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A Known Simulator on an Unexpected Platform Recently I had a real world example of the value of portable flight simulators. Between one of the worst hotel room weekend stays I have ever had and taking a break at 2:00 AM while fixing a draft beer system at a Space Force Base, I was still able to get some quality 'stick time' in. These days when you hear "flight game" and "Nintendo Switch" your mind probably goes to rather well done 2024 port of Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown to this game console. In this case, I am actually talking about Aerofly FS by IPACS. About Aerofly As with every other console created by Nintendo, flight games and simulators are semi-rare titles on their platforms. They are always small in number and limited in what you would consider 'flight simulation' qualities. This is why seeing a Nintendo Switch port of Aerofly FS somewhat surprised me. When I think of this flight simulator, the words "reliable", "consistent", "accessible" and "quality" come to mind. These are things I cannot always say about more high profile flight simulators like Microsoft Flight Simulator by Asobo and Digital Combat Simulator by Eagle Dynamics. Aerofly is very much designed to prioritize efficiency on multiple devices while not compromising on its simulation of aircraft. It maintains a smaller, but diverse roster of 30 aircraft including Widebody airliners, single isle airliners, business aviation, fourth generation fixed-wing fighters, historical aircraft, rotary-wing aircraft, gliders, aerobatic aircraft and more. All major types of aviation are presented. Its flight simulation is detailed enough to include fully simulated wing flex, independent simulation of all flight control actuators and flight control surfaces, instrument navigation aides (ILS, NDB, TCN, VOR) and Thermals. This article is not a full review of the game yet , but in the mean time I would suggest checking out the Nintendo eShop page for more details on this port of the simulator. Appreciating Ingenuity A few weeks ago I purchased Aerofly FS on the Nintendo Switch and only lightly played out of curiosity. My recent long-term stint with the simulator opened my eyes to some intuitive use of the game console's capabilities. With the personal computer version of the sim compatible with flight sticks, computer tablets, multi-function panels, head trackers and similar devices, I wondered how the Nintendo Switch's detachable controllers or gyroscope/motion controls could be used to enhance the flight experience. I thought maybe the controllers would be used similarly to how Sky Rogue used them as a throttle and stick. Aerofly does nothing with motion controls, but relies on smoothly zooming the camera in and out using the right thumbstick, then letting players interact with the flight instruments, knobs and levers in the cockpit using the game console's touch screen. There are certain important functions like throttle control, flap lever, cycling landing gear and activating the co-pilot (modified auto pilot) quickly accessible on the face buttons, shoulder buttons and analog stuck buttons. The bulk of the controls that need to be utilized to fly advanced aircraft can be accessed via the touch screen. There are various flight assists in the quick settings that can be enabled or disabled for dampening flight controls, which is actually needed depending on how carefully players manipulate the Joy-Con thumbstick. As it is not an accessory designed specifically for flight simulation, it is possible to frequently perform accidental maximum control inputs at in opportune times. Unless intentionally flying aerobatics, it is advisable to be slow and deliberate with pitch and roll axis movements. The Quick Flight Test There is not better way to test a simulator than to do a complete flight that is not just a quick lap around the airfield or a willy nilly wandering session. A genuine "$100 Hamburger Flight", if you will. A highlight of my recent serious flight focused on flying the Aermacchi MB-339 from Lamezia Terme (LICA) on mainland Italy to Palermo Punta Raisi (LICJ) in Sicily. In the Navigation screen, players can select known airways, set departure and arrival airports, set other waypoints along the way for their flight plan and even select specific NDB to navigate with. The state of an aircraft at launch can also be selected as a mid-air start, a ready on the ramp state or cold and dark state. Players can even zoom the camera in to see an overhead of their departure airport to select the specific ramp position they prefer. For mid-air starts players can also select their position anywhere on the globe, assign their starting altitude and direction and immediately fly. All of this also can be done with the touch screen. It is a rather good experience. Thanks to my experience with accidentally purchasing the MB-339 in DCS World, then becoming rather proficient with it, selecting this aircraft in Aerofly FS was an easy way for me fully test what this port of the simulator offered. I was able to cold start the aircraft, depart according to procedure, follow the flight plan as required to enter the arrival airport landing pattern only from the rear seat of the aircraft using cockpit instruments and Navigational Aids, then landing and parking with a full aircraft shutdown. Doing all of this while occasionally needing to adjust course mid-flight due to course deviation caused by wind, I can firmly say Aerofly FS maintains its genuine flight simulation traits without compromising the experience. I plan on delving deeper into this Nintendo Switch port as it seems my real world work may be taking me on a few more short-term travels in the mean time. Expect to hear a bit more about Aerofly from me in the future. About the Writer Aaron "Ribbon-Blue" Mendoza Co-founder of Skyward Flight Media. After founding Electrosphere.info, the first English Ace Combat database, he has been involved in creating flight game-related websites, communities, and events since 2005. He explores past and present flight games and simulators with his extensive collection of game consoles and computers. Read Staff Profile .

Flight simulators are nothing without good terrain to accompany them, after all, of what use is having wonderful flight models, amazing 3D models and weapon systems when we are flying over flat, boring terrain? That's why I was initially excited about every single map that was released for DCS World. The South Atlantic is stunning, the Sinai is sublime and Syria is unbeaten in its flexibility, a title it shares with the Persian Gulf. So, knowing all of this, why am I not excited about the Fulda Gap? For all intents and purposes, I should be excited and happy that we are finally getting a map that I have always wanted. It is a very interesting geopolitical region that would have been the center of conflict if the Cold War had gone hot, there is absolutely nothing I don't like about it. From the beautiful historical recreations of Berlin, Frankfurt, Leipzig and many other cities, this map is the furthest away I would like to be from what has kind of plagued DCS for years: sand and desert. I think that there are only two main reasons as to why I am not as excited as I could be for this release: Map Release Burnout and Lack of Community Support. MAP RELEASE BURNOUT In the past two years, DCS has seen an explosion of terrain support from first and third party developers. It used to be a rarity to see a new terrain, and now it felt like we were getting a new map every other week, and initially I was happy about this change. But as time passed and some decisions were made by certain parties, I started to feel a bit of unease. All of these early access products being released one after the other, while several of these hadn't even finished delivering their initial release phases or were missing crucial aspects of these geographical areas; that just felt off to me. All of these amazing maps made by talented artists were just being shoehorned to us at a pace that the community just could not manage. These are good products, for sure, but the way these releases were paced just felt off. I understand that these are being developed by independent teams, but wouldn't it be better to grab a fraction of these resources and spend them on core features of the game, or even better, a much-needed refresh of Caucasus, the most popular map in the simulator? LACK OF COMMUNITY SUPPORT Speaking of Caucasus, that map grabs a big percentage of the population because of its role as DCS' default map. Most missions are made for or around Caucasus, with the Persian Gulf and Syria trailing behind by a considerable margin. This leads me to one of my main grievances and one that I feel very connected to: none of the new maps have been welcomed by the community. These terrains are expensive, and having these many has divided the population, making it so that community creators have to focus on the maps that the majority of the community own to make their missions or run their servers. There are almost no servers running Iraq and Afghanistan, even less running South Atlantic. Why would I buy any of these terrains if there is no one to play them with, or no servers running them? CONCLUSION I really want to be excited about the Cold War Germany map, but I just cannot justify spending another 55 dollars on another terrain just to fly on it for a couple of hours in single player, to just set it to the side and go back to the sandbox with my boys. About the Author Santiago "Cubeboy" Cuberos Longtime aviation fanatic with particular preference towards military aviation and its history. Said interests date back to the early 2000s, leading into his livelong dive into civil and combat flight simulators. He has been involved in a few communities, but only started being active around the mid 2010s. Joined as a Spanish to English translator in 2017, he has been active as a writer and the co-founder of Skyward ever since. Twitter  | Discord : Cubeboy

Being alive for a while gives the privilege of perspective if you pay attention close enough Let us go off of the beaten path for a bit. Similar to how back in 2011 there was an atypical flight game named Assault Horizon that reached beyond a certain set of expectations. Attempting to redefine a long-standing genre of flight arcade game expectations, out perform 16 years of a self established tradition and capture a new market of players. The result was a game with a reasonable amount of faults that likely would have been remembered as a title that tried something new and failed on its own merits. But the reality is that Ace Combat: Assault Horizon (2011) became an albatross around the neck of one of the most well known flight game series in history for almost a decade. As an admittedly hardcore, but grounded Ace Combat fan myself, I had well over a decade to reflect on Assault Horizon. I know my perspective of this game is rather unusual, but I cannot help but wonder if its legacy would have been different if it was a standalone title rather than being tied to the Ace Combat brand name. Similar to how Sky Crawlers: Innocent Aces was developed by Project Aces, the development team behind Ace Combat, but was for a separate intellectual property. Granted, Sky Crawlers is well established on its own, but you understand the example. Similarly, I have seen other games both in and out of the flight genre have similar occurrences over the years. Re: Assault Horizon Assault Horizon was a pure action arcade title staking its existence on a few different factors. Few of its flight game contemporaries could match its ambition at the time. A bespoke game mechanic inspired by first person shooters, a real world setting with a NATO taskforce and a Russian Air Force detachment working together in north Africa written by well established author Jim DeFelice  and a decent variety of manufacturer licensed player controlled aircraft. It was quite the departure from the fixed wing fighter focused games that embraced the fictional Strangereal World setting its developer created from scratch. As a game, Assault Horizon felt like an all too familiar style of story set in the real world. It felt like it could have been in one of many Call of Duty: Modern Warfare inspired first person shooters of the era. Its single player campaign took players around the world albeit with some odd story progress related aircraft restrictions. Players could experience things like sneaking in strategic bombers, slinging anti-tank missiles in attack helicopters, engaging infantry with a M134 mini gun from the door of a transport helicopter and being the weapon operator of an AC-130 gunship. While that sounds cool in theory and at times certain parts of these new gameplay types did work, but it all felt as though it could have been fleshed out more while feeling rather foreign. I will say the voice acting was rather good compared to the Ace Combat games that came before it. The soundtrack of the game was solid and quite long with 38 tracks on three discs. Sound design was also rather impressive. It emphasized Hollywood blockbuster movie style action with visceral combat that highlighted aircraft being ripped to shreds (advertised as "making metal bleed") over long-range engagements against distant enemies. Its signature Close Range Assault system tried to make air combat feel like more of a close quarters first person shooter style experience with occasional cinematic set pieces that pulled players through the environment. It certainly looked great visually. There were a few good moments with it, but it was intrusive to gameplay. It was a downright requirement to be used to complete certain levels or even finish the game. This same system was also included in multiplayer gameplay which further pushed it upon its audience. While visually appealing and objectively fun at times, it simply did not land in the way the developers wanted it to. This first person shooter inspired gameplay would also include damage recovered or "healed" over time when players were not attacked. Assault Horizon was designed with an international audience in mind. It would be released on multiple gaming platforms, a first for a game in the Ace Combat series. Something I believe the series should have started with Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation (2007) on the Xbox 360, but what can you do? I genuinely believe that the perceived commercial success at the time was because of Assault Horizon's wide reach. This was accompanied by a serious promotional campaign with fan community outreach in a way that was not attempted before. This game also had a strong train of media behind it, including a slightly altered real world Earth history to prepare for potential future works, two novels written in this new setting in support of the game and to expand upon this new setting and a Master File magazine for a new fictional aircraft designed by Shoji Kawamori of Macross fame. Assault Horizon was a massive effort on behalf of development team Project Aces and publisher Bandai-Namco. Legacy of a Failed Rebrand Without a doubt it was Assault Horizon being positioned as the rebrand or "rebirth" of the venerable Ace Combat series being the primary reason it was judged more harshly than it would have been as a standalone or spin off title from the main series. Not that I am saying the backlash was undeserved. There were so many striking differences to what Assault Horizon presented compared to what the name "Ace Combat" was known for, the release of Ace Combat: Assault Horizon is still remembered as a black mark on the brand name. To many people this was not just "a bad" Ace Combat game, this was not even considered an Ace Combat game by the long-time supporters of the series despite the very official branding and media push. It was an outright rejection. That is quite a fiasco. During an interview with Asobistore in November 2022, there were a few points where Ace Combat Series Brand Director Kazutoki Kono talks about how Assault Horizon was a tipping point for the series. It was a somewhat experimental game that changed its core formula to appeal to a world wide audience punctuated by considerable domestic and international backlash from the players it appealed to. It forced the development team to reflect after a decade and a half of relatively consistent success. Professionally, it took quite a bit of convincing on behalf of the development team to secure support from Bandai-Namco to proceed with development of another full fledged title. The release of a secondary game, Ace Combat Infinity (2014), and its relative success seems to have been a key part in reassuring that hte brand name of Ace Combat was still commercially viable. In the Asobistore interview Kono even refers to the release of Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown (2019) as the result of a V-shaped recovery for the Ace Combat series caused by Assault Horizon specifically. An eight year recovery is no joke. According to The Ace Combat Wiki , Assault Horizon sold over 1,070,000 units within seven months of release. The previous game, Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation, sold a bit over 700,00 copies in 55 months of its release. It can be said that commercially Assault Horizon was a success. At the time of its release traditional game media outlets had a fair share of criticism for certain parts of the game, but overall Assault Horizon scored well in professional media outlet game reviews. In retrospect, this was definitely a case of short-term gain with long-term damage to the series that probably heavily outweighed the initial gains anyway. Two Examples of Similar Stories Being alive for a while gives the privilege of perspective if you pay attention close enough. As I have looked at Ace Combat: Assault Horizon through a lens that separates a product from a name brand, I see familiar stories in other games. For flight games, the return of the storied Comanche series with Comanche (2020) by Nukklear Digital Games published by THQ Nordic is one of the more recent examples on my mind. In August 2019 it was introduced as a four vs four online multiplayer only game. After a few months of direct user feedback about how this new direction was not representative of the series as a whole, by the time its early access began in March 2020 it had a single player campaign actively in development. By April 2021, Ashborne Games, a new developer, carried the project to full game release with an entirely new set of single player content with multiplayer seemingly left on the wayside. Jane's Advanced Strike Fighters (2012) was a rather infamous one around the time of the Assault Horizon era. As a game it was a flight arcade title with a rather unique roster of aircraft including Chinese produced aircraft. Each of them able to carry multiple weapon selections at once over a distance of 65,000km² of continuous terrain. Each level was open world with the single player campaign open to four player co-op. The story of the game was quite bad with a rather forgettable flight model, but much like Assault Horizon it was primarily judged by it being tied to the once gold standard flight simulation brand "Jane's". As a standalone flight arcade game I had a decent time with Advanced Strike Fighters, but a title worthy of Jane's name it was not. And it will be remembered for that more than it would be for its actual gameplay. In the grand scheme of flight games and simulators, Ace Combat: Assault Horizon is likely to remain a shining example of how to not manage a series at its peak, but also an example of how a brand name and expectations that come with it can and will override any genuine efforts of developers in the opinions of how players perceive a game. About the Writer Aaron "Ribbon-Blue" Mendoza Co-founder of Skyward Flight Media. After founding Electrosphere.info , the first English Ace Combat database, he has been involved in creating flight game-related websites, communities, and events since 2005. He explores past and present flight games and simulators with his extensive collection of game consoles and computers. Read Staff Profile .

'Sand Castle' is the first mission from Skyward Flight Media for Nuclear Option by Shockfront Studio created by mission editor Aaron "Ribbon-Blue" Mendoza . OVERVIEW 1 to 6 Players. Player VS Environment (Co-op). Fixed-Wing and Rotary Wing Aircraft. Night time, bad weather combat operation. Successful sorties give considerable credit boost. Limited enemy air assets. Recommend turning on Cinematic Mode in graphics settings. BRIEFING SITUATION A surprise amphibious invasion by a carrier battlegroup has seized a remote cluster of Vertical Factories to the far north. Using these factories as the backbone of the invasion, the enemy has established a network of Vehicle Depots to provide consistent reinforcements to capture Maris International Airport. If captured, this civilian airport will give the enemy a permanent foothold. The vanguard of the invasion force is approaching from the foothills and mountains to the west. They are minutes away from contact with friendly forces deployed to protect the international airport. At sea, the enemy carrier battle group is providing air cover to assist their advancing forces in taking the airport with an Annex-class Assault Carrier in reserve. Without air support our forces at Maris International Airport will eventually lose against the numerically superior enemy. Daring bad weather air strikes at midnight now launch to halt the invasion force. OBJECTIVES Primary Objective 'Destroy Factories' H alt production of enemy units to effectively stop the invasion. Destruction of all factories will complete the mission. Nuclear Option gives players the choice to either end the mission immediately or continue playing. Secondary Objective 'Attack Depots' Destroying the Vehicle Depots to the west of the Maris International Airport will slow down the deployment of enemy units produced by the Vertical Factories. Optional Objective 'Capture K92' A convoy of friendly ground forces has departed from Sandrift Air Base in the far south-east to set up a forward arming and refueling point (FARP) at K92 Highway Strip. If they are not intercepted by enemy air forces they will arrive at K92 in 15 to 17 minutes. FRIENDLY ASSETS Maris International Airport The frontline. Various main battle tanks, infantry fighting vehicles and short range air defenses supplied by munitions trucks are holding defensive positions around the airport. This civilian airport cannot support combat aircraft operations. Maris Mountain Heliport A small military heliport attached to an early warning radar station on a mountain above Maris city. It hosts two landing pads with rotary-wing assets available. It is roughly 14.0km away from the combat zone. Sandrift Air Base The primary air base for fixed-wing aircraft in this mission. Located in a desert 48km from the frontline. K92 Highway Strip If friendly forces capture K92 forward deployed air operations will be much easier with aircraft spawns and a FARP assets available. K92 can also be captured by ground units air lifted by VL-49 Tarantula. DETAILS Except for the units produced by the Vertical Factories (Primary Objective), the enemy forces do not respawn. The enemy Hyperion-class Fleet Carrier has a realistically sized carrier air wing. It is possible for all aircraft to be destroyed in combat, winning air superiority. Enemy aircraft are limited to a maximum of Rank 2. Players begin at Rank 5, but have limited access to Rank 1, 2 and 3 aircraft. The reward for completing successful sorties is a vital part of players being able to purchase better aircraft, changing the tide of battle rapidly. PLAYER CUSTOMIZATION Nuclear Option provides players with the ability to quickly customize any mission they play without using the mission editor. Even for missions that are a part of the base game or downloaded via Steam Workshop. Use these options to change the settings of the 'Sand Castle' mission to your liking. Play during day time or even modify the mission so much you can fly with any aircraft at any time. MISSION DOWNLOAD ' Sand Castle 1.1 ' is available for download on the Steam Workshop for Nuclear Option .

The first VTOL VR mission from Skyward Flight Media Operation Boitatá (Flame Serpent) is the first original mission from Skyward Flight Media created by Caio D. "Hueman" Barreto for VTOL VR by Boundless Dynamics. FEATURES 1 to 4 Players Player VS Environment (Co-op) Fixed-Wing and Rotary Wing Aircraft Inspired by real world anti-criminal operations in Brazil Massive map based on Belém, Brazil Optional custom liveries available for download
BRIEFING SITUATION Intel reports multinational criminal organizations are using the waterways in the Amazon river basin to transport heavy weaponry acquired from cartels in neighboring countries. This ever-growing network of criminal activity is largely funded by smuggling and illegal mining activities. The damage, both to the local population and the environment, grows day by day. In response to this emergency, government authorities have decided to employ air power to deal a crippling blow to their operations. As of today, Operation Boitatá (Flame Serpent) is on. The objectives of this operation are to dismantle illegal mining operations in the Amazon River Basin, as well as destroy key criminal infrastructure facilitating smuggling operations. We're being deployed to Belém Airbase, near the northwestern coast of Brazil. Just north of here, the Pará river, which connects the Amazon and Tocantins rivers, meets the sea - making this location ideal for flowing supplies out of the country. The Brazilian Navy has deployed a helicopter carrier, the A19 Arapaima, to the river in order to assist in this operation. OBJECTIVES Today we have two main targets. First is a clandestine dock housing several LPVs (Low Profile Vessels). Smugglers use these to transport contraband from all across Latin America all the way to the US and Europe, with the Amazon river as their gateway to the Atlantic ocean. This installation serves as a warehouse, refueling stop, and maintenance facility. Expect anti-aircraft guns and MANPADs. Disable the warehouses and maintenance facilities, and sink the LPVs. The second target is an illegal airstrip, with a dirt runway cut out in the heart of the forest. Smugglers use these to transport contraband in and out of the country with low-flying aircraft. This particular one is the largest we've seen. Disable the runway and destroy any parked aircraft on the airstrip. Additionally, four illegal mining sites have been selected for targeting. They are designated: Objectives Tango, Romeo, Sierra, and Uniform. Destroy all equipment and storage facilities at the illegal mining sites. In case there is an attempt to move the equipment out of these sites, you are authorized to seek and engage the fleeing targets. FRIENDLY ASSETS The A19 Arapaima helicopter landing ship is on station at the center of the AO. They have deployed Marine landing teams which have established FARPs near the river shorelines. Helicopters may choose to deploy either from the Arapaima or from any of the FARPs. (The FARPs are marked as completed mission objectives, so you can set waypoints on them for landing.) Additionally, a tanker will be on station over Arapaima to support the fixed wing aircraft deployed at Belém AB. This concludes the briefing. Good hunting. MISSION DOWNLOAD Operation Flame Serpent V1.0 is available for download via Steam Workshop for VTOL VR. The mission can be found created by user Hueman Of Hue . OPTIONAL LIVERIES The mission editor has also created a pack of aircraft liveries to match the setting of the mission. These are also available for download in the Steam Workshop for VTOL VR. Brazil Navy AH-94 Grey Brazil AF AH-94 Std Camo Brazil Navy F-45A Grey Brazil AF T-55 - Std Camo Brazil AF T-55 Vintage SM Brazil AF T-55 Vintage SC

Skyward Night Flight is the second non-combat, general aviation world created by Santiago "Cubeboy" Cuberos . This world was surprise released on March 29th, 2025 and is ready to fly now! This more relaxed flight experience focuses on a high quality flying experience with aircraft during a well lit night. It maintains the tropical island theme other Skyward worlds and airshows have had. For ease of night landing operations a Precision Approach Path Indicator (PAPI) light system created by VRChat coder KitKat was added. Welcome Area The player spawn area of the world includes a small hut with a few amenities for those that do not fly or want to relax between flights. Just outside of the hut is an area with beach equipment for lounging while taking in the scenery or watching others fly high in the night skies. Welcome hut as seen from outside. Indoors a world control setting board includes background music volume control and settings to adjust graphics. A common area has furniture like a sectional couch, potted plants and bean bags. A ProTV  video player provides the main source of entertainment with users able to input video URLs for others to enjoy. A special birthday gift also adorns a wall of the welcome area. Caio "Hueman" Barreto , an actual aerospace engineer, provided a highly detailed hand drawn picture of a SW-210 Colibri, another original Skyward FM aircraft. Floating Dock Players can also enjoy a floating dock to hangout and chat after landing their amphibious aircraft and pulling into the dock. This dock in particular is a reference to the Wii Sports Resort video game from 2009 which also featured a seaplane in game. Dragonfly in a floating dock. ASK-21 Glider A German-designed, self-launched, two-seat glider that will allow you to experience the sky in a way unlike anything you have experienced before in VRChat. Use the power of wind and your piloting skills to stay in the air for as long as possible, and experience what it feels to fly in absolute silence. Dynamic Wind Zone System The Skyward Night Flight world features a dynamic wind zone system created by KitKat , a VRChat coder. It is thanks to this system that flying gliders is not only possible, but enjoyable. Dynamic wind zones are marked by visible wind currents that appear as small streamers of light showing the movement of air vertically. Keep an eye out for them while you are in a glider to gain altitude and travel even longer distances. This same feature was seen in Skyward Island Resort . Note the vertical light sources indicating wind zones. SW-201 Dragonfly An original design by Caio D. "Hueman" Barreto , the SW-201 Dragonfly is a fictional seven-seat civilian aircraft designed with speed and observability in mind. It was modeled by Santiago "Cubeboy" Cuberos, and it is only available in VRChat. It is an amphibious aircraft, which means that it can land both on water and in land, with the ability of transitioning between the two with no issue at all. Perfect for island hopping flights! This cockpit instruments are now backlit and the cabin features new lighting for passengers. Thanks to the Dragonfly having colliders throughout its airframe, players are able to stand on the aircraft. Something a bit unusual in VRChat aviation. Skyward staff and friends often float two of these aircraft on the ocean surface within touching distance of one another to enjoy "boat parties" where players can walk from one aircraft to the other. Learn more about the story of this aircraft here . PLAY NOW!

Thoughts From Staff About 5 Years of Operation March 24th was our fifth anniversary! Since being founded in 2020, we have enjoyed five years of operation as a less-than-traditional flight simulation website. Striking out to do something out of pure passion, knowing it may or may not catch on is always a rollercoaster. Wins, losses, good times, bad times, amazing successes and quiet failures, but all of these experiences have tempered our organization into what it is today. Members of our staff now express their thoughts during this important time. Caio D. "Hueman" Barreto
Writer To work with something you love is an incredible privilege. Since an early age, I've always known I wanted to work with aircraft; this road led me to university, an engineering career and, in one of its twists and turns, I ended up coming across a group of people who shared this same passion, the one that makes you read up on books about Corsairs and Spitfires, build scale models, and play flight simulation games. I've been around Skyward since its very start, though at the start it was mostly playing DCS with the lads. My first article , posted in 2022, started out almost by accident, when I mentioned I had really enjoyed playing Novalogic's old simulators as a kid. I've always loved writing, so when I heard "hey, you should write an article about it", that was exactly what I did - and since then, I've been able to experience my hobbies in ways I could never have anticipated. I’ve always liked sketching and dreaming up my own aircraft designs; but the harsh reality of aviation is that everything takes a lot of money, a lot of time, and a lot of people. And as aircraft have (for good reasons!) grown more complex, and their development cycles grown longer, gone are the days when engineers would’ve worked on dozens of different aircraft of various types by the end of their careers. However, designing airplanes is much faster (and a lot cheaper!) if your construction work is done in Blender rather than on a factory floor, and your flight testing is done in Unity rather than in ISA +20. And so, in something that started out almost by accident, I’ve found a creative outlet for my designing itch. We’ve written an entire article about the SW-201 Dragonfly , our first original aircraft design; later came the SW-210 Colibri, and we’re definitely not done yet! It’s hard to express in words how incredible it is to have a team - and a group of friends - who made this possible. To “sit” in the cockpit of an aircraft I had designed in VR, even if it was just a 3D model, and to fly it around, was an experience that is truly priceless. Skyward is a truly unique place; over the past five years, I've had the opportunity to meet truly amazing people, who share this passion for aviation and flying in the virtual skies. I've been able to write and draw about it, even create my own flying contraptions, and I feel incredibly privileged to have been able to do so. Thank you for being part of this journey with us - and stick around, there's a lot more yet to come! Santiago "Cubeboy" Cuberos
Co-Founder The fact that 5 years have passed, and I still think of Skyward as a "new" aspect of my life is astonishing to me. Blue and I started this just to see what we could do after the unfortunate downfall of our previous project, but it has turned into something so much bigger than that.

Skyward has taught me so much, and I have met so many people thanks to the work I have done here with Blue, Hue, Millie, Kosmos, Sournetic, Vtail and the others. It is amazing to see how this team, my friends, have stuck together through thick and thin and have pushed through many challenges to make this website what it is right now.
I am extremely happy not only to have founded this community with Aaron, but also to have such a wonderful group of friends by my side that have the same creative drive than I do. It certainly makes everything fascinating when it comes down to putting the pen to the paper, be it when we write an article or tackle 3D modeling projects while modeling our original aircraft, just like how when Hue and I modeled both the Dragonfly and the Colibri.

Technically, Skyward is the reason why I can call myself a professional 3D modeler now. Both of my current jobs got offered to me because of content that I made for Skyward, in one or another. So yes, I wouldn't have it any other way. I will be here, typing away about aviation games from past and present for the foreseeable future. This is just another anniversary, with many more to come, as there are no plans to stop doing what I love to do. T.J. "Millie" Archer
Writer I wouldn’t call Skyward my first dogfight. Some people might actually remember my stint as a co-administrator of Electrosphere.info  nearly 10 years ago. In fact, I’m the reason the old Electrosphere URL forwards to skywardfm.com . But Skyward was my first foray into Web 2.0 and all that comes with it. Thank God my overlords let me be as opinionated as I am. When I first started writing for Skyward, I wasn’t really as in tune with the rest of the crowd. DCS, War Thunder, and VRChat weren’t really something I was heavily invested in. But if there’s one thing that this damn website has done, it’s forced me to get feet wet where I never thought I would, and now perhaps I’m just as lost as the rest of this crew. What amazes me the most is Skyward’s tenacity. I hold up Skyward as more proof in the bucket that hard work and persistence pays off. When this place first started, it was a struggle for every view. Now? People are approaching us regularly. And it’s been so much fun being a part of that growth. As long as Cube and Blue let me keep writing about obsolete Sega Saturn rail shooters, I suspect I’ll be here for the next five years and more. Aaron “Ribbon-Blue” Mendoza Co-Founder 5 years… is a long time. Lives change so much in that amount of time. People have children, friendships come and go, college degrees are attained, new skill sets are crafted, and Skyward Flight Media is still here. As of the time of this letter being posted, I am just three releases short of having 200 pieces  in my name posted on this website. It is quite a feeling when I sit back and think about that number. Admittedly, I am going through a bit of a tumultuous time in my life right now, but even in the midst of this, Skyward is a shining light.  When I think about Skyward in 2025 I think about bigger things. Things we have not tried before or did as a one-off never to repeat again. More consistently reaching out to fly together with the people that support us, more mission files in various games, more virtual reality experiences, reaching out to creators and manufacturers that we ourselves feel as though we were not “established enough” to try and contact before. This year it may be time for myself and other members of the Skyward staff to also believe that we, as an organization, are capable of a bit more than we expect.  As we move forward into this new year of Skyward operations, I plan on “swinging for the fences”, seeing where the organization will end up. Watch us fly!

Minor updates : 2/22/2023 // Originally published : 08/31/2018 What do you remember whenever you think of a Spanish guitar arrangement, flashy squadron intros, and a certain Round Table? Because if you remembered Ace Combat Zero, you must be one of the estimated 782,000 proud owners of this classic title. ​Coming back to that number, 782,000 units sold. That's the second worse selling mainline Ace Combat title, only behind the now infamously cheesy Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation. This is an odd situation, as the game also received very good reviews at launch. Gamespot gave it a 7.9/10; users of Gamespot gave it an 8.7/10. We have to ask ourselves why did such a loved and greatly received title sell so little. Mitsubishi F-1 w/ Cipher's markings Remember, this game tends to be the benchmark of storytelling and the example that many longtime fans of the franchise use to describe what an Ace Combat title should be. It has one of the best soundtracks out of the franchise, if not, the best. The vibes that it gives tend to remind me of Area 88, a well-known manga/anime that is famous for its take on aerial warfare. These vibes mainly come from the protagonist, as he is a mercenary fighting a war for money, just like some of the characters based at Area 88. The interactions you have with the enemy squadrons, the allied units and his "Buddy", Larry "Pixy" Foulke are also very reminiscent of some of the conversations that the mercenaries had over the battlefields of Area 88. Galm Squadron's iconic F-15C liveries Colorful liveries and very identifiable enemy ace squadrons are also something that sets this game apart from the others. Usually, the standard Ace Combat titles focus on one or two main enemy ace units that you fight against several times throughout the story. In the case of Zero, you face multiple ace squadrons, each of them with their own identifiable leader and personality. Some of them are just more skilled enemy units with enhanced AI, others take specific strategies and apply them in battle; for example, the use of beyond visual range tactics by Schnee Squadron, the baiting/swarming strategies used by Schwarze or even Gelb's backwards firing missiles, etc. Each of these squadrons also present themselves before entering the battlefield with a very identifiable and trademark feature of Ace Combat Zero, the squadron introductions; and who can forget that you fight different enemy aces depending on your actions on the battlefield thanks to the Ace Style Gauge. Silber 1 DLC skin for AC7 This bar is a feature unique to Ace Combat Zero that has been forgotten in future titles. It presents a factor of choice and a bit of a connection with Cipher as you decide whether you kill neutral enemy units or you let them live. Decisions that are intrinsically moral in nature, if you do not look at the score and credit benefits that are gained whenever you destroy neutral targets. This bar has three states: Mercenary, Soldier, and Knight. Mercenary is attained by killing everything in sight, even the neutral targets; Soldier is attained by sparing some of the neutral targets but still killing some of them, and Knight is attained by sparing all neutral targets. Each represents a playing style and indicates your morality, much like the karma meters we see on some other games.

A mechanic that was inherited from Ace Combat 5 were the Wingman Commands. This time around, the commands received several improvements that made them way more satisfying when compared to the original counterpart. Ace Combat 5 only let you decide from 4 options: Disperse, Attack, Cover and a Special Weapons toggle for your AI wingmen. All of these were given by pressing the corresponding button on the D-pad.

Ace Combat Zero's version adds another layer to the commands by letting you decide which types of targets your wingman would attack, which was a choice between air, all and ground. This mechanic was enough to make you feel like you were putting some strategy whenever you have a command, even if the effect was negligible sometimes.

All of these factors contribute to giving Ace Combat Zero a unique feel when compared to the other two PlayStation 2 titles (Ace Combat 04: Shattered Skies and Ace Combat 5: The Unsung War) but both of these titles stumped Ace Combat Zero in terms of sales (2,640,000 for AC04 and 1,802,000 for AC5). Dassault Mirage 2000D One very plausible reason is that this title was launched just as the PlayStation 2 era was coming to a close, with the release of the much anticipated PlayStation 3 on the horizon. Many players could have thought about the upcoming launch of that console and decided to skip this title to save money for the shiny new toys that awaited them on the next generation. Another plausible reason is that, even in terms of gameplay and looks, it is very similar/takes much from Ace Combat 5; such as the flight physics, 3D models, textures, cockpits, etc. This does not ignore the improvements that Zero made such as the boresight mechanic and graphical improvements made to the replay viewer and to the game engine in general, but the average user could overlook improvements.

Ace Combat Zero transcended its lackluster sales thanks to the spirit that the title possesses. The romance of battle and the scale of conflict in a truly bitter war in which a country ended up killing their own people under nuclear flames to stop a coalition that was about to reach into their homeland. The enemy aces reflecting heroes of old, knights and mercenaries fighting head to head in supersonic jousting. The birth of the Demon Lord of the Round Table and the fallen companion that succumbed to evil in search of salvation for humanity. Wizard DLC skin for AC7 The fans are another factor that made Zero a true success, even if it was a flop in the sales department. A game that made many dream of that idealized life that a fighter pilot would have, inspiring many artists such as Nassault in their short fan made film . Ace Combat Zero is a game that will always be in my heart, that's for sure, as it will be in the hearts of all of those that played it and understood what made it shine. About the Author Santiago "Cubeboy" Cuberos  Longtime aviation fanatic with particular preference towards military aviation and its history. Said interests date back to the early 2000s, leading into his livelong dive into civil and combat flight simulators. He has been involved in a few communities, but only started being active around the mid 2010s. Joined as a Spanish to English translator in 2017, he has been active as a writer and content manager ever since. Twitter | Discord : Cubeboy #9034

Simulating the Weight of Responsibility in Combat The reality of war is the burden of loss of life. Even when you do "everything right" a life can be lost in seconds. It is often unavoidable on the battlefield. A blindly fired bullet or a well planned artillery round can equally undo the benefits of proper training and the right tactics. This is just as true for an infantryman in combat in 2025 as it was for a Royal Air Force squadron leader in 1940. Scramble: Battle of Britain by Slitherine Games captures the weight of death and responsibility in combat in ways similar flight games do not. As the upcoming documentary series about Scramble begins on March 31st, 2025, we look at how the early access game portrays the reality of war thus far: Balancing Death and Destruction, A question that we were not able to add in time for the launch day interview with Scramble's lead developer, Jon Coughlin , was about the potential of adversely impacting the player's experience by simulating what could be considered 'perma death' type characteristics. The idea of a flight game that models realistic damage and changes in flight control is fun in theory, but the reality of incorporating these game mechanics is that it can be a risk for players that are not prepared for it. While a combat aircraft with battle damage sounds like it would be visually appealing from a Hollywood aesthetics standpoint, in reality a single well placed cannon shell could be enough to cause massive damage to an aircraft or instant death to its pilot. Even taking a bit of damage is quite the risk. A risky merge to destroy two ME-110s almost resulting in the death of a RAF pilot. How a game incorporates these mechanics can be a make or break feature for its overall reception. A game where high stakes mechanics like perma death can feel unplayable if the worst case scenario consequences happen too frequently and too easily. I am sure we can all think of a few games where we have been stuck at a bad checkpoint in a scenario where failure is almost guaranteed each time the game boots up. That or sudden game over states because of an all to easy to achieve "lucky shot" that instantly ends the life of the player's character with a high frequency. If a sustained Very Positive review on Steam since October 30th, 2024 is anything to go off of, something was clearly done correctly. Squadron Leader If there was a single word to describe The Battle of Britain, it would be "attrition: "the action or process of gradually reducing the strength or effectiveness of someone or something through sustained attack or pressure." With the potential invasion of the United Kingdom by Nazi Germany being halted primarily through aerial combat, the outnumbered Royal Air Force (RAF) had to inflict consistent and extensive damage to the Luftwaffe - German Air Force. The numerically smaller RAF was hard pressed to halt the Luftwaffe air campaign to weaken the United Kingdom's defenses in 1940 to make way for a potential amphibious invasion. Squadron Leader (SQL) is the best game mode in Scramble: Battle of Britain to experience the mindset and conditions of The Battle of Britain. According to the game description on the Steam page , Squadron Leader is designed as "the proving ground for current and future mechanics that will form the foundation of the full Channel Defense Campaign." The aforementioned campaign mode being the ultimate game mode of what the development team is trying to achieve. But have no doubt that SQL is currently more than able to have players experience the strategies and perils of the RAF effort to deter the Luftwaffe. A surprise attack by an ME-109 damaging a Hawker Hurricane. In Squadron Leader players are in command of an RAF fighter squadron flying in defense of the United Kingdom. They are challenged to manage a squadron of 12 pilots flying in two sections of three aircraft per section. Alpha Section flies with Supermarine Spitfires with Bravo Section flying Hawker Hurricanes. The progress in SQL is persistent which is great for long-term play. Players can jump into SQL, play one full in game day and move onto their next game if they wanted to stretch out the experience. But this is also where the true test begins. Upon launching with a new squadron at the start of a campaign, every action in and out of combat is recorded and irreversible. The only option to reset data being a completely new campaign starting from Day 1. Example of Squadron Leader pilot and section management screen. At the start of each day players will select pilots from their roster. Players assign the pilots to each section by using a mouse to drag and drop them from the roster into their flight positions. Each pilot has their own unique blend of traits. For this article, let us categorize these as personal traits, wingman traits and section leader traits. A personal trait mainly effects the pilot as an individual, for example the 'Rabbit Hunter' trait gives pilots a damage buff when they are attacking an enemy aircraft from close range. What could be considered a wingman trait is effected by the presence or death of allies while in flight. Like the 'Claustrophobic' trait that reduces a pilot's control if an ally is flying in close proximity to them. A Section Leader trait effects all pilots in a section when a pilot is set as the leader of a section. Like the 'Sea Spotter' trait that increases the rate at which bailed out pilots are rescued and brought back to the squadron to continue the fight. Example of pilot traits. Four times of day must pass until a day is considered complete - 0800 hours, 1100 hours, 1400 hours and 1700 hours. During those times it is possible for combat to occur. With these being randomized encounters, there is no telling if a day would pass with no action or if a RAF fighter section would be pressed into four engagements. During combat any mix of Luftwaffe aircraft is possible. One engagement may be an evenly matched battle with two to four ME-109s up against three RAF fighters or an ideal interception of six unescorted bombers or a scenario of being outnumbered by fighters and heavy fighters with a narrow margin of victory. While certain Section Leader skills can help prevent hard situations like having enemy forces attacking from behind and above from the start of the sortie, the reality that taking every battle head on as though it is a one and done sortie is the exact mindset that can make a SQL campaign fail fairly early. Learning how to pick and choose battles, avoid disadvantageous situations and flying efficiently to maintain pilot stamina are the ingredients for a successful long-term campaign. Being outnumbered with an altitude advantage. Risk engagement or escape to fight another day? After combat, the results of the engagement are shown at a mission ending screen with categories like Aircraft Destroyed, Fighters Destroyed, Survived Pilots, Dead Pilots etc. with a mission rating. A screen for victory and loss rate of the squadron is provided and the day moves on with next time slot for potential air combat. At the end of an entire day, pilots that did not bail out or were forced back to base because of aircraft damage can be switched between the Casualty list (shot down or injured during combat and made it back safely), On Leave (stamina recovery) and Active Duty (ready for combat). Players must manage their stamina from day to day to ensure that exhausted pilots are not constantly pressed into combat where more well rested enemies may have the advantage over them. It is a rather good type of personnel management system that fits in with a combat flight simulator like turn by turn game without reaching the level of having to manage even more minutiae. Example of pilots in all categories in various states. Example: Stuka Bounce Let us take a look at one engagement in particular to demonstrate the intricacies of this game mode. In this perfect bomber intercept situation, three Hurricanes catch six JU 87 Stukas laden with bomb load and without fighter escort. While this seems like a straightforward engagement there are many factors here to consider. RAF Hurricanes above an unescorted formation of Stukas. First, despite being slightly above the Luftwaffe attackers, the Hurricanes are within range of the Stuka tail gunners - all six of them. Aggressively diving and turning left will bring the Hurricanes into the firing arcs of all six tail gunners for an extended period of time. That volume of fire could cause considerable damage to the RAF fighters. By diving right and extending, the Hurricanes are able to escape the tail gunner's range, dive below the firing arcs of their machine guns, then re-engage using the superior speed of the Hurricanes to catch up to the Stuka formation and attack with all advantage. Second, this is the first flight of the day for the pilots of this RAF section. They will need their stamina in case other dogfights occur. Opting to continuously pull hard G maneuvers and push them to black out frequently could drain them for the rest of the day. Making even slightly contested battles later in the day much harder. In this lower threat engagement, the RAF Hurricane pilots use low G, long sweeping turns to calmly reposition themselves with minimal physical strain. Third, ammunition is a consideration. Letting one aircraft expend all its ammunition could have repercussions later where low ammo could be a problem. Allowing all aircraft in the flight to engage helps conserve ammo for the entire section. Fourth, remember that stopping attackers and bombers from reaching the United Kingdom is the ultimate goal of the Battle of Britain. As far as flight games go, this traditionally means that all enemy aircraft must be shot down during every sortie. However, Scramble differs in a way that mimics reality. While shooting down all aircraft in the Stuka formation would be ideal, causing enough damage to force their air crews to give up on their mission is an effective mission kill. Scramble counts deterred aircraft as a positive gain of points under the category "Bombers Diverted". Stukas in the formation being attacked from beneath. While deterring a bomber does not give as many points as shooting down an aircraft, in the grand scheme of things stopping the bombs from dropping is positive. In our Stuka Bounce example, two JU 87s are destroyed with the remaining four forced to return because of battle damage. Fifth, as the engagement comes to a close one of the RAF Hurricanes flies into debris from one of the last retreating aircraft. This causes significant damage to the aircraft's engine. With the remaining Stukas leaving the airspace, we elect to have all three RAF aircraft to retreat from the battle to save the damaged Hurricane rather than risk pressing it towards mechanical failure and risking the life of the pilot. While the pilot could bail out of the aircraft with ease if needed, there is no guarantee that they would survive their time in the cold waters of the British Channel. No need to risk it. Even in this one-sided victory a last second mistake could have led to a fatal incident, but it did bring down the overall mission score in the end. The last JU 87 turns to abandon its mission as a fireball that was its wingman dissipates Fortunately that was the last engagement of the day with all aircraft and pilots from both Sections back at base safely with minimal fatigue. The entire squadron is fresh and ready for combat the next day. Mixed results on the mission overview screen. Does It Work? I have been having a great time with the Squadron Leader game mode as the signature Channel Defense Campaign continues to be developed by the team at Slitherine Games. I find myself playing SQL more than the other game modes. Perma-death in games is something that is especially hard hitting in long-form games like role playing games and strategy games. Genres where a beloved character may die many hours into a playthrough. The similar high risk game mechanics that appear in Scramble: Battle of Britain work well as they remain in the context of the actual air war that happened with players focused on managing pilots and aircraft, but not overreaching outside of the scope of that. Even in the scenarios where it seems like player controlled pilots are all but doomed, quick thinking to give them the best chances of escape from the situation or bailing out of the aircraft at safe altitudes can greatly increase their chances of survival. In the end, forward thinking players can greatly reduce their losses. Squadron Leader is a good exercise in remembering that when it comes to winning a realistic air war success in combat is equally as important as surviving to fight another day. Connect with 'Scramble: Battle of Britain' Discord Slitherine Games Steam   X.com YouTube ME-110 damaged, leaking fuel moments after being attacked. About the Writer Aaron "Ribbon-Blue" Mendoza Co-founder of Skyward Flight Media. After founding Electrosphere.info , the first English Ace Combat database, he has been involved in creating flight game-related websites, communities, and events since 2005. He explores past and present flight games and simulators with his extensive collection of game consoles and computers. Read Staff Profile .

The place where it all started, still alive and going strong April 17th is the anniversary day for VRChat Aviation (VRCA). Almost five years ago the prefab that became the core of almost all aviation operations going forward was released. For players looking at trying their hand at flying aircraft and burgeoning world creators curious if their flight focused visions could be built, the core of their interests was a world known as ' Test Pilots '. Before this world release, VRChat was a massively multiplayer virtual world platform of used created and driven experiences was mainly known for engaging social experiences in smaller user made worlds. While a form of pseudo-aviation did exist between 2014 and 2019, the true flight experiences started in 2020. The Beginning Development of the Sacc Flight and Vehicles prefab by its solo developer Sacchan truly 'took off' in April 2020 with the release of VRChat software development kit 3 (SDK). This creator's initial goal was to make vehicles that handled better compared to those made with the previous SDK. Our Creator Highlight Month 2022 interview with Sacchan goes into detail about the exact development path, but with the release of Test Pilots and the prefab code base, users across the globe to try out the first iterations of this type of aviation on the VRChat platform. An early version of Test Pilots by Sacchan. During the first summer after its release, the developer was joined by a cadre of friends with varying degrees of aviation knowledge. From real world operations and years of experience with flight simulators of varying complexities. This collaborative effort helped refine Sacc Flight. New weapons, aircraft capabilities, changes in default values and the groundwork for other types of aircraft in the future. For players looking to try their hand at piloting aircraft or hopeful new world creators wanting to see what was possible with the prefab, Test Pilots was truly at the center of everything. Changes and Advancements As the years went on, the VRChat aviation community gained dozens of new world creators. Some making one-off worlds that faded out with no ongoing support, others still dedicated creators with multiple worlds to their name. The free to download and use prefab was thoroughly customized by these creators to make various types of flight experiences. Much like indie flight game development, VRCA worlds reflect the skill level and desire of their developer(s). They cross the entire spectrum of aviation experiences at a rather high rate thanks to how accessible Sacc Flight is. Skyward Flight Media staff in transit to an aircraft carrier. This creates an interesting environment where frequent world releases create the need for new worlds to be produced to remain relevant in the steady stream of world creation. It is somewhat easy for even the best worlds at one point in time to gradually slide into hidden gem status if a world creator does not find ways to update it semi-consistently. There are few VRCA worlds that remain within the Popular World tab for the entire VRChat platform for extended periods of time when they receive considerable updates. Going against the grain, Test Pilots continues to be the most active VRCA world, even almost five years after its release. A feat very, very few other worlds have been able to replicate. Vehicle Variety Back in 2020, Test Pilots was the location to go to try out the newest additions to the prefab, new aircraft that would be built around specific concepts and functions. The venerable SF-1 fixed-wing fighter created by Sacchan was gradually joined by a wide variety of believable and pure sci-fi aircraft. Some of them designed by Sagi-chan with Sagi Aerospace , one of the first highly well known 3D modelers for VRCA. In 2025, there are 21 vehicles in the world's roster. The selection is so diverse. They include anti-aircraft emplacements, cars, seaplanes, airshow stunt plane, biplanes, fixed-wing combat aircraft, light and heavy lift rotary-wing, highspeed reconnaissance, anti-gravity bike, strategic bombers, spacefighter - a wild variety. During a recent private session to gather materials for this article, we took photos of these aircraft to visually demonstrate what players get access to in one visit. The breadth of the capabilities these aircraft possess are air-to-air missiles, unguided bombs, vertical take off and landing capability, hypersonic cruise, forward swept swing wings, thrust vectoring, airshow fireworks and laser effects, multi-passenger transport, main rotor tilt and more. An original design aircraft carrier with two SAK-1 carrier borne fighters from Sagi Aerospace is also featured in this world. My personal favorites are the propeller driven two-seater aircraft. Within VRChat as a whole prop aircraft are uncommon, but these aircraft are capable of passing control of the aircraft from the front seat to the back seat both on the ground and in flight. In my opinion this is useful as a training tool to have new players be introduced to flying by more experienced players and it adds to the unique social side of aviation in VRChat. Even for the newest player that has never flown a simulated aircraft or the tried and true flight simulation pilot wanting to see is possible on the platform, the sheer variety and quality of the aircraft in Test Pilots continues to make this world a perfect introductory experience to VRCA. Device Compatibility VRChat as a platform certainly has limitations for its user created worlds. Especially strict limitations if you compare it to standalone, offline VR games. Many VRCA world creators choose to make their experiences exactly as they plan, prioritizing achieving their vision even if it means worlds are only compatible with Personal Computer tethered VR headsets. Test Pilots has continued to be a rather accessible world in terms of devices used to connect to it. The world is currently Cross-Platform compatible, which means it is compatible with Meta Quest, SteamVR, Pico and Google Play. While the differences between PC connected and headset standalone versions of VRChat is stark in a few ways, the core experience of the vehicles in Test Pilots remains intact and available for a massive number of users. There are dozens of VRChat aviation worlds that could be described as more detailed in aircraft handling characteristics, cockpit instruments or with elaborate terrains, but many of them give up Cross-Platform capabilities, which Test Pilots seems to capitalize on. Dissimilar formation. In World Activities It is safe to say that even during early development, VRCA is primarily player versus player combat focused. Two or more players locked into close range air combat within minutes of loading into the world and flinging themselves into the nearest fighter. As surprising as this may sound, constant back-to-back dogfights can eventually get boring for some players. Test Pilots is built with other types of gameplay in mind as well. The Sacc Flight prefab includes time trials where players can select different courses. The courses are visually represented by rings hovering in the air for players to fly through. Each world instance of Test Pilots shows the top players and their fastest times. Players that achieve fast times and/or other feats sometimes put them on social media to keep track of the fastest times. Example of Time Trial in Test Pilots. The terrain of this world also includes challenges like short runways scattered around the world, natural terrain (caves, valleys) traditional structures (bridges, city buildings) and immensely complicated structures built specifically for players to challenge themselves to fly through. Some of them being truly massive in size. Time of Day Test Pilots has something very few VRChat aviation worlds have: a working day and night cycle. While that seems like a minor detail in the grand scheme of things, much like how clouds and weather change an experience, a gradual sunrise or twinkling night produces memorable moments. Placed a top the air traffic control tower in the main spawn area of the world, players can physically interreact with this model of the planet and sun and set the time of day manually. An SF-1 above a city at night. Flight Model Developer and world creator Sacchan describes the flight model as: "The performance of the planes there is more on the Ace Combat side of things, and sometimes I think I'd like to make it more realistic, but as it's so established as it is, that'll have to be done in other worlds." -Sacchan, Creator Highlight Month 2022 Interview This still remains true in 2025. Keeping the more Ace Combat-y arcade flight model in place makes Test Pilots easily accessible for players of any skill level. However, it is not all unlimited afterburners and extreme aerial maneuvers with no repercussions. The high performance fixed-wing fighters that can perform post stall maneuvers are just as capable of ripping themselves apart mid-flight. A key part of the SaccFlight system is the ability to turn Flight Limits on and off. Think of this function as turning off the flight control system limiters in a fly-by-wire aircraft. With them off there are no control dampening functions to keep the aircraft or pilot safe, but with them disabled more skilled players can eke extra performance out of their aircraft at the very real risk of destroying the aircraft within seconds of pushing it beyond their structural limits. It is a natural risk vs reward system. To The Future There is an impressive list of world creators that have used the Sacc Flight and Vehicles Prefab to take VRChat aviation in new directions. Through it all Test Pilots has remained "at the top" it terms of numbers of user visit. Its combination of accessibility, vehicle variety and activities are a proven formula. Developer and world creator Sacchan is working on the newest iteration of Sacc Flight 1.7, which is sure to define the next generation of VRChat aviation for world creators that choose to delve into its upcoming features. Connect with 'Sacchan' Test Pilots | X.com | Github | Kofi About the Writer Aaron "Ribbon-Blue" Mendoza Co-founder of Skyward Flight Media. After founding Electrosphere.info , the first English Ace Combat database, he has been involved in creating flight game-related websites, communities, and events since 2005. He explores past and present flight games and simulators with his extensive collection of game consoles and computers. Read Staff Profile .

A couple of years back, there was a solid modding community for VTOL VR, but due to game updates and a lack of a concentrated community effort, problems arose and mods almost became extinct for the game, until last year. With the release of the VTOL VR Mod Loader on Steam and native Steam Workshop support, it is now easier than ever to enjoy the hard effort of some amazing creators. VTOL VR's modding scene is more alive than ever. Nothing shows this newly founded energy than C-137's mods, specifically their F-16C Viper. To say that this mod meets the standards of functionality and tactile feel set by BD's vanilla aircraft, would be a disservice to it. This mod might just be the reason that brings me back to playing VTOL VR in a regular basis. The cockpit, the most crucial aspect of any VR flight sim and especially one with functional tactile feel such as VTOL VR, has been masterfully modeled and done, fitting right in with the art style the game goes for. It does not feel like a mod in the slightest, aside from some very minor details, such as is the change of the starters in the start-up procedure. But even a change like that is understandable considering that no other aircraft in the vanilla game has systems like these, so adapting it to reuse preexisting code and functionality is AOK. The fully functional MFDs, simplified systems and even added HMD functionality straight out of the F-45 give this viper a very appealing and easy to use cockpit, regardless of which mission you'll want to run with it. The visibility is amazing, as expected from an F-16. Nothing like an unimpeded view of the sky as you slam your throttle into full afterburner and climb as if you were sitting on a rocket. The exterior also fits right in with the game's art style. It looks realistic enough to fool the eye, but not overly detailed as to not fit within the visual identity the game goes for. The visual effects are nice, the afterburner is amazing and, in general, it is indistinguishable from a vanilla asset. C-137 did an amazing job.
The mod also works in multiplayer with no issues at all, which my friends and I tried out with a 3-hour-long session. We did formation flying, cooperative strikes employing a plethora of weapons, etc. There were absolutely no issues, in the slightest.

Should you try this mod? Yes, please. Try out the Viper, give it a fair try. It is indistinguishable from a vanilla aircraft, and you can tell that it was made by someone that genuinely cares for the spirit of VTOL VR as an experience. It delivers everything you expect it to, and does it with flying colors. I am so glad that there are talented creators like C-137 in the VTOL VR community now, so expect more articles showing off more mods in the future!
About the writer Santiago "Cubeboy" Cuberos Longtime aviation fanatic with particular preference towards military aviation and its history. Said interests date back to the early 2000s, leading into his livelong dive into civil and combat flight simulators. He has been involved in a few communities, but only started being active around the mid 2010s. Joined as a Spanish to English translator in 2017, he has been active as the co-founder and writer ever since. Twitter  | Discord : Cubeboy

Okay, dead honest—my first impressions when I saw the first screenshots of this game were “what kinda blatant Ace Combat ripoff am I looking at?” Between the “totally-not-Kei Nagase” on the cover title and the brackets around the transmissions, it was kind of hard to go into this seriously. But… you know, maybe keeping my expectations low helped me warm up to the ideas I see here in Aurora Flight by Studio Wakaru (すたじおわかる). “Is that an EF2000 with elevators? SUPER EUROFIGHTER?!” From moment one, I can tell you that I struggled to navigate the game menus. I’m still not completely sure what the “equip” feature does. Pulling the trigger on this review relied on the fact that it very recently came out with an English sub patch, but it’s not complete. Thankfully the main menu is all the English you need to get rolling, and thankfully the game is fully Steam compatible with all the controller support that comes with, so no extra configuration was required. “Click this box. Or don’t. I’m not your mother.” What to make of the lackluster story I’m presented with? Would it even be considered spoilers to put a screenshot of the briefing of the third mission of the game right here? Well too bad, here it is! Bam! “Unfortunately I am also unable to read English. In fact, I’m completely illiterate.” The fact is that there’s nothing engaging here at the moment. The story starts with following a conflict on a far away planet where resources are being claimed by rival corporate factions. You fight for Terracom, an Earth-aligned corporation that has deployed your squadron on the frontier planet Zenoa. As you advance through you can feel this being an excuse plot for the time being. Perhaps someone will be able to make something of it right now, but it could use some further work. The first mission is so cliché that I groaned. Down the bombers. Kay. Fine. Got it. Tutorial time. We’ll live. It’s disingenuous to put this down. Every single flight shooter does this to get their new players acquainted with the gameplay style. And frankly, it’s darn good it did. Given all the Ace Combat signs I’ve been presented so far, I didn’t expect a true sim-lite flight model and the throttle mapped to the side stick and weapons mapped to the triggers. I needed a bit to get my bearings, and the time was appreciated. “Finally, a game to take advantage of my absurd monitor refresh rate.” The flight model is competent, if very jerky. I was stuck in a third person mode for the entire flight and I kinda wished I could switch to first-person in flight, but I wasn’t able to find a way. This feature may be available in the options menu but I refer back to my inability to read the script of the Land of the Rising Sun. It took me a bit to find out that yaw was mapped to the X axis of the side stick, which is not a default I support due to the layout often inadvertently pushing throttle inputs, but I will give credit that the default deadzone for the stick seemed to prevent it for the most part. I couldn’t get over how sensitive the control inputs were, though. I was recoiling my not-a-Rafale through the air constantly, and though I got better with time, I think a sensitivity adjustment is in order. Weapons are simple, and honestly I think the decision to simply forgo on magazine limits and give all offensive and defensive options recharge rates was a wise one. I’ve been coming around on this as an option in an evolving flight shooter landscape where ammo number inflation has been a steady creep making the numbers effectively meaningless. I was thrilled when I got my first gun kill. The tutorial talks about how the gun is for advanced users only, and frankly, they’re right, as getting a gun kill is a challenge. The throttle suffers from some of this inflation, as you do properly bleed speed in a turn, but it’s more of a trickle, and accelerating in level flight will get you that energy back in a heartbeat. “I am Mobius Gun.” There’s not much to say about the sound effects and music at this time; I chalk some of that up to the beta-status the game is in, and some of it to expectation for the target audience. Though I do get a little bit of Ace Combat 3 vibes from the low-tempo atmospheric choir-like track of the third mission. Missiles fire off with a “whoosh”, and the gun sounds like I’m shuffling a pack of playing cards. Voice acting is present, but you’ll hear a cacophony of identical voice lines as you engage enemy aircraft and you or your wingman get a missile impact. Graphics are similarly underwhelming. The cityscapes rendered in each mission I played in were nothing more than featureless blocks across an endless landscape. Because of the control jank, I was unable to get a fix on the models of the aircraft I was flying against. The second mission claims that you’re fighting old Earth-model prop planes, but beyond the sound effects, I wouldn’t have been able to confirm that. Colors are muted, unless you make a close range hit on an aircraft during the night, then you’ll be blinded by the light. “Revved up like a deuce, another runner in the night…” So… The game needs work. I’m convinced that the radar doesn’t actually function, despite being able to manipulate it with the face button controls. I would be facing down incoming enemy aircraft but nothing would appear on screen. I suspected tuning for range at first, but I couldn’t get it to show anything of value in any mission I played. Given that this is 2025 we of course have to have clouds in the game, but they behave somewhat oddly here, almost acting more like ocean waves rather than a Stratus system. But despite it, I can’t help but be somewhat enamored by what I’ve seen. We have a good base system here, and honestly I got some of the same comfortable gameplay flow that I’d get from a good flight shooter. Of course it’s a beta—I can’t call this ready for primetime or recommend it to someone looking for a complete experience. I’ve been bitten in the past by early access games too much to tell someone to rush out and buy this. But keep an eye on it; put it in your wishlist. I have cautious optimism towards this humble sortie. Connect with 'Aurora Flight' DL Site Steam X.com Writer T.J. "Millie" Archer T.J. "Millie" Archer is Life-long realist and aviation enthusiast. Once the co-founding Administrator of the Electrosphere.info English Ace Combat Database. In the present day he is freelance, roving the internet in search of the latest aviation news and entertainment. [ Read Profile ]