneeboard - Clipboard in the cockpit of the plane that holds charts and other things that the pilot needs to have.

10. Pitch - the movement of the airplane’s nose up and down.

11. Roll - the sideways tilt of the airplane, sometimes called bank.

12. Taxi - to move an aircraft under it’s own power on the ground.

13. Throttle - the control that applies power to the plane, like a gas pedal.

14. Traffic Pattern - Traffic flow prescribed for an aircraft on taking off and landing at an airport. A complete landing pattern includes a down wind leg, a base leg, and a final leg.

15. Transportation Technology: All the means we use to help us move through the air, in water, or over land1.

16. Yaw - the movement of the airplane to the right or left. The vertical stabilizer and rudder control this movement.

17. Visual Flight Rules (VFR) - flying your plane in clear weather without cloud cover and not having to use special navigation instruments, but flying by things such as landmarks and a compass.

1 Brusic, S., Fales, J. and Kuetemeyer, V.

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Transportation Technology:

ransportation technologyis all the means and processes bywhich we move people, animals,products, and materials throughthe air, water, or over land. Amode is a method of doingsomething. There are manydifferent modes of transportationfor moving people or goods overland, water, and air. Modes oftransportation are classified by theway goods or people are trans-ported. Consequently, these arethe general classifications oftransportation: Land, Air & Space,Marine, and Pipelines & Convey-ors.

Regardless of the modeof travel, all the collective parts that are used in the method of travel form a system of transportation.For instance, flying an airplane would include, the runway, the control tower, the aircraft controller, thefuel for the vehicles, a means to transport the fuel to the airplanes, the airplane, the airport, and the pilotand navigator for the airplane. Many more components could be listed to describe all this transporta-tion system which would be required for it to operate efficiently.

Every transportation system, no matter how simple or complex, (from walking to a flying anairplane) will be designed with these common elements which are input (energy, people, and money),process (actions required to move the goods), and output (result of arriving).

Introduction:

There are two major categories of aviation: Military Aviation and Civil Aviation . Civil aviationincludes scheduled air transport and general aviation. In this curriculum , the focus will be on generalaviation and consequently you will be flying a smaller plane.

Before a person can fly an airplane and get their pilot’s license, they usually have to complete aprogram in a flight school. The training includes learning about the forces that govern flight such asgravity, lift, drag, and thrust. They must also learn the parts of the plane and how they affect the flight ofthe plane, the gauges and flight controls.

You will now have a short training so that you can be successful flying the computer simulator.This flight simulator program, just like a real aircraft, has many controls. All the controls are necessaryfor a safe flight, but only the primary flight controls are needed to get you flying.

T

The taxiway and control tower at Ogden’sHinkley Airport are part of a aircraft transportation system

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Some of the primary flight controlsinclude the following and are visuallyshown in the cockpit in figure 1.

Control yoke - a steering wheel-like control on most planes that operates the ailerons and elevators to control pitch (up and down movement of the plane’s nose) and roll (the sideways tilt of the plane or bank )

Rudder Pedals - pedals that operate the rudder on the vertical stabilizer controlling the plane’s yaw movement (sideways movement from right to left) .

Throttle - the throttle applies power to the plane much like the gas pedal of a car.

Brakes - the brakes are used to slow or stop the plane when it is on the ground

Joystick Operation

When using the flight simula-tor program, the four controls listedpreviously will be operated throughthe use of a joystick. Moving thejoystick will move control surfaceson your virtual plane. The plane thathas been chosen for your flight is theCessna 172 Skyhawk. It is a planethat most pilots have some time inas it is a common aircraft trainer andrental plane. Now you know whatplane you are in lets become morefamiliar with the controls and whatthey do.

Moving the joystick will move the controls in the virtual cockpit. The control yoke will movewhen the joystick is moved back and forth if you are viewing the cockpit when you are flying yourplane. These movements also are controlling surfaces on your virtual Cessna Skyhawk just like itwould in a real plane.

The virtual Cessna 172 SkyhawkFigure 2

ControlYoke

Rudder Pedals

Throttle

The virtual cockpitFigure 1

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Forward or backward movement of the joystickoperates the plane’s elevators which control the airplane’s pitch(nose-up and nose-down) causing the plane to go up or down.The elevators are highlighted in figure 3.

Left and right movement of thejoystick operate the ailerons whichcontrols the bank (roll) causing theplane to turn right or left. The aileronsare highlighted in figure 4.

Twisting the joystick handleoperates the rudder which controls theyaw of the plane which will move theplanes nose slightly to the right or left. The rudder is highlighted in figure 5.

The pilot of an airplane has to keep in mindthe four forces working on an airplane in flight asthey manipulate the controls of an airplane.

The forces on the plane are:

• Drag - the force that is known as air friction which opposes forward motion.

• Gravity - the force that works to pull the plane back to the ground.

• Lift - is the force that overcomes gravity andis created by the wings. It is the shapeof the wing that creates a difference inair pressure above and below thewing that creates lift.

• Thrust - A forward movement which is created by the airplane’s engine and propeller. Thrust is controlled by the amount of throttle that is used on the engine.

Now that it is understood about theforces acting on an airplane and that themovement with the joystick is moving the

Cessna Skyhawk’s rudderFigure 5

Cessna Skyhawk’s aileronsFigure 4

Cessna Skyhawk’s elevatorsFigure 3

Forces on an airplane.Cessna 172M Skyhawk Ramona (RNM) USA - CA,

April 18, 2003 - Airliners.Net - Tony Zeljeznjak - Photo

Figure 6

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controls in the cockpit as well as the airplane control surfaces, we can move on to the rest of thejoystick controls. Figure 7 shows you what the buttons do. The pilot may need to refer back to thispage if he/she does not remember what the button does. The joystick buttons are also numbered. Asdirections are given, the button number will also be given. The pilot will make small movements with thestick or control yoke. A little movement will go a long way when using the joystick.

Joystick Buttons:

• Button # 1 = (Trigger) Brakes - (only good on the

ground)

• Button # 2 =Cycle Views

• Button # 3 & 4 =Elevator Trim This is changed if your plane wants to drift up or down - move it ever so slightly.

• Button # 5 & # 6 =Flaps - used for flying at low speeds almost always used on an approach for a landing.

• Button #7 = Kneeboard - Will be used for viewing other controls and the pre-takeoff check.

• Button #8 = Landing Gear - not used as our wheels do not retract on this plane.

• Lever = Throttle - pushing the lever forward will give the engine more gas.

• Hat Switch = lets you look around (if you have time) while you are flying.

Important Keyboard Commands:

Occasionally you may want to use a keyboard or the mouse. You can control anything on theinstrument panel with the mouse. In some cases, keyboard commands are still the fastest way to getdone what you want done. Here are a couple of the more important ones :

• CTRL + E = Restarts your Engine if it should quit as you are looking at the directions.• CTRL + P = Releases your brakes.• P = pauses the simulation• W = Maximizes the view. (Instead of cycling between views use this button when you are staring at the instrument panel and you will be able to see better.)• ~ = (Accent Key [by the number 1]) Used to turn on and off airtraffic control

Joystick controls Figure 7

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The Cockpit

The cockpit of an airplane is where the pilot is when flying the airplane. From the pilot’s seat,the pilot can control the airplane, see the instrument panel, and look out the windows.

The graphic in figure 8, shows aview looking straight ahead from thepilot’s seat. The top half of the pictureshows a three-dimensional view lookingout the front window of the airplane.The air crew (pilot and copilot in thiscase) is looking down runway 3 of theOgden-Hinkley Airport.

The bottom half of the pictureshows the instrument panel of theCessna Skyhawk 172 Airplane you willlearn to fly. This panel has manydifferent instruments, indicators, andradios. The pilot and copilot will onlyuse a few of these on your first flight.Let’s learn about the ones you need to know to fly the airplane.

Airspeed Indicator - The first gauge in the top left corner of the instru-ment panel is the airspeed indicator. It measures the airplane’s speedthrough the air and is measured in knots (similar to miles per hour).

Artificial Horizon - The next instrument to theright is the artificial horizon. The darker bottomhalf of the instrument represents the ground and

the top half represents the sky. This instrument shows you if the plane is goingup and down and if it is banking right or left.

Altimeter - The next gauge to the right of theartificial horizon that looks like a clock is the altim-eter. The altimeter shows how high above sea levelthe plane is. It does not tell how high above the ground you are since sea levelis not the same as ground level. Each number represents 100 feet so if theneedle is pointing at 6, the plane is 600 feet above sea level. The airport youare flying out of is at 4600 feet above sea level keep that in mind when you aremaking a landing.

The Instrument PanelFigure 8

Airspeed IndicatorFigure 9

Artificial HorizonFigure 10

AltimeterFigure 11

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Heading Indicator - The next gauge straight below the artificial horizon is a gyroinstrument that accurately and quickly shows changes in aircraft heading. Itworks like a compass. The 3 the plane is pointing at in Figure 12 represents 30degrees - add a zero to the number to get the degrees.

There are many other instruments, but these will be enough to get you flying.Other instruments will be introduced to the aircrew in flight as you may need themto get to where we are supposed to go. The pilot will also be using the joystick

to control the throttle, elevator, aileron, and rudder.

Planning your Flight

When the program loads, the aircrew will find them-selves at Ogden’s Hinkley Airport on the runway ready fortakeoff. This program allows the aircrew to do things thatwouldn’t normally happen in real life. For instance, lets plan theflight for something that would not normally happen. Lets flythe Cessna to Salt Lake City International to mix it up with thebig jets. This will take about 10 minutes. The aircrew will flyby Visual Flight rules (VFR). In many smaller airports, thismeans the aircrew would have to announce their takeoff overthe radio but would not have to get permission to takeoff.However, this aircrew is flying out from an area where there is alot of air traffic. Consequently, it is important to talk to thetower to get takeoff clearance.

Orientation

Lets also understand where the plane is located onthe airport runway. The plane is on runway 3. These numbersmay seem arbitrary to you but if you had a zero to the end (30)and add the word degrees, the pilot will know that three meansthat you are now facing 30 degrees from magnetic North.All runways are numbered in this fashion. The runway numberhelps establish which direction you are headed from magneticNorth. Look at figure 13 and 14. Think for just a minute beforewe get flying. If you are flying to Salt Lake City, you would haveto fly South from Ogden. Consequently, the pilot would take offand after gaining altitude, make a left turn, (left turns are stan-dard in air traffic) called the Crosswind leg. The compass shouldread about 300 degrees during this time. The pilot will fly in thisdirection for just a minute or so and then make a heading change tofly parallel to the runway that was just exited on our takeoff. Thiswould be 210 degrees. This is known as the downwind leg. Lookat Figure 15 for a graphical example.

Orientation - Locating your plane onrunway 3 at Ogden’s Hinkley Airport

Figure 13

Heading IndicatorFigure 12

Runways compared to a compassFigure 14

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Taking off from Ogden’s Hinkley AirportFigure 15

STUDENT ACTIVITY I:

The flight Simulator program should beloaded and ready to go to do our next step. Ifyou have not already opened up Flight Simula-tor, click on the icon twice to open up theprogram.

Pre-Takeoff Check

Are you are about on informationoverload? A real pilot has even more things to beaware of before they take off. With this activity,the simulator has done many of these actions foryou so just relax and follow along. The flightcrew is going to plot a course on a map anddetermine distance and fuel needs. The crew willgo through a preflight checklist to make sureeverything is working and that controls are set appropriately.

The pilot and copilot should do the preflight checklist once the program loads. The pilot shouldnow push button #7 on the joystick. This will bring up the pilot’s kneeboard. Lets look at thechecklist. Click on the checklist tab ( push #7 again on the joystick ) and the copilot can scroll downwith the mouse past the section labeled starting your engine until it says BEFORE TAKEOFF. Youmay refer to figure 16 to find the correct spot in the checklist. Look through the list and see if you canfind the instruments you are supposed to be checking in thechecklist. Hold the mouse over the instrument for a momentand a pop-up screen will inform you what the instrument iscalled if you do not already know.

The pilot will not have to set the parking brakes asthey are already set. As you look at your checklist, the pilotwill not have to actually perform the procedures on this virtualplane as the program loads with the controls already set fortakeoff. Scroll on through the checklist. The pilot shouldpush button #7 until the kneeboard disappears. The copilotshould now push the “P” key on the key board.

This activity is going to assume that you have a copilotaboard with you. There will be plenty to do for both of you.The pilot is going to use the controls on the joystick to controlthe movements of the plane. The copilot in this lesson will usethe keyboard to do all communication with the Control Towerand any keyboard or mouse maneuvers that may be required. You will have to work as a team to besuccessful. Each of you read and do your section and things will go rather fast. Use the “P” pausekey when needed. The pilot and copilot will probably want to switch jobs the next time that you do this.The flight plan has been filed, now you need to review it in Figure 17.

Flight Simulator 2002.lnk

Pre-flight checklist on the kneeboardFigure 16

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STUDENT ACTIVITY II:

Takeoff - Copilot

1. The copilot will nowpush the “P” key to startthe simulation again.Anytime you want toread to see what to do....push “P” and pausethe simulation. If youdo not hear any sound(engine running), make surethe speakers on the computer areon and turned up.

2. It is time to let the airport officials know that the air crew in the plane is now ready to take off.The copilot at the keyboard will now push the accent key (left of the number 1 key = )on the keyboard to start communicating with Ogden Ground.

3. A screen that is translucent (see through) willappear on the screen as in figure 18. The copilotwill push the “2” key on the keyboard and listento a taped message about conditions at the airport.This message has been recorded by the flightcontrollers within the last hour.

4. After listening to the automated terminal informationservice (ATIS), the copilot will now push the “1” keyto listen to Ogden Ground. Another screen willappear. By pushing the key you have tuned the radio to a different frequency.

5. The copilot will select the “4” key which allows your plane to taxi and fly straight out. Thecopilot will hear the pilot of your plane talk to the tower and the ground controller reply.

6. The copilot will push the “3” key and acknowledge the taxi clearance. The program wasalready loaded with the plane at the end of the runway so we do not have to taxi anywhere.

7. The copilot will now push the “1” key and communicate with the Ogden Tower the radiowill automatically be set to the correct frequency.

8. The copilot will push the “4” key to request flight clearance by visual flight rules (VFR).

9. The pilot talk will “talk” to the tower and the air traffic controller in the tower will reply. Thecopilot will now push the “3” key to acknowledge the takeoff clearance. Ready for Takeoff!

Communicating with Ogden GroundFigure 18

Flight PlanFigure 17

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Takeoff and Two Left Turns - Pilot

If the engine has stopped while you were getting clearance, have the copilot pushCTRL + E at the same time and hold them down until the engine starts.

The pilot now has command. The copilot may push “P” at any time to pause the flight.

1. The pilot will release the brakes by pulling on the trigger (button # 1) to release the brakes.

2. To begin slowly taxiing down the runway, pull move the throttle (lever on the joystick) all theway forward and hang on to the joystick. Keep the joystick in the center and pushed forwardas you build up speed. Try to keep the plane down the center of the runway as the planemoves forward.

3. The plane should be slowly moving down the runway. Slightly move the joystick backtoward the center. Look at your airspeed indicator. If the needle is at 60 or above, graduallypull back on the joystick. The plane should lift off the runway and begin to climb. Do not pullback too far on the joystick or the plane will have too sharp an angle of attack on the wings andthe plane will stall. If the plane stalls, you could lose control and crash.

4. On the altimeter, look at the needle moving slowly clockwise. Eachnumber the long hand points to equals 100 feet. Each number the shorthand points to equals 1000 feet. Climb to an altitude of about 5,600 feetand then begin the left turn by pulling to the left slightly then back tocenter. The pilot will want to change the heading from 30 degrees (3on the heading indicator) to 300 degrees (30 on the heading indicator)or you crosswind leg. An altimeter is shown in figure 19.

5. As the plane makes the left hand roll, watch your turn coordinator.Most beginners try to make a turn too quickly. Pull to the leftwith the joystick slightly and then back to center. The planewill respond by banking slightly. You are in a good turn if theplane is banking and the little ball at the bottom of the turncoordinator remains between the lines as shown in figure 20.You loose altitude as you make a turn because the force ofdrag (air friction) becomes greater, so make your turngradually. It will also help to keep your copilot from getting sick.

6. After you have control and the plane is flying level again, itwill be time for the downwind leg. If you have had problems getting your plane to 300degrees (30 on the indicator) don’t worry about it now. Let’s get straightened out on thisturn. Turning an airplane does not take much movement in the joystick and you have toanticipate when you are coming to your heading. This time the heading will be 210 degreesfor the down wind leg. Start trying to straighten out your turn at about 240 degrees and youwill notice the plane will still turn slightly after you make the turn. Make sure your wing tipsare straight in the turn coordinator and you have completed the turn! The plane is nowheaded in the general direction of Salt Lake City! Refer to figure 21 if you are not sure ofyour heading.

Altimeter at5,600 FeetFigure 19

Turn coordinatorFigure 20

Ball

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7. Keep your heading toward the South and adjust your altitude bychecking the altimeter so that the plane is close to 7,000 feet.

STUDENT ACTIVITY III:

“Getting our bearings and small adjustments”

If the plane wants to drift up or down when the joystick is centered,check the elevator trim setting, which is in the lower middle of the control panel.Button 3 on the joystick sets the trim down and button 4 on the joystick movesthe trim up. The pilot may not need to do any adjustments if the white needle ispointing to the middle notch as in figure 22. Only use these buttons sparingly, aschanging your trim too much will cause you to stall, or dive. Note: If you have ahard time getting to altitude, adjust your trim up or down slightly.

Now that the plane is headed South, lets take a moment and change theview so the crew can see better. The copilot can push the “W” key on the key-board. This view allows the pilot to look at the objects on the ground as well as the primary flightinstruments. Pushing “W” again will remove all the instruments. Pushing “W” one more time will bringback up the instrument panel.

Adjusting the heading -Pilot

The pilot will hold the joystick steady as the views are changed.The crew may want to look around the valley area as you fly by. Useyour thumb on the “hat switch” and “look” to the left or right. If youhave done this soon enough in the program, to your left, will be Hill AirForce Base and to your right will be the Great Salt Lake. The pilot’s jobthis whole time is to fly the plane and keep it on course! The pilot maynow adjust your heading slightly so that you are pointing the planetoward 160 degrees as shown in figure 23.

STUDENT ACTIVITY IV:

Navigation - Copilot

1. The copilot will push the “W” key until theinstruments are back up on the screen like theywere during takeoff as in figure 24.

2. The copilot will then push the shift key and hold itdown. As the shift key is held down, push thenumber 3 (Shift + 3).

Heading toward SLC at about 160 degrees

Figure 23

Heading Indicatorat 210 degrees

Figure 21

Elevator trimadjustmentFigure 22

Heading toward SLCFigure 24

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3. This will bring to the screen a very accurate method ofnavigation. It is a Global Positioning Satellite (GPS)Navigation System as seen in figure 25.

The pilot may check the course with GPS. Most Cessna’s likethis trainer are not going to have a GPS guidance system in them asthere are other devices that are more commonly used to help withnavigation. Many new planes are fitted with them.

In figure 25 as well as on your computer monitor, the dark greenline is the direct course to the Salt Lake City International Airport.Following this dark green line will let the aircrew guide the planetoward a visual of the landing strip. If you wish to at any time closethe GPS navigation, hold the shift key and push the number 3 (Shift +3) and the GPS will disappear on the screen. The copilot may wish touse the mouse to zoom in or out on this screen. The zoom function isat the top of the GPS screen.

Now that a “map” of where you should be going is being displayed, the pilot just needs to keep theplane flying at about 7000 feet. If the plane continues to climb, take off some throttle (don’t give theplane all the gas) and make sure that you are not pullingback or pushing forward on the joystick. Enjoy the ride.Estimated Time for Arrival (ETA) will be about 9 minutes.

Communications - Copilot

The copilot may be wondering about communicatingwith the tower as you may have been told some time agothat you were leaving Ogden tower’s airspace. You donot need to communicate with anyone at this time. A realpilot and copilot would be monitoring the radio, andscanning the gauges and the airspace as they fly.

If you closed the communications screen, open it again with the accent key. A screen comes upwith two choices, pick the number 2 -”Select an Airport Option.” A series of airport towers will appearon the screen as shown in figure 26. Pick the number (the selection number may vary as to how closeyou are to SLC when this is done) for “SLC International” (KSLC). Then select the option “2” asshown in figure 27.

STUDENT ACTIVITY V:

Glides and Descents - Pilot

As your plane is flying on the green GPSgenerated path, it is time to start mentally preparing for the most difficult part of flying and that is thelanding. As the plane heads toward SLC International the plane will be over the Great Salt Lake. Thekey to any great landing is planning a descent of the plane from our 7,000 feet to the approximate 4,250

Airport OptionsFigure 26

GPS NavigationFigure 25

Tune to the AITS before you make your approachFigure 27

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feet that the planewill be landing at.In landing theplane, the pilotdoes not want toloose all thealtitude at once. Itis a very gradualprocess. Lets trybringing your planedown to 6,500feet. To loosealtitude all youhave to do is holdthe plane steady.(If trim was ad-justed earlier, the pilot may need to move it back to the center of the wheel using buttons 3 or 4 on thejoystick -refer to figure 22 & figure 7). Do not push the control yoke (joystick ) forward or backward.To drop to 6,500 feet pull back on the throttle (take away more gas from the engine and make thepropeller turn slower). Don’t cut all the throttle, but cut it back about a 1/4 of the way. The planeshould start a slow descent. As you do this maneuver, if the plane starts going too low, give it a little bitmore throttle; if it is not going low enough, cut back on your throttle some more. In order to land theplane, the pilot has to glide the plane in from quite a distance out. At this time, work on getting the planeto the 5,800 - to 6,000 feet of altitude. You will start your final descent at about six miles out. Six milesout is about when you reach the other side of the Great Salt Lake visually; or when the plane on theGPS navigation, has reached the brightgreen colors as shown in figure 28.

If the plane is too high as you reach theairport, the copilot may have torequest a “go around.” The plane alsoneeds to be on course to land also. It is timeto check the course heading again.

Glides and Descents - Copilot

The copilot should now pull theGPS back up on the screen to checkthe alignment with the airport runway.The cockpit will need to be showing.Push the “W” key until it is. Thecopilot can bring this up on the screenagain by holding the shift key down and pushing the number 3 (Shift + 3). The pilot will need to correcttheir navigation with the GPS at this time.. You may change your view and close the GPS navigationwhen the airport comes into view as shown in figure 28.

Time to start the descent at about six miles out.Figure 28

Tune to the Salt Lake TowerFigure 29

Request your landingFigure 30

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The copilot will need to tune the radio to the SLC tower and request a full stop landing or a touchand go...depending on how much time you have left in class. (A full stop landing you would taxi off ofthe runway.) After the plane lands, the copilot should have enough experience communicating with thecontrol tower that the decisions to be made with the tower will be left up to the aircrew. For now,select Tune to SLC Tower as shown in figure 28 and then request your landing preference as shown infigure 29. Don’t forget to acknowledge your landing instructions. The copilot then might want to pushthe “P” key to pause the simulation as you read ahead on the landing before youattempt it.

STUDENT ACTIVITY VI:

Landing -Pilot

Landing the plane is the hardest part of flying an airplane. If you have notcracked-up your plane yet, your air crew is doing really well. Try to aim for the runway and hold thingssteady. As you get within a mile or two of the runway and are starting to come down even lower to theground it is important to reduce speed. To do this, a pilot will lower the flaps.

• Push the number # 5 on your joystick to lower the flaps. Push the button a couple of timesuntil the flaps are at 20%. The indicator as shown in figure 30, will be in the lower righthand corner of the cockpit. This will allow the pilot to have more time to do minorcorrections when doing the approach for a landing. However, with the flaps down the pilotneeds to take caution as the plane can stall if it travelling too slow (below 40 knots). Theflaps are highlighted and in a loweredposition in figure 31.

The bottom of your cockpit’s windshield should belined up with the runway. If it is not, you may bedescending too soon or too late. This problem mightbe adjusted with the throttle. Adjust your throttle bygiving the engine a little more gas if you are in thesituation of figure 32. If the pilot can’t see the bottomof the runway as in figure 33, the throttle may need tobe cut back.

Not enough DescentFigure 33

Descending too soonFigure 32

Flaps at 20%.Figure 30

Flaps highlighted on the planeFigure 31

Flight Simulator 17

The nose of the plane should also be over the center of therunway. The white stripes are what the pilot would ideally like toput the nose wheel on. The pilot also would make last minutechecks to make sure the plane is flying level. This is done bylooking at the artificial horizon and the bank indicator. If the plane is not level, make small adjustments withthe joystick to get the plane level as shown in figure 34. A pilotwould also lower the landing gear at this time. In this case, the wheels

did not retract so that is not something toworry about.

One of the last things a pilot has toodo before they land, is pull the nose ofthe plane up into the air. This is calledthe landing flair. If the nose of the plane isnot pulled up, your plane may crash right onthe runway. The pilot has to time the actuallanding and the flair. The joystick is pulledback slightly just a moment before thewheels hit the ground. The pilot does notwant the front wheel of the plane to hit therunway first. It is the back wheels that needto touch the runway first. The landing flair isillustrated in figure 35 and 36.

The pilot knows the altimeter reading ofthe airport that the plane is landing at. Thealtimeter reading of Salt Lake International isshown in figure 37. Knowing this will giveyou a little more of an edge when it comes tothe timing of the landing flair.

The next step for the pilot is to apply your brakes to bringthe plane to a stop. This is button #1 or the trigger on thejoystick. The copilot can then do the necessary communica-tions with Air Traffic control.

The plane gliding moments before landingFigure 35

The landing flair - a split second laterFigure 36

Altimeter on the ground at SLCFigure 37

Cessna Centered and levelFigure 34

Flight Simulator 18

Congratulations! You have worked as ateam and landed the airplane. Depending onhow much time is left in class, the aircrew cantaxi to the hangers or taxi the plane to takeoffagain. The actual airport you are at is shown infigure 38. In photo, the reader is looking tothe North which is the direction that you justflew in from. If you have more time and youwere successful on this flight, you may want tofly over Salt Lake City as in figure 39 and seewhat landmarks you can pick out. Anotheroption is to see if your air crew can land at HillAir Force Base as seen in figure 40. Thepossibilities are endless.

If you decide to take off remember to resetyour flaps and communicate with the control tower. Good luck!

Impacts of Aviation on Society

Aircraft Flight has possible for just over a hundredyears. Since the time of the Wright Brothers’ 1903historic flight, aviation science has rocketed forwardand changed society forever. The biggest positiveimpact on society is the speed by which a person canmove from location to location. Airline flight is continu-ing to grow at a rapid rate as demand for this easy wayto travel has not diminished.

This faster means of travel has allowed people tomove across countries, continents, and the world,faster than any previous generations with less stressand work. This is one piece of a puzzle that conse-quently, has also allowed family members to moveapart from one another over greater distances. Thiscan easily be seen at holidays, such as Thanksgiving(one of the busiest air travel holidays of the year) aspeople rush to get back home.

Environmentally, people who live close to airportscomplain of the noise pollution from low flying aircraft.Aircraft also pollute by giving off nitrogen oxides andother chemicals at cruise speeds which can be harmfulto the ozone.2

There are always challenges in any form of technology, and aircraft technology is no different. Theindustry is constantly changing and will adapt to the challenges that man finds with flying and environ-mental issues.

Salt Lake City -International (SLC/KSLC)USA - Utah, August 27, 2000 Airliners.Net - Brett Wirick Photo -

Flying over scenic Salt Lake CityFigure 39

Location of Hill Air Force Base from Hinkley AirportFigure 40

2U.S. Global Change Research Information Office

Flight Simulator 19

1. ____________________ An occupation which coordinates the movement of air traffic tokeep planes a safe distance from one another is called _________.

2. ____________________ Forward or backward movement of the joystick operates theplane’s _________ which control the airplane’s pitch.

3. ____________________ Left and right movement of the joystick controls the _________which controls the bank or roll of a plane.

4. ____________________ Twisting the joystick handle operates the _______which controlsthe amount of yaw. This is movement of the nose left or right.

5. ____________________ A force that overcomes gravity and is created by the shape of thewings is ___.

6. ____________________ The airspeed indicator measures the speed of the airplanemoving through the air and is measured in _________.

7. ____________________ An ___ is a gauge that shows how high above sea level the plane is.

8. ____________________ A plane located at runway 6 is facing _____ at degrees. (Page 9)

9. ____________________ In a traffic pattern,______(right or left) turns are standard in air traffic.

10. ____________________ Before takeoff, a pilot goes through a checklist. During thisprocedure the pilot would almost always be looking at a ____board.

11. ____________________ This heading indicator is at ___ degrees. (Page 9)

12. ____________________ The altimeter is currently at ____ feet above sea level.

13. ____________________ Glides and descents are controlled by the __ on an airplane. (Page 15)

14. ____________________ When landing, a pilot lowers the ______ to further reduce speed.

15. ____________________ The biggest positive impact of airplane flight is the ____ which a person canmove from location to location.

FLIGHT SIMULATORStudent Worksheet

Name: ____________________________ Period: __________ Date: _______

Directions: In the blank on the left, write the correct answer to the statement or question.