OK... So I

>- Mouse driven

What's essential to one simmer, might not be to another. FS9 is pretty good out of the box. for me Active camera as stated is a must have. High res mesh (it defines the landscape) is recommended, especially if it's from here http://portal.fsgenesis.net/As for aircraft, anything from these guysEaglesoft http://www.eaglesoftdg1.com/FSD http://www.fsd-international.com/Flight1 http://www.flight1.com/Aircraft and scenery http://aerosoft-shop.com/Also, here is a good place for anything NON fixed winghttp://www.hovercontrol.com/Freeware enhancements, vwater.zip is the best water IMO and FSW for clouds, or get ASV for better weather and nore sky textures.Regards, MichaelKDFWhttp://www.calvirair.com/mcpics/mcdcvabanner.jpgCalVirAir International

The good news is that there are no "essential plugins" required to fully use and enjoy FS9.Try flying the Baron and the Piper Cub and visit some interesting placeslike San Francisco, New York, and Honolulu..If you like to add to the scenery, start with free high resolution mesh and anything by Holger Sandmann in the Avsim library.New airplanes: RealAir, Flight1, Dreamfleet, PMDG, etcAs to multiplayer, and other neat extensions.. follow your interests and try them out..Just don't feel you are losing out by flying FS9 "out of the box"!!If I were to suggest only one item, it would be the RealAir SF260, www.realairsimulations.com but this depends on your interests. If you want an airliner, PMDG would be the logical choice..

>If you want an airliner, PMDG would be the logical>choice..Hmmmm.......well personally, I'd go for this - gold leaf stipes and all!OK, I'm biased :-)http://forums.avsim.net/user_files/120192.jpg(the pic is work in progress at the moment)http://www.dreamfleet2000.com/gfx/images/F...BANNER_PAUL.jpg

Here's my list:WeatherActiveSky Weather Simulatorhttp://www.hifisim.com/Avionics/GPSEach and every product of RealityXP.http://www.reality-xp.com/Be advised: I'm a beta tester and thus biased but I'm sure others will agree with me.AircraftDepends on your likings, but I like the following the best:- Dreamfleet B727- Dreamfleet Beech A36- Flight1 ATR72- PMDG 737NG- LevelD 767- Flight1 C172R- Real Air Simluations SIAI Marchetti SF260- DC9-41 by Stellan Hilmerby & Matts FalckMisc- Active Camera- VATSIM or IVAO Membership for flying online

My must have add-ons (not that any add-ons are needed)are:FS Navigator for flight planningFSW for cloudsSimFlyers KATL (I like flying out of Atlanta)Airplanes - what ever catches my eye in the AVSIM libraryAirliner Pilot so I don't have to think of where to go and what to fly, it tells me. Like a wife ;)That's all I need. I have other add-ons but can't remember what they are, so they must not be that important.Danny :-beerchug

It is hard to say which products, freeware or payware are 'essential' since each simmer has a different area of focus and interest and varying levels of time available. If I had more time to sim I would be running to get the Misty Fjords scenery and geting immersed into all the add-ons and the community of pilots and designers involved in it. Adding to that getting UT and trying to sort out which other add ons are compatible or not would be fun as well. I think much of the fun in this hobby is looking for upgrades to the basic out of the box package based on things we notice while simming and putzing around this excellent website. As you look at screenshots and see something you like post a few comments and ask questions of the poster about what textures, weather programs, settings etc are used and you'll soon have a great list of things individualized to your preferences. Personally, I like the extra traffic for AI planes and own Ultimate Traffic. I love GA and own most of the small planes made by FSD, and Dreamfleet. I have several more complex planes by PSS and LevelD but prefer to hand fly most of the time. High quality mesh is a must ( I used to design mesh way back when, before it became easy to do.... ) so I am a Galazy member of FSGenesis where you'll find the finest quality mesh at a very reasonable cost. Since I train with a C172 equipped with a Garmin GPS I bought the Reality XP product Garmin 430 and it is outstanding. To support the efforts of a very valuable developer I own a registered copy of FSUIPC which is a must. What you use to sim with enhances the hobby also. Lately my focus has been there and I have purchased yokes and quadrants and pedals from PFC and added a projector for that big screen experience. The number of quality add ons exceeds the capability of any one simmer to own it all unless you happen to be wealthy and unemployed and able to sim all day!Dr Bob Reno, NV

I've added my recommendations to a thread here, all 100% Freeware of course. :-)http://forums.avsim.net/dcboard.php?az=sho...id=260713&page=Regards,JoeGrab My FREEWARE Voice recognition Profiles here:[a href=http://library.avsim.net/esearch.php?CatID=fs2004misc&DLID=58334]Cessna 172 Voice Profile[/a][a href=http://library.avsim.net/esearch.php?CatID=fs2004misc&DLID=60740]FSD Avanti Voice Profile[/a].You will need the main FREEWARE Flight Assistant program to use it, get it here:[a href=http://library.avsim.net/esearch.php?CatID=genutils&DLID=39661]Flight Assistant 2.2[/a]

In my case the essentials are:- iFDG/PSS merged A319- Activesky Version 5 weather- Servinfo- Rob Barendregt's pushback and taxi gauge- Squawkbox 3- BA Virtual's schedules program- BA Virtual's ACARS program- OSS Gatwick scenery- Gary Summons Heathrow Pro v2 scenery- FSNav (for the moving map only)and in the "nice to have but not essential" category:- FSBuild 2- Simplates 2004- AirEd- FSScreen

SWEET! Is that an expansion to the 727 or a free update? Can't wait to fly her with winglets! Kelowna and amerijet would be my first choices!

Paul, Paul, Paul... the third rivet from the right on the tail cone is disappointingly three centimeters too low. Shame on you. I can't buy it in that woefully inadequate condition. :)EDIT: oh yeah, and you are buying in San Diego, right? If so, I have this great venue in Old Town that pours a margarita to die for, and with the exchange rate, you will think you have died and gone to heaven as you watch me pour them down my gullet!

Of course it depends on your preferences and goals.In my universal list:I upgraded to the payware version of FSUIPC for some of the extra control features. In FS2K2 I had the freeware version and featurewise as a Swiss-Army knife it leads the pack. Some payware includes access to this but not necessarily all of its features. When you look at the price if you elect to go with a full version remember that it can apply to many aspects of your flying unlike purchasing a unique add-on.I also use the payware (about $25) FS Panel Studio to give me a very good graphical interface to panel editing in the insertion, deletion, placement, and sizing of gauges in panels. It allows customization of panels using available freeware and payware gauges including importing gauges (not limited by the developer) from other panels.The freeware (at this time) AISmooth helps spread out all that AI traffic at high density airports. That AI for me has mostly been generated by Ultimate Traffic and a few added by me cargo flight plans.I use Active Sky 2004.5 and have just acquired ASV for its weather access and enhanced control of the environment.I use Radar Contact 3.1 for controlled flight for me much better than the FS9 ATC.Aircraft are mostly freeware from Project Open Sky and Mike Stone, and various individual projects in the GA arena.Freeware AFCAD 2.21 to straighten the aircraft paths to match the default aircraft paths for AI at various airport scenery at my majoir dense airports.FSConfigurator freeware mostly to increase the too slow AI taxi speed especially getting them to clear the runways.Some payware Reality-XP products to enhance my panels such as the Jetline suites and their "radar" weather stormscope.Don't try to acquire it all at once. Play with FS out of the box, determine what you wish to improve, get experience as you add each product. I think I have been simming for about two years but if this seems long let me explain that I had about 300 hours flying real GA aircraft up to advanced single engine so I get picky about certain items.

Just as well I said work in progress :-) Actually the ####-up was compiling the layers with all the windows - a lot of them should be blanked out.San Diego is a bit in the air at the moment. Sally's less than pleased at spending $2,000 (over

I can only find pic's of Kelowna (Purolator) and Amerijet using normal 727's with winglets, whereas the pic shows the Super27 (as in replacement -217 engines with bucket reversers and hushkit with no reverser on no.2 engine) with winglets.Not a big issue though, we've done the normal 200 with winglets as well :-)http://www.dreamfleet2000.com/gfx/images/F...BANNER_PAUL.jpg