11 Which flight simulator is best for me? (PC-Based Flight Simulators)
Description
This article is from the Flight Simulators FAQ, by with numerous contributions by Bob Wittick rwittick@msu.edu others.
11 Which flight simulator is best for me? (PC-Based Flight Simulators)
The answer to this question, like all others of this type, is "it
depends on what you want to use it for". There are a number of
flight simulators out on the market, and they are (mostly) broken
down into the following categories:
* Cheap games -- These would be programs that aren't really flight
simulators at all, but rather programs that have an airplane or
some such thing in them. They are not intended to be flight
simulators, any more than DOS's EDLIN and Mac's TeachText are
intended to be word processors.
* Flight Simulation Combat -- This category would include games
like Falcon, Aces of the Pacific, Hellcats, and others. Some
of these have better flight models than others, some have better
combat modeling. It's really difficult to point out which of
them is the best, since it all depends on what kind of planes you
want to fly, and how complicated a program you want.
* Low-end Simulators -- This category includes FS 5 and ATP, and
consists of programs that are really intended to be basic flight
simulation "games" (and I use that term loosely). You get a
fairly good flight model at low cost, and also good graphics.
They are usually intended for VFR flight, and not for serious IFR
practice.
* High-end Simulators -- This category includes software packages
like Elite and IFT-Pro. They typically will have a 6 DOF flight
model, realistic performance, high fidelity, and are designed to
provide existing or future pilots with serious IFR practice.
They are also considerably more expensive, ranging from $150 to
$1,500 or so.
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