Father and son

Hi,

Without entering in details about my profile and experience :

-I am a "relatively" old simer - started on F-15 Fighter Pilot on a Amstrad CPC 464 in 1985

- I've intensively been involved in online activities during years - I created the french Raptor Cells squadron and founded the Virtual European Air Force organisation - among other things... :blush:

- I left active and regular online flights I would say ~two years ago

Today, I'm looking for something else and different.

I have an 11 years old kid. He's starting to show interest in this activity that fascinates me... combat flight simulation.

Despite great experience in the field, I feel a bit disarmed about on boarding very young people in that type of activity.:joystick:

Do some people here have experience to share on that ?

I have no idea about helpers or simplified features in DCS.

I am even not sure starting with DCS is a good idea...

A friend told me about Red Bull Air Race game in which you can give control just to turn left or right.

If any people have experience to share about flight simulation with kids, I'm highly interested.

If any people have just ideas, I'm also interested too :blush: .

Thank you in advance for any share, idea or orientation.

I started with flight sims at the age of ten (with Jane's ATF). I think you'll find children at that age more than capable of understanding complex systems, if they are motivated to learn. I loved airplanes and so even studying the manual was an immensely enjoyable experience. If your son is starting to show an interest, then I would let him jump in at the deep end, and show him DCS.

Ah, the Amstrad CPC... that's what I started my flight sim career on as well, when I was four, I think. Didn't have a whole lot of a clue on how stuff worked then, but I enjoyed it anyway.

I agree with meowmeow in that you shouldn't worry too much about finding an 'easy' game to start on. Maybe start out with a somewhat easy to fly plane, simple missions and be ready to lend a hand here and there if you have the time.

You'll see in time if it's about things going swoosh and colourful explosions or develops in a more sincere interest in aviation and can adjust later.

I don't have kids, but thinking back to when I was younger, steep learning curves and the frustration that comes with them gave me the most rewarding experience once I could overcome them. Plus it's not something that get easier with age, as a matter of fact it's the opposite, so better start young. Are you sure that making it easy is the best thing to do?

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I just started learning the F-14B from Heatblur.

My boy is also 11 years old and the F-14 is his first DCS module.

We are learning and practicing the F-14 step by step together.

I do first as the pilot and he his playing the RIO with the checklist :

Cold and Dark startup

Takeoff and landing from Runway

Pattern on the airfield

Takeoff and landing from Carrier

First flying the cat before using weapons or flying in combat missions

After my flight we change the seat, he takes control and I am acting as the RIO.

Before he takes control I give him a briefing.

Sometimes is good to take a sheet op paper, a pencil and explain the aim of the flight. Drawing the mission on it.

Ex : Pattern on the airfield : Takeoff runway number 08 (Why 08 and 26 ?)

Witch course during the downwind ?

Witch course during Base and Final ?

Altitude, speed?

Motivation is the key.

He was so happy when he successfully made his first landing on the USS Stennis ! :megalol:

Thank you Meowmeow, Kang, Catt42. I understand your point :). I also learned the hard way, fueled by passion, starting at 8.

I think it's a bit different when you're interested by your own to something than when it comes from your dad in a certain manner.

I don't try to impose him anything, just want to help him find a pleasant and fun way to start that journey :blush: .

@Catt42 : I don't really want to make things easy for him, I'm interesting in finding the right balance in what I could propose (when he asks).

I grow with simulations. What they get today with DCS is so far from what we could access or the journey we were starting... 24 years ago...

Wow, many thanks Razorback :thumbup:. That's exactly the type of feedback and ideas I'm looking for.

Will consider for a Tomcat ride with him :).

24 years ago...

Gloups, mistake... was... 34 years ago... ouch.

Gloups, mistake... was... 34 years ago... ouch.

Time flies fast))

You could also consider the l-39 or another training aircraft as a start position, you have the one without weapons at all and are focused on learning the basics. I was around 9 or 10 years old when i discovered f16 combat pilot on the amiga and was so damn hooked on it. I was fascinated by the realism you got there, getting hit and loosing displays, but it was a very hard and steep learning curve for me since English isn't my native language and i didn't know a lot of words back then. Took some time till i remembered the different clicks to get into the cockpit. :)

@33-DFTC you're sooo right...

Sure @Erniedaoage, L-39 looks also as a great option !

Yet I wonder if it is really worth it looking for a virtual two seater, or be really two-seating with him in a virtual monoseat aircraft...

I somewhat regularly fly with my daughter, she's now 7 but I think we started when she was 5. She can fly around quite well, take off and sometimes land.

She mainly likes stunt flying, especially in Dubai (through the hotel on the palm island).

Procedures bore her though. We usually fly the L-39 as it is easy enough to fly although she thinks it's too slow.

My opinion: DCS is great for kids, especially non-FBW aircraft because they teach good flying habits. Just use the mission editor to jump right into where you want to start. Cold and dark start-ups may be a bit too much for younger kids.

Great feedback @Zius ! Many thanks :thumbup:

Good stuff,

I started sim flying with my son when he was about 7 he could identify the difference between a 109e and 109f before he could write or spell, and now he's a real pilot.

Los

Interesting feedback @Los. Which simulations did you practice with him when he was between 7 and 12 ?

We flew Aces High (Up to a certain point you could do multiplayer dogfights), il2, and FSX. Then FSX with multiplayer tower ops and shared cockpit (B52! no less ) and now DCS and xplane 11. IN between all that he's a massive War thunder player. Which I never cottoned on to very much myself but it has hooked him and his friends very firmly into a love of aviation and aviation history, so good on them.

Los

Starting from the most fun for a child to the most complex

ace combat 5 and 7; very fun and stimulates the passion for flying

Flight simulator X or similar; you can have the procedures, the ATC and plan the flight but it remains simple.

DCS or similar;can be too much, you lose a lot of time in procedures.

DCS or similar;can be too much, you lose a lot of time in procedures.

That depends entirely on how you create your mission.

I usually start-up in the air and in / near an interesting sight-seeing / stunt location.

Occassionally I start-up hot on the runway.

Also occassionally I start-up close to a target.

That way, you can just focus on the flying and not bother too much with procedures.

The big advantage to DCS is that the planes perform very nicely and realistically. Which is also why I advocate non-FBW aircraft. It will teach good flying habits which will carry over in easier FBW aircraft or other less realistic sims.

Thanks for all these exchanges and shares .

I started to elaborate a junior training program, mixing fun and slow adaptable pace learning.

I'll stick to DCS for the moment, but will remain open to other experiences and possibilities.

Will iterate with feedbacks of my son.

Not for nothing but there is a world wide shortage of pilots so lets get these young ones flying!

Los

My son (now 15) has also flown DCS with me in the past. His current passion is a ground based combat game I also introduced him to when he was about 9 - he now comfortably outperforms me and has developed different strategies for each vehicle based on their strengths and weaknesses so no worries that a child cannot cope with it. Still hoping to get him flying one day :-)