One of the "exciting" elements of flight is also its most dynamic - failure of an aircraft. The FSX demo shows only a very basic failure mode based upon the user setting timers to fail components. Things DO NOT fail according to a schedule. As an option, the program should impose penalties (failures) on the user/pilot for not performing basic maintenance and inspections. As an example the pilot should be forced to examine the fuel bowl for water before a flight. Not doing so will cause, after some random number of failure do do it, an engine stall. There are dozens of other items that can invoke problems including over-stressing. Here lowering the flaps at a high speed would damage one flap and perhaps prevent it from retracting. Flyable but dangerous. If Microsoft does not provide a true failure mode then they should provide hooks/APIs to allow a third party to measure elements and set failure conditions. Not everyone, including some real pilots, will want this real, but time consuming function. They want to just fly. They do so at their own peril!!Dick near airport 5G8

>The FSX demo shows only a>very basic failure mode based upon the user setting timers to>fail components.That's not entirely true. It is possible to damage the plane while flying. I've managed to get rudder and elevator failure by smacking the tail of the baron into the runway when taking off. It locked the rudder and elevators in place, making it a bit difficult to stay in the air for long :-lolI've tried it a couple of times, it doesn't always work, but just pull back hard when you're a bit slow and maybe it'll break :)I have tried to maybe damage the flaps and landing gear by flying to fast, but I haven't managed to do that though...Klas

Failure mode works perfectly here.. when i clicked it, FSX crashed :(

That is what the missions can be used for...one of the very serious uses of "missions" that I look greatly forward too.http://mywebpages.comcast.net/geofa/pages/rxp-pilot.jpg