I’ve considered moving from P3Dv5.3 to MSFS (already purchased it) but I find it very confusing.  It’s very different compared to FSX.  What might you suggest as a good tutorial or manual to get me off the ground and flying?  BTW, I fly commercial jets almost exclusively.  Thanks.

The closest to a manual - which indeed is badly misssing for such a challenging software - is the SoFly Guide.

Aerosoft provided a paper manual with the disc version which, however, is very basic only and I doubt it has ever updated during the several MSFS Updates.

The SoFly guide is regularly updated with each SU/WU.

Kind regards, Michael

I'm not usually a fan of YouTube, but there are some excellent videos there - some general, some specific to the aircraft types you're interested in. I tend to download the videos to watch/refer to locally when in the sim.

BUT ... I think you may struggle most with the unbelievably clunky/partially working GUI - lashed up by dyslexic, demented developers - for which no number of manuals or videos will help. That said, you'll get there in the end ... just takes a bit of getting used to.

If you want to paste text into the Search bar of the MSFS home page, use Control-V. Because right mouse click will not bring up a paste option. You could for instance paste the gps coordinates of your house there.

You will have a hat somewhere to look around in the cockpit. You could also go to options controls and paste commands on that same hat that do the same thing in outside view and drone view (also known as show camera view). That way your main hat will do the same type of look around in either cockpit, outside, or drone view. 

The Xbox controller already has these preset in its profile. But you can very easily do the same for whatever hat you're going to use to look around in the cockpit view. 

Commercial jets?  Sensing addon aircraft models, addon airports, perhaps addon nav data.  Addon missions. Much like previous simulators of the past twenty years, those are more the elements to master.  First you need to manage the MSFS installation itself, as that determines how (well) you can manage the simulator environment on an ongoing basis.

Your next mission, if you accept this challenge, is to determine if you want a custom MSFS installation location, and whether to make the purchase from the MS Store or from Steam.  Then observe and understand how most third party addon products are best managed in MSFS.  Big difference from previous simulators.  Seek out a freeware product named Addons Linker, which is a godsend to help with managing those.  Set aside a storage area on your system to accomodate the addons, which will range from airport sceneries, area sceneries, addon aircraft models, addon aircraft mods, addon avionics, etc. Learn how to use the Addons Linker or organize and manage the addons.  Once you have a handle of that, the aircraft model operations will likely seem familiar and mostly fall into place for you.

The other element is the all too familiar simulator nemesis, the built in flight planner.  Listen here to responses to identify and select the optimal flight planning tool for the style of flying you will most frequent.  Each has it strength, weakness, and thus its place.  Each may require a different level of success in calling the plans into the simulator, or into the aircraft models you have selected.

Yes, all of that and you may not have even flown yet in MSFS.  Almost like flight school isn't it?  Well. Flight school works.  Highly recommend you choose a path into MSFS that just works!  It is not really that complicated.  Just requires some research, listening, and planning.

Edited November 15, 20223 yr by fppilot

3 hours ago, Chuck Dreier said:

I’ve considered moving from P3Dv5.3 to MSFS (already purchased it) but I find it very confusing.  It’s very different compared to FSX.  What might you suggest as a good tutorial or manual to get me off the ground and flying?  BTW, I fly commercial jets almost exclusively.  Thanks.

You may be frustrated at first, but keep at it.

There's a lot of amazing freeware (like something you'd be interested in, the FBW A32X:  https://flybywiresim.com/ ) but also excellent payware such as the PMDG 737 series or the Fenix A320 CFM.  Also the Leonardo Maddog is here along with the Just Flight BAe-146 and the (still just "okay") Aerosoft CRJ.  I bought the CRJ on sale for 35 USD last Christmas and never fly it.  Same bugs as in P3D but it does look better 🙂

Controller setup is most important and as you may have noticed, totally different than FSX/P3D.  See this video here - this guy explains things clearly imo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ug2116DVYEc&ab_channel=JonathanBeckett

And scenery...plenty of freeware (check the go-to msfs site:  https://flightsim.to/ ) but also all the payware (or a lot of it) you remember from P3D.  And similarly to P3D there are also ample places to purchase said addons... including the in-sim Marketplace which can be somewhat quirky the first few times you attempt a purchase.  My two cents on that front:  Buy direct from the developer... more money in their pocket and typically more direct/quicker support and updates.

I want to give you a lot more links and suggestions but I'll refrain for now.... just get your sim up to date (check Content Manager within the sim for extra updates), and get your settings and controllers how you want them....THEN proceed to the addons!

Have fun!

Oh I found the pic I wanted to attach.  It's of the freeware FBW 'Bus - freeware with a freeware livery.  I couldn't believe the detail...

(Possibly the most detailed livery for any sim - ever)  https://flightsim.to/file/31023/sas-scandinavian-airlines-8k-beyond-ultra

wheel by Ryan Butterworth, on Flickr

 

Edited November 15, 20223 yr by ryanbatc

2 hours ago, fppilot said:

Seek out a freeware product named Addons Linker, which is a godsend to help with managing those.  Set aside a storage area on your system to accomodate the addons, which will range from airport sceneries, area sceneries, addon aircraft models, addon aircraft mods, addon avionics, etc. Learn how to use the Addons Linker or organize and manage the addons.  Once you have a handle of that, the aircraft model operations will likely seem familiar and mostly fall into place for you.

I can't praise Addons Linker enough. IMHO, it's the best freeware utility ever produced for MSFS. I've used it from day one and have developed a "procedure" for using it. Like many PC-related things, if you take a lttle time to set things up properly in advance you'll save loads of time in future.

Find (or add) a drive with lots of space and all your Community addons (as well as many payware ones) can go in there - freeing up space in your default MSFS folder, which is only going to grow with time.

https://flightsim.to/file/14298/msfs-addons-linker-general-procedure

Adam.