I have been using simulators since 1993 when I was introduced to FS5.0, and after that I have bought all the versions that I keep as relics, including all the P3D versions.
The dream of flying comes as a child with my toy planes and I’m already 64 ( wow, how quickly life goes by) and it was Flight Simulator that encouraged me to get my pilot’s license. Today I have more than 1400 hours of real flight and I have my own aircraft, an LSA Tecnam P2008. I say this not to elevate myself, just to thank this simulator that encouraged me to make my dream come true. At the same time with this report, perhaps I can encourage other aviation lovers to make their dreams come true.
Upon learning of Microsoft’s intention to reactivate its franchise, I started to collect all the news released about the new FS and it was a year of anxiety before the launch of FS2020, as I really enjoy flying both in real and virtual. Difficult start, frustrations, simulator full of problems, but Asobo’s team is always willing to solve the errors and that gave me the confidence that our Simulator would finally be what we always dreamed of. And the trip has been like this: with each update the simulator takes a step forward (we’ve already had steps back too ) and today we can already say that the simulator is mature enough to plan a flight in a quiet and safe way. So I want to thank everyone who is in charge of this “aircraft called FS2020” for all the effort they have shown in improving our hobby and which has brought me immense pleasure.
Thank you Microsoft, Asobo and everyone who is part of this wonderful crew!
Well said my friend! I, too, have been involved in aviation and simming for a long time. I had the Sublogic Flight Simulator 2 when I was 10 years old and I was hooked. I remember how Microsoft Flight Simulator 3.0 blew my mind with it’s insane graphics and instrument panels. I would visit my local airport (KTIW) and buy up sectionals and IFR approach plates (at 11 years old…who does that? lol) and I would practice shooting ILS approaches. I learned so much about flying and navigating that by the time I began flight training, it was second nature and my instructor thought I was some kind of boy genius lol. I’m far from a genius, but I could fly an ILS approach with ease…although I never have in actual IMC as I’m not instrument rated…I digress. I eagerly awaited each new iteration of flight sim and eventually moved to X-Plane 11 when the FSX began to show it’s age. I was saddened to hear that Microsoft was closing the FS franchise…end of an era. And then, surprise! It returned. I agree that there was some bumps, and more bumps are to be expected, but from the Beta testing to where MSFS is at now, it is fantastic. I can’t wait to see where it will be at in a few years, as it takes forever to develop a sim to it’s fullest potential.
I just finished a 2300nm trip from Troutdale, OR to Lihue on the island of Kauai in the Cessna Longitude. 5+ hours without crashing (to desktop or into the virtual ocean) was a new milestone! Watching the sunset from FL45 and making a night landing on the island was breathtaking. Sorry for the wall-of-text, but your post really resonated with me and I had to share my feelings as well.
I have a Medium-High end computer and apart from teething problems that come with updates which I feel are sorted out by the developers. This simulator is brilliant they have done a wonderful job. LOVE IT
And me too - having a blast. 70+ legs into my sight-seeing round the world tour, 300+ hours of flying and 80,000Nm in. “Just” Europe to go now before heading home.
Never flight simmed before - never had a pc capable of running one! Now I can’t get enough.
What a lovely post Ricardo. Thank you for posting & I wish you many more happy hours flying
I was first introduced to flight sim with FS4. A friend gave me a copy of it on a floppy disc (but we won’t dwell on that) I was blown away by it!
The first one I bought was 5.1 & I’ve had every one since, plus many others (like Xplane… Flight Unlimited…& many more)
It was sad news when MS said they weren’t going to do anymore… so it was back to Xplane & P3D for me…, until the fantastic news of the new sim.
Back in February last year (on my birthday, would you believe!) I received an email from Microsoft…saying I had been “cleared for take off” - what they meant was that I’d been accepted as an Alpha Tester! what a birthday present! Obviously I bought the actual sim on day one & am still loving it.
Thanks again for the post & thank you Microsoft/Asobo!
MSFS2020 currently is the best simulator. Surely it have to be improved about flight model, like you i am a pilot in the real life (i have less hours of flight than you ), but for my modest opinion the simulator is very improved from its launch, 8 months ago, and Asobo and Microsoft are committed to improve it month by month, this is a very complicated work ad it is not free of issues! The last update has remarkably improved the smoothness of flight and I expect that the future releases further improve this aspect.
I flew with every simulator since 1985 and, like you, my decision to take the PPL derive from those simulators.
Currently I flight more with simulators than the real life because real flights are very expensive, but the experience with MSFS2020 is almost as exciting as the real flight.
I do not understand like some people is very critical with this simulator, maybe I am one who is satisfied with, but the pleasure of flying that MSFS gives me I can only found it in real life. I flew with Xplane 11 for years (a simulation truly well done) but I almost never have had a flight without problem. Frequent CTD, graphical issue and others made the flights almost always very difficult. With MSFS I almost never have had a problem, the flights were always perfect, here why currently I use only this simulator.
Graphically MSFS is not second to anyone. I rest very astonished when i wear my VR headset and immerge myself in the landscape. It is like the real life, in this Asobo made a miracle.
Give them time and the guys at Asobo will give us the perfect simulator we all dream, i am sure.
Thank you Asobo to give me the possibility to flight like the real and to give me constant improvements of my flight experience.
I am also enjoying the MSFS a lot. Sometimes I do get CTD, only when I change views a lot from cockpit to areal and back but otherwise everything OK . By the way what is Tech Alpha Insider?
wow, how quickly life goes by) and it was Flight Simulator that encouraged me to get my pilot’s license. Today I have more than 1400 hours of real flight and I have my own aircraft, an LSA Tecnam P2008. I say this not to elevate myself, just to thank this simulator that encouraged me to make my dream come true. At the same time with this report, perhaps I can encourage other aviation lovers to make their dreams come true.
) and today we can already say that the simulator is mature enough to plan a flight in a quiet and safe way. So I want to thank everyone who is in charge of this “aircraft called FS2020” for all the effort they have shown in improving our hobby and which has brought me immense pleasure.
), but for my modest opinion the simulator is very improved from its launch, 8 months ago, and Asobo and Microsoft are committed to improve it month by month, this is a very complicated work ad it is not free of issues! The last update has remarkably improved the smoothness of flight and I expect that the future releases further improve this aspect.