Some of the best and most popular add-ons for flight simulator are those that change the overall look of the sim world you fly in. Airport Layout Enhancement Solution (ALES) from Pyreegue Dev. Co. does that for X-Plane by replacing default textures with high quality PBR texture including runways, signs, taxiway lines, pavement and helipads. Reviewer Bruno Esperanca enjoyed the effect on older and default airports.

Files that get uploaded to our freeware library sometimes have an interesting back story. Such is the case of the C-119 Boxcar for X-Plane contributed by Michel Verheughe. It seems that he has a family history with this aircraft, as his father was the first Belgian pilot to be certified on the first Belgian C-119. This is the story of his father and this airplane.

Flying an early jetliner is a different experience from flying modern aircraft, and for those FSX or Prepar3D pilots who would like a taste, reviewer Michael Hayward recommends the Douglas DC-8 available from Aerosoft. He found that the model faithfully recreates the experience of flying a vintage jet and that flying it was an "absolute joy".

Each December we pick some of our favorite reviews and run them again as our "Gift Guide" series to give you some ideas for things flightsimmers might really like. A2A Simulations are of course well known for their outstanding general aviation aircraft, and their Accu-Sim V35B Bonanza is no exception. Available for both FSX and Prepar3D, our reviewer Ray Andersen enjoyed flying it in P3D so much that we gave it our first Award of Excellence for 2019. Ray goes into great detail on just why this plane should be added to your hangar.

The A72-500 Series is just the type of aircraft that Carenado is well known for, and a perfect regional turboprop for flightsim use. Reviewer Alex Dickinson really likes the model and enjoys flying it, though it's not quite perfect. It's an interesting plane to fly and features an excellent sound package, lots of liveries and other details.

X-Plane 11 pilots looking for a more advanced general aviation aircraft will enjoy the CT182T Skylane G1000 model available from Carenado. The Turbo Skylane is faster and higher flying than most others and features a modern G1000 glass cockpit. Reviewer Shawn Weigelt takes it for a ride and offers his report.

Author Ian Radcliffe has been doing this flightsim thing for a long time -- since 1984 and FS2 on a Commodore 64. In an effort to give something back after all these years of enjoyment, Ian has offered a series of articles that will offer hints, insights and suggestions to enrich the flight simulator experience. This first one discusses slow flight and then offers an interesting trip where you'll want to fly slow to enjoy the scenery.

Having attended X019 and actually having a chance to try an early version of the new Microsoft Flight Simulator, not to mention the chance to interview the design team at Asobo, Michael Hayward has formed some strong opinions on the upcoming flight simulator. In this op-ed he shares his thoughts, covering the history of Microsoft Flight Simulator and what the new versions means.

Creating a flight simulator aircraft requires a wide variety of skills, not least of which is making the 3D panel. In this tutorial, Gary Miloglav demonstrates his way of making 3D panels for X-Plane, a step by step approach that we hope you will find easy to follow.

While the latest add-ons are tempting, many flightsimmers are still running older computers that cannot keep up. But there's still plenty of flying fun to be had if you pick the right simulator and add-ons. This series is for you, as author Kenneth J. Kerr explores the realities of user an older computer and offers suggestions. Future articles in the series will look at specific add-ons that work great on slower machines.