X Plane 10 Global Flight Simulator MAC
I have been a pilot for over 30 years. I started flying kites when I was 6 then radio controlled planes then I joined the RAF, flew missions over Iraq before moving to commercial airlines where I captain an Airbus A380 so I know a bit about Aircraft.
Recently I have discovered that spending the majority of my life in a cockpit isnt enough so I took up flying simulators so I can continue to be in a cockpit even when I home.
Having tried a few simulators such as Microsoft s Flight Simulator 1998 and version 4, IFR on the Commodore Vic20 and G-LOC I have settled on what I consider to be the best and most accurately detailed flight model and cockpit ever built. X PLANE 10.
X PLANE 10 rewrites the genre of flight simulation, not only does it accurately model 3 Aircraft it uses google maps and secret NASA satellite photos to create the most photo realistic environment ever seen on a simulation. The british meteorological service (the Met) designed the weather packages and they model real world weather patterns and pressure levels in real time.
The Aircraft underwent major wind tunnel testing prior to release and Boeing, Airbus and Cessna all verified the results as accurate to the real thing.
Sample Flight
I programmed a typical flight for me, Gatwick to Singapore aboard the Maiden of the Skys, a Jetstar Airbus A380-600. Take off time is 0900 hours.
0630 arrive at airport and clear customs, breathalised and blood tested and cavity searched.
0700 officers club, Irish Coffee of 2 with Co-pilot
0720 make way to plane and perform walk around checks, kick the tyres receive engineers report
0730 begin system testing and warm ups
0800 gate closed (4 passengers not arrived)boarding begins.
0810 baggage weight confirmed and bags begin to be loaded. Continue checks.
0815 passengers embarking, warning light on tyre pressure sensor, request engineer to investigate.
0830 15 passengers still not on board final closing calls sent over PA system
0835 tyre needs replacing, slow puncture caused by 3 corner jack.
0840 Tyre will be 15 minutes to arrive and 20 minutes to fit.
0845 arrange late take off time with tower, scheduled for 0930
0900 only 2 passengers not accounted, request their bags be removed.
0905 Tyre arrives late, cant find the bags request new take off time.
0910 Take off time now 1000
0920 bags off but passengers found, bags back on.
0930 passengers all on board
0940 bags packed, tyre changed all systems go.
0945 Begin Engine starting sequence - the game models this really well
0950 roll away from sky bridge and out into taxi way, make my way across photo realistic gatwick airport with low cloud and torrential rain.
0955 queued at runway 2 heading east, tower clears for take off and set channel 257 vectoring 121 for 4 east alpha heavy roger.
0959 lined up on runway 2 pointing down the ramp, wind up the 4 rolls royce V6 turbos to over 8000rpm and let the brakes go
1000 whizzing down the runway. 50, 100, 150, 200, 250, 300, 350, 400 flaps out stick full back
1001 take off!! Pitch nose up to 75 degrees, gear up, hard right turn, 500, 600
1005 fire reheat, full afterburner, 5000, 6000, 7000, 8000, speed 700 and the satisfying crack of the sound barrier
1010 passing 50,000 feet, 60,000 feet, 70,000 feet, speed mach 1.5 80,000 feet.
1015 undercarriage up, flaps in level off.
1020 mach 2, 80,00 feet heading 045 pointed at singapore, hit the autopilot button and recline the seats.
1100 coffee and cake
1200 Pimms
1300 Quick Nap
1600 lunch (fish and steamed potatos - caramel slice and some bubbles)
1615 coffe and schnaps
1630 quich game of snap with co-pilot
1700 chat to the punters and have a wander around the cockpit and then cabin to check out the dollies
1800 practice golf swing
1900 back to sleep
2100 have a stretch and toilet and contact Singapore air traffic controll
2110 receive approach details, runway 9 heading west, wind 150km south, wind sheer and tropical storms.
2130 prepare cabing for landing, push nose down to try and beat previous speed record of mach 3.5
2135 high five co-pilot as we decend to 20,000ft and hit mach 3.8
2136 cut reheats, cut engines, lower flaps gear and airbrakes to burn off speed, point at runway and cruise in
2140 managed to gues the perfect time to break, bled off all speed pull in breaks and tickle the throttle to 35%
2145 line up with runway and push stick forwards
2146 slam into the runway and thank the undestructible undercarriage.
2150 roll into gate.
Job Jobbed.
After all that I then go and leave for work to do it all again.
What a game .
Get your X Plane 10 Global Flight Simulator MAC Now!
After some miscommunication with a software problem, the problem was remedied. This is the best Flight Sim on the market. As a retired pilot , I have flown X-Plane 9 many hours and found it to be as real as it gets for a sim. I am looking forward to even better flying with X-Plane 10. I heartily recommend this for any person who wants to learn how to fly or is a student pilot. Wish this had been invented when I was learning!!!!!!! Well worth every cent spent!
ReplyDeleteAs many have stated before, calling X-Plane 10 a game would be a mistake. What it really is varies from person to person, but to make anything out of it requires you to put some time into it. Expect to spend an hour or so setting everything up, getting the graphics settings just right, configuring your joystick and other equipment to work just right... But once you do...
ReplyDeleteI am in the process of getting my private pilot/single engine rating. I hit a spot in my training just after I solo'ed where my landings were completely horrible. I got tired of hearing everyone say 'ohh, well, any landing you walk away from is a good one.' I hit a plateau that many students apparently hit. For over a month I was drilling patterns over my local airport with my instructor in the right seat, and I just couldn't seem to get it.
I decided to use X-Plane to get better. I got it as a gift last Christmas and I had been flying it on and off since then. I modified my yoke to make it smoother in pitch. And then I started doing patterns at my "local" airport. Eventually I just saved the game when I was on short final because the level off and flare was what I was having trouble with. And after a couple of hours, I finally got the hang of it. Over 100 virtual landings and I finally was able to always put the plane down safely in a crosswind. It wasn't exactly the same as the real thing, but it was really close. And my next lesson, I did it with in a real Skyhawk too.
So for me, X-Plane isn't a game; it is a training aid. It's close enough to the real thing that I got something useful out of it. And one that has paid for itself many times over.
So, for the plus'es, very realistic to the point of getting real skill out of it (as long as you put the time into it). Good graphics and performance can had with a strong computer and some time dialing the settings in. A strong community with plenty of free add-on's. It runs on Linux in addition to PC and Mac!
There are some con's though. The GUI is a bit clunky (there really needs to be a UI outside of the sim so you can configure everything before it loads. That way you are not sitting there loading the game twice when you want to change something). Installing was weird; there was a note in the folder of disks saying 'do not use the installer on disk 1, download the installer from our website'. I did and everything worked, but it was still odd. It is hard on your computer; you need a good rig to turn on a lot of the eye-candy (and even then, you probably can't max it out). And to get the most out of it a good joystick or yoke, rudder peddles, and a TrackIR are highly recommended. Cities and towns at high altitudes don't look right to me. And finally, not all of the included aircraft are created equal; some are kind of rough graphics wise compared to others.
The cons to me are minor though. All in all, if you want a serious flight simulator and you have the hardware to use it, get this. If you are looking for a more casual sim, give Microsoft Flight a chance. A combat sim, Rise of Flight. But look no farther if you want to learn to fly.
PS: If you are thinking about upgrading from X-Plane 9, I would recommend that you do so. X-Plane 10's performance, especially at higher resolutions, is a lot better in 10 than in 9.
This game is the Best flight simulator out there. The ground is accuratly depicted. The graphics are superb to FSX and FS9. I would really recommend this purchase. Be warned, this is a Flight simulator that is the next step down from flying real planes. It can be very challenging and fun.
ReplyDeleteI really hesitated before buying this product, and for good reason. The reviews out there are absolutely terrible. I had thought after reading them that I was paying $80 for a piece of paper to make a paper airplane out of. Despite all the heresay, I decided to decide for myself and downloaded the demo. Best decision I ever made! Unlike a lot of people who own fs9 or fsx, I was looking for a flight SIMULATOR. Not a game. I have a yoke I use with X-plane and every time I use the simulator, I am astounded by how realistic the flight characteristics are. In fsx, I never felt as if I were flying, I felt like I was playing a game; and I was. Every burst of wind, bit of turbulence, even wake turbulence is modeled perfectly. The graphics are so-so, but was not a problem for me as I use it primarily as a simulator. The whole "plausible" world thing really looks good as does the rest of the scenery. It's neat to see semis on the highway while flying low and slow. I was wary at first, but I am kicking myself for not buying this sooner!
ReplyDeleteThis seems to be more of a real SIM than FSX from Microsoft. I am currently in flight school and find the Xplane 10 to be more realistic than FXS when using the Cessna 172 that we fly in flight school. Get a Yoke and Pedals (I have been happy with CH for both) and you will be happy with Xplane 10 if you want to learn to fly. If you want to play a video game, FSX is fine for that.
ReplyDeleteGlobal yoke to take-off and land wherever I want to and in planes I will never be fortunate enough to ever touch, let alone fly! Great game and a great gift. I appreciate all of the time the creators put into this project. Thanks!
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ReplyDeleteIf you're into aviation at all this is the simulator for you. With the most realistic flight dynamics on the market, X-Plane is used by professionals all over the world.
ReplyDeleteIt includes World Scenery (worldwide topography and realistic road data). There are many communities online that offer free and payware add-on aircraft, but the simulator includes many default aircraft to start out with.
It is also compatible with a plugin that allows to connect to an online network where you can see traffic and be controlled like in the real world.
This is hands down the best flight simulator on the market, and should fit anybody's budget.
Despite all the pestimistic reveiws, I bought it anyway. Probrably the best choice I've made. This is by far the best flight simulator I ever encountered. The physics, weather, and avionics are excellent. This is software that keeps its word - a flight simulator, not a game.
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