how microsoft flight sim 2024 is turning me into a real pilot: quick take #4
When it comes to simulators, I tend to aire on the casual side. For example, I typically lean more towards something like PowerWash Simulator over something more in depth like Microsoft Flight Simulator. Even still, the idea of flying a fighter jet over my childhood home, or recreating various flights I've taken in real life over the years always seemed like a really neat thing to be able to experience in a video game. The big thing missing for me with my prior Microsoft Flight Sim experience however, was a purpose for taking to the skies beyond just flying for fun. I needed an objective. Enter Microsoft Flight Simulator 24's career mode, an idea that scratched the exact itch I was looking to scratch with this particular kind of game. So, have I become a professional pilot yet? No....but I'm on my way!
Loading into career mode, you're tasked with completing flight school, which consists of a number of lessons tailored to the license you're looking to obtain -- the first of which is your PPL (Private Pilot's License). Given that this is the first license you'll earn, the lesson requirements for it cover all of the starter basics. As someone who only ever jumped into this game to take a few flights around my hometown, I didn't really think the lessons would be all that interesting to me -- but I was dead wrong. With each lesson, I became more and more interested in learning how to fly the right way, rather than just doing whatever I wanted and skipping the rest. By the end of my first 10 lessons, I was thoroughly invested in furthering my education regarding the inner workings of taking a proper flight. Then came the exam...
The Private Pilot's License exam requires you to taxi, take off, take 3 left turns, and land. Sounds easy, right? Yeah, maybe for an actual pilot, which I definitely am not. Still, after a few tries and a bunch of failed landings, I managed to scratch out a B grade. The satisfaction of starting with no knowledge to passing my first exam felt genuinely exhilarating, and inspired me to keep going! But would you fly in someone's plane if you knew they had only gotten a B on their pilot's exam? Eh, that doesn't matter, because either way, I'm now certified to (virtually) operate single engine planes!
So, will I spend hundreds of hours learning about the nooks and crannies of every single plane in the game? Probably not. Will I became the world's greatest pilot? I probably couldn't even if I tried, and honestly, that’s okay because I’ll be having fun with this game regardless of how far I decide to go with it. The main reason being, that it's more than just a simulator about the planes themselves, it's a simulator about what it's like to actually work as a pilot, resulting in a deeper, more authentic experience. If you're even slightly interested in the idea of a realistic in game flying experience, try the career mode! You might be surprised with how it sparks your interest in becoming a virtual pilot.