Helicopter Training Sim for Mac ???

[noisegeek]

Just wondering if anyone knows of any helicopter training sims available on Mac?

 

[gr8tfly]

X-Plane. Its physics model can't be beat. (they sell a FAA certified training version based on the same engine). They have a large support base and many aircraft (fixed or rotary) which can be purchased or downloaded for free. The basic X-Plane comes with 4 helicopters, I believe.

(new - iPhone tie-in app called SkyCharts. You set X-Plane to output its path data (as if it were talking to a plotter, for instance. The iPhone thinks it's talking to a GPS) and you get real-time moving map for your sim right on the iPhone (all cont. US sectionals are included, as well as FCC airport data and IFR approach plates. Oh, and only $9.99.)

For an actual r/c flight training tool, I'd recommend RealFlight. I still think it's the top dog in r/c sims. It requires Windows, but does run very well on BootCamp. (Might evan run OK on Parallels 4, but wouldn't really recommend it.) I'm running it on XP SP3 in Boot Camp (boot native) on 17" UB MBP, though it also ran just fine on my 2.33 GHz MBP.

note: if you DO get RealFlight, it comes with a USB dual-stick "transmitter" box. X-Plane talks with it just fine and makes a nice joy-stick alternative (it has a bunch of analog knobs for flaps & brakes, plus dual/triple throw switches for other functions. Plus, it's compact and has everything in a single box.

 

[Richdmoore]

Thanks, I've just purchased this for my real life flying, it is great that the charts are actually kept current for real world use. (I am still using this as a quick reference/backup, the plane I fly has full Jepps & WAC charts, this is for times I'm away from the plane and other non-official uses only.)

 

[gr8tfly]

Thanks, I've just purchased this for my real life flying, it is great that the charts are actually kept current for real world use. (I am still using this as a quick reference/backup, the plane I fly has full Jepps & WAC charts, this is for times I'm away from the plane and other non-official uses only.)

I'm a pilot also, though, not current for a while now (SEL COM,IFR; PVT GLIDER, and competitive aerobatics (IAC)). I enjoy X-Plane for its thoroughness. SkyCharts is a great addition for it, and would have been a nice extra tool and for flight planning, if I were still actively flying. SkyCharts has also put an end to my own work on getting all the sectionals and some IFR plates in my iPhone (for X-Plane reference).

I also fly and instruct r/c aircraft, so RealFlight for that. Its heli sim is very accurate and when I started to transition to rotary, allowed me to hover first day out (after about 20hrs on sim). It also saved untold parts-flingin-and-breakin

 

[noisegeek]

Thanks for that Ill check them out -)