For the longest time, my flight simming style could best be described as "very casual". I relied heavily on freeware aircraft such as the TDS 737 and POSKY 747 for most of my flights, as well as payware aircraft such as the CLS A330/340 and the line of Virtualcol products. Most of my flights were flown for my VA, Phoenix Virtual, and consisted of nothing too advanced besides "CTRL+E, F4, AP ON, CTRL+SHIFT+F1". Of course, I spent a lot of time optimizing my visuals and performance so that these simple flights looked very good, but FSX was mainly a way for me to relax without having to worry about spending hours planning and executing a flight. During these past few weeks, though, I found myself getting bored. Most of my flights were the same, save for different aircraft and scenery. I had tried to 'go advanced' in the past, purchasing the PMDG J41 and Majestic Q400, but I always lost steam when trying to learn how to operate them, falling back into my boring, yet relaxing ways. 

Finally, I decided that it was time for a change. I started to re-familiarize myself with the Q400 and J41, but I always found myself on youtube looking at NGX videos. The VC looked amazing, and so did everything else on it. "You already have two great aircraft" I said to myself "Dont' buy the NGX until you master those two". But still, I kept drooling over it day in and day out. Finally, armed with a little extra money from selling diecast models, I decided to take the plunge.

 

------------------OH. MY.GOODNESS!!-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Now, the Jetstream and the Q400 are great. They accurately simulate a vast majority of the aircraft's systems, and are very satisfying to fly, but they feel like simulations. Which is fair, because that is what they are. However, I was not prepared for how different the NGX is. I don't know how PMDG did it, but it FEELS like a real plane. I don't know how to describe it, but when I'm in the VC, I get a similar feeling to the one I get when I am sitting in my little C172- the feeling that I am in a complicated machine, made of metal, with hundreds of mechanical and electrical components that I need to manage. After learning how to fire it up and taking a few flights around the pattern, I loaded the Visual into to Innsbruck saved flight from Tutorial 2 just for yuks. Instantly, I was overwhelmed. There were lights blinking, things beeping, and I had no idea where to begin in order to set the aircraft down safely. Every little button connects to a bigger system, and in the NGX you can't get away with not knowing how everything works, which I absolutely love. It's just so strange (in a great way) how it feels like a real aircraft has been imported into the sim whenever I fly it. 

 

I just wanted to say THANK YOU to all that worked on this incredible aircraft. It was $70 very well spent, and I'm sure that I will get years and years of enjoyment out of it. I now know that the line on the product page calling it a "living, breathing machine" isn't just marketing hype. 

For the longest time, my flight simming style could best be described as "very casual". I relied heavily on freeware aircraft such as the TDS 737 and POSKY 747 for most of my flights, as well as payware aircraft such as the CLS A330/340 and the line of Virtualcol products. Most of my flights were flown for my VA, Phoenix Virtual, and consisted of nothing too advanced besides "CTRL+E, F4, AP ON, CTRL+SHIFT+F1". Of course, I spent a lot of time optimizing my visuals and performance so that these simple flights looked very good, but FSX was mainly a way for me to relax without having to worry about spending hours planning and executing a flight. During these past few weeks, though, I found myself getting bored. Most of my flights were the same, save for different aircraft and scenery. I had tried to 'go advanced' in the past, purchasing the PMDG J41 and Majestic Q400, but I always lost steam when trying to learn how to operate them, falling back into my boring, yet relaxing ways. 

Finally, I decided that it was time for a change. I started to re-familiarize myself with the Q400 and J41, but I always found myself on youtube looking at NGX videos. The VC looked amazing, and so did everything else on it. "You already have two great aircraft" I said to myself "Dont' buy the NGX until you master those two". But still, I kept drooling over it day in and day out. Finally, armed with a little extra money from selling diecast models, I decided to take the plunge.

 

------------------OH. MY.GOODNESS!!-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Now, the Jetstream and the Q400 are great. They accurately simulate a vast majority of the aircraft's systems, and are very satisfying to fly, but they feel like simulations. Which is fair, because that is what they are. However, I was not prepared for how different the NGX is. I don't know how PMDG did it, but it FEELS like a real plane. I don't know how to describe it, but when I'm in the VC, I get a similar feeling to the one I get when I am sitting in my little C172- the feeling that I am in a complicated machine, made of metal, with hundreds of mechanical and electrical components that I need to manage. After learning how to fire it up and taking a few flights around the pattern, I loaded the Visual into to Innsbruck saved flight from Tutorial 2 just for yuks. Instantly, I was overwhelmed. There were lights blinking, things beeping, and I had no idea where to begin in order to set the aircraft down safely. Every little button connects to a bigger system, and in the NGX you can't get away with not knowing how everything works, which I absolutely love. It's just so strange (in a great way) how it feels like a real aircraft has been imported into the sim whenever I fly it. 

 

I just wanted to say THANK YOU to all that worked on this incredible aircraft. It was $70 very well spent, and I'm sure that I will get years and years of enjoyment out of it. I now know that the line on the product page calling it a "living, breathing machine" isn't just marketing hype. 

Glad you like it. I have been spending a lot of time in the 777 lately and I think it is wonderful but is lacking something that the NGX has and I can't put my finger on it. The NGX feels alive. It gives me a feeling no other aircraft in flight sim ever has. It is difficult to explain. For me it is at its most convincing when taxiing at night. The way it creaks and rattles, The way the cockpit lights up. Seeing the wing tips bounce from the cockpit. And the way the strobes light up the ground around you. Then the details like greasy fingerprints and dust on the screens in certain lighting conditions. Or the worn area behind the yoke where some dirty pig has has his size elevens resting on that lip. It really is a masterpiece.

 

Don't get me wrong I love the 777 and am enjoying it tremendously and always have since release day. I am however, looking forward to the NGX update because I am going to be back in that right away.

 

Oh and don't get me started on the upcoming 747 v2. Can't come quick enough that one.