With Microsoft ESP now out of development, many people using ESP to make their high-end flight simulators are wondering what to do. We are making sure that X-Plane does meet their needs!
X-Plane addresses both the needs of commercial users and users looking for FAA-certified simulators, and it has for some time.
When you download the demo or buy X-Plane, you get a sim for about $49 that says "This is the home-use version of X-Plane" on the startup screen.
This version of X-Plane does not check frame rate or flight controls, as is needed for FAA certification. For this reason, the $49 version of X-Plane is not quite appropriate for commercial use or FAA certification.
Now, to convert X-Plane to the version for commercial use and FAA certifiability (so that you can easily use X-Plane to replace Microsoft ESP), you simply need our Level 2 USB key to unlock the commercial use. This will enable the frame rate check and the flight control check in X-Plane, required for certification.
Every copy of X-Plane we sell has the ability to display the commercial-use startup message, check the frame rate, and check for flight controls. All it takes is plugging in a Level 2 USB key to unlock those features.
As soon as a Level 2 USB key is plugged in, the existing copy of X-Plane will detect that key and go into commercial use, FAA-certifiable mode!
Here is exactly how it works:
By doing these things, you will have a copy of X-Plane that is approved for commercial use and can be certified for flight training--a perfect replacement for Microsoft ESP!
(Though, as many believe, you will have a much, much nicer simulator!)
Prepare to be stunned by X-Plane. Videos and photos speak where words can't. See the Multimedia page...
Get more opinions before you buy. Read reviews and connect with current users. We're confident they feel as strongly about X-Plane as we do. Learn more...
Looking to use X-Plane to log some hours? Find out how...
Tens of thousands of users have done it already. Switch to X-Plane and find out how accurate a computer flight model can be. Companies like Kalitta Air, Northwest and Japan Airlines, Cessna, and NASA trust X-Plane for training and testing. With the best of the best using X-Plane, why would you settle for anything less? Learn more...
To use the X-Plane Pro USB keys (applicable to a level 2, 3, and 4 simulator), users will need to download and install the HASP USB key driver.
It's blade element theory, of course. By breaking down every surface of the airplane and calculating the forces acting on each piece individually, X-Plane delivers the most realistic flight experience available. Learn more...
The demo is free, and it's a relatively small download. The updates, too, are free, and their bug fixes and new features make them worth the time it takes to get them. See the Downloads page...
In either PDF or Wiki form, the X-Plane manual can answer many of the questions you may have. See the Support page...
XSquawkBox.net: The X-Plane Scenery Development page
Scenery Central: The X-Plane 8 scenery page
The X-Plane SDK: "Plug-In Headquarters"
X-Plane Airport and Navigation Data: The source for data updates and designer information.