How A Flight Simulator Type Game Puts You In The Cockpit

Flight Simulator and similar games have been around since the 1980s. Over the years, they have grown more realistic and taken on new features. Today, one can even play online with other virtual pilots and, even air traffic controllers. The earlier versions of these games had very simple controls that made use of the keyboard and mouse that are a part of every PC. Today, one can buy special hardware for these games that actually puts you in the cockpit.

Now, one can purchase stick controls that are very similar to those used in real aircraft that plug into the computer via a USB port. Headsets with microphones are available that allow real time chatting with other players in the online version of Flight Simulator. These are truly similar to those worn by pilots in certain small airplanes and helicopters.

For the serious PC gamer, there are also banks of switches, steering yokes, and pedals that can plug in and allow the person to simulate all aspects of being the pilot of a plane except the motion. There is even one simulator game that can be unlocked with a special USB key to become a fully FAA certified simulation that can train actual pilots. For most of us, flight simulator games are as close as we will ever get to the cockpit of a real aircraft. However, adding in special hardware that is designed to interface with the game serve to make it even more realistic, which can make the experience far more enjoyable and intense. Even for those who do not go all out with the realistic equipment, most of newer the games are quite realistic in their own fashion with a minimum of hardware, such as a simple joystick controller that simulates the stick in certain aircraft.

To learn more about a simulator game with accurate world wide scenery, more than 20,000 of the worlds airports and 80+ different planes - then click here.

Flight Simulator: