Do real pilots use Microsoft Flight Simulator? See its best uses, what cannot be logged as training, and how pilots avoid learning bad habits.
Yes. Real-world pilots use Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 and 2024 for cockpit familiarisation, checklist flows, avionics practice, instrument-procedure rehearsal and visual route familiarisation. It is a useful practice and briefing tool, but ordinary home installations are not approved training devices, do not provide loggable flight time and cannot reproduce an aircraft’s physical feel.
Pilots also use MSFS simply for recreation. A pilot enjoying the simulator does not, by itself, prove that a particular aircraft or system is accurate enough for training.
What is Microsoft Flight Simulator useful for?
Microsoft Flight Simulator is most useful for rehearsing procedures and decisions already learned from authoritative material or an instructor.
| Use | What MSFS can help practise | Main limitation |
|---|---|---|
| Cockpit familiarisation | Instrument locations, checklist order and cockpit flows | No realistic reach, resistance, vibration or tactile feedback |
| Avionics | Flight-plan entry, menu sequences, mode selection and mode awareness | Useful only when the simulated unit and software behaviour match the real installation |
| Instrument procedures | Scanning, intercepts, holds, departures, arrivals, approaches and missed approaches | Navigation data, autopilot logic and aircraft performance may differ |
| Visual familiarisation | Broad terrain, landmarks, runway orientation and route layout | Buildings, obstacles, taxiways and scenery may be simplified or out of date |
| Workload management | Briefings, checks, configuration changes and staying ahead of the aircraft | Pausing, assistance features and instant restarts can remove the workload being practised |
Visual route preview is one of MSFS’s clearest strengths. Our overview of how worldwide simulator scenery supports visual familiarisation explains why its terrain and landmark coverage is useful. Treat that scenery as a preview, never as an operational source for obstacle clearance, taxiway status or navigation.
Aircraft fidelity varies much more than many pilots expect. One model may reproduce its avionics and autopilot closely, while another only resembles the real aircraft visually. Our assessment of where Microsoft Flight Simulator realism holds up and where it does not covers that distinction in more depth.
Can pilots log Microsoft Flight Simulator time?
No ordinary MSFS session counts as loggable flight time or approved simulator training. Buying a realistic yoke, pedals, cockpit panels or motion hardware does not change the installation’s regulatory status.
Training credit is possible only when the session is conducted in a device and programme approved by the relevant aviation authority, following that authority’s rules. Permitted credits vary by country, licence and rating. A pilot seeking currency or training credit should confirm the device’s approval and the recording requirements with the instructor or training organisation before using it.
How should a pilot practise effectively in MSFS?
Good simulator practice starts with a narrow objective and a reliable reference, rather than an open-ended flight.
- Define one exercise. Rehearse a specific departure, hold, approach, checklist flow or avionics task. Avoid trying to train every skill during one flight.
- Use authoritative references. Follow the applicable aircraft manual, checklist, current charts and instructor guidance. Do not treat the simulator’s aircraft behaviour as the source for a real emergency procedure.
- Match the aircraft configuration. Check the variant, engine, avionics fit, mass, centre of gravity, fuel and initial panel state. If the exact model is unavailable, practise general concepts rather than memorising switch positions.
- Calibrate the controls. Verify that every axis centres correctly and that brakes, rudder, trim and throttles reach their intended range. An uncentred rudder axis or excessive dead zone can teach constant control chasing.
- Fly in real time. Pausing is useful while learning an avionics sequence, but not when the objective is workload, timing or energy management.
- Debrief against measurable targets. Review altitude, speed, track, configuration and autopilot modes. Repeat the part that went wrong rather than restarting an entire flight without identifying the error.
For pilot practice, the choice between MSFS 2020 and MSFS 2024 matters less than aircraft fidelity, stable performance and compatible controls. Better graphics cannot compensate for incorrect systems or a mismatched cockpit.
Common sources of negative training
- Memorising screen coordinates instead of understanding what a control does.
- Practising with avionics that differ from the unit fitted to the real aircraft.
- Learning radio phraseology solely from built-in ATC, which may use unrealistic instructions or timing.
- Trying to reproduce landing feel, stalls or control forces with lightly loaded desktop controls.
- Assuming a simulated engine failure, fire or system fault behaves exactly like the real emergency.
Is Microsoft Flight Simulator useful for student pilots?
Yes, provided the exercises support the student’s real lessons and an instructor checks the technique. It can reinforce checklist flows, instrument scanning, heading and altitude control, navigation concepts and approach briefings. Our guide to what home simulation can teach without replacing aircraft instruction sets out the practical boundaries.
Students should be cautious about repeatedly practising take-offs, landings, stalls or emergency responses before receiving proper instruction. Those exercises depend heavily on control pressure, motion, peripheral vision and aircraft-specific behaviour that a home simulator cannot reproduce. Experienced pilots usually gain the most value by rehearsing a known procedure or previewing an unfamiliar route, not by using MSFS to prove proficiency.