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.

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A beginner’s guide to the FMS

In this tutorial, we walk you through the process of programming the Flight Management Computer on one of the more popular flight simulation airliners, the PMDG 737. A video is available at the end of the article highlighting each step.

iniScene releases EGLL Heathrow V3

The latest rendition of London Heathrow from iniScene introduces several updates to bring the package in line with the actual airport in its current state as well as adding new features and new technology.

E-Jets 175 released in Early Access

FlightSim Studio has released the E-Jets 175 for Microsoft Flight Simulator.

Victoria Falls for Microsoft Flight Simulator released

Jeppeson2001 has announced the Victoria Falls Scenery package for Microsoft Flight Simulator is out now.

Concorde for X-Plane 12 released

Colimata has announced the Concorde FXP version 3 is now available for X-Plane 12.

DCS: A-7 Corsair II · development update 

FlyingIron Simulations has released a new status report highlighting the progress of the upcoming A-7 Corsair II for DCS World.

Tigercat for X-Plane out now

Aircraft developer, Virtavia has released the Grumman F7F Tigercat for X-Plane 11 and 12.

737 MAX 8 takes flight in Prepar3D

The iFly development team, in partnership with Flight One Software, has released the 737 MAX 8 for Prepar3D v5.

ICAO Codes explained

An ICAO code is a four-character alphanumeric sequence used to identify airports around the world and is defined by the International Civil Aviation Organisation...

XtremeAIR XA41 for X-Plane released

Vertigo Design has announced the XtremeAIR XA41 (AKA "Sbach 300") for X-Plane 11 and 12 is now available.

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.

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