Flying an airliner isn't about intuition—it's about structure.
Unlike light aircraft, you can’t just push the throttles forward and hope for the best. Jet airliners demand a procedural, systems-driven approach. And for many new sim pilots, that’s exactly where the trouble begins.
The sheer complexity of modern airliners can be overwhelming. You fire up X-Plane, stare at the countless switches and screens, and think: Where do I even start? Hunting through YouTube tutorials and forum threads might help a little—but more often, it just leads to confusion and burnout. You’re left thinking, This is too much. I’ll never get it.
Sound familiar?
This e-book was created to break that cycle. It’s a practical, hands-on guide designed to lower the learning curve and restore your enthusiasm. It won’t make you an ATP, but it will give you a solid foundation—and enough clarity to make continued learning enjoyable rather than intimidating.
Originally published in October 2023, the book has since been massively expanded with over 450 richly illustrated pages. It now serves as a comprehensive entry point for X-Plane airliner simulation, blending guided tutorials with real-world logic.
The book is divided into two main sections:
Part 1 is a beginner-friendly, step-by-step tutorial using X-Plane’s default Boeing 737-800. The flight departs and returns to Portland International—fully doable in the free demo version of X-Plane 12. It's a sightseeing flight, simplified for accessibility but still detailed enough to give you a real sense of airliner operations. You'll get hands-on with the FMC, learn basic flows, and gain the confidence to take things further.
Part 2 raises the bar with a more advanced flight using the freeware ZIBO mod of the 737-800. Starting from cold and dark, you'll walk through a full flight from departure to arrival, including SID/STAR procedures, stepped descent, and a CAT III ILS landing. It’s still beginner-friendly—but with more realism, depth, and immersion.
Also included are dozens of X-Plane-specific tips, workflow shortcuts, and practical “how-tos” to help you get the most out of your simulator experience.
This e-book is designed as a single purchase—buy once, update forever. You’ll always be able to re-download the latest version from your store account whenever new content is added.