Hello Captains, and welcome back!
I finally did it—I pulled the trigger on the iFly 737 MAX 8, and she’s officially part of my virtual fleet.
You might recall that when the iFly 737 MAX 8 was released last year, I had no immediate plans to purchase it. I wanted to wait and see if PMDG would unveil their own version of the MAX. But after looking far into the horizon, I just don’t see it happening this year—or perhaps ever.
Like many others, I was originally holding out for PMDG. While we can debate which developer would craft the best B38M, my preference leaned toward PMDG simply because of familiarity with their systems and the convenience of fewer installers cluttering my PC. But after seven months of waiting with no PMDG MAX in sight, I decided it was time to bring the iFly into my hangar.
The iFly 737 MAX 8 is available for both MSFS 2020 and 2024, but for now, I’m still primarily flying in 2020, so that’s where I installed it. My first flight—a quick hop from DFW to AUS—gave me a solid first impression. The B38M handled well, and I was genuinely surprised by how fast it climbed. Of course, it was a short flight with a relatively light fuel load, but still—impressive performance.
I’m pleased with the purchase and looking forward to putting the MAX 8 through its paces as I progress in A Pilot’s Life career add-on. While the PMDG 737-800 will always hold a special place in my heart, I can already see the iFly MAX becoming a regular in my rotation for years to come.
Until next time—happy flying!
Jerry