Flight Simulator Assessment

Part 1: Introduction

In this academic year 2025–2026, students in the course AL Aerospace Engineering had the opportunity to learn how a pilot operates and navigates an airplane in reality through the application called Microsoft Flight Simulator given from Dr. Tong, who is the supervisor and teacher of this course.

Part 2: Process

1. Introduction
2. Trainings
3. Differences between the simulator’s cockpit and the real airplane’s cockpit
4. Implication

Part 3: Taxiing

In this project, I was assigned to do a taxiing training on the application Microsoft Flight Simulator as shown in Figure 1.

Fig. 1 — Taxiing Exercise.

During the training of taxiing, there are specific assignments to accomplish to master the skill of taxiing.

1. Use the rudder pedals to steer the aircraft.
2. Control the aircraft’s rolling speed with the throttle and brakes.
3. Stay aligned with the center line.
4. Taxi to a holding point and stop.

In the process, students interacted with various cockpit controls to accomplish these assignment:

• rudder pedals
• throttle
• brakes

Rudder pedals

: are foot-operated flight controls as shown in Figure 2 that manage yaw of an aircraft. If a pedal on one side goes up, then a pedal on other side goes down. This movement of the pedals connects directly to the movement and direction of an aircraft. If a pedal from the right side goes up, then an airplane turns right horizontally. On the other hand, if a pedal from the left side goes up, then an airplane turns left horizontally. These turnings happen since a rudder of an aircraft yaws an airplane.

Fig. 2 — An Image of Rudder Pedals.

Throttle

: is a mechanism that controls the flow of a fluid like air or fuel to regulate speed or power of an aircraft. This mechanism is located at a cockpit of an aircraft where only pilots controls an aircraft as shown in Figure 3.

Fig. 3 — An Image of Throttle from a cockpit of airplane.

If we increase a throttle, it allows an aircraft to increase the speed. At a full throttle, the airplane is at a maximum speed. Otherwise, if we reduce a throttle, the speed of an aircraft decreases. Therefore, pilots can control the speed of an aircraft through a throttle.

Brake

: is a mechanical device that inhibits motion by absorbing energy from a moving system. If we apply a brake, then the speed of an aircraft slows down gradually and stops moving on the ground. This system works only if an airplane moves on the ground, not in the air.

Reflection on the taxiing training

: Using the rudder pedals was easy for me to turn the airplane left and right in the simulation. However, because of its extreme sensitivity, it was hard to align with the center of line on the taxiways. Also, since the system of brakes works gradually after it applied, not immediately, I had to apply the brake a little bit early so it finally stops at the exact place. Also, through the throttle, it was easy to control the speed of an aircraft. But at a high speed of an aircraft, it was difficult to apply the brake and align with the center of line at the same time.

Part 4: Landing

Secondly, I was assigned to do the landing exercise. During this training, there are several assignments to accomplish to master this exercise as shown in Figure 4:

Fig. 4 — Landing Exercise.

1. Manage speed and glidepath on the final approach.
2. Flare the aircraft to touch-down smoothly.
3. Brake after landing to end the flight safely.

In the process, students needed to use some components of a cockpit to accomplish the assignments:

• Yoke
• Throttle
• Brake
• Rudder Pedals

Yoke

: is the primary steering device in the cockpit as shown in Figure 5.. It allows the airplane pitch up and down and roll left and right.

Fig. 5 — Simulation Cockpit.

Reflection on the landing exercise

: For managing the speed and glidepath of an aircraft, I mostly used the yoke and throttle. Through this exercise, I specifically learned about the system of a yoke that pitching up through the yoke shown in Figure 4 applies a slower velocity of an aircraft, and pitching down applies a faster velocity of an aircraft. The second device was a throttle, and it worked the same way as the previous taxiing exercise. For flaring the aircraft, I firstly used a throttle to reduce the speed of an aircraft as I got close to the ground. Then, I used the yoke to pitch up a little bit to make the landing wheels of an aircraft parallel to the ground so it does not crash. When it touched the ground, I applied the brake to stop the airplane. On the ground, I used the rudder pedals to make the airplane align with the center of line on the taxiway.

Part 5: Differences between taxiing and landing:

One difference between them is the way to navigate the aircraft in the simulation. For taxiing, I only used the rudder pedals to turn left and right. On the other hand, for landing, I only used the yoke to move to left and to right.

Second difference between them is the way to control the speed of an aircraft. For taxiing, I only used a throttle to increase or decrease the speed of an aircraft, and if the speed was too fast, then I applied the brake. However, for landing, I used a throttle and yoke to control the speed of an airplane. It was the same process for using the throttle. But I used a yoke differently. If I pitch up by using a yoke, the speed of an airplane slightly decreases. If I pitch down, the speed of an airplane slightly increases. Therefore, I controlled the speed of an aircraft through a throttle and yoke at the same time during the landing exercise.

Part 6: Implication

Throughout two exercises on the application called Microsoft Flight Simulator, I learned several things about flight:

1. Rudder pedals turn an aircraft left or right horizontally.
2. Throttle can control the speed of an aircraft.
3. The system of brakes does not work immediately but gradually.
4. Pitching up through a yoke yields the slower speed of an aircraft; pitching down shows the faster speed of an aircraft.

Reference:

https://eshop.thrustmaster.com/en_us/t-flight-rudder-pedals.html?srsltid=AfmBOorveZndw6DZYTgRGAQyc59SkNbNovPVwHPO11cEMYo31041hz9Y

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autothrottle#/media/File:Thrust_levers_of_an_Airbus_A320.jpg