Microsoft Flight Simulator is a flight simulator program for Microsoft Windows.

One of the primary home flight simulator systems, this game program caters to pilots, future pilots and people who once dreamed of being pilots alike. What has to be remembered is that this is a simulation, not a game. It can often be frustrating, complex and difficult due to its realism, but it can be rewarding for the skilled flightsimmer at the same time.

Microsoft Flight Simulator began life in 1979 as subLOGIC FS1 Flight Simulator for the Apple II, written by Bruce Artwick. In 1980 subLOGIC released a version for the Tandy TRS-80, and in 1982 they licensed an IBM PC version with CGA graphics to Microsoft, which was released as Microsoft Flight Simulator 1.01. subLOGIC continued to develop the product for other platforms, and their improved Flight Simulator II was ported to Apple II in 1983, to the Commodore 64 and Atari 800 in 1984, and to the Commodore Amiga and Atari ST in 1986. Meanwhile, Bruce Artwick left subLOGIC to found Bruce Artwick Organisation to work on subsequent Microsoft releases, beginning with Microsoft Flight Simulator 3.0 in 1988.

Microsoft has consistenly produced newer versions of the simulation, adding features such as new airplane types and new cities to it. Microsoft has added a more expensive "professional edition" in their 2000 and 2002 versions, which has access to more airplanes, tools and better scenery than the regular version. The 2004 version returned to the single edition format.

A number of websites are dedicated to providing users with add-on files (such as airplanes from real airlines, airport utility cars, real buildings located in specific cities, textures, and city files). One such add-on is Ultimate Traffic.

External links

• Microsoft Flight Simulator 2004 Home Page (A Century of Flight) (http://www.microsoft.com/games/flightsimulator)
• The History of Flight Simulator (http://simflight.com/~fshistory/fsh/start.htm)
• The Flight Simmer's Knowledge Base (http://www.fskb.net) (Wiki-based)
• Popular Flight Simulator site with large selection of Microsoft Flight Simulator downloads and addons for FS2004, Combat Flight Simulator and more (http://flyawaysimulation.com/downloads.html)
• The largest collection of aircraft of all types that may be downloaded free for use on MS Flight Simulator all versions. (http://www.flightsim.com/)
• Since the phasing out of the 1998 version of MS Flight Simulator from the MSN Zone in autumn 2004, perhaps the only option for multiplayer flights by users of this version (http://www.gamespy.com/)
• Another large and well organized site for download of all types of aircraft, scenery,sound files,and panels for use with MS Flight Simulator (http://www.avsim.com/)
• ProjectAI - A community project creating AI packages for FS2004 (http://www.projectai.com)
• A well organized collection of airplanes, scenery, panels, and utilities for MS Flight Simulator(all versions) and Combat Flight Simulator(all versions) (http://www.simviation.com/)
• Site mainly focused on peer-to-peer help (forums) for FS2002 and FS2004. (http://www.fs9.org/)
• LunarPilot - Add on for MS Flight Simulator 2004, LLRV Sim (http://www.lunarpilot.com/)
• Flight Simulator History (http://fshistory.simflight.com/fsh/start.htm)

See Also

• Microsoft Train Simulator
• Microsoft Space Simulator