some nice feedback...

[Keith Smith]

And this one from Austin Meyer, the original author of X-Plane...

The experience is, really, just amazing. THIS is a HUGE step towards really feeling like you are in the airplane! I really got sweaty palms flying X-Plane with real-weather on, talking to a PilotEdge controller… it was as close as I have ever gotten to feeling like I am in a real airplane… and that includes my time in the Boeing 777 full-motion sim they use to train pilots.

[Keith Smith]

Thanks for doing PE by the way. This is the best tool I have for making me a safer better pilot. I took a flight around Sonoma county this past Sunday. The day before I took the flight 2 times on PE, flying it to the letter. When I got up in the air everything seemed old hat already. I was prepared for everything, hadn't talked to a controller in 2 years but it was like nothing.

[Keith Smith]

Thanks so much, I look forward to studying the next ratings... I have learned so much and continue to learn each time I fly on PilotEdge. I've said it before, but you really need to know how much PilotEdge has done to advance the skill sets of all us sim pilots. I enjoy immense satisfaction from the hard work and serious approach necessary to operate aircraft within this accurate representation of real world flight with ATC. I appreciate your service more than I can express here and look forward to seeing many more pilots join the ranks at PilotEdge.

[Keith Smith]

Let me take this opportunity to tell you what a fantastic tool you have
created and what a fantastic job all of the controllers do. I can't begin
to tell you how much I have learned in just the few hours I have used the
system. The training potential for this is HUGE. Please let me know if I
can ever be of any help to you (beta testing, providing traffic during
demos, etc.) I wish you huge success with this in your marketing
efforts......the more successful you are, the better it is for all of us!!!!

[Keith Smith]

Here's a nice one from a fellow in Europe:

I have actually never send an email like that, I usually find paying for a service being a sufficient expression of satisfaction. Although with many breaks my adventure with PC flight simulation started back in the times of FS 2002. I have found PilotEdge to be the biggest breakthrough in my simulation experience since transitioning from humble attempts to fly with keyboard to a real joystick. The only thing I don't like about PE is that I no longer want to fly around my set of local, European sceneries

Please accept my sincere congratulations for providing such a great service and wishes to make a good business out of it, so that you can be around for a long time.

[Keith Smith]

Doesn't get much better than this...

I’ve been on PE now since Sept 8th. I first heard you on the “Airplane Geeks” podcast and then happened to see you as ground traffic on my very first flight. I did the 2 week trial, and quickly realized this could help me. I’ve had my PPL for over 20 years but had not been active while my kids were growing up. I had used various simulators over the years (yup, even way back to Bruce Artwick’s Flight Simulator II on the Commodore 64) but I quickly became board with each of them. I didn’t enforce enough discipline on myself so simulator flights quickly degraded into scenarios which were described as “Hey, watch this…..”, and you just know that what comes next is not going to be pretty. I had heard something about online simulator networks but never explored them….I had the impression (rightly or wrongly) that they were more focused on “playing”, not “training”.

I recently started some R/W flying again, did some recurrent training and got my flight review. I completed John and Martha King’s Instrument training course and completed my instrument written. I have never been comfortable with COMS so PE was a logical step for me as I prepare to get started on instrument training in the plane. So I tracked down my old x-plane disks, dusted them off and reinstalled the simulator.

I just took some time to review my PE flights to date. Wow…..did I really spend 24 hours doing this in the past 6 weeks? In that time I’ve completed 31 flights and completed ratings through I-11. For no particular reason, I am now working on flying to all PE towered airports. That same 25 hours of “flying” would have cost me over $2,500 in the C172 I rent.

In those 25 hours I have become comfortable with IFR routes, TEC routes, clearance delivery, departure instructions, ODP procedures, SIDS, STARS, VOR navigation, GPS navigation, FMS (I still consider GPS and especially FMS to be “cheating”). I have flown VOR, ILS, DME arcs, NDB, and back course approaches in all types of weather. Want a challenge; try the full NDB-C approach to KWJF with a strong cross wind. I’ve flown holds, procedure turns, missed approaches, diversions, visual approaches that “closed in” and became instrument, lost communications, in-flight emergencies (bird strikes are messy in x-plane), and requested block altitudes (those up/down drafts were strong). I’ve made many mistakes and learned valuable lessons from every one of them. Instead of paying $2,500 for this experience, I paid less than $20. That is a tremendous value.

Flying on PE has introduced a discipline to my simulator flights (except for the times I have logged in during off hours and joined up with your F-15 drones on the CANYON run). I am now 100% more comfortable with ATC. I’ve learned what to expect and learned to ask about things that I am unsure of. Every PE controller I have dealt with has struck the exact right balance of authority while also providing appropriate guidance. Within the frame work of approved communications, they each have their own characteristics (accents, speech patterns, cadence, etc.) and that is exactly what you experience in the real world. Each and every one is to be commended for their professionalism, patience and knowledge (but I wish we heard some female voices, pilots as well as ATC).

I am anxious to begin my R/W practical instrument training (probably next spring) so I can see how much this experience “pays off” for me in the real cockpit. If nothing else, when I hear “fly the ODP to ACO, and then as filed, 5000 expect 7000, 5 minutes after departure……”, at least I now have a clue what I’m supposed to do!!!!

Even when not flying on PE, I find myself regularly checking your home page to see the activity level. I worry about enough activity (as I am sure you do!!!). I’ve mentioned PE to a number of people at some recent FAA Wings events I have attended and will continue to do my part to “spread the word”.

Simply put, what you are offering is without any doubt the single greatest value in aviation education that is available today. I cannot imagine any flight school or flight instructor not giving PE a 100% endorsement and incorporating it (formally or informally) into their training (unless of course they are worried that it is so effective that the required training time will be cut to mandated minimums).

My continued best wishes for huge success to you and PilotEdge.

[Keith Smith]

From Phil Wyatt, a friend that's been with us since the early betas....

…after 7 hrs of training I am on record pace to complete my pilot training AND that is owed in a huge way to the training and practice I have received from PilotEdge and the X-plane simulator…

It all seems to make sense now I am doing it for real and transitioning Bravos, Charlies and Deltas!! Flight Following, visual approaches and patterns around unfamiliar airports are made much easier now that I can concentrate on flying the aircraft and not being frightened of the radio work! Thanks again!! you guys are fantastic!

Here's a video of Phil's second solo flight. Don't worry, he couldn't hear the music

[Keith Smith]

Geez, this one sounds like WE tried to write it ourselves!

Hello,
I just signed up with Pilot Edge a couple of days ago and completed my first IFR flight last night using your service. All I can say is, wow. I am very impressed with the level of professionalism of your controllers.

I am currently working on my (RW) instrument rating and for the most part seem to have the various approaches down. However, flying in either X-Plane or Prepar3d/FSX lacked that final "real world" intensity when it comes to performing maneuvers under the scrutiny of a ATC.

After successfully completing my approach and landing into San Maria - ILS 12, upon shutting down it was easily the most realistic simulated flight I have ever taken. On the ground, sitting back in my chair, it was quite exhilarating and I realized after years of "flight-simming", you have provided the missing piece. I am hooked and can't wait to connect to the network again:)

Thanks for providing this wonderful service, I will be letting every pilot that I meet know how effective and worthwhile Pilot Edge is to the complete immersion and full training experience.

[Steve Anderson]

Just a little kudos to PilotEdge and its professional controllers. Thank you all and the community for the courtesy to let us make mistakes, correct us politely when we do, and remain patient as we learn. In less than 2 months with PilotEdge I now have the confidence to return to real world flight training.

[Keith Smith]

...a friend of mine bought a King Air for his company. He let me fly it (with his company pilot who is also a CFI) to Teterboro Airport outside NYC last Monday. 2 hour trip there, 4 hour trip back on Tuesday. I got to fly the entire trip, sans the takeoff and landings, including radios and nav, and logged 5 hours on the stick. Didn’t make a single mistake or need any corrections from the CFI. A testament to [the simulator] and Pilot Edge. His pilot was amazed. A lot of airplane for a non-licensed pilot. Cruised at 19,000 all the way out, and 16,000 all the way back. Even flew a perfect SIDS (RUUDY4 off of Rwy 24 at KTEB). What a blast!