Tonker

Looking for some advice on an at home flight simulator setup for PC that will be as close to the real thing as possible? What kind of software/gear/brand do I need? Any recommendations?

I'm a beginner, but I would like a setup that would be able to give me both a realistic and educational experience while I'm out of the "real" cockpit. Thanks!

Coto Pilot

I have a program from ASA called On Top that I have used for years that I think is very realistic.

DirectTo

What are you working on in the real world? If you're working on instrument, great, hit it hard after you've covered things with your instructor. Otherwise, don't let yourself start building bad habits (hitting the sim hard before you start private flying will make you focused inside far too much, believe me).

grecoaj

This is good advice.

If you're ready, try Microsoft Flight Sim X. I've been able to do some incredible things with it and I like to use it as a cheap (free) way to help students get over some problem spots like radio communication and checklist use while maintaining control of the aircraft. You had better have a very powerful computer and graphics card if you want to get the most out of it.

There was a student a few years ago who breezed through the PPT program with minimum hours because he used MFSX and some published training documents made specifically for MFSX before he started his training, but keep in mind that that route might not work for everyone. Fly some friend's sims or go to the flight school and ask around.

Good luck!

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Cubdriver

I am an X-Plane fan. I have seen too many professional uses for it over the years. The company I currently work for even uses X-Plane to support their multi-million dollar developmental flight simulator, ie. the only one they have. I think they said they use it for navigation and not for the flight engine which is driven by some other industrial grade flight software package, but still that's quite a claim in favor of X-Plane.

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