Our First VR Flight Video (X-Plane Home Cockpit)

My first video recorded off the Oculus VR headset mirror, with some in-cabin video before the flight illustrating my sensor setup. I'm using a physical yoke, pedals, and trim wheel.
I also do two laps of the pattern at night, one with HDR lighting off and one with it on so you can see the difference in the Rift. It's significant.
VR settings:
- SS and AWS / Autoprojection OFF in SteamVR
- Supersampling 1.5 in Oculus Debug
- AWS fixed 45 FPS in Oculus Debug
- Visual effects 4/5
- Autogen 4/5
- AA 2/5
- No shadows, no reflections
- 3jFPS plugin set to 46 FPS
Thanks for watching. To learn more about the sim visit www.ontheglides...

[@adamcboyd]

You can turn down or off the Guardian system in your settings and that blue force field will go away.

[@OnTheGlideslope]

I have that off in Oculus. I think that circle is from SteamVR. I'll check it there as well and thanks.

[@maartenblokdijk]

is it a gamechanger for you? i built my cockpit based on your ideas, but now i am into vr, and for me it really is a gamechanger.... man this is immersive and impressive! another full hour of xplane vr with my oculus rift. man i cannot state enough how impressive this is. flew at night, with an outside view... words simple cannot describe the experience. i am convinced, this is my new cockpit. it really is. No motion sickness what so ever. Just wanting to go back in my cockpit. Xplane really did a great job...

[@clayton4115]

have you tried AeroflyFs2 in Vr, that is truly amazing.

[@ellonysman]

That looks like so much fun, getting the whole set up when I sell my house! ...says my wife, and not before!

[@bunnynikkipeaches2442]

What CPU and graphics cards you running in your pc ?

[@EmesiS]

Glad to see you're finally experiencing the world of VR. I've had the Rift and the Vive for over a year and it's all I pretty much do now. Racing simulation in VR is also awesome. My full size build doesn't get used much anymore unless friends come by and want to fly. The future with VR looks amazing.

[@Hawks1980]

We really do live in a golden age of gaming

[@OnTheGlideslope]

Yes we do.

[@plummetplum]

VR is the way forward, toyed with building cockpit but much easier, immersive and cheaper to go VR. Only disadvantage is the tactile feel of real buttons. I'd love to find a 360 chair that would be awesome with VR. Is it possible to have two pilots on VR?

[@tonit2947]

What’s your cockpit rig ? You got a full premade cockpit from virtual fly ? Also, with VR, could you say all cockpits becomes pretty much unnecessary right, apart from the yoke

[@thefuturisticdreamer3242]

May I ask which source is the Ortho Scenery from in this video? And also what did you do to make the coastline so far out such that there is that much waves along the beach?

[@PandaPowerable]

Seems a shame that when you put on the VR headset you can't see any of your own setup. Seen a lot of vids where people have home cockpits with triple monitors etc and all the gauges and buttons and then they put on a headset and can't see any of it! I guess that's progress for you. :-)

[@Voltomess]

yeah exactly what's the point of having all that equipment if you don't know where the buttons are....either this or VR you can't have both. If I get that kind of equipment I would buy myself a big ass ultrawide 100" monitor instead of using VR .... but I got VR so I don't bother with al that equipment.

[@bruhmanflight]

Vr is addicting bro, be carful lol

[@waynewarman1183]

Jack Hi Jack. My. Name is Wayne and I live in Grand Forks B.C. I would like to lean how to fly The VR. X11. Can you recommend a good place to start, I know Dudley squat, and I have all the equipment. Thanks.

[@MaxNitro100]

If I may.....what size is are your side view monitors in the sim? Thank You

[@malloyneil40]

The Cessna falls like a stone with flaps three, look at this comedian! lol

[@Bush_Fam]

Can you fly with just the oculus touches? How about rudder control with no physical rudders?

[@paulsheather7657]

I started VR flying about three months ago. And i would say its the closest you can get to real flying the only thing missing is the pucker factor.

[@PetersPianoShoppe]

This is the coolest thing I have ever seen.

[@HarryWho102]

Pretty cool. I have a Vive head set with X-Plane. This VR thing is just the beginning. It's incredibly good.. Thanks for your vid... well done, as usual.

[@nils169]

Yeah. Just screendor sucks a bit. Waiting for Pimax8k Headset with 200FOV

[@snipercwf]

Do you think there would be any problem with running the Dell VR118 Headset for the visual experience only, without the controllers, just using a standard mouse?

[@ruthlessadmin]

So let me get this straight. You have loosely aligned a physical cockpit setup with VR? That is what I'm wanting to do...

[@Dragonclaw103]

two light reflections I think are the overhead lights

[@lebescherellecaexiste9279]

Hello, where do you find your gauges for the Instrument Panel by Saitek ? Thank you. Sorry for my Bad English 🇫🇷

[@JamiKhan]

As a builder and owner of a custom cockpit what would you suggest as a bare minimum control hardware such as Yoke, pedal etc. to have with VR headset to enhance the immersion or we can do without any as it seems quite realistic with VR controllers?

[@OnTheGlideslope]

I think it's very useful to have a physical yoke, pedals, throttle, and trim wheel.

[@constantine6313]

Good video bud. I love VR flying... and love your home cockpit setup, saw before at Facebook :) good work..

[@RobertoBaca]

You just cost me $400. I hope you're happy ;)

[@ellonysman]

Roberto Baca good one!👍🤡. Cheaper then a real cockpit build

[@ellonysman]

Join bambinogames very aviators, he can tell you how to get rid of that blue circle possibly.....or not🤣

[@ellonysman]

I guess two people wouldn’t work in same aircraft Right?

[@brendancurrey2358]

@@ellonysman SmartCoPilot paid plugin works just fine :)

[@STEELE9999]

How did you set this up to be able to use dashboard controls without hitting the desk behind your yoke?

[@listerlives1]

That sound is your strobe through the radio. You can adjust the volume of the effect by setting the copilot radio volume.

[@OnTheGlideslope]

Thanks.

[@saleasylum]

How are you controlling the rudder?

[@shayrose4754]

It looks very fast for a Cessna...but its amazing

[@bjorndejong7662]

Can someone help me I have trouble starting X-Plane in vr

[@legendaryll3206]

May I know the sites in where you bought your equipment rig set up? I would love to purchase one and install on my home. Thanks!

[@UBAYBE]

What about adding motion to your setup? What are the best affordable options?

[@craig221081]

No flap on take off and a tail wind! you should have at least used one stage of flap and also took off from runway 29

[@DownTheRabbit-Hole]

Curious how VR would work with an instructor... Is it feasible?... perhaps VR mirrored to a stationary monitor....and motion sickness pills...Hmm Impressive video...Thanks

[@oriolpujolmartinez7268]

You could work something out if you had two computers and smartcopilot.

[@DownTheRabbit-Hole]

@@oriolpujolmartinez7268 Honestly, I just don't see any way VR will work for paired flight instruction. How do I write something down. What if my student flips me off? Trying to follow someone else's head motions, naah not me. RW flight sim training really isn't about the "immersion" experience anyway. It is about IFR procedures, ATC comms, realistic GPS and navdata, FMS, VOR nav, using approach plates and charts, partial panel, engine failure, realistic ceilings and tops, etc. Who cares about trees or trucks going down the highway? VR only makes sense if you are a gamer.

[@oriolpujolmartinez7268]

@@DownTheRabbit-Hole You could use AviTab notepad to write down your notes. In any case it is obvious it has its lacks and no real life pilot or instructor with common sense would get rid of everything else for VR instruction. As for all you've said about IFR procedures, ATC comunication, realistic navdata, etc, it is all totally implemented with today's VR, at least on Xplane 11. So my conclusion is that VR makes sense either if you are a simulator enthusiast or either a pilot under training and even an instructor, of course understanding it as a complement to other types of trainings. And I am saying that by having only tried VR with a first generation headseat and with Vulkan still not implemented on Xplane. Now imagine how this technology will advance on the next few years. There you have headsets like Xtal and cards like the 2080ti. Sure the investment would be costly, around a little bit less than 10000$. But compare that to the investment on buying or building a cockipt yourself... Not to say that with VR you can simulate mostly any aircraft and cockpit you'd want, from a Cessna 172 to a 737. All in just one investment.

[@WeslarWaven]

I have my rift and X plane 11 is sooo amazingly real

[@timquain5341]

what GPU do you use? I'm trying to work out which one to buy myself. I have an i7 8700 @ 370GHz. I'd really like to eventually fly with VR.

[@OnTheGlideslope]

I now have a 1080ti and I like it very much.

[@mesillahills]

Nice video. I have a Rift, a good PC, and a new unused yoke. I am also a former FS guy. I have been waiting for all this to "stake out" before I jump back in to FS at the VR level. Looks like it may be getting close. In the meantime I use Google Earth VR, to get the 3D effect in the air but I love night flying so this is where I will be heading. And I like my FS at the simple level like a slow flying 150. I'm more of an "eye candy" guy than piloting perfectionist.

[@tobylarone3831]

what sort of PC specs would I need for VR?

[@matongax]

hey im using the ouclus too, but i cant read the tiny numbers, like dme, on the gps, am i the only one with this issue ? i have a 1070fe and i7 7600. 16gb ram, anyone ?

[@OnTheGlideslope]

Try upping the supersampling via Oculus Debug Tool. Google it.

[@kidd_ot7855]

And is the laser on controllers on fro X-plane?

[@motokid032]

Flooded the shit out of it IRL.

[@TMKFilmsCH]

Do you have both hands on the yoke and then pick up a controller with one hand to operate switches/knobs?

[@OnTheGlideslope]

No, one hand on the yoke. In the real world you typically fly with one hand on the yoke as well (and the other on the throttle).

[@TMKFilmsCH]

On The Glideslope Got it, thanks very much for your video and your answer!

[@justech]

Thanks for the vid, I haven't finished it yet, but will when I get a moment. I have the Rift as well, and just updated x-plane to the VR beta. Agree that it's much more immersive than a 3-screen setup, even without my Rudder pedals hooked up yet. My main issue is not being able to reference sectionals, approach plates, etc. I can see the com freqs, but can't memorize them all, lol.

[@michaelknott4361]

How do you control the pedals in VR?

[@DownTheRabbit-Hole]

So far as the youtube experience for training....could be a little herky-jerky and disorientating... what is your take? Might take some practice to slow down head motions. I am sure the first person experience is cool, but not sure about youtube recordings and youtubers watching you fly. Thanks for video..

[@kidd_ot7855]

How do you do that map @3:27

[@UBAYBE]

it would be cool if you could use 5he physical knobs through the VR

[@jayhegame3230]

Hello. Great video. Whenever I share my Rift videos with friends, the desktop mirror that I screen record is centered in the the screen. Are you stretching the screen in a video editing software?

[@ComdrStew]

Now they just need to optimized VR because the FPS is awful in X-plane 11. I am using a Vive and I can not get it working smooth at all.

[@AlexanderOslanbg]

Thanks for the video! I'm considering to build a system to run X-Plane in VR. Could You please advise me what would be the best hardware setup to run it without glitches and studders. Sort of what​ would be the dream hardware the money can buy :) ? Thank You in advance

[@Hyestar]

Of course, AFTER I spent 4500 and 5 months building my home cockpit...lol. I dont have an Oculus YET, so I will just keep using my cockpit. BUT, come BLACK FRIDAY, if the price comes down a bit, Im IN! :)

[@WestAirAviation]

I recommend a VR headset with a lot more resolution. HTC Samsung Odyssey or Vive PRO both have really amazing resolution; the Oculus not so much.

[@jackchesnut1956]

Very cool!

[@Ztbmrc1]

Can you activate more than one vr headset to one simulator? So you can sit with some other person in the plane? Btw. did you noticed the cars disappeared when you teleported yourself to the parkinglot? From the airfield it was filled with highdef cars!

[@OnTheGlideslope]

No idea on multiple headsets. I presume it's feasible, but would be too much for the PC to handle. The cars disappeared because I use a plugin to manage FPS and it does so by adding / removing scenery items based on proximity.

[@santiagoluib3]

Nice video! What airport is that?

[@michaelwilliamson6061]

I have the same ring, can't find out where to turn it off! Other folks never see it at all, go figure. If you find out how to get rid of it please share. Thanks.

[@edenbeechey2037]

Michael Williamson torn off or down the guardian setting and it should disappear faster than my brain cells

[@michaelwilliamson6061]

Where do I turn it off? I feel like my brain cells are gone as well..Thanks.

[@edenbeechey2037]

I haven’t used mine since the first day xp11 vr came out because I’m away so I beleibe it would be in htc vice/oculus rift settings or your xp11 settings most likely in the vr bit

[@michaelwilliamson6061]

Thanks, I will give it yet another try...

[@larryjay]

Friend brought over his Occulus and I had the chance to try it with 11.20b. The mirror on my Asus monitor was crystal clear but the image out the cockpit as viewed through the Occulus headset looked about 320/200 in resolution. In 3d but pretty grainy. Could you comment on the clarity of the image in your VR set up? Nevertheless, I agree, the immersion factor was way up. I was initially even a little claustrophobic "seated" in the pilots "chair" .

[@OnTheGlideslope]

Supersampling improves image quality quite a bit. If I push it to 1.8 it's plenty clear for me.

[@ellonysman]

Larry Jay I say look at bambinogames 9n youtube, he shows his settings for good results👍✈️🚁

[@larryjay]

Tnx Rick. Is there a specific episode where Bambino goes through his settings?

[@ellonysman]

Sir,...real sim cockpit or VR,which is more fun....your sim cockpit it very cool👍🚁🚁🚁

[@tomrisar5492]

At 11:10 I figured out I had a head ache(you were looking right/left very realistically ..fast) I suffer from motion sickness since very early in life(5 yrs), I got my PPL because I always wanted to fly and suffered through all my 150 hrs of flying. The sound you heard during taxi(lower rpms) is sorta real, I think it was the voltage regulator on the charger injecting noise into intercom or radio, I remember hearing a varying pitch sound squeal that followed the rpm.

[@cbrady2k8]

VR is very rough when it comes to motion sickness. I don't get headaches instead I get full sick as in I'm going to throw-up and have to go lay down for a couple of hours, basically the motion sickness ruins my entire day. However one big benefit I have over others is that seemingly VR seems a lot more real to me than my friends who use VR - to me it absolutely feels real, like a 10 out of 10, but I also think that is why I get sick from it so easily. I can use a motion sickness patch, which you have to get from doctors, and using those I don't get sick at all - but the VR experience drops from a 10/10 to like an 8/10, no idea why, but I've repeated it so many times I know it's not just in my head. Anywho depending on how bad and how easily you get sick Dramamine II may work and it doesn't make you drowsy, but for me it doesn't really do anything, but those motion sickness patches last about 3 days and they work insanely well, but they do give you a terrible case of dry mouth that just won't go away.

[@tomrisar5492]

Since those years I have learned that being dehydrated makes motion sickness worse, try to be chronically hydrated and good blood sugar levels too.

[@cbrady2k8]

Makes zero difference for me - I just get easily motion sick at just about anything, from actual motion to virtual motion to playing a game like Doom. I've tried every home remedy, every type of advice I've ever read anywhere, the only thing that actually works are those motion sickness patches - but the downside is you have to get them from the doctor, you can't use them back to back to back or you'll likely suffer from withdrawals, and they cost about $15 each, but again last around 3 days, so $5/day not to puke isn't too bad.

[@dannygregory9083]

How the heck did you find Oceano (L52)?! That's my local runway.

[@DownTheRabbit-Hole]

Oceano is on Pilotedge (virtual ATC) as the first VFR flight rating.. Pilotedge is awesome. $20 a month. well worth it.

[@acexprt]

Would love to see how you use SS. I can never seeem to get it working.

[@OnTheGlideslope]

I have it off in StemVR at set to 1.5 in Oculus Debug Tool ...

[@sidplays77]

Doesn’t having a full model cockpit like you do with multiples screens sort of negate the need for VR? I mean isn’t it weird being in the headset in your real cockpit looking at the virtual cockpit??

[@OnTheGlideslope]

It the headset I don't think of that fact that I'm sitting in my real cockpit, or anywhere else for that matter. I got the VR to see what it's like. It's amazing.

[@sandraconrad1918]

I agree the VR is really cool but I think it does take away from the feeling of actually operating all the hardware. I personally think I will stick with my home cockpit. I wouldn't be opposed to trying VR though. Thanks for sharing.

[@ricardosmit2308]

Nice!!!!

[@kenoath007]

Awesome! I picked up a PiMax VR headset to try out, not sure if I will have much luck with it as it doesn't come with controllers.. so I'm looking into whats available, in the meantime I have to wait for some new cables to come in for the big screen before I can test it properly. Look forward to your next flights.

[@pilothound1582]

Hey Ken looking forward to feedback in flight sim with the pimax as im keen to get one.. Cheers

[@kenoath007]

I did get it working with Xplane, took a bit of trail and error navigating the menus (just hitting escape seemed to drop me in the plane engine running) and to be honest I was loving my first real experience of VR. I was mostly using my CH Eclipse Yoke and pedals, pretty much unable to interact with AP etc... My headset did develop a hardware fault with a large vertical clear (later becoming black line in the left lense caused by the shudder/defog/antiblue lense. The antiblue lenses are very dark and make the picture dark and blurry. It is documented on the PiMax forums and there is a fix for it (that voids your warranty) but it simply isn't what I want or need! I wanted my money back and am awaiting a refund. You need controllers. I have ordered in a Lenovo Mixed Reality Headset which should give a better picture and has very good controllers and from all accounts compatible with Steam VR titles, ordered from ebay shop in the US I should have it in less than 2 weeks from now. It cost me exactly the same amount with postage $349AUD Much better value and a complete package... I would have to spend a lot more on Nolo controllers to get a inferior experience if I kept the PiMax. Hope this helps.

[@kenoath007]

I forgot to add, the general head tracking of the PiMax is quite good but it doesn't have any positional tracking... I figured I would be fine with that (and I did set up the yoke hat-switches so I could) but not being able to lean forward to see instruments more clearly or moving and looking out the window really breaks the immersion. Maybe less of a problem with racing sims? You won't have that problem with a Mixed Reality Headset.

[@pilothound1582]

Ken Oath thank you Ken great reply much appreciated 👌

[@julianlockwood]

Great stuff .. you mentioned a SimKicker plugin - can you post a link to that?

[@BrianGochnauer]

(IFR) "clouds really hammer it; it may be the at the only way to do it IFR; is to really have a physical SIM" I don't understand that statement; "Physical SIM" - I specifically want to to IFR training/proficiency and in 3D would be great, if *this* would work

[@NevilClavain1]

What a pity X-Plane VR doesnt work with Oculus

[@acexprt]

Which sim are you using?

[@MartinHenne]

I think he uses X-Plane 11

[@OnTheGlideslope]

Correct. I'm using X-Plane 11.20 vr early release (pre-beta).

[@larryp1938]

Why would you want to use VR when you have such a beautiful sim! This is off subject but how did you get the piece of foam you use for the glare shield to bend around the corners like that? This is causing me extreme aggravation in my pit. In fact it has brought things to a stand still!, grrrr......thanks

[@homasas4837]

Because you can put 20 screens around you, you will never achieve the immersion, the depth of view or the vision of distance like in Vr. Best would be to be able to use easily the physical control of his cockpit with a vr heade

[@larryp1938]

homasas that may be true but we as pilots are”tactile”.

[@1973canim]

What AirPort is that?

[@OnTheGlideslope]

L52 Oceano.

[@CaribbeanSimPilot]

@@OnTheGlideslope is that a freeware or payware? Did you have to do any ortho or mesh to make it look that good? Thanks for the vids!

[@Muckylittleme]

Nice Vid. Not sure if you know but there is a thread on how to remove that annoying blue circle. forums.x-plane.org/index.php?/forums/topic/138739-how-to-remove-the-annoying-immersion-breaking-blue-circle/

[@OnTheGlideslope]

It's done and thank you!

[@ellonysman]

Did you get nausiated?😱

[@hubsonekka]

it is higher level of VR

[@johncarr123]

finally the only good use for a VR goggles

[@Lawiah0]

Can the camera view for recording be set at an optional location?