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Simulated Flight in Real, Uninterrupted Time

Microsoft Flight Simulator offers the experience of navigating live weather while flying to far-flung destinations.

Microsoft Flight Simulator offers the experience of navigating live weather while flying to far-flung destinations. [Image courtesy: Peter James]
Gemini Sparkle

Key Takeaways:

  • The author embarked on a multi-day virtual journey in Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020, flying heavy aircraft across diverse regions from the U.S. to Alaska, Russia, and Japan, experiencing MSFS's live weather and realistic scenery.
  • The journey also included a high-altitude, hypersonic flight in the Darkstar from the "Top Gun" add-on, showcasing the simulator's diverse aircraft and extreme flight capabilities.
  • A primary focus was recreating the legendary and challenging "checkerboard" approach to the now-closed Kai Tak International Airport in Hong Kong using a Boeing 747-8i.
  • The article emphasizes MSFS's power to allow aviation enthusiasts to experience iconic flights and historic airports that are no longer possible in real life, fulfilling long-held dreams.
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Recently I took a real-time trip in Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 (MSFS 2020) over multiple days, from the contiguous U.S. to far western Alaska—a place I would love to see in real life, and certainly a popular place for aviation in general. Although frequently associated with horrendous weather, Alaska is a place that’s probably not often seen except in the last few seconds at minimums and below, or on the TV show, “The Deadliest Catch.” 

My weather was live and real-time as usual, and I was greeted by ceiling and visibility unlimited (CAVU) the day I started this trip. Once there, I marveled at the incredible scenery and beauty of it all, with lots of snowy landscapes to view. It was early spring but winter in Alaska using the live weather features of MSFS, showed the heavy snows they have been having this year are still in place. 

Peter James

Peter is an experienced Part 135 business jet pilot with a passion for simulators and how they blend with the real world. Learning to fly at age 12, he supplemented his passion and career goals with the early versions of Microsoft Flight Simulator. With the growing realism of all PC simulators today, he frequently uses them for extra proficiency, and loves to show other pilots how great they are.

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