Been There, Done That

Aviation gaming simulation offers familiar views that rival the real thing.

Thursday, March 02, 2023 at 05:26 PM ET

Verified

The fidelity of aviation gaming simulation allows the comparison of sim vs. real life, and the gap of realism is closer than ever. [Credit: Shutterstock]

Key Takeaways:

Modern flight simulators like Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 offer an unprecedented level of realism, making it difficult to distinguish sim visuals from real-world photos.
This high fidelity provides practical benefits for pilots, aiding in the swift learning of complex aircraft systems (e.g., Garmin GPS, FMS) and familiarization with real-world flight scenarios.
The author, an experienced pilot, demonstrates the simulator's accuracy by recreating personal flying experiences and geographical locations with remarkable precision.
Investing in professional-grade home cockpit hardware significantly enhances the realism, precision, and training value of flight simulation.

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“Been there, done that.” It’s an old adage that seems every pilot says at some time in their career, to the younger newbie just starting out. I used to hate that expression. Now, I use it much to my chagrin.

In my early 20s, I started my first real flying jobs, first as a CFII, then a fledgling “corporate pilot” flying an advanced T-Tail Piper Arrow. To me, with its big tail, the Arrow was an airliner. It looked like a McDonnell Douglas MD-80 or Boeing 727, I thought. Some 30 years later, I’ve now gone full circle having flown almost 11,000 hours with some 7,000 of those hours in business jets.