After flying with MSFS2020 for 2 years (I was a late convert after decades of FS2004, FSX, etc.) I have now spent some time with the big birds. What a learning curve! Not like the old days- these babies have real depth. I’m loving it.
Having read posts about the default Airbus being the “easiest” airline to learn, I tried it. I then, out of curiosity, tried the Boeings. Realizing that the default airliners had a lot to desire, I then purchased a few high quality addons.
I watched a YouTube video by a woman who is a real airline pilot with experience in both types and she said that she saw the difference as the Boeings seeming more like YOU have control and more hands on, while the Airbus is more sit-back-and just keep an eye on it. (I’m greatly paraphrasing but I hope you get the idea.)
After spending time with both, I currently have to say that I prefer the Boeings. I mainly fly the PMDG 737-600. It just seems like you can see what’s going on better- less “behind the scenes” stuff. I don’t like the push-the-knob-in for FMC control and pull-the-knob-out for pilot control, and a few other system quirks. But that’s just me.I can see that the Airbus is, in some ways, more high-tech, but I feel more “involved” with the Boeing.
So I thought I would start a thread to see how others, who have flown both types, think and what you prefer.
Also, if I was to give an Airbus another shot… which one is the least difficult to master after being a Boeing guy?
I prefer Airbus. I mostly hand-fly my airliners with auto-throttle only, but I have been using the AP more often. I prefer the fly-by-wire of the Airbuses. I don’t want to be constantly trimming as you are in the Boeings.
The free Flybywire a320 can’t be beat for quality. It’s a good place to learn. Of the inibuilds, the a340 is top of the line. Fenix and Flightsimlabs are also top quality. Don’t waste your time with Virtualcol or LatinVFR, as these are “simplified” modules.
Part of it my (fading) nationalism. It’s hard to be an American kid and not love the Boeing of the past.
But in the cockpit, too, I prefer Boeing.
It’s a bit like cars. Some people are dying for a self-driving machine or even something like a Tesla where every control is behind a touch screen. Then there are odd ducks like me who have a fleet of cars no newer than 1991, because they want to be connected to the experience of operating them.
I like the 737NG for the combination of both tech and old school feel.
However, I do have the utmost respect for Airbus, and enjoy their earlier airliners with a yoke and more hands-on feel.
Even with its foibles, the included A310 is a great Airbus.
I find Boeing more intuitive and natural in procedure. It feels normal to know what mechanical thing should happen next.
The Airbus needs to be set up just so or else it just won’t do it and happy days you end up fighting the automaticity, so to speak! It is ok once you get the hang of it but, yeah, you just sit there and it will even land for you - the A330-300 anyway.
I’m with Nixon, I like tappets and points - if you get my meaning!
I also prefer Boeing. I don’t fly tubeliners that often, but Boeing are, for me, more intuitive. There can only be one pilot in command of an aircraft, and in Airbuses it seems to be the onboard computer! I prefer to fly aircraft - not program them!
Def Airbus. If I want to fly something airliner-ish with a yoke and lots of handholding needed, I take out my BAe146. In the Airbus (specifically Fenix) I can concentrate on programming the route and talking to ATC. And yes, patriotism also comes into it a bit: although I’m no longer German, I still very much favour pan-European co-operation. Plus the Boeing cockpit colour schemes are just hilariously awful for mine, and I hate the squished-in bottom of the engines…
Another vote for Boeing, though there is a bit of bias given the PMDG 737 was the first hi-fidelity add-on airliner I purchased for FS2020 many years ago. I’ve heard it put that you “fly” a Boeing, and “manage” an Airbus. But you still need to know how to override the automation and “fly” the Airbus if things change - diversions, vectors/manual descents to an approach, etc.
I have and will continue to spend plenty of flight hours in the Fenix A3xx and the Ini A350 and A300, with just as much enjoyment as Boeings, though.
Pencil me in for a vote for Boeing please , I tend to love Boeing over Airbus and Favor Boeing the most with my favorite models being the b767 200, B747SP, 747 200, B757 200, and B717 200 , (I do love 737’s also but the 717 200 is more fun to fly in flight sim’s because it’s different), to me Airbus looks too boring because they are literally almost all the same and aren’t as interesting to fly because they tend to use the same cockpit unfortunately
I have really learned to appreciate the Bus over the past couple years. Coming from flying mostly the PMDG NGs, the MCDU and Autopilot was a little hard for me to grasp. I feel I’m fluent in both now. If given the choice, I’d go with Boeing. I like the systems better overall.
in fs2024, I have the premium deluxe version of the game, for the premium deluxe, we have the default 747 8, default 747 Dreamlifter, 747 400 fire tanker, my opinion is we just lack a default classic 747 like the 200 or sp because we always get the newer 747’s and never get surprised by letting us fly with an old school 747 variant’s in the newer games
Definitely Boeing for me, though I’m hugely biased.
I’ve be using FS for a long time (FS5.1 ), and remember a time when Airbus addons we almost non existent, as for many years Boeing aircraft were the majority of study level aircraft in the FS world (ignoring non A or B addons). Therefore, I’ve kind of grown up with Boeing aircraft, and just feel comfortable with the more “hands on” style of operation that they require.
Add 11 years flying Boeing aircraft IRL and I’ll admit I’m fully indoctrinated now haha.
I love the Fenix, especially the modeling and walkaround mode, which in VR is very immersive. But the PMDG 737 is my preferred choice especially in VR / Vatsim. Easier to vector around and to manage the descent under high workloads.
Flying the RJ’s and now the Fokker F70/F100 a lot as well.
Either (or is it neither?) for me. It doesn’t matter to me both are heavily automated experiences (I do fly them occasionally though). I prefer a hybrid like the MD-11 but spend most of my time flying aircraft that are not Boeings or Airbuses. eg Embraer, the older MD82, Fokker 100, Avro RJ, ATR, CRJ regional airliners. All much more fun IMO.
I like and fly both. If I had to make a choice, I would pick Boeing. Airbus to me seems like too much automation intervention.
They say Boeings are designed by dunces for geniuses and Airbus is designed by geniuses for dunces. In other words, it takes more airmanship skill to fly a Boeing.
A Boeing is an airplane and flies like one. The AP and flight modes make sense. Airbus follows the philsophy that in the airplane of the future there will be a pilot and a dog. The pilot is there to feed the dog, the dog is there to bite the pilot if he tries to touch anything.
I can fly the A32X series just fine so long as I program it correctly. Give me a vector and I’m done for. Boeing I can do whatever you need me to do to. The other thing is that the Airbus cockpit is about as interesting as a sidewalk. It is clearly not designed by anyone with a passion for… well, anything. It’s just completely functional and as boring as it could possibly be.
I’ve learned to fly Airbus’ (such that you can call it that) out of necessity, but it’s hands-down Boeing for me. In particular the 777.
The biggest thing I fly is the Longitude, so I really don’t have any skin in this particular game. But I will leave this here, since it seems to sum up the majority of comments…
, I tend to love Boeing over Airbus and Favor Boeing the most with my favorite models being the b767 200, B747SP, 747 200, B757 200, and B717 200 
), and remember a time when Airbus addons we almost non existent, as for many years Boeing aircraft were the majority of study level aircraft in the FS world (ignoring non A or B addons). Therefore, I’ve kind of grown up with Boeing aircraft, and just feel comfortable with the more “hands on” style of operation that they require.