My switching to FSX, and various issues with IF.

#1

Hey there IF community!

Two months ago, I did my first flight lesson in a real aircraft. The experience was incredible, and I have many more lessons scheduled. However, when not in the air, I wanted to practice on the ground; aka, a simulator.

I did a few short flights in IF, however I quickly became aware of the game and my experience with it. I compiled a list of a few issues within the game (these aren’t bugs, so this doesn’t belong in #support.)

  • lack of an interactive cockpit
    As a student pilot, learning the cockpit is a very important part of helping my flying career. While IF has a static cockpit, it’s nothing compared to the real cockpit, and how you have to scan the instruments, (my instructor calls this 90 10. 90% looking outside, 10% looking at the instruments).
  • Pricing
    Being a teenager without a job, flight lessons are costly, so I have to save a lot of my money. $10 a month is too much money for me, and solo doesn’t provide the same experience.
  • verbal ATC
    Infinite Flight (obviously) does not have verbal ATC. ATC commands are definitely something I need to practice, so tapping buttons on a screen is much different than speaking the commands.

In turn, I decided to spend $12 on a Steam key for Microsoft Flight Simulator. This sim offered everything I needed.

  • immensely professional network of serious pilots (VATSIM) for free
  • modding, and downloadable aircraft and scenery
  • verbal ATC
  • one time price
  • live cockpits

A big problem I have with IF is the pricing. IF pro allows access to a great number of aircraft and the full globe, but so does FSX, without subscription. I will continue to visit the community occasionally, but I will no longer be using IF as my main simulator. What are your opinions on this subject?

-Pie

30 Likes
#2

To address your first point, as a student pilot, I would not rely on ANY simulator for familiarization with flying. Unless you are in an FAA approved sim, which you can log time in, you’re going to develop bad habits and gain nothing from a sim. If your expectation was for IF to prepare you to be a better pilot, then disappointment is inevitable.

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#3

Whatever works for you. You’re the consumer.

Though I do question if $10 a month is too much for you if you’re already paying a minimum of $70+ per flight hour in a basic Cessna plus instructor fees…

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#5

Good point… X-Plane 11 offers an FAA approved simulator, costing a little more money, but like I said realistic enough that a pilot could fly it.

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#6

I’d rather spend $12 once than $10 a month. Put that money towards real lessons, where I can log hours.

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#7

My flight school does offer a full motion sim (the Redbird something…) howeber the pricing per hour in the sim is so similiar to a real lesson I’d rather fly for real.

#8

I wouldn’t say not to rely on any home-based simulator, as said above X Plane 11 is an FAA certified software simulator and many real-life pilots use that simulator. But let me also say this, some of the responses saying that a home-based simulator won’t help you become a better pilot are simply false. I have gone through a many conversations about this with real life commercial and military captains and they 100% agree that a home-based simulator can absolutely help you gain real life pilot skills and not only that, but for senior pilots it will help you retain your skills.

Furthermore if you don’t have the ability to leave your bad habits behind (if for any reason you would gain any) then you also do not need to be in the cockpit.

One last thing I don’t mean to sound harsh but if you have a voice in the back of your head telling you anything then you do not need to be in the cockpit.

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#9

That version is only to be used for type certification and requires the FAA approved hardware to count. All that is not a little more as the pro version ranges from $500-$1000 for the software and the hardware is $5000-$500000 more depending on the aircraft. So please avoid giving people ideas that their X plane skills would count as real life flight ability.

Plus your entire set up will need to be approved by the FAA so you can actually work towards a type cert

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#10

Please find FSX on mobile :)
Look at fails videos FSX on YouTube when everyone act likes kids in Training Server, in VERBAL speaking on videos.
What you see in IVAO is what you see in Infinite Flight Expert Server.
You can’t compare a flight sim running on small device with streaming scenery with a powerful PC that can run FSX smoothly:)

This is how I can compare FSX and IF.

FSX is complex and kids with basic knowledge in IF aircraft flying experience don’t know how to start a plane in FSX at cold and dark.

I know how to play Infinite Flight very well, but don’t ask me to make a flight in FSX from cold and dark to aircraft power off…

FSX and IF are différents :) both are awesome but in their respectives platforms… this is my rating. I wouldn’t no blame IF because “they don’t offer what FSX do”

1 Like
#11

I thought there are some VO’s and organizations that feature Verbal ATC, yes it’s not through the game, but there are ways around it. I do agree that it is pricey, but look at what you get. You can fly with thousands of community members on your phone, wherever you want. Not trying to change your mind, just stating facts ;)

I’m not saying one is better then the other, but from my experience on both games, that’s my opinion.

Have fun on FSX!

3 Likes
#12

IF isn’t a game to train pilots. It’s a game for you to enjoy, if your thoughts were to train with IF then you probably should of not started with it.

Now the verbal ATC commands I completely agree with, I think it’d be great have Verbal operations with working comms.

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#13

I wouldn’t never listen anything about offensive and spamming in Casual and Training Server… lol

#14

I agree, IF is the best flight sim on mobile, however the skill ceiling and pricing aren’t really what I need right now.

#15

Because FDS is not Microsoft… simple as that
They don’t want to make us pay really expensive. They don’t have the choice. It’s a small LLC with limited resources.

1 Like
#17

So a quick two cents on my part. I look at IF as a fun, cool simulator. I do NOT think it will somehow prepare me for the real world. I doubt I’ll get a PPL at any point, but that doesn’t mean I’m not fascinated by aviation. I appreciate Infinite Flight’s beautiful terrain and aircraft graphics, because at the end of the day a simulator simulates real life, and I appreciate how well Infinite Flight does that in terms of graphics. I also like how for a flat rate I get the entire package, and don’t have to go on another website to get uncertified user add ons for a better experience. I just enjoy Infinite Flight as a fun way to appreciate aviation.

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#18

Guys, lets remember that IF was created with the intent of providing a fun simulator for people that want to be able to play on their mobile devices. With the high level of quality comes a high price, but in my opinion IF is my go-to for having a fun, easy to access simulator. I also play P3D, but I use that only when I want the highest realistic experience possible.
I have to agree with you Pie, FSX is superior to IF if you want to train for real-world situations.

8 Likes
#19

I agree with you completely. No simulator will ever fully replicate flight, however for terms of pricing i will be switching to FSX. Verbal ATC is also a big thing, especially within GA airspace. Learning to look at real instruments and not the HUD is also something that I like in FSX.

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#20

I completely agree with you. FSX graphics don’t compare whatsoever to IF, however I have installed a few mods and plugins to help with that.

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#21

There’s a group that provides verbal ATC now and Infinite Flight offers their Live API to outside developers so the sky is the limit when it comes to verbal ATC and 3rd party interactive cockpit apps.

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#22

Simulators are great for mastering procedures. How to properly fly a pattern, navigate based on ground landmarks using real charts. But I would never practice a stall in a sim.

1 Like