Ever since the Federal Aviation Administration developed standards for PC flight simulation software used by prospective pilots in the course of their flight training, this software has become much more popular. There are a lot of choices out there, which can make it difficult to find the best flight simulator to help you train as a pilot or just for entertainment. You may want to consider the following points as you read flight simulator reviews and begin the process of making your decision.
Flight Simulators as Teaching Tools
Flight simulators can be valuable educational tools for student pilots, since they offer a means of practicing what they've learned in their courses - and this is why many flight instructors strongly approve of the use of high quality PC-based simulators. Pilots need all the training they can get and the best flight simulator programs offer additional training in the basic skills they need.
Flight simulators provide students with a great way to practice important techniques like maintaining altitude, takeoffs and landings, along with getting a firm handle on airspeed and heading. The quality of simulators has increased greatly in recent years and the better simulators are now capable of helping students get in some extra practice from the comfort of home.
Features
Before making a decision about buying flight simulator programs, you need to do your research to learn more about the features they offer. If you want to use a flight simulator to help you achieve your goal of flying an actual aircraft, then you'll want to steer clear of arcade game-style simulators unless it's just for entertainment. Instead, you'll want a simulator which provides as realistic as possible of an experience. Higher quality simulators give you realistic controls and scenery, including three dimensional views of the inside and outside of the plane, as well as a 3D view from the cockpit while you're flying.
Aircraft Variety
Regardless of whether you need a simulator to help you reinforce what you learn in your flight lessons or just for entertainment, the best flight simulator software lets you choose from a variety of maps, aircraft and airports. The more variety that the program offers, the longer you will stay interested in the program and the more you will learn along the way. Reading flight simulator reviews is a good way to find out which simulators offer the most options to users.
Realistic Scenery and Cockpit Controls
Newer, high quality flight simulators provide the user with realistic, three dimensional scenery which uses actual high definition photography. In other words, when you fly over a certain location using your simulator, it will look virtually identical to the view from an actual plane flying over that location. The best flight simulators apply the same approach to the skies, including accurate positioning of stars and planets as they would appear depending on the time in your simulator. Something else you should look for is the ability to change the weather in the simulator. Many of the better programs offer the choice of clear, rainy or stormy weather, with a corresponding and realistic effect on the scenery.
One thing that you should always look for in flight simulator reviews is whether the software is compatible with high quality flight pedals, since these are essential to truly realistic flight simulation. When you use the controls, your simulator should respond exactly the way that a real plane would, including lag time and bounce and roll due to weather conditions and air currents. These are conditions which you'll face almost every time that you fly a plane and as such, it is important that your simulator be able to handle these in a realistic manner.
Flight Simulators as Teaching Tools
Flight simulators can be valuable educational tools for student pilots, since they offer a means of practicing what they've learned in their courses - and this is why many flight instructors strongly approve of the use of high quality PC-based simulators. Pilots need all the training they can get and the best flight simulator programs offer additional training in the basic skills they need.
Flight simulators provide students with a great way to practice important techniques like maintaining altitude, takeoffs and landings, along with getting a firm handle on airspeed and heading. The quality of simulators has increased greatly in recent years and the better simulators are now capable of helping students get in some extra practice from the comfort of home.
Features
Before making a decision about buying flight simulator programs, you need to do your research to learn more about the features they offer. If you want to use a flight simulator to help you achieve your goal of flying an actual aircraft, then you'll want to steer clear of arcade game-style simulators unless it's just for entertainment. Instead, you'll want a simulator which provides as realistic as possible of an experience. Higher quality simulators give you realistic controls and scenery, including three dimensional views of the inside and outside of the plane, as well as a 3D view from the cockpit while you're flying.
Aircraft Variety
Regardless of whether you need a simulator to help you reinforce what you learn in your flight lessons or just for entertainment, the best flight simulator software lets you choose from a variety of maps, aircraft and airports. The more variety that the program offers, the longer you will stay interested in the program and the more you will learn along the way. Reading flight simulator reviews is a good way to find out which simulators offer the most options to users.
Realistic Scenery and Cockpit Controls
Newer, high quality flight simulators provide the user with realistic, three dimensional scenery which uses actual high definition photography. In other words, when you fly over a certain location using your simulator, it will look virtually identical to the view from an actual plane flying over that location. The best flight simulators apply the same approach to the skies, including accurate positioning of stars and planets as they would appear depending on the time in your simulator. Something else you should look for is the ability to change the weather in the simulator. Many of the better programs offer the choice of clear, rainy or stormy weather, with a corresponding and realistic effect on the scenery.
One thing that you should always look for in flight simulator reviews is whether the software is compatible with high quality flight pedals, since these are essential to truly realistic flight simulation. When you use the controls, your simulator should respond exactly the way that a real plane would, including lag time and bounce and roll due to weather conditions and air currents. These are conditions which you'll face almost every time that you fly a plane and as such, it is important that your simulator be able to handle these in a realistic manner.
About the Author:
There are a large number of aircraft sims in the marketplace and in some cases it's tough to identify the best flight simulator for your planned use. Be comprehensive in your due diligence. Read as many flight simulator reviews as you can find, and make sure your final pick satisfies all of your expectations.
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