Aviate, navigate, simulate

My home setup has the standard trifecta of a yoke, throttle, and rudder controller that can be had for a few hundred bucks (even cheaper if you buy used).

For my birthday, I decided to fly to Morrisville/Stowe State Airport (MVL) in Vermont. The mission: Heady Topper (beer). A day before my scheduled departure, I anxiously checked the forecast, and soon came to the startling conclusion that my wife had paid Mother Nature off as a surprise birthday present since three high-pressure systems were hovering over New England and it was severe clear all the way up.

When I looked at the sectional, however, things started to get interesting: MVL is surrounded by terrain (loads of it). No problem, this airport must have approaches that can help me get down without smashing into the side of a mountain. The winds were out of the north so I expected I would be landing on Runway 1. An RNAV-A approach looked promising, but it contained several step-downs and turns to avoid those pesky mountains. Another option would be to fly past the airport and enter the traffic pattern from the north.

In these kinds of situations, having my basic home flight sim setup can prove to be invaluable. Here’s what I did: I loaded up the last leg of my trip into the sim. I then proceeded not only to fly that leg but to survey the whole area, virtually, to familiarize myself with the terrain and important landmarks.

For instance, the sectional shows the Waterbury towers as a visual waypoint, and in the sim the towers provided an excellent reference to use to get in and out of MVL. So, I added it to my real flight plan. When I saw those towers during the actual flight, I knew exactly where to turn my head to see the airport. And there it was.

You might point out that a home flight sim may not generate scenery accurately, which could lead to expectation bias during the actual flight. No argument from me. Using a flight simulator to familiarize yourself with unfamiliar territory is analogous to getting a weather briefing; it’s not going to be completely accurate all of the time, but it will give you a synoptic view of the overall landscape and help you devise alternative plans when the unexpected arises.

I believe every GA pilot should incorporate flight sim both in proficiency training as well as in their preflight planning. By practicing flights at home, you will be better prepared in the air, and that can save your life one day.