I too have only recently come back into flight simming. I've spent months back in the day on Flight Assignment: ATP and FS98.

 

I concur with Dan regarding the HD airport graphics - a cheap upgrade which does bring better visuals to all the stock airports you don't fly to...until now  

 

I'm on a budget - the only aircraft I've bought is Virtavia's XB-70.... because it's the XB-70. The rest of my hangar is freeware. Honestly some of the freeware planes, especially the external model are up there looking as good as some of the payware versions.

 

I find a freeware plane I like (usually an airliner) - look for a decent instrument panel for it, look at where it flies to and from, look for appropriate freeware airports. I use a free online flight planner to generate the plans, use FSOpen Clouds to approximate FSX's own "weather" to represent real world, real time conditions (NOT winds aloft. That's another can of FSX worms!) and then go fly.

 

One day I'll get around to programming data into an FMC...

 

Welcome back.

If you are on a budget, go here http://freewarescenery.com/fsx.html

I have an oops to report.  To reverse props press and hold down F2.  For jet thrust reverse tap the / key.

 

I thought I should clarify those keyboard commands because you have been gone so long.

 

My apologies for not being clear earlier.

....  Hold down F2 for reverse props and jet thrust reverse ... and / for manual spoilers.  My memory is poor, and once again, sorry about the confusion.

Thanks for all the great advice.  I added the airport textures and ground textures which helped a ton.  Still figuring out what aircraft to get.  I used to fly airliners exclusively...but thinking about going with a business jets for awhile.  Leaning toward the Eaglesoft Citation X as my first purchase.

 

But I HAVE to get a yoke/pedals first.   Flying with the mouse/keyboard is terrible.    Was flying with the default Lear and it becomes a bucking bronco as soon as the AP is disengaged.  There is just no feel with the keyboard....

 

edit - to correct the company...

Have a look at a CH USB Yoke, and Saitek Combat Pedals..

 

Both good value and very functional.

...but thinking about going with a business jets for awhile.  Leaning toward the Aerosoft Citation X as my first purchase.

 

 

 

The Eaglesoft Citation X is pretty good, if you mean that.  Aerosoft has not done a CX.  There's really no recent quality bizjets out.  Flysimware Lear is pretty good.  Flight1's Mustang is pretty good, but not all systems are done and it's a fairly slow jet.  I fly GA myself, anything Realair, A2A, and pair those with GTN 750 avionics is the best!