As a real life Pilot I have to say I'm enjoying Flight. I was one of the many hard core simmers that was opposed to the concept because the whole world wasn't modeled and third party developers were cut out. After using it I'm seeing less of a game and more of a budding sim in the making. It's all up to Microsoft in where they take this effort but judging by the work they've put into the aircraft in this sim I'm very hopeful. The smartest thing they could do for starters is create areas where GA is a fundamental way of life. The Fjords area of Alaska (I know I keep saying it) would be genius to add next as DLC. A DLC that offered what FSAddon's FSCargo brings to FSX/FS9 makes the whole area of Alaska a game within itself. Flying cargo from places like Ketchikan to various remote cabins is a blast. Microsoft could add a few sea planes and cargo haulers that would satisfy many simmers. They cloud get a patient from Alaska Airlines so one could fly the route from Seattle all the way up the Forges area to Anchorage. Hawaiian airlines could be made available for flights within the Hawaiian Islands. Tahiti could be modeled for it's amazing Island chain with an A330-340 offered for flights from Hawaii to Papeete. Heck before it's all said and done do the right thing and model the whole world and include third party developers. There's allot of ways Microsoft could go here and I'm optimistic after using Flight. Flight is fun and looks amazing and at the end of the day works out the box without tweaking (that did it for me after years of watching the fiasco with FSX that kept me using FS9). The specks posted is what is actually required to run the sim, tell me the last time anyone seen that from Microsoft. I could see a bright future with Flight because the core engine is so solid.It's true as a real GA pilot in the real world Flight captures what we all go up on the weekends for. The way the various models feel when landing is spot on. May the boys at Redmond see this one through, only time will tell.

Edited March 5, 201214 yr by Dillon

Yeah-I am getting no need for rudder-the ball stays centered, and the twitchy responce. I've read about the "twitchy" joystick problem but it seems odd I don't feel it in the other aircraft which feel pretty good. Just wondering if there is something not right on my rig.

Note: As far as rudder for turns in flight, the RV has short low aspect ratio wings, differential and frize ailerons. The ailerons dip down into the airstream to cancel out most of the yaw. These planes are basically.........feet on the floor, in the normal course of flight. Lot's more rudder than a typical Cessna on the take off and climb.

Edited March 5, 201214 yr by LAdamson

I agree. It truly needs time to "develop" into something. Its hardly a week old as it is! These sort of games take time to develop even post release. The thing is, a lot of people trying very hard turn to make sure Flight does NOT get that time. The harder they try to knock Flight down, the more elitist they look.It does need some rudder correction to stay on the lines, but not much.Now consider this that there are both tail and tricycle version of the RV6. Some may require more rudder then others to keep things center.

Well on takeoff it should require much more than that. What happens when you go to a 45 degree bank? I've flown the tricycle version of the Rv6..

Now consider this that there are both tail and tricycle version of the RV6. Some may require more rudder then others to keep things center.

That shouldn't make much difference. Mine had the nosegear, and still took a lot of rudder. The nosewheel is castoring, but rudder always takes effect early in the takeoff roll............which would only last a few seconds, anyway.

A's true as a real GA pilot in the real world Flight captures what we all go up on the weekends for. The way the various models feel when landing is spot on. May the boys at Redmond see this one through, only time will tell.

Whats your feeling about the cross winds simulated in Flight? Its not something I have had to deal with at all in FSX, but find myself facing a LOT in Flight and I have a REALLY hard time with even a 8knt cross! I have had to learn new techniques and really be ON THE STICK in order to land or even take-off! As an arm-chare pilot, it feels a little too much to me, but again I have never faced this situation in real life, or even in past sims.

Oh they were in Fsx-just not as well done. They are much better in Flight-definately an improvement. I personally find them the best in xplane-with a well done aircraft.

One of the first things I did in FSX was land in the worst weather possible. Never had a problem with wind and FSX. Never even felt it be a factor! Flight is another story.

I am really enjoying this conversation between you pilots. Please continue and don't stop anytime soon.Kind regards,

Whats your feeling about the cross winds simulated in Flight? Its not something I have had to deal with at all in FSX, but find myself facing a LOT in Flight and I have a REALLY hard time with even a 8knt cross! I have had to learn new techniques and really be ON THE STICK in order to land or even take-off! As an arm-chare pilot, it feels a little too much to me, but again I have never faced this situation in real life, or even in past sims.

I had this opinion also of the wind.. Also like you I never experienced anything like it before so not sure if it's right or wrong. Some situations it feels like a wee bit much. Especially in the Maule. Some situations it seems no matter how smoothly you ease into the throttle during the rollout for takeoff, no matter how much rudder etc you give it's like a kite and nothing can keep it center lined while on rollout. It also doesn't help that 90% of the Maule jobs have it grossly overweight and no amount of fuel cutting gets it into `book safe' weight.

Just wondering if there is something not right on my rig.

You rig is likely just fine, I second tf51d's comment. I'm not a pilot, but to me, the Icon, Stearman, and Mooney feel just right, but I keep jerking the RV up/down quite a bit, unable to maintain a smooth level flight. Waaay to sensitive.

Whats your feeling about the cross winds simulated in Flight? Its not something I have had to deal with at all in FSX, but find myself facing a LOT in Flight and I have a REALLY hard time with even a 8knt cross! I have had to learn new techniques and really be ON THE STICK in order to land or even take-off! As an arm-chare pilot, it feels a little too much to me, but again I have never faced this situation in real life, or even in past sims.

I feel it's spot on. Some planes you have to truly fly and manage like the Cessna 152. The essence of the plane in the air, like someone said the kite feel, and the ever present crosswind factor that more times than not is what pilots face in the real world is done the best I've yet seen in Flight over other versions of FS (I haven't tried X-Plane). Flight captures how a plane should perform in a cross wind better than FS9 for example. On short final I use my rudders constantly to keep the nose centered on the runway and the yoke to keep the wings level, it's called a sideslip. You touchdown on the main gear that's in the upwind and let the other main gear and plane settle down. You don't let up off the yoke (right or left depending on wind component) during roll-out. I found if I let up off the turn of the yoke during rollout in Flight just like the real world the plan wants to run off the runway (this also could be do to lack of toe brakes in the sim). Crosswinds is a dance and really gratifying on touch down when you do it right. When taxing to the runway look at the wind sock to see where the wind is blowing (very important in Flight as with real world non controlled airports). In Flight if the winds were strong enough I found I had to hold my ailerons either left or right depending on the wind to keep the plane from tipping. This is how it is in the real world. On take off depending on cross wind direction you hold your yoke left or right to compensate for the crosswind all the way until liftoff than then you correct once airborne. All in all Flight captures many things better than FS9 (I don't know about FSX) in the crosswind department. I have a new practice sim for crosswind takeoffs and landings.I flew Northwest simulators in Eagan a few times (744, A320) and from what I can tell it's a bit harder to deal with a small GA aircraft in weather than an airliner (if your hand flying it). Don't get me wrong both planes are a challenge but weather that would otherwise not be that big of a deal in a larger aircraft is exacerbated in a smaller plane. So the management your seeing in Flight from my experience is spot on in the pattern. Once your in the air you trim your plane and it should be a non event. On the ground if you don't do things correctly even on rollout could be a problem.I'd say what your finding in Flight is more in line with what you deal with in a real plane. We don't always have the luxury of having perfect winds up and down the runway. More times than not your dealing with a crosswind of some sort. Another think I like about Flight is sloping runways. How long have we been asking for that?

Edited March 5, 201214 yr by Dillon

Thats what I figured. All through the BETA, nobody that was a real pilot griped about any "un-realistic" cross winds, and there was a LOT of pilots in the beta. The thread about "Who has a PPL" was MANY MANY pages long! Then again I never saw anyone rave about how GOOD the cross winds was. But again, being beta, your supposed to find what WRONG with the game, not whats right. Thanks for clearing things up. With Flight (at least in beta, as the cross wind was new for ME), I had to go back and watch Flying Wild Alaska and got a LOT of tips, like landing the main into the wind, and keeping the wind side wing down a little. These tips helped me a LOT and made me a better virtual pilot. I think thats the true hallmark of a REAL FLIGHT SIM! The re-enforcement of proper procedures in a given situation. Flight will PUNISH YOU if you dont follow proper cross-wind landing procedures. As seen in my "What is Flight" video when I tried to take off down-wind in a 19 knot wind. It punished me, and I learned. That is why I say Flight is as much of a Flight sim as any other. Its just lacking in many technical features, and has a few game options to keep things interesting.

You rig is likely just fine, I second tf51d's comment. I'm not a pilot, but to me, the Icon, Stearman, and Mooney feel just right, but I keep jerking the RV up/down quite a bit, unable to maintain a smooth level flight. Waaay to sensitive.

Mooney? Or do you mean Maule? I don't see any Mooney available, unless there's one in Beta?

Edited March 5, 201214 yr by tf51d

I found the Vans to be a real handful when I first started with it. Then I just started telling myself to have "soft hands" and not to over compensate. A couple more flights and I started getting real comfortable with it. Same happen on my first flight with the Maule. The takeoff was not very pretty and I have flown the Maule a lot in FSX. A smooth application of the throttle versus firewalling it, soft hands and me and Molly are getting to know each other quite well.Flew the Mustang for the first time this morning to get a couple, three awards. It's going back to be a Hangar Queen!Whether the planes fly by the numbers? Don't know, don't care. The sensation of flight is better for me in Flight than it was in FSX or FS9 or the many more that came before those. And it's a lot more fun!

Thats what I figured. All through the BETA, nobody that was a real pilot griped about any "un-realistic" cross winds, and there was a LOT of pilots in the beta. The thread about "Who has a PPL" was MANY MANY pages long! Then again I never saw anyone rave about how GOOD the cross winds was. But again, being beta, your supposed to find what WRONG with the game, not whats right.Thanks for clearing things up. With Flight (at least in beta, as the cross wind was new for ME), I had to go back and watch Flying Wild Alaska and got a LOT of tips, like landing the main into the wind, and keeping the wind side wing down a little. These tips helped me a LOT and made me a better virtual pilot. I think thats the true hallmark of a REAL FLIGHT SIM! The re-enforcement of proper procedures in a given situation. Flight will PUNISH YOU if you dont follow proper cross-wind landing procedures. As seen in my "What is Flight" video when I tried to take off down-wind in a 19 knot wind. It punished me, and I learned. That is why I say Flight is as much of a Flight sim as any other. Its just lacking in many technical features, and has a few game options to keep things interesting.

No sim not even Flight I found truly captures crosswind effects on a plane and how the plane should respond to your input, it's just Flight does it better than any other sim I've used. The models still want to move a bit like a car with rudder applied which is not how a real plane behalves. You can have great success on short final using the rudders to keep the plane centered on the runway and the ailerons to keep the wings level. Once you land you compensate with the ailerons for the crosswind on rollout or the plane will drift off the runway, Flight captures this well (or is it that toe brake problem).

Edited March 5, 201214 yr by Dillon