Airplanes are fascinating. Fighting against gravity, traveling through the air, moving at extremely high speed: they all have a relationship -sometimes very personal- with their metallic objects. But for some, aeronautics manages to display a hypnotic appeal, immersing them in overflowing passion.
Thus, in August 2020, when the Bordeaux studio Asobo presents the video game Microsoft flight simulator, many were tempted. After all, an escape wind could only satisfy gamers during the lockdown linked to the Covid-19 pandemic.
really fly a plane
Among the thousands of players who have taken the plunge, Daniel Oberhaus is one of the most addicted. First available on PC, then on Xbox a little over a year later, the first games are done naturally using a keyboard and mouse or even a controller. But very quickly, the need to take the next step becomes urgent to avoid “an impoverished experience,” he says in the American outlet The Verge.
The minimum according to him is the control lever, the acceleration module and the steering pedals. As in any field of fans, this team displays more than variable prices. From plastic models for less than 100 euros to ultra-realistic replicas for more than 500 euros, the investment only depends on the level of simulation that you want to experience and feel.
Strive for a real experience
Each acquisition adds to the realism. Among some fans of the game, it is even possible to find impressive installations, valued at several thousand euros. Especially since regular updates of Microsoft flight simulator we invite you to immerse yourself more and more in the game: new devices, new destinations, adjustments to the simulation parameters. Everything is there for enthusiasts to immerse themselves in sessions, each one more real than the next.
However, Daniel Oberhaus was so stung that he did not want to dwell on the simulation. “The most expensive and fancy interface can’t get you very far,” he explains. According to him, a simulator can tend towards a real experience but will never reach it.
Obsessed with finding a sensation identical to real flight, the science writer eventually took flying lessons. In real life, away from the computers and screens from him. He then discovered another world.
Master the basics
From his first lessons, the writer was warned by his instructor: you should not expect to get any benefit from the hours spent on Microsoft flight simulator. This warning did not materialize in the theoretical aspect. Over tens of hours, you have to learn to master federal aviation regulations (the equivalent of the highway code), airspace map symbols, traffic control communications, or even meteorology and aerodynamics basics.
Now a holder of a single-engine pilot’s license, the writer assures us that his home setup has, however, helped him. The investment he made in a semi-realistic interface allowed him to master the basics. At the same time, he can only admit that once in a royal cabin, he felt completely alienated from the elements around him.
But beyond the resistance of the handle or the elasticity of the pedals, one sensation was missing more than the others. The thrill when the wheels of your plane leave the runway to fly through the air.
Source: BFM TV
