warning
Work in progress, will document here my tips and tricks for Microsoft flight simulator 2024 and xPlane 12. Computer simulation is cheap or can be expensive, but it is a tool. If you are ready to do your PPL or PPL(H), money should not be an issue.
tips
You dont need anything to enjoy Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024, you can play on a XBOX. These tips apply if you want to seriously make it close to the reality and want to use it as a tool, you need a personal computer, running Windows 11.
Total Cost of Ownership
Hardware
- 625.- Honeycomb Yoke and flight throttle management, Thrustmaster TPR rudder
- 869.- Next Level Racing® Flight Seat Pro - Optional
- 649.- Next Level Racing® Flight Stand Pro - Optional
- 1942.- PUMA X A-Style - 5th generation USB Joystick - ONLY for PPL(H) - best jostick for helicopter training - Optional
- 2785.- Computer
Software
- 52.- Microsoft Flight Simulator Aviator Edition 2024 - Microsoft discount
- 60.- Air manager v4 Desktop - Optional
- 22.- Air manager v4 iPad - Optional
- 53.- X-Plane 12
- 14.50.- Guimbal Cabri G2 helicopter model - Optional
Hardware choice
Yoke
Yoke | Product | Price |
---|---|---|
Turtle beach VélocityOne Flight Control System | 360.- CHF | |
Logitech G Saitek Pro Flight Yoke System | xxx | $115 |
Honeycomb Alpha | It was designed to meet the requirements of flight simulator users, but also of flight students and pilots. All internal components are manufactured in aviation quality and offer a realistic flight experience with realistic ergonomics. The high quality mechanics offer a realistic full 180° rotation angle for aileron control with a self-centering mechanism without dead zone. In longitudinal direction the steel shaft allows a range of motion of 15 cm. The mechanism is made entirely of metal for durability and the yoke features a switch panel with battery and alternator switch, avionics main switch and light switches. It is equipped with a red LED backlight so that it can be easily operated at night. There is also an ignition switch, as is common on piston engine aircraft. The left handle has two buttons, two 2-way hat switches and a push-to-talk button, while the right handle has two more 2-way hat switches, an 8-way panorama switch and a button. Thanks to a matching bracket, Alpha Flight Controls are compatible with both Honeycomb and Saitek products. The included driver and configuration software provides individual profile settings for different aircraft and is compatible with Windows and macOS. iPad/Android device mount for the honeycomb | New arounf 260.- CHF (got it for 160.- used but like new in the box) |
Throttle
Throttle | Product | Price |
---|---|---|
Turtle beach VélocityOne Flight Control System | 360.- CHF | |
Logitech G Saitek Pro Flight Throttle Quadrant | xxx | $66 |
Honeycomb Bravo | The thrust lever quadrant allows configurations from the single-engine small aircraft to the four-engine airliner. It supports various cockpit systems such as autopilot, annunciator panel, landing gear switch, flaps and trim. The thrust levers can be configured for single and multi-engine small aircraft with separate flap switch. For use in an airliner, a configuration with two or four thrust levers, levers for spoilers and flaps can be selected. Here the thrust reverser can also be operated. The autopilot panel includes the most common functions used in commercial and GA aircraft. The Annunciator Panel with 14 indicator lights displays the most important status and warning messages of the on-board systems. Additional functions are provided by the landing gear switch, the trim wheel and 7 freely programmable switches, so that the user does not have to use the keyboard so often. | New arounf 265.- CHF (got it for 160.- used but like new in the box) |
Rudder
Rudder | Product | Price |
---|---|---|
VelocityOne™ Rudder | 360.- CHF | |
Logitech G Saitek Pro Flight Rudder Pedals | xxx | $131 |
Thrustmaster Rudder TPR | All set for immediate liftoff: With the first rudder with a S.M.A.R.T-guide rail system (Sliding Motion on Aluminium Rail Tracks) for smooth control. System of 4 industrial aluminium slide rails for a perfect sliding movement. Two differential brake pedals: Large differential brake pedals: 25 centimeters (equivalent to shoe size 45). USB and/or proprietary RJ12 connectivity: On PC (Windows 10/8/7/Vista), works with all standard joysticks. On PC and on PS4, works and connects directly to the Thrustmaster T.Flight Hotas 4 joystick. Advanced calibration software for setting dead zones: Set the central dead zone. T.A.R.G.E.T Advanced PC Programming Software: Allows you to program the axes and differential brakes. Two differential brake pedals for optimized flying! - Large differential brake pedals: 25 centimeters (shoe size 12/45). Rounded central pivot point with central grip on the differential brake axles. Pivot point with a 15° range of motion: On an incline for intentional operation, avoiding unintentional activation when using the rudder.Stable and precise - Versatile ergonomic design, suitable for all types of flights (aerial combat, space adventure, civil flight, etc.): Removed heel support = rudder control with the ball of the foot. Mounted heel support = one hundred percent support of the foot on the pedal. | New arounf 450.- CHF (got it for 300.- used) |
3D print
- https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4554130 for iPad Air or any 11 inches tablet
- https://makerworld.com/en/models/33439 for any iPad/tablet
Stream Deck XL or + (optional)
Allow you to win time by creating shortcuts for preflight, flight. There is a lot of free and paid extension for the Stream Deck at https://flightsim.to/others/stream-deck/1
If youre on a budget you can also use a cheap tablet and Touch Portal (Android/iOS) https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=rils.apps.touchportal&hl=en
Logitech Flight panels
Saitek has been bought by Logitech, and they have nice panels:
You can find them used everywhere. The Honeycomb yoke provide already (Switch) and (Multi), the radio panel is a “nice to have”.
In Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024, you MUST manualy start the Logitech Plugin. It’s noch automatically initialising with the start of MSFS 2024. Install the driver https://download01.logi.com/web/ftp/pub/techsupport/simulation/MSFS_Plugin_x64_Software_8.0.313.0.exe and run the exe before starting flight simulator 2024. So, if you have the plug-in installed, create a shortcut on the desktop with this adress and the start arguments at the end: “C:\Program Files\Logitech\Microsoft Flight Simulator Plugin\LogiMicrosoftFlightSimulator.exe” –run –force
The Logitech driver has not been updated for Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 yet, and is limited. There is a project Spad.next that let you customize all buttons and switches, work great but require a one time payment.
Computer Software
You need:
- Somehow a powerful computer, recommended is AMD AM5 7800X3D, Radeon 7900 XTX or Nvidia Geforce RTX 4080
- Windows 11
- Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 and or Xplane 12
Simulator enviroment dilemna
You can go cheap or crazy expensive really fast.
Use real MFD
Going with physical and expensive hardware MFD!
tips
Multifunction display (MFD): Small screen (CRT or LCD) in an aircraft that can be used to display information to the pilot in numerous configurable ways. Often an MFD will be used in concert with a primary flight display.
Some MFD examples:
- https://flightsimdiy.com 500.- and up
- https://www.realsimgear.com up to 2500.-
- Thrustmaster MFD panel
- Logitech MFD panel , try to grab them second hand! (110.- to 170.-)
- DIY from thingiverse, e.g. https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:5738740
- MFD can also be build, a raspberry pi, a 3D printed enclosure and linux air player
Recommended is to use a touch panel or monitor and buy Air manager v4 ( https://www.siminnovations.com/shop/air-manager-desktop/ ) to you simulate any panel on a touch screen monitor (USB) or iPad so you can avoid buying costly MFD.
Install Air Manager on iPad (22€ iOS, 23 CHF Android) and connect XPlane or Microsoft Simulator 2024
Knobster (nice to have)
Allows you to control every wheel and button of your flight simulation software like Air Manager or Air Player Cockpit Panel, also works in VR with knobXP for xplane or knobFS for Microsoft flight simulator
https://siminnovations.com/wiki/index.php?title=KnobFS
The knobster can be build on your own but costs are really close to price asked…
Motion platform (really nice to have)
tips
Motions platform deliver all six axes of movements: heave, roll, pitch, surge, sway, and yaw. it will never be able to smulate G
- Qubic System QS-S25 https://qubicsystem.com/product/qs-s25/ 30k CHF 460kg!
- DoF Reality P6 Pro https://dofreality.com/product/racing/motion-racing-rig-6-axis-pro-p6/ 8000.- CHF
Touch display With HDMI
you may need a lot of HDMI cable and support (commercial MFD use USB port instead).
You need to use Pop Out Panel Manager (Free) or Air Manager V4
Touch display with tablet
Use either
- Air Manager v4
- simionic but may be outdated
Mixed Reality
The most immersive! You can use a free tool to define what will be rendered by the simulator and what not: you keep your physical panels visible!
You need
- Meta Quest 3
- OpenKneeBoard (Free) OpenKneeboard
Quest 3 and RTX 4080 super. I have been experimenting with Virtual Desktop and Airlink. I can run the game at a very high resolution over 3000 pixel per eye. 200 LOD in Terrain details and 140 LOD in object details. Trees in Low and the rest is medium and some high and Ultra texture. It runs fine and overall is sharp. I have to use ASW and DLSS Quality. It runs smoother in Virtual Destkop BUT not as sharp. With arilink, is the opposite. Feels not as smooth but could keep up at 36 fps with 72 Hz refresh rate. The color, contrast, and sharpness are better with Airlink. My main issue with the EFB. Is only functional if your planes have the actual EFB holder. Even that, the texts are blurry because they are too smooth. I could barely make changes on my flight plan with it WHILE flying at the same time. Some planes I have to pause it and making changes to it outside of VR.
Beyond ATC
BeyondATC is an advanced air traffic control (ATC) add-on for Microsoft Flight Simulator, designed to enhance the virtual flying experience by providing more realistic and immersive ATC interactions. Leveraging cutting-edge AI technology, it offers features such as:
- Ultra-Realistic AI Voices: Over 250 voices with regional accents from almost every country, enhancing the authenticity of communications.
- Support for IFR and VFR Flights: Accommodates both Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) and Visual Flight Rules (VFR) operations, catering to various flying preferences.
- FAA and ICAO Phraseology: Incorporates realistic phraseology developed with real air traffic controllers worldwide, ensuring authentic communication standards.
- Full SimBrief Integration: Seamless integration with SimBrief allows for streamlined flight planning and execution.
- AI Traffic Control: Manages AI traffic, providing instructions to both the user and AI-controlled aircraft, contributing to a dynamic and realistic airspace environment.
Tablet
A tablet can be really handy, but I think its best use is for charts, which you can load up from a second screen’s browser using Microsoft’s Xbox only official flight planner or the free repository at chartfox.org
Eye tracker
You can just setup a tracker system for free with an android phone, droidcam phone app and windows app, trackAl on pc, and also openTrack. Works great.
X-Plane 12
tips
X-Plane 12 is the MOST realistic simulator, and the pro version is FAA certified.
X-Plane 12 is the latest version of the X-Plane flight simulation software, developed by Laminar Research. It is a highly realistic and advanced flight simulator aimed at aviation enthusiasts, flight training, and professional pilots. X-Plane is known for its detailed physics engine, realistic aircraft behavior, and support for a wide range of hardware and plugins. Work on Windows/macOS/Linux.
Guimbal Cabri G2 helicopter in X-Plane 12
The Guimbal Cabri G2 is a two-seat helicopter designed by Bruno Guimbal and produced by Hélicoptères Guimbal (France). The G2 initial demonstrator flew in 1992 and entered commercial service in 2008. It received type certification from the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) in December 2007. In 2015 it received type certification from the FAA, and began operations in the US.
The VSKYLABS helicopters development and testing process are using the Pro Flight Trainer Puma X flight controls system as the main and standard-hardware equipment for development and testing in X-Plane by LR. An installation and setup guide, including detailed X-Plane settings recommendations for each one of the VSKYLABS helicopters is on the making, and it will be posted in each helicopter product page as well as in the VSKYLABS Support forums.
tips
The development of the VSKYLABS Guimbal Cabri G2 Project for X-Plane Flight Simulator was approved by Hélicoptères Guimbal. However, it is an independent VSKYLABS project which is not affiliated with and/or endorsed by Hélicoptères Guimbal.
https://www.vskylabs.com/p/vskylabs-cabri-g2/ $29 to $14.50
A very useful resource is CABRI-USA. In their website, the Pilot Flight Manual (“for information only” version - which may not be mandatorily updated) is available for the public.
BC Helicopters are a Canadian helicopter flight training school, operating the Cabri G2 (and other helicopters). They have a very exciting YouTube channel (called ‘Pilot Yellow’) in which they share their daily routines, flying practices and world wide adventures.
Logitech flight panels in X-Plaxe 12 with xsaitekpanels
An excellent open source project located at https://github.com/sparker256/xsaitekpanels Get the binary of the latest release here: https://forums.x-plane.org/index.php?/files/file/14646-xsaitekpanels-linwinmac/
Unpack the zip in xplane12/resources/plugins
Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024
warning
Dont buy it for now
Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 is looking great but really buggy and not recommended before end of 2025. The career mode is broken.
Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 is the next-generation installment in the Microsoft Flight Simulator series, developed by Asobo Studio and published by Microsoft. It builds on the success of Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 by introducing enhanced features, new gameplay elements, and expanded realism for virtual aviation enthusiasts. Work on Windows/Xbox only.
Logitech flight panels in Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024
You can use the official drivers for Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 in 2024! Install the old drivers, copy the dll into the new Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 plugins folder https://support.logi.com/hc/en-gb/articles/360024848713--Downloads-Flight-Instrument-Panel
Addons
- https://flightsim.to
- https://flightsim.to/news/add-ons-to-enhance-your-flight-simulator-2024-experience
- Christmas extemsion https://orbxdirect.com/product/santa-run-2024
- https://fslivetrafficliveries.com
- https://vpilot.rosscarlson.dev
If you’re flying small planes in France and want to fly patterns realistically you will know that MSFS doesn’t always give you valid landing instructions. In France every aerodrome has a VAC (Visual Approach Chart), which is published for free and are easy to find online. luse a mobile app usually called IVAC https://.play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=fr.julienroze.ivac … But there are lots of lists of them online also, eg https://www.aero-hesbaye.be/vac/vac_fr.htm
VATSIM (Virtual Air Traffic Simulation Network):
A global online network for flight simulation enthusiasts.
- Allows virtual pilots and air traffic controllers (ATC) to interact in real-time.
- Pilots use flight simulation software like Microsoft Flight Simulator or X-Plane to fly while VATSIM provides a realistic ATC experience.
- Controllers on VATSIM use radar simulation software to manage air traffic.
- Real-world-like ATC communications (via voice or text).
- A large, active community with events and training opportunities.
- Free to use. https://vatsim.net
Study materials
Near real-time analysis of general aviation accidents
Great accessories maker
- https://flyhoneycomb.com
- https://www.logitechg.com/en-ch/products/flight/
- https://virpil-controls.eu/
- https://winwingsim.com/view/