Skip to content
Elite Radio Control
RC aircraft

RC Flight Simulators to Practice at Home

Here are the RC flight simulators you can choose from to start flying at home, without having to crash a real model.

By Elite Radio Control teamUpdated 3 min read

Part of the guide: RC planes

Screen of an RC flight simulator showing a plane in flight

You can buy a good RC flight simulator for much less than many of the ready-to-fly RC planes on the market today.

If it saves you from a single crash, the simulator has already paid for itself. Think of a simulator as a very worthwhile investment, especially when you’re just starting your first flights.

Getting started with flight simulators

The key to learning to fly RC planes is training your brain to control the plane no matter which way it’s facing. This is where a flight simulator shows its true value for a new pilot.

Simulators don’t just help new pilots learn to fly; even expert pilots use RC simulators to polish their aerobatics and get ready for their next competition. They’re an absolute must for practicing low-altitude maneuvers just off the ground.

We’re confident that after a few hours of practice on a simulator you’ll be ready to start flying your own RC plane. It helps a lot to use a real transmitter: many of them connect to your computer with a USB cable, which gives you a much more realistic feel on the sticks.

What’s the best RC flight simulator?

That’s a very hard question to answer, and it depends a lot on personal taste and preferences. Ask four RC pilots which flight simulator they like best and you’ll probably get four different answers.

Two of the most popular, without a doubt, are Great Planes RealFlight and Phoenix Flight Simulator. Both are at the top of the pack and won’t disappoint.

Aerofly Pro and FS One are also cutting-edge RC flight simulators. Marketing is probably the reason they aren’t as popular as the two above.

RealFlight 7.5

This has been the best-selling flight simulator on the market for more than 15 years.

You can fly online with other pilots, which makes it much more interactive, and you can share your achievements online too.

Some packages of this simulator also include a transmitter-style controller, so you get the complete experience.

Phoenix flight simulator

The Phoenix simulator comes bundled with a working transmitter.

This RC airplane simulator has more than 100 realistically modeled aircraft, and you can fly with RC pilots all over the world over an internet connection.

It regularly offers free downloadable aircraft and scenery add-ons, along with updates.

Accessories for your flight simulator

A flight simulator on your computer isn’t complete without a controller to guide your aircraft through the virtual skies. When you round out your setup, a USB transmitter or a simulator cable for the radio you already own is the accessory that makes the biggest difference.

Buying RC flight simulators

Buying a simulator is easy: browse the options on Amazon and open the one you’re most interested in to see its details and specifications.

Amazon is a platform we trust for quality products, and orders often arrive within a day or two. It also offers shipping discounts, so you may pay even less for the simulator you choose.

You can pay for your purchase quickly, easily and securely, which is another reason we point you to this platform for hobby products.

So buying a flight simulator is now very easy, and you don’t even have to leave home to do it.

Thanks for visiting this section on flight simulators. We invite you to keep exploring the rest of our site, and remember that you can leave a comment below and share this post with your friends.

Related guides