MS Flight Simulator 2020

[RunningMn9]

I tried to learn how to use trim. I’m too dumb to get it I guess.

Do what I did. While still on the ground hover the mouse cursor over the trim button/wheel such that the tooltip tells you what the level of trim is. Then start adjusting it while you watch the readout. That way you'll get a feel for how strong it is.

Then when you put it in practice, the trick is not to fly with trim. Set the plane up exactly as you want it, whether to maintain level flight or a specific desired climb or fall, and then trim as you gradually relieve pressure on the stick. As soon as you can let go of the stick - that's when you stop trimming.

I will practice more I guess.

[jztemple2]

Don't know if this will be of use to folks, but just posted on PC Gamer, Flight Simulator 2020 controls list: Keyboard and controller mappings

Looking for a full Microsoft Flight Simulator controls list? You’re here because you want to attempt the feat of powered flight using a mouse and keyboard, you absolute lunatic. Or even more daringly, with a flipping Xbox controller! Haven’t you seen how high up these things go? Alright, your funeral.

Below you’ll find the complete list of Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 keyboard controls, and those for a pad below that. Don’t be daunted by their volume, you only need a handful to pilot effectively, and a great many of them are about controlling the camera, with some to help you quickly engage Microsoft Flight Simulator's autopilot mode. Just click the menu on left to jump to the controls you want.

[Paradroid]

Changing a flight plan is *painful*. Sometimes the ATC menu doesn't even show the option even if you program it to request the change.

I've just been messing around in the Citation and have found that there is a way to tune NAV1 and NAV2! Finally. If you're interested, there's a button on the FMC called "nav radio" or something like that. You can enter the frequency on the scratchpad then click the appropriate soft button - I think there are two, labelled VLOC 1 and 2, or something similar.

Well, at least the expensive, fancy private jet can do VOR-VOR navigation now! I still haven't worked out how to dial NAV1/2 in any of the turboprops though. I really don't think it's implemented. You can change COM 1/2 easily, and you'd think NAV 1/2 would be in the same place, but I'm buggered if I can find them.

[Octavious]

I'm just popping into the game in short bursts. I think I'll really dive into it once it's had a few patch cycles. It has a TON of potential, but it's certainly a beta phase right now.

[Paradroid]

I just found a rather informative post on the official forum regarding changing the flight plan with the G1000 units.

[Paradroid]

To get around the annoying issue in the glass cockpit planes that allow you to set the standby altimeter but not the primary, just press b. This automatically sets it - annoying, but there's no way to do it manually.

[Paradroid]

Flight plans from simbrief.com now support MSFS!

[Paradroid]

I've been volcano hunting in Costa Rica! Lovely experience!

[naednek]

Landed in SFO INTL tonight after sight seeing. Flew over Candlestick point where the niners used to play and was shocked to see the stadium there, as it was demolished i think 5 years ago.

Landed and used ATC for the first time. I got the approval to land, and towards my final approach it revoked (I didn't hear it and continued) only to be yelled at for not having authorization. Dont' know why.

Then I got clearance to taxi, but had no idea where to go as there were no markers showing me.

I'm not a sim guy, I can fly a plane in a game but all the buttons and options are bit intimidating and there's barely anything that helps you along the way.

[Paradroid]

My best guess as to why your landing clearance was revoked is you weren't flying a smooth enough approach; but it doesn't really matter, as you discovered. As for taxiing, buried somewhere in the realism options is an option to enable something called a "taxi ribbon" I think. This will clearly show you where to drive.

The in-game checklists have everything you need to get the aircraft started up. During flight and landing you're on your own though! I would suggest looking up your chosen plane on Youtube for tutorials.

[Paradroid]

I really, really wish there was a replay option in this game. I've flown some pretty hairy approaches recently in bad weather, around unfamiliar airspace and with very fiddly navigation equipment etc. I'd love to watch some of those landings again.

In other news, I just did London Gatwick to Edinburgh International in a 747, a one hour flight, and the goddamn game completely froze just as I was turning on final.

[Octavious]

Just flew a flight in Alaska in heavy clouds. My God this game is amazing. Flew up to around 17 feet before I broke through the clouds and it was stunning. My destination was an airport in a canyon and took me 4 passes before I slammed it down in the runway. So much fun.

I've never enjoyed previous Microsoft flight sims as I found it boring. This is just so much fun to find different routes and weather conditions.

Earlier I tried to land in Cuba with the tropical storm. It didn't go well.

[Paradroid]

Heh. I've just had my own nasty landing experience at KSEA and a timely reminder: set the auto brake! I forgot to do it, and when I touched down I just rolled right off the end of the runway and crashed. Toe brakes are not sufficient to stop a 747 after touchdown!

In my defense, I was flying with a friend and trying to help him diagnose the autopilot issues he's having, so wasn't fully concentrating on my own flight....

[Paradroid]

747 formation flying!

[Octavious]

I'm really digging the game so far. Spent an asston of time with it this weekend. I'm doing one of the Bush flights and it's quite fun. I've only gotten lost once and while it's not super difficult it's fun to have a goal for something to do. I really hope they keep on adding more of those things as it shouldn't be a lot of work on their side and adds structure to the game.

[Paradroid]

I really hope they keep on adding more of those things as it shouldn't be a lot of work on their side and adds structure to the game.

I don't know how much Asobo themselves will do, but you can bet your arse a whole army of third party developers are working hard on additional aircraft, scenery, utilities, and god knows what else right now!

[coopasonic]

Installed it, ran through the first tutorial until I crashed because keyboard and mouse is not the right answer. Started a flight to try to find my house at my 10yo's command... Pretty sure I was in the right area, but too hard to id a specific house in a neighborhood of 500+ houses and not even being sure it's the right neighborhood. Uninstalled. Pretty close to my last experience with MSFS which I think was FS98.

[Octavious]

Ya you can't play this with keyboard and mouse. And if you don't have a controller good luck. All the asshats have bought everything up and are selling it for insane prices on eBay. I'm really getting sick of the eBay flipping. it's just nuts right now.

[Blackhawk]

Landed in SFO INTL tonight after sight seeing. Flew over Candlestick point where the niners used to play and was shocked to see the stadium there, as it was demolished i think 5 years ago.

If they're going off of Bing maps, I think I'm going to be disappointed when I fly over my house. The zoomed imagery they have of here is at least ten years old. There are buildings still shown that I barely remember existing, and that's on my own block.

Hopefully I can get my hands on a USB hub soon.

[Octavious]

Ya Bing is nowhere near as good as google sadly. Still I'm able to fly around my area by sight so I can't complain too much. It's crazy how small the area near me feels when you are flying over it in an Icon. That plane is so easy to fly.

[malchior]

Despite all the warts, I am really enjoying this simulator. It's at about 75% of where it needs to be systems wise but everything else is really solid. Some of the smaller aircraft are real fun. The ultralights in particular are great fun. At the bigger scale, the A320 is fun to fly in my opinion. That said, I'm still severely struggling with the Boeing system. I'm waiting for tutorials that are focused on MSFS because I simply can't operate it.

[Paradroid]

It could've used another six months of development, but it'll get there eventually.

It wouldn't be the end of the world for me if the A320 was the only airliner, but I vastly prefer the 747. What issues are you having? I'm pretty sure the VNAV is broken at the moment (probably related to the FMC never having the correct altitudes on the legs page?) so you have to manage altitude changes with FL CHG or VS, but they always work fine for me. However some people have reported the autopilot going crazy - including my poor friend in my screenshot above. I watched him play, and no matter what he did the autopilot just didn't behave.

But yeah, I'm starting to become more forgiving of the game's limitations and really starting to have fun with it. A few days ago I went back to X-Plane, and while I enjoyed flying a full-featured airliner, I found the terrain pretty dull in comparison. I'm not even sure when I'll play it again now, to be honest.

I have to say though, I'd sell my grandma for an EFB and a better FMC.

[Unagi]

you should probably include a picture of your grandma, if you're serious.

[malchior]

I'll say the ATC issues are mostly fixed. The voices work consistently and the ping ponging between frequencies I was seeing is strongly diminished. Some airports the STAR approaches do work properly...mostly except obviously for VNAV which I agree is linked to the data integration into the FMC. Short-term it'd be lovely if they fixed the FMC, aloft winds, and I really want liveries. I'd buy anything at this point not to see 'unbeatable fuel efficiency' on the side of the plane.

[malchior]

I found liveries! This thread is specific to the A320 but the megapack they are referencing has liveries for many of the default aircraft.

[malchior]

So I found some weirdness. Some airports have issues with taxiways/runways. I was trying to take off at KDEN on 16R and twice my 'landing gear' got damaged on a routine take off. On the way to the runway I was bouncing around like it was an off-road rally.

[The Meal]

So I found some weirdness. Some airports have issues with taxiways/runways. I was trying to take off at KDEN on 16R and twice my 'landing gear' got damaged on a routine take off. On the way to the runway I was bouncing around like it was an off-road rally.

Sounds like they're accurately simulating the amount of time one taxis at that airport at least (it's roughly one SCCA road rally in length from the gate to the runway).

[Octavious]

Doing the one bush flight and almost cocked up the landing after flying for 50 minutes. I think I would have tossed my joystick into the wall. Was such a boring leg too so I really didn't want to do that again tomorrow.

[malchior]

So I found some weirdness. Some airports have issues with taxiways/runways. I was trying to take off at KDEN on 16R and twice my 'landing gear' got damaged on a routine take off. On the way to the runway I was bouncing around like it was an off-road rally.

Sounds like they're accurately simulating the amount of time one taxis at that airport at least (it's roughly one SCCA road rally in length from the gate to the runway).

Yeah I've experienced it many times.

I think they auto-generated a lot of the terrain and it created some real wonkiness. At Monmouth Executive airport in NJ, the end of the runway looks like a level in Control. If you were to touch down early in the lines it won't go well.

[Unagi]

I’ve found a few problem airports.

So, you know how you load up a flight, it starts with a Splash Screen of sorts, showing your plane being taxied.
I’ll need to look up where it was, but there was one where immediately my plan starts wedged into a building.

And then, on (I think 24) one runway on grass field in North Captiva Island, the game can’t even get to the splash screen as it reports that your plane has crashed immediately upon the loading of the flight.

I assume it’s either in water or under ground.
But I can start on the other end.

[Paradroid]

Yeah I always make sure I pick a gate marked "heavy" when I fly a 747, but one time (can't remember the airport) the gate was actually tiny and I was wedged right between two buildings. I was actually able to get out with help from a pushback, but then I apparently hit something on the way down the taxiway.

I think that with the entire world in the game we're going to have to accept some of this jankiness. I've found it doesn't have EKVG on the Faeroe Islands either, which is a shame as I wanted to fly from there to Reykjavik.

[Blackhawk]

Is there a mechanism to report these anomalies so that they can go in and fix them by hand?

[Paradroid]

All we have is a Zendesk tool. So far the developers have been frustratingly tight-lipped other than publishing a rather anaemic "known issues" list.

[Paradroid]

I just tried pissing about in a King Air 350i for half an hour. The turbulence just kills me on the landings. I mean, I can do it, but it's like riding a bull all the way down to the tarmac.

I'll stick to my beloved 747. It's way too heavy to be bothered by mere wind.

[jztemple2]

I'm assuming that there is an option to disable turbulence?

[Paradroid]

Presumably. I always use live weather though.

[Paradroid]

OK, here's another thing that's broken to add to the list. Don't use active pause. I'd seen a warning previously but forgot about it. I just had active pause on for 10 minutes, and when I resumed the aircraft went absolutely crazy and I crashed. Five minutes before landing, of course (isn't it always?).

I'm pissed off.

[malchior]

Yeah - I mentioned it earlier. I've played with active pause. It seems to 'accumulate' inputs. It's sort of fascinating. Active pause for 5 seconds...no problem. Active pause for a minute..you'll swear the air noise is getting louder and you'll see a weird lurch when you resume. Active pause for more than a couple of minutes...you'll hear a wind noise that sounds like the banshees of hell. On resumption the plane will just rip itself apart.

[jztemple2]

You guys missed out and bought the wrong flight sim!

[Apollo]

Here's the best autopilot tutorial I've found so far:

He also mentions that the plane continues to trim and make adjustments while under active pause, thus causing the weirdness when you turn it off.