Microsoft Flight Simulator

Microsoft Flight Simulator is a flight simulator program for Microsoft Windows.

One of the primary home flight simulator systems, this game program caters to pilots, future pilots and people who once dreamed of being pilots alike. What has to be remembered is that this is a simulation, not a game. It can often be frustrating, complex and difficult due to its realism, but it can be rewarding for the skilled flightsimmer at the same time.

Microsoft Flight Simulator began life as a set of articles on computer graphics written by Bruce Artwick in 1976 about a 3-D graphics program. When the magazine editor said that subscribers wanted to buy the program, Bruce Artwick incorporated a company called subLOGIC in 1977 and began selling flight simulators for 8080 computers such as the Altair 8800 and IMSAI 8080. In 1979 subLOGIC released FS1 Flight Simulator for the Apple II. In 1980 subLOGIC released a version for the Tandy TRS-80, and in 1982 they licensed an IBM PC version with CGA graphics to Microsoft, which was released as Microsoft Flight Simulator 1.01. subLOGIC continued to develop the product for other platforms, and their improved Flight Simulator II was ported to Apple II in 1983, to the Commodore 64 and Atari 800 in 1984, and to the Commodore Amiga and Atari ST in 1986. Meanwhile, Bruce Artwick left subLOGIC to found Bruce Artwick Organisation to work on subsequent Microsoft releases, beginning with Microsoft Flight Simulator 3.0 in 1988.

Microsoft has consistenly produced newer versions of the simulation, adding features such as new airplane types and new cities to it. Microsoft has added a more expensive "professional edition" in their 2000 and 2002 versions, which has access to more airplanes, tools and better scenery than the regular version. The 2004 version returned to the single edition format.

Flight Simulator benefits from a structure that allows users to modify the game content. File types are of several categories, allowing the modders to create specific features with great flexibility. Individual aspects that can be edited include cockpit layout, cockpit image, aircraft model, aircraft model textures, aircraft flight characteristic models, scenery models, scenery layouts, and scenery textures.

A number of websites are dedicated to providing users with add-on files (such as airplanes from real airlines, airport utility cars, real buildings located in specific cities, textures, and city files). The wide availability over the internet of freeware add-on files for the simulation has encouraged the development of a large and diverse virtual community linked up by design group/enthusiast message boards, online multiplayer flying, and 'virtual airlines'. The presence of the internet has also facilitated the distribution of payware add-ons for the simulator, with the option of downloading the files reducing distribution costs. One such add-on is Ultimate Traffic.

External links

• JetPakNG - Rocket belt add-on for MS Flight Simulator (http://www.jetpakng.com/)
• Bruce Artwick Is Still Flying - UIUC Alum Magazine (http://fshistory.simflight.com/fsh/artwick.htm)
• Microsoft Flight Simulator 2004 Home Page (A Century of Flight) (http://www.microsoft.com/games/flightsimulator)
• The History of Flight Simulator (http://simflight.com/~fshistory/fsh/start.htm)
• The Flight Simmer's Knowledge Base (http://www.fskb.net) (Wiki-based)
• Popular Flight Simulator site with large selection of Microsoft Flight Simulator downloads and addons for FS2004, Combat Flight Simulator and more (http://flyawaysimulation.com/downloads.html)
• The largest collection of aircraft of all types that may be downloaded free for use on MS Flight Simulator all versions. (http://www.flightsim.com/)
• Since the phasing out of the 1998 version of MS Flight Simulator from the MSN Zone in autumn 2004, perhaps the only option for multiplayer flights by users of this version (http://www.gamespy.com/)
• Another large and well organized site for download of all types of aircraft, scenery,sound files,and panels for use with MS Flight Simulator (http://www.avsim.com/)
• ProjectAI - A community project creating AI packages for FS2004 (http://www.projectai.com)
• A well organized collection of airplanes, scenery, panels, and utilities for MS Flight Simulator(all versions) and Combat Flight Simulator(all versions) (http://www.simviation.com/)
• Site mainly focused on peer-to-peer help (forums) for FS2002 and FS2004. (http://www.fs9.org/)
• LunarPilot - Add on for MS Flight Simulator 2004, LLRV Sim (http://www.lunarpilot.com/)
• Flight Simulator History (http://fshistory.simflight.com/fsh/start.htm)

See Also

• Microsoft Train Simulator
• Microsoft Space Simulator
• Flightgear — an open source flight simulatorde:Microsoft Flight Simulator

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