Author: Author
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Written by Author
Throttle, Stick, Reality Check: Pilot Tests VelocityOne Flightdeck
As a professional pilot with thousands of hours in everything from light GA trainers to turbine twins, I’m constantly asked about home simulation gear. Flight simulation is an excellent way to stay sharp on procedures, flows, and mental math — but not all hardware translates equally well to the real cockpit. The Turtle Beach VelocityOne…
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Flying the Forecast: How MSFS Recreates the World’s Weather
Weather is the single biggest variable that makes Microsoft Flight Simulator feel like the real world. Clouds, wind shear, sudden thunderstorms, and subtle surface winds turn a textbook approach into a real challenge — and behind that illusion in MSFS sits a partnership: Asobo/Microsoft use Meteoblue’s forecast and analysis systems to populate the sim with…
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Three Pieces, One Cockpit: Pilot Review of Honeycomb Alpha, Bravo & Charlie
Picture this: you’ve just stepped out of a real GA cockpit after a 90-minute cross-country and into your home sim. You plug in a Honeycomb Alpha yoke, the Bravo throttle quadrant, and the Charlie rudder pedals — the three form a little flightdeck trio that’s meant to bridge the gap between boxed controllers and something…
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VATSIM or IVAO: Real-World Pilot’s Deep Dive
When I first discovered online flight simulation networks, my sim experience changed forever. Suddenly, I wasn’t flying through a sterile, empty world anymore — I was sharing the sky with hundreds of other pilots and live air traffic controllers. I was listening to real phraseology, following real clearances, waiting in virtual holds, and dealing with…
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Flying the Line: Pilot’s Verdict on Thrustmaster’s Airbus Edition
I’ve spent years hand-flying approaches and setting up FMCs in actual airliners; I don’t pretend the tactile feel of a simulator peripheral will ever be indistinguishable from the real hardware. That said, the Thrustmaster TCA Captain Pack X (Airbus Edition) is the most honest attempt I’ve used to bridge the gap between the sim desk…
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Flying Smooth or Stuttering: MSFS 2024 Ready to Replace 2020?
Don’t forget to study one of our most-read article, Performance Boost Tricks for MSFS, to make your flying much smoother. Every pilot knows the truth: airplanes live and die by reliability. I’ve flown across oceans in heavy jets, through unpredictable weather systems, and into congested airspaces where every detail matters. In those environments, you don’t want…
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Turtle Beach VelocityOne Flight & Rudder: Pilot’s Take
I log a few hundred hours a year in light singles and twins, and like a lot of pilots I unwind by flying the same routes again in Microsoft Flight Simulator and X-Plane. Lately I’ve been doing that with Turtle Beach’s VelocityOne Flight Universal Control System paired with the VelocityOne Rudder. After several weeks of…
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Two Runways, One Mission: MSFS 2024 and X-Plane 12
As a current, real-world pilot who spends my off-duty hours in the virtual cockpit, I’m often asked which simulator is “better” for someone who actually flies for a living. The short answer: there’s no single winner — but there is a clear best choice depending on your training objective. Below I compare Microsoft Flight Simulator…
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From Hangar to Home Cockpit: All-in-One Headset for All
In both real-world aviation and training environments, pilots demand communication systems that combine comfort, durability, and maximum functionality. Dalcomm Tech rises to the challenge with two standout solutions: the J1 Carbon Fiber Pilot’s Headset, engineered for lightweight, rugged use, and the SBJ USB PTT Headset Adapter, which plugs into computers or simulators to deliver seamless…
