I’ve enjoyed flying around in MSFS getting used to the plane(s) and the awesome scenery. Lately, I’ve found myself getting a little “bored” and would like to add some “purpose” to my flying. I’ve checked out companion apps such as APL and OnAir but those seem to be targeted towards more commercial airlines whereas I like to fly GA/VOR. Does anyone have any recommendations for apps that can that sense of purpose to MSFS but sticking with the smaller planes and VOR flying? Perhaps small airlines that focus on bush flying (limited cargo, small passenger count)?
Not to be contrarian, but can’t you create your own sense of purpose? Airliners bore me, so I use my imagination (and the internet!) to create my own ‘missions’, which I plan and execute. To me, it’s a challenging and satisfying part of the whole experience.
I have a lack of imagination. I suspect the reason why APL and OnAir exists is because I’m not alone. The question here though is are there similar companion adds focused more on the type of flying that I tend to do (GA/VOR)?
Have you tried random flight generators? Fly from your home airport and let the random flight generator select your destination, based on nm, small/large airfield etc. If interested, take a look at something like simflightmanager as an example.
Check out Neofly here in the forum, it’s more focused on GA. It’s still under development and doesn’t have a ton of depth but that’s perfect for me. It gives me just enough reason to make flights I normally wouldn’t without becoming a second job.
I use OnAir for use with the C152/C172 and it’s great, there’s no need to worry about it being for Airliners as it caters for all types.
I will look at NeoFly one day, give it time to mature a little longer i think.
Yup, very solid, have had no issues with it. Early on new versions made it difficult to transfer your progress when an update came out but that’s settled down now and the last few updates have been seamless. In the worst case it’s pretty easy to manually edit your pilot if you lose anything and folks in the Discord channel can help with that.
FSEconomy is good. It’s kind of a pain in the behind to set up, and it’s run by a group of bitter old men stuck in their ways, but other than that, it will give you purpose.
As an aside, the issue of “purpose” I find interesting. It’s one of the reasons I think flight simming is so ultra nitch in the gaming world. There are a small group of people in this world (most of the flight sim community fall into this group…) that are happy just to pick a departure and destination, and make the flight. Just for the sake of making the flight. I’m not saying that bringing more game like missions, or purpose, to the sim is bad. I’m just saying that most flight simmers don’t really need that aspect, or want that aspect.
It’s kinda like the people that have a PPL and just make local flights on the weekend to the same airports over and over. People that don’t have a PPL kind of wonder why someone would do that, and “waste” the money doing that.
I guess I look at it all as adding realism to the sim. What constitutes realism I think is different for different folks. Some like using VATSIM (which is awesome…or so I’ve heard…haven’t yet mustered up the courage to to a flight on there ). Others may want to simulate a real captains career while still focusing on all the technical aspects of flying. Yet others will combine VATSIM and pilot careers. Don’t know if any one approach is better/worse than the other, just different definitions of realism. What I do know though is that I am super grateful to all the teams out there that are providing all these different options so we can all choose what suits us best. Cheers for that!
No, we don’t.
I like flying a PMDG 737 with real procedures from A to B, and having addons like fscaptain, onair, or whatever on top of that. It’s an addition to the simulation, nothing to do with gamification thing.
They are not mutually exclusive.
@marty2756 That’s a great point. It feels that people might equate the add-ons with not flying “properly” rather the focus is just on straight out straight in just to get the rewards. There are plenty of sim pilots (incl. myself) that still fly the jobs/routes just as accurately/real procedures as they would have done without the add-on. I wonder if that misconception adds to the gamification is not simulation argument.
If you set yourself the task of becoming type rated in each of the aircraft models. Begining with the c152.
Begin with circuits and be strict with altitudes.
Then factor in weather. Crosswind landings are always a challenge.
Once fully proficient in one aircraft, move on to the next.
The sum has some great locations, with challenging topography and sloped runways. It would exceed my life span to visit them all!
There’s a freeware Skiathos airport, with sloped runway and just an NDB for approaches.
There are numerous videos (p gatcome) of IFR procedures. Once you have passed your PPL why not go up the ladder. Go multi engine. Go IFR. Then go ATPL. Look up what ATPL entails and practice it. I’m sure that will be a challenge. Nice thing is, it won’t cost 35000 pounds/dollars to go ATPL.
Fly with full realism and crash detect on (turn off ground airport vehicles) and you will know when your progressing.
The aforementioned topics are what makes a flight simulator.
Also if you develop a taste for ATPL. Try the voice activated co Pilot Multi Crew Experience. Then do some commercial routes using SimBrief to construct realistic routes, with SID/STAR.
But let’s not kid ourselves, this community’s gatekeeping is too strong and any “fun” element if implemented by core developer would be regarded as “gamification” in a derogatory way. Think about these
Missions (forest fire, rescue, emergency cargo, etc.). They can implement real procedures here but people would still complain
FSEconomy/OnAir - people would straight up call it "Airline Tycoon " to make fun of it
Air Racing - this is a real thing but people would probably call it gamification anyway
Somehow, people always assume fun and seriousness are mutually exclusive. I guess it could be true when your life depends on it (literally) but definitely not true in a simulator
Yes, couldn’t agree more. As an example, I scoffed at the the prospect of group flights like I saw in the trailers, where everyone is just flying around in complete disregard for the rules. There are rules you know!!! But when the game came out, and I participated in some group flights, it was huge fun. It opened up a different aspect of flight simming that I would not have ever done before if it were not for MFS.
