Best PC Flight Simulators

This is a list of the best stand-alone Flight Simulators currently available for PC. This includes Civilian and Military Sims.
The Top Ten
1 Microsoft Flight Simulator X

It was a sad day when Microsoft decided to make no more of these. I really believe only they have the power and integrity to make these simulators to match as real as possible the profile of planes. I know a few pilots of small and commercial planes and they all say that they are very realistic. The key thing, as you'd expect, is that you don't get the feel. However, the instruments and responses are pretty bang on. There hasn't been better than this series... but... I think Microsoft gave up because they couldn't iron out the bugs. It crashes or goes off on one way too often. That said, it is still utterly brilliant

2 X-Plane 10

X-Plane sports some of the most advanced Aircraft Physics ever seen in a PC Flight Simulator, but suffers from unimpressive scenery, and poor ATC control. The best experience that you will receive in X-Plane will probably be in using 3rd party Scenery and Aircraft

X-Plane 10 are way better than any of these other simulators...

3 FlightGear

FlightGear may very well be the ultimate Open-Source success story. Hundreds of aircraft, beautiful airport scenery, and the fact that developers are constantly expanding the scenery, adding and improving aircraft, means that it earns itself a spot in the Top 5. You can perform a formation flight with your friends, fly an X-15 in a sub-orbital flight, fly WWII era Warbirds, fly an F-14 off of an aircraft carrier, join a fleet of virtual Airliners, fly a variety of Seaplanes, or just fly a small prop plane and admire the scenery. And how can you argue with FREE?

4 Infinite Flight

What Infinite flight has achieved on Android has never been paralelled on other platforms so easily. The joy of controlling aircraft with motion and touch along with the wide array of aircraft, liveries and scenes :Unmatchable.

5 Prepar3d v2
6 Il-2 Sturmovik 1946

With Mods, you have access to over 100+ Aircraft from many countries and countless user-created missions. What amazes me about Il-2 Sturmovik is that although the original game was released in 2001, the developers have released several expansion packs (the most recent being 1946, which includes all previous packs) and are STILL releasing patches over a decade later! The developers are still dedicated to caring about the fans of the sim. And it can be found at a great price, making it one of the best values that you can find on a flight sim.

7 Jane's USAF

Jane's USAF is a legendary Flight Sim. Ahead of it's time when it was released, it did not feature a large number of flyable aircraft or usable weapons, but what it did carry was absolutely stunning quality. USAF included lively and fun tutorials, realistic and complex weaponry, and tons of campaign missions including missions from Desert Storm, Vietnam, as well as a fictional war with the USSR, and a mission editor. However, the program is quite out-dated, and even has major problems running on Windows XP without modifications.

8 Microsoft Flight Simulator 2004

It works, it's fun, with tons of of add-ons. It's what made FSX what it is today. Too bad though it's gone the way of the dinosaur

It still works after all these years! It loads quickly.

Still flying after all these years.

9 Rise of Flight

RoF is the definitive WWI Flight Sim which gives you beautiful graphics, interactive campaigns, and stunning cockpits and aircraft models. And the realism is bar none fantastic. There is nothing like having to clear a gun jam while dodging enemy aircraft and AA fire, as well as trying to keep from hitting the trees. However, the game can get pricey with DLC aircraft, as the game comes with few aircraft.

10 SimplePlanes
The Contenders
11 Digital Combat Simulator World

Regarding realism in flight dynamics and modelling of aircraft systems DCS is currently not beatable, at least by military flight sims

12 Orbiter 2010

Orbiter 2010 is a very fun and realistic and FREE Space Flight Simulator. Great for learning about orbital mechanics. Thanks to 3rd party users, you can relive the Mercury, Gemini, Apollo, Vostok, Soyuz, Space Shuttle missions and more, as well as fly fictional spacecraft that can take you across the Solar System. Many other mods have been made that allow you to manage cargo and virtual crew member and passengers. However, Orbiter 2010 carries a steep learning curve. Flying to the ISS and docking, or even flying to the Moon are complex endeavors. Also, scenery is almost non-existent, other than a couple space ports on Earth

13 Microsoft Flight
14 Microsoft Flight Simulator I
15 Kerbal Space Program

This is more of a nasa space simulator but you can still make/fly planes

16 aeroflyFS

I am a real pilot and this product is the most close to real in terms of feeling.

17 Microsoft Flight Simulator II
18 Lock On: Modern Air Combat
19 Microsoft Flight Simulator 2002
20 X-Plane 11
21 Microsoft Flight Simulator 2000
22 Falcon 4.0

One of the most specialized and highly realistic flight simulators ever, especially in the early 2000s. The level of detail thatbhas gone into the simulation, including an advanced, dynamic campaign system as well as the complex control scheme ensure that the player will be constantly learning during their experience.

23 Flight Sim World

This is early access. It is in a condition that is before you get to open the box. Given this proviso. It has all the hallmarks of a stunning 64bit flight sim. Very obviously bases on M.S.F.S. (No bad thing) and updated.
Very well worth a try. And you get to guide the future developements too.

24 Red Ace Squadron
25 GeoFS
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