Forces of Flight in Microsoft Flight Simulator

Series Summary

Microsoft Flight Simulator has been around in one form or another since 1977, when Bruce Atwick founded subLOGIC Corporation to market the program for computers with the Intel 8080 chip. In 1979, the company released a version for the Apple II, and in 1980 a version appeared for the Radio Shack TRS-80 computer. The first revision with Microsoft in the name appeared in 1982. While the graphics were very limited in these early versions, the program has become very complicated, accurately mirroring the complexities of flying an actual airplane.

In this free flying lesson video, you will learn to fly a variety of planes popular with recreational pilots, including the Cessna 172, Cessna Caravan 208, Mooney Bravo, and Piper Cub, as well as twin engine planes, jets and sailplanes. Our expert gives you a complete overview of the desktop flying experience, with advice on turning, climbing, wing angles and landing clearance. He also talks extensively about how to use your flaps and landing gear. Wondering how to pull out of a nose dive? What if you experience engine problems on the way to check your e-mail, umm I mean, to land at your airport of choice? Want to know how to pause your flying lesson without panicking your flight instructor? Let Expert Village show you the way. If you can master the simulator with in-flight gremlin Dixon Gillette popping up on your canopy, between your wings and inside your dials, you will be ready for anything you might encounter in the virtual wild blue yonder!

Video Transcript

"DIXON GILLETTE: On behalf of Expert Village, my name is Dixon Gillette and I want to welcome you to this how-to-guide for a Microsoft Flight Simulator X. All right, so it's going to be time to talk about our four fundamental forces in flight. Any aircraft that you use in Microsoft Flight Simulator is going to be affected by its lift, its weight, its thrust and its drag. The first of these four fundamental forces is lift. Lift is basically what is produced by your wings. This is created by your airspeed and the angle of attack at which your wings are facing the air. These two factors will both cause lift. The next fundamental force is weight. Weight is essentially the opposite of lift. Next is thrust. Thrust is either achieved through a propeller or a jet; or in the case of a helicopter, its rotor blades. Indirect opposition of thrust is drag. Drag is essentially the force that is created on your aircraft by the air, essentially holding it back and is directly in the opposition to thrust."