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FlightGear Open Source Flight Simulator

Final Approach View from Cessna 172 Skyhawk Cockpit, FlightGear - Airplanes and Rockets"FlightGear" is an Open Source (aka Free) flight simulator program which I first wrote about in 2012. It has come a long way - and was pretty dran good, aven back then - and is now a viable competitor for Microsoft's Flight Simulator (MSFS). The leatest release as of this writing is 2024.1.1. The graphics are superb and easily on par with MSFS. FlightGear has a joystick interface, but I don't own a joystick, so my experience with it using keyboard inputs. VR headsets are also supported now. The basic download comes with a couple dozen aircraft, and there are many additional models available as separate downloads. FlightGear runs on Windows, macOS and Linux. Thanks to all the folks who have spent their valuable time developing FlightGear!

Per the About page on the FlightGear website: 

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"Introduction to FlightGear FlightGear is an open-source flight simulator. It supports a variety of popular platforms (Windows, Mac, Linux, etc.) and is developed by skilled volunteers from around the world. Source code for the entire project is available and licensed under the GNU General Public License.

The goal of the FlightGear project is to create a sophisticated and open flight simulator framework for use in research or academic environments, pilot training, as an industry engineering tool, for DIY-ers to pursue their favorite interesting flight simulation idea, and last but certainly not least as a fun, realistic, and challenging desktop flight simulator. We are developing a sophisticated, open simulation framework that can be expanded and improved upon by anyone interested in contributing.

FlightGear is a free flight simulator project. It is being developed through the gracious contributions of source code and spare time by many talented people from around the globe. Among the many goals of this project are the quest to minimize short cuts and “do things right”, the quest to learn and advance knowledge, and the quest to have better toys to play with."

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Cessna 172 Skyhawk Airframe Model, FlightGear - Airplanes and Rockets      FlightGear Configuration Screen - Airplanes and Rockets

These are the opening setup/configuration screens

Ready for Takeoff in Cessna 172, FlightGear - Airplanes and Rockets      Chase Plane View of Cessna 172 Skyhawk Taking Off, FlightGear - Airplanes and Rockets

Cessna 172 Skyhawk instrument panel (L) and chase plane view of takeoff (R)

Rear View of Cessna 172 Skyhawk, FlightGear - Airplanes and Rockets      Landing Approach View from Cessna 172 Cockpit, FlightGear - Airplanes and Rockets

Chase plane view of Cessna 172 Skyhawk on runway (L) and final approach view from cockpit (R)

Basic Keys Help Screen, FlightGear - Airplanes and Rockets      Common Aircraft Keys Help Screen, FlightGear - Airplanes and Rockets

Keyboard control menus

About Airplanes & Rockets 

Kirt Blattenberger, Webmaster - Airplanes and RocketsKirt Blattenberger

Even during the busiest times of my life I have endeavored to maintain some form of model building activity. This website has been created to help me chronicle my journey through a lifelong involvement in model aviation, which all began in Mayo, Maryland...

 

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