Hello Captains, and welcome back!
Thanks for carving out a bit of time from your busy schedule to drop by. Over the past several weeks, I’ve been flying almost exclusively with the new Just Flight: Fly The Line – Short Haul Edition career mode add-on, and I wanted to share an update on both my experience and progress.
In my initial impressions—posted just days after release—I noted several similarities between Fly The Line (FTL) and A Pilot’s Life (APL). But after logging more hours, I’ve uncovered some key differences worth highlighting. This won’t be a full head-to-head comparison, but I’ll touch on a few areas to help contrast the two.
Career Progress Snapshot
To give you some context:
| Career Mode | Rank | Career XP | Flights | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A Pilot’s Life | Captain | 11,750+ | 196 | 358+ |
| Fly The Line | Captain | 9,797 | 28 | 46 |
While the XP gap is modest, the disparity in flights and hours to reach Captain is significant. Rank in either app doesn’t restrict aircraft choice, but I’ll admit—I’m especially proud of the grind it took to earn Captain in APL. That said, FTL’s short-to-medium haul focus naturally leads to quicker turnarounds, whereas APL allows for short, medium, and long-haul flexibility.
Flight Scoring & Landing Logic
Both platforms evaluate your performance throughout each flight, tracking key metrics like flap usage, roll, and pitch angles. One standout feature in FTL is its runway tracking—monitoring both landing zone adherence and centerline alignment. It’s a subtle but powerful tool for refining your landings.
However, their approach to landing rate differs:
- APL penalizes landings harder than -300 fpm.
- FTL defines “Sink Rate” as acceptable between -150 and -500 fpm.
While I find -500 fpm a bit generous, I appreciate FTL’s stance against chasing ultra-soft “butter” landings. Those -5 fpm touchdown brags—where the pilot floats halfway down the runway—have always rubbed me the wrong way.
️ Schedule Accuracy & Immersion
Both add-ons claim to use real-world schedules, but I’ve noticed inconsistencies in FTL. One recent example: a routing from KDFW to KMEM, then on to MMMY, and back to KDFW. That sequence doesn’t reflect actual airline operations, and others have reported similar anomalies.
Also, every American Airlines schedule I’ve flown in FTL ends back at my hub. While it’s nice to sleep in my own virtual bed, I’d love to see occasional overnights at a crew hotel to boost immersion. A little variety would go a long way.
Final Thoughts
Despite a few quirks, I’m still fully satisfied with my decision to purchase Fly The Line. Between FTL and APL, I believe these are the top-tier career mode options available across all sim platforms today. And with Just Flight having just released the first update, I’m optimistic they’ll continue refining and expanding the add-on—it has real potential.
What do you think? Have you tried either of these career modes? I’d love to hear your thoughts.
Until next time…
Happy Flying!
—Jerry