MSFS Helicopter Flight Tutorial for Beginners 

That is so great! I had been avoiding the choppers for years, too. But I came across a video somewhere of a simmer explaining why he loved them so much and something clicked inside. I felt like i was missing a whole element of the flight experience. Now I fly them at least as often as the planes, especially when I want to do some sightseeing of the big cities. Thanks for dropping me a line!

@@MSFSFlightPlans I did some sightseeing ones in the Bell47G, but I was always fighting the helicopter. Now it is much more relaxed and enjoyable!

You're very welcome!

Thanks! And thanks for dropping a line!

I've reached the conclusion that the algo must have an element that intentionally randomizes exposure, even if it hurts YT on a momemt by moment basis, just so that it prevents any possible way of gaming the system, which, of course, would harm it more in the long run.

Awesome! Thank you!

I was thinking the same thing to myself as rewatched that flight ... "Okay Nick, you've got 300 degrees of clear landing area... let's go over that obstruction instead." Then again, we did get a nice look at all those flags flopping around.

Since you've got a lot more experience than me.. I have to ask, what's your favorite helicopter to fly in the sim?

@@MSFSFlightPlans you know I have been a X-Plane fan and user for years, but did the switch to MSFS, since that’s where it’s all headed, so it’s now my only one I use.

@@MSFSFlightPlans sorry, just saw you asked “helicopter” not system. I personally fly Cowansims’ MD500 a lot. It’s my favorite. Next would be the H145 since I can do missions.

I'm going to give it a try. I hear you on the trim mapping. I use two totally separate switches.

You got it!

Enjoy your video on flying helicopters I've got more common sense in my little finger then most people do believe I can fly a helicopter I would like to see more of your videos thank you again

I got myself a Virpil collective and stick (the basic ones) for Christmas because they were having a big sale. I got the higher end base for the stick, though. I am still using the cheap logitech pedals. I'm thinking about a pedal upgrade, but I really can't decide what I would get ifI pull the trigger ... so many good options.

@@MSFSFlightPlans awesome thanks. Normally do you fly with maximum realism or do you have any assists turned on?

I have been on a pursuit of helicoptery mastery ... and I'm slowly inching along. It is NOT easy. I like to use the FlyInside choppers for practice because you can really tweak the assists once you get in the aircraft, unlike the other models where it is either just on or off in the sim. So far, I still can't land without a lot of patience and effort if I turn off the in-sim assists. Getting up and flying straight is not too much of a problem, but, as you've probably noticed, there is an extreme gimbaling effect when you try to hover close to the ground. I belive that is true to life for real choppers, pilots call them the "gremlins". I've pinpointed my problem, however. Something in my brain causes me to move the cyclic in the opposite direction than I should be moving it when the chopper starts to sway, thereby compounding the undesireable effect. I think it is just going to take a lot of hours and reps until I can disengage the impulse from my physical reaction. I reached out to a guy named Captain Helisim (he has a YT channel) to see how he got so good at landing without assists, his secret broke my heart ... hundreds, if not thousands, of hours of helicopter flight in the sim.

Pretty much all the modern choppers have governors built in, and most in the sim will turn on automatically. Some of the Cowansims need a manual activation, so just be sure to check. But to answer the question ... full throttle. The governor will take it from there.

@@MSFSFlightPlans thank you for your reply.

@@MSFSFlightPlans I have watched another tutorial about if using a dedicated collective, you should turn off the governor. what do you think about that? I'm a newbee to helicopters I want to fly the H145 but its not easy to do.

I need your help please when setting full throttle the helicopter takes of without any input from the collective how can i fix this

Oh wow, you jumped right into the big boys with that 145. I might try the 206 or the G2 or something simpler until you start getting comfortable with everything. Regarding the governor and the other comment about your throttle, I always engage the governor. But it sounds like you might have to switch your collective lever (whatever you are using for that control) specifcally over to "collective" in the sim. It may be thinking your throttle is your collective, as adding throttle should not bring you airborn. For ALMOST all of my choppers, I just adjust the throttle by grabbing and moving it with my mouse in the sim. In other words, I just delete the binding for throttle so it doesn't connect to any of my external gear. Since you usually don't have to mess with it once you throttle up before takeoff, it's not a big hassle. So go back to that initial part of my tutorial where I go over all the sim bindings and make sure whatever you are using for a collective is set to collective and whatever you are using for throttle is deleted. You might have it double-bound so that the sim doesn't know which is which. Let me know how it goes!

I need help with mine when I stepped left or right on the rudder start spinning like crazy I got the cyclic and rudder assist on and I still don't have not control. Any advice thanks

Without being there to see what's going on it person, I might try adjusting the pedal sensetivity in the sim ... give yourself a small deadzone range, too, to see if that helps. That'll give you a little wiggle room around the neutral position without activating anything. And those things are super sensitive until you get some air flowing around the chopper to keep it centered, so just give it the SLIGHTEST amount of input when stationary or not moving forward very fast. It doesn't take much to lose control before you get going.

Thank you!

Having the Xbox controller is definitely going to be a handicap for the choppers. I feel like there is just too much finesse required from the controls and you might not be able to get enough range of motion to provide that on the game pad.

@@MSFSFlightPlans yes maybe I have to buy a entry level hotas what do you recommend?

I'd throw that question out to our Discord crew. I started with a yoke and then added the Virpil stick, so I never really broke into the entry-level HOTAS world. But I know a lot of those guys could probably point you in the right direction. I'm telling you man, just upgrading to any kind of more advanced controller from the Xbox pad is going to be life-changing for you!

@@MSFSFlightPlans Thanks mate 👌

Trim, in both choppers and fixed-wing planes, makes slight adjustments to the control surfaces to level out the flight tragectory so you don't have to keep "fighting the stick." If trimmed out properly, the aircraft should fly straight and level without excessive control inputs ... unless, of course, you are trimming for a climb or descent.

@@MSFSFlightPlans last question, is their a certain button on a flight stick/collective

You can ask as many as you want, there is no limit on questions this week. On most helicopters there is a little switch right on the top of the cyclic (fligth stick). For planes, most have a wheel of some kind down by the pilot's right knee, and many also have an electric trim switch up on the yoke where the thumbs would rest.

@@MSFSFlightPlans thank you

Do you know how to adjust conrtoller sensitivity in the sim? If not, I think there are some YT videos that'll show you how. That would probably do the trick.

@@MSFSFlightPlans I can change the sensitivity of the vectors, but not the thruster.

Man, I wish I could offer more advice ... I'm just not famliar enough with the controls on most HOTAS rigs. Perhaps a little noodling around on some of the forums could yield some results. I have to image there are other simmers in the same boat.

@@MSFSFlightPlans Thank you

My pleasure- and good luck! Be careful ... it will be hard to get back in the planes once you enter the lair of the helis.

That's what I've heard. I'm waiting for our next other-worldly landscape to take it for a recorded tour. I feel like it just wouldn't be right over, say .... Melbourne. Too bad we already did a flight over Gosses Bluff, that would've been perfect!

@@MSFSFlightPlans I tried to take it out to see the Nazca Lines in the peruvian desert but they don't show up on bing maps. But thw valley of the moon nearby is stunning.

Oh heck yeah, valley of the moon is a really cool place. If you haven't seen our video in the F-35, you should check that one out. You'll feel like you're on another planet once we get up into the mountains.

I’ve landed the ornithopter on the South Col of Mt. Everest… just. Need boosters firing constantly to get up to 26,000ft. Last week I flew a Chinook over the summit and landed on the Northeast Ridge, which is almost 10,000ft above service ceiling, so I have to give it to the Chinook in terms of raw power and stability. It also sounds better.

Try going into your controller sensitivity settings and dialing things back a little bit on that twist axis. That should give you a little more breathing room for overcorrections. You might also increase the dead zone size a bit so you will have a larger neutral position.

Have fun!

You got this, brother! Nice and eeeeeeeasy and then .... TRIM YOUR FACE OFF!!!!

Just keep practicing. It's all about the reps. One day, you'll suddenly realize something just clicked and you'll have it!

@@MSFSFlightPlans I'm on it right now and I just realized that I didn't choose the helicopter joystick settings, it was on the default ones...now that I selected it, the helicopter is impossible to control 😆I fail to understand why, to be honest 😅😅

Okay, took me a few minutes but I finally understand where trim is with helicopter controls and I managed to be close to fully stabilizing...but the moment I twist the joystick left or right, even with a slight touch, it's hard not to bounce left and right 😆Maybe it's something that shouldn't be done at all?

I've got Virpil controls for the cyclic and collective. For now, I still have the cheap Logitech pedals.

If your joystick twists, map that to the pedals. If not, any kind of left-right toggle or paired button combo would be my next suggestion.

You're very welcome!