Believe it or not, I have been a Flight Sim Enthusiast and player ever since the days of Flight Unlimited 3, Fly!2k and of course, Flight Simulator 2000. And I must say, I loved the relaxed voice in Flight Unlimited 3 compared to the more stronger and direct voice that Rod Machado has (i.e. no puns intended). They both have inspired my enthusiasm for flight sims. And yes, both have even helped for a slight training I had in a Cessna Skyhawk!
Microsoft's Flight Simulator series has been an enjoyable experience for me. I have tried 2002, and even the 2004 Centuries of Flight. This, however, excludes the current 2020 version, but from reading and watching videos it seems to have great "eye candy" (i.e. personally, I would rather wait for more current hardware).
There has been a gap in time where I haven't gotten back into flight sims for years due to my busy life. However, now that I have more time, I recently had gotten back into FSX, the Gold edition. With the computer system I have now, I can now use any add-ons without a scratch and it doesn't drain as much as it used to on an older system! In fact, I have it on Ultra heavy settings and still get a great experience out of it.
X-Plane 11 is also something I recently purchased. Every article I have read said that X-Plane is the best when it comes to realism. However, can't the same be achieved with the right add-ons?
And finally, the other great thing about FSX is that you can specify "Easy" to "Hard" settings in your flight training experience. In fact, I add an extra challenge by enabling my rudder pedals with each lesson!
Later, I intend to try the planes out in X-Plane for ultimate realism, according to what article writers have said.
So, in essence, I use FSX for the lessons and enjoyment, and I even bought and use several add-ons that go nicely well with it! I intend to try out the same in X-Plane 11.
P.S. I have considered trying out the recent Prepar3d, however my current system wouldn't be able to handle it! The next time I upgrade I will try it! It seems to be an "improved FSX," from what I've seen and read.
