How much better have you become in IF?

#1

The title says it all, how much better have you got since first playing IF?

For me, in the beginning, I just flied around big airports in solo and that’s it all. After a few years (Yes Seriously) I came back to the app after graduating from elementary school. From that point on, I became a true avgeek and started (attempt to) simulate the utmost realism within IF (Although sometimes I did some -800f/m touchdowns At KSAN on TS1 ;p). I kept on learning (especially when I joined IFC in Aug 2017) and when global was released, I went even further as to follow real-life flight plans, flight numbers, gates (from flightaware obviously), SIDs, STARs, IAPs etc.
In the future: I would like to join the amazing team of IFATC, I can’t right now because I’m not 14 yet.

BTW this is my first non-support topic, so feel free to point my errors! :)

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#2

Lot’s better. I am a pro now. Infinite Flight has taught me a lot about aviation. Never regret hitting that $4.99 button or that create IFC account button. Just a wonderful crew at FDS and the community. Without Infinite Flight, I never would be this smart about aviation.

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#3

I downloaded infinite flight around 5 years ago. I found a (very) old iTunes card that had $50 on it, and I decided that I would download the flight sim, to mess around. I’d fly the planes like you would in GTA; I would position the “normal” camera view in the back of the plane, and fly it like that. I didn’t know how to do anything serious. As a matter of fact, I didn’t know how to do anything at all. I would take off and not land, because I didn’t know how to. About three years ago, I went on the first flight that I remember. I redownloaded Infinite Flight, and I starterd messing around with the controls, and enabled the autopilot at 15,000 feet. I was astonished! The plane held itself at that very altitude and heading. Then, I started watching videos, and doing flights from KLAX - KONT. Two months later, I did my longest flight; KLAX - KSAN. Fast forward two years later, and I’m doing flights that are 10 hours+, close to perfectly!

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#4

Meh, I think I’ve stopped landing at KNUC at 240 knots.

I do it at 500 knots now

Jk, I’ve become grade 3 at least…

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#5

Well I used to start my approach like 0,0 Nm away from the airport and pretty much at 30,000 feet at -30,000 VS (I pretty much divebombed) That was when I started IF a while back tho. Now I fly a lot better XD

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#6

I went from taking off with full flaps at 110% N1, using strobes while taxiing, and land nose first. I think it’s safe to say that I’ve improved considerably. I most improved when I joined the forum and then live.

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#7

I started the game in 2011 I am completely self-taught when I first joined live. I tried Ts1 atc team and gave me a bad rap I then found a couple of staff members at Delta who now left sadly I’m still active with Delta and have logged over 300 hours. One of my favorite planes has been the 737 series. Love to fly with others PM me we can arrange a flight sometime thanks for the great topic. :)

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#8

Well, my first flight in IF was an A380 flight from LHR to LCY in an Airbus A380, like 5 years ago😁…

…I’d say, I’ve learned pretty much since then 😂

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#9

When I first started like 4 years ago. I would crash constantly. Now I can land a 747 in a 20 kts. crosswind at Kai Tak.

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#10

“What was a noob is now a pro” - Dan 2K17

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#11

My landings are like butter in a hot pan they are so smooth!

#12

I remember that one particular flight in European region (I don’t remember it’s name), that was my first attempt to properly descend.
At the take off, instead of a neat V/S, I skyrocketed my 717 into the blue sky until the speed started falling, and then tried to set an appropriate cruising altitude. Eventually, I selected 20500/25500 for the sake of easiness (who knew that you had to descent BEFORE you are 20/10 nm to the airport), and decided to land at the first airport that I saw. I remember thinking: "Oh, I’m such a pro! Selecting an altitude with mah auto pilot! Nothing can possibly go wrong!"
As you may have heard the sarcasm, everything went wrong. Younger me didn’t know, that flaps were used at landings, so I just ignored them the whole thing and speeded up to start the faster descent. When I’ve finally decided to look on my flight plan, I found out, that there are 30nm left until my destination.
At that point in time, I just wanted to finish the god damn flight, and sent my plane flying at a nearly horizontal position towards the runway.
Spoiler. I missed and crashed into the taxiway.

Well, you can certainly say that I’ve got better. Not at approaches, of course - sometimes I still misunderstand the concept of a commercial plane, doing angles that a normal stomach would consider deadly.

#13

Let’s just say I went from cutting the bread, to buttering the bread:-)

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#14

From wingstrikes and tailstrikes to making stable takeoffs and landing.

Nuff said.

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#15

From flying in and out of KNUC and having strobes on all the time… to flying using STAR’S ans SID’s. This simulator made me learn alot.

#16

Regional IF taught me how to fly each aircraft, with limitations and capabilities being the focal point. I flew so much that my connection to the sim morphed from an exciting new feeling to that of mundane repetitive same ol same ol with a touch of complacency vibe. I’ve have literally flown/landed my plane while falling asleep. Almost boredish. Now with the release of global I feel like a G5 noob with tons of things and stuff and places to learn and explore.

#17

When i first downloaded IF i just chose a plane (most of the time it was the a380 or the 747) and took off, turned on autopilot turned to left and right with it to another airport i chose before and crashed most of the time. ^^ now i am way better…

#18

In IF itself, it took me a while to get used to the controls, with no virtual cockpit (which I do hope comes soon). I also couldn’t understand how touchy the controls were at first, especially after flying 172s and a bit on the 208. I kept trying to do an IRL landing with the 172, stalling just 5 feet over the ground, but that resulted in crashes. Now, I can nosedive into the ground at KSFO at Mach .96! But in all truth, I have figured out the best ways to land the aircraft, and I think now using a real yoke instead of the joystick or the device helps a lot. Takes more setup than a normal joystick but works well.

#19

Unmeasurably better. I used to be a pretty awful pilot, one of the guys who flew out of KNUC practically every flight. Since I got onto Expert, it all changed. I’m now IFATC. You wouldn’t have believed that if you saw my controlling and flying when I first got live.

#20

I know my left and right downwind now. Does that count!? 😉

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