First Jet

[kjrman]

Hello and Merry Christmas,

Thinking of trying to learn a small jet.  I am only really familiar with single engine piston at this point.

Perhaps a small jet is too big of a jump?  If not, looking for suggestions on what small jet is easiest to learn and

has good documentation/tutorial videos etc... for learning from scratch.

Thanks in advance for any advise,

Kelly

[Bruce Hamilton]

Might want to consider a single engine turbine first, faster than a piston but still slower than jets.

[Rob Newman]

Well, in the real world, the next logical step would be from a single engine piston to a complex aircraft (the definition of which is any aircraft with a combination of retractable landing gear, adjustable pitch props and flaps). normally you also add an engine too (like going from C-172 to a Piper Sminole).

 

But seeing as this is flight sim and not the real world, you might be just as well going for a smaller twin turboprop, or even a single engine turboprop.

 

The thing about any turbine engine, whether fitted with a prop (a turbo-prop), a ducted fan (turbo-fan - like you see on most modern airliners), or just plain turbine power (turbo-jet - like on military jets and older airliners), they all have one thing in common... Lag time. It takes a little while for the engine to reach the setting you give it, so you might put the throttles (technically, on a turbine engine, they are not called throttles, but power levers) to full, it may take 3 or 4 seconds for the engines to spool up to match. 

 

That lag takes a little getting used to, but due to the slower speeds of most turboprop aircraft, it's a little more forgiving while you learn the turbine engine feel.

 

 

Personally, for single engine turboprops, I'd recommend either the Carenado Cessna Caravan or the Iris PC-12. If you'd prefer going multi-engine, then I'd suggest the Carenado King Air C-90 or the Realair Turbine Duke.

 

 

But if you really can't wait and just want that shiny jet in your hangar, the Carenado Phenom is quite a little performer

[birdguy]

For stepping up to a single engine turbine from a single engine piston I don't think you can beat the Lionheart Quest Kodiak.  An extremely well performing bush plane with a reasonable cruise of about 170kts.  If you want to go faster the Lionheart Epic if a good choice.  But here we go again into personal choices.

 

Noel

[dominique]

Hi Kelly

If you look for a good jet and are not in hurry, A2A is working on a T33 Shooting Star trainer which, if the project comes to fruition, will be the highlight of 2015 (for me). No date announced though.

Milviz has released a F84 which got a good press.

BTW if by "familiar with single piston engine " you mean your regular Cessna and Piper, what about screwing your way through the clouds at 30k feet at a cool 360 kts (ground speed), after a white knuckled take off and before a brow sweating landing, behind a huge prop? Introducing the A2A Civilian P51 North American Mustang

[Spirit Flyer]

L-39 Albatross by Lotus Simulations. It is still the most advanced and engineered single engine simulation aircraft out there. Outstanding in all aspects. Works almost magically in FSX, and P3D 2.4.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kwmbFJPB0Cc

[Smurf]

L-39 Albatross by Lotus Simulations. It is still the most advanced and engineered single engine simulation aircraft out there. Outstanding in all aspects. Works almost magically in FSX, and P3D 2.4.

 

Exactly.

No boring autopilot, hand flying the whole way. You need to keep ahead of it or it can bite.

[Matthew Kane]

The best jet to learn on at first are the default ones in FSX before you buy payware. This way you get the basic feel of each jet. Try the default Learjet, Bombardier CRJ700, Airbus A321 and Boeing 737.  The Bombardier CRJ700 has that mission landing in the Caribbean if I do recall so you can master your landings. They are free to try and when you find which one you prefer that will give you an idea which direction to go with Payware.

 

I do prefer 737's and use the PMDG NGX a lot but will admit the default 737 isn't so bad for getting up and flying in a hurry, also has blazing frame rates. So if you find you like the default 737 it is a good step towards the PMDG NGX etc

[KORDATC]

I have to say that the PMDG NGX is personally one of the easiest jets I've ever flown in FSX when it comes to handling.  Generally, the larger the jet, the easier they are to land. (at least in my opinion.). I currently fly a Cessna Citation and King Air in real life, and while fun, they are a lot twitchier than a large jet is, especially on landing.  Anyways, the 737 NGX from PMDG is top notch.  You can configure everything right from the FMS.  So basically, if you want to start with the engines running and ready to takeoff, you can do that with the touch of a button.  The systems and procedures are also really straightforward w/ really good tutorials included. 

 

Best Regards,

Rob

[KORDATC]

Forgot to mention though.... It appears as though Aerosoft will be releasing their CRJ in the not-so-distant future.  The CRJ-700 & 900 are fantastically "simple" jets to learn and fly and are often one of the first jets "real pilots" learn to fly.

 

Regards,

Rob

[mjrhealth]

Deanos T45c, naval. easy to fly not fancy. land takeoof 140 kts. Play with it do touch and goes till you get confidence than go for something famcy.

 

here

 

And free

[Aussieflyer38]

Hi Kelly, I'm right in the midst of doing what you want to do. I'm pretty good now with the systems and handling of the Dash 8 Q400. Took me a bit to get my head around the systems particularly the FMS, but if you stick at it, it all comes together. As a couple of the earlier posts have mentioned, the turbo lag takes a bit of getting used to but its just a matter of thinking ahead. I have the Aerososft A318/319 sitting in my hanger, thought that might have been a bit easier to master, WRONG, for me that is, I found the Dash 8 easier to learn, plus Airline2Sim have great tutorial that you can do over and over. If you decide to have a go at the Dash 8, keep your eyes peeled for the Airline2Sim special @ 50% off, usually on weekends. Hope this helps.

 

Don 

[Benny]

A plane has wing and engine(s) and it's design to fly, and they all do. The only difference between them all is related to speed. Approach and take off distance.

 

The only other difficulty is loosing speed at high altitude on bigger and faster plane. 

 

Lighter plane are by definition light, more sensitive to wind and turbulence. You can battle on landing with a simple C-152 on a hard cross wind and play with the control like a mad men.

 

The most important thing in aviation (VFR) is speed, nothing else matter.

 

Take the space shuttle, it landed without engine at high speed and of what I remember never missed a landing.

 

If you want to have fun get the Lotus L-39. A PILOT plane that can be very gentle if respected and can stall in second if not. On top it's not even a fast jet.

 

Ben

[JoseCFII]

Get this one:

 

http://www.orbxsystems.com/forum/topic/89877-santa-was-good-to-me/

 

Jose

[Christopher Low]

Are you using FSX? If so, then I highly recommend the Flight1 Cessna Citation Mustang. Flight1 may have annoyed me with their attitude towards using it in P3D, but it is a wonderful small jet in FSX. Very easy to hand fly, low approach and landing speeds (which means you can get it in and out of surprisingly small strips), and a very nice Garmin G1000 display. It may be over five years old, but I still rate it as one of the best aircraft available for FSX.

[kjrman]

Hello and thank you to everyone for their suggestions.

YTZpilots advice made alot of sense to me that I had not even considered.  I'll get my feet wet with some default aircraft, and then start looking for payware (or two, three, etc...).  I also like the idea of getting familiar with the turbo props as well. 

I noticed LionHeart has a package for $64 that offers five aircraft from sport aviation to GA to the turbo prop Kodiac to the executive turbo prop to the light jet.  This seems like a big bang for the buck with alot of

potential learning for the price.

Does anyone have ideas on tutorials/entry level videos for these type of aircraft.  I'm willing to pay if the material is good and gets me through the process in a step by step process.

Thanks again for everyones input,

greatly appreciated.

Kelly

[KORDATC]

Before I got my licenses in real life, I actually learned by doing just the flight lessons available right in flight sim.  I then bought some flight manuals for a Boeing 767 off of ebay and read those.  It's amazing how quick you learn other aircraft if you really take the time to properly learn one of them.  I'd say right now, the best way to learn is through AOA.  These guys make some stellar videos and tutorials all the way from just starting out all the way up through the Boeing 777.  Unfortunately, this company wasn't around when I was learning.  Their website is www.flyaoamedia.com

 

Cheers,

Rob

[JB3DG]

Hi Kelly

If you look for a good jet and are not in hurry, A2A is working on a T33 Shooting Star trainer which, if the project comes to fruition, will be the highlight of 2015 (for me). No date announced though.

Milviz has released a F84 which got a good press.

BTW if by "familiar with single piston engine " you mean your regular Cessna and Piper, what about screwing your way through the clouds at 30k feet at a cool 360 kts (ground speed), after a white knuckled take off and before a brow sweating landing, behind a huge prop? Introducing the A2A Civilian P51 North American Mustang

Uh...its SSW that did the F-84. Milviz did the F-86

[Mac_Maddog88]

Forgot to mention though.... It appears as though Aerosoft will be releasing their CRJ in the not-so-distant future.  The CRJ-700 & 900 are fantastically "simple" jets to learn and fly and are often one of the first jets "real pilots" learn to fly.

 

Regards,

Rob

I second that. Dad was a CRJ pilot for Comair before Delta shut them down. Compared to a plane like the 737, the CRJ is incredibly simpler.

[Mac_Maddog88]

Hello and thank you to everyone for their suggestions.

YTZpilots advice made alot of sense to me that I had not even considered.  I'll get my feet wet with some default aircraft, and then start looking for payware (or two, three, etc...).  I also like the idea of getting familiar with the turbo props as well. 

I noticed LionHeart has a package for $64 that offers five aircraft from sport aviation to GA to the turbo prop Kodiac to the executive turbo prop to the light jet.  This seems like a big bang for the buck with alot of

potential learning for the price.

Does anyone have ideas on tutorials/entry level videos for these type of aircraft.  I'm willing to pay if the material is good and gets me through the process in a step by step process.

Thanks again for everyones input,

greatly appreciated.

Kelly

If you want a first jet, Lionheart has an amazing Lear 24. I love every part of that plane. Carenado is also releasing their Hawker 850 soon, which I believe has a CDU. Another jet would be the Quality Wings Bae 146/ Avro RJ package. It's an awesome plane and was worth every penny. It is a little simpler than offerings such as the PMDG NGX but good if your first getting into jets or interested in an awesome regional jet. 

 

If you're into old jets and don't want to deal with a CDU, I'd get the Coolsky DC-9. Incredibly complex and it eats frames like a hog, but it is by far the best simulation of an older jet available for FSX and P3D V2.X. 

 

If anything I would get the DC-9. It has a full, near 500 page manual and includes interactive lessons and step by step procedures built into the sim that run you through starting the aircraft and explain the functions of each system, an interactive checklist that walks you through starting up the aircraft, speedcards that automatically calculate your takeoff speeds with corresponding callouts for V1, VR, etc, and an interactive fuel/payload configuration manager. There's no need to look up online manuals or anything like that, the DC-9 includes everything you need to learn how to fly the aircraft and it is by far my favorite aircraft. As I said before, it's the best simulation of an older plane available. Can't wait till Coolsky remakes their MD-80.

 

Somebody said it above, realistically the next step would to go with a single engine turbine. While not single engine, I can recommend the Razbam Metroliner, or you could go with Carenado's B1900D.

 

You have tons of options, as I said, I love the DC-9, so be sure to give that a look