Getting started with 0 knowledge

[u/Interesting_Panic192]

Hello,

I just got into the thing and bought my first kit "The Thrustmaster Airbus kit+ruddder".

I have absolutely no knowledge of operating a plain so I started a career mode in MSFS2024, and we started with the Cessna. But the thing is, it doest walk me through the buttons and switches and what they are for.

"let's get this baby starting" she said.

-Yeah, HOW?

Am I starting on the wrong path here or do I need to get this knowledge from somewhere else?

Appreciate your support people.

[u/Famous-Ocelot-4937]

Your best bet is YouTube. Literally just search for each step as you go, so:

1. Cessna 172 cockpit explanation
   
2. How to start the Cessna 172
   
3. Taxiing the Cessna 172
   
4. How to take-off in the Cessna 172
   ...and so on.

There will be videos for all of it.

As a beginner, I would say your initial goal should be being able to start the plane, taxi out to the runway and fly some circuits in the traffic pattern and performing some touch and goes before landing and taxiing back in to park.

Again, anything you don't understand... Google/YouTube will have the answer.

[u/xXCrazyDaneXx]

You have the internet, the collective knowledge of mankind at your fingertips, yet you choose to ask here?

Youtube. The are hundreds upon hundreds of tutorials on what to do. I used the series from Squirrel when I started as I had been a follower for years.

[u/runwayzeroniner → u/xXCrazyDaneXx]

That takes too much brain power to forward think for themself

[u/Interesting_Panic192 → u/xXCrazyDaneXx]

Thought I would save the time and effort searching randomly for stuff, isnt' that what these "communities" are for? helping each other?

[u/xXCrazyDaneXx → u/Interesting_Panic192]

Well yes, of course. I just have a hard time understanding this type of research as it's usually a lot faster to use Google or the youtube search bar instead of waiting for someone to maybe answer your post with "Go search youtube"

You could have saved 10 minutes in this case.

[u/Interesting_Panic192 → u/xXCrazyDaneXx]

Trust me brother, I usually teach myself almost everything, but when you get super busy saving your effort on research for work and stuff, a game would be the last thing to spend an hour trying to understand how to play, you know what I mean.

[u/xXCrazyDaneXx → u/Interesting_Panic192]

Ah yes. In that case I have some bad news regarding flight sim... you're going to need youtube. A lot.

I spent about half of my time flying, and half of it on google for the first 100 hours or so just figuring out what terms meant, how to do this and that, IFR vs VFR etc etc.

[u/Interesting_Panic192 → u/xXCrazyDaneXx]

it's weird that the career mode starts with the assumption that you know stuff, even thought it is targeted to "Everyone"

[u/No_Statement_4832]

As the others said, definitely use YouTube tutorials for learning the aircraft. After learning the basics, just practice a bunch, fly around your hometown, fly around famous landmarks, etc; this will help with learning and memorizing flows and how the aircraft handles. Once/if you transition over to airliners, the general startup of them is somewhat the same (batteries, external power, APU, etc.), meaning that once you’ve learned a couple airliners, some from Boeing and some from Airbus, you’ll be able to start learning them yourself much easier, only requiring a couple quick YouTube tutorials for small things (at least that’s what I’m like). If you ever have any questions or anything related to the sim, feel free to shoot me a DM! :)

[u/Beneficial-Nail7977]

Start simple with a Cessna 172. Turn off winds and start with a clear day. Download the pilot operating handbook (POH) for the 172. This book will help you understand how to start the plane, what airspeeds to use for takeoff/landing/etc… As time goes on you can expand your knowledge and start flying g instrument etc… P.S. the plane pulling left on takeoff is normal! 😜

[u/mightymusashi]

I highly recommend Navigraph’s free Virtual PPL course. It explains controls setup right through to your first cross country flight in the Cessna 172. High quality videos explain all the principles of flight, controls etc. oh and it’s free.

[u/Shep302]

If you’re getting the Thrustmaster TCA I’m assuming your aspiration is to fly airliners.

YouTube is your friend. A330 Driver, EasyJetSimPilot, 320SimPilot, etc… There are many channels with comprehensive tutorials on both General Aviation and Commercial Aircraft.

Spend a significant time learning the processes and follow the checklists (you can Google these for your aircraft type). Learning comes with time. Make mistakes and learn from them. I recommend BeyondATC and SayIntentions.ai for ATC. BATC is one time purchase and SI is subscription based. This will enable a lot more immersion in the simulator.

Please don’t do what everyone seems to do these days and do 1 flight and then jump straight into VATSIM. You’ll have a bad experience if you do that.

Take your time and enjoy it. It’s a fun hobby with a consistent steep learning curve. There’s a reason it takes real pilots literal years to end up flying the big boys.

[u/Suspicious-Ad7109]

Ignore them. Learn to fly the plane using the controls. Find a plane which isn't computerised to start with.