PC Pilot #131 – January/February 2021

PC Pilot #131: The Future of Flight Simulation ✈️

The January/February 2021 issue of PC Pilot lands in the middle of a major shift for virtual aviation. Microsoft Flight Simulator has already changed what simmers expect from scenery, weather, and aircraft—and this issue asks where the platform goes next. The cover feature is an exclusive interview with Microsoft and Asobo Studio, covering their plans for the simulator and what those plans mean for the wider flight-sim community.

Inside the Issue

• Exclusive interview: Microsoft and Asobo Studio discuss the future of Microsoft Flight Simulator.
• Developer conversations: IPACS, Gaya Simulations, and Virtual Fly talk about their aircraft, scenery, and hardware.
• Add-on reviews: Microsoft’s Japan update, Orbx’s Sydney Cityscape, FSDreamTeam’s O’Hare, Gaya Simulations’ Zell am See, DC Designs’ Concorde, Aeroplane Heaven’s Tecnam P2010, Thranda’s PC-6 Porter, TorqueSim’s BN-2 Islander, Aerofly FS 2’s A320, and DCS: A-10C II Tank Killer.
• Hardware: A review of Honeycomb’s Bravo Throttle Quadrant.
• Tutorials and regulars: Back to Basics – Night Flying, Baron’s Combat Corner on the Messerschmitt Bf 109, Challenging Airports at Chambéry, and Flight Adventure with the Cirrus SR22.

What Makes This Issue Useful

PC Pilot has always balanced enthusiast news with practical simming advice, and issue 131 keeps that mix. The reviews look at both big-platform updates and detailed add-on aircraft, while the interviews give context on why developers make the choices they do. For readers who fly Microsoft Flight Simulator, X-Plane, Prepar3D, Aerofly FS 2, or DCS World, the issue offers a snapshot of where each ecosystem stood at the start of 2021.

Regular Sections

News, Comms, Downloads, and the magazine’s long-running tutorial columns round out the issue. The night-flying lesson is especially suited to simmers who want to improve instrument awareness, while the combat corner explores the handling and dogfighting character of the Bf 109. The Challenging Airports feature takes readers into the French Alps around Chambéry, and the Flight Adventure profiles the Cirrus SR22.

Who This Issue Is For

This is a magazine for flight-sim enthusiasts who enjoy detailed aircraft and scenery coverage, developer interviews, and practical flying advice. Whether you fly airliners, general aviation, helicopters, or combat aircraft, the issue covers a wide enough range to be relevant. It is also a useful reference for readers interested in the history and direction of Microsoft Flight Simulator during its first year on the new platform.

Why It Belongs in Your Digital Library

At 92 pages, PC Pilot #131 captures a specific moment in flight simulation: a new Microsoft sim finding its footing, established platforms continuing to evolve, and hardware and add-on makers responding to changing expectations. If you follow flight simulation closely, this issue provides both immediate reading and a record of the hobby’s direction in early 2021.