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Setting Up Your Sim

Here’s the second in our series on getting started with an at-home flight simulator.

Once you've gotten your own at-home flight simulator, it's time to get it properly configured. [Illustration: Clare Nicholas]
Gemini Sparkle

Key Takeaways:

  • Adjusting the default "captain's eye point" in Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 is crucial for realistic sight positioning and flying, as factory settings are often too low.
  • Efficient simulator operation relies on customizing key bindings for essential functions like external lights, flaps, and autopilot, with the author providing specific recommendations.
  • Enhance your setup by integrating additional hardware, such as an Xbox controller for autopilot functions, and consider third-party add-ons like FSRealistic for realistic vibrations and sounds to increase immersion.
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If you’re beginning to entertain the idea of purchasing your first airplane, you likely have dozens of aircraft reviews and buyer’s guides bookmarked in your browser. You’ve probably learned how important it is to match an airplane’s capabilities to the sort off lying you expect to do most often. And if your daydreaming has evolved into analysis, you might have already begun to narrow your choices to a handful of potential candidates.

In Part 1 of my series featuring Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 initial setup (May 2023/Issue 937), we discussed the importance of making instant views to use all the time when flying. Positioning yourself and creating the proper “captain’s eye point” is crucial in being able to fly like a real pilot would, as well as correct sight positioning and view toward the runway to enable landing like the pros.

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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