Hello
As long as I don't get a job in a flight deck I am willing to maintain my Instrument flying skills, so whenever I can, I fly a real GA aircraft in IFR. But it is expensive and I can't do it everyday.
So I frequently use X-Plane flight simulator on my PC. I think that it is better than MS flight simulator.
what I like with X-Plane:
- very accurate instruments
- very good display both for panels and outside views
- very accurate to practice wind effects for the drift and the timings during cruising or precision approaches.
- possibility to update or input yourself ground radio aids if they are missing.
- it's easy to set the weather conditions and performing a landing to the minima is great fun.
- outstanding clouds effects.
- possibility to make the instrument panel as you want by chosing the instruments among almost all existing brands.
what I don't like with X-Plane:
- very few aricraft available
- the AP has a bug if you want to track a heading close to 000°
- the display of vertical path does not work in the instructor panel.
- aircraft are very difficult to handle and to trim without the AP
- pitch variations and rate of climb instability completly irrealistic.
Really woth flying it but whatever software you use don't forget that without an instructor on your side, you will be unaware of some mistakes you make and you can get bad habits.
Regards,