After probably two decades or more with various PC based simulation programs and OS's. You watch the changes the direction of the developers of sims Laminar and MS. Done I do not belittle MS for MS2024 or whatever - it is a significant achievement and aimed at a broader less aeronautical sophisticated marker - great graphics general modelling very good.

BUT

I had a look a my Hangar: Airliners yep old to new prop turboprops pure jet - light to heavy. Boeing Airbus and Embraer plus Bombadier (aka DHC - Boeing) Plus Britten Norman BN;s that live in the GA slot. Old n new Boeings from the 707 on, 742, 767-300. 720 707-138 Common or standard Airbuses - A330 the A319 and the A320. Early and new Turboprops

And lest I forget the manditory Douglas Range - C-47 (aka DC-3)the MD80 (A super DC9-50) and then MD11 ( The DC10 with digital cockpit and controls) Pax and Freight.

Then GA what a range - covered the Aerostar family, top Cessna 310 and 206, as for Beech ell there is the BE58, King Air BE90or C90, BE350, TravelAir, Twin Bonanza (BE50).

Variety of some good Mil stuff like the Buccaneeer, The Cessna Dragonfly A37, Mig 15/17, PBY Catalina, Shinmeiwa US1

Point is these models are so well done, accurate, great textures and cockpit graphics they transport you into space and time of that aeroplane that cockpit and the worlds you select to start with:

Now the sim at the moment is graphically stunning on my LG Monitor with and NVIDIA Card 2070.

So I fire up the sim, ponder the model and generally have a home base airport capable of handling light and heavy aircraft with full navaids NDB, VOR and ILS. So I choose something depending on whether it is a new one or updated or just a favourite like the Manky Dash8-200 or Shensees B720(707) - Always have a below 5700 kg or lightie to look at or play with - like the PA38. PA24 or PA30. Thats the Hangar queue.

SO SIm comes up I am in the front seat and there it all is in front of you a brilliant replication of the actual airport, lights, undulations and then the weather or cloud display and off course time of day -

SO WHAT? Here is where I stop - I just sit and look at the word not allowed view, file the flight plan and just admire the scene. The fidelity is all encompassingly and brilliantly done with scale. Colour and light management is balanced to conditions.

It is all you would want a PC Based flight simulation to be - but I dont fly the word not allowed thing - I just take a chair and look at the scene. Not sure what no!

Edited May 25May 25 by coastaldriver

It's great when our mind helps :-)

Just imagine that of an uninstaller ... Better !!!!... don't !!!! 😁

All I can say, if you remember what the airports where like, Being doing lots of gateway airports , seeing all the new assets, bit of time they can be truly stunning, when you see what you started with and than ended up with. Flightsim come long way

3 hours ago, coastaldriver said:

After probably two decades or more with various PC based simulation programs and OS's. You watch the changes the direction of the developers of sims Laminar and MS. Done I do not belittle MS for MS2024 or whatever - it is a significant achievement and aimed at a broader less aeronautical sophisticated marker - great graphics general modelling very good.

BUT

I had a look a my Hangar: Airliners yep old to new prop turboprops pure jet - light to heavy. Boeing Airbus and Embraer plus Bombadier (aka DHC - Boeing) Plus Britten Norman BN;s that live in the GA slot. Old n new Boeings from the 707 on, 742, 767-300. 720 707-138 Common or standard Airbuses - A330 the A319 and the A320. Early and new Turboprops

And lest I forget the manditory Douglas Range - C-47 (aka DC-3)the MD80 (A super DC9-50) and then MD11 ( The DC10 with digital cockpit and controls) Pax and Freight.

Then GA what a range - covered the Aerostar family, top Cessna 310 and 206, as for Beech ell there is the BE58, King Air BE90or C90, BE350, TravelAir, Twin Bonanza (BE50).

Variety of some good Mil stuff like the Buccaneeer, The Cessna Dragonfly A37, Mig 15/17, PBY Catalina, Shinmeiwa US1

Point is these models are so well done, accurate, great textures and cockpit graphics they transport you into space and time of that aeroplane that cockpit and the worlds you select to start with:

Now the sim at the moment is graphically stunning on my LG Monitor with and NVIDIA Card 2070.

So I fire up the sim, ponder the model and generally have a home base airport capable of handling light and heavy aircraft with full navaids NDB, VOR and ILS. So I choose something depending on whether it is a new one or updated or just a favourite like the Manky Dash8-200 or Shensees B720(707) - Always have a below 5700 kg or lightie to look at or play with - like the PA38. PA24 or PA30. Thats the Hangar queue.

SO SIm comes up I am in the front seat and there it all is in front of you a brilliant replication of the actual airport, lights, undulations and then the weather or cloud display and off course time of day -

SO WHAT? Here is where I stop - I just sit and look at the word not allowed view, file the flight plan and just admire the scene. The fidelity is all encompassingly and brilliantly done with scale. Colour and light management is balanced to conditions.

It is all you would want a PC Based flight simulation to be - but I dont fly the word not allowed thing - I just take a chair and look at the scene. Not sure what no!

I can NEVER just sit and look because I always want to see what’s over the next hill! 😎

Other times I just want to fly one of the really good ones around the pattern or between two close munis until I can get it done smoothly.

Real time weather brings high gusty winds quite often and all’s the better!

3 hours ago, jcomm said:

It's great when our mind helps :-)

Just imagine that of an uninstaller ... Better !!!!... don't !!!! 😁

I didn’t actually uninstall anything, but I just this morning disabled probably 80% of my addons(!):

Basically nothing unless it’s a GA “study level” addon, or truly special in some other way.

I even disabled every Default except for the handful that are hard coded.

That still leaves me with a good selection from SimCoders, Airfoil Labs, TorqueSim, and a few helos like the SA 315 and JRX MD 902.

I did leave the very nice F-104 for when I want a challenging but simple Mach 2 manned missile.

Funny thing is i ended up spending several hours with the REP-upgraded Default Baron today and had an absolute blast. Never spent much time with it, but man is it unbelievably immersive and rewarding. Physics, systems, sounds - all utterly excellent!

So it’s looking like that for steam gauge, the TS SR-22TN for glass, and the TS C525 for jet power.

As much as I love messing about with a bunch of addons, I’m slipping into a Less Is More stage, and it feels great! 😁

I fully believe - and have stated so numerous times - that stepping out of the add-on-hoarder and endless-tweaker-and-tinkerer mode can be felt as a great weight lifting of your shoulders. Add increased performance and stability to that equation, and for many it becomes a viable option.

Let´s not forget that there are two types of add-ons. Systemic and use case only. If you add something like Simheaven, it is systemic, you use it with every flight and have it´s effects affect you, for good and for bad.

If you have an add-on aircraft, usually you only "use" it while you use it - so in my book, having 1000 add-on aircraft is not a problem, while having 5 "systemic" add-ons may be on the brink of unacceptable performance impact and instability.

My own immersion comes from using the aviation-accident list and using that for my daily flight assignment. That, of course involves nearly every available aircraft available for XP12 except for some notable absences like the Beech 1900D, ATRs, Metroliner, A220, etc. I don't download the freeware unless they are extremely good, but I do try to support all of our great commercial vendors. Using that list gives me assignments into airports I'd never use otherwise and is a great random flight generator as well as the challenge of staying on top of so many different aircraft and their individual quirks and characteristics.

I started with an Atari 800 and subLogic Flight Simulator .....

Edited May 25May 25 by mldavis2

7 hours ago, mldavis2 said:

My own immersion comes from using the aviation-accident list and using that for my daily flight assignment. That, of course involves nearly every available aircraft available for XP12 except for some notable absences like the Beech 1900D, ATRs, Metroliner, A220, etc. I don't download the freeware unless they are extremely good, but I do try to support all of our great commercial vendors. Using that list gives me assignments into airports I'd never use otherwise and is a great random flight generator as well as the challenge of staying on top of so many different aircraft and their individual quirks and characteristics.

I started with an Atari 800 and subLogic Flight Simulator .....

Interesting!

Im always looking for reasons to fly somewhere else, particularly if there’s a scenario involved.

Will you please share a bit more about your process?

8 hours ago, Litjan said:

Let´s not forget that there are two types of add-ons. Systemic and use case only. If you add something like Simheaven, it is systemic, you use it with every flight and have it´s effects affect you, for good and for bad.

Let's also not forget that there would not be a need for "systemic" add-ons in the first place if X-Plane covered that area a lot better out of the box.

9 hours ago, Litjan said:

I fully believe - and have stated so numerous times - that stepping out of the add-on-hoarder and endless-tweaker-and-tinkerer mode can be felt as a great weight lifting of your shoulders. Add increased performance and stability to that equation, and for many it becomes a viable option.

Let´s not forget that there are two types of add-ons. Systemic and use case only. If you add something like Simheaven, it is systemic, you use it with every flight and have it´s effects affect you, for good and for bad.

If you have an add-on aircraft, usually you only "use" it while you use it - so in my book, having 1000 add-on aircraft is not a problem, while having 5 "systemic" add-ons may be on the brink of unacceptable performance impact and instability.

Yes, I can support this viewpoint!

However, I'm "afflicted" with a lifelong historical appreciation for aircraft, so I do truly enjoy "hoarding" them 😁

Each one becomes a 3D interactive museum exhibit, and there's a TON of learning & satisfaction to be gained by flying them. Even those that aren't Study Level have their place - as long as they're decently modeled, they get considered. E.g., the infamously dangerous handling of the F-104, and even the included variant with a rocket engine for High Altitude flight tests, are (IMHO) a perfect example of the essence of XP's purpose.

Of course, this results in me having a knowledge base that's a Mile Wide and an Inch Deep, but it certainly suits my interests. :)

In sum, that's why I didn't uninstall any of the addons - sooner or later, I'll want to sample something that's of interest in the moment for any number of reasons.

But for now, yeah, I've grown rusty with "proper" GA handling, and the Baron+REP, especially, has a great balance of raw performance, complexity, fidelity and just being a low-impact addon so XP itself can really have room to breathe. :)

This museum is why I’ll keep my P3DV5 forever. I have a DC6, a Connie, CV580, a C97, P3 C46 and Electra and the list could go on and on. Some are fun to just spawn on the runway, drill some holes in the sky and land at some airport of opportunity. Not realistic but in introspection Is any sim plane realistically study level? I mean in real world how long to get rated in any of the above mentioned birds or any other you can name. Months to years.

In the sim it’s all about the fun and nobody worries about getting killed for screwing the pooch.

1 hour ago, Patco Lch said:

This museum is why I’ll keep my P3DV5 forever. I have a DC6, a Connie, CV580, a C97, P3 C46 and Electra and the list could go on and on. Some are fun to just spawn on the runway, drill some holes in the sky and land at some airport of opportunity. Not realistic but in introspection Is any sim plane realistically study level? I mean in real world how long to get rated in any of the above mentioned birds or any other you can name. Months to years.

In the sim it’s all about the fun and nobody worries about getting killed for screwing the pooch.

EXACTLY! I still have the A2A warbirds there, their Bonanza had no peer until very recently, same with the A2A B-17, the MilViz T-38A & C, the Q400, and the best F/A-18E Super Hornet by far remains P3D only.

Heck - where else can you find a decent Helldiver…? 😎👍

A small rant - ha just find XPlane has reached a point that I did not think would be possible graphics wise with PC's. It seems to me that key to why XP is so amazing is its management of scale from horizon to the cockpit or terminal area. Light and colour is nailed faithfully now and I have no sig AA issues. So there is it is you can sit choose any airport, aerodrome or rough airstrip in the world. Any continent, Island, developed or underdeveloped landscapes. BUT XP and Laminar combine to give the means to modellers to bring to the sim carefully considered, well designed and complex operating systems in a dynamic flight environment.

IT just struck me how incredibly attractive and easy on the eyes it had become and spoilt for choice and challenge is not the word. Not a week goes by when some small surprise will turn up - like Ryan aircraft, found a few payware models had ignored -- all excellent.

So actually folk - just contemplating the arrival of 3 to finish off my XP12 world:

1. Nimbus - B707-300

2. Shensee - BAC111-400

3. VskyLabs - Aerostar Jet

Now if FJS could just fix up the 727 we would be back in business - lost count of the hours of fun had with the 727 in FX P3D well over 1500. will get the 737-100/200 as for the Dash well I have the Manky stable to do for me there. Some really interesting changes and drops coming so look forward to SimHeaven getting the new world up - happy to contribute to that!

So sitting looking at what it has got too is great! Actually, nothing to be uninstalled. Just judicious consideration of the scenario to be tried out.

Gosh Go and Look at the posts in What Plane Did You fly Today at the Org - people having a lot of fun with this sim and you get a better look at how others have it going for them.

Yep waiting for some new arrivals - going to be good year ahead!

On 5/25/2026 at 7:25 AM, coastaldriver said:

Not sure what now!

Sounds like you might still be using 2D?

My flight sim usage has changed completely over the last few years.

From 90% of the time fiddling trying to get stuff to just work even up to just a couple of years ago.

To 100% immersed in the cockpit short and long flights with a dose of trying to get them recorded well like

Today.

Time wise I have xplane open far far far less than I did 5 years ago. Flight sim wise I am actually using xplane now more than I ever have before, but 2D is just as on ramp to VR.

22 hours ago, UrgentSiesta said:

Yes, I can support this viewpoint!

However, I'm "afflicted" with a lifelong historical appreciation for aircraft, so I do truly enjoy "hoarding" them 😁

Each one becomes a 3D interactive museum exhibit, and there's a TON of learning & satisfaction to be gained by flying them. Even those that aren't Study Level have their place - as long as they're decently modeled, they get considered. E.g., the infamously dangerous handling of the F-104, and even the included variant with a rocket engine for High Altitude flight tests, are (IMHO) a perfect example of the essence of XP's purpose.

Of course, this results in me having a knowledge base that's a Mile Wide and an Inch Deep, but it certainly suits my interests. :)

In sum, that's why I didn't uninstall any of the addons - sooner or later, I'll want to sample something that's of interest in the moment for any number of reasons.

But for now, yeah, I've grown rusty with "proper" GA handling, and the Baron+REP, especially, has a great balance of raw performance, complexity, fidelity and just being a low-impact addon so XP itself can really have room to breathe. :)

Concur wholeheartedly re the LR Baron 58 +REP, Sim Coders did real good with changing the immersive involved aspect of the Baron - one of my favourite real world twins - gives you that RR feeling for this Beechcraft, done some great RW cross country trips in Barons night and day - wonderful aeroplane comfortable, solid, slippery and sound. Sim coders also did a great job with the PA31(Carenado)+REP - not a Baron competitor but another step up in size in GA before the KIng Air Size aeroplane. I find the Navajo is a blast as well converted quite a few FSX era paints for it across to XP. So Developers like SimCoders and Mr Sparky - take something pretty good and change the immersive dynamics completely - again another plus for the level of sophistication of this sim program . Yeah and a Baron with a EFATO below 500 AGL can bite you hard and bad real quick - demands to be flown correctly this one.