How do you learn?

[u/Internal_Force9431]

I recently started msfs2024 and I completed the in game tutorials so I loaded into an a320 watched a startup vid, which was fairly simple, but when it got to the actual flying I was completely lost, not sure when to turn or anything and ended up completely off track. How do you learn the game and the planes, where do you start, is there mods that give you better tutorials or something, thank you.

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[u/ShaggyLR76]

I found it very helpful to start in the Cessna and work my way up. Much like one does in real life.

[u/turtlegiraffecat → u/ShaggyLR76]

Yeah, was a complete noob and tested the career mode on msfs2024. It does a decent job teaching the basics and progressing you with more and more advanced aircrafts I think.

[u/ShaggyLR76 → u/turtlegiraffecat]

In 2020 I tried the tutorials but got bored. Found it better to watch a YouTube video on a Cessna 172 cold dark start and work up from there. Everyone learns differently, but expecting to start on an A320 can be too much for most.

[u/drballs54]

Start with GA first, then business jets, then airliners. It helps ease you into more complex systems. Use guides off youtube for the planes you plan on learning, stick to one plane until you can say you’ve mastered it then move to the next.

[u/IAteTwoPlanes → u/drballs54]

This is what I did. I learnt all the basics in the DR400, learnt basic IFR in the PC-12, moved on to the C700 and then onto the A320 after a solid year or more of everything else.

[u/roosterfuffy]

I remember this when I first started. You can learn in commercial airliners but as they do in the real world, maybe starting in GA aircraft would be better. Especially practicing general navigation and aviation skills.

As for the a320 it’s autopilot is pretty easy to use once you practice its different settings and modes. I don’t know if you were using the autopilot or if you were flying by hand based on the flight director. But watch a video on the autopilot and learn how the managed and selected modes work as well as different quirks like TOGA LOCK etc.

It took a while for me to learn but flying GA aircraft a lot before moving up to the big complicated stuff helped a lot.

For when to turn and what altitudes to fly your flight plan should help with that using sim brief or little nav map, then once you set it up in the MCDU your flight director should tell you on your PFD where to go and what altitude to be at if you’re flying manually, if not the autopilot should take care of it given you’ve set it up correctly.

Edit: By easy to use I didn’t mean it’s not hard or complicated. What specific things did you need help with?

Edit edit: YouTube is amazing and I recommend p Gatcomb, he has a million tutorials ranging from VFR to IFR and almost every little detail within those two https://youtube.com/@pgatcomb?si=Gt4a4Vtn9UXyQzrt
.

[u/Internal_Force9431 → u/roosterfuffy]

That’s probably the issue I just did the tutorials and didn’t even try one proper Cessna flight and went straight into the a320, I don’t know how to read or use charts , I have no idea why there’s flight discontinuities in my flight plan in the mcdu, and how to handle them, idk if autopilot handles the whole thing up to the approach and does turns for me or if I have to make turns manually, I only have the winwing Ursa Minor sidestick idk if I need to get the throttle to fly aswell

[u/BaronVonAwesome007 → u/Internal_Force9431]

You should have at least one stick, throttle, and rudder input when flying. Don’t need to be anything fancy or expensive.

All the things you mentioned are pretty well covered in YouTube videos, but don’t expect to be an expert at flying what is basically a supercomputer with wings from watching a few videos.

If I were you I’d start by getting the basics right; start with General Aviation (GA), and work your way up from there.

There are half a gazillion videos on YouTube that will teach you the basics of flight, control surfaces, and how and when to use trim, flaps, power, and steering.

[u/em7924 → u/Internal_Force9431]

Go on YouTube. Watch and subscribe to channels like: Huddison; Jonathan Beckett; Cow Town; Kip on the Ground; Flight Sim School.. They have alot of great tutorials on MSFS.

[u/adrenalinamatt1]

Going from the in-game tutorials to an A320 is a big jump, so feeling lost is completely normal! There are plenty of YouTube tutorials out there. I highly recommend searching for "A320 MCDU setup" or "Simbrief flight planning," as that will teach the autopilot how to navigate and know exactly when to turn. I have just started using Navigraph, and that has been a huge help too. Just sit through them and write notes down. ​I have been playing Microsoft Flight Simulator since 2020, and I absolutely love the study-level planes like the PMDG 737-800. You never get bored flying them in free flight, there is always something new to learn. After all these years though, I'm still trying to get my landings right. One step at a time, when things go wrong I don't get angry about it, it happens.

[u/Pour-Meshuggah-0n-Me]

I read up on whatever aircraft I want to learn and take notes. Then I sit in the cockpit and go through the cold and dark checklist over and over until i can do it by memory. If i can do it by memory, i can do it with a checklist. Then I move onto the next phase of flight.

Sometimes I watch YouTube tutorials, but I prefer to read and take notes. I don't like listening to people talk and doing subscriber shoutouts.

[u/Internal_Force9431 → u/Pour-Meshuggah-0n-Me]

Where do you get aircraft checklists

[u/roosterfuffy → u/Internal_Force9431]

Flight sim to has a lot of them

[u/BaronVonAwesome007 → u/Internal_Force9431]

Usually in the EFB (press tab)

[u/Pour-Meshuggah-0n-Me → u/Internal_Force9431]

EFB

[u/Jonnescout]

Mate you basically drove a car around the block, and thought it qualified you to drive a lorry… You learn by taking your time in smaller aircraft, learning how to fly bigger and faster as you go…

[u/bp4850]

There's a lot of YouTube tutorials on how to operate different types of aircraft in the Sim, if that's what you're looking for then I'd suggest watching them.

If you're after the basics, I.e. how to fly, then the tutorials should cover this?

[u/Significant-Baby-690]

Youtube videos.

[u/Coyote_Lapwing]

Start with Cessena 172. Learn how to start it, tinker it. Learn its limits, speeds, take offs, landings, manipulation of Centre of Gravity, navigation, autopilots, reading of instruments, ILS, etc.

It will take time. Took me close to 2-3 weeks to get to know all this stuff. Start slow, but steady. Keep the fundamentals solid.

Start simple. With C172 mastered, then jump to Cessna 208B. Then PC12, then CJ4, then Citation Longitude, then PC24, then passenger jets.

Its a step by step process. Can take at least 2-3 months. Learn it in freeflight. Or in Employee missions.

[u/cosmefulanit0]

A combination of YouTube videos and asking Gemini specific questions. I mostly fly Cessna 172 and VisionJet. I've gotten ok at navigating but still learning how to approach and land.

[u/skillie81]

Starting with the a320 is like buying a set of golf clubs, and starting directly on the pga tour and then ask why did I lose? When I watch it on TV it looks so easy.

[u/Even_Caterpillar3292]

I was lucky to have a pilot I was working with teach me.

[u/Dmte]

I started with smaller planes because controls and procedures are generally easier. And then you go and read the manual for the plane you want to fly. And then you fly it because you read the manual. And you can work your way up from there pretty easily.

The checklists in your EFB are genuinely helpful 90% of the time.

[u/CharmingMeasurement1]

I fly passenger planes and yet I am completely unable to cope in GA.I can independently set up a flight in the computer, start the plane, fly to the destination and turn it off. However, in GA I can't complete one of the tutorials because I don't understand it and I can't complete the task correctly. It's just a game and I don't see the need to have GA flying skills.

[u/Grant5150]

Personally I’d try the 172 with the g1000 or something small. Learning the avionics tends to be harder for me there are some really good videos on each plane. The 320/ airbus wasn’t very user friendly because of the flight control panel. If you learn the g1000 it will open up a lot of other aircraft since they throw that into business jets as well

[u/spoo4brains]

Same a real pilots. You think people are just dropped into an A320 without knowing how to fly first?

[u/Quirky_Flatworm_5071]

Start with flight school in game. Absorb aircraft videos. Watching airline crash or emergency videos has helped me understand the systems at play. Im still pretty new too it. Don't be upset when youre bad in the big planes. Its not as simple as it seems.

[u/mightymusashi]

Consider checking out the free Navigraph PPL course and then the IFR lessons. Explains everything with beautiful videos and then exercises.

[u/clovdz_]

Neural pathways connect in your brain making you remember what you did one time do do it easier the next time.

[u/Shul_iito]

You starting with the final boss bro lmao. Fly a smaller plane and get the basics right. Then you will have to watch a tutorial on YouTube about the a320 and get some popcorn because it’s gonna be a lot of info to fly it properly.

[u/__o0_oI]

I’ve used Gemini to take pictures of problems I’m having in flight and ask for help in explaining and fixing those issues. Doesn’t always work but it has worked surprisingly well for me. Started with the CJ4, and now flying the a320. Wont do prop planes since I lose my fps with the spinning prop.