Hello friends,Well at last I got a new computer and went right out and got FS2004. After all these years on FS98 & then FS2000, FS2K4 is just amazing. I now know what Ive been missing! I used to come on here and gaze jealously at all the cool FS2K4 screenshots you all posted. I know if I have issues or questions that Avsim is the right place as u simmers are well-versed in FS2K4.The visuals are amazing, I dont know where to start! I want to get all the add-ons out there! The PMDG 737 is first on the list!If anyones got advice for a rookie FS2K4 pilot....it would be greatly appreciated!Thanx :-)

First thing I would do is go straight to realairsimulations.com and buy yourself a siai marchetti sf260, a decathlon, a scout, or all three.

You can go and buy stuff, but there is an amazing amount of great stuff(planes, scenery etc...) that you can just download from Avsim.com. Have fun.Ron

If you just got FS2004, god help you. It's been out forever.Jeff USAF

If you are flying airliners, adding realistic AI brings the airports to life! Either DIY freeware or payware... they all seem to work. Plenty of threads here if you do a search.

Hi;If FS2000 is the latest you've flown..NOW...THIS SECOND! getinto virtual cockpit view and you'll never go back.Just my opinion, leastways since FS2002 I never have.:-lol DN

>> If you just got FS2004, god help you. It's been out forever <

you just got Fs2004..and you love the VC...1. get activecamera v2..dont forget patches...its my No1 addon..also serge baye and anticyclone top of my list for after sales support... you'll love it2.ultimate traffic..instead of microsoft's airline traffic.you'll see real airline traffic...highly recommended3.Fsscreen.small program that lets you take screenshots in Fs2004(freeware program). best wishes steve

Thanx Steve!Active camera is part of PMDG?BTW is it just me or is the all-axis spot-plane camera view done away with in FS2004? In FS2000 u could rotate the external view with complete freedom, now it seems that the views are "locked" to 90 & 45 degree angles..?

If you sometimes look through your airplane's window, and fly at different places in the world, try the combination FSGlobal 2005 + MyWorld Landclass + ActiveSky 2004 : you will be immersed in quasi-real world for terrain and weather, wherever you fly !Alain

>Hello friends,>>Well at last I got a new computer and went right out and got>FS2004. After all these years on FS98 & then FS2000, FS2K4 is>just amazing. I now know what Ive been missing! I used to come>on here and gaze jealously at all the cool FS2K4 screenshots>you all posted. >>I know if I have issues or questions that Avsim is the right>place as u simmers are well-versed in FS2K4.>>The visuals are amazing, I dont know where to start! I want to>get all the add-ons out there! The PMDG 737 is first on the>list!>>If anyones got advice for a rookie FS2K4 pilot....it would be>greatly appreciated!>>Thanx :-)If you have some more money to spend here is some neat stuff that you will love, especially coming from FS98. This is the order that I purchased my add-ons. Ultimate TrafficPMDG 737 ( if you like flying airliners, this is the best) FS Navigator ( Flight plans and a Map that has all the info you need) Active Sky ( real looking clouds, real weather, turbulence etc) FSHOT FSX ( Sounds for your aircraft and AI aircraft that make the airport and flying sound like the real thing) I was just flying from Salt Lake to Denver this afternoon and looking at the Mountains and the scenery and listening to ATC and my built in MP3 player ( part of FSHOT FSX) and thinking to myself that you could almost convince someone that a screen shot of what I am seeing out the window of my 737 is the real thing. If you haven't done it yet, I would install the FS9 Patch from the Microsoft web site. Just make sure you read the directions first.

I highly recommend using addon mesh for you favourite flying area. I love to fly in British Columbia and Holger Sandman has outstanding freeware mesh that gives much greater detail to the terrain. Screenshots don't do it justice.And speaking of free stuff, add the freeware RealAir C172 and just about anything from Milton Shupe and his team.EnjoyBlairCYOW

Keep your eyes on the upcoming ATR 72-500 from Flight1/DF. This may be the best turboprop simulation yet.Michael J.WinXP-Home SP2,AMD64 3500+,Abit AV8,Radeon X800Pro,36GB Raptor,1GB PC3200,Audigy 2, Omega 2.7.90 (4xAA 16xAF)

Thanx asquel& bobsk8!I shall def check out what u mentioned. PMDG...cant wait to get my paws on that program. The cockpits looks awesome. I wonder why Microsoft decided to stay with the 737-400 instead of the NG737 in FS2004, hopefully they will throw in an Airbus & the NG737 in the follow-up to FS2K!Sounds...I know that makes the biggest difference! Even in FS2000 which I was using all these years I found wav files that were of the actual plane that someone had snagged. The stock cockpit sounds in FS2K sound like diesel locomotives at a railway crossing! - specially the jet airliner cockpits!Right now Im just getting used to flying with a joystick and soaking in the eye candy!:)

You can pan all around... try the shift and arrow key combinations