Flight simulation is pretty much exactly as it sounds. A machine or in some cases, a program designed to resemble the cockpit of an aircraft and provide the most realistic pilot experience as possible.
A Brief History
The very first flight simulator was released in January of 1979.
SubLOGIC flight simulator 1 could be played on only apple computers.
The scenery and surrounding environment is a moving grid and the only
instruments were the altimeter and the airspeed indicator. The environment
and instruments would update about once every second resulting in a sort
of slideshow of pixels. The quality was very poor and it was hard to see some
of the information but it was fairly successful due to the fact that it was the
first and only program of its kind.
Click Here
The next slightly updated flight simulator was First Generation Flight Simulator
which could also only be played on a Mac. The program showed the same information as
subLOGIC’s flight sim but the quality of the grid scenery was slightly improved resulting
in it being able to be seen a little easier. It’s main claim to fame was that now you could
actually virtually take off and land on a runway.
Click Here
Two years later, Microsoft released Microsoft Flight Simulator 1.0 in November of
1982. This would be the first of a long line of simulators from microsoft that would
completely monopolize the flight simulator market until the early 2000’s. It was the
first simulator to use color and showed a greater amount of in cockpit instruments. In
addition, users also had the ability to fly over different environments including lakes,
rivers, and oceans.
Click Here
In 1984, Microsoft flight simulator 2.0 was released. Users were now able to simulate
landing on aircraft carriers and flying in and around structures. Frame rate was increased
tremendously and linear perspective was also greatly improved.
Click Here
4 years later, Microsoft flight simulator 3.0 was released in 1984. This is the first
simulator where you can really start to see the progress that Microsoft had made in
increasing the realism of the flight simulator. Runways became more detailed and the
program was run at a much higher pixel count resulting in a clearer picture. In addition,
users had the ability to watch there plane fly outside the plane in third person perspective
as addition views were added.
Click Here
Only 1 year later, Microsoft released their 4.0 version. It was a near replica of the
previous version with the only improvement coming in the amount of world objects added
(trees, Building, Vehicles, etc…)
Click Here
The next big flight sim improvement came out in 1993 with Microsoft flight simulator 5.0.
It was the first time real world images were being projected onto the virtual landscape.
Certain cities could be recognizable with the introduction landmarks
Click Here
Microsoft Flight Simulator 6.0 was released in mid 1996 and it too looked very similar
to the previous version with the exception that more aircraft types were added and that
the program gave users the option to go through virtual flight school. It appeared that
flight sim finally seemed complex enough to where some people may need a briefing to
learn how to use it.
Click Here
Version 6.1 was released two years later in 1998. It is known for being the first flight
sim to simulate the piloting of a helicopter. The landscape also underwent a minor
improvement involving the addition of color to the grayish type imagery scenery of the
past. Desert, urban, and agricultural environments were now clearly distinguishable
against one another.
Click Here
Flight Simulator 7.0(FS2000) was released in the year 2000. Some of the improvements
include a 3d cockpit with clickable switches and increased detail of aircraft and
airports. Quite possibly the biggest difference.
Click Here
The last Flight Sim released by Microsoft was FSX Steam Edition in 2007. It was
way ahead of its time and became realistic enough that some flight schools were
utilizing its features to help student pilots learn. To this day it is still the
best selling flight simulator of all time
Click Here
The Present
From 2009 until the present other companies such as Laminar Research and Lockheed
have surpassed Microsoft in the development of an ultra realistic flight simulation.
Starting in 2009, Laminar Research released X-Plane 9, and around the same time
Lockheed Martin released Prepared-3D (P3D). Laminar Research released X-Plane 10
in 2012 and most recently X-Plane 11 which came out in the end of 2016. Lockheed
has also upgraded P3D to version 4. X-Plane is the first simulator to be recognized
by the FAA as able to log real world flight hours and landings without actually
flying in a plane at all.
Click Here
The Future
With new technologies such as virtual reality and augmented reality are even now
being tested for use in flight simulators. The airlines now use full motion class
D simulators to train their pilots. Although a cool looking and a realistic solution,
these machines require more space, maintenance, and power to run. The option of
virtual reality as a use in professional simulators could save airlines thousands
of dollars every year in maintenance costs. Virtual reality still has quite a long
way to go before it becomes a regular part of the flight simulation world. Just a
few months ago, Laminar research upgraded their X-Plane 11 that supposedly lets
recreational users fly in virtual reality using either oculus rift or HTC Vive
Headsets. I personally got to try xplane in virtual reality at Flight Sim Expo
in Las Vegas. Personally I think it looks very grainy and changing the various
dials and controls decreases the realism of the experience. They have a lot of work
to do in order to get things running at the expected standard but it’s a good start
and preview of what virtual reality simulators can be like.
Click Here
The very first flight simulator was released in January of 1979.
SubLOGIC flight simulator 1 could be played on only apple computers.
The scenery and surrounding environment is a moving grid and the only
instruments were the altimeter and the airspeed indicator. The environment
and instruments would update about once every second resulting in a sort
of slideshow of pixels. The quality was very poor and it was hard to see some
of the information but it was fairly successful due to the fact that it was the
first and only program of its kind.
Click Here
The next slightly updated flight simulator was First Generation Flight Simulator
which could also only be played on a Mac. The program showed the same information as
subLOGIC’s flight sim but the quality of the grid scenery was slightly improved resulting
in it being able to be seen a little easier. It’s main claim to fame was that now you could
actually virtually take off and land on a runway.
Click Here
Two years later, Microsoft released Microsoft Flight Simulator 1.0 in November of
1982. This would be the first of a long line of simulators from microsoft that would
completely monopolize the flight simulator market until the early 2000’s. It was the
first simulator to use color and showed a greater amount of in cockpit instruments. In
addition, users also had the ability to fly over different environments including lakes,
rivers, and oceans.
Click Here
In 1984, Microsoft flight simulator 2.0 was released. Users were now able to simulate
landing on aircraft carriers and flying in and around structures. Frame rate was increased
tremendously and linear perspective was also greatly improved.
Click Here
4 years later, Microsoft flight simulator 3.0 was released in 1984. This is the first
simulator where you can really start to see the progress that Microsoft had made in
increasing the realism of the flight simulator. Runways became more detailed and the
program was run at a much higher pixel count resulting in a clearer picture. In addition,
users had the ability to watch there plane fly outside the plane in third person perspective
as addition views were added.
Click Here
Only 1 year later, Microsoft released their 4.0 version. It was a near replica of the
previous version with the only improvement coming in the amount of world objects added
(trees, Building, Vehicles, etc…)
Click Here
The next big flight sim improvement came out in 1993 with Microsoft flight simulator 5.0.
It was the first time real world images were being projected onto the virtual landscape.
Certain cities could be recognizable with the introduction landmarks
Click Here
Microsoft Flight Simulator 6.0 was released in mid 1996 and it too looked very similar
to the previous version with the exception that more aircraft types were added and that
the program gave users the option to go through virtual flight school. It appeared that
flight sim finally seemed complex enough to where some people may need a briefing to
learn how to use it.
Click Here
Version 6.1 was released two years later in 1998. It is known for being the first flight
sim to simulate the piloting of a helicopter. The landscape also underwent a minor
improvement involving the addition of color to the grayish type imagery scenery of the
past. Desert, urban, and agricultural environments were now clearly distinguishable
against one another.
Click Here
Flight Simulator 7.0(FS2000) was released in the year 2000. Some of the improvements
include a 3d cockpit with clickable switches and increased detail of aircraft and
airports. Quite possibly the biggest difference.
Click Here
The last Flight Sim released by Microsoft was FSX Steam Edition in 2007. It was
way ahead of its time and became realistic enough that some flight schools were
utilizing its features to help student pilots learn. To this day it is still the
best selling flight simulator of all time
Click Here
The Present
From 2009 until the present other companies such as Laminar Research and Lockheed
have surpassed Microsoft in the development of an ultra realistic flight simulation.
Starting in 2009, Laminar Research released X-Plane 9, and around the same time
Lockheed Martin released Prepared-3D (P3D). Laminar Research released X-Plane 10
in 2012 and most recently X-Plane 11 which came out in the end of 2016. Lockheed
has also upgraded P3D to version 4. X-Plane is the first simulator to be recognized
by the FAA as able to log real world flight hours and landings without actually
flying in a plane at all.
Click Here
The Future
With new technologies such as virtual reality and augmented reality are even now
being tested for use in flight simulators. The airlines now use full motion class
D simulators to train their pilots. Although a cool looking and a realistic solution,
these machines require more space, maintenance, and power to run. The option of
virtual reality as a use in professional simulators could save airlines thousands
of dollars every year in maintenance costs. Virtual reality still has quite a long
way to go before it becomes a regular part of the flight simulation world. Just a
few months ago, Laminar research upgraded their X-Plane 11 that supposedly lets
recreational users fly in virtual reality using either oculus rift or HTC Vive
Headsets. I personally got to try xplane in virtual reality at Flight Sim Expo
in Las Vegas. Personally I think it looks very grainy and changing the various
dials and controls decreases the realism of the experience. They have a lot of work
to do in order to get things running at the expected standard but it’s a good start
and preview of what virtual reality simulators can be like.
Click Here
The very first flight simulator was released in January of 1979. SubLOGIC flight simulator 1 could be played on only apple computers. The scenery and surrounding environment is a moving grid and the only instruments were the altimeter and the airspeed indicator. The environment and instruments would update about once every second resulting in a sort of slideshow of pixels. The quality was very poor and it was hard to see some of the information but it was fairly successful due to the fact that it was the first and only program of its kind.
The next slightly updated flight simulator was First Generation Flight Simulator which could also only be played on a Mac. The program showed the same information as subLOGIC’s flight sim but the quality of the grid scenery was slightly improved resulting in it being able to be seen a little easier. It’s main claim to fame was that now you could actually virtually take off and land on a runway.
Two years later, Microsoft released Microsoft Flight Simulator 1.0 in November of 1982. This would be the first of a long line of simulators from microsoft that would completely monopolize the flight simulator market until the early 2000’s. It was the first simulator to use color and showed a greater amount of in cockpit instruments. In addition, users also had the ability to fly over different environments including lakes, rivers, and oceans.
In 1984, Microsoft flight simulator 2.0 was released. Users were now able to simulate landing on aircraft carriers and flying in and around structures. Frame rate was increased tremendously and linear perspective was also greatly improved.
4 years later, Microsoft flight simulator 3.0 was released in 1984. This is the first simulator where you can really start to see the progress that Microsoft had made in increasing the realism of the flight simulator. Runways became more detailed and the program was run at a much higher pixel count resulting in a clearer picture. In addition, users had the ability to watch there plane fly outside the plane in third person perspective as addition views were added.
Only 1 year later, Microsoft released their 4.0 version. It was a near replica of the previous version with the only improvement coming in the amount of world objects added (trees, Building, Vehicles, etc…)
The next big flight sim improvement came out in 1993 with Microsoft flight simulator 5.0. It was the first time real world images were being projected onto the virtual landscape. Certain cities could be recognizable with the introduction landmarks
Microsoft Flight Simulator 6.0 was released in mid 1996 and it too looked very similar to the previous version with the exception that more aircraft types were added and that the program gave users the option to go through virtual flight school. It appeared that flight sim finally seemed complex enough to where some people may need a briefing to learn how to use it.
Version 6.1 was released two years later in 1998. It is known for being the first flight sim to simulate the piloting of a helicopter. The landscape also underwent a minor improvement involving the addition of color to the grayish type imagery scenery of the past. Desert, urban, and agricultural environments were now clearly distinguishable against one another.
Flight Simulator 7.0(FS2000) was released in the year 2000. Some of the improvements include a 3d cockpit with clickable switches and increased detail of aircraft and airports. Quite possibly the biggest difference.
The last Flight Sim released by Microsoft was FSX Steam Edition in 2007. It was way ahead of its time and became realistic enough that some flight schools were utilizing its features to help student pilots learn. To this day it is still the best selling flight simulator of all time
From 2009 until the present other companies such as Laminar Research and Lockheed
have surpassed Microsoft in the development of an ultra realistic flight simulation.
Starting in 2009, Laminar Research released X-Plane 9, and around the same time
Lockheed Martin released Prepared-3D (P3D). Laminar Research released X-Plane 10
in 2012 and most recently X-Plane 11 which came out in the end of 2016. Lockheed
has also upgraded P3D to version 4. X-Plane is the first simulator to be recognized
by the FAA as able to log real world flight hours and landings without actually
flying in a plane at all.
Click Here
The Future
With new technologies such as virtual reality and augmented reality are even now
being tested for use in flight simulators. The airlines now use full motion class
D simulators to train their pilots. Although a cool looking and a realistic solution,
these machines require more space, maintenance, and power to run. The option of
virtual reality as a use in professional simulators could save airlines thousands
of dollars every year in maintenance costs. Virtual reality still has quite a long
way to go before it becomes a regular part of the flight simulation world. Just a
few months ago, Laminar research upgraded their X-Plane 11 that supposedly lets
recreational users fly in virtual reality using either oculus rift or HTC Vive
Headsets. I personally got to try xplane in virtual reality at Flight Sim Expo
in Las Vegas. Personally I think it looks very grainy and changing the various
dials and controls decreases the realism of the experience. They have a lot of work
to do in order to get things running at the expected standard but it’s a good start
and preview of what virtual reality simulators can be like.
Click Here
From 2009 until the present other companies such as Laminar Research and Lockheed have surpassed Microsoft in the development of an ultra realistic flight simulation. Starting in 2009, Laminar Research released X-Plane 9, and around the same time Lockheed Martin released Prepared-3D (P3D). Laminar Research released X-Plane 10 in 2012 and most recently X-Plane 11 which came out in the end of 2016. Lockheed has also upgraded P3D to version 4. X-Plane is the first simulator to be recognized by the FAA as able to log real world flight hours and landings without actually flying in a plane at all.
With new technologies such as virtual reality and augmented reality are even now
being tested for use in flight simulators. The airlines now use full motion class
D simulators to train their pilots. Although a cool looking and a realistic solution,
these machines require more space, maintenance, and power to run. The option of
virtual reality as a use in professional simulators could save airlines thousands
of dollars every year in maintenance costs. Virtual reality still has quite a long
way to go before it becomes a regular part of the flight simulation world. Just a
few months ago, Laminar research upgraded their X-Plane 11 that supposedly lets
recreational users fly in virtual reality using either oculus rift or HTC Vive
Headsets. I personally got to try xplane in virtual reality at Flight Sim Expo
in Las Vegas. Personally I think it looks very grainy and changing the various
dials and controls decreases the realism of the experience. They have a lot of work
to do in order to get things running at the expected standard but it’s a good start
and preview of what virtual reality simulators can be like.
Click Here
With new technologies such as virtual reality and augmented reality are even now being tested for use in flight simulators. The airlines now use full motion class D simulators to train their pilots. Although a cool looking and a realistic solution, these machines require more space, maintenance, and power to run. The option of virtual reality as a use in professional simulators could save airlines thousands of dollars every year in maintenance costs. Virtual reality still has quite a long way to go before it becomes a regular part of the flight simulation world. Just a few months ago, Laminar research upgraded their X-Plane 11 that supposedly lets recreational users fly in virtual reality using either oculus rift or HTC Vive Headsets. I personally got to try xplane in virtual reality at Flight Sim Expo in Las Vegas. Personally I think it looks very grainy and changing the various dials and controls decreases the realism of the experience. They have a lot of work to do in order to get things running at the expected standard but it’s a good start and preview of what virtual reality simulators can be like.