Microsoft Flight Simulator (9)
Frequently Asked Questions & General Tips and Tricks
What is Microsoft's Flight Simulator for, where can I get it, and what does it do?
Microsoft's Flight Simulator is a desktop game made by Microsoft Games. It is renouned as the nearest someone can get to flying from their own home. It can be bought from most stores and from various online game dealers. It is a large game, and it takes quite a lot of RAM, memory, and cpu power to run smoothly, but most modern computers shouldn't face too much difficulty. There is no "point" to the game, as in set levels and tasks although there are
some optional missions that practice your flying skills. You make your own game. Fly GA, Airliners, Fighters, Helicopters from everywhere to anywhere. There is nothing to unlock or gain from this apart from personal satisfaction.
Why do people use it if it has no "point" or "aim"?
There are a number of reasons why people use this software and they are all unique. Some people use it out of the curiosity of how to fly an aeroplane, some people use it to pretend to be pilots flying with others and even in "virtual airlines". A number of people like myself also use it for practicing instrument work, and flying IFR without the cost of the real thing. People also practice for PPLs and other flying qualifications through this software.
How accurate is it?
As accurate as you can make it. There are many software designers that have completely duplicated the systems off a real aircraft (such as Level-D Simulations and their wonderful Boeing 767-300ER package) and therefore make the panel work identical to the real thing. Flight dynamics are unrealistic though, as the only way you can get the feeling of flying an aircraft is from actually flying an aircraft.
How do we start?
There are many forums that can be found that will provide specific help in operating the software's interfaces such as this one and another I "know of". However, if you have no flying experience what-so-ever, or don't remember how to do anything at all, I personally recommend "learning to fly" with the built in client. It will provide everything you need to know.
Where can I find free add-ons that I can use to improve my experience?
There is a vast amount off free addons available from varying websites such as :
http://avsim.com
http://flightsim.com
http://simviation.com
Developers include:
http://projectopensky.com
http://ifdg.net
http://eastern-va.com/vistaliners
http://project-airbus.com
http://contrail-designs.com
Where can I find such and such addon?
Search the above websites for addons of varying quality. There are hundreds of thousands of free addons (freeware) on the net just waiting to be downloaded.
How can I remove the default traffic, and replace it with more realistic options?
Search for "TTools" or "MRAI Installer" on google. That download will provide you with the knowledge and tools to do this.
Where are my saved flights stored?.
They are located within the "My Documents", and then the "Flight Simulator" folder
How do I edit the aircraft.cfg file?
Right click, then open it in notepad. Make sure you save it a[s] a config file though.
How do I get rid of the "jaggy edges" on my model/Antialiasing what is it?
The Antialasing inside the simulator will reduce a lot your performance ie frame rates, uncheck the AntiAliasing box from the FS2004 display settings menu and only use the Antialasing from an external tweaker or from your driver display settings.
How do I back-up and away from a gate?
Use ctrl+p for straight back, and then press "1" for tail left, and "2" for tail right.