When the first consumer flight simulator came to market in 1979, there were very few (if any) takeaways for pilots. As most would assume, today’s simulators are helpful in showing how an airplane reacts in the air (and on the ground), but there are a few lesser known areas of airmanship a simulator can teach. 

When looking at student pilot headsets, the first thing to consider is your budget. The saying, “You get what you pay for” is pretty accurate when it comes to aviation headsets. Many student pilots are on a tight budget. This has them looking towards less expensive passive headsets. Most pilots will start out with one of these headsets, then graduate to an active noise canceling headset once they get their license. Their original passive headset then becomes a passenger headset. With that in mind, here are the top four passive headsets for student pilots.

The new Microsoft Flight Simulator program is limitless in possibilities, but where do we start? In this video, Sporty's flight simulator expert Chris McGonegle will take you through those first steps to get airborne. We'll begin at the home page and cover how to choose an airport, aircraft, release the parking brake, and move to an external view.