Learning to fly is also an expensive endeavour, just like flying itself. If you can’t shake the urge to feel exhilaration from 30,000 feet up in the air but also can’t afford it, the next step toward becoming a self-made pilot is to use free flight simulators.
A device that digitally recreates the experience of flying an aeroplane, starting from the ground up, is known as a flight simulator.
Flight simulators are available for quick and easy download on both HP and Mac computers, and they serve a wide variety of functions.
Some people use them for pilot instruction, while others use them for gaming or to study how an aircraft responds in different scenarios and when exposed to different kinds of weather.
We have collected a list of the best free flight simulators so that you may have fun and enjoy the trip, although some of the better online flight simulators need payment in order to use them.
The best free flight simulators
1) FlightGear
FlightGear, which was first released in 1997, is considered to be the precursor to all other flight simulators. Because it is open source, anybody is free to integrate their own code or write their own personal development code to make changes to the programme as they see proper.
Since it was first developed, the programme has undergone regular updates and adjustments in order to provide users with a genuine interactive experience.
The layout of FlightGear is open-air, giving users a streamlined and uncluttered interface with which to build, alter, and evaluate their very own aircraft model. The programme is most useful for designing aeroplanes, simulating different flight circumstances, and studying how to pilot a plane step by step.
Downloads of FlightGear are offered for computers running Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux.
2) Microsoft Flight
Microsoft Flight Simulator X is the company’s follow-up product to Microsoft Veterator Simulator, and it provides users with access to the fundamentals of flight simulation despite the fact that it does not come without a cost.
Users of Microsoft Flight get to experience the excitement of flying over the Hawaiian islands while taking part in a variety of exciting tasks and challenges throughout the game.
Users have the ability to keep tabs on and discuss their successes from various tasks, as well as personalise the control panel so that it corresponds with their particular skill set as self-made pilots. Upgrading to premium status allows you to download more material and scenery, but doing so is not required to get started playing the game.
Downloads of Microsoft Flight may only be obtained via the Games for Windows-Live service.
3) Rise of Flight
This aircraft simulator based on World War I brings together elements of both history and conflict. The simulator allows users to engage in a variety of various situations, such as online fights and the reproduction of many actual conflicts from the time period in question.
Rise of Flight is famous not just for its fighting system, but also for the extraordinary amount of attention to historical detail it pays to the game’s setting.
The Western Front, which is where all of the action took place throughout the war, is recreated in this game, and the aircraft and their characteristics are also recreated as faithfully as possible.
Only the Windows version of Rise of Flight is available for digital download.
4) War Thunder
Gaijin Entertainment is responsible for developing the flying simulator video game titled War Thunder, which takes its inspiration from World War II.
The primary storyline of the game takes place during World War II and romanticises an era during which aircraft dominance was at an all-time high and reached across oceans.
The game may be played either by a single player or by two teams of up to 16 players each, with each team competing against the other. When putting up a squad, there is a dizzyingly large number of aircraft types, such as bombers, fighters, and warbirds, that you need to get acquainted with.
Alternately, players may take a break from the air combat and battle on the ground disguised as ground-based anti-aircraft vehicles or tanks. The emphasis of each battle in War Thunder is on a fight to the death.
War Thunder is a game that can be downloaded on several platforms, including Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X, Linux, Playstation 4, and Shield Android TV.
5) Google Earth
Utilize the free function on Google Earth that not many people are aware of rather than downloading an application that will take up valuable storage space on your computer.
Since 2007, Google Earth has included a simple flight simulator that enables users to virtually go to any location on the planet. In order to provide a one-of-a-kind experience for the user, this was made possible by reproducing genuine images taken from an aerial perspective.
Obviously, the visual quality and effects have been improved since the game’s first release, which brings the experience of travelling throughout the globe that much closer to being true.
Even though the Google Earth simulator does not have any features that are particularly exciting, it is quite straightforward and easy to use for anybody who is interested in mechanics and seeing the planet for free.