You Know You’re a Flight Simmer When…

by

One thing I’ve discovered over the years is that flight simulation isn’t just about flying aeroplanes. It’s about all the little things that somehow become part of the hobby. We spend hours tweaking settings, installing add-ons, planning flights and perfecting camera views… and sometimes we don’t even leave the gate!

If you’ve been enjoying flight simulation for a while, I have a feeling you’ll recognise yourself in more than a few of these. None of them is meant to be taken too seriously—they’re simply some light-hearted observations about the things many of us have done at one time or another. So grab a coffee, have a smile, and see how many of these Flight Simmer Truths sound just a little too familiar.

We have all done most of the following, have we not 🙂

  • You buy one more airport because “this one will complete the collection.” It never does.
  • You start MSFS with every intention of flying... then spend the evening updating add-ons instead.
  • You spend longer perfecting your ChasePlane views than the flight itself lasts.
  • You promise yourself you’ll stop buying aircraft… right up until the next sale email arrives.
  • You open the simulator for a quick 30-minute flight... and shut it down three hours later without leaving the gate.
  • You watch a 40-minute YouTube tutorial to learn a feature you’ll use for about 10 seconds.
  • You rebuild your Community folder so neatly that you’re almost afraid to install another add-on.
  • You spend half an hour choosing the perfect livery… only to fly in darkness.
  • You’ve flown into Heathrow hundreds of times… but still need the taxi diagram.
  • Your latest “essential” add-on sits unused because you’re too busy learning the previous “essential” add-on.
  • You spend ten minutes adjusting the pilot’s seat… then fly the whole flight from an external camera.
  • You tell yourself this flight will be completely by the book… then hit Active Pause because someone rings the doorbell.
  • You buy a new scenery airport… and immediately depart from it.
  • You’ve got 200 aircraft installed… but somehow keep flying the same three.
  • You spend more time reading release notes than flying.
  • You say, “I’ll just check one setting.” An hour later you’re still in the graphics menu.
  • You know exactly where every button is in the FMC… until someone is watching.
  • You finally memorise all the cockpit flows… only for the developer to change them in the next update.
  • You spend 20 minutes setting the perfect weather… only to skip straight through the clouds.
  • You tell yourself this will be your last hardware upgrade… until someone posts a cockpit photo online.
  • You install a cabin announcement add-on… then fly with the sound muted while recording video.
  • You taxi more carefully than you drive your real car.
  • You refuse to use Slew Mode… until you’ve taxied to the wrong runway.
  • You spend longer choosing today’s destination than the actual flight takes.
  • You know the ICAO code… but can’t remember where you left your car keys.
  • You restart the entire simulator because one switch wasn’t in the correct position.
  • You spend hours making your simulator more realistic… then press ESC because dinner’s ready.
  • You’ve watched so many real cockpit videos that you instinctively reach for switches that don’t exist on your desk.
  • You finally achieve the smoothest landing of your life… with replay recording turned off.
  • You tell your family, “I’ll be finished in about an hour.” Uh huh, sure you will, but they know better.
Pete
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