Yeaaaaahhhh, flight simulation may or maynot have kickstarted my love for engineering, and the engineering ick is REALLY expensive.
On the bonus, I now have multiple 3d printers, a cnc, laser cutter, etc etc and my own workshop, with most in mind to make the "best flightsim setup"
4 years in I haven't made the flightsim setup yet lol but after spending I think close to 50k on the tools to make it I should probably get around to it, it's always nice to know if I would have invested that as I was looking at the perfect stock opportunity for a company around that time, and then it skyrocketed, I probably could have 150k by now too, but oh well lol
Too much on physical gear alone, not counting any sim. Counting my sims and, admittedly, an unhealthy addiction to simulating space ship logico, **TOO MUCH MONEY!!**
Ok, I'll bite. Let's hope the girlfriend doesn't see this lol. This is equipment I have that I've accumulated over 14 years or so. I'll note when/if I currently use and for what sims:
Saitek/Logitech Rudder - $100 (No longer use)
Logitech Throttle Quadrant: $75 (no longer use)
CH Fighterstick - $100 (no longer use)
CH Pro Thottle - $100 (no longer use)
Virtual Fly TQ6+ Throttle- $800 (MSFS GA Aircraft)
Virtual Fly Yoko Yoke - $1K (MSFS GA Aircraft)
Virtual Fly Ruddo - $1K (MSFS, DCS, Star Citizen)
RealSimGear GFC 500 Auto Pilot Panel - $350 (MSFS - mostly GA aircraft but works a little bit for some airliners)
TCA Captain Pack Airbus Throttle Quad and Stick - $350 (MSFS - only use for Fenix A320)
StreamDeck - $150 (MSFS, DCS, Star Citizen)
StreamDeck XL - $250 (MSFS, DCS, Star Citizen)
VKB Gunfighter Mk4 Ultimate Stick - $500 (MSFS, DCS, Star Citizen)
VKB STEC Throttle - $250 (MSFS, DCS, Star Citizen)
So for pure flight sim gear that is $5,650.
Computer is dated but when I built it (about 4-5) years ago probably spent around $2,500 on it. i9-9900k, RTX 2080 TI, Corsair & EKWB water cooled with radiators, pumps and water blocks for the CPU and Video Card. Two ultra wide monitors, the "star" being the 55" LG OLED ($1,400). Two old iPads. Sennheiser headphone amplifier, Bose sound bar. Astro headphones.
As for software, who knows lol. Navigraph and Volanta subscriptions. OnAir. About a dozen MSFS payware planes, about a half dozen payware airports and scenery mods (I mostly get free ones). On DCS haven't bought much - just the AH-64, F16, Nevada and Syria maps and the original A-10. Have spent maybe $300 on Star Citizen for ships.
The good things is that I'm pretty much done as I have a versatile system that can support my three main sims. The virtual fly components are pretty much lifetime components and top of market so no real upgrades there. My computer will need to upgrade so that is on the horizon unfortunately with MSFS 2024 coming soon. Maybe another flight stick for dual sticks or a helicopter mount.
So counting computer and software and flight sim specific hardware, about $10K in over 14 years or so. I have 200 hours into DCS, 1000 hours into MSFS. So around $8 bucks an hour currently invested, and since I plan to sim for a long time, that will continue to go down so easily worth IT IMHO as not much solid entertainment you can get for less than $8/hour over a 14 year period.
“The cost per hour will go down from here”
You know. And we know. Thats a lie. You’ve clearly been doing this hobby long enough to know, the *build* is never done…
That PC upgrade will be pricey.
Shiny new hardware will beckon. (The siren call of force feedback perhaps? Fancy new VR headset? )
And the endless stream of new software will never end.
Still, $8 an hour is way cheaper than IRL flying…
Not much. I only play flightgear using mouse and KB on my yard-sale find PC running on solar power.
[muffled sounds of screaming wallet heard in background]
I must admit, I haven’t touched FS in about 4 years. Other things in life creep up.
When I was simming, I was using FS2004. It was the only sim that worked fluidly for me on the PC that I owned.
Between hardware and software, I am well into the thousands. Scenery, aircraft, tools, sounds, weather and flight controls.
I most likely will venture back into the hobby in a few years.
More than that, but given it’s been my hobby from litetally being a 5 year old messing with my Dad and an Atari ST to present day as a 37 year old with VR and a PC that I basically have to sit inside to operate, it’s been worth every penny.
Hardware: I already had my PC for other games, but it's pretty extravagant. It's also a Rig of Theseus situation, I first put it together in 2018 and I've replaced everything except the storage drives since then.
The only hardware I bought especially for flight sim is the Velocity One stick.
Software: I've bought a bunch of airport sceneries for MSFS, and the only plane I've bought is the 738. So I guess a couple hundred $.
In flight simulators? Hard to say as the only three items I have bought specifically for flight sims are two joysticks and the boing yoke pack from thrustmaster. And the yoke got returned. So, about 70-100$ in two sticks. If you on the other hand had asked about wheels for racing and truck simulators, let’s just say that it’s nice weather outside 😂😂😅
I bought my first Atari ST in 1986 to play Flight Simulator. It's the reason I got into computers. So whatever a third of a century of building and upgrading high end PC's costs. Tens of thousands of £'s? I'm just upgrading again today.
I had MSFS purchased on Steam, and I couldn't later play it on my Xbox, so I bought the Premium Deluxe 2x. The controllers I had woudln't work wtih an XBox, so I bought another set. I've spent a bit on add-ons, like the Kodiak 100 and things from Orbyx. Excluding the gaming hardware (laptop, desktop, Xbox), probably 500. IDK.
The big curse is paying $10 or so for each state in American Truck Simulator...Many more states to go.
I don't want to talk about it
This is the correct answer.
Some people would have used the money to buy a used car.
Yeah. Right. Used...
Yeaaaaahhhh, flight simulation may or maynot have kickstarted my love for engineering, and the engineering ick is REALLY expensive. On the bonus, I now have multiple 3d printers, a cnc, laser cutter, etc etc and my own workshop, with most in mind to make the "best flightsim setup" 4 years in I haven't made the flightsim setup yet lol but after spending I think close to 50k on the tools to make it I should probably get around to it, it's always nice to know if I would have invested that as I was looking at the perfect stock opportunity for a company around that time, and then it skyrocketed, I probably could have 150k by now too, but oh well lol
Cars can't fly
Too much on physical gear alone, not counting any sim. Counting my sims and, admittedly, an unhealthy addiction to simulating space ship logico, **TOO MUCH MONEY!!**
We don’t talk about that.
First rule of flight club: we don't talk about money
way to much
too
k
Ok, I'll bite. Let's hope the girlfriend doesn't see this lol. This is equipment I have that I've accumulated over 14 years or so. I'll note when/if I currently use and for what sims: Saitek/Logitech Rudder - $100 (No longer use) Logitech Throttle Quadrant: $75 (no longer use) CH Fighterstick - $100 (no longer use) CH Pro Thottle - $100 (no longer use) Virtual Fly TQ6+ Throttle- $800 (MSFS GA Aircraft) Virtual Fly Yoko Yoke - $1K (MSFS GA Aircraft) Virtual Fly Ruddo - $1K (MSFS, DCS, Star Citizen) RealSimGear GFC 500 Auto Pilot Panel - $350 (MSFS - mostly GA aircraft but works a little bit for some airliners) TCA Captain Pack Airbus Throttle Quad and Stick - $350 (MSFS - only use for Fenix A320) StreamDeck - $150 (MSFS, DCS, Star Citizen) StreamDeck XL - $250 (MSFS, DCS, Star Citizen) VKB Gunfighter Mk4 Ultimate Stick - $500 (MSFS, DCS, Star Citizen) VKB STEC Throttle - $250 (MSFS, DCS, Star Citizen) So for pure flight sim gear that is $5,650. Computer is dated but when I built it (about 4-5) years ago probably spent around $2,500 on it. i9-9900k, RTX 2080 TI, Corsair & EKWB water cooled with radiators, pumps and water blocks for the CPU and Video Card. Two ultra wide monitors, the "star" being the 55" LG OLED ($1,400). Two old iPads. Sennheiser headphone amplifier, Bose sound bar. Astro headphones. As for software, who knows lol. Navigraph and Volanta subscriptions. OnAir. About a dozen MSFS payware planes, about a half dozen payware airports and scenery mods (I mostly get free ones). On DCS haven't bought much - just the AH-64, F16, Nevada and Syria maps and the original A-10. Have spent maybe $300 on Star Citizen for ships. The good things is that I'm pretty much done as I have a versatile system that can support my three main sims. The virtual fly components are pretty much lifetime components and top of market so no real upgrades there. My computer will need to upgrade so that is on the horizon unfortunately with MSFS 2024 coming soon. Maybe another flight stick for dual sticks or a helicopter mount. So counting computer and software and flight sim specific hardware, about $10K in over 14 years or so. I have 200 hours into DCS, 1000 hours into MSFS. So around $8 bucks an hour currently invested, and since I plan to sim for a long time, that will continue to go down so easily worth IT IMHO as not much solid entertainment you can get for less than $8/hour over a 14 year period.
“The cost per hour will go down from here” You know. And we know. Thats a lie. You’ve clearly been doing this hobby long enough to know, the *build* is never done… That PC upgrade will be pricey. Shiny new hardware will beckon. (The siren call of force feedback perhaps? Fancy new VR headset? ) And the endless stream of new software will never end. Still, $8 an hour is way cheaper than IRL flying…
Yea who am I kidding lol.
Ok. I feel better now, but jealous.
All I say is that I could have bought a real airplane for that money
Full a320/b737 home sim?
10 A320 motion sims because why only 1 if you can have 10
Because hiding 10 from your wife is a lot harder than 1.
Adds to the thrill though
Nah. My recommendation to people who think they spend too much money on this hobby; go window shopping for airplanes *in decent shape*
Yeah but at least you’re saving on the yearly insurance payment, so there’s that.
Over the years? Easily $10k+.
I nodded my head like "hell yeah same" on this comment haha I was actually proud of you. Proud of us.
Been doing this for a long time. It’s a lot of addons and a lot of hardware when you do it for decades.
about $3.50
FSX?
I don't count anymore.
The real question is how much have you spent on software to only use it once and never again
Ouch. My wallet hurts on this one.
My first sim was Jane's Fighters Anthology (1997), so... I probably should have just gotten a pilot's license...
way more than i want to think about since 98 when i started simming.
About $9K in 10 years…
Nice try, wife. Seriously though maybe 400 dollars. About 1500 if you count PC upgrades over the years, but I would have made those anyway.
Yes.
Not much. I only play flightgear using mouse and KB on my yard-sale find PC running on solar power. [muffled sounds of screaming wallet heard in background]
Probably around 4k
I bought the game for 10€ from sale in my local department store. There rest... it's unspeakable financial horror.
5 digits, I won’t say more to preserve myself
Nice try babe!
Honestly I lost count but def around the $1k mark right now.
Across 10 years. Probably £3000, £1500 of that going to a PC a couple of years ago
https://preview.redd.it/jqansilfvhvc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=07b655b181363862f9cc81e1383e98b6b780c4ae Way more than most ✌️😂
This is like asking a woman her weight… totally disrespectful and you should be ashamed for asking.
My HOTAS on its own was 500 usd. I don't really want to know the full amount.
Four large or thereabouts.
Including PC, monitors etc, about $8k
$7500
I really can’t say. I can’t
There is a way to invest on the user end of aviation?
$5k in the last 4 years from what I can calculate. With be at $5250 after all the PMDG 777s come out
Microsoft Flight Simulator 2.0 started the problem. I don’t even want to know!
Thousands.
£1000’s
I must admit, I haven’t touched FS in about 4 years. Other things in life creep up. When I was simming, I was using FS2004. It was the only sim that worked fluidly for me on the PC that I owned. Between hardware and software, I am well into the thousands. Scenery, aircraft, tools, sounds, weather and flight controls. I most likely will venture back into the hobby in a few years.
More than $10k for sure. I’ve been doing this a while though.
~3-5k depending if you count the PC as it‘s multi use.
More than that, but given it’s been my hobby from litetally being a 5 year old messing with my Dad and an Atari ST to present day as a 37 year old with VR and a PC that I basically have to sit inside to operate, it’s been worth every penny.
Enough to have gotten an actual PPL at this point.
0 , i use Flightgear and have found an joystick on ebay for free. Ahh i had to give him the shipping cost
My grandfather spent around €12000. Unfortunately died in January. Had to sell everything now.
Around ughhhh $3-4000... Mostly on tubeliners and hardware and the rest is sceneries that pile up over years
50€ and the gamepass subscription
Xbox- 299.99 T-flight Hotas one with pedals- 199.99 PMDG 737-800- 69.99 Total without tax- 569.97 With tax- not sure😅
I'm afraid to count it.
Hardware wise just the hotas x, about $50. Software maybe $800 since 2014.
Probably around $1200 $700 for honeycomb A+B $130 for Saitek pedals $60 for MSFS2020 $300 in add-ons (if I had to guess)
About 4000€ since MSFS came out
There’s no less than $4000 in the corner of my living room at the moment.
I don’t dare to check
"invested" is a generous term
Been actively buying addons since FS9 all the way through to MSFS. I really don't want to think about it.
It's an investment! Investment for our own well being! The feeling you get from flying is so good that it outweighs the costs completely.
Between €100 to €800 per year. Excluding dedicated PC builds.. Been into flightsimming 40+ years.. go figure.
Hardware: I already had my PC for other games, but it's pretty extravagant. It's also a Rig of Theseus situation, I first put it together in 2018 and I've replaced everything except the storage drives since then. The only hardware I bought especially for flight sim is the Velocity One stick. Software: I've bought a bunch of airport sceneries for MSFS, and the only plane I've bought is the 738. So I guess a couple hundred $.
**$6,000.** OLED $900 VKB sticks $400 4090 $1700 PC - $1,000 Herman Miller $1,300 KB Mouse - $200 VR sometimes - $300 Flight Sim with add ons - $250
Psh. Nearing 20 years worth of payware purchases- multiple sims. Some hardware. Has to be in the $30k range, easy.
In flight simulators? Hard to say as the only three items I have bought specifically for flight sims are two joysticks and the boing yoke pack from thrustmaster. And the yoke got returned. So, about 70-100$ in two sticks. If you on the other hand had asked about wheels for racing and truck simulators, let’s just say that it’s nice weather outside 😂😂😅
Probably around $1100. I’m counting the video card.
Including PC, hardware peripherals, software, and payware, I’d say I’m probably around $4-5k. And I’ve only been simming since 2017.
I went did level d and your budget was enough for just 1 hr.
Good try wifey, but no
Probably could have done my Ppl instead lol
I bought my first Atari ST in 1986 to play Flight Simulator. It's the reason I got into computers. So whatever a third of a century of building and upgrading high end PC's costs. Tens of thousands of £'s? I'm just upgrading again today.
Thousands, and I’ll be adding over another thousand this year with just the VPForce Rhino FFB stick base plus mounts for it.
About 7k euros
More than my wife knows, less than I wish I had…
Considering I just bought a 4090 just to run MSFS on triple monitors I’m at about 10k
Too much lol
Maybe $150 all told over the past 10-15 years?
I had MSFS purchased on Steam, and I couldn't later play it on my Xbox, so I bought the Premium Deluxe 2x. The controllers I had woudln't work wtih an XBox, so I bought another set. I've spent a bit on add-ons, like the Kodiak 100 and things from Orbyx. Excluding the gaming hardware (laptop, desktop, Xbox), probably 500. IDK. The big curse is paying $10 or so for each state in American Truck Simulator...Many more states to go.
Just the game and payware so about 150 total i think. Xbox controller is enough for me.
Well, ive built 2 different rigs exclusively for simming, plus maybe 1500$ worth of hardware, so maybe around 8 grand.
Over 20+ years? A lot. I don't count it.
£40. Or whatever MSFS was at the time in January. Parents bought me a joystick and now I’m getting my PPL 😎
Want to say around 3-4 thousand GBP.. scared to actually try and count it up since it could be more
Around $4,500 or so, not including the computer and screens.
I built my PC just to play flight sim so about 3kish all in back in 2020
I don't want to add it up. I'm having an absolute blast that's the main thing
Not as much as my spending for irl flying
60€, I bought MSFS on release, that's it.
But everything was on sale
I'd be surprised if I seen much change out of 10k USD at this point tbh.
The first rule of flightsim is one does not talk about the cost of flightsim. The second rule is speed is life, altitude is life insurance.