Unlike computer games, flight simulators do not have a set path or goal so users have to figure out for themselves what to do with their sims. There are many answers to this, such as joining a virtual airline and in this presentation Sherman Kaplan presents a set of float plane flights the he and friends at DC3 Airways have developed. If you like wilderness flying and landing on water this just may be for you.

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.

Flight simulation and aviation are filled with specialized language and abbreviations that are confusing to the beginner and hard to keep up with even for the more advanced sim pilot. In this article Paul Mort helps to clear up the confusion by offering definitions of a wide range of sim and flight lingo. Take a look and see how much you know. Confused by a term that's not included? Leave a comment with your questions.

Sound is a part of flight experience that is sometimes overlooked, but it adds an important extra dimension to the realisim that we all seek. For nearly twenty years Aaron Swindle (Skysong Soundworks) has been supplying the flight simulator community with improved sounds. In this article he discusses various aspects of audio and how it applies to flight simulation, from the early days of basic loops to the complex sounds cones of today.

The team at FlightSim.Com, would like to present a list of add-ons which we feel represent some of the best of 2018. These are our own personal picks, in consultation with our reviewers but we feel that while we may have missed other worthy add-ons all of these represent some of the best available for FSX, Prepar3D and X-Plane.

Ever want to share your flightsimming experience with others? Twitch.tv lets anyone live stream video and it has become very popular with gamers. In this interview, Wycliffe Barrett explains how it all works and how he uses it as part of his XPlane Dedicated services.

Allan Jones continues his Fly & Deliver series with the story of Hazel Raines, a young American pilot flying Air Transport Auxiliary missions in England. Like previous articles, in addition to the story a flight is presented that you can fly yourself with your simulator of choice.

X-Plane goes beyond flight simulation for some people. Judy Rice starts her series of case study articles off by telling us a bit about X-Plane author Austin Meyer and the product but then shows us how X-Plane is being used by the pros. Long-time pilot Fenton Robb, and Jan Vogel, captain for a major European airline, share their views on X-Plane and how and why they use it today.

Bastian Bechtold offers a report on realism in flight simulations, including both Microsoft Flight Simulator and X-Plane. All areas are discussed, including visuals, flight models, controls and feedback. What did he find? Read all about it here and then try it for yourself.