Flight Sim Developers Take Note

[VirtualAviator]

As a flight simmer, I don't have thought exercises about how the under-the-hood stuff works or why. However, I love flight simming, and the more I sim, the more curious I become about how stuff works. Take the flight computer, for instance.

The flight computer in a real airplane is super complicated in and of itself. If I allow myself to ponder this, I realize that the Flight Management System (FMS) or Flight Management Computer (FMC), - Laminar Research breaks down these terms in the documentation provided with default aircraft that incorporates flight computers - is a complex piece of programming and hardware. The program is complex enough to warrant the term computer or system.

In the simulator, aircraft developers take one of two paths. They either adapt the work Laminar Research has done, in the case of X-Plane, or they develop an FMS from scratch. This is my understanding, so correct me if I'm wrong. Getting the FMS to perform the task correctly is a major lift. I believe people like Tom Kyler, Zibo, Totoritko, and a host of other developers are doing the hard work that folks like me often take for granted or want to bitch & moan about if it doesn't quite work right. Given the role of the FMS it's got to work correctly, right? However, reporting bugs is something that should be done with an eye on improving the experience and not berating the developer. I want them to know that I've grown to the point where I'm amazed and in awe of what they're accomplishing.

When I look through the menu items of the FMS, I see that the work is ongoing. Many features that give the aircraft abilities or extra margins of safety are constantly coming online. Bugs are constantly being squashed - ooh, yuck. The work our developers put into high-quality aircraft is worth the money they charge. Given that we often derive utility from the system for years based on their willingness to toil through code that looks like the Mandarin language to many of us, how can one be an azzhole when something breaks?

So, thanks, X-Plane developers (Aircraft, Scenery, and utilities) for what you do. Much appreciated.