I am totally agree with the above. More than 2000 hours flying in VATSIM... it is more than a game. It is part of my live.

I make my living as an airline pilot and am quite passionate about FS. Here's my take on this contentious question.I consider FS as much a hobby as my radio-controlled planes/helis and my music. However, I also use FS as a tool in my real world flying. I don't compare it as much to real world flying as I do to the multi-million dollar simulators in which I train every six months. FS allows me to practice required procedures that I don't get to do in the real airplane, i.e., stalls, steep turns, V1 cuts, etc. I don't sweat going to the simulator like a lot of guys do because FS allows me to practice those maneuvers at home in a high-fidelity virtual version of the plane that I fly at work. The majority of other pilots at work go to sim training without the benefit of having practiced at home like I have. I get to set up the same scenarios at home that I will see in the simulator, even flying at the same airport and using the same approaches that my company uses in sim training. As far as realism goes, it is certainly as accurate as the company simulators and those that we occasionally use at Flight Safety International. With regard to comparison to real aircraft, it is certainly similar. The fact is that you cannot get the same control feedback or physical sensations that flying a real airplane provides. FS CAN prepare you for the experience and give you a jump start should you decide to pursue real world flying. I am often asked what the attraction to FS is for me when I get to fly for a living. My answer is that aside from personal enjoyment, FS allows me to fly just about any airplane that I have dreamed of flying but will likely never get to. I get to fly carrier ops in the VRS Superbug, or I can shoot an ILS approach to minimums in the PMDG 747. It also allows me to practice scenarios that I can't practice in the actual airplane (honest truth is that I'm not PRACTICING in the actual airplane), AND the biggest benefit is that it increases my situational awareness by forcing me to think outside the box that is the flat screen monitor through which I view my virtual world.Final answer? Anything that gives you relaxation and personal enjoyment/education/edification could be called a hobby. There are games and there are simulations. Microsoft Flight Simulator started life as a game but evolved into a true simulation of flight. Thanks to developers like PMDG, add-on software has turned the last couple of versions of MSFS into truly high-fidelity simulations. There will always be critics of this idea. The bottom line is that we need to be supportive of this "hobby" and encourage others to pursue it so that developers like PMDG STAY IN BUSINESS! We need for folks in this industry to do well, especially as crappy as the economy is these days!Keep the blue dots up!Terry Swindle

I'd quote you, but your post is a little lengthly. I (have no real airline experience) agree with you. You can get the time management skills down and be ready for what happens next while you are at home and the plane isn't jumping around. Then, while you are fumbling with a bouncy approach you already know what has to be done and you can focus on keeping your hand steady.

Final answer? Anything that gives you relaxation and personal enjoyment/education/edification could be called a hobby. There are games and there are simulations. Microsoft Flight Simulator started life as a game but evolved into a true simulation of flight. Thanks to developers like PMDG, add-on software has turned the last couple of versions of MSFS into truly high-fidelity simulations. There will always be critics of this idea. The bottom line is that we need to be supportive of this "hobby" and encourage others to pursue it so that developers like PMDG STAY IN BUSINESS! We need for folks in this industry to do well, especially as crappy as the economy is these days!Keep the blue dots up!Terry Swindle

I'm just thrilled this post is still going. Great post Terry, especially like the part about relaxation. Lord knows FSX is my escape. And working in the airline industry, you need frequent escapes, LOL.

I make my living as an airline pilot and am quite passionate about FS. Here's my take on this contentious question.I consider FS as much a hobby as my radio-controlled planes/helis and my music. However, I also use FS as a tool in my real world flying. I don't compare it as much to real world flying as I do to the multi-million dollar simulators in which I train every six months. FS allows me to practice required procedures that I don't get to do in the real airplane, i.e., stalls, steep turns, V1 cuts, etc. I don't sweat going to the simulator like a lot of guys do because FS allows me to practice those maneuvers at home in a high-fidelity virtual version of the plane that I fly at work. The majority of other pilots at work go to sim training without the benefit of having practiced at home like I have. I get to set up the same scenarios at home that I will see in the simulator, even flying at the same airport and using the same approaches that my company uses in sim training. As far as realism goes, it is certainly as accurate as the company simulators and those that we occasionally use at Flight Safety International. With regard to comparison to real aircraft, it is certainly similar. The fact is that you cannot get the same control feedback or physical sensations that flying a real airplane provides. FS CAN prepare you for the experience and give you a jump start should you decide to pursue real world flying. I am often asked what the attraction to FS is for me when I get to fly for a living. My answer is that aside from personal enjoyment, FS allows me to fly just about any airplane that I have dreamed of flying but will likely never get to. I get to fly carrier ops in the VRS Superbug, or I can shoot an ILS approach to minimums in the PMDG 747. It also allows me to practice scenarios that I can't practice in the actual airplane (honest truth is that I'm not PRACTICING in the actual airplane), AND the biggest benefit is that it increases my situational awareness by forcing me to think outside the box that is the flat screen monitor through which I view my virtual world.Final answer? Anything that gives you relaxation and personal enjoyment/education/edification could be called a hobby. There are games and there are simulations. Microsoft Flight Simulator started life as a game but evolved into a true simulation of flight. Thanks to developers like PMDG, add-on software has turned the last couple of versions of MSFS into truly high-fidelity simulations. There will always be critics of this idea. The bottom line is that we need to be supportive of this "hobby" and encourage others to pursue it so that developers like PMDG STAY IN BUSINESS! We need for folks in this industry to do well, especially as crappy as the economy is these days!Keep the blue dots up!Terry Swindle

I think this is an outstanding answer, and I love hearing that the simulator is as real as you can get on a computer, that speaks volumes. I cant afford to rent an aircraft but with flight sim I can fly anything and be as realistic as I want and that is the beauty of it and we need to support our developers and keep the hobby alive. I am saving up for a more powerful computer to run FSX and the 737 NGX, crazy ?, yeah but it is a great hobby and nowhere else can I get such enjoyment. I worked for Douglas on the MD-11 and this aircraft is spot on accurate and I hace over 3000 houres logged in the PMDG MD-11 and still love it.