This will come as a shock to some of you, I guess, but owing a flight simulator is not actually evidence that you are part of a sinister conspiracy to take over the world. I say this because I’m hearing a lot of news coverage about the missing Malaysian plane and reporters keep focusing on the fact that one of the pilots had an elaborate flight simulator set up. This is like being concerned because an attorney has a small law library at home, or a physician keeps an elaborate first aid kit in the trunk of his car. Duh.
Many, though not all, professional pilots play around with flight simulators. Some do serious work, on them, like practicing an approach to a new airport. Others write articles on navigation for the hobby like “Computer Pilot Magazine.”
Yes you can get a bit carried away with your hobby. It’s only relative financial poverty that prevents me from getting a full avionics package for my personal flight simulator.
Hopefully I will not need a license and a five day waiting period before purchasing my next flight simulator product. I admit to having played with flight simulators for years and having practiced some things I would never do in real life with them, like landing a seaplane in the Epcot lake or flying under the Brooklyn bridge.
If you’ve never tried a flight simulator, I recommend it. I’ve been a casual flight sim fan for years. Pick up a copy of Microsoft Flight Simulator for under $5.00 on Amazon. If you buy one and only one add on, get a terrain mesh, as it’s amazing the difference that having an accurate terrain map makes. (A Terrain mesh makes sure that the mountains and hills are the right height. The one that comes with the game is laughably inaccurate compared to the add ons, so Bear mountain will tend to blend in with the surrounding landscape. A good terrain mesh will fix this so mountains look like mountains). You’ll learn a lot about airplanes by flying the simulators.