MickOrmack

Thank you. That sounds like it covers what I am looking for. You mention the three products you use in your original post. What do you recommend in comparison to Orbx? In regards to the U.S. it looks like Orbx has limited coverage vs the whole country coverage from the combination of FSGenesis Mesh + UTX + GEX. Is the quality of the terrain in the Orbx areas signifigantly higher than the combination of the other three in those same areas?

Thank you

These all look like good recommendations. What is the difference between Ground Environment X, the Ultimate Terrain X, and the FSGenesis Mesh? Do they all do different things? I'm already planning the TrackIR with the tax refund as well as a yoke and pedals. I've tried out a friends CH Yoke and pedals and I was happy with the way they felt so I plan on going that route. I admit I hadn't considered a weather addon but looking at all the recommendations and a quick check of some websites makes it look like it might be something worth getting.

I'm from Kentucky but I'm not particularly attached to having to fly there. Flying the planes and learning to navigate is fun. I'd like to do that over terrain that looks more real. I know that flying out of the local airport in the game the terrain is so much flatter than it really is. It might be more satisfying to fly out of a different place so I don't have any real means of comparison.

I think I'm ready to purchase my first addons for FSX. My problem is I'm unsure what I want/need to get in order to have the best experience. Over the past week I've read what seems like tons of reviews and forum posts but that only scratches the surface of what is out there. With that in mind I would love to get some recommendations from people about what addons they particularly enjoy and perhaps a brief reason that they like them. I am particularly interested in things that will improve the look and accuracy of the terrain. I am enjoying flying the general aviation planes right now so addons that make the terrain look better from low altitude are of particular interest. I'm not so much interested in how the ground crew looks moving around an airport as I am the ground itself around said airport. I've tried some interstate flights and it's a little disappointing trying to look for terrain landmarks. After something to take care of the landscape I may invest in one or two aircraft. I'm using FSX in DirectX 10 mode, following the posts on Avsim as how to set it up and get it working smoothly, so I'm interested in things that are compatible. I figure people that have been using addons for years have probably changed their opinions and views on what works best over time. Hopefully you can share what you would begin with if you had to start fresh today. I'd like to say in advance that I appreciate the time people take to reply and hopefully help me avoid making any more mistakes than I have to.