X-Plane is a great app but lacks "seat of the pants" reality. I had a pilot license (single engine, land) and flew for business purposes. Flying as PIC gives one a sense of freedom that cannot be experienced by any other means. Being able to defy gravity and move in any of three dimensions at will is an awesome feeling. My oldest grandson purchased MS's Flight Sim and also had a yoke and foot peddles attached to his desktop tower (this was 10-15 years ago). It misses the sounds (rush of the air passed the fuselage, the vibration of the engine and airframe, and the feeling in the seat of your pants when you input controls to the yoke, peddles and throttle. My grandson's setup didn't mimic those feelings. Flight Safety has a 3D sim in Wichita KS, that rides on hydrolics, which shakes the cabin around and mimics flight sensations. Looking through the front windows one cand see the night lights of Wichata in sharp detail. It really creates an almost 100% realistic flight environment. Flying at night at 10,000 feet is like being in space. I miss flying.
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