posted 02-07- 09:17 PM               

Here is the text from the program:

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Simulating flight, saving dollars

U.S. military chooses off-the-rack software to train Navy pilots

By Andrew Glassman
CNBC

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas, Feb. 7 - The Pentagon, frequently criticized for outlandish spending - remember the $600 hammer - says they've stumbled onto a remarkably cheap way to improve America's defenses. The U.S. Navy is using video games bought off the rack at computer stores to train pilots. For the military, it's a way to save millions; for the gaming companies, it's a scramble to get their games endorsed by the top guns.

HIS SUPERIORS COULDN'T figure it out: How could Navy pilot-in-training Lt. j.g. Herb Lacey earn perfect scores on his first flights in the cockpit of a T-34 trainer when he had never been in a cockpit before?
The answer - video games - and a flight simulator Microsoft sells for around $50 off the shelf.

"I'd used the software so much that I was able to practice my procedures and get familiar with the area before I stepped into the cockpit for the first time," said Lacey.
When simulated by Microsoft's program, the view of the Corpus Christi, Texas, naval air station from the air looks remarkably similar to the perspective Lacey would have during a real-life flight.

"I was amazed at what I saw," said Adm. Mike Bucchi, chief of naval air training.
After seeing the game for himself, the admiral set up an experiment - a lab where Navy trainees can practice in their spare time. The results: 54 percent more students scored above average in their training.
"This is a great tool for us to use to help our students learn what they need to know at a quicker, faster pace," Bucchi said. Impressed with the results from his test, Bucchi is making the games a permanent part of the curriculum - recruits are given a CD to take home and play with. "Eventually we will have everything on a server, so students can log in from home or on the road on the Internet and keep current," said Capt. Jim Droody, a naval flight instructor.

QUICKER ROUTE FROM STREET TO FLEET
'We don't anticipate the level of fidelity is going to get high enough to actually compromise national security.'
- SCOTT DUNLAP

Navy simulations manager Video games will never take the place of a real simulator - and they won't replace the student pilots' time in the air - but after six months of trying them out the Navy feels the games can improve safety and save money. Higher test scores means fewer flights overhead, which translates into less money spent on lessons repeated, pilots completing the course faster and a quicker transformation, as the Navy says, "from the street to the fleet."
The cost factor is hard to miss. Full simulators costs millions or tens of millions of dollars. A gaming workstation, with throttles and sticks bought over the counter at the local computer store? About $8,000.

Flight simulator games are always among the top five titles on the software industry's best-seller lists, and in 1999 the top five simulators accounted for roughly $60 million in sales.

Though Microsoft appears to be in the pilots' seat right now, the military will be testing out a variety of products, and the competition is on for companies who want to claim their game has the right stuff for the military.
(Microsoft is a partner in the joint venture that operates MSNBC.)

HEAD-TO-HEAD SIMULATIONS
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"People say, 'Well, is this realistic? Is this what it's really like to fly an airplane? Can I actually learn some useful skills doing something like this?' " said Bruce Williams, who helps develop Microsoft's Flight Simulator. "It really helps that message and we certainly hope to go forward with that."

A naval strategy game by Electronic Arts has just been adopted for use at the U.S. Naval Academy, and the next step will be to create multiplayer games - with students flying head to head, much the way game players can compete on the Internet already.
But are the games getting too detailed and realistic? Companies like GreyStone Digital, who have government contracts to make simulation software, are now also making games.
"It has scared some people that the information is out there and widely available, and that's raised some people's eyebrows, but we don't anticipate the level of fidelity is going to get high enough to actually compromise national security," said Scott Dunlap, a Navy simulation program manager.
Indeed, gaming companies say they have been approached by the Pentagon, which is now interested in using video games as recruiting tools.

Without proper training, these games can reinforce bad flying habits. But Bucchi, whose training 30 years ago required visualizing a cockpit in his mind ("You would basically shut your eyes, reach out, pretend you were grabbing a stick," he admitted), believes the results are overwhelming - as he trains a new generation of pilots like Lacey, pilots with a natural feel for the stick because they grew up flying at the controls of a PC.

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JG2"FireCat!"

posted 02-08- 07:20 AM            

""I'd used the software so much that I was able to practice my procedures and get familiar with the area before I stepped into the cockpit for the first time," said Lacey.
When simulated by Microsoft's program, the view of the Corpus Christi, Texas, naval air station from the air looks remarkably similar to the perspective Lacey would have during a real-life flight."

He scored higer because he was more familiar with the area and the could practice the procedures( flying the approach plates and general pattern work) in his off time away from the real world flight.

posted 02-08- 12:11 PM               

And now, in the deepest mists of this crisis, in a 10 minute program aired nationally, the US Navy and Air Force announces that PC flight sims are so realistic that anyone with $50.00 and some spare time who has never flown anything, can learn so much that they can get into a military training aircraft for the first time and fly it perfectly! On top of that, they announce that the top 5 flight sims earned over 60 million US last year alone!

All I can say is: Allright! Eat crow you slimy bean counters who think computer games should be nothing but boring mindless drivel and canceled the simulations because they actually have sophistication.

Despite my excitement and appreciation, I can’t help but parody the MSNBC News program that I watched.

One of the funny things about this program was watching Admiral Bucchi explaining that he previously knew nothing about the existence of Microsoft Flight Simulator. I mean it’s kinda been around for about 13 years now. Well, better late than never, and following is the story of how the Navy accidentally “stumbled” into discovering Microsoft Flight Simulator.

You read the transcript from the news program. But I, JG2”FireCat!”, through confidential intelligence sources, have obtained the actual debriefing by Admiral Bucchi of Cadet Lacey’s very first flight.

So, in an exclusive right here on Fighter Squaron Forum, I will provide you with transcripts of the genuine debriefing that took place and led to the US Navy and Air Force to permanently use PC flight simulators instead of real airplanes to teach our servicemen to fly Advanced Tactical Fighter Aircraft.

Somewhere in Texas, July, 1999:

Adm. Bucchi: Son, my name is Admiral Bucchi and… um… all these other gentlemen here are from various other um…shall we say, agencies. Now, reading your enlistment application, it says you have never flown an airplane before, is that correct?
Cadet Lacey: Sir, yes Sir! Never even been in one till today, Sir.
Adm. Bucchi: Um, yes, well… your flight instructor, Captain Droody here says you flew and landed that plane like you’ve been doing it all your life; resulting in a perfect score.
Cadet Lacey: Sir, yes Sir, thank you Sir!
Adm. Bucchi: Well, son, could you please explain to us how you were able to do that being you’ve never even been in a cockpit before.
Cadet Lacey: Gee, I don’t know sir, maybe its cause of this video game I’ve been playing.
Adm. Bucchi: Video game?
Cadet Lacey: Yes Sir! You see Santa brought me a PC last…..
Adm. Bucchi: Um, son, can you explain what a PC is?
Cadet Lacey: Uh….. it’s a computer, sir…..
Adm. Bucchi: Carry on
Cadet Lacey: Well .. so I bought a game called Microsoft Flight Simulator…
Adm. Bucchi: Hold up a second son, I’m writing this down….Ok, continue…
Cadet Lacey: Well, that’s it sir, I’ve been playing this game for about the last 6 months and……
Adm. Bucchi: Uh, where exactly did you buy this video game?
Cadet Lacey: Electronics Boutique, sir.
Adm. Bucchi: Boutique?….. isn’t that a place where women go to buy….. um.. the things that women buy?
Cadet Lacey: Uh, no sir…. I mean, Yes sir….. I mean, I don’t know sir….. I didn’t really see any women buying things…. just mostly kids there, sir.
Adm. Bucchi: Errmm…I see… So you’re claiming that by playing this kids video game that you learned how to fly a modern tactical navy trainer the first time you’ve ever even been in one?
Cadet Lacey: Uh, well, sir….
Adm. Bucchi: How much did you pay for this, uh, video game?
Cadet Lacey: $36.95, I think, sir…… plus tax.
Adm. Bucchi: Thank you, cadet… I will issue an order for a recon team to locate this “Electronics Boutique” and see if we can acquire one of these video games for Intelligence to examine.
Cadet Lacey: Sir, Yes Sir!
Adm. Bucchi: Um… just one more thing, cadet…… did they happen to have any video games about big ships shooting at other big ships?
Cadet Lacey: Uh, yes sir. I saw one there called “Fleet Command.”
Adm. Bucchi: Thank you Cadet Dismissed.
Cadet Lacey: Sir, thank you , Sir!

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JG2”FireCat!”

posted 02-09- 10:59 AM               

JG2_FireCat! That was great man. hehe

RazoR (boy i can see this name being fun hehe)