Can’t debate that! You fly what feels right for you.
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Nooo. The hand flying itself is fundamentally different.
In the Boeing it’s traditional flying, the pilot commands the control surfaces (aileron, elevator, rudder) with their physical input.
Not so in an Airbus, where a computer reads the pilot’s control inputs and translates them to a desired trajectory within defined limits. In an Airbus you point the plane to a trajectory, the plane does the flying.
The computer can be overridden for emergency procedures, to “direct law”, and then it flies like a Boeing, the pilot is controlling the plane directly. But the design philosophy of Airbus is to allow that only if absolutely necessary, in a major emergency.
I personally in the sim prefer Boeing. Simply because I don’t see the point of simulating a computer within another computer.
In real life as a passenger I prefer Airbus, simply the more modern and more comfortable plane.
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This is one of the biggest misconceptions Heard over and over about these two aircraft. There is plenty of information out there from actual 737 and Airbus pilots who wound disagree with this viewpoint. Push forward, pull back, yield the same results.
Hand flying can easily be done on both, of course and neither is “better” or worse than the other in that regard. It’s up to the pilot to understand fully how to properly manage either one. Captains can be type rated on either. It’s no big mystery.
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To answer ‘‘Fenix A320 vs PMDG B737’’, of course it comes down to personnal opinion, experience, and what you find the most pleasure in flying it - I will say PMDG 737.
I logged a TON of hours on both and I will say that I love both. Though if you ask me to pick a winner, in the perspective of home simulation I’m choosing the PMDG 737 (Even without an EFB!).
Here’s my main reason here :
1-) The PMDG 737 is way lighter on systems, therefore enhancing the overall experience, doing approaches smoother by 10-15 FPS is a big + for me.
2-) Customizable Aircraft, you’re able to customize the equipment as you wish. So you may never fly the same cockpit configuration.
3-) More fun to fly, at least personally, I find the 737, as it’s direct inputs (not fly by wire) has such a different feel for sequences that has to be hand flew (Take off, approaches, landings). You have full control over the aircraft.
4-) Comes with different models (Cargo, Passenger, Business jets).
Again, don’t me wrong, I do love both, for a long while I’ve been on rotation with both aircraft every week with both. I’d fly the Fenix A320 all week, on every sunday I’d switch to the other one until I realized after a lot of rotations, that I always had that smile when I do my first weekly flight on the 737. There is something I like more with that one.
Fenix A320 I feel I have less control over it, it feels heavier on approaches, I feel its slower on climbs also, harder to taxi around. Though, for some reasons I think I’d rather fly the A320 in real life.
Again, I really do believe it comes down to personal taste.
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I have both and fly exclusively 737. Reasons:
- FPS. 737 has decent performance, Fenix is FPS killer because of CPU intensive 3rd party app (I don’t have state of the art CPU)
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Yes thats all. I like aesthetics of 737 more, but that secondary reason.
737 has it’s own problems (clunky cargo/pax/fuel/ground services management), sometimes things like autoland fail to perform even when all prerequisities are set, but bad performance is too big of a reason to not switch and it’s unlike to get resolved. I regret buying Fenix product.
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Agreed,
Though as for the clunky ground service you’re right - Unless you use GSX Pro.
Both aircraft are simply great and very fun to fly. They both offer a great learning curve so even as a simmer you get to know both philosophies.
In FSX there was no decent Airbus so everybody enjoyed PMDGs products nearly exclusively for many years until the Toliss A320 for X-Plane showed up.
I‘m very happy to be able to fly the best out of both worlds and now I’m looking forward to long range aircraft. Both companies are great to have around in the sim community. I‘ll definitely support both!
At the end it’s a matter of taste what you like more, the A320 or the 737. But isn’t it great to have a choice? I love flying both in this great sim!
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straw man argument much? nobody said it‘s a mystery. and nobody said one of them couldn‘t be flown by hand. yes both planes will turn into the general direction the human commanded with its physical input. Still the differences are significant. you ONLY truly handfly an Airbus in DIRECT LAW (only happening in abnormal double failure scenarios). Vs the Boeing always. (except for some computer interventions as the infamous 737MAX vertical trim override…) These are two fundamentally different control concepts. In the Boeing you move the control surfaces, In Airbus you demand an attitude from the computer and it will interpret, modify, possibly ignore your input.
But you are right, there are commonalities, up is up, down is down, left is left, and right is right, in both aircraft. Peace and happy flying. 
My comments are not meant as a judgement on what is the better concept. Only stating it as it is. And personally preferring the Boeing concept in the sim, because there is already enough computer in it…
IRL I prefer mostly Airbus. because they give the more comfortable ride. (space, noise…)
a pilot‘s perspective on both, and an interesting read:
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Both Fenix and PMDG are THE aircraft to fly in this sim.
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Ah thanks for your extensive reply but I’m afraid you misunderstood my statement. "When flying these jets like in the real world => either flying a B737 or an A320, in most circumstances here in Europe the flight crew would engage flight automation pretty soon after takeoff and disconnect it on final approach to manually land, is what I meant.
Either Boeing or Airbus, in the real world the flight is automated for 90% of the time anyway.
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While I appreciate the understanding of systems differences. The reality is, “hand flying” is exactly that. Flying the airplane by the control inputs without the autopilot. It’s literally that simple, regardless of the wizardry (or lack thereof) going on beneath the skin.
I handfly the 737 and the A320. It’s not a cessna 172 for example but flying by hand isn’t a problem at all (for the A320) and absolutely nothing where you’d consider not buying it.
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Agreed. And a 737 too uses hydraulic steeringsystems in between. It’s not as one on one as sometimes depicted to be.
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Right, you don’t need to directly wrestle the extreme forces of the control surfaces in the 737. A hydraulic transmission helps you with that. 
But the Airbus is meant to be a flying computer. With the pilot only sitting there mumbling to himself “awesome how these microprocessors and light bulbs and electrical circuits almost seem to be alive!” while just enjoying the view and waiting for the auto-land.
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Freds (sic) like this only end in bans and tears! Its apples and oranges unless you are wondering about performance in which case the PMDG is a clear winner!
For non pilots, the 737 is easier to start with than the A320. Both these add ons are superior products, so you will not go wrong if you go for only one of them.
I used to fly the 737 in RL and now I fly the 320. In RL I take the 320 over 737 any time.
Now for fun?
The Leonardo MD 80 Maddog! In realism it’s up there with PMDG and Fenix, and that is fantastic for a product that has been with us since FSX times.
NOT easy to learn, but a hoot to fly if you understand how to get it to work.
Hand flying Boeings and hand flying Airbus’ are two completely and utterly different things. They are not the same!
Pitch to 15 degrees and bank 30 degrees left and let go of the stick/yoke. In the Boeing you would need to trim the aircraft out which is a pretty major difference to start with. I promise you that when you let go of the control column / side stick the outcome of doing so will not be the same.
In my opinion in a Boeing (737 and the -400 excluded as all others have fly-by-wire) the computers are there to serve the pilot. In an Airbus the pilot is there to serve the computers. It’s just the way it is, but the same thing they are definitely not!
Hi everyone. I would like to have an opinion from those who own both the PMDG B737 and the Fenix A320. I’m very tempted to buy the Fenix, but I already own the PMDG, which I think is an excellent airplane. Aside from the differences between a Boeing and an Airbus, I would like to know if in terms of features the Fenix can add something to the flight experience of those who already fly with the PMDG. Thanks!
As you said both are great airplanes and addons. The philosophy behind both aircraft is completely different so learning the A320 after the B737 is a lot of fun. A320 is much more pilot friendly, and actually designed (instead of mashed up from different parts). The systems are there to help you. Unlike in the B737 where they’re mostly there to prove you’re stupid 
The overhead kind of makes that clear. Just compare the design of one to the other. The B737 looks like created from RadioShack parts in someone’s garage.
Both aircraft have comparable performance and capabilities, so you can do the same flights. One is 1980’s tech, the other one is mostly 1960’.
Back to the Fenix itself. Simply put, it’s basically perfect. System simulation is 99,99%, partially based on a professional trainer. Modeling and texturing are next level. Engine simulation is next level. The EFB is perfect (especially in V2), the PMDG’s one is a joke compared to it. Plus the developers are actually a friendly buch, unlike the self-important and self-obsessed PMDG ones (or at least their public representatives). Comes back a bit to Airbus vs Boeing philosophy.
With full confidence I can say that as of now Fenix is the nr 1 addon for MSFS and by a large margin.
BTW I have no idea why MS hired Ini-builds to create yet another A32x, considering they have no chance to get even close to the level Fenix is representing + there is FBW.
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