User Guide

Flight Simulator
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Microsoft
Suppose you’ve placed the airplane in the attitude for a straight climb (or descent). What primary
instruments should you radial scan? Find the instruments labeled straight (heading indicator) and
climb (airspeed indicator). The heading indicator helps you fly straight, the airspeed indicator helps
you determine the proper pitch for a climb (or a descent), and the MP gauge shows the power setting
selected.
Finally, place the airplane in the attitude for a level turn. What primary instruments should you radial
scan? Find the instruments labeled level (altimeter) and turn (turn coordinator). The altimeter helps
you fly level, the turn coordinator helps determine the amount of bank required for the desired turn
rate (you’ll see how shortly), and the MP gauge shows the power setting selected.
Now you know how to determine which instruments to scan for any condition of flight, so let’s put
that knowledge to use. Do the following procedures in which only the primary instruments for that
condition of flight are visible. Radial scan the primary instruments and observe their indication or
detect needle movement. Then return to the AI and make an attitude adjustment (if necessary) to
stabilize the primary instrument. Let’s begin with straight-and-level flight first.
The Basics of Radial Scanning
From the Flights menu, click Select Flight, and
choose Tutorial 11, Situation 1.
The autopilot isn’t active in this flight, and all but
the primary instruments for straight-and-level
flight are blackened out (Figure 3). Assume that
you’ve just completed Step one of the three-step
scan by placing the airplane in the attitude for
straight-and-level flight. You’ll begin Step two by
radial scanning the primary instruments, and you’ll
adjust the attitude on the AI (if necessary) for precise straight-and-level flight. Before you begin, let’s
talk a little more about radial scanning.
In Figure 2, the AI has the word START above it since this is where all radial scanning begins. Like the
hub of that bicycle wheel, your scan starts here and radiates outward to a primary instrument. You’ll
spend about one to two seconds on the primary instrument while checking for any deviations or
needle movement. Then return to the AI and make corrections (if necessary).
Of course, you can radial scan more than one instrument. To do so you start at the AI, go to a primary
instrument, then return to the AI. From there, go out to another primary instrument and return to the
AI, repeating the process over again with any instrument desired, always returning to the AI.
For instance, in straight-and-level flight, you’ll radial scan the heading indicator (straight), the
altimeter (level) and the MP gauge (power). Starting at the AI, move down to the heading indicator.
Figure 3