It’s time for a ceremonial fly-by and a tip of the wings! The best selling flight simulator of all time has released its 10th edition: Microsoft Flight Simulator X is the latest and greatest chapter in a real software success story. No other flight simulator has come close in market share.

Microsoft Flight Simulator X Gold Edition delivers both the core program and the powerful Flight Simulator X: Acceleration expansion package. There is so much content Microsoft decided it was time to make this the first version delivered on DVDs! It is compatible with Windows XP, Windows Vista, and Windows 7.

Microsoft Flight Simulator X, released in 2006, is the product of 25 years of innovation. It lets pilots explore the entire globe with dozens of aircraft and exciting missions. For example, Free Flight sets users free to fly anywhere they choose: Want to take short jaunts exploring the area around home? No problem. Or perhaps new countries and exotic locales beckon? Everything is possible.

This is a truly rich gaming environment with boatloads of new technology, improved graphics, and increased realism. Pilots will experience realistic weather, seasons and time of day. They can watch cars move on the ground below, and marvel at the detail in each building in the cities, the traffic on the freeways, farmhouses, and animals, as well as natural habitats full of indigenous wildlife.

Deluxe Vs. Gold Editions

What is the difference between the Deluxe edition and Gold edition? Flight Simulator has three different flavors: first Standard, later Deluxe, and now Gold. The Deluxe release provides extra features including

• A software development kit (SDK).
• Three aircraft that featured the Garmin G1000 Flightdeck.
• Optional Air Traffic Control including a radar screen.
• 24 aircraft. (Standard Edition shipped with 18).
• 45 high-detail airports. (Standard Edition has 40).
• 38 high-detail cities. (Standard Edition has 28).
• 51 structured missions. (Standard Edition has 30+).

The Gold Edition pairs the Deluxe package with the Microsoft Flight Simulator X Acceleration Pack into one product.

New Features and Upgrades

Microsoft Flight Simulator X included many new features and upgrades. Microsoft Flight Simulator’s development team has listened closely to the user community. Since the last iteration of the product, they have gathered input from pilots, users, and designers and plugged them into their decision process.

Microsoft Flight Simulator X is the result. It takes complete advantage of the latest Windows technology to paint beautiful 3-D worlds for aviation aficionados of all ages to explore. The improvements in graphics, aircraft, and scenery will amaze every fan.

Realistic details like sunshine reflecting off of glass shaded rivets, and a detailed fuselage provides a level of realism never seen before. Gameplay is also at a whole new level with exciting new missions that will develop pilot’s skills, and provide a sense of purpose and adventure with every flight. Improvements in the multiplayer technology let pilots interact with each other in new and exciting ways.

Improved Graphics

The new features in Flight Simulator X include a host of upgrades including significantly improved graphic imagery with:

• Improved textures.
• Completely new Earth model that accommodates polar flights.
• Accurate road data.
• Textures specific to each region.
• 3D animals.
• Constellations of stars.
• Scene textures automatically align with buildings.
• Users can look forward to exploring 24,000 airports spread over every continent on earth.

The aircraft selection has been improved including a new Airbus A321. Aircraft systems including fire protection, CPU, and passenger advisory sign indicators have all been improved.

Weather systems have been upgraded including better models for visibility. Multiplayer functionality has been redone with a new feature called shared skies, which lets multiple users share the same aircraft cockpit. They can choose to be the pilot, copilot or air traffic control. The Tower Controller feature lets users take local control of the ATC during multiplayer games. The sound system has been totally upgraded with support for surround sound (5.1).

Over 50 Missions

There are now more than 50 missions with a few extra in the Acceleration Pack. Dynamic missions can be created with control over many variables including AI air traffic, sound files, and more. This is an evolutionary step in programming from the APL and ABL languages used in previous editions of the program.

Several vintage aircraft have been eliminated from this release. The only two that remain are the DC-3 and Piper J3. Both are used in default missions contained in the core product.

Airport jetways can move right to the airplanes with designated keystroke combinations. Airport baggage cars, fuel vehicles, and push trucks also drive to the aircraft. Air Traffic Control has been upgraded with a better progressive-taxi method.

Increased Altitude

Other changes include the altitude, which has been increased to 100,000,000 feet. This altitude is around 2.3 times greater than the Earth’s diameter! The virtual cockpit includes camera shaking as the aircraft experiences turbulence, banking, acceleration, and braking. Realistic wing flex has been added to several aircraft including the Boeing 747-400. The wings will flex during major movements including turbulence and full extension of flaps.

Wave imagery has been improved with 3-D waves complete with light refraction depending on wave movement and reflection from the sun. Players can more easily take screenshots during gameplay. A simple press of the “V” key grabs a screenshot and saves it in the “My Pictures” folder as a bitmap image (.bmp).

Aircraft can now cast shadows on their own body. The interiors use different files from the exteriors. This makes it easier for developers to create separate exteriors from completely different interiors created by another use.

Wide Variety of Aircraft

Aircraft include jetliners, seaplanes, fighter jets, helicopters, prop planes, an ultralight and a glider. Featured aircraft include:

• Airbus A321
• Air Creation 582-SL Trike Ultralight
• Agusta Westland AW101
• Beechcraft Baron 58
• Beechcraft Baron 58 G1000
• Beechcraft King Air 350
• Bell 206B JetRanger
• Boeing 737-800
• Boeing 747-400
• Boeing F/A-18 Hornet
• Bombardier CRJ-700
• Bombardier Learjet LJ-45
• Cessna 208-B Grand Caravan
• Cessna 172S SkyhawkSP
• Cessna 172S Skyhawk SP G1000
• de Havilland DHC-2 Beaver floatplane
• De Havilland Canada DHC-8 (AI only)
• DG-808-S Competition Sailplane
• Douglas DC-3
• Extra EA-300-S
• Grumman G-21-A Goose
• McDonnell Douglas MD-83 (AI only)
• Maule Orion M-7-260-C Super Rocket on skis
• Maule Orion M-7-260-C Super Rocket
• Mooney M-20-M Bravo
• Mooney M-20-M Bravo G1000
• North American P-51D Racer
• Piper PA-28 Cherokee 180 (AI only)
• Piper J-3C-65 Cub
• Robinson R-22 Beta II

Artificial Intelligence

Aircraft marked “AI only” indicates Artificial Intelligence. They are for background and scenery only and cannot be piloted. They are often used in missions to provide ambiance. The “AI only” aircraft shown here is the Piper Cherokee, McDonnell Douglas MD-83 and the DeHavilland Dash 8. Here’s a little secret, though: developers and flight sim enthusiasts have created several add-ons that allow these aircraft to be flyable! They can be found on various sites around the web.

Several missions have extra AI aircraft that are not available to the user during normal Free Flight operation:

• Flight 19 TBM Avenger ghost planes from Lost in the Triangle.
• Antonov AN-225, Boeing 787-9 and Airbus A380-800 in the Jet Truck Drag Race, Loopy Larry and Paris Airshow.
• Caspian Sea Monster in Tokyo Executive Transport and Aleutian Cargo Run.
• Aerospatiale-BAC Concorde in the Jet Truck Drag Race and Loopy Larry.
• UFOs in Secret Shuttle-there are two different types. The first practically crash right into you. The second type is dramatic-looking black UFOs shaped like triangles. One can be seen coming into Area 51 just before touching down, and another one is parked to the side.
• There are also UFOs, one small one and another larger one, in the background in High Altitude Intercept. (Part of the Acceleration Pack.)
• Different versions of helicopters and military jets, for example, the Being B-52 Stratofortress and the F22 Raptor, can be seen in a wide range of missions including Tutorial 11: Helicopter Maneuvers 1, Loopy Larry, Jet Truck Drag Race, Civil Air Patrol Search, Tutorial 1: First Take-off, Flour Power, Catalina Day Spa and Africa Relief.
• Tutorial 1: First Take-off and Secret Shuttle both have a Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird.
• Secret Shuttle users will see a Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II as well as a Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird.
• The imposing Boeing B-52H Stratofortress is seen in several missions including Executive Tour, Loopy Larry, and Tutorial 1: First Take-off.
• Executive Tour and Tutorial 1: First Take-off features an F-117 Nighthawk and a V-22 Osprey.
• Paris Airshow Demonstration Flight, Tutorial 1: First Takeoff and Secret Shuttle have an F-22 Raptor and Su-37 Flanker.
• Rocket Launch Air Cover mission players should look for a NASA rocket called “Delta V”. It can be seen next to an Atlas V 500 rocket.
• Other aircraft seen in missions include a Focke Wulf FW 190 Fighter, Messerschmitt Me 410 Multirole Fighter-Bomber/Reconnaissance, Hughes XF-11 Reconnaissance Aircraft, Douglas XB-19 Heavy Bomber, Antonov AN-32 Transport/Bomber, Messerschmitt BF 109 Fighter, Antonov AN-12 Military transport aircraft, BAe Jetstream 41 Regional Airliner, and a Convair B-58 Hustler Military jet fighter. The B-58 cannot actually be seen, but audio refers to it as, “a vintage B-58 that needs to be recovered.”

Airlines

FSX Gold ships with several fictional airlines. The only real airline is Kenmore Air. The other airlines are:

• Airwave Airlines has aircraft available in AI mode only including the McDonnell Douglas MD-83, and the de Havilland Canada DHC-8.
• American Pacific Airlines has a de Havilland Canada DHC-8 in AI mode, and “Callsign only” in the standard livery.
• Emerald Harbour Air has no AI aircraft and provides a Douglas DC-3 in the standard livery.
• Both Landmark and Gaia Airlines have no AI aircraft and provide “Callsign only” in the standard livery.
• Global Freightways gives users a Cessna 208-B Grand Caravan, and Boeing 747-400 F in both the standard livery and AI mode.
• Kenmore Air features a de Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver and a Cessna 208-B Grand Caravan in both standard delivery and AI mode.
• Orbit Airlines provides pilots with a Boeing 747-400, a Bombardier CRJ-700, a Boeing 737-880 and an Airbus A321 in standard livery. AI mode includes the same aircraft and a De Havilland Canada DHC-8 as well.
• Pacific Airlines boasts a Bombardier CRJ-700, a Boeing 747-400, an Airbus A321, and a Boeing 737 -880 in standard livery mode. In AI mode, they add a McDonnell Douglas MD-83.
• Soar Airlines gives users a McDonnell Douglas MD-83 in AI mode, and provide “Callsign only” in standard livery.
• World Traveler Airlines feature a Boeing 737-800, an Airbus A321, a Douglas DC-3 and a Boeing 747-400. AI mode includes all of these aircraft except the Douglas DC-3.

Acceleration Pack

In the Acceleration Pack, players can qualify for the Red Bull Air Race World Championship Racing Team. Players in multiplayer mode can engage in several racing styles: Reno high-speed, sailplane, cross-country and aerobatics. Players can challenge each other in three different skill levels from pylon racing to harsh weather battles.

The Acceleration Package also includes three new aircraft: the EH-101 chopper, the F/A-18A Hornet and the P-51D Mustang. The package also introduces scenery such as Cape Canaveral, Istanbul, Edwards Air Force Base and Berlin. There are 20 new missions from being a test pilot to exciting search and rescues. Pilots can interact with other players around the corner, or around the world in real time over their headsets and keyboards. They can even share photos and videos with each other, and the flight community in general.

Setup is much easier this time around and the program supports specific features of Windows Vista, like Parental Controls and the Games Explorer. Users can rest assured that their code will be completely up to date with the Acceleration Pack because it includes both Service Pack One and Service Pack Two.

Product Details

• Microsoft Flight Simulator X Gold Edition (DVD)
• Media Format: DVD-ROM
• Compatibility: Windows XP / Windows Vista / Windows 7
• Publisher: Microsoft Game Studios
• Developer: ACES Studio
• Format: DVD for the Microsoft® Windows® XP and Windows Vista operating systems
• ESRB Rating: “E” for Everyone

Amazon User Reviews

Jon L. Albee said,

“Flight simulation for your PC just doesn’t get any better than this. Microsoft has been at this for a long time, and they make it better with every release.”

Bruce L. Torelli said,

“I’m using MS Flight Sim with a CH Yoke to practice cockpit procedures as I work through my pilot instrument rating. I believe it’s saving me 100s of dollars to practice cognitive and interpretation skills before going out and spending big bucks flying them in a real airplane, when I’m much busier. It’s been great for basic maneuvers, flying VOR radial intercepts, and holds.”

Carol A. Harris said,

“Warning – after long periods of time playing, may actually feel like you’re still flying when you are done.”

Minimum System Requirements

Not everyone was a fan, however. Some users complained that the program was slow. Usually, this is a case of not enough computing power. Microsoft recommends these minimum requirements:

• Windows XP SP2 / Windows Vista / Windows 7
• Processor: 1.0 GHz
• RAM: Windows XP SP2 – 256MB, Windows Vista – 512MB
• Hard Drive: 14GB
• Video Card: 32MB DirectX 9 compatible
• Other: DX9 hardware compatibility and audio board with speakers and/or headphones
• Online/Multiplayer Requirements: 56.6 kbps or better for online play

In reality, most users will find they need more firepower. 4GB RAM (or more) and powerful video cards will help tremendously.

Gold Standard

Microsoft has been the market leader in flight simulation for so long they have become the benchmark other programs must match. They have achieved the creation of a product that people of all ages can enjoy, no matter their experience level. Complete beginners, intermediate flyers, and even real pilots will be able to test their skills with Microsoft Flight Simulator X.

The Gold Edition makes things even more fun with plenty of new aircraft, scenes, and missions. As soon as it hit the market, Microsoft Flight Simulator Gold Edition established itself as the best edition ever of the top-selling flight simulator of all time. In short, the Gold Edition is the Gold standard in flight simulation!

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