I love the in depth systems that 3rd party developers include. I’m getting a bit bored with standard GA flying, having started with glass instruments and learned my way around gauges. I’m looking for a new challenge in airliners (not biz jets). I purchased the BAE 146 as I love it’s looks and look forward to mastering it one day. I’ve been doing the tutorial it came with but I realized I may need something a bit easier to work through outside of MSFS defaults. Any aircraft come to mind? Again, I really want something with a high skill ceiling to work towards, so I’m leaning towards 3rd party planes… I just want something a bit more streamlined versus the 146 as I learn.
Pretty much just familiarity with new systems - like APU, hydraulics - all the elements I never experienced managing with my small planes. I was hoping to work my way into these types of crafts with systems that are a bit more forgiving or automated, but maybe it’s best I just bite the bullet and learn the hard way.
To be honest I think with practice you’ll get the hang of it. In most cases once the engines are running and the hydraulics switched on it just works. Its probably one of the simpler jets that don’t you glass cockpits (which i personally find dull).
If you can get the hang of it, the likes of the MD80 and other classics will be great fun and relatively easy to pick up.
The current crop of airliners in the sim are mostly touch screen type. Theres a couple of other good ones on the way though.
As a half way house something like the BN2 or DHC Twotter might be good fun.
I know you mentioned no BizJets but the WT CJ4 is a good interim plane if you havent tried it yet. No ASU or hydraulics to worry about, but it does get you use to FMC use and managing an aircraft during long ascents and descents.
Beyond that, the easiest of all airliners has to be either the FBW or Fenix A320 currently (the Fenix for nearly full fidelity). The automation in the A320 just makes it an easier plane to fly, while still requiring a solid understanding of its systems.
Just try the FBW a32nx first, airbus have great automatic systems and it’s pretty high quality with what I would say pretty close to study level in normal operations.
FBW all the way… It’s basically like a Xbox, plug and play almost… Where as the BAe and 737 is more like a sega master system.. you had to tune it into your tv..
But keep with the BAe, watch the three or four part JF video that they did, it helped me immensely and I’m not exactly the best with memory but if you have a casting ability, just cast and follow a few times and you will be sweet as a nut, just make sure you download my nav map for VOR to VOR vectoring and along with a navigraph account, in fact, all planes that you want to get the most out of you really need a navigraph account.
You will get so much satisfaction from the ol girl than the other “plug and play, go do the grocery shopping” aircraft…
And next step up in a progression might be the Longitude, uses Garmin G3000 avionics and for me, was easy to transition into. Still not ready for airliners, but working in that direction.
Airliners are not so much more of a challenge than GA Aircraft. Not only Airbus, but also Boeing, although Airbus has been much more consistent with their cockpit-interface. Start with YT-videos. You don’t have to search for that specific plane in MSFS, although for the FBW A320N the documentation and videos are abundant and of high quality. Very recommended! Very good YouTube-vids for the A320 are the series from Reflected Reality Simulations (FF A320Ultimate for XP). And if you want to learn the B737, try the Zibo videos). Avoid the ‘mam-look-at-me’-videos, where people just try to show-off (and break virtually every procedure in the process) You’ll be amazed how quick you can learn from these videos.
Only as of recent I could not even start the a320 or 737 from cold and dark. I still use a checklist but I can now power the Fenix a320 up with my eyes closed.
A320 is easy to grasp.
The 146 is easy as far as airliners go, honestly. The FMS is the complicated part of an airliner, and the 320s is somewhat intimidating even to me, and it’s an area I’ve worked in… I can get it started & following a route without referring to checklists or guides ( and I’ve flown the fbw one three times! ), but there’s so much more to it. For overhead button pushing just follow the checklsts ( and in the 146, ignoring the DC pump test ) and you’ll learn them fast.
I’d point at the CRJ too as it’s also very simple, but until their promised update arrives I can’t really recommend people get it.
Not sure why you would want an “easy” airliner. To me the whole point of an airliner is to learn its systems and to make everything work as it should from startup to shutdown. If you don’t enjoy the learning process you are probably not going to enjoy airliner flying.
If you are looking for a great airliner, get the PMDG 737. There are tons of tutorial videos out there, you just have to put in the hours to study them and then implement what you learned into the sim.
The free FBW A320 is also great but I prefer the 737. The layout of the cockpit and the location of switches and buttons are much more logical to me.
I guess the paradigm of flying an airline, isn’t about how to fly the airliner. But learn how the systems of an airliner work, so that you can program the aircraft what to do and how to do them so it can fly the plane for you.
It’s not more complicated, per se… It’s just a “different” kind of skillset needed and different learning. I’ve been able to fly A320 in the sim into Paro airport and to any destination you want me to fly to.. But give me a Cessna 172, and I will drop the plane out of the sky in 10 seconds… I just know how to fly an airline, but I don’t know anything about flying GA.
I tend to agree to an extent, I know you fly the FBW A320 neo as your
main aircraft and you mentioned you have the Fenix CEO too
I love the FBW A320 Neo but I prefer the PMDG 737-700 , I had the PMDG 737-800/900 series in FSX which I loved
The difference for me is that I love to fly the Boeing on an ILS approach but disconnect AP and auto throttle say 6 miles out, flying like that with a bit of a cross wind is a fun challenge but each to their own
Still love the FBW and their VNAV integration, they are certainly getting there, cannot comment on the Fenix CEO as I don’t have it
But for me PMDG is my fave, still learning things now and been flying it on both platforms
what i ment was little nav map