Deep down there was a continuous longing in my gut, head, and heart to get back into the front of the airplane. A few months before my path started veering back towards aviation, I remember confidently telling a friend (after he’d asked the last time I went up) that I would get back into flying.

The new Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 is out and incorporates an unprecedented level of detail in the scenery, terrain and aircraft modeling. In addition to being flat out fun to use, the lifelike weather depictions and real-world visuals make for a great training resource for student pilots looking to practice pilotage and dead reckoning skills during the cross-country phase of flight training.

The F-22 Raptor seems to defy physics, with the speed of a modern supersonic fighter but the maneuverability of a light airplane. This new video shows you the F-22 in action, from both inside and outside the cockpit. You'll see the incredible vertical climb, the 9G turns, and the thrust vectoring nozzles. It's quite a show.