Our take
GeoFS is a proper flight simulator that needs nothing installed. The world is generated from satellite images and map data, so you can take off from almost any airport and fly over places you know. Free imagery is AI-enhanced satellite photography at around a metre per pixel, sharp enough to follow roads and coastlines.
There is a good range of aircraft, from light planes to airliners and gliders, and the flight model takes some learning: stalls, crosswinds and landings all behave like the real thing, roughly. Other pilots share the sky in real time, and there is a live map showing where they are.
It runs on a laptop with a keyboard, and joysticks are supported. An optional yearly subscription unlocks high-resolution aerial imagery and removes adverts. Schools and businesses can buy their own licences.
A first sitting
Pick a light aircraft at a quiet coastal airport, take off, fly one circuit and try to land on the same runway.
Where to stop
Landing. A flight has a natural end, so plan one flight from takeoff to touchdown, and resist chaining “just one more” across the map.
