Microsoft Flight Simulator X and Windows 10

For landing tips, Microsoft Flight Simulator X is not fully like flying the real thing, but it is close.  There are programmed missions in Microsoft Flight Simulator X that Rod Machado instructs how to land.  One obviously cannot teach flying from a blog post, but here are some quick tips that I can give you:

When new to landing in Microsoft Flight Simulator, set your control settings to easy.  To land the aircraft, on the final approach leg (which is the portion of the approach when you are in line headed to the runway.  I suggest you read online about the approach legs, which are called upwind, crosswind, downwind base, and final)  keep the nose down with the runway numbers in the middle of the windshield.  If you look at the side of the runway, you will see red and white lights.  These are called VASI and PAPI lights which visually help you to maintain a proper glide path to the runway.  I suggest that you read on line the proper method to use them to see how they work.  During final approach the power should smoothly be reduced and as you come across the threshold of the runway the power should be at idle.  For the flare procedure hold the aircraft at 10 Ft above the ground, approximately one wing span in height which places the aircraft in ground effect.  This allows the plane to act like a hovercraft taking advantage of the high pressure under the wings and allows for the aircraft to fly very slow for touchdown.  Fly the plane as far down the runway as you can, bleeding off the airspeed, holding it off the ground until a slightly nose high flare is established and then let it sink to touchdown.

I had the same problem with the blank screen.  I could run Flight Simulator X (FSX) once, but when I ended the mission, the screen would go blank.  I could not Alt-Tab to FSX.  I tried everything I could think of to try and get FSX to become the active window again.  I even tried to use Task Manager.  Some times I could get it to activate, but more times than not, it would not become active.  I had to bring up Task Manager to get to the Task bar.  If I hovered the mouse over FSX in the Task bar, I could see that FSX was displaying a dialog, but I could not get FSX to become the active window.  The only way out at this point, was to logoff and then log back on which would terminate FSX.  

Today I installed the latest updates from Microsoft and FSX is now playable for more than one mission.  But FSX still goes to the blank screen when I end a mission.  But I can now activate the window from the task bar and continue to run other missions.  I can usually run about 3 or 4 missions and then the game hangs trying to load the scenery.  I then have to logoff and back on to terminate the program because I can't get Task Manager to become the active window at this point.  Seems like when FSX hangs, it prevents any other application from getting focus.

I have the above issues, plus anytime I mistakenly hit the one key in some cases with ATC the screen goes black.  Thanks for any help you can give.

******@bellsouth.net

When I installed Windows 10, FSX (Steam Edition) would run properly, but only in Windowed mode. When I try to run the program full screen (which is best for my laptop), it works until you try something which requires another window to appear (such as view the flight plan or view the map). When you do this, the screen goes black and nothing appears - though you can get back to the flight screen using Esc.

I suspect this is something to do with the Desktop Windows Manager in Windows 10. In Windows 8.1 the application works fine and seems to allow MSX to take control of the windows, but in Windows 10 MSX can't do this.

Because of this problem and a few other issues with (non-critical) apps on my Lenovo G500 laptop, I decided to go back to Windows 8.1, which is working fine.

I think Windows 10 looks good in most areas, but until I'm satisfied that MSX and my laptop will work properly with Windows 10, I'm going to stick with Windows 8.1.

Phil Tosney

When I installed Windows 10, FSX (Steam Edition) would run properly, but only in Windowed mode. When I try to run the program full screen (which is best for my laptop), it works until you try something which requires another window to appear (such as view the flight plan or view the map). When you do this, the screen goes black and nothing appears - though you can get back to the flight screen using Esc.

I suspect this is something to do with the Desktop Windows Manager in Windows 10. In Windows 8.1 the application works fine and seems to allow MSX to take control of the windows, but in Windows 10 MSX can't do this.

Because of this problem and a few other issues with (non-critical) apps on my Lenovo G500 laptop, I decided to go back to Windows 8.1, which is working fine.

I think Windows 10 looks good in most areas, but until I'm satisfied that MSX and my laptop will work properly with Windows 10, I'm going to stick with Windows 8.1.

Phil Tosney

I have that game on my desktop and it seems to be running fine