4 ms·
> X-Plane is a flight simulator. Its purpose first and foremost seems to be to create a real sensation of flying. That and a few other replies made me wonder p
by antod 4y ago
> X-Plane is a flight simulator. Its purpose first and foremost seems to be to create a real sensation of flying.
That and a few other replies made me wonder philosophically, maybe we should distinguish between a flight sim and pilot sim? An app could be both at once of course, but more a reflection on which bits get abstracted away.
eg fiddling with radios and realistic cockpit buttons and dealing with ATC might simulate being a pilot, but it's less about the sensation of actually flying and looking out at the world from above.
- MaxBarraclough 4y agoI wouldn't take hellcow's comment too literally, X-Plane is about realism, which isn't the same thing as the sensation of flying. A non-pilot might find that MSFS gives a better sensation of flying because of its superior graphics, and might not care (or notice) its far inferior flight modelling. > maybe we should distinguish between a flight sim and pilot sim? I wouldn't use pilot sim, it gives the impression of a 'career mode' beyond the scope of directly operating the aircraft. The terms I've encountered are flying game and flight simulator. This is almost, but not quite, reflected in the Wikipedia article names. The X-Plane article is under X-Plane (simulator), whereas MSFS is under Microsoft Flight Simulator (2020 video game).