One sector of video games in which the PC is still superior to consoles is that of simulation and management games, including flight simulators. With the advancement of PC processing power, flight simulators have become more and more realistic, allowing users to experience what it means to be pilots while staying comfortably at home. Anyone who has tried a simulation game will have found that they are not cheap, but fortunately there are still several flight simulators that can be played for free on Windows PC .
In this list, the eight best free flight simulators, from traditional flight sims that takes us to fly over the most famous cities in the world and also in space, to those where there is also a bit of air combat.
READ ALSO: Free drone simulators
The software uses a limited amount of integrated scenarios, but it is possible to download various regions of the globe and over 20, 000 airports directly via the FlightGear website, through BitTorrent or by purchasing an optional Blu-ray disc. The installation process and the interface are not easy to use for those who would only like to play and reading the guide is certainly required to learn how to take off, land and the basic flight procedures. Its realism is incredible both in the general flight controls and in the details of the scenes, with clouds, moving water surfaces and movement of the sun in real time.
Obviously, the game also exists in a paid version, with better images and a higher resolution, but the free version has no heavy limitations and also still supports multiplayer interaction.
At any time, in fact, you could meet another player's plane that flies across the sky and beyond, even commercial airliners that move in real time . You can fly around the world with around 30, 000 runways available for take-off and a live map with the position of all the other players. The conditions are also based on the real-time data of the Open Weather Map, so if you move to a part of the world where it rains, you will see the rain even during the flight. As a simulation level it may not be the best of this list, but since it works entirely online from a browser on any PC, it remains one of the primary choices to try.
X-Plane is incredibly detailed and during the flight anything can happen in a random way, even if a component of an airplane can break, as it would happen in reality. You can fly anything in X-Plane, from a B-2 Bomber to a space shuttle, and there are hundreds of additional free or premium aircraft. Obviously X-Plane can be very difficult at first, taking several hours of practice.
The full version of X-Plane 11 is not free, but only a demo. older versions of X-Plane can be purchased for half the price.
The cockpit controls are fairly basic and easy to learn, with a fairly arcade mode. With Google Earth, you can fly over our house, the Colosseum or over other environments that no other simulator will ever be able to view.
In addition, you can also simulate the flight by helicopter or with the hang glider, ideal for flying over the mountains.
To fly from the PC with Google Earth, go to Tools -> Flight simulator or, for more, check the article on the flight simulator, paraglider and helicopter Google Earth .
READ ALSO: Star Wars games, spaceships and space travel
In this list, the eight best free flight simulators, from traditional flight sims that takes us to fly over the most famous cities in the world and also in space, to those where there is also a bit of air combat.
READ ALSO: Free drone simulators
1) FlightGear
The FlightGear free flight simulator for Windows, Mac and Linux PC, to which I have dedicated a separate article, is the number one of the free simulation games ever . FlightGear is fantastic, not only can you download it in a version because it is completely free, but also because it is open source and always improved and improved by the community of players and developers. The very open nature of the simulator allows people to create and test their own airplane models.The software uses a limited amount of integrated scenarios, but it is possible to download various regions of the globe and over 20, 000 airports directly via the FlightGear website, through BitTorrent or by purchasing an optional Blu-ray disc. The installation process and the interface are not easy to use for those who would only like to play and reading the guide is certainly required to learn how to take off, land and the basic flight procedures. Its realism is incredible both in the general flight controls and in the details of the scenes, with clouds, moving water surfaces and movement of the sun in real time.
2) Microsoft Flight Simulator
Microsoft Flight Simulator is not completely free, but you can download it free for Windows 10 to fly to some parts of the world with some airplane models. This game is also incredibly realistic and, by paying the full version, it allows you to fly around the world.3) GeoFS
GeoFS is a complete and online flight simulator that works entirely in the browser, on PC and also on smartphones, without the need to download anything. It can be played using a joystick, mouse or computer keyboard and allows you to take off and fly around the world in one of the 20 available aircraft. Those who play the first time will find it easy to accelerate and take off, customize the controls and receive all the instructions to learn to fly on the first trip. Airplanes can be piloted with multiple engines or simple propeller planes or even a hot air balloon, a helicopter and a paraglider.Obviously, the game also exists in a paid version, with better images and a higher resolution, but the free version has no heavy limitations and also still supports multiplayer interaction.
At any time, in fact, you could meet another player's plane that flies across the sky and beyond, even commercial airliners that move in real time . You can fly around the world with around 30, 000 runways available for take-off and a live map with the position of all the other players. The conditions are also based on the real-time data of the Open Weather Map, so if you move to a part of the world where it rains, you will see the rain even during the flight. As a simulation level it may not be the best of this list, but since it works entirely online from a browser on any PC, it remains one of the primary choices to try.
4) YSFlight
YSFlight is an ancient and free flight simulator, which has not evolved much from its humble origins (it was Soji Yamakawa's 1999 university project, Captain YS, which has continued to update it over the years), while remaining a valid option. The software is incredibly light on the system and has a solid set of integrated features. You can fly with over 70 aircraft to choose from, from the Blue Angels F-18 Hornet to an Apache helicopter, in maps that include many regions of the world. You can customize the flight experience in many ways and also participate in aerial combat with friends.5) X-Plane
X-Plane is a professional flight simulator, with over 3, 000 different airports, all meticulously detailed even inside the terminals. X-Plane takes itself seriously, so much so that the developers do not describe it as a game, but as an engineering tool that can be used by real pilots to predict flight qualities. This precision is obtained, at least in theory, through an aerodynamic model known as "Blade Element Theory". This theory simulates flight by modeling the forces on each component of the aircraft simultaneously to calculate aerodynamic forces in simulations that have not been performed, rather than using the predefined research tables that have become the standard for simulating aviation. This allows X-Plane users more freedom in designing aircraft to add to the game.X-Plane is incredibly detailed and during the flight anything can happen in a random way, even if a component of an airplane can break, as it would happen in reality. You can fly anything in X-Plane, from a B-2 Bomber to a space shuttle, and there are hundreds of additional free or premium aircraft. Obviously X-Plane can be very difficult at first, taking several hours of practice.
The full version of X-Plane 11 is not free, but only a demo. older versions of X-Plane can be purchased for half the price.
6) Google Earth
Google Earth, the program to see the world, hides a very nice flight simulator inside. It is certainly not a perfect simulator from a technical point of view, but if you want to see the world from above, the real one photographed by satellite, there is nothing better.The cockpit controls are fairly basic and easy to learn, with a fairly arcade mode. With Google Earth, you can fly over our house, the Colosseum or over other environments that no other simulator will ever be able to view.
In addition, you can also simulate the flight by helicopter or with the hang glider, ideal for flying over the mountains.
To fly from the PC with Google Earth, go to Tools -> Flight simulator or, for more, check the article on the flight simulator, paraglider and helicopter Google Earth .
7) War Thunder
For those who prefer to fight as well as to pilot, you can fly warplanes in War Thunder a free game set in World War II, very nice and also fun. War Thunder offers an action-oriented flight experience, allowing players to fly on an airplane of one of the five great powers of the war (United States, Germany, Great Britain, the Soviet Union and Japan). War Thunder is also an online multiplayer game, with most battles being played against each other.8) Rise of Flight
Rise of Flight puts players in the cockpit of classic WWI planes with exceptional authenticity. You can fly to admire the view and then follow the history of the great war or fight multiplayer battles. There are many ways to customize the controls, even using only the mouse and keyboard.READ ALSO: Star Wars games, spaceships and space travel
