15. Differences from real operations and known limitations
Translated from the Finnish manual (manual/fi); the Finnish text is authoritative.
Matches version: 0.9.3 (2026-10-29). This is the most important chapter to read before using the simulator in training: every deliberate simplification is here.
| Area | In the simulator | In reality | Why / when it is fixed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Line of sight (VLOS) | a 500 m circle round the launch site; terrain and trees do not break it | a grey aircraft against a grey sky is lost much sooner; trees and terrain hide it | decision ADR 0008 for playability; the radius can be set, teaching it is the instructor's |
| Flight model | a speed controller where the stick commands speed; no drag, no motor dynamics | the same principle in GPS mode, but the feel depends on the aircraft | figures from the aircraft's spec sheet (chapter 4) |
| Wind | weather and gusts, stronger with height; position hold up to 15 m/s, warnings at 10 / 12 / 15 m/s, a bumpier ride from 8 m/s; drifts in ATTI mode | gusts and eddies behind obstacles shake the aircraft | chapter 4 |
| Battery | 36 min hover, best 41 min at about 10 m/s; wind and headwind use more; no temperature, no cell voltage | cold shortens it a lot; RTH computed from voltage | cold later |
| GPS and compass | the instructor's GPS fault (ATTI drill); otherwise always a good fix | interference, calibration, slow fix | chapter 4 |
| Link | quality falls with distance to 8 km, never drops | drops behind obstacles and interference, failsafe | later |
| Obstacles | no collision with trees, buildings or wires; no obstacle sensing | a collision breaks the aircraft; vision and infrared sensing brake | on the list |
| Cameras | wide 84°; zoom 4.7–16.9× optical, focus from 5 m; thermal 640 × 512, ten palettes, spot and area measurement, gain ranges, temperature alert, isotherm, super-resolution | hybrid zoom 200×; a free isotherm band; the 161° cockpit camera | chapter 5 |
| Thermal picture | surface temperatures by land class, sun, cloud, rain and snow; the canopy shades and hides | the real thermal history of every surface | chapter 5 |
| Terrain | 2 m elevation model and aerial photo; ground materials per land class near the camera; snow, ice, packed snow on roads; soft shores and class edges | every stone and stump as its own object | — |
| Buildings | topographic footprints with gabled roofs, windows, the regional building stock (post-war houses, blocks of flats), chimneys | yard structures, fences | continues |
| Power lines and masts | pylons, wires as thin lines, guyed masts, wind turbines, chimneys, towers; no collision, no obstacle lights | obstacle lights at night, turning rotors | continues |
| Trees | pine, spruce, birch, aspen, grey alder, rowan, mountain birch and snags as textured models; density and species from the Luke forest map; autumn colours, bare birches, snow on crowns; far forest as light images | every tree in its real place, branches moving in the wind | real 3D trees on the list |
| Light, weather and time | the sun by place and time; FMI observations and forecast or weather set by hand: cloud, rain, sleet, snowfall, fog, low ground mist | moonlight at night | moon later |
| Season | snow and snow depth, no hoar frost; autumn colours; crops growing on fields | patchy snow and frost | continues |
| Missing person | distance by profile from the MSO table, route, rest place and state; dropped items; tracks in snow; may move during the search; campfire and smoke | a person reacts to the drone's sound, hides or shouts | chapters 7, 17 |
| Search leader | segments with natural borders (roads, paths, railways, ditches, shores, the edges of fields and open bogs), POA, ground teams, dog parties, MOVA; the leader grows the area with clues, moves a dog to a hot trail and gives the drone tasks after a find; teams and dogs rotate with rests until the person is found | human judgement, calls, cooperation with the authorities | chapter 17 |
| Dogs and scent | air scent and trailing; scent by ground, weather, snow, time of day and terrain; figures on the calibration page | individual dogs and handlers | chapter 19 |
| Announcements | as text on the HUD and in the message history | radio and shouts | sound later |
| Multiplayer | pilot and observer (camera operator), LAN or internet; the instructor in coach mode | an image interpreter on their own screen | chapter 11 |
| Report | GPX, the situation, missed moments as pictures and the debrief | the SLPS flight report in SDO | chapter 12 |
What you can practise with the simulator
Stick feel in N, S and C modes, limits and RTH, reading the HUD, choosing the launch site, tasks as segments and search methods, using the cameras and the thermal camera in every season and weather, marking finds and reporting them to the leader, flying in ATTI mode, working with dogs, ground teams and MOVA, and the split between pilot and observer.
What should not be taught with this version
Judging line of sight, the effect of cold on the battery, avoiding obstacles or collisions, nor the dog and scent figures as truth: they come from the literature and our own estimates, and the society's handlers correct them on the calibration page.