New to Site

[Madwynn]

Happy Holidays everyone. My name is Jame and I currently live in Rosenberg, Tx. I just found this site while looking for ways to build my very own 172 Cockpit. I haven't flown since my college days back at The Ohio State University during 1999 through 2002 years. I have roughly 15 hours under my belt but I now consider them void since I have such a long gap now.

Well its my 50th year on this rock and I have decided it was time to complete my dream and become a private pilot. The kids are grown and doing their own thing now and the wife whom has been our family support has informed me that it is time to get out of the house and see the world. I told her "Fine but I'm going to do it from at least 10K feet above the ground".

I learned a lot from college, but the main learning experience is that flying is very expensive. So I thought to myself, if I build me a simulator cockpit of the plane that I will be learning in then I can practice as much as I want on my simulator and be all the much more prepared for my Flight instructor. More time on the Sim and less time with the instructor.

I look forward to all suggestions and help from this sites great members. I have found the PDF plans for the 172 panel and have downloaded it all ready. I would like to take the time to thank AK Mongo for the plan he posted back on 02/25/2010. I look forward to starting my build and I will keep you posted as I progress through this journey.

James

[iwik]

James,
Welcome aboard and you will get lots of help and ideas from here. Just keep us updated on your progress. Here is a link to someone who is currently doing what
you intend to do.
Take a look and it may help you. Good luck with your in devours.

http://www.ontheglideslope.net/

Regards
Les

[Madwynn]

Thanks for the welcome. I look forward to all the help I can get. I check out On The Glide Slope and I was very impressed with his site. I plan to contact him soon.

[Geremy Britton]

Hello James,
Great idea, welcome to the forum.
Everyone here is happy to help when required.

[spiliot]

Hi James!

I might disappoint you, but if your sole reason for wanting to build the 172 sim is to cut down on real life instruction time, don't even bother. You won't only spend a significant amount of money on the project (money that could have been spent flying) but you will also find that the sim won't provide any help to flying the real thing, if not cause you to spend even more time with the instructor to remove bad habits you'll pick up with it.

Unfortunately, simulated flying is not even remotely close to the real life sensations and you won't be able to develop the needed motor responses that real flying will provide, no matter how good you build the sim. After you get your PPL, some sim training might be helpful for an IFR validation although it would still be debatable whether the effort to build a sim versus paying a few hours in a flight school sim would be worth it.

[BushPilotWannabe]

Reluctantly I must agree with spilot's major argument. But look at the technical skills you will acquire along the way. Electronic theory, beyond Ohm's Law and voltage divider. Material acquisition and endless hours spent chasing information because you want see the benefits of a new process or product not universally employed. Beginner, leading to middle level computer skills. PCB graphic design. Nuts and bolts construction of even a table top sim.

Re. money spent on the sim vs instructor time. Name brand components especially Saitek have resale value. Don't go overboard. Wire and solder electronics start cheap until you have to buy the knobs, switches, connectors, PCBs and the confectionery tins full of bits that might be needed. The selection of hardware is getting better and the right how-to article will save much time and money. Tell me about current wet airplane rental and instructor costs. I could not believe the cost of a turn of the century, package PPL course, when I last talked to somebody learning to fly. Are there any pilot factories left that look anything like the schools of the early '70s.

We have a different perspective to the current crop of teen or twenty something wannabe pilots but the adage still holds true "If you want to fly get a law or medical degree. On average lawyers and doctors still log more hours than their contemporaries that started out to earn their living in the aviation industry."

Hugh