I have no experience of an A320 in flight simulation, but I do use the PMDG 777F. A very nicely detailed aircraft, but (IMO) it has one problem at the moment, and that is the "bouncing" issue. This does not happen at all times, but when it does happen, the immersion is shattered in an instant. Fortunately, it has been identified as a bug, so it is on the "to do" list. I am also keen for PMDG to release the upgraded sound package for the 777. The Boris Soundworks upgrade package is good, but a lot of the switch sounds are very faint. I much prefer the solid "thunk" that I get with most switches in the PMDG 737.

1 hour ago, Simicro said:

One year ago your favorite was the 777-300ER. Am I correct? 😉

In an uninstaller mind 1 year translates to 1 Century 🤣

Edited 21 hours ago21 hr by jcomm

5 minutes ago, jcomm said:

In an uninstaller mine 1 year translates to 1 Century 🤣

🤣

15 hours ago, BWBriscoe said:

I want this to be a constructive thread, but I am curious about which aircraft...either the PMDG 777 or the Fenix A320, people consider to be higher fidelity, more realistic and most importantly closest to the real thing.

I fly both...more often than not the 777, but maybe I'm missing something with the Fenix A320.

I often hear that the Fenix A320 is the most comprehensive and realistic commercial flight sim add on there is...I would be interested to hear people's thoughts.

@BWBriscoe , I'd like to point out a few things that make a significant difference, based on my own flying experience. At one point, I was dual-qualified on both Boeing and Airbus aircraft.

As far as PMDG and Fenix are concerned, both are excellent simulations. From a systems standpoint, they are about as close to the real aircraft as current software and development limitations allow. Like any complex simulation, both have their share of bugs—some are subtle enough that most people never notice them, while others are more obvious but are often overlooked or simply accepted.

It's also worth remembering that the Boeing 777 is a Heavy wake turbulence category aircraft, whereas the Airbus A320 is a Medium. They were designed for different missions, and that influences how they fly and how pilots operate them.

Where things become really interesting is in the design philosophy.

Boeing's philosophy is that the pilot remains the final authority. The automation is there to assist you, and it can be disconnected quickly whenever you want to hand-fly the airplane.

Airbus takes a different approach. Its philosophy centers on flight envelope protection. The automation is intended to remain engaged whenever practical, and the aircraft's flight-control laws and protections play a much larger role in how pilot inputs are interpreted.

That means the biggest adjustment when flying both isn't learning how to move the controls—it's changing your mindset.

With Boeing, the philosophy is: fly the airplane first and use automation as a tool.

With Airbus, the philosophy is: manage the automation effectively and let it help you operate safely within the aircraft's protected flight envelope.

From a psychological standpoint, that's the biggest difference. The 777 encourages more direct manipulation of the aircraft, while the A320 places greater emphasis on understanding automation modes, flight-control laws, and what the aircraft is doing at any given moment.

In my experience, one of the biggest challenges when transitioning to Airbus is developing strong mode awareness and fully understanding the flight-control laws. Once that clicks, the logic becomes very intuitive.

So, in my opinion, @Stearmandriver summed it up perfectly: they're different aircraft designed for different missions, and each requires a different way of thinking.

IMHO, having both will broaden your flight experience.

15 hours ago, BWBriscoe said:

I want this to be a constructive thread, but I am curious about which aircraft...either the PMDG 777 or the Fenix A320, people consider to be higher fidelity, more realistic and most importantly closest to the real thing.

I fly both...more often than not the 777, but maybe I'm missing something with the Fenix A320.

I often hear that the Fenix A320 is the most comprehensive and realistic commercial flight sim add on there is...I would be interested to hear people's thoughts.

The 777 is more high fidelity currently (mostly because of the Fenix having some VNAV problems, which hopefully get fixed), but overall the Fenix is the vastly superior addon. It's the best in flight sim history, I'd even go that far.

EDIT: That said i fly the 777 more because I'm more of a widebody guy and it's a very good addon, like all PMDG aircraft.

Edited 16 hours ago16 hr by Fiorentoni

23 hours ago, BWBriscoe said:

I want this to be a constructive thread, but I am curious about which aircraft...either the PMDG 777 or the Fenix A320, people consider to be higher fidelity, more realistic and most importantly closest to the real thing.

I fly both...more often than not the 777, but maybe I'm missing something with the Fenix A320.

I often hear that the Fenix A320 is the most comprehensive and realistic commercial flight sim add on there is...I would be interested to hear people's thoughts.

If I read you right, you might be looking to invest a lot more time in one or the other for a deep dive with one being your primary ride for that…?

I think only Type Rated pilots on both could really answer the question (like LRBS).

I’ve heard Randazzo assert that their 777 can simulate a Heavy Maintenance Check Ride without errors or omissions, which is rather impressive. And I’ve wondered if their 737 is the same…?

OTOH, the Fenix is extremely highly regarded and the IRL Airbus streamers who fly it seem to find it satisfactory.

I guess it comes down to what type of experience you’re seeking, and you’d have to dig deep there. I’d even say go to the respective discords and ask if the respective addon can meet your goal (and obvs, leave out the “vs this other addon” angle).

Fundamentally, If it’s chasing the last bit of fidelity of the addon itself, IMHO that’s going to be an ultimately unsatisfying endeavor.

If you’re looking for more of a Month in the Life of a Pilot thing, I’d wager you’ll get more satisfaction out of VatSim or PilotEdge, and pushing for diversions and non-standard ops there.

YMMV, and my opinions only worth what you paid for it 😉👍