Welcome to the CO Pilot channel! I’m a career firefighter by trade, and a passionate private pilot in my spare time. Follow along as I share my journey owning, maintaining, and flying this classic Cessna 182 throughout Colorado and beyond. I hope to show a lesser-known side of aviation while inspiring others to pursue their own passion for flying.
*This content is for entertainment purposes only! Please contact your local flight school for flight instruction inquiries or A&P for maintenance/repair inquiries.*
Nice setup. I am in the process of building a cockpit that fits my desk. Regarding X-Plane not being pretty - you may want to look into Ortho4XP for photo-realistic scenery, plus Sim Heaven's X-World overlays. Slam on VisualXP and XPRealistic, maybe the airports you want too - and you got yourself a super pretty X-Plane going. If you want the most realistic Cessna 172 Skyhawk to top it off, go for either the REP which acts as plugin for the stock Cessna by Laminar, or C172 NG Digital by AirfoilLabs for a complete study-level Cessna.
Thank you for this video! I'm seriously considering purchasing the stuff you listed except for the G1000 suite. What are your thoughts on the Aviatek G1000's?
Mike I'm planning on starting my private pilots license when I move to Germany for the DoD in the comping months. What do you recommend for just a PPL setup? I'd like to learn and practice the basics while I go through school
Cool video. Nice setup! I'm a private pilot student. I use Msfs for to practice. Looking forward, Im setting up my home Sim like yours for learning IFR. I have the same Honeycombs and TPR rudder pedals. I'm debating the screens vs using something like a knobster, air manager software and touch screen. I like to fly a few different aircraft that have a G3000 and 5000... And stuff like the old Stearmans that have 3-6 steam gauges if you're lucky. Anyway, versatility is key for me. MSFS is beautiful. But man, buggy and frustrating. Autopilot and Approaches are often a train wreck. I'm looking into X-plane. I downloaded a free trial. Tried it for it's 15 minute flight. Couldn't figure out how to toggle inside/ outside views. Flight model seems great. I'm not so sure about setting up bindings for peripherals yet. I have a trial version. Looks like binding options were pretty basic in Xplane. What's your experience with setting up honeycomb bindings... Xplane vs MSFS? There's just certain things like overhead lighting that are hard to bind to the Bravo switch within Msfs. Wondering if X-plane is better.
Hello Mike hope you are doing well! I’m build my set up now because I am starting flight school, I’d like to know if you could give me some tips or help me with my set up. Great video, did help me a lot. Thank you Fernando Lopes
Great help, im about to do mine for the first time. Was there a special socket for torqueing with the spark plug wires in the way, or is it just like an O2 sensor socket?
Just place a 12 or 24v hot water heating element in the oil sump and coolant gallery and you are done. Those heating pads are terrible, most of the heat goes outward.
I disagree. I have them on my truck oil pan. One on each external side of the oil pan. They make a very noticeable difference in how fast the engine idle speed kicks down lower after startup on days where it is minus 10F or colder outside. My truck sits outside all year. They may not be the most efficient, but they definitely work. On really blistering cold nights I leave them on all night. If it is not quite as cold, I can get away with just turning them on for a few hours prior to starting the truck. I run full synthetic 5w-20 oil in winter.
Hi Mike Can you give me a guide price for all the kit you have. I am planning to start flying lessons early next year in order to obtain PPL. I live in Scotland.
Nice setup! I'm currently in the process of doing my own setup so I can train my 11-yr old son and get him on the right path. I was a real-life pilot (retired) and I would very much like for my son to follow in my footsteps. He seems to love it. Anyway, I'm still in the planning stage, so I have a ways to go. I have the exact same monitor as yours, and I was wondering how high is the bottom of the monitor from the top of the desk? Thanks for your help.
Hi Mike! Im researching and in the back and forth battle of graphics and performance between MSFS and X Plane, Ive heard MSFS has better graphics and XP has more realistic flight performance. Is that true in your opinion and if so, what are the toggles to tweek the plane performance in MSFS?? Id rather spend the $$ on real graphics and tweek the planes to perform more realistic. Im about to take my initial flight soon and begin my PPl training and build a Sim at my home. Super excited! Thanks! Isaac
Thanks for the info. I’m looking to get a pilot license , and am interested in a sim that is compatible to 182 . Also one that is capable of instrument flight etc. I’ve so many questions and I’m not tec inclined
A big HELLO from CYQT, Beautiful Thunder Bay Ontario Canada. This is the 3rd viedo I've seen of yours, Home Sim, Preheat and now this one. All GREAT videos, really good information. NICE plane too. Love the wheel pants, you don't see too many planes with them. My Yellow Avid Magnum is set up in a tricycle config and has them, I think it looks really nice. Kind of gives it a "classy" look, as much as that can be achieved with a Magnum. lol I look forward to future videos. Thank you for sharing your aviation experience and knowledge. Oh and fyi, your landings looked really smooth, not flying for 2 months didn't phase you at all!
Well, this looks like, one hell of a great simulator you set up. It's super! And so… I'm not exactly a pilot. When I was 13. My dad started taking flying lessons on the weekends. And I would go with him. Sit in the backseat. With last months, flight charts. And paying attention to what he was teaching my father in the Piper Cherokee 140 and 180's he would rent. And I got to take some flying lessons also from his instructor. And flew with dad until I was 15. When our folks got divorced. And for reasons unknown. My dad never flew again. Jump down not quite 30 years later. I'm now an engineer with NBC-TV News. And I freelance and hire myself out, for other jobs. I picked up this particular job. As a video camera operator. For the, Air Force Association Convention, in Washington DC. For the Awards and Banquet, ceremonies. And in my downtime. I can go wander the, Convention, floor. Which was, Awesome. There were multiple, jet fighter simulators. By all the manufacturers. Like Northrop Grumman, Rockwell, McDonnell Douglas, Boeing, General Dynamics, Lockheed Martin and other defense contractors. And here are these US military fighter pilots. They are at the Boeing display. Where Boeing is debuting their brand-new Glass Cockpit. For the just entering service, the, Lockheed designed and built, F-22 Raptor. Which while was brand-new. Boeing had re-created the cockpit. As an all glass cockpit. And it looked like it was fairly difficult to fly. So at the end of the convention day. While most everybody had left. And the contractors are, shutting down, cleaning up. I wander over to the Boeing display. And I asked the Boeing guy. If I might be able to try that F-22 Raptor Simulator, out? So the Boeing guy asks me. If I have flown, F-14's, 15's or, 16's? I said no, never. Not jets. Not multiengine. Just a Piper Cherokee 140. 30 years ago. He said okey-dokey. Get in the cockpit. As I seat myself in this actual cockpit. He starts pointing out the displays I'm looking at. But before he tells me what it is. I have already blurted, it out to him. I was one step ahead. I am going to be flying this simulation. Of ground targets. To line up and take out. And this huge wraparound display looks beautiful. Almost looks real. When the Boeing guy. Who is giving me some flying directions. Indicates I should press this button, on the stick. While observing this readout at 75. And to start clicking the button. To increment 75 to 150. Well I'm clicking and I'm clicking. And the display is not changing. He said click more. I am. Nothing's happening. It was at that point. He came around my cockpit. He asked to take the stick from me. I said it's yours. Any commences pressing that button while observing the display. And it's not changing. At which point he says, hmmm? We've been flying this throughout the convention. And it's never done this before. This is the flight plan computer. And it has crashed. He tells me. I was wondering, through my beginner experience with the F-22 Raptor. I have apparently done something. To cause the computer to crash. As this is the most sophisticated jet fighter in the world! So he then asked me. What do I want to do? What are my intentions? I told him since I overflow that last target due to the computer glitch. I would like to go back, double back. And take out that target. He said okay, go for it! I put the plane into a steep bank to the left. At least a 75° bank. When he tells me I can push it further over. And I push it further. I am now at 90 degrees perpendicular to the ground. But I'm losing airspeed and altitude. I know to push the throttles up and I do. But it's not making the difference. I'm still losing airspeed and altitude. And he tells me to push the throttles further up. I said I have. They have stopped. He said push harder. When I pushed harder. The sound changed, substantially. All of the readouts were changing much quicker. And I asked what just happened? He said I was in afterburner. Afterburner? Awesome!. And so I spot that target I had overflown. I lined up the target. And took it out. Even with a crashed computer. The Boeing guy congratulated me. He said I did really good. And as I turn around. I see these other 5 US military fighter pilots. They told me they had been watching me, observing me. And asked me. If I had flown, F-14's, 15's or perhaps, 16's? Initially I thought these guys were, just pulling my leg. But then they asked me. Why didn't I joined the Air Force? I told them I was, disqualified.. To which they said. I had missed my calling. I told him I hadn't. But that the Air Force missed a great pilot. They all agreed with me. We shook hands. And never saw each other again. It was unbelievably awesome flying that, $12 million Boeing simulator.. I think he told me it cost? RemyRAD
How do you set your camera to have that view? Do you zoom in or go forward? Because if you go forward, it ceases to be realistic and you can see more of the runway. If you zoom in, you lose the side view.
Thanks for video. Nice system. This is my opinion after 20 years simming and rw ppl, igi. The 49 is probably better with XP 12 than 3 monitors due to perf issues with Puddles 12, altho i think 3 mons are better due to ability to look down each wing. A 49 is just 2 monitors really. I also use the TPR rudders. Great. I due recommend the V3rnio Cessna 182 throttles. I have owned them for over 2 years now. Good as new. You own 182 so would be great addition. Expensive but worth it. My Alpha yoke started to get sticky with poor res in pitch and I hangered it. My Bravo broke some wires and I was able to fix. PITA. Anyways Honeycomb products, after all the hype, and a few years, are coming home to roost. Still good for consumer grade. Tho. I just wanted to mention the Air Manager/Knobster desktop solution. The realsim gear solutions are great, and 1 step better, but unfortunately more expensive and you are stuck with g1000. How do you like twisting thru the alphabet? Ha kidding. G1000 definitely needs a keypad solution like cirrus perspective. Anyways. In MFS I fly the Longitude with G5000. Built in navigraph charts. Pretty amazing, with AT, advanced coupled vnav, nosewheel steering, thrust reversers, speedbrakes, Just like the tubes, I fly all sids, stars, rnav 1 and rnp certified. Vatsim mainly. The whole flight deck fits on 2 asus touchscreens. Pfd, mfd, 3 gtc, lights, afcs, ice, pedestal, everything needed. No mice in my cockpit! AM solution allows me to fly g1000, g3000, or g5000, different aircraft, very flexible. I am not affiliated. After 20 yrs with XP I had to move to MFS due to 3 monitor perf issues in 12. I miss my aerobask phenom. Anyways. Totally smooth in MFS in ultra with MFS photorealism. I think LR will catch up in a year or 2. Good luck. Keep making videos. They are pretty good. Subbed.
Thanks for information about setup, but I´d like to know if you can tell me please, if you can log those sim hours and if you had to register your setup with FAA for proefficiency register of flight hours. Thanks for your help and info.
