just ordered PFC yokes and Go-flight - which to install 1st?

[saxon]

Peter,

I have just ordered my dream home cockpit set-up including a PFC jetliner yoke, PFC throttle quadrant and seven Go-Flight units to help me train for my IR in real life.

When I was on the phone to Kimberley Budak at PFC she said I should load the PFC software before the Go-flight stuff to prevent problems. It is however quite likely that the Go-flight stuff may arrive in the UK first so is there a safe way for me to install Go-flight before I install PFC? Is it true that doing so may create problems and why?

I thought I'd come straight to the driver source for the answer. Also I seem to remember reading that you use a jetliner column yoke yourself so any feedback on how you find the feel of it would be appreciated. I currently use CH yoke at home which I find lightweight and twitchy compared to the King Air sim with hydraulic yokes and the Seneca at Oxford where I'm training. Oxford also have a number of PFC PCATD's with normal PFC Cirrus yokes which are quite good but I was hoping the pedestal yoke would give an even heavier and less 'springy'; feel.

Finally do you know if the PFC gear comes with FSUIPC or do I have to order it from you?

Once again many thanks for developing such a great utility.

Best regards,

Jonathan

[Pete Dowson]

When I was on the phone to Kimberley Budak at PFC she said I should load the PFC software before the Go-flight stuff to prevent problems.

Really? I don't know of any problems either way. They are simply not in conflict, unless your GoFlight equipment includes throttles and gear levers and so on which you may also have on the PFC units. If you have duplicates then you just have to choose.

Also I seem to remember reading that you use a jetliner column yoke yourself so any feedback on how you find the feel of it would be appreciated.

Superb. Better than anything else I have tried, and I've tried most.

I currently use CH yoke at home which I find lightweight and twitchy

Twitchiness can normally be overcome by calibration and application of slopes (e.g. as in the recent FSUIPC releases -- as well as in the PFC.DLL). But there is no comparison between the CH yokes and the PFC ones.

Naturally a column yoke has easier elevator movement than a dash-mounted yoke, simply because there's so much leverage, but there again you've got more distance and therefore more sensitivity. Great!

Oxford also have a number of PFC PCATD's with normal PFC Cirrus yokes which are quite good but I was hoping the pedestal yoke would give an even heavier and less 'springy'; feel.

I have a Cirrus II as well, and it is good but I far prefer the column yoke for airliner flying. It isn't 'heavier' in the elvator axis of course -- it shouldn't be. But it doesn't feel "springy" either. Just nice, very easy to use.

Finally do you know if the PFC gear comes with FSUIPC or do I have to order it from you?

You download FSUIPC from http://www.schiratti.com/dowson. I don't supply anything but technical support and more developments. You don't need a user-registered FSUIPC to run the PFC driver. The PFC gear may come with a copy of both FSUIPC and PFC DLLs but always check for updates.

Regards,

Pete

[saxon]

Peter,

Many many thanks for your comprehensive reply - reading how much you love your PFC yokes makes me even more keen for them to arrive. I'm hoping for sometime early-mid next week but much depends on the courier. Shipping PFC from the USa was a bit of a blow - $350 for shipping as far as LHR where I have to go to collect. This was on top of the $1300 for yoke and throttle so as ever this isn't a cheap hobby and I wanted to check I'm getting my money's worth!

I agree I couldn't understand why the yoke/throttles should conflict with Go-flight because I certainly haven't ordered Go-flight throttles or anything like that - the PFC ones although marginally less flexible look rather more authentic - plus I think the Go-flight ones have had some teething problems.

Roll on their arrival! I take it that the FSUIPC supplied by PFC is the full version?

Best regards,

Jonathan

[Pete Dowson]

I take it that the FSUIPC supplied by PFC is the full version?

There is only one version.

I don't know if PFC supply one on disk or simply advise you to get it from their website. Either way you'll usually find the one on the Schiratti site to be more up to date. The current version is 3.40. Updates to the PFC.DLL will also normally appear quicker on that site.

Regards,

Pete