I loaded a free flight in the Bruce Bay region of New Zealand and got an immediate CTD on the load screen so it looks like it’s an issue with the sim. With an empty community folder I still get a CTD so it must come from something in the sim itself.
Ok problem solved. After some research it appears that one of the sim updates is creating the problem for those using DX12. The solution was to go into the New Zealand update and delete the points of interest within that update. After doing that I was able to go into both free flight and the lesson in that region and complete it.
Thanks for the suggestion about trying it in free flight. I would have never found the solution otherwise.
Thank you very much for the feedback, super valuable!
We will try to reproduce this in our sim today. Unfortunately if it is a sim issue, we will have to forward the issue to Microsoft/Asobo.
In the meantime, we will consider redesigning this particular lesson.
Many thanks for the solution - worked for me 
For anyone not sure on how to delete just the points of interest for New Zealand check out this link
Legend
Thank you! @GTV249
I had the same CTD when loading this lesson, but after deleting the New Zealand POI’s it worked fine. Thanks for the heads up.
Hello. I’m having some difficulties with the slow flight and landing sections, specifically how the interplay of pitch and power is used in these scenarios
I understand that in level flight, power is used to control airspeed, however my understanding was that in slow flight and final approach conditions these are flipped and power is instead used to control altitude. In the lessons on landing power is, indeed, used to control altitude (hence we are taught to decrease power to lower the plane onto the correct glideslope.) However, in the lesson on slow fight it seems that this rule isn’t applied and instead power is used to control airspeed, as when we are taught to decrease power to attain the proper 65 knots in slow flight, even when our altitude is correct.
is it just when in straight and level that power controls speed, as in when in slow flight, but when in climb or descent (like final approach) it controls altitude?
What we are encountering here is a concept relating to the power curve, in this case the back side of the power curve.
When you are transitioning into slow flight, reducing power to reach 65KIAS, you’re decelerating from cruise down to your target slow flight speed where you will need to raise the nose in order to prevent altitude loss. This is still front side of the power curve so it makes sense what you are thinking, though once you’re settling at the slow speed the counterintuitive happens, you’re now on the back side of the power curve, into the region of reversed command (marked on the image below)
Long story short, its not simply about cruise vs climb/descent, its about which side of the power curve you’re operating on.
Fast/Cruise
- power = airspeed
- pitch = altitude
Slow/Approach
- power = altitude/descent rate
- pitch = airspeed
The slow flight entry can make this feel inconsistent because you are passing through the transition, but once established, the same rules apply as on final approach.
Thank you! All of this makes sense. My only confusion is that in the lesson, the answer to the question,
"In slow flight you’re at the target airspeed 65 knots but notice a 200 feet per minute descent. What’s the correct correction?"
is
This is a textbook “pitch and power” correction: pitch arrests the descent; power maintains the target airspeed.
I assume that the airspeed dictates whether you are in Slow Flight or not, so it makes sense that if we are above that airspeed and level, we use power to bring it down to 65. But once we are down to 65 knots, as in the quiz question above, should it not be the opposite: power stops the descent and pitch holds it at 65 knots?
I can totally empathise with the thought process here, though the power curve rule isn’t a rigid one control at a time. Slow flight corrections should always be coordinated, both pitch an power.
The question is really about which one leads and which follows. You’re already established at 65KIAS but getting rid of an unwanted 200fpm desecent:
- Pitch Up to arrest the descent immediately. Back pressure increases the angle of attack and generates lift right away, the quickest way to stop the unintended sink.
- Add Power to compensate. Pitching up will bleed away the airspeed towards or below 65KIAS if power doesn’t follow.
In retrospect, pitch fixes the immediate issue, adding power will protect whats already correct (airspeed).
That said, you point out a very good area where we can improve on! I’ll bring this up with the Academy guys to see if we can make this a little clearer!