Hello Captains, and welcome back!
A new player has entered the career mode arena: Fly The Line – Short Haul Edition, and I couldn’t resist giving it a proper test drive. If you’ve followed my blog, you know career mode add-ons play a big role in enhancing my overall simulation experience—and this one caught my attention fast. Just to be clear: this review is 100% unsolicited. No sponsorships, no freebies—I paid full price, just like any sim enthusiast would.
First Impressions & Installation
I purchased Fly The Line – Short Haul Edition from JustFlight on launch day—Friday, July 25. The download is roughly 630MB, and once installed, it takes up about 1.12GB on your drive. FTL supports FSX, P3D, X-Plane, MSFS 2020, and MSFS 2024, but it’s only available for Windows PC users. Note: you’ll need FSUIPC or XPUIPC, depending on your platform. I’m currently running FTL with MSFS 2020.
Setup was straightforward. The initial settings screen lets you:
- Define your simulator path (it scans for installed airport add-ons)
- Assign preferred 3rd-party add-ons for scheduling
- Enter your SimBrief ID and customize various parameters
Building Your Pilot Profile
FTL offers up to 8 user profiles—a handy feature if you share your sim setup or want different modes and airlines. Each profile lets you customize:
- Avatar for your airline badge
- Career mode selection: Career, Free Play, or Schedule
- Airline and base ICAO codes
- Flight duration, diversion frequency, starting month, sectors, and more
There’s also an advanced menu to refine turnaround times, runway length minimums, airport exclusions, and duplication settings—all clearly described with helpful tooltips.
Modes That Match Your Style
FTL offers three distinct experiences:
- Career Mode: Start small and work your way up—ideal for immersive progression.
- Free Play: Everything unlocked, with full cash and skill points to explore freely.
- Schedule Mode: Focus purely on flying, with no character or lifestyle elements.
I’m running in Career Mode with American Airlines, based at DFW. Let the grind begin.
Flight Deck Time & Performance Grading
Once in the sim, FTL syncs your flight schedule with simulator time, starting about 30–45 minutes pre-pushback. Like many simmers, I typically prep my aircraft in 20–25 minutes—GSX handles the passengers, cargo, fuel, and catering efficiently. Need to speed things up? You can advance the sim rate before pushback to hit your departure window precisely.
Upon landing, FTL evaluates more than just your vertical speed:
- Did you land in the runway’s target zone?
- How well did you maintain centerline alignment?
- Did you brake appropriately?
Yes, I’ve already had a training pilot scold me for excessive braking—lesson learned
Beyond Flying: Career Depth & Personal Growth
What sets FTL apart is its integration of pilot wellness. Skill points earned per flight unlock features that enhance your in-game lifestyle, productivity, and career trajectory. You can even spend your earnings furnishing your virtual home (my sim pit buildout is officially on the wish list).
Vacation time accrues with completed flights and can be used to skip routes or entire days—a welcome touch that mirrors real-world airline scheduling flexibility.
Comparison: Fly The Line vs. A Pilot’s Life
Both FTL and A Pilot’s Life (APL) share similar foundations—career growth, flight grading, and real-world airline schedules. But FTL elevates the experience with tighter schedule adherence grading, deeper landing analysis, and lifestyle management elements that feel truly interactive.
While FTL won’t replace APL for me, I plan to run both—APL for Europe and FTL here in the U.S. As the name suggests, this edition focuses on short-haul flights (up to six hours). It’s unclear whether a long-haul version is on the horizon, but I’m eager to see how the product evolves.
Final Thoughts
Fly The Line – Short Haul Edition brings fresh energy and depth to the career mode space. Its intuitive UI, immersive grading system, and integration of career progression and pilot wellness make it a standout choice for simmers craving a richer experience. While I’ll continue building my legacy with APL, FTL earns a firm place in my virtual hangar.
Until next time…
Happy Flying!
—Jerry