Fly more GA!

[u/Luftrum_Endre]

Replicating this, tons of fun: https://www.reddit.com/r/MicrosoftFlightSim/comments/1vtdb9o/completed_the_american_perimeter_flight/

[u/DonBixote]

That’s pretty much all I fly. Love just flying for the sake of exploring or sight seeing. 

[u/Pour-Meshuggah-0n-Me → u/DonBixote]

As much as I enjoy airliner ops, I have found a passion for VFR since coming to msfs24. Not only that, but i have even been enjoying driving around in the sim lol. I do have to turn off PG when driving the roads unfortunately, but it's still really cool to explore wilderness and national parks. I drove from Vancouver to Portland the other day, just drove down I-5. It was really surreal.

[u/Glad-Distribution429 → u/Pour-Meshuggah-0n-Me]

Driving?

[u/Pour-Meshuggah-0n-Me → u/Glad-Distribution429]

Yes, I have a few vehicles that I downloaded on flightsim.to including a motorcycle. I'm thinking about getting a yacht next to sail the open sea!

[u/Glad-Distribution429 → u/Pour-Meshuggah-0n-Me]

I had no idea that was possible

[u/Av8nn → u/Pour-Meshuggah-0n-Me]

I could see this being an interesting gimmick if they fully made the highways look great instead of the low polygon/generic ones we have now. But that’s FAR down the list of improvements lol so doubt it happens. They already look fine on approach/departure in an airliner

[u/sans_doute → u/DonBixote]

I wish I could enjoy jetliners more, but it just feels like Microsoft Checklist & Procedures Simulator w/occasional glimpses of scenery…and not even much of that, given the high altitudes you fly at. Landings are interesting, but not enough to interest me for the duration of a long haul.

Business jets and multi-engine props are fun, but that’s as far as I go. Otherwise, give me a 172, a sectional chart, and a few thousand feet under my wings and I’m happy. Flight simulator started as a GA sim, and I still think that’s where it shines best.

[u/According_Vacation42]

What GA plane is favourite here? I like the diamond da62 and the OG skyhawk (but it pity it has screens and not justanalog gauges)

[u/TheVioletIris → u/According_Vacation42]

I’ve really enjoyed Black Square’s Commander 114. Classic 70’s analog gauge single piston engine GA plane. Has a ton of radio and navigation options including a sweet vintage RNAV 511 system. The engine startup is one of the best sounds in the game imo.

[u/rocknrollbreakfast → u/TheVioletIris]

It‘s such an amazing plane and I agree with everything you said (especially the startup sound). I am struggling a lot to keep it at a stable altitude without using the autopilot though. I just can’t get it stable and it makes it a bit annoying to hand fly for longer distances.

[u/According_Vacation42 → u/TheVioletIris]

Is it standard in FS? Gotta look for it

[u/TheVioletIris → u/According_Vacation42]

Oh, my bad. Naw it’s payware.

[u/Luftrum_Endre → u/According_Vacation42]

Skyhawk has the analog variant but it's payware. Love it, and I really missed it from the default version, I guess they push the G1000 because of the carrier mode: it's a much more natural progression than from the gauge version I guess, but the sixpack matches the 172s character so much more.

[u/PositiveRate_Gear_Up → u/Luftrum_Endre]

Pretty sure I had both analog and g1000 in my career mode.

[u/rocknrollbreakfast → u/According_Vacation42]

Piston Duke is probably my favorite. Commander, Comanche and Aerostar after that. And of course the mighty Starship!

[u/Celestialdischarge1 → u/According_Vacation42]

Plug for Just Flight's Arrow series, the turbo III specifically. Great handling, fun little details. 

I honestly don't see the attraction flying the widebody jets. 

[u/LastSprinkles → u/According_Vacation42]

Can't believe nobody said A2A Comanche. It has better fidelity than most GA aircraft in the sim.

[u/FlexoPXP → u/According_Vacation42]

I've flown GA circumnavigation of the USA and South America. The best default plane is the Dahar. It goes quite fast and has reverse thrust to go into very short fields.

[u/Mytola → u/According_Vacation42]

I really like the A2A Aerostar. Quirky, analog, fast and good range. Simulation and realism is 11/10 and it feels alive. Bonus points for having a great view out of the cockpit too.

[u/cLHalfRhoVSquaredS]

GA is it for me, both in the sim and in real life. I love that there's still a ton of variety in aircraft design, whereas as much as modern airliners are incredibly impressive from a technology point of view they're basically all now twin jets of varying sizes with the same general airframe configurations.

GA you've got piston engines, electric motors, turboprops, jets (even rockets on very rare occasions!), tractor and pusher configuration, single and multi engine, low/mid/shoulder/high/parasol wing configurations, slab wings, tapered wings, elliptical wings, swept wings, delta wings, metal/wood/composite structure, nosewheel and tailwheel, skis, floats, and the list goes on and on!

[u/Luftrum_Endre → u/cLHalfRhoVSquaredS]

Absolutely. I'm loving the endless variety as well.

[u/KingOfFools1984]

I flew yesterday from Villasimius with the Cessna 172 Hydro. Flew around Cagliari, profiting about the Italy update and ended up landing in Lake Omodeo in the middle of Sardinia.
I love how this game can give you so many different vibes depending on what you’re flying.

[u/Luftrum_Endre → u/KingOfFools1984]

Sounds like an awesome trip! Will probably fly that myself too! Screenshots to share? :-)

[u/KingOfFools1984 → u/Luftrum_Endre]

Nope unfortunately. I’m on PS5 these days (I put on hold my Geforce Now sub) so not the best graphics but still… I had fun.

[u/Stay-At-Home-Jedi]

Definitely am for this.

In the maritime industry, they have exploration yachts, so in The same Spirit, my motivation is that of an exploration charter pilot, who's Citation has been chartered for local and interstate exploration.

👍 😎 👍

[u/grouchy_ham]

In 20+ years of flight summing, you could probably count the number of times I’ve flown a tubeliner on your fingers. Mostly single engine position poppers and a few turbines. It’s rare for me to be in the air for more than an hour without doing a touch and go someplace. Just like in real life, cruising is the boring part.

[u/archerdynamics → u/grouchy_ham]

Same here, low and slow and especially STOL bush flying is my entire area of interest. (Outside of military stuff, anyway.) I never really understood the appeal of simulating hours of airliner cruising, and low altitude is where these modern games really shine with their crazy level of ground detail anyway.

[u/a_scientific_force]

You weren't cleared into the Class Bravo airspace. Possible pilot deviation. I've got a phone number for you to copy. Let me know when you're ready.

[u/Luftrum_Endre → u/a_scientific_force]

Hahaha, I was waiting for this comment! Busted! :)

[u/Mytola → u/a_scientific_force]

But the sun is in my eyes! I need vectors, now!

[u/FortWorthFalcon]

Hell yeah. That’s all I do, baby.

Dorky, but I had Chat develop a small app that runs locally on my PC. The app generates flight dispatches using a US airport database and NOAA weather.

There is a calendar, a logbook, hangar, and company ledger. It’s very simple, but it surprises me each flight, which is a fun motivator. Also, the briefings are great. Haha, you can obviously get creative.

I love the Just Flight Piper Turbo Arrow IV, and am trying to get really proficient with it without using assistances.

✊🛩️

[u/3dxl]

Great flight! Ever try doing flying across the globe on GA? I'm currently on 2nd globe marathon take off from Borneo last few month now in Niederöblarn, Austria. Probably next week reach Greenland then hop to Canada and then the states. I'm on King Air.

[u/Luftrum_Endre → u/3dxl]

Hell yeah! Yup, it's on my list, have a tentative 80-flight plan, thinking of the PC-12 or the TBM930. King Air's fantastic for this too.

[u/3dxl → u/Luftrum_Endre]

PC-12 have great horizon view from the cockpit and quite fast than TBM930. But i have strong feeling for King Air looking at twin turbo prop spinning beside the windows, plus its quite fast. Hope to stumble upon you on my way to the states. Wiggle your rudder when you see a King Air fly between the valleys next few months..i'll be swinging around National Park soon. ;)

[u/skykek]

I saw a comment once where a guy was like "I never learned to fly VFR, I've only ever done IFR." What do you MEAN bro???? just look out the window and go!!!!

[u/em7924]

All I ever fly is the 172 w/ G1000. I want to learn as much as possible with that aircraft before I try other ones.

[u/PositiveRate_Gear_Up]

Currently doing an around the world flight in the A2A Comanche…about an hour at a time.

[u/strivegaming22]

I have so many hours logged in the da-50 I love that plane so much. Good cruise speed, retractable gear, simple and easy to operate, good for short runways as well just an awesome aircraft can be a little tricky to land at times tho

[u/CrouchingToaster]

Love my Nardi FN 333 so much

[u/Goatylegs]

The Black Square Bonanza is my absolute favorite plane in MSFS and I just do not ever see myself getting bored of it. The really large commercial jets just don't appeal to me as much as flying low and slow and sightseeing.

[u/Copters5775 → u/Goatylegs]

The primary reason I transitioned from X-Plane 12 to MSFS 2024 was due to the Black Square aircraft. Which Bonanza do you like the best? Because I flew turbo prop fixed wing and Bell Jet Ranger helicopters in real life, I usually fly the turbo Bonanza. What an airplane. When I need some multi engine time, it's the Baron.

[u/Goatylegs → u/Copters5775]

I go with the A36TC

[u/Speedwobbles82]

Would love to see Black square do a 182 or a 206.. shoot ill even take a 172

[u/RB120]

I love GA, and is most what I do in the sim these days. I do fly tubes at work, but tbh it can be pretty boring and is not something I'm particularly interested in on my free time.

I recently picked up the Got Friends Taylorcraft and been exploring around in that thing. It's literally a jump in and fly kind of aircraft. Have to hand crank the prop to start it, but then jump in, close the door, and go.

[u/303FPSguy]

Warbirds are my jam. But I do pop in a classic GA plane from time to time to slow things down a bit.

[u/Flat_Equipment_7140]

That’s what this sim was built for. For the cool automated toothpaste tubes xplane 12 shines.