Let me lead this way: this was the year of the helicopter at FlightSimExpo.
I kid you not.
The amount of helicopter-related hardware or helicopter sims at the event was much bigger than ever before. And not just by a little.
By. A. Lot.
Helicopter-centric companies such as FlyInside, MaxFlightStick, Pro Flight Trainer, and Ryan Aerospace were present, but we then had other companies that, while not centered around helicopters, were showcasing some of their helicopter products as well.
I managed to visit some and check what I wanted to – and I really wanted to try a few of these – others… Well, things didn’t go well, but sometimes bad stuff happens.
The event was, again, very well organized. I have only found a couple of things that I wish were better but those have to do with something specific to media partners or speakers, for example, and would not take away from the overall experience for those visiting the event.
The venue was nice and I liked the fact that, once again, everything was right there: the hotel and the exhibition hall were in the same spot, meaning there was no commute.
I loved the fact that the 2023 edition was held in an air museum, of course, because you get to see some gems, but I find this same-location situation to be much more comfortable.
Inside the exhibition hall, we could find the FSElite stage at one corner and, nearby, the concession stand where you could grab something to eat. There wasn’t a lot of variety but, to grab a quick grab during a couple of very busy days, it was enough. At least for me.
Presentations were done in a separate room, as usual, where I believe 1.000 persons could sit comfortably. The A/C was competent even with so many people in the room. I don’t think it was ever full, but I did hold a lot of simmers.
The stage was nice and big and there were 2 huge screens on the sides. From a speaker's perspective, the organization was great with a fantastic team, good gear and everything well planned. The conditions for those on stage were very good. This was my third time speaking at FlightSimExpo and it was the best experience I had so far.
The booths were reasonably sized. Even the small ones were OK and, of course, some exhibitors went wilder, with some impressive booths catching your eye.
What I checked out
I walked around the event and, very often, I found it hard to be able to get in touch with developers and manufacturers because they were always busy.
The event was the biggest one ever and, still, even though there were more booths, it seems like there were even more visitors!
I did manage to visit some of the companies that I wanted to. I’ll do a small recap below (in alphabetical order).
Please note that these are not reviews, but just first impressions, limited in time, scope, and testing procedures. I had a few minutes of contact with these products so keep that in mind.
FlyInside
FlyInside was present with a large booth and 4 sims. They were presenting not only the Bell 206 and the Bell 47 but also 2 new helicopters: the Rotorway 162-F and the Rotorway Jetexec, both for Microsoft Flight Simulator.
Richard Miller, owner of the company, sat down with me and explained to me about both models and their differences, having me try the Jetexec, a turbine-powered helicopter with 164HP first.
The helicopter is a lot of fun to fly and behaved exactly as Richard said, with a LOT of pedal input needed on landing. In fact, the helicopter behaves a bit differently from what I am used to and Richard’s feedback as I was flying around helped me understand it.
After the Jetexec, it was time to try the piston-powered, 150HP 162-F. Sure enough, the difference is there and quite obvious between the 162-F and the Jetexec.
Which one I liked the most? I can’t say, really. They are both fun and interesting in their own way. I would have a hard time deciding between both. My advice? Get both.
FlyInside also announced that they are working on 4 other helicopters: the Mosquito XEL, Mosquito XE, Mosquito XE 290 and Mosquito XET, from Composite FX with plans for a whole line of Enstroms: the F-27, F-28, TH180, 280FX and 480.
But that’s not all, and the company also announced the SA-341D, SA-341G, SA-342J, and the SA-341L, all coming in 2025.
HyperionSim
This was one of the surprises for me. I hadn’t heard of HyperionSim before and guess what? They had a 6DOF, full-motion platform with X-Plane and a helicopter (the S-300).
I jumped at the chance and gave it a try, flying around with the S-300. At first, it was all pretty calm, and flying around felt quite nice. The physical feeling makes a difference, of course, and the platform feels smooth.
Someone challenged me to be a bit more aggressive and I did just that, starting to pull hard on the cyclic and not being gentle on the pedals and on the collective, eventually crashing because I was having too much fun and doing stupid things.
HyperionSim reached out to me after the event and sent me the specifications of their system:
- Length: 1.8m
- Width: 1.5m
- Height: 1.6m
- Operating footprint: approximately 6 sqm
- Working voltage: 220v
- Continuous operating power: approximately 400w; Maximum power: 2000w
- Gross weight: 160kg
- Single actuator stroke: 30mm
The company already has a website set up and says that the product is currently available for purchase but not through the website yet.
HyperionSim ships from California and indicates that shipping time is around 30 days.
MaxFlightStick
MaxFlightStick was one of the companies I was most curious and excited about because I wasn’t able to try it out yet.
Unfortunately, it was a no-go. The company had a couple of kits there but they weren’t fully assembled and there were no computers since they weren’t delivered. I did manage to take a look at it and get my hands on the controls but I wasn’t able to try it in a sim.
The controls seemed interesting, though but I can’t really say much about it.
Moza Racing
Moza Racing had been reaching out to some flight simulation content creators about their setup.
The company brought a cockpit setup with something very interesting: a Force Feedback joystick.
Unfortunately, it was for fixed-wing aircraft only so I wasn’t able to explore the rotary-wing side of things but the frame, as well as the hardware they presented, seemed of good quality and quite sturdy. I would love to be able to properly review it in the future.
Pro Flight Trainer
This is an old acquaintance of mine but Pro Flight Trainer had a surprise for me.
I already knew the company would be showing off their H145/H160-style collective grip but the company has also shown their most recent frame system for their Puma, which looks stunning and it seems to me like it makes the set even more robust.
The frame not only has a new overall design but there are also a few differences in the way some of the sensors were installed.
I liked the new design and I hope to be able to appreciate it more in the future.
Ryan Aerospace
This was another company I was dying to take a look at.
I have known Chris Ryan, owner and CEO of Ryan Aerospace for over 15 years but we never met in person and I have never been able to check out the products the company produces.
This time, though, Chris was present at FlightSimExpo and he brought a brand-new product. The very first civilian sim ever produced by Ryan Aerospace: a Robinson type of sim.
The setup mimics the R22/44/66 with all the controls in the exact position as the real counterparts and I was able to check it out in VR, with X-Plane. The kit is sim-agnostic, though, and it can be used with any software.
I managed to spend a bit of time checking it out and I was really happy with how it behaved. I was quite immersed in the sim. It took me a bit to get used to it – as it is normal when we try new platforms – but I had a lot of fun.
I’ve talked with a few folks who tried it – including a couple of real-world Robinson pilots – and they were very happy about it as well. And it seemed it caught the attention of one or two flight schools as well.
Somnium Space
I was very excited and curious about Somnium but, unfortunately, it was another of those companies that I didn’t manage to give a try. We would have to either schedule a session or be lucky enough for the booth to be empty if no scheduled session was going on and I wasn’t able to do either.
My good friend, The VR Pilot was able to check it out and he was quite impressed with what he saw. The resolution and clarity seem to be fantastic and the pass-through technology is out of this world.
I saw some of the folks who were trying it get out of the booth with a smile on their faces. But, again, I was unable to draw my conclusions.
Thrustmaster
Thrustmaster’s new AVA joystick base was present at the show – along with other of the company’s products, of course.
I did not check the new stick base at the event since I already own a unit and will review it within the next few days, but those who were curious about it – or, again, about any of the other products in the Thrustmaster line – were able to take a good look at it.
I will be able to tell you more about the AVA joystick base soon so keep your eyes peeled.
Virpil Controls
This was the second year VIRPIL was present at FlightSimExpo and the company doubled down on their efforts, with a larger booth and a lot more products being shown there, including a few of their more recent lines.
And, of course, quite a few collective bases and grips, as well as the VPC ACE-TORQ Pedals.
I have seen some simmers getting excited about the collectives and some of them ordered them right there on the spot. The ability to touch and feel the controls certainly helps those on the fence and I saw that happen.
There wasn’t anything new for the rotorhead community but I loved to see people checking out the helicopter stuff and purchasing their first helicopter-related hardware right away.
Winwing
Winwing is another company that had a larger booth with all their gear, and they also benefited from the direct contact with the product, with sales being made on the spot by those who were not sure about the hardware until they tried it.
They also didn’t bring anything of big relevance for the helicopter flight simmer. Their Force Feedback stick was there, but, again, without the opportunity to check out with helicopters.
Yawman
Some will say Yawman is one of the oddballs of the show. And perhaps they are right. It’s not exactly “normal” hardware but those who understand what it is – and got to try it – see the value in it.
Those who tried it seemed to have liked what they saw – and touched. While I was talking to the team, they were telling me that they had sold dozens of units already and, while that happened, a sale was made right in front of me.
If you haven’t already, check out my review of the Yawman Arrow and learn a bit more about the product.
Talks, announcements, and presentations
Besides the presentations that are already part of FlightSimExpo, there was something new: a stage inside the exhibit with some panels going on.
That was a nice idea but it didn’t seem to have a lot of traction, unfortunately. Perhaps if the different presentations/panels were being announced on loudspeakers throughout the venue, it could bring more people to it.
Just like the previous years, the expo started with a day dedicated to announcements, on Friday, followed by the 2 days for the exhibition with some more presentations being held. I was lucky enough to be doing my own presentation for the 3rd time and, from a speaker perspective, I have to say it was a great experience.
Quite a few companies and personalities took the stage and talked about a multitude of different subjects related to flight simulation. The hard part is always to select what to see. And what to miss since we can’t be in 2 places at the same time. And, this year, it would be even harder to be in 3 places, with the aforementioned stage in the exhibition hall.
There was always something to check out.
My thoughts on FlightSimExpo 2024 in general
This was the biggest FlightSimExpo event so far. Not only there were more exhibitors, but a lot of the booths were bigger and it looked like there were a lot more visitors as well.
Some companies realized what the event was all about and they expanded their investment. I am sure they get their return, considering how a lot of these booths were packed with visitors and the amount of people I saw leaving the venue with boxes under their arms.
If the event continues growing, it will be hard for visitors to be able to check out everything. Saturdays were packed and Sundays used to be pretty dead. Granted, Sunday was a bit quieter but it was not empty and there was always someone at most of the booths.
If you haven’t attended one of these events, I will repeat myself here and tell you this: do yourself a favor and attend at least once. You will definitely love it.
