New to flightsim

Hi all,

Sorry for the basic post here:

I'm new to flightsim and I have some questions. I have FSX Deluxe Edition sitting in a draw for sometime now. The computer I had was not geared for FS so I never really got into it. I recently purchased a new computer that has a nice amount of horsepower and graphics capability. I don't have all the specs handy, but tt's considered a gaming computer.

So here are the questions I have:

1. I am a private pilot and I have not flown in a long time. I would like to use FS to get reacquainted with flying before I start flying with an instructor. With this in mind, are there any suggestions right off the bat that I should follow in order to get the most realistic experience possible?

2. I have no idea what the Steam version is. Should I care?

3. I fly in the Northeast (Long Island)...is there a must-have add-on that I should install?

4. I will be flying a C-172. Is there a must-have add-on to make the C-172 more realistic?

4. I have a 250GB SSD in this new computer. Should I install FS on this drive or should I install it on my secondary 1TB standard drive? I know the basic program will fit but I am concerned that I might run out of room as I add things.

5. What is VATSIM all about? It seems like having actual live ATC would really allow for a realistic experience. Do most people on here also do the VATSIM thing?

Any other recommendations would be great based on what I am trying to get out of FS.

Thanks,

Pete (Long Island, NY)

Welcome aboard! Sit down and fasten your seatbelt!;)

1. The most realistic experience will come with payware/freeware addons for FSX like aircraft, airports and scenery in general, especially if you are a GA flyer.

2. The FXS-Steam Edition is a relaunch of FSX with Acceleration and some minor tweaks applied. I would start with what you already have.

3. There are many addons for the Northeast Long Giland included! (see, I know how it's pronounced!).

4. The A2A C-172 is probably the best out there for realism.

5. (you had 2 #4s) If I was installing it, I would have FSX on the SSD and Windows on the HDD.

6. I don't use VATSIM but others do and most love it! You actually talk to a controller using SKYPE. It's also frre to join.

Other recommendations would be to look into ORBX scenery. I have some of their freeware versions and it's great!

Peterac, Firstly your FSX Deluxe edition is old hat, so if I were you I'd buy SE (Steam Edition), it's currently only 3.99 GB pounds (6 US dollars) in their New Year Sale til Jan 4th..:)

http://store.steampowered.com/app/314160/

For the record, FSX was released in 3 editions around 2006, namely Standard, Deluxe, and Gold.

Around 2014 Steam Edition was released

Forget Standard and Deluxe, they're old hat.

Gold has got everything that Standard and Deluxe have got, PLUS the Acceleration pack.

SE is same as Gold but with a few performance-enhancing tweaks so SE is the logical choice to go for.

Secondly- regardless of whether you decide to stick with your Deluxe or buy SE, DON'T rush into buying any addons until you've got used to the sim, as many fresh-faced innocent newcomers often come to grief after installing an addon because it can be tricky.

FSX is beautiful straight out of the box, so treat her like a gorgeous new ladyfriend and don't pressure her into wearing a Wonder Woman outfit until you've at least got to know her after a few weeks or months or she might throw a tantrum and smack you round the kisser and go huffy. (I speak from experience)..;)

Peterac, Firstly your FSX Deluxe edition is old hat, so if I were you I'd buy SE (Steam Edition), it's currently only 3.99 GB pounds (6 US dollars) in their New Year Sale til Jan 4th..:)

 

http://store.steampowered.com/app/314160/

 

For the record, FSX was released in 3 editions around 2006, namely Standard, Deluxe, and Gold.

Around 2014 Steam Edition was released

Forget Standard and Deluxe, they're old hat.

Gold has got everything that Standard and Deluxe have got, PLUS the Acceleration pack.

SE is same as Gold but with a few performance-enhancing tweaks so SE is the logical choice to go for.

 

Secondly- regardless of whether you decide to stick with your Deluxe or buy SE, DON'T rush into buying any addons until you've got used to the sim, as many fresh-faced innocent newcomers often come to grief after installing an addon because it can be tricky.

FSX is beautiful straight out of the box, so treat her like a gorgeous new ladyfriend and don't pressure her into wearing a Wonder Woman outfit until you've at least got to know her after a few weeks or months or she might throw a tantrum and smack you round the kisser and go huffy. (I speak from experience)..;)

I agree with Scatterbain in every suggestion but the need for Steam, at least to start off. I have nothing against Steam based games except I don't want to have to log in every time I fire my game/s up. I consider it no one's business. Which BTW is also another reason I don't have win 10. I don't want to have my computer accessed without my permission or knowledge. Think it can't or won't happen? Read the disclaimers for Win 10. It can. Will it? Who knows, nor will you likely know if it is happening anyway.

As to your "gaming" computer. FSX is CPU based. Your biggest restraint while using FSX or FSX SE will be how fast your CPU core clock is in native mode. Most "gaming" computers I looked at have fairly slow clock speed, but multiple core CPUS. And most have very nice GPUS. So sadly for good FSX users, a newer "gaming" type computer typically has exactly the opposite of the hardware that will help your FSX experience.

If you decide you're not getting enough response out of your game, upgrade the CPU to a higher clock speed. However I wouldn't change any hardware for quite some time! For one thing, it'll take you some time using FSX before you'll even now if you would gain anything from a hardware upgrade anyways.

However, should you ever decide to upgrade your hardware remember, CPU clock speed is almost always the reason people are dissatisfied with their FSX experience.

...before I start flying with an instructor.

There is an IP included in the Learning Center part of FSX. From what I've heard, and I've never utilized the Learning Center myself, he's a real weiner, but a decent IP. Thus, you can work with an AI IP any time you like.

I would like to use FS to get reacquainted with flying...

May I sugggest getting a good quality yoke/pedal set. It will make your learning a bit easier, and the plane more familiar, rather than a joystick with a twist rudder.

You will also need Pete Dowson's FSUIPC. It's an interface between the Sim and things like yokes, pedals, realtime weather software, etc etc. A limited version is freeware, althugh fully capable of being hte interface you need for nearly anything, but you can pay a small 1 time fee for the full functionality. Lotsa goodies. For what you want to do, though, the freeware is more than adequate.

Steam is, as has been mentioned, a recently released FSX version, with all the goodies, like Acceleration, Gold, etc, plus a number of tweaks to make it run better/stronger/faster. It was released 1 Jan 2014. I know, that's the day I bought into it. By the start of the 3rd, Mr. Dowson had a FSUIPC released compatible with Steam. Great guy, Mr. Dowson.

...is there a must-have add-on that I should install?

For what you want to do, personally, I don't think any scenery add-ons are really NECESSARY. They may make the eye-candy more fun to fly around looking at, but for just getting back into "it", as it were, the default FSX stuff is more than adequate. Again, IN MY OPINION.

I will defer to Mr. Zippy on the plane suggestion. Maybe that IS the best plane. Payware does tend to have better flight dynamics and systems modeling, overall, with some exceptions.

In MY opinion, again, you should put FS on the SSD and Windows, etc on the "normal" hard drive. If you can, put your PageFile on another drive than the drive containing Windows. Like on the SSD, for example. The neat trick is, once you DO start adding more and more sceneries (and you will :D ), you can put them over on the "Normal" HD, so you don't have to fill up the SSD with them. The add-on airplanes have to go on the drive with the rest of the FS, but you can put sceneries wherever you like.

I, personally, have never used VATSIM, but I understand it provides you with real "humans" (supposedly :) ) to function as ATC's for you via SKYPE, rather than using the AI ATCs included in FSX, which are really pretty dumb. If you want "realistic", VATSIM is about as good as it gets, as far as ATC's go.

Hope that all helps a little bit...

Pat☺

I agree with Scatterbain in every suggestion but the need for Steam, at least to start off. I have nothing against Steam based games except I don't want to have to log in every time I fire my game/s up..

I bought a bunch of games from Steam, and with some there's an option to play in offline mode, but I don't care one way or the other whether I'm connected to the net while I play them. The advantage of being connected is that your games will automatically be updated with new patches etc to keep you right up to the minute. (But you can choose the "update later" option if you like)

Incidentally I haven't got FSX:SE, I've got FSX Gold on 8-year-old disks and they work fine but if ever I lose them or a pitbull chews them up i'll simply buy SE..:)

Hi all,

 

Sorry for the basic post here:

 

I'm new to flightsim and I have some questions. I have FSX Deluxe Edition sitting in a draw for sometime now. The computer I had was not geared for FS so I never really got into it. I recently purchased a new computer that has a nice amount of horsepower and graphics capability. I don't have all the specs handy, but tt's considered a gaming computer.

 

So here are the questions I have:

 

1. I am a private pilot and I have not flown in a long time. I would like to use FS to get reacquainted with flying before I start flying with an instructor. With this in mind, are there any suggestions right off the bat that I should follow in order to get the most realistic experience possible?

 

2. I have no idea what the Steam version is. Should I care?

 

3. I fly in the Northeast (Long Island)...is there a must-have add-on that I should install?

 

4. I will be flying a C-172. Is there a must-have add-on to make the C-172 more realistic?

 

4. I have a 250GB SSD in this new computer. Should I install FS on this drive or should I install it on my secondary 1TB standard drive? I know the basic program will fit but I am concerned that I might run out of room as I add things.

 

5. What is VATSIM all about? It seems like having actual live ATC would really allow for a realistic experience. Do most people on here also do the VATSIM thing?

 

Any other recommendations would be great based on what I am trying to get out of FS.

 

Thanks,

Pete (Long Island, NY)

Hi Pete!

Learning to fly?

Not discrediting or mocking anyone else, but if your serious about getting relicensed don't mess around with FSX-Gold or FSX-SE if you want accreditation for Simulator time.

The program you should invest in is:

Prepar3D "Academic"

Prepar3D Website:

http://prepar3d.com/

Version 2.5/3/3.1 required

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Here are some books that you will need to get recertifided:

Airplane Flying Handbook: ASA FAA-H-8083-3A (FAA Handbooks series)

Instrument Procedures Handbook: ASA FAA-H-8083-16A (FAA Handbooks series)

Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge: FAA-H-8083-25A (FAA Handbooks series)

The Pilot's Manual: Ground School: All the aeronautical knowledge required to pass the FAA exams and operate as a Private and Commercial Pilot (The Pilot's Manual Series)

Pilot's Radio Communications Handbook Sixth Edition

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List of Simulation partners and schools that have direct partnership with Prepar3D

Prepar3D Developer Network Partner:

A2A Simulations Air Vehicles Developer:

Aerosift Air Vehicles, Airports, Environment, Terrain, Tools Developer:

Alabeo Air Vehicles Developer:

Bihrle Applied Research Simulation Analysis and Development Tools Developer:

Captain Sim Flight Simulation Software Air Vehicles Developer:

Carenado Air Vehicles Developer:

Distributive Military Simulators LLC Military Simulation Devices Developer:

Elite Simulation Solutions Training Devices, Training Software Developer:

Engineering Support Personnel, Inc. Engineering and Simulation Support and Services Developer:

Flight1 Aviation Technologies Air Vehicles, Gauges, Tools Developer :

Flightbeam Studios Airports Developer :

Fly Tampa Airports Developer :

FSFlyingSchool Flight Instruction Developer :

HiFi Technologies Weather Engine, Weather Radar Developer :

India India Alpha Foxtrot Echo Air Vehicles Developer :

Iris Dynamics Ltd. Control Loading Simulator Hardware Developer :

IRIS Flight Simulation Software Air Vehicles Developer :

Just Flight Air Vehicles Developer :

LatinVFR Airports Developer :

Lionheart Creations Air Vehicles Developer :

Majestic Software Air Vehicles Developer :

Milviz Flight Simulations Air Vehicles Developer

National Flight Academy Immersive Learning Experiences Developer

Opus Software Ltd. Weather Engine, Camera Controls, Networked Views Developer :

Orbx Airports, Scenery, Terrain, Vector Data Developer :

PILOT’s Vector Data, Weather Engine Developer :

PilotEdge Live Air Traffic Control Services Developer :

PMDG Simulations Air Vehicles Developer :

Razbam – Quality Aircraft for Flight Simulations Air Vehicles Developer :

Redbird Flight Simulations Training Devices Developer :

REX Game Studios Environment, Gauges, Radar, Weather Developer :

Ryan Aerospace Training Devices Developer :

Saitek Flight Simulation Hardware and Panels Developer :

Sim-Industries Flight Simulators, Training Devices Developer :

Six Degrees of Simulation, Inc. Engineering and Simulation Support and Services Developer :

TEQGames Immersive Learning Experiences Developer :

True Course Simulations Flight Simulation Training Developer :

Wilco Publishing Air Vehicles Developer :

Xtreme Prototypes, Inc. Air Vehicles Developer :

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Hardware required for proper credit:

Saitek or better:

Yoke, Pedals, and Throttles

Prepar3D is the only platform recognized by the FAA for licensing and recertification

Respectfully:

David...

YouTube Channel: "David Robles FSX"