Flight Simulation

Key.Aero is home to PC Pilot, the world’s favourite flight simulation magazine which brings sense and expert opinion to the exciting and often daunting world of flight simulation. Contributors include many real-world pilots and aviation professionals to ensure what you read is as real as it gets. Articles cater for those interested in both civilian and military aircraft and include news on the latest standalone and add-on software products, news and reviews of flight sim hardware, tutorials, features and interviews.

Review Premium

Microsoft Flight Simulator World Update XIII review

In this review, we explore the vast area of Oceania and discover what the latest World Update from Microsoft has to offer.

X-Plane lands in Jacksonville

FSDesigns has released KJAX Jacksonville International Airport for X-Plane 11 and 12.

Feature Premium

Rebuilding An-225: How Microsoft is helping resurrect Mriya

Work is well underway to revive the iconic An-225 following its destruction in the opening days of the war in Ukraine.

Houston Intercontinental for MSFS out now

Scenery developer FSDreamTeam has announced Houston Intercontinental for Microsoft Flight Simulator is now available.

Review Premium

Aerosphere’s Piper Warrior II review

The PA-28 Warrior II is often touted as being one of the sturdiest in the business when it comes to forgivable flight dynamics and benign handling characteristics We take Aerosphere’s rendition of this popular general aviation aircraft for a spin.

PC Pilot - Issue 146 Downloads

Online content for the July/August 2023 issue of PC Pilot.

Feature Premium

Flight Adventure: Cessna Citation X

Despite environmental concerns, bizjet charters have skyrocketed since the start of the pandemic and currently show no signs of slowing. In this flight adventure, we take a look at one of the more stunning bizjets in the skies today, the Cessna Citation X.

New Islander takes flight in X-Plane 12

Thranda Design has announced the next aircraft in the Dynamic Generation Series, the Britten-Norman BN-2A Islander, is now available for X-Plane 12.

Blackbird Simulations releases Beale AFB

Blackbird Simulations has released its first airport for Microsoft Flight Simulator, Beale Air Force Base.

DCS: MiG-17F in development

Eagle Dynamics has announced the latest aircraft in development for DCS World is based on the MiG-17F.

All the latest news and updates from the world’s favourite Flight Simulators

Whilst flight simulators have been around for over a century in one form or another, it is only since the advent of the home computer that hobbyists and home users have been able to get a taster of what it’s like to fly the real thing.

Since before World War One, military commanders have been using land-based facilities to train their pilots, these mechanical simulators are now seen as the precursors for modern computer simulators. In the late 1970s, the very first flight simulators using 3-D graphics were launched and they’ve been a staple of the home PC market ever since.

With more than 4 decades of advancements in computer processing power, the flight simulators of today are almost unrecognisable compared to those early versions, but the principles remain the same. Modern flight sims bring photo-realistic graphics, realistic weather conditions and faithful recreations of an enormous range of aircraft including civilian, military and historic aircraft.

Key Aero is the only place you need to go to find out all the latest news, updates and big new releases from the world’s most popular flight simulators including Microsoft, X-Plane and Aerofly FS 2.

Microsoft Flight Simulator

Microsoft Flight Simulator has been around since the early 1980s with multiple versions, making it a popular choice amongst home and pro users. The latest version of the famous flight sim has taken the whole industry to another level, faithfully recreating the entire planet down to an accuracy of a centimetre and delivering this level of data via an online streaming connection. Serving data via a streaming service also opens up more avenues including real-time weather conditions and up-to-date maps and locations.

Discover great articles about all the latest updates and releases from Microsoft Flight Simulator.

X-Plane

Since the mid-90s, X-Plane has separated itself from the competition thanks to its use of real-world physics. This implementation has made it one of the most realistic simulators in terms of weather conditions, aerodynamics and user experience. However, the same algorithms that have made it possible to recreate the physics of the real world also enable users to create their own hypothetical aircraft and environments. In fact, X-Plane has even aided in the design and development of aircraft in the real world.

Read more about X-Plane.

Aerofly FS 2

Aerofly FS 2 has delivered some truly stunning, photo-realistic scenery as well as incredibly detailed cockpits and controls. As a result, the user experience is second to none. Aerofly have also built-in support for Virtual Reality (VR) headsets, allowing the user to fully immerse themselves into the virtual world.

Browse our flight simulation articles to find all the latest news from Aerofly, including new releases, software updates and forthcoming releases.

Subscribe to Key.Aero

Become a part of our aviation community and subscribe to Key.Aero now. You can get all the aviation information you'll ever need, whenever you want, with access to all the latest aviation updates, news, events and more.