The best helicopter simulator games

They can put out forest fires, perform daring ocean rescues and keep the peace with machine guns and Shellfire missiles. That’s right, they’re helicopters. Chopper enthusiasts probably already know a lot about what these modern flying machines can do, but not everyone has the time, career or money to commit to flying or taking a ride in a real one. If you want the next best thing, try these three incredible helicopter simulators and start taking to the skies.

 

Microsoft Flight Simulator X

If you truly want a hyper realistic flying experience, you don’t need to look much further than Microsoft’s Flight Simulator franchise. Renowned for their use in professional training scenarios due to their impressive attention to detail, these flight sims added a new dimension with Microsoft Flight Simulator X (2006), the 10th and latest installment in the series. Thanks to a purchasable addition from Aerosoft Flight Simulation (http://www.aerosoft.com/cgi-local/us/iboshop.cgi?showd80!0,4551795980,10289_1), pilots can now take the Sikorsky MH-60 Jayhawk and SH-60 Seahawk helicopters for a spin. As a bonus, there is also a version available for the franchise’s previous installment, Flight Simulator 2004. But that’s not all: Other sites and fan pages offer dozens of fully-loaded choppers you can download and add to the game, including weaponized models with playable missions. Check out Fly Away Simulation (http://flyawaysimulation.com/downloads/93/fsx-helicopters/) and Simviation (http://simviation.com/1/browse-Helicopters-56-0) for more information.

 

Digital Combat Simulator

 

If your focus is more about helicopters used in warfare, consider the highly acclaimed and modular Digital Combat Simulator by Eagle Dynamics, Inc. You can download DCS’s free World software (https://www.digitalcombatsimulator.com/en/downloads/world/dcs_world/) to get started, as it basically acts as an “operating system” for the game’s components, which you can choose (and purchase) as you see fit. For example, if you only want to fly choppers around, all you need to buy is the helicopters you want to play with and they will automatically be compatible with the World program. The game is sandbox, which means you can design your own missions and scenarios to try out with your new helos.

X-Plane

 

Claiming to be the world’s most realistic flight simulator, Laminar Research’s X-Plane is the bread and butter of a large number of simulator enthusiasts. The base content includes everything from space shuttles to Boeing jets, but there’s also an enormous range of payware and freeware content to choose from, including helicopters, of course. The software itself is quite comparable to Microsoft’s simulator in terms of actual realism and usage for professional or training purposes, but has been updated more recently.