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Are stick controls really inverted like in the ASTB sim?

Ryan92Dallas

New Member
Before I ask you all this, YES i searched this thread and google and only came up with inverted video game controls for GTA V and various simulators. So nobody be a dick and tell me to look it up or something when it isn't on this site or google or known by my recruiter or any other commonly known reference therefore I am asking you.

*The ASTB sim portion controls are inverted (Pushing the stick forward moves the crosshair up and pulling the stick back moves the crosshair down).

QUESTION: Do aircraft flight controls have inverted controls like the simulator? What is the reason for this?

Thanks to anyone who actually answers my question, if you have something to say such as "Look it up" or "Go ask your recruiter" DONT COMMENT AT ALL PLEASE.
 

fc2spyguy

loving my warm and comfy 214 blanket
pilot
Contributor
Every aircraft with a stick: Pull stick back, nose goes up, push stick forward nose goes down.
 

sevenhelmet

Low calorie attack from the Heartland
pilot
In a real aircraft in normal flight, pulling the stick/yoke/cyclic aft (towards you) results in the nose pitching up (generally starting a climb), and pushing forward results in the nose pitching down (generally starting a descent). This is true of every airplane, glider, or helicopter I have ever flown or heard of. I am not sure how that translates to the ASTB crosshair- that came along after my time as a midshipman.

It sounds like you've never flown an airplane. If you're interested in flight school, finding someone (friend, instructor, etc.) who can take you flying and let you handle the controls a little bit would really go a long way toward clearing up a lot of your questions, and help solidify your decision to apply for flight school.

I hope this helps. Good luck!
 

Ryan92Dallas

New Member
In a real aircraft in normal flight, pulling the stick/yoke/cyclic aft (towards you) results in the nose pitching up (generally starting a climb), and pushing forward results in the nose pitching down (generally starting a descent). This is true of every airplane, glider, or helicopter I have ever flown or heard of. I am not sure how that translates to the ASTB crosshair- that came along after my time as a midshipman.

It sounds like you've never flown an airplane. If you're interested in flight school, finding someone (friend, instructor, etc.) who can take you flying and let you handle the controls a little bit would really go a long way toward clearing up a lot of your questions, and help solidify your decision to apply for flight school.

I hope this helps. Good luck!


Very good insight, thank you. I have flown a Cessna for a few hours thats it. It follows the same logical control layout (Back=up, Forward=down). But the ASTB sim portion got me all messed up. I was telling myself if flight controls really are inverted, theres no way id ever want to be a pilot since i would get myself killed.
 

sevenhelmet

Low calorie attack from the Heartland
pilot
So the ASTB "simulator" pitch controller is opposite that of a normal aircraft?

That seems strange... if true, I wonder why they do it that way? ASTB I took was all on paper. You had to match a picture of an airplane to an attitude gyro a bunch of times, with a proctor running a stopwatch. It seemed directly applicable to flying a plane.
 

Ryan92Dallas

New Member
So the ASTB "sim" control is opposite a normal aircraft?

That seems strange... if true, I wonder why they do it that way? ASTB I took was all on paper. You had to match a picture of an airplane to an attitude gyro a bunch of times, with a proctor running a stopwatch. It seemed directly applicable to flying a plane.


Yes I took the ASTB yesterday. The simulator portion has inverted joystick input and I did horrible on it, (listening part i think i did decent).
 

sevenhelmet

Low calorie attack from the Heartland
pilot
Yes I took the ASTB yesterday. The simulator portion has inverted joystick input and I did horrible on it, (listening part i think i did decent).

W...T...F...? This would seem to put anyone with significant flight/simulator experience at a distinct disadvantage, as they might need to "unlearn" muscle memory from flying a normally controlled aircraft.

In this ASTB sim, are you actually supposedly flying a plane, or just controlling a crosshair for some other task?
 

Ryan92Dallas

New Member
W...T...F...? This would seem to put anyone with significant flight/simulator experience at a distinct disadvantage, as they must need to "unlearn" muscle memory from flying a normally controlled aircraft.

In this ASTB sim, are you actually supposedly flying a plane, or just controlling a crosshair for some other task?


Its just controlling a crosshair where you track a 2 dimensional space invader looking target.

Vertical tracking is just throttle input up=up, down=down---- easy stuff.

The joystick i believe is called horizontal tracking which is the super hard part.

I have no idea why they would make it like that.
 

sevenhelmet

Low calorie attack from the Heartland
pilot
Its just controlling a crosshair where you track a 2 dimensional space invader looking target.

Vertical tracking is just throttle input up=up, down=down---- easy stuff.

The joystick i believe is called horizontal tracking which is the super hard part.

I have no idea why they would make it like that.

Ah. That makes more sense if it's a non-flying task. FWIW, I prefer an airplane-style stick for video games with a controller like a stick, but if it's a pad with directional buttons, I prefer the "forward = up / backward = down" convention. I'm sure you've noticed that most games let you invert the "Y-axis" as a customizable feature.

Now I'm curious to see this new ASTB though. Are there any online applications which approximate it? If not, that might be their angle- to see how quickly you can learn something new.
 

Ryan92Dallas

New Member
Ah. That makes more sense if it's a non-flying task. FWIW, I prefer an airplane-style stick for video games with a controller like a stick, but if it's a pad with directional buttons, I prefer the "forward = up / backward = down" convention. I'm sure you've noticed that most games let you invert the "Y-axis" as a customizable feature.

Now I'm curious to see this new ASTB though. Are there any online applications which approximate it? If not, that might be their angle- to see how quickly you can learn something new.


That explanation makes sense. Thanks.
 

phrogdriver

More humble than you would understand
pilot
Super Moderator
Brings up so many more questions...do they still have the section where you're shown unfolded cubes with colored panels and have to figure out how they'd look when assembled?

Is there still the biographical section where is asks things like "have you ever gambled for money?" I was always curious how they scored that, because for pilot I got a 9 on biography, but for NFO I got a 5 or something. I guess I wasn't nerdy enough!;)
 

HuggyU2

Well-Known Member
None
SevenHelmet,
You need to go fly an L-39 with the original ADI in it. It's a miracle the Eastern European pilots don't kill themselves in the weather with regularity. I'm guessing it is responsible for a few mishaps of US owners. It's ridiculous... about as stupid as the ASTB logic.
 
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