This is just a brief review of how I use FSX these days. I wanted to share with you the fun I get from flying the wondeful Freeware aeroplanes of David Maltby, who has created, amongst others, the two planes i fly almost exclusively in FSX. I refer to the Comet 4b and Trident- two iconic British airliners from the Golden Age of British aircraft design.I hear a lot about the Payware 737s and how detailed they are and how true to RL. I haven't tried them, they seem a bit too deep for these old bones, and I must admit that they sound like they show extremely well the fullness and brilliant depth of FSX.But the Comet and Trident cannot be far behind. Each has a full Virtual cockpit, and IMHO, the only way these planes deserve to be flown is using this VC together with trackIR.This way you can be a real airline pilot - a ridiculous statement if I printed it in a daily newspaper for the general public to read- but, to an avid FSX flight simulator user, as you are( else you wouldn't be reading this forum-lol ),you know what I mean!!I can sit in the cockpit of either of those planes and fly from departure to destination on full IFR without using One popup. Or any extra hardware box with dials for altitude etc, etc.No, I stick to everything within the cockpit. I can use the mouse to click on every switch in the VC that I need to complete the flight, using autopilot, that a real pilot would click or turn. The mouse switches are situated where the real pilot would find the real switches for AP, pitch, turn etc.And it's not a case of dialling in number , like the default 737, - no, you have to watch your height and level off using the correct switches situated as in RL for example.. The only concessions to real is the comms. I use the FSX default ATC, so pressing figures 1 through 3 gets used quite a bit.But other than that-it's the real instruments throughout.I do occasionally sneak to the outside view when taking off maybe, to see the wonderful steep climb with smoke belching from the engines, etc,but other than that, it's sitting in the Captain's seat all the way.And you have to get it right- else you crash!For those of you who want realism with a little British nostalgia, when we were good, I urge you to investigate these planes.They are Freeware, they are very realistic, and they may have been unknown to you.You'll find them here http://www.dmflightsim.co.uk/dh106_comet.htm And there is a forum!To those of you flyers who shy away from airliners on the basis that a decent flight of any length requires too long at the computer, it is very easy to fly, say England to America in half hour!Just take off to cruise height, click World/map and then move the little black plane along the flightplan path to near the destination.Then return to FSX flying , bring up ATC, click nearest airport that comes up, and if flying IFR, then option 3 is usually the one to take up your original IFR plan to your destination.Then you follow instructions and land. Having cut out the big boring middle bit!The sense of achievement in putting one of those big blighters on the centre line and taxiing to the gates is great!

A very interesting post. one question, I just checked out the link and it states the Comet and Trident are for FS2004. Will they work in FSX?

Yes, extremely well. The install instructions for FSX are clear and there is a small edit needed to show the engines "smoke", if you want to show that, but it is well described and easy to do.Actually, I have never flown them in FS9!