Have a 9 year old addicted to flying. What's the best simulation game on PC? Have both civilian and military planes and probably use the additional gaming flight controller with maybe rudder pedals too. Expense is not an issue. Purpose isn't just to learn how to fly an airplane. I think that i needs to be fun first, realistic visuals as in terrain and accurate airport depictions. I've seen pros and cons of Microsoft Simulflite but need aviator reviews.

 

Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 (MSFS) is pretty good, obviously not 100% accurate and some of the physics engine is still kind of mushy but leaps and bounds ahead of Flight Simulator X

Mostly GA-focused, a few airliners and business jets, I think there was a promotion for Top Gun 2 that let you fly a F/A-18E, no combat per se but I'm sure there are third party mods

Detail is as much as you want to dial in; you can plug and play for a little kid or you can do your own w&b, limited fuel, multiple system failures in sideways freezing rain on an NDB approach to a 1000' runway at night

Uses Bing Maps for close to 1:1 world and weather, hopefully your PC is up for it and you have a good internet data plan...

Heard good things about X-Plane 11/12 but never tried it

When he gets older you could also look into DCS World, which is more military-oriented and starts out in a P-51 or a Su-25 and you can plan your own strikes in Georgia, controls are somewhat difficult to program however but tons of add-on modules (WWII and OEF campaigns, aircraft from different eras, maps, etc.)

 

Lockheed has a program called Prepar3d that’s quite accurate

 

Xplane 11 is good. Get a yoke and throttle from honeycomb.