Add on sky and cloud textures- REX and freeware.

Realistic aircraft engine sounds.

Photoreal scenery

Opus

EZDok hands down.

Hmm, indispensable huh. I can do without ORBX, I can do without Earthsimulations sceneries, I can do without AI, can probably do without Active Sky, I don't have UTX, don't have REX, don't have ENB, don't have Shade, I don't have EZDOK.

 

I guess the addons I use most that I couldn't be without are Instant Scenery from Flight1, AICarriers and TrackIR.

 

Then there are Sbuilder and Gmax, both essential

You already have Track IR... but Track IR 

Not sure if they count, but Yoke, rudder, trim wheel, Saitek Trim and TPM.  These have absolutely transformed FSX for me.

 

On the software side; FSUIPC4, VAC, Plan-G.

1. Yoke

2. Saitek multi panel or equivalent

3. Saitek switch panel or equivalent

 

Then for software:

1. FSUIPC (the auto save function alone is worth it)

2. FTX Global

3. Air Hauler or some other sim like FSEconomy or FSCaptain or perhaps Ideal Flight

4. Plan G

Then I'd suggest FSG Real Weather and REX textures.

Other than hardware listed ^...EZDOK, FSGRW, REX, TrackIR

REX.

 

Weather  better since the last service pack

REX (probably the most important one for me!)

ORBX NA (all freeware and payware sceneries)

Aircraft addons (don't count here, I know)

AI Traffic

BlueSkyScenery (awesome and freeware!)

TrackIR is truly indispensable. It makes the FSX VC a VC, at least for the GA flier.

 

I could not believe that MS released Flight without TIR support (an omen perhaps); even worse was once MS added TIR support they killed the project a couple of weeks later (i.e. after it became worth my time; I even spent a few hours getting a X52 profile customized for it).

TrackIR.    100%   Haven't flown without it is FS, since 2006.

 

If it were software only;  Opus.   

The default planes are a joke so I must have my L39, Lancair, Duke, Citation Mustang, and PMDG 737.

 

REX, ORBX sceneries and airports, FlyTampa airports, and my yoke and peddals.

 

Everything on my sig.

Has to be a weather engine/textures! It just has to!

If you really feel like splashing out, the next think you need is good scenery. Photo scenery is not a good idea

MUST HAVE

 

1) FSUIPC

2) REX

3) Aircrafts. Real Air and PMDG

4) Fly Tampa Airports

5) ORBX PNW and NA Airports

 

The next level

 

6) One of the AI Traffic programs

7) Airport Addons (Aerosoft,  Flight beam, FSDT, UK2000, Thai Creations...The one who did KSAN (I forget the name).  Whatever you can get.

Patience and understanding from the family!