The product I’m reviewing today was provided to me at no cost in exchange for writing this review. As with all my reviews, it is my intent to provide to you, the reader, a full and un-biased review of this product.
About The Real London City Airport
London City Airport (EGLC) is a small international airport located in the Docklands of East London, England near London’s Financial District. The airport features a single 4,948 ft (1,508 m) runway (09/27) which allows for only multi-engine, fixed-wing aircraft capable of flying a 5.5 degree approach. The largest aircraft allowed to conduct operations at London City Airport is the Airbus A318. London City Airport is the 5th busiest airport serving the London area and in 2019 handled over 5 million passengers.
Over the past 18 years, I’ve had the opportunity to fly into and out of London City Airport numerous times on flights from London to Antwerp, Belgium.
Why Consider Add-on Airports
Microsoft Flight Simulator utilizes satellite imagery from Bing maps to create much of the airport scenery and surrounding area we see in the simulator, it’s far from perfect and generally leaves default airports lacking the same level of detail one would might see if visiting in real life. While default type airports have been significantly improved in MSFS (compared with FSX or P3D), there’s still many reasons to consider purchasing/installing payware add-on scenery.
The Orbx EGLC London City Airport add-on includes a full PBR representation of London City Airport and the surrounding area with full HD textures throughout. Includes the Excel building and the Tate & Lyle Sugar factory along with other nearby landmarks.
Before & After Images
Default MSFS (left column) Orbx London City (right column). I’ve set the weather conditions for clear skies and the time is mid-afternoon. Click thumbnail to view full-size image. As you can tell between the before and after images, the Orbx London City Airport scenery adds extra details which are missing in the default scenery.
Additional Orbx EGLC London City Airport Views.
Orbx London City Airport (EGLC) Review
Before writing this review, I’ve spent a few hours flying into and out of the London City Airport in both the default configuration and also with the Orbx London City Airport installed. During the default experience (flying in the default Cessna 172) my FPS ranged in the 60 to 70+ range. Note: during my default testing I also did not have the London City Pack by Orbx installed as I wanted a true default experience. I’ll review the Orbx London City Pack soon.
With Orbx London City Airport installed, and real time weather I witnessed no impact to my FPS as observed with FPS counter in upper left corner. I was still maintaining an FPS ranging from 60 to 70+ during circuit flying in and around the airport with no lag. My hardware specs are as follows: Intel 8700K, GTX1080Ti, 32 GB RAM, 1 TB M.2 SSD and I’m running on Ultra Graphics Settings in MSFS.
I compared the Orbx London City Airport details with that from Google Earth and noticed no irregularities with the airport including runway and taxiways. I enjoyed the added level of immersion the Orbx scenery has added to London City Airport and surrounding area. As this is an airport I enjoy simulating flights to/from I regard this scenery as a must have for my collection.
How To Purchase
The Orbx EGLC London City Airport add-on can be purchased one of two ways. Users may purchase directly from the MSFS Marketplace (see image below) or from Orbx direct. If purchased from Orbx, you’ll need to install via the Orbx Central application. The cost of the add-on is $20.99 AUD.
MSFS Marketplace
Orbx Central
I install in the Main Library
Install Complete
Once installed, just launch MSFS and select EGLC as your departure airport and enjoy!
About Orbx
Orbx has been the leading developer of scenery for flight simulation since 2006 and have published over 800 high-quality add-on products for Flight Simulator X (FSX), Lockheed Martin Prepar3D, Aerofly FS2, X-Plane 11 and now Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020.
About GrizzlyBearSims
Jerry (aka GrizzlyBearSims) is an independent blogger and avid flight simulation enthusiast covering the flight simulation hobby for over 10 years. He began flying computer based flight simulators in the early 80’s on the Commodore 64 and today enjoys both Prepar3D and Microsoft Flight Simulator.
I would like to thank Orbx for the opportunity to review EGLC London City Airport and provide this review to the readers of my GrizzlyBearSims.com blog site. If you have questions regarding this scenery, please visit the GrizzlyBearSims Discord server and let’s discuss.
Thank you for taking the time to read this sponsored review.
Last week I wrote an article titled “The Wonderful World of Virtual Airlines”. I discussed the finer points of why one might want to join a VA and provided a short list of examples of those VA’s which I’ve had direct experience with. As I mentioned in that article, virtual airlines are not for everyone. For all the reasons why one might want to join one, there could certainly be an argument made towards all the reasons why one shouldn’t follow that path. It really boils down to the individual and what he/she wants to get out of the flight simulation hobby. There really is no right or wrong answer.
With a few rare exceptions, I’ve typically been a one VA at a time type of person. The free time I often have to enjoy my simulation hobby is sometimes limited. One of the points I tried to hammer home in that previous article was most (if not all) VA’s will require a minimum level of participation to remain active within the organization. While this is typically only 1-2 PIREPS per month, there have been times where I’ve completely burned out due to too much going on in my life and just need to take an extended break. Other times I’ve lost interest in flying online and if you fly for an online only type VA, then this can be an issue. But I digress…
With the gaining popularity of flight sim after the release of the new Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020, and my own enjoyment with the new sim, I’ve wanted to do more with my new investment. As I’ve pointed out in previous articles, for me…MSFS2020 will be used (for now) as mostly VFR GA flights. I just don’t feel the default aircraft are VATSIM ready and I do enjoy flying jets on the VATSIM network. So until such time as study level aircraft are available for MSFS2020, I’m going to stick with GA in that sim.
A few days ago I saw a Facebook posting in the VATSIM group regarding UK Virtual being compatible with MSFS2020. I had heard great things about UK Virtual over the years and decided to check out their website. I really liked what I saw with regards to the number of airlines they feature (over 120) and the airlines schedules (over 35,000). But what really caught my eye was their GA (general aviation) tours. The wheels in my brain began to turn and within a few minutes I had filled out my application and was anxiously awaiting the approval confirmation.
UK Virtual, but not virtually all UK
The name might imply that this is mostly a UK based virtual airline. Not true! While the vast majority of members might be from the UK, UK Virtual has members from all over the world. The 100+ airlines they feature are also from all over the world. All the major US airlines including the major freight carriers are represented. So the possibilities are truly endless.
Touring with MSFS2020
Those wheels in my head I mentioned a few minutes ago now have me flying the default Cessna 172 in the new Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 as I’m flying along the old Route 66 from Chicago all the way to Santa Monica, CA. This tour (the first one I’ve attempted with UK Virtual) is divided into two parts. Part one consists of 15 flight legs with the first leg departing Chicago O’Hare (KORD) and ending at Tucumcari, New Mexico (KTCC).
Departing Joliet Regional (KJOT) on leg 2 (part 1) of the Route 66 Tour.
The tour ends on 30 September, but as I’m half way through part 1, I shouldn’t have an issue making it all the way to Santa Monica.
Somewhere over southern Illinois on my way towards St. Louis.
Flying VFR and following the old Route 66 towards St. Louis.
The mighty Mississippi River as we near St. Louis.
Part two of the tour will depart Tucumcari, New Mexico and end in Santa Monica, California. I’m sure I’ll provide an update as part two as I begin in a week or so.
Over all I’ve been very pleased with the way this tour was setup. There’s a mixture of large airports and smaller municipals mixed in for variety. When flying VFR with GA aircraft I do prefer the smaller municipal/regional airports to the larger airports as it cuts down on taxi time. But all-in-all I’m having a fun time with this tour and with UK Virtual.
Of course UK Virtual offers plenty of tour options for jet aircraft which I’m sure I’ll explore in time. I’ll also provide a similar update in a few weeks as I explore the many airline schedule offerings so stay tuned.
As I’ve been writing about the flight simulation hobby for just over 10 years, I’ve covered the topic of virtual airlines a few times. However, with the release of the brand new Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 the doors of our hobby have been swung wide open and we’re seeing hundreds, thousands and even perhaps tens of thousands of brand new flight simmers arriving into our hobby. As a matter of fact, Microsoft recently released some statistics regarding just how many individual users have been flying MSFS2020. Care to wager a guess as to how many have spent some time with the new flight sim? As of 3 September, over 1 million unique users have used the new sim and recorded over 1 billion flight miles. WOW. You can read more about these statistics here.
Of course, within these numbers are individual YouTube content creators and Twitch Live streamers who were given a copy of MSFS2020 (some even a full setup with yoke, rudder pedals etc.) who spent a bit of time and will never, ever return. But I digress…
What is a Virtual Airline and Do I need to join one?
Virtual Airlines or VA’s for short, are essentially online clubs or groups which are formed to represent one or more real world airlines. In some cases a VA might represent a completely fictional airline, but most will emulate a real world airline in some form. The majority of VA’s I’ve been associated with will also operate under a ranking system whereby you’ll work your way up from smaller aircraft as you accumulate flight hours. However, this may not always be the case. Finally, each VA should have an established set of rules which will need to be followed to remain in active status. I’ll discuss this a bit later.
have been around for over two decades and perhaps even longer. I’ve told the story about my friend and I who both had Commodore 64 computers in the mid 80’s. We both owned Flight Simulator for the C64 and we both tracked our flights, shared our numbers with each other. On at least a few occasions, we came together in the same location with each of our C64’s and flew from point A to point B. One could argue this was a virtual airline, but thankfully the world of VA’s have vastly improved since the days of a Big Chief tablet and a number 2 pencil. Of course, a VA is much more than just tracking flights and accumulating hours.
Virtual airlines began to appear in the mid to late 90’s, however I’ve heard of VA’s existing on AOL, CompuServe and other online BBS systems even before the internet became what it is today. The first internet VA I joined was in the 1998 timeframe. At this time the websites were often crudely designed and there was very little in the form of automation. PIREPS (Pilot Reports) were often just a web form which needed to be reviewed by the hub manager and then he/she would update the roster. It was all a manual process. Today’s more modern VA’s will offer completion automation in the form of an ACAR’s application that tracks all elements of the flight and will automagically file the PIREP once you’ve safely arrived at your destination and parked at the gate.
The heart of any good VA is its people and management team. In the almost 25 years I’ve been flying for internet based virtual airlines, I’ve flown for some of the best and a few of the worst. While a spiffy website and lots of bells and whistles might lead you to believe it to be a quality VA, some of the less shining examples have been some of the better ones I’ve experienced. But as I’ve said, it really boils down to the members and the management team overseeing the operation.
Have It Your Way
Depending on what you want from your virtual airline experience, you shouldn’t have an issue finding a VA that fits your flying style. If you are new to the flight simulation hobby, I highly encourage you to find a VA that offers a rank structure and while I know everyone eventually wants to fly the heavies…you’ll appreciate the time, patience and personal rewards of starting out as a CAT 1 pilot and put your hours in. After all, in the real world a brand new pilot doesn’t go from nothing to flying a Boeing 747 without first serving their time in a Boeing 737. When I first began my VA career back in 2000 with an American Airlines VA, I served my time flying short hops of generally 1-2 hours in a Saab 340B and ATR-72. After about 100 hours I was able to move up to the Fokker 100, MD-80 etc. If memory serves, it wasn’t until I had racked up ~500 hours before I could fly the 777.
Choices, Choices and even More Choices
Most will choose their VA based on airline preference, others might select a VA based on aircraft selection. Some would rather transport boxes and cargo. Regardless how you like your tea, you’ll certainly find what you’re looking for in the VA world. Of course, some pilots will fly for more than one VA and there’s certainly nothing wrong with this pending you have the available time to meet your minimum requirements.
Speaking of Requirements
At a minimum, most VA’s will require you to fly at least two flights per month to remain in active status. Some VA’s require more and some less. Of course, most will allow a short LOA (leave of absence) to accommodate real life schedule conflicts. However, keep in mind that some VA’s will limit the number of times per year that any pilot can request a LOA.
Online vs. Offline Flying
Some VA’s may require all flights to be flown online. While flying on the VATSIM or IVAO network may not be everyone’s cup of tea, flying online is an awesome experience and just simply can’t be duplicated by artificial ATC. Yes, there is a significant learning curve to with VATSIM/IVAO. These are not just online networks where one can connect and do whatever he/she pleases. There is a structure and organization to flying online and is meant for serious virtual pilots. If you are interested in learning more about flying online and specifically the VATSIM network, please read this.
Misc
Virtual Airlines which use an ACARS type flight tracking system may have certain requirements regarding landing rate. In other words, if you haven’t quite mastered the art of smooth landings you should probably practice, practice and practice some more until you can successfully land your aircraft as smooth as possible. While I personally detest landing rate competitions and placing an importance around ultra low numbers. A landing rate above 500 FPM in most situations will be regarded as a hard landing. Anything above 750 in a jet is considered very hard and in the real life could actually cause damage to the aircraft and endanger the lives of passengers and crew. VA’s who have policies around landing rate requirements may choose to reject a filed PIREP if the landing rate is high.
Conclusion and Recommendations
Much like I stated in my “The Basics of VATSIM” tutorial (near the bottom), if you’ve reached this point and have realized joining a virtual airline seems more trouble than its worth, that really isn’t my intention. Within the flight simulation hobby, I’m my most happiest when I’m flying for a VA as I enjoy the structure and the camaraderie which only a virtual airline can provide. However, for the enjoyment of all….you will need to be prepared to follow the rules and as I’ve pointed out the rules (or lack thereof) will vary from VA to VA. Failure to comply will only force the VA and their management team to quickly show you the door.
I’m going to provide you a few recommendations based on my experiences over the past 20+ years. I would encourage you to visit these VA websites and read their policy manuals, then choose the one that you fill best suits you.
American virtual Airlines
American virtual Airlines, AvA earned the distinction of being the very first virtual airline to be affiliated with the VATSIM network. It is also one of the oldest. AvA requires all flights to be flown on the VATSIM network, requires two flights per month to remain active and requires pilots to adhere to a rank structure. You really won’t find a better VA, and certainly not one representing American Airlines. AvA allows pilots to fly any of the OneWorld partner flights which in addition to AAL offers the virtual pilots another dozen or so airlines to choose from.
Virtual United Airlines
Virtual United Airlines, vUAL is the premier VA representing the real world United Airlines. vUAL does require a minimum of two flights per month, but does not require flights to be flown online. However, you will need to use their ACARS program.
Southwest virtual Airlines
If flying the Boeing 737 is your cup of tea, then you’ll find no better representation of Southwest Airlines than at SWAVirtual. SWAVirtual requires one flight per month to remain active and does not require online flying (but highly encourages it). A general knowledge exam is administered at the time of submitting an application.
British Airways Virtual
BAVirtual has been around since 2000 and once held the distinction as being authorized by their real world counterpart, that being the real British Airways. BAVirtual requires one flight per month and does not require online flights. BAv does limit the number of pilots and therefore a waiting list might delay your application approval. Much like SWAv, a general knowledge exam with a passing score is required at the time of submitting an application.
UK Virtual
If you really don’t want to be tied down to just one airline, and you aren’t interested in joining multiple VA’s, then you might be interested in UK Virtual. UK Virtual is the home to over 100 different airlines and over 20,000 schedules to choose from. All the major airlines are available including freight carriers like Fedex, UPS and DHL. UK Virtual does not require online flights, but of course highly encourages it. There are no aircraft restrictions and basically you can fly for any of the airlines they feature and any of the aircraft within those airlines fleet. UK Virtual offers many different tours around the world.
Well, there you have it. The above list of virtual airlines are some of the best you’ll find on the internet. I’ve spent some time with each of them over the years.
In Summary
At the top of this article I asked whether or not you need to join a virtual airline. Hopefully by now you’ve figured out the answer to that question. I can’t really tell you one way or the other as everyone has their own method of defining their own enjoyment factor. In the 20+ years I’ve been flying, I’ve spent time flying with VA’s and I’ve spent time just doing my own thing. For about three years I even operated my own fictional cargo based airline and built up the member community to over 100 active virtual pilots.
Today I’m only flying for AvA and UK Virtual. These two VA’s give me exactly what I’m looking for. AvA provides the structure I enjoy while belonging to a virtual airline and UK Virtual provides me the flexibility to more or less do whatever I want, whenever I want. I’m really enjoying the UK Virtual tours at the moment and working my way through the first half of the Route 66 tour.
If you have questions regarding VA membership, please drop me a note or head over to my Discord and message me. I’d be happy to answer any questions.
I’m extremely excited to have the opportunity to bring to my blog site my first ever sponsored reviews of various flight simulation add-on products for the new Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020. While I’ve written many product reviews over the past 10 years, (this year I celebrate 10 years blogging about flight sim) these reviews carried the disclaimer “The product I’m reviewing was purchased by me and for my own personal use” etc. etc. In these reviews I’ve always expressed my absolute opinion (good or bad) and I while these new reviews will be sponsored (meaning I’ve received the add-on at no charge in exchange for reviewing it here on my blog), my writing style will not be influenced. Simply put…if the developer has created a solid add-on, then they shouldn’t be worried about what I (or anyone else) could possibly say about it.
Review Format
When I was a Boy Scout, I held the position of troop scribe. I would write up all the activities our scout troop was involved in and not only record this in our troop log book, but also submit the article to our local weekly newspaper. I learned a lot about journalism from the owner/editor and firmly believe this is one of the reasons I enjoy blogging today. Anyway….I will present the reviews in the “Five W’s and an H” of journalism of Who, What, When, Where, Why and How.
Each review will accompany images and with add-ons which involve airport scenery, I’ll provide before and after images along with specific elements regarding system performance in both a before and after style report. I may from time to time use both still images and video to showcase the product.
Honest Opinions
What I hope to be able to offer through these sponsored product reviews is a genuine, honest opinion. Too many times the bloggers, content creators and live streamers fail to truly share an honest review of whatever product they’ve been provided to showcase. I will do my best to always point out the pros/cons, positives/negatives and/or strengths/weaknesses of whatever product I’m reviewing. Just as I’ve always tried to do in the past.
Stay tuned. I’ll have my first sponsored product review out very soon.
Could the PMDG 737NG3 for MSFS2020 be delayed even longer than first anticipated? While many of us fully understand the time it would take to bring an aircraft of the level of quality and sophistication like the PMDG 737 into MSFS2020, we might need to wait just a bit longer.
A few weeks before the new Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 was released, Robert Randazzo (CEO of PMDG) announced we could see the new PMDG 737NG3 in the new simulator sometime in late Q1 2001 or early in Q2. Here’s the link to the full article and below is a snippet from that same article discussing the possible timeline.
However, it appears Robert commented just a few days ago with the following:
While certainly his now 6-12 month comment isn’t a sign of panic, after all I’d personally rather have it 100% ready than to have PMDG rush to bring it out only to find it’s useless. Plus this isn’t how PMDG operates anyway.
What this comment tells me and I quote from the post, is the platform (as it stands today) simply isn’t ready for products as complex as PMDG’s. I believe the same can also be said for FSLabs and others. Again, I’m not worried (and neither should you be) as those of us who are content with P3D and X-Plane certainly have alternatives.
Of course, time will tell just what other “stuff” is coming to P3D and whether anyone will buy it. I’m just hoping the release of their Boeing 777 is sooner rather than later for P3Dv5. While I tend to mostly fly shorter-haul flights in the Boeing 737 and Airbus A319/A320/A321, I do still enjoy stretching my legs on some longer flights and absolutely adore the 777.
So Robert Randazzo, if you happen to stumble onto this writing (which I doubt you will). Take your time with FS2020. It will be worth the wait.
The highly anticipated, brand new Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 (MSFS2020) was released on 17 August 2020 with much fanfare. The release wasn’t without a few small hurdles and within days of the release, Microsoft had already announced a patch would soon be made available. I discussed this first planned patch earlier this week.
Before I get into my experience with MSFS2020 after the patch, allow me to say this. To the best of my memory, and at no other point in the history of flight simulation related to Microsoft or even Prepar3D have we experienced a shorter timeframe between initial release and the first patch. While some will say that MSFS2020 was rushed and should have been delayed a few weeks which may or may not have avoided the need for an update patch, we’ll never really know. But I believe when Microsoft released FSX back in 2006 it too was not without issues and required two service packs to fully resolve all issues. It took Microsoft about 6 months to release SP1 and another 5-6 months to push out SP2. It really wasn’t until SP2 was made available that FSX was truly stable.
With Prepar3D v5 (the latest P3D release), it was released on 14 April and the first hotfix (HF1) was released on 30 April. But many still experienced issues(myself included) which made the sim unusable until HF2 was released on 23 June. It should also be mentioned that unlike Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020, Prepar3D v5 was not a complete rewrite of P3Dv4.5. MSFS2020 is a completely brand new simulator from the ground up.
My Experience Post Update Patch
The past few weeks I’ve been heavily prepping for a series of job interviews which have taken priority to my gaming time. As of this writing, I’m still awaiting the official news as to whether I’m still in the running for the position and exactly what the next steps are. But….what time I have spent with flight simulation has mostly been in P3Dv5. P3Dv5 provides me more immersion based on the type of flying I mostly enjoy (jetliner), but this doesn’t mean I’m ignoring MSFS2020.
As I’ve discussed in previous articles, I believe MSFS2020 will become the next generation flight simulator and in time, it will completely blow away what we have today with P3Dv5 and XP11. However, with exception to VFR/GA flight, there are several obstacles preventing me from flying any of the jetliners in MSFS2020 and especially flying on the VATSIM network.
Lack of Immersion
This is key to me. While the visuals are absolutely stunning and better than I can possible achieve in P3Dv5, the lack of payware/study-level aircraft is only one of the deal breakers for me at this time. I know I probably sound like a payware snob and I certainly don’t mean to. In all honesty, I believe the work that is being done on the default A320 via the MS2020 A32NX Project will eventually have me flying the Airbus A320 in MSFS2020 on the VATSIM network. But even then, until there is a model matching program that allows me to see other aircraft in the liveries those pilots are flying, the immersion is very much blown for me. While I realize this is just a slight niggle, it’s big enough for me to stick with P3D.
Fine Job
In all honesty, the recent Microsoft patch resolved two major issues I had been experiencing. First, the load time seems to have been reduced. However, even in P3Dv5 the load time generally takes 2-3 minutes from the time I launch the .exe until I can actually begin prepping my aircraft for flight. But in reference to MSFS2020, the load up time seems to be much improved.
The really big issue for me was related to the performance hit when connecting MSFS2020 to the VATSIM network and of course I wasn’t the only one. VATSIM stated all would be ready to go on day 1 and to their defense, the issues which caused the performance hit wasn’t their fault. There was a major bug with the Microsoft Simconnect which was the culprit. Simconnect is what allows 3rd party applications (like VATSIM’s vPilot) to connect to the simulator. This middleware connection is responsible for sending/receiving data elements to these third party add-on apps.
On Wednesday evening (with the MSFS2020 patch installed) I fired up MSFS2020 and loaded up the Cessna 172 and then connected to VATSIM via vPilot and had my first successful VFR/GA flight around the Denver area. It was a lot of fun and I’m sure there will be many more flights just like that in the near future.
Not Fully Baked
Rest assured, this first patch for MSFS2020 is only the beginning. Very soon we’ll learn what’s on Microsoft’s radar for the next patch. I would suspect we’ll see multiple patches over the next several months as Microsoft/Asobo gently fine tunes the sim.
Interested in Flight Sim?
If you are interested in getting started in the flight simulation hobby, there’s no better time and in my opinion, Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 is your best option. While flight sim can be looked at as just another game, for those of us truly passionate about it…flight sim is much, much more. For those who are new to flight sim, MSFS2020 will be your best investment option and will allow you to grow in your experiences. While I’ve discussed limitations which I view as showstoppers for my own enjoyment, these shouldn’t prevent anyone coming into flight sim from experiencing an “As Real As It Gets” experience.
In time all the bugs will be gone. In time there will be more add-on aircraft (both payware and freeware) available to the new sim. There’s hours and hours of fun which can be experienced in the new sim with the available aircraft on and off the multiplayer services like VATSIM, IVAO and PilotEdge. Get started today and earn your wings. I’m looking forward to seeing you in the friendly skies very soon.
Once upon a time, there once existed a spirit within the flight simulation community where talented individuals created many marvelous things to enhance the base simulator application. Everything from navigational aids, enhanced airport scenery and aircraft. At one time in our not so distant past, the quality freeware offerings outnumbered payware. As the base simulator began to evolve (circa FS9 –> FSX timeframe) the quality freeware began to decline and the rise of payware took hold. While I won’t pretend there’s absolutely no freeware available for P3D, I will tell you that the quality content is very few and far between.
Of course the X-Plane community has, for years and still very much to this day, enjoyed a very strong community spirit around freeware/shareware concepts. Many of the X-Plane users in the virtual airline I belong to have spent little to almost no money to enhance their simulation experience. Arguably, one of the very best freeware aircraft models ever known to exist is the Zibo 737. The Zibo 737 Project, led by a team of developers to expand the capabilities of the default 737 in X-Plane. Many who fly both the PMDG 737NG and the Zibo 737 will tell you the differences between the two are hardly noticeable. Others might describe the Zibo 737 as being on-par with Aerosoft quality. Either way, it’s a fantastic aircraft and absolutely free. Who can argue with free?
With the launch a few weeks ago of the new Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020, many were bracing themselves (and their wallets) for an onslaught of payware add-ons. After all, if you’ve spent the past decade or more flying study level aircraft the excitement of a brand new simulator may wear off fairly quickly once you climb into the flight deck of the default Airbus A320. Sure….it’s pretty. But within just a few minutes you realize you’ve taken a huge step backwards in the level of immersion as most features are labeled as Inop. I’ve even stated several times that for me, MSFS2020 will most certainly become my go-to flight simulator, but only once aircraft models from PMDG, FSLabs, QualityWings etc. become available. This won’t be happening this year. Most likely this won’t be happening until sometime late in Q1 2021 or perhaps even early Q2 2021.
But….
In just the past week or so, there’s been news about a project underway to create a “Zibo” like experience with the default Airbus A320 in MSFS2020 called the MS2020 A32NX Project. I can tell you from first hand experience that what this team of developers have been able to do in the short time since the release of MSFS2020 has certainly piqued my interest in both MSFS2020 and the default Airbus A320 from an airliner perspective.
Understand, the project is still very much a work in progress. But they’ve certainly managed to excite me in such a way that I can certainly see myself flying the A320 in MSFS2020 on the VATSIM network very soon. Certainly much sooner than I originally believed would be possible.
Want to learn more?
Of course you do! I’d suggest watching the video I’ve embedded below which will bring you up to speed on the progress already made as well as what’s in-store for the very near future. The video description area will provide you with the links to download the mod and how to join the project’s Discord server so you can stay informed on the team’s progress. I hope this news excites you as much as it does me.
Final Thoughts
Thank you for reading this article. It’s much appreciated. For those who are thinking the MSFS2020 A320 project will never be on-par with the likes of the FSLabs A320, you are probably correct. However, as previously stated….the FSLabs Airbus series is most likely 4-6 months away from being available. I’d be willing to bet, the team working on the MSFS2020 A320 project will (in time) bring this up to a level of quality and realism as what we currently see with the Aerosoft A320 and perhaps beyond.
Many are asking if the same might also happen with the default Boeing 747 and Dreamliner. Unfortunately, due to the DRM status of these two aircraft…this may never be possible. But I suppose one should never say never.
Thanks for reading. I’ll soon provide an update to my experiences with the latest MSFS2020 patch. Stay tuned….
If you’ve been enjoying or trying to enjoy the brand new Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020, you’ll be happy to note the first expected patch is due to be released in the next few days. Microsoft recently announced on their dev blog the full list of fixes users can expect in this very first patch.
Yes, it’s a short list!
Many in the flight sim community are expressing disappointment with this first patch believing it should include more fixes and enhancements. I personally believe this update is 100% spot on and is precisely the fixes the sim needs now, versus waiting another week, two or more to include more.
First, there are many who are still struggling simply to download and install the sim. If you refer to the patch notes, you’ll see there are several items being addressed which should help the folks who haven’t been able to install.
Second, the SimConnect FPS drop has all but grounded anyone who desires to use MSFS2020 with the online networks like VATSIM, IVAO and PilotEdge.
Third, the sim crashes when USB devices are connected or disconnected is another show stopper in my opinion and has been causing issues for many users.
More to Come?
Absolutely! There are many opportunities which need to be addressed and I’m confident these will be addressed in time. I’d personally rather see Microsoft/Asobo address the truly show stopper issues first (as they’ve done with this first patch) then hold this patch up several more weeks.
How to Apply the Update?
That’s Easy-Peasy, Lemon Squeezy. If you happen to be running MSFS2020 at the time the update is released, just simply shut down the sim and restart. The sim will automagically download and install the updates.
We should know more about what’s on the horizon in future patch releases on 3 September.
As I type this on my laptop, I’m carefully watching my default Cessna 172 fly low and slow along the Fjords from Stewart, Canada on a flight to Ketchikan, Alaska in the brand new Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020. I honestly can’t believe my eyes.
As Real As It Gets?
What I’m seeing and experiencing today has only really been achievable in real life flight. Don’t get me wrong, pursuing ones private pilot license will certainly trump any experience on a gaming PC in my basement man cave. But if you don’t have the time or the money to pursue such endeavors, then one can have an almost “As Real As It Gets” experience with the new Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020.
For many of us who have been in this hobby for many years, MSFS2020 is exactly what we’ve been waiting and hoping for. After many felt Microsoft let us down many years ago, I personally believe they have hit a home run with this new simulator.
Is it Perfect?
Of course not! But we’re 48 hours into what I believe is the future of the flight simulation hobby and a platform that should carry us well in the years to come. While there’s certainly areas to improve upon (and I’m confident these will be addressed in time) the new sim is stable, performs well and chocked full of hours and hours of flying fun.
Well I better focus my attention on landing in Ketchikan. I’m loving this….
Like many of you, this past week I’ve been watching a few YouTube videos and Twitch Live Streams for the new Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020. I’m truly in awe at the nice visuals (aka eye candy) I’m seeing. As I’ve said before, stunning visuals are a key element in the immersion factor of any simulation. After all, this is why so many of us have invested a small fortune in add-on scenery for FSX/P3D/X-Plane. I fully expect my jaw to drop once MSFS 2020 has been downloaded, installed and started up for the first time on my system.
Having said this, I’m also preparing myself for the fact that most likely on day one our experience with MSFS2020 will be much different than say on day 100. In other words, in my long history with any version of Flight Simulator (even in the days of the boxed editions) there is a period of time where patches/updates will be required. This has also been true for other types of simulation games I play such as Farming Simulator or American Truck Simulator. Yes, this is also the trend in the large scale business software industry as well. There’s only so much testing developers can and will do before it’s time to turn it loose to the masses and then begin the arduous task of bug fixing. While many have been helping to test MSFS 2020, it is us the consumer that will ultimately end up shaping what will become the final or near final product.
Other than all the stunning visuals and what we believe will be a much improved flight model, MSFS2020 will not/does not include magic code to allow it to perform with all sliders shoved right with FPS numbers climbing to the moon. Even on some of the preview streams (knowing they are using a preview build), FPS numbers on fairly beefy hardware are not any greater than what they experience in P3D or X-Plane. But again, I’m reminded of what we’ve known for years about flight sim programs. Unless you sacrifice visuals, you’ll struggle to maintain a constant FPS of 60+. But then again, I’ve also been saying for years that an FPS of 60+ isn’t needed in flight sim.
Tuesday, 18 August is the BIG day. We’ll all wake up and go check to see if the download is available and then hope the Microsoft hamsters can keep up with demand. Then once the download is complete I plan to fire up MSFS2020 for the first time and see what’s what. I’ll approach it much like I did with Prepar3d v5 and that is to leave most things default and see what I see. As time progresses, I’ll inch the graphics further to the right and adjust for smoothness. Once this is done, I won’t care what my FPS is.
Finally, soon after release we’ll all know for ourselves if MSFS 2020 has lived up to the hype. If I were a betting man, I’d say it will and perhaps even more. But prepare for just a little (or a lot) of turbulence so keep those seat belts on and have fun. Just remember how far we’ve come…..
Screenshot from Flight Simulator Commodore 64 circa 1984. Do you remember this? I do!
