MS flight sim OR X-Plane?

[skybaron]

Any preferences?

I have an instrument renewal coming up, and was wondering which flight sim program is better to practice on. Databases, nav trips etc.

[The Old Fogducker]

The flight dynamics in X-Plane are supposedly better than MS Flight Sim, but there are dozens upon dozens of add-on programs for MSFS, not as many in X-Plane.

Since you are most likely after procedural info and experience, MSFS will do the trick quite handily.

I can really recommend using the Flight Instructor add-on module Instructor Station http://sites.google.com/site/luisgordo2 ... torstation

Hope this helps.

The Old Fogducker

[Big Pistons Forever]

For IFR procedural training I would say it doesn't really matter, go with the one that is cheapest/most convenient. One factor to consider is the power of your computer. The "recommended" computer specs that MS specifies is a joke, you need twice what it quotes for it to run glitch free. I believe X plane is a bit less demanding but I stand by to be corrected.

[iflyforpie]

Well, I run X-Plane on my iPhone and even do full-procedure approaches on it (really bored this time of year ) so yeah it doesn't take as much hardware to run.

[kevinsky18]

What about custom panels so they look like the one in your training aircraft I.e. same navigation instruments, radio configuration etc.

[Beefitarian]

I never messed around with it but I know MS Flight Sim lets you customize the panels.

I guess there's no more money to be made on them or they ran out of significant upgrades. They used to have a new one with huge improvements every couple of years. The last new one was Century of flight I think.

Who has suggestions for the best rudder pedals? I'm thinking of resigning to fly it again. I quit last time because I was not getting enough actual time and it was messing up my landings. I may never land on MS flight sim again.

[Big Pistons Forever]

I never messed around with it but I know MS Flight Sim lets you customize the panels.

I guess there's no more money to be made on them or they ran out of significant upgrades. They used to have a new one with huge improvements every couple of years. The last new one was Century of flight I think.

Who has suggestions for the best rudder pedals? I'm thinking of resigning to fly it again. I quit last time because I was not getting enough actual time and it was messing up my landings. I may never land on MS flight sim again.

MSFS is a OK for procedural training, however it is IMO utterly useless as a substitute for practicing VFR aircraft flying techniques.

Word that make me cringe: (from a prospective PPL student) I have lots of practice flying MSFS !

[ArcticKat]

Who has suggestions for the best rudder pedals? I'm thinking of resigning to fly it again. I quit last time because I was not getting enough actual time and it was messing up my landings. I may never land on MS flight sim again.

I can't say they're the best, the only ones I've used are Saitek Pro Flight series. I have the Yoke, Rudder Pedals, Throttle Quadrant, and Switch Panel. MSFS allows you to customise the buttons on them all so you can set them up any way you wish. I like them, I like them a lot.

Word that make me cringe: (from a prospective PPL student) I have lots of practice flying MSFS !

Snicker, did that to my instructor all the time. I do think that it does provide the student with an advantage in perspective and understanding, but I never made the assumption that any sort of flying on MSFS could replace real seat time...just prepare me for what to expect and shallow the learning curve a bit.

[moocow]

MSFS is a dead product, the entire sim developer team was let go. If you can wait, wait for X-Plane 10 in a few months. That should be enough time for me to save up for a new graphics card.

[RenegadeAV8R]

MSFS is a dead product, the entire sim developer team was let go.

Or maybe not; August 18 2010 - It's official and hot off the press, the next version of Microsoft Flight Simulator is going to be called Microsoft Flight.

Read more: http://flyawaysimulation.com/article3135.html

[ArcticKat]

Yeah, but they don't expect to launch it until Fall 2012. Good news is that they are in the brain storming stage. If anyone wants to submit an idea for the new version.

http://www.microsoft.com/games/flight/

[Beefitarian]

I sometimes think I should have bought "century of flight" for the X-1 and the wright flyer but it's probably pointless after you fly them once.

I found the realism for some parts of MS flightsim on C-172 to be pretty good. I was turning base once soon after I bought my Yoke, dropped some flap and reached for the trim wheel, remembered I was flying the computer when I couldn't find the trim wheel on our dell.

Other areas like landing are not so good and the lack of 3D messes with your depth perception pretty fast. Is it maybe a little too stable in a way too?

[ArcticKat]

You don't have a trim wheel on your Yoke!!!!!!

O.M.G.!!!!!!!!

How do you fly?

[Beefitarian]

I had to keep up the back pressure until I found the trim. It was rough.