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

NZA Simulations’ Milford Sound Region review

We travel to the Fiordland National Park at the southern end of New Zealand’s South Island and explore NZA Simulation’s rendition of the Milford Sound Region.

PC Pilot - Issue 149 Downloads

Online content for the January/February 2024 issue of PC Pilot.

CAC Winjeel takes flight in MSFS

Ant's Airplanes has upgraded the CAC Winjeel to full Microsoft Flight Simulator compatibility, adding improved graphic and model details.

Feature Premium

Back to Basics – Series 4, Lesson 11

In the previous lesson, we saw how Standard Instrument Departures can alleviate congestion at busy airports. This time, we look at how Standard Terminal Arrivals route inbound flights before landing.

iniBuilds Honolulu Airport Review Premium

iniBuilds' Honolulu International review

In this review, we explore iniBuilds rendition of Honolulu International Airport for Microsoft Flight Simulator. So, let's dive in and see if this monolith of an airport has been well-represented.

X-Plane lands in Jackson Hole 

Scenery developer Axonos, has announced KJAC Jackson Hole Airport for X-Plane 12 is now available.

Feature Premium

A History of Military Flight Simulation – Part 4

We look at how improvements in hardware and the introduction of 3D acceleration in graphics during the late 1990s enabled programmers to take combat flight simulation to the next level.

UK2000 releases Santa Maria Airport

Scenery developer, UK2000 has announced Santa Maria 2023 for Microsoft Flight Simulator is out now.

Feature Premium

Flight Simulator Days

Our roving reporter, Jessica Bannister-Pearce, travels to Munich to find out about the 28th ‘Flight Simulator Days' flight sim show.

Feature Premium

Keeping Microsoft Flight Simulator in check

Over the last three years, Microsoft Flight Simulator has grown in size to the extent that it often taxes our drive space. We share a few tips and tricks learned through trial and error to minimise its size.

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.