Now THIS is "Study Level"! | Real Airbus Pilot | Fenix A320 - Full Flight Review | MSFS

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In this video we carry out a full and comprehensive review of the newly released “study level” Fenix Airbus A320 for Microsoft Flight Simulator (MSFS).
We will be taking the aircraft on a charter service from London's Gatwick airport (EGKK), over to Palma de Mallorca (LEPA).
Please note this video and all its contents / materials, is for entertainment / simulation purposes only.
PC Specs
MSI B550M
AMD Ryzen 7 5800x 4.7GHz
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080
32GB DDR4 3600MHz
Hardware
Thrustmaster HOTAS Warthog
Saitek Pro Flight rudder pedals
HP Reverb WMR headset
TrackIR5
Earthquake Shell Shoxx transducer
Enjoy the flight!

[@Scarebus_Driver]

Well here is one 320 pilot not raving. For a sim hyped and marketed to be better than the best ie FSLabs lets just casually take a look at a few things. Has any CFM-56 powered jet ever achieved 1600Kg/hr in cruise? I mean its only an error of 50% but hey Fenix said it would be better than FSLabs. Have you ever in your career on the 320 flown an initial take off pitch angle of 19 degrees? Empty with Toga maybe.This thing flexes and climbs at 19 plus its rate of climb is way out of kilter. How about 15 degrees nose up on one engine? Try that in your next cyclic and let me know how that goes lol. Fenix inability to get the external flight model to work has left them with inaccurate power, drag, lift etc creating a 320 that flies nothing like any 320 i spent 10500 hours flying. Throw in an overhead panel thats circa 1998 and technically unable to fly an RNP AR because of drift rates and inability to fly RF yet somehow Fenix does. Remember I didn’t claim it was to be the most accurate A320 ever released. They also coukdnt get the fints correct. Throw in a performance calculator not using optimised runway data so the calculations are pure fiction for 2022. When a dev starts throwing out claims about how amazing there product will be and it ends up a hodge podge poorly performing mish mash of parts from 320’s from the last 25 years at what point do guys like you actually hold them to account? This not only doesn’t compete with the FSLabs it barely competes with the distant fiurth place Aerosoft offering. Fenix told us they would deliver the best 320 on the home pc market but its far from that its barely usable as a tool as its so inaccurate as to be unusable. Wrong pitch settings, wrong thrust values yet in the FSLabs i can use the QRH Unreliable Airspeed values for pitch and thrust and get results within 3% which is as good as a Thales full motion sim. Fenix failed to deliver what they said they would and there is years of work to fix the heavily broken Vnav, flight model, cockpit textures, systems but most of these will be unable to be fixed because Prosim is based on 20 plus year old A320 just look at the overhead. One day it might be an “accurate” A320 as they claimed but thats not today and not anytime soon.

[@IntotheBlueSimulations]

Hi SD, Well, I can't say I disagree with much of what you say there, but I think I did cover some of that during the video. Fenix themselves were very upfront about the sub-par engine modelling and are working on it as we speak. I believe they chose to forego a custom engine model for the time being and release the product sooner rather than later, but again they were quite clear on this. Over the course of a flight, the numbers should pan out to be fairly accurate (within the order of 6%), but I realise this method only works if one is flying from A to B. As far as the flight model goes, there are certainly improvements that could be made, but this is of course V1.0 - I expect / hope that Fenix will continue to refine things going forward. I actually really like how the aircraft "feels" to fly overall. As to the overhead being dated, that doesn't personally bother me. I don't believe Fenix stipulated that they were going to be providing any particular vintage of CEO 320, so that's up to them really and as you say, I guess their hand was forced by using ProSim to some degree. I did make the point during the review, that I haven't ever tried the FSlabs A320 and wasn't looking to compare the two. It may well be that the Fenix offering doesn't stack up favourably (I hear very good things about the FSLabs version), but then they are also priced very differently to be fair. A big part of the reason I feel the Fenix deserves the praise it gets, is the the value for money it offers. It might not be perfect, but it's a cracking addon and offers excellent value for money (in my opinion). Bear in mind that some of the things you mention, are only going to be of interest to a very small group of people (the RF leg capabilities vs the age of the systems etc). I'm not saying you're wrong (and it may be that Fenix overhyped the product - I didn't really follow along ahead of release), but I am saying that the Fenix A320 offers more than enough to satisfy *my* simming needs and if it's good enough for me, chances are it's good enough for most. Thanks for you input though, I'm sure others will be more than happy to hear the other side of the argument, from another professional! Cheers and all the best : )

[@timjameswallace]

I found this comment much more helpful than the video review. Undeserving and inapproiate to call it a "Study Level" aircraft.

[@IntotheBlueSimulations]

PS / edit. I’ve seen the points you raise doing the rounds and I want it to be clear that they are valid, so I’ve pinned your post accordingly. Whilst we seemingly have different preferences in terms of what makes for an enjoyable / quality addon, I’m certainly not looking to “pull the wool over peoples eyes” etc. Personally I really like the Fenix A320 for what it offers; it has more than enough fidelity for what *I* enjoy doing in the sim and I think Fenix have been pretty upfront about the products shortcomings + sold the addon at a very reasonable price - hence my review (no money was exchanged, other than me giving some to Fenix anyway haha). We’re all different and at least this by pinning your comment, people can more readily see both sides of the coin. Cheers!

[@IntotheBlueSimulations]

Well I’m genuinely glad you found the comment helpful Tim! Any review is an opinion at the end of the day (one which I maintain) and we all tend to have different things that we’re looking for in an addon. Since “study level” has no dictionary definition, it’s always open to people’s interpretations. The Fenix A320 meets my own criteria for “study level”, but clearly your criteria (and Scarebus Driver’s criteria) are more stringent and fair enough! All the best : )

[@bobbyrayofthefamilysmith24]

@@IntotheBlueSimulations lol pilot just watch computer fly very simple job these days

[@larrypotter2015]

Theres no better review of an aircraft than someone who flies them in real life. Pretty cool

[@scotty6346]

ITBS the best flight simulator review channel IMO mate!

[@chuck176]

@@scotty6346 can I purchase this in the USA

[@coolguy231ful]

@@chuck176 yes

[@IntotheBlueSimulations]

Cheers Demarcus! I'd like to think that for once I was able to offer some real, genuine insight into what the product is offering (I always try to provide that, but with many addons I can of course only make educated guesses). I was thoroughly impressed with Fenix's efforts anyway. Thanks for watching and all the best! : )

[@IntotheBlueSimulations]

Thanks very much Scotty! Very kind of you to say : )

[@captain_mcgee7485]

This simulated A320 is so amazing. The modeling and that texturing?! It’s so real. But the reason I was excited for this simulated aircraft was for the real world procedure following and systems programming. Well done Fenix team!

[@IntotheBlueSimulations]

Absolutely - hats off to Fenix! They have created a real masterpiece with their A320 : ) All the best!

[@dokken1212]

Just about to watch this review and bought this last night when it released. Absolutely love it - an amazing piece of work. I'm guessing by listening to your introduction that you are extremely pleased with it. Interestingly, people like yourself, 320 SimPilot etc who are experienced A320 pilots are raving about it. This, to me, is the greatest indicator that this product is exceptional and excellent. Also, and I think this is really important, that Fenix have kept the product at a very reasonable price considering the fidelity of this aircraft compared to the cost of other aircraft. Fenix have set a benchmark not only in fidelity and quality but also in price. Now i'll go and watch the review :-) Thanks for the in-depth review as always :-)

[@IntotheBlueSimulations]

Hi James, Hope you enjoyed the flight, despite us not getting very far XD Fenix have absolutely set the benchmark, on nearly every count. Quality, price and even the way they have conducted themselves as developers - it really doesn't get much better than this! I'm alllllmost glad that they didn't reach out to me hehe, if only to lend more weight to my glowing review of their product ; ) I'm glad you're enjoying it! Thanks as always and happy flying : )

[@a.osunaiv6124]

I’m a GA guy. But, I thank you for another terrific review. I’m very pleased, that MSFS now has study level GA and tubeliner aircraft!

[@IntotheBlueSimulations]

Well likewise, thank you very much for watching, even if the aircraft isn't really your cup of tea! Really glad you enjoyed the video. It's amazing how far MSFS has come in just a couple of weeks, with some genuinely great options on the table for everyone now : ) Thanks again and all the best!

[@Peter-55]

Thank you for the review. I have purchased the aircraft. I am very happy that you chose the Airtours livery as this was my first airline job after 27 years in the RAF. I was based at EMA and before I retired in 2020 I completed 19 years on the A320 series aircraft, 16 in command. I have done one quick flight so far using real world procedures and I have to agree with you that this is a very good simulation of the A320. I am looking forward to exploring more of what this offers in the coming flights. Good times ahead for flight simulation 😎

[@IntotheBlueSimulations]

A pleasure as always Peter! I always rather liked the Airtours livery (as I mentioned during the video, I have fond memories of flying on an Airtours 757 as a young boy). I used to spend many summers as young boy, watching planes going in and out of East Mids - so I'm sure I'd have seen you at some point haha. Glad you're enjoying the Fenix A320; for the price it really is a stirling effort! Thanks as always and happy flying : )

[@juliashenandoah3965]

Since the Fenix has risen, flight simming has come to the next level! Took me almost a week watching tutorial videos the whole day to learn to program flight plans and start to read Jeppesen, now slowly the time has come to learn to fly. Because it´s fly by wire it flies very easy and smooth to handle.

[@IntotheBlueSimulations]

Indeed Julia. MSFS has come on in leaps and bounds, in large part to the Fenix! I’m really glad the addon has gotten you into the Airbus! Best of luck and happy flying : )

[@joemarkowski4465]

"And to prove that Airbus pilots can actually fly manually if they want to." Boy, your engagement with your viewers is absolutely top notch. It's like you were directly talking to me with that one XD. Excellent review, as always.

[@IntotheBlueSimulations]

Haha, I pretty much was Joe! : P Glad you enjoyed the flight - nice to have some idea of what I was doing for a change XD Cheers and all the best!

[@NickStaib]

Hi - I feel sorry for anyone who dropped out of this flight before the final landing. That unexpected (to us!) engine fire, REALLY woke me up. Another great edit with typically high production values. I am thoroughly enjoying my FENIX which is cracking value for money to any semi-serious simmers! And I made a few notes too from what I was watching. It's a great way to learn! Cheers!

[@IntotheBlueSimulations]

Haha well thanks very much Nick, I'm really glad you enjoyed it! I did toss around the idea of whether or not to keep the engine fire a surprise; it may have been more fruitful in terms of views, to have titled the video accordingly, but I think / hope it made the video more enjoyable this way. The Fenix is indeed a cracking addon. Some of the best value for money and indeed best fun, that I have had from any product in any flight sim to date. I often get asked for tutorials but 1) I don't tend to find them the most enjoyable videos to record and 2) there are already some very high quality ones out there. I thought this was a really good alternative, as it makes the video / flight a bit more interesting for me to record, it shows off a few things that one might not get to see in a typical tutorial and as you say, hopefully one might still learn a few things along the way. I do have another similar video pre-recorded and ready to go; I'm not exactly sure when it will be uploaded yet, but I plan to carry out these sorts of scenarios from time to time on the channel : ) Thanks again and all the best!

[@scott135]

A brilliant and very comprehensive review. Your handling of the engine fire, despite it being planned, was exceptional and your complete professionalism instilled immense confidence in your (and, I hope) your colleagues ability to cope under pressure. The very best review I've ever had the pleasure to watch, many thanks and very well done!

[@IntotheBlueSimulations]

Thanks very much indeed for the kind words Scott! Of course the failure being both planned and virtual, makes it a little bit easier to deal with haha, but single pilot operations aside (and so some concessions did have to be made), this is pretty much the style and tempo at which things get done in the sim (level D sim I mean). I guess that's the beauty of training; drill this into the crew enough during the sim sessions and it should hopefully be second nature if the situation ever comes to pass. Either way, I really enjoyed demonstrating something a bit different and I think it offered a good example of just what a great job the Fenix team has done! I'm really glad you enjoyed the video! I'm usually fairly critical of my own content, but I even told my wife that I was quite happy with this one haha. Thanks very much once again and all the best! : )

[@symol30872]

Great to see you in your element putting the Airbus through its paces and hearing how happy you were with the result. Only had a chance to fly it once so far but will be flying it a lot more over the next few days. Excellent review as always, great to hear your seal of approval and thank you for taking the time to make this video.

[@IntotheBlueSimulations]

Hi Scorpian, Thanks, really glad you enjoyed the video - my pleasure as always! This was a really fun one for me to make actually; nice to do something a little bit different and amazing to find this quality of Airbus experience coming to MSFS (+ I didn’t have to do any study ahead of this video - woohoo haha). Hope you’ve managed to enjoy a couple more outings in the aircraft. All the best! : )

[@Justathought81]

Fantastic review, what an amazing offering. Saw you left the ignition on and was typing to let you know but of course you quickly corrected. Cheers!

[@IntotheBlueSimulations]

Thanks very much SN, glad you enjoyed the review of this amazing jet! Haha, yeah - of all the times to forget something like that. . . ooops. At least I caught it quick enough, that I didn’t spend the whole flight blaming Fenix for that one XD Cheers! All the best : )

[@bmoney2011]

I very much appreciate your candor when it comes to reviewing aircraft for the sim. I am essentially a complete outsider when it comes to both simulated and real aircraft (I'm fascinated by them all, but readily admit I know extremely little about everything). Even still, I feel like I'm able to comprehend more and more with every video I watch of yours.

[@IntotheBlueSimulations]

Thanks very much Brandon, very kind of you to say! I'm really pleased you feel like you're learning a thing or two from each video, I certainly try my best to make them informative and entertaining (sometimes more successfully than others haha). Hugely appreciated. Cheers and all the best : )

[@CallMeBrunner]

The man has spoken, and Fenix just made themselves another 50 quid!

[@bmw_m4255]

What's a quid

[@JanStrojil]

Same here! I’m downloading it right now, can’t wait for tutorials from the man himself.

[@echovictordcsworld]

@@bmw_m4255 Another name for GBP (£50)

[@chuck176]

@@echovictordcsworld can I buy this in the USA

[@echovictordcsworld]

@@chuck176 yes, it will just be converted to USD

[@cliqist]

I held off on watching any other reviews until you published yours; and it was worth the wait! Huge fan of the channel. Keep up the amazing work.

[@IntotheBlueSimulations]

Thanks very much indeed Cliqist! Very kind of you to say and always amazing to hear that someone is enjoying the content to such a degree. Really glad you enjoyed the video - I was rather pleased with how this one turned out myself : ) I'll try my best to keep things up. Cheers and all the best!

[@thomaswalker8898]

I thoroughly enjoyed this and watched from beginning to end. I’m so glad you finally found an add-on credible enough to simulate a failure and emergency landing. Was great to watch a pro at work. Although in retrospect you clearly planned for it, the fire still came as a surprise. Nicely done! (Just sorry we didn’t get to Palma.)

[@IntotheBlueSimulations]

Hi Thomas, Thanks very much, really glad you enjoyed the video! It was one I particularly enjoyed making myself I have to say. Haha, the failure was indeed planned out ahead of time, but I figured it was something a bit different and a good way of showing off what the Fenix is capable of; and yes, I wanted to try and keep it a surprise as much as possible hehe : P I'm sure we'll make it to Palma another day ; ) Thanks for the kind words and all the best! : )

[@liortaylor5305]

LOVE your reviews. I was totally surprised to hear that you are an airbus pilot, really impressed. Thank you for the great review! already picked up my copy.

[@IntotheBlueSimulations]

Thanks very much once again Lior, very kind of you to say! Haha, well I tend to mention it where it is somewhat relevant and not otherwise, but I thought it was more common knowledge than it appears to be (many have said the same as yourself haha). Anyway, it came in handy for this video ; ) My pleasure as always on the review! I hope you are enjoying the Fenix : )

[@andrewadkins5567]

Thank you for the demonstration of casualty control on the engine one fire. I'm not a pilot but your step by step troubleshooting of the casualty and having the response procedures ingrained is impressive. Thank you for the demonstration.

[@IntotheBlueSimulations]

Thanks very much Andrew, my pleasure! Really glad you enjoyed it : ) It was good fun for me, being able to demonstrate something a little bit different in the video - I'm sure the Fenix A320 will provide many more such opportunities going forward. All the best!

[@CCitis]

Beautiful! I will continue enjoying my new to me 737, but I love seeing better and better airplanes for the sim. What a time to be in this hobby!

[@IntotheBlueSimulations]

A great attitude to take Jeremy! It's nice to see someone enjoying what they like, without having to deride others for enjoying something different (something I see happen all too often in flight simulation). Both the 737 and the A320 are excellent offerings; sure they have their own strengths and weaknesses, but all that is important at the end of the day, is that you're enjoying it! Competition is great and hopefully Fenix's brilliant offering here, will inspire other developers to push their own efforts further as well. As you say, a brilliant time to be into flight simulation! Cheers and all the best : )

[@mancave-simpilot]

A masterpeice. Both the simulation and your performance. I really enjoyed this production. Will be purchasing this addon in the near future. Thank you.

[@IntotheBlueSimulations]

Thanks very much Mark, very kind of you to say! Really glad you enjoyed the video and I do hope you're enjoying the Fenix also (if indeed you have now picked it up). Cheers and all the best! : )

[@windowseat320]

Great video It’s an absolute cracker of an addon, I noticed the landing gear legs too, and also the flap lower kink seal underneath where the interconnecting strut between the onboard and outboard flap.

[@IntotheBlueSimulations]

Thanks Windowseat, glad you enjoyed it! Yes, the aircraft isn't perfect, but it's absolutely superb without a doubt and for this sort of money, it's a masterpiece : ) Cheers and all the best!

[@scotty6346]

@Into the Blue Simulations A top notch review as per usual mate! To me as an amateur flight simmer i find your content the best, I learn so much watching your videos, It's great that you being a commercial pilot takes the time to do this content so people like me can see it how it is! Cheers.

[@IntotheBlueSimulations]

Thanks very much Scotty! It's always really nice to hear when someone is enjoying the content and it's an added bonus for me, if you feel you're learning a few things along the way (that's certainly one of the aims of the channel). Really happy you enjoyed the video! Thanks for watching and all the best : )

[@scotty6346]

@@IntotheBlueSimulations Cheers mate!

[@planespotterchandler]

When you're flying this, you just seem like everything is home! I love it! Also, the way you handled that failure was phenomenal.

[@IntotheBlueSimulations]

Haha, well it was certainly nice to step into something familiar for a change! One of the fist reviews I've done, where I didn't have to study ahead of time XD I'm really glad you enjoyed the failure scenario. I figured it was something a bit different and a good way of demonstrating what the Fenix is capable of. Thanks very much for watching and all the best! : )

[@planespotterchandler]

@@IntotheBlueSimulations Based on this, next paycheck is for sure partly going to the wonderful work of Fenix. Time to study!

[@markscars1069]

Quite clearly a phenomenal piece of software engineering. As you know, I’m a Boeing man but I have to admit, the obvious modelling and pure accuracy on display here is immense and incredibly impressive. As a consequence, it’s actually quite tempting. I’m still really enjoying the 737 and especially the BBJ but this A320 will find its way into my virtual hanger at some point. It puts the MD80 into perspective in terms of VFM and I’m more than happy to support the dev. They’ve earned their cash here, definitely. Oh and 36:36, nice 😎 Awesome review dude, as always.

[@IntotheBlueSimulations]

Haha, so did I manage to tempt you in the end then Mark? ; ) The Airbus certainly isn't to everyone's tastes I realise, but if "fly by wire" is your jam, one won't find many better renditions of the aircraft than this - especially at this sort of price point! I really appreciate what Fenix have put out and indeed the way they have conducted themselves in general. The A320 certainly does put the Maddog into perspective; as much as I love the Maddog, it's just not priced competitively at this point. Glad you enjoyed the video! All the best : )

[@pinkfloyd7572]

Excellent review. Definitely your most enthusiastic. This thing must be pretty special.

[@IntotheBlueSimulations]

Thank you very much once again PF! Haha, was it that obvious XD Yeah, the Fenix is pretty special. Not just the best addon I’ve come across in MSFS, but one of the best in any sim! I thought it would still be some time before we had truly competent flight modelling in MSFS, but Fenix seems to have pulled it off. Some of the best money I’ve ever spent on an addon and also incredibly commendable that it’s being offered at such a competitive price. Anyway, you’ll get me started again haha. It’s great! Cheers and all the best : )

[@MateloT666]

Yes. Been waiting for you to review it!!

[@IntotheBlueSimulations]

Haha, cheers Mark! I hope it was worth the wait then ; ) All the best : )

[@LogiForce86]

Awesome to see this knowing my aunt has a company that needs to program and wire Airbus planes, she used to work for Airbus itself. So a lot of respect to the Fenix team to basically sort of reverse engineer all of this. Amazing stuff! 😊

[@IntotheBlueSimulations]

Ah very nice LF! Maybe somewhere out there, there's a virtual version of you auntie's company, that did some wiring for the Fenix team also : P Cheers and all the best! : )

[@peterlazuric5641]

Great video! I really liked the unexpected surprise on departure. Wonderful training experience. Thank you for sharing.

[@IntotheBlueSimulations]

Thanks very much Peter, I’m really glad you enjoyed it! Haha yes, I thought it would be fun to leave the failure in as a little bit of a surprise; I’m happy you feel you got some value out of the scenario also. My absolute pleasure on the video! Thanks for watching and all the best : )

[@Jimbo-in-Thailand]

ItBS - 😁👍👍 I confess I've been looking forward to a review of the actual Airbus model that you fly... and was certainly not disappointed. It's even mo' better since you're not affiliated with Fenix, and that you bought the product just like the rest of us have to do. By comparison, not long ago I ran across a review of the recently released PMDG 737 by a real 737 pilot. Of course I was interested, but when he revealed at the beginning of the video that he was a member of the PMDG team I promptly 'pulled the D-ring' on that video. Yep, call me jaded but I have a hard time believing a team member, even a real 737 pilot, could be unbiased. Anyway, keep 'em coming young fella! 😁

[@IntotheBlueSimulations]

Hi Jimbo! Haha, well thanks very much, really glad you enjoyed it. I was certainly very keen to take a look at the Fenix 320 myself, though I must admit I wasn't expecting to have quite as much fun making the video as I actually did (I thought it might feel a bit "routine")! I'll confess that I was a little bit sad that Fenix didn't get in touch haha (it's always great for the channel, to be able to preview products ahead of time etc), but if it makes the end result more convincing for everyone, then I'm glad I was able to give such a glowing review, that people can take seriously (I do always try my absolute best to remain honest and impartial either way though). An absolute pleasure as always! All the best : )

[@phil_nicholls]

Makes me happy to see an Airtours liveried aircraft in the review, as they were my first jet job moving up from turboprops! I got a little mixed up earlier, thinking that the Green system should read slightly low on the ground; but it’s actually airborne where it should read low, as the uplocks for the gear are pressurised in flight - and as can be seen at 48:50, it correctly reads low when the gear is up. Excellent modelling!

[@stephenmckinnell7791]

Hi Phil Which types did you subsequently move to? As you know, I flew the Airbus for a few short months with Airtours, but you’d never know it as I’ve forgotten nearly everything! It’s been 11 years since I last flew.

[@phil_nicholls]

@@stephenmckinnell7791 Hi Steve, I joined ‘the Big Company’ (they don’t like being named on social media without permission 🙄) on the Jumbo (-400), and spent 10 very happy years sitting in the right seat travelling all over the world. Then went to ShortHaul for my command, and spent 9 years in the left seat there flying, all the narrow body Airbii around Europe and parts of the Middle East. Finally got back to LongHaul around 5 years ago, flying the 787. Sentimentally, the Jumbo was by far and away my favourite aircraft - it was designed from scratch to do one thing - travel great distances in comfort and safety, and it was an absolute joy to operate - blending just the right amount of old tech with new - it was, despite its size, a real pilots aircraft. A beautiful old girl! The Airbus was, as you know, a great bit of kit for ShortHaul ops. Just switch it on and go (pretty much), and I enjoyed the ‘cut and thrust’ of ShortHaul around Europe - multi sector days, snow, fog, thunderstorms - all made for an interesting day out. In 10 years on the Jumbo, I never once did an Autoland for real in LVP’s, and only de-iced once! Within months on the Airbus, I was doing days where every sector I needed de-icing, and every landing was an autoland - up to 4 in a day! Quite an eye opener! And the 787? What a cracking bit of kit. It sips fuel, burning not much more than an A321! Exceedingly comfortable, breathing ‘clean’ air from electric compressors rather than bleed air from the engines. A huge amount of redundancy and clever use of tech. So much so that sometimes systems will fail, and we won’t know about it until on the ground, as it reconfigures automatically. The weight saving tech is impressive too, by using ultra high pressure hydraulics (5000psi instead of the more common 3000psi) they can use microbore pipework, saving weight. Electric brakes rather than hydraulic. Gear is dropped by gravity, hydraulics used only to raise it (saves half the pipework) - and so on. Very very clever. And, despite being fly by wire, feels just like a ‘regular’ aircraft! Happy to see out my time to retirement on the 78’! 🤞🏼👍🏼

[@stephenmckinnell7791]

@@phil_nicholls Thanks for that interesting and informative reply. I get the feeling that most people who flew the Jumbo hold it close to their hearts. Interesting that you never did an auto land in anger in it! I would have thought returning to the UK in the mornings would have set you up for a few. I’ve done a fair few but really couldn’t say how many. From a mate in ‘the big company’ I reckon I’d be known as one of the FEWDAL! 🤣I did a bit of long haul with RBA and Airtours and one or two others, and did get offered a Jumbo Command once at Air Atlanta Europe when I resigned from the 767(my favourite airliner) but my daughter was very young and I had decided that long haul wasn’t really for me - though I was tempted for a second or two! 🥴 Most of my time is on 737’s with Britannia, EasyJet & Ryanair. Someone told me about a BA guy of our generation or a bit earlier that never flew a Boeing throughout his whole career - he flew Trident’s, Tristar’s and DC10, keeping the faith after retiring as a TC and continuing to steer clear of Boeing’s with other companies. I’ve bought the 737 and the 320, but so far preferring to fly the Pilatus PC-21 as it gives me the freedom I prefer. Like you I can’t resist beating up places like Heathrow! 👍

[@IntotheBlueSimulations]

Hi Phil, Ah well I'm glad you enjoyed seeing the Airtours livery again. It's always a livery I liked and as I mentioned during the video, I have fond memories of taking my holidays on an Airtours 757 as a young boy haha. I had thought that was probably what you meant regarding the landing gear. As you say, Fenix's attention to detail seems to be pretty top notch overall! Sounds like you've had a very nice selection of aircraft to fly throughout your career (having read your other post); it was interesting to read a little bit about the 787. I knew it was an "electric jet", but I didn't realise it was to such an extent! Thanks for sharing and all the best! : )

[@phil_nicholls]

Thanks @@IntotheBlueSimulations , There is a 'very small' chance that I may have been the FO on your 757 flight, as I flew it for a year with Airtours before moving to the A320! Another awesome Boeing, in much the same vein as the Jumbo - how the 737 has kept going after all these years, when the 757 is so much more capable amazes me! Pre-dating my time at Airtours, I flew the 'Shed' Shorts SD 3-30/3-60 commercially, and then in GA, pretty much every variant of Piper and Cessna training aircraft, along with their light twins - and a few other bits and pieces that could be turned upside-down! Anyway, thanks to your review, I purchased the Fenix A320, as did my lad (currently at Oxford doing his own ATPL) - and I have to say, we are both blown away with the fidelity! I did have one CTD, flying it in VR on a 'Shuttle' service from LHR to NCL when I performed a DIR TO POL from BPK - but as it's early days in its life, I can give them a pass - I'm sure it'll become more stable over the next few months/years. (It was probably a good thing that it crashed, as I would have spent hours messing around with it otherwise, much to my wife's annoyance I'm sure)! Cheeers, Phil

[@EasyjetVirtualCaptain]

Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge with us, Captain. I have just purchased the fenix. Thanks to you. Take care, and please continue sharing your amazing videos

[@IntotheBlueSimulations]

Hi Captain JJP, Thank you very much for the kind words, my absolute pleasure! I do hope you're enjoying the Fenix! Happy flying and all the best : )

[@muhammadnimji4626]

Excellent review! I must say your exceptionally calm during an engine fire!. Thank you

[@IntotheBlueSimulations]

Thanks very much Muhammad, glad you enjoyed it! Haha, well it certainly helps when it’s a virtual engine fire. . . and you know it’s coming XD but that is kind of the magic of all the training I suppose; you go through all this stuff in the sim, in a reasonably calm and controlled manner and then should this kind of thing ever happen in the real world, hopefully the training will kick in and things largely wont go any differently. Thanks for watching and all the best : )

[@racheljennings1688]

Gave me a fright!

[@IntotheBlueSimulations]

Was it more scary than Freddy, Rachel? Haha : P

[@mactgnr]

I gave up on MSFS because it felt too gamey, and went back to learn a lot of a/c in DCS, but the FBW A320 gave me a spark to get back into it and then this module came along and i've been hooked ever since. I cannot recommend highly enough (not that i have a freaking clue if its true to life but yourself and a320 sim pilot know your stuff) so thats what i can only go on and its such a pleasure to learn and fly. long flights dont seem that long as you can always fiddle with something and the graphics now on the sim make it a pleasure to fly. Thank you for your honest review but I was already sold. I will be following to see what you can teach us on this great product

[@IntotheBlueSimulations]

Very happy to hear that Macca! Not that it matters which sim one enjoys, but I'm glad that the FBW / Fenix teams have managed to breathe a new lease of life into the sim for you. MSFS still has its faults for sure, but at this point it does broadly offer a high fidelity simming experience and with the graphics to match. The Fenix A320 is not perfect, but it offers some of the very best value for money and indeed fun, that I have seen in any flight simulator for a long time! I do have another interesting (I hope) outing in the Fenix already pre-recorded; I'm not entirely sure when I will be uploading it, but I'm certainly planning to cover plenty of A320 stuff as the channel progresses : ) Cheers and all the best!

[@jarrodclyne707]

Love this review, I bought it already but so nice to hear your views on this. I gave my money to PMDG begrudingly (I am really pleased with the product though), but did so very gladly to Fenix, something about their attitude and approach made me feel good about supporting them. Of course it helps that they produced an A+ product.

[@IntotheBlueSimulations]

Thanks very much Jarrod, glad you enjoyed it! Haha yeah, there has been something very refreshing about Fenix's whole approach to things! They seem to be a very humble and down to earth bunch; the A320 isn't perfect, but they call it like it is and are very upfront about where the products weaknesses lie. It's nice to be treated like an intelligent adult, rather than everything having to be hidden behind smoke and mirrors etc. Again, the Fenix A320 does currently have its weaknesses, but it's still some of the best money I have ever spent on an addon and I'm all the more happy to give that money to Fenix! Glad you're enjoying the Airbus! Cheers and all the best : )

[@AndreGeddert]

Really good review. Very enjoyable and informative to watch. Thank you.

[@IntotheBlueSimulations]

Thanks very much Andre, my pleasure! Really glad you enjoyed it : ) All the best!

[@bwc1976]

Absolutely gorgeous, and it was amazing seeing you handle that failure like the real pro that you are. I am so conflicted on buying this, because I want to support the company for putting out the best A320 simulation there's ever been and for as reasonable a price as it is, but at the same time I don't really know if I would actually fly it that often with the amount of preparation that goes into the MCDU compared to the CRJ or CJ4, it seems a lot more clinical. But I'll keep thinking about it some more.

[@geandily]

Why not just get the FBW A320 Neo mod and see if you like it? If you like that, then the Fenix will be better

[@IntotheBlueSimulations]

Hi bwc, Yeah, the 320 is a stunning effort from Fenix! The team definitely deserves every success, but of course there's not much point buying a fairly expensive product, if you aren't too sure whether or not you might actually fly it. As Geandily suggests, I'd highly recommend giving the FBW A320 a go first and seeing how you get on with that - it should give you a very good feel as to whether or not you will enjoy the aircraft. Really glad you enjoyed the video : ) Cheers and all the best!

[@tubeztoonz]

Your real world knowledge, skills and creativity once again come together to create an outstanding review!

[@IntotheBlueSimulations]

Thanks very much Tubez, really glad you enjoyed it! I have to say, I was really rather pleased with how this one came out; usually I’m fairly critical of my own work, but I told my wife over dinner, that I reckoned I was onto a good video with this one haha - something a little bit different and a good test of the Fenix 320 at any rate. Thanks for watching! All the best to you : )

[@FlyingMaxFr]

Stunning review for a stunning aircraft! Thanks

[@IntotheBlueSimulations]

Thanks very much Max! Really glad you enjoyed it : ) All the best!

[@conlethbyrne4809]

A perfect demonstration of professionalism. Enjoyed this video so much.that all I can say is its perfect. The plane is well worth the money.. All the best Captain. 😉👍💚

[@IntotheBlueSimulations]

A huge thank you once again Conleth! I’m really glad that you enjoyed the scenario; I tried to do something a little bit different and I figured it would also be an effective way of demonstrating what the Fenix is capable of. I wanted to keep the scenario a little bit of a surprise as well, as I thought it would be more entertaining that way haha. I have another interesting (I think) outing lined up in the Fenix for a future video - not sure when it will be uploaded yet though. Thanks again and all the best to you as well! : )

[@Taliyon]

I was suspicious when you were already under landing weight, and you took the time to have an open return to Gatwick in the plan. You're really in your element in this ship. Easily my favorite video of yours, so far! Entertaining, and informative.

[@IntotheBlueSimulations]

Haha, damn - I was trying not to give the game away Dan! XD To be fair, it’s pretty much standard practice in the airline I work for, to enter a return in the secondary. I haven’t tended to do it in the sim as 1) I don’t think the FBW supports it and 2) simply to save a little bit of time. The departure weight was no accident though haha - I didn’t fancy throwing in an overweight landing checklist as well. Really glad you enjoyed the video! Usually I’m pretty critical of my own content, but I said to my wife as I was editing this one, that I was really happy with it haha. I thought it was something a bit different and really good test of what the aircraft can actually do (and I was blown away with the capabilities of the Fenix!). Anyway, thanks very much for watching! All the best : )

[@Taliyon]

@@IntotheBlueSimulations Was awesome! Best work yet, imo. Thanks for doing what you do.

[@herethen]

Subbed! Wonderfull review and showcase of the aircraft.

[@IntotheBlueSimulations]

Hi HT, Thanks very much, really glad you enjoyed the video! Welcome aboard : )

[@leerose9436]

Wow ! Fantastic video/review of a fantastic Aircraft ! Take a bow Fenix 👍🙏🏻👨‍✈️✈️ now to get it in my hanger 😜

[@IntotheBlueSimulations]

Thanks very much Lee, glad you enjoyed the video! The Fenix 320 is indeed incredible - I hope you're enjoying it : ) All the best!

[@hjr2000]

Didn't know you're an IRL Airbus pilot, thanks for the great content!

[@IntotheBlueSimulations]

I am indeed Haden : ) My pleasure on the content! It was particularly fun being able to showcase the Fenix 320 for everyone a bit here. Cheers and all the best!

[@pappyodanial]

Working... windshield... wipers!!!!! Wow. Stellar review as always. I took a break from the sim but this might bring me back. I started playing Escape from Tarkov since it looks like ww3 is coming I thought I may as well play post WW3 survival simulator.

[@IntotheBlueSimulations]

Haha! Training for the apocalypse, might be more useful than training to fly an Airbus at this point XD Still, the latter is probably a little bit more relaxing; just take a deep breath and watch the wipers clearing away the rain : P Cheers and all the best! : )

[@TheSimPilot]

Absolutely beautiful review. I'm a big fan of your thorough reviews and efforts trying to simulate and give us the most details. As you have perfectly mentioned Fenix A320 is a great simulation of A320. Minor things you have pointed are most likely to be fixed by the developer. Seeing a product at this level makes me question the other developers giving less but charging more. I think Fenix set the bar up really high with A320. Thanks for the beautiful video.

[@IntotheBlueSimulations]

Thanks very much TSP, really glad you enjoyed it - my pleasure as always! The Fenix A320 is indeed the new gold standard, by which products will be judged. Hopefully other developers have sat up and taken notice and we will see ever better addons going forwards! Thanks very much for the kind words. Cheers and all the best : )

[@JohnDoe-uu9gh]

So glad this plane is good. I've been waiting for an addon to be released of a plane in the Air Canada fleet so I can do real-life Air Canada sectors. Thanks you for the thorough review - I'm going to buy it and fly it tonight.

[@IntotheBlueSimulations]

Hi John, Yeah, the Fenix A320 is a very impressive effort from the team overall - especially given the price! I'm glad you found the review useful - my pleasure! Happy flying and all the best : )

[@hairsiluet]

What a great review mate! 👏🏻👏🏻💪🏻 👋🏻 Greetings from Spain 🇪🇸.

[@IntotheBlueSimulations]

Thanks very much HS, really glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for watching and all the best : )

[@geoffh2560]

Thanks for such an interesting review - I wasn't expecting the engine fire! Also fascinating to read the arguments in the comments re: Fenix vs FSLabs... can't please 'em all!

[@IntotheBlueSimulations]

My absolute pleasure, Geoff! Haha, I’m glad you enjoyed the engine fire scenario; I thought it would make things a little more entertaining, if I kept it a surprise ; ) I don’t think anybody would claim that the Fenix A320 trumps the FSLabs version; I haven’t tried the FSLabs 320 myself but, I only ever hear good things. The points made by the original poster were very valid, I just think we just differ on 1) what makes for an enjoyable addon and 2) what one can reasonably expect for £50 (the FSLabs A320 is more than double the price, if memory serves me correctly). Anyway, it’d be boring if we were all the same, wouldn’t it. Many thanks and all the best! : )

[@jekanyika]

I've been waiting for this. It is currently downloading as I watch this.

[@IntotheBlueSimulations]

Well I think the Fenix 320 certainly turned out to be well worth the wait Jekanyika! Hope you're enjoying it : ) All the best!

[@hoursseth]

Just great! Much appriciated!

[@IntotheBlueSimulations]

Thanks HS, really glad you enjoyed it! All the best : )

[@piloto2412]

Too right. Great review from a real pilot. You are truly an inspiration. Ive always wanted to be a professional pilot. Got hours for ppl but never took the checkride. I instead became an A&P mechanic, and hopefully finish my training to fly big iron. I wonder if i can still do it at 35 years old?

[@IntotheBlueSimulations]

Haha, well thanks Piloto, very kind of you to say! 35 is certainly still more than doable I would say! Unfortunately now probably isn't the best time to be getting into things (unless you're in the US?), but if you can continue your training bit by bit, as and when funding allows etc, then I don't see why you wouldn't get to where you want to be eventually. Training can of course be a lot of money, so it always pay to be cautious and I wouldn't advise anyone to get into it lightly but, as cheesy as it is to say, if it's really your dream, you've got to give it a go (just make sure it's really what you want though, as commercial aviation does have its fair share of downsides these days also). Best of luck with it all! If you have any questions, feel free to ask : )

[@lpcox]

finally I managed to watch this and man, great job, bravo! looking at the views and comments… wow! is this your top video now? really good screenplay and the product itself is amazing. was your calmness during the emergency as realistic as the flight model? :D very impressive. so this stuff would be definately a clear yes for me. but as it uses external software as you mentioned it will never come to xbox. I was thinking again to buy a pc for the sim. but hey! I didn’t even turn on my console in the last two weeks so… It’s better to be realistic and save the money for other expensive hobbies! :D thank you again for your effort to deliver this high level of content, keep it up! cheers!

[@IntotheBlueSimulations]

Haha, thanks Péter, glad you enjoyed it! I've no idea whether or not the calmness was accurate, I'll have to get back to you should I ever suffer a real-world engine failure XD It is a shame that the Fenix will never see the light of day on the console. At least you'll have some options from PMDG, Just Flight etc in the not too distant future. How come you haven't been simming of late then; no time, or just lost a bit of interest? You haven't even tried the Darkstar yet then?! : P Cheers as always! Hope you had a great weekend : )

[@Helicopterpilot16]

Ok, that engine sound in the cockpit is top notch!

[@IntotheBlueSimulations]

It’s pretty good isn’t Tyler and Fenix have in fact just improved the sounds even further (as part of the latest update) haha! Cheers : )

[@Helicopterpilot16]

@@IntotheBlueSimulations Gave me chills to be Honest. I loved Airbus in other sim but this, over the top. Why the hell have people been trying to tell me that MSFS is like an arcade?

[@praeparatus_supervivet]

Great video, really interested in purchasing the Fenix version now 😁

[@IntotheBlueSimulations]

Thanks very much A, glad you enjoyed it! Haha, the Fenix A320 is indeed a very nice offering, well worthy of consideration. All the best! : )

[@HenryDobrasch]

My dad flies the A320 irl so he can teach me some things when he gets back from work next week.

[@IntotheBlueSimulations]

Ah nice GP! Maybe having spent a week with the Fenix 320, *you* will be able to *him* a thing or two by the time he is back ; ) Sounds like a great way to spend some quality father / son time anyway. I hope you enjoy! : )

[@mercurybullet6043]

I just purchased this and I must say I love it. I love it for the fact that it is indeed an early model A320. One person in particular seems to feel it's invalid to model something that is now 30 years old. It replicates the flights I made on this aircraft in the mid 80's. I dearly love hearing the gyros wind up, it brings back fond memories and even smells. I appreciate this model for what it brings and its VERY reasonable price. The best model on MSFS I have found.

[@IntotheBlueSimulations]

Ah well I’m really glad you’re enjoying the aircraft MB! : ) I’m in the same camp as you; I very much enjoy the slightly more vintage option that Fenix have gone with and certainly don’t see anything wrong with that choice myself. The Fenix A320 is not perfect (as has been alluded to elsewhere haha), but it is a truly superb addon given the price and as I mentioned during the video, it has to represent some of the best value I’ve had out of any sim addon over the years. I’m glad the product brought back some good memories. I shall have to try and get it out of the hangar again soon myself. . . Happy flying and all the best!

[@mercurybullet6043]

​@@IntotheBlueSimulations It's kind of scary when you think about how long it has been around. I believe I first flew on it around 87-88. Ansett would've had some very early serial numbers. I don't know how long it's been since you've played with it, but I'm not seeing the issues you had in this video. Autothrust and autopilot have been very stable for me. I'm not sure about fuel consumption and no idea what numbers I should be expecting.

[@IntotheBlueSimulations]

Haha, indeed! I still think of the A320 as being the “new kid on the block”, but it’s basically as old as I am XD Of course there have been some revisions over the years, but it’s throughly impressive that Airbus managed to design a jet, that still stands up exceptionally well in today’s operating environment. I know that Fenix have been plugging away with the 320. Great to hear that some of its issues have been fixed. Sadly, I haven’t had a chance to “jump back in” in quite some time and really ought to rectify that! Happy to hear that you’re enjoying the aircraft at any rate and that you can re-live some old memories with it : ) Thanks again sir!

[@MrBillUp]

Real Airbus Pilot! You kept that quiet buddy 😁👍 Look you already know you're my goto for reviews, but you then go and absolutely compound my choice by throwing in an engine failure that I just wasn't expecting. It didn't even occur to me that it was planned for at least a few minutes, it was so well handled and narrated. We have been discussing where the sim is going over the last few years you and I, and I think the Fenix A320 is answering a lot of our questions. You can be very critical for good reason, for even the smallest of irregularities, but you really struggled with this lol 😁 This tells me the Fenix A320 is the pinnacle of flight sim add-ons. A huge testament to Fenix, and lets not forget a huge thumbs up to Asobo and Microsoft, for building a platform that allows this kind of 21st Century programming. We really are in a good place. 😎

[@IntotheBlueSimulations]

Haha, well I tend to mention it where it's somewhat relevant and not otherwise; never been sure whether that's a good "marketing" decision for the channel, but there you go. . . Really glad you enjoyed the failure scenario there. I'm usually pretty critical of my own content, but I even told my wife I was quite happy with this one haha. Something a bit different and a good way of looking at the product in a bit more depth I figured - it was most certainly planned though yes ; ) Haha, yeah, I know I can be very picky sometimes and a lot of people seem to think that's who I am - it's really not ha. Most of the stuff I point out doesn't bother me in the slightest, but I try and point out all the flaws I can find, just to cover all bases and let people know what they're buying; personally, so long as I enjoy the aircraft, that's good enough for me! The Fenix is indeed a pretty stunning effort though. As you say, the last couple of weeks have been pretty pivotal for MSFS and it's great to see that we're finally at this turning point. There's still a few core things that need addressing in the sim, but I think MSFS is here for the long haul now. Cheers and all the best Chris! : )

[@taitthemate]

One of the best reviews great job thank you

[@IntotheBlueSimulations]

Thanks very much Kevin, very kind of you to say! Really glad you enjoyed it : ) Cheers and all the best!

[@bmw_m4255]

Bloody good show mate. Brilliant

[@IntotheBlueSimulations]

Thanks very much man! Really glad you enjoyed it : ) All the best!

[@c4rp3v1num]

Bought it at launch, and had a flawless experience. Best Airbus I have experienced for any flight sim to date.

[@IntotheBlueSimulations]

Absolutely CV! Really happy to hear you’re enjoying it! All the best : )

[@ferrarogaming223]

I fly an A320 IRL for JetBlue… and let me tell you that FENIX NAILED IT!!! Such a cool aircraft in the game

[@IntotheBlueSimulations]

Ah well I'm glad you're enjoying the addon FG! Indeed, whilst the product isn't perfect, I still think Fenix absolutely knocked the ball out of the park with their A320, especially given the price! I'm looking forward to seeing what the future brings for the addon and indeed for Fenix. Thanks for offering your feedback! Cheers and all the best : )

[@GWills-ys6rd]

Not only the best aircraft simulation but the best review of all time due to the authenticity, professionalism and integrity of the reviewer.

[@IntotheBlueSimulations]

Well thank you very much indeed GW, that's very kind of you to say and hugely appreciated! The Fenix is a bit of a masterpiece and I certainly tried my best to showcase it for what it is : ) Cheers and all the best!

[@mikehotchkiss5201]

Thanks I have been using the Aerosoft Airbus in FSX/P3D for a long time and I've been looking to upgrade to FS20. From what I can see this looks like the best Airbus option for me. I appreciate the time and effort that you put into this video.

[@IntotheBlueSimulations]

Thanks very much Mike. Very kind of you to say and my absolute pleasure on the video! If you’ve been enjoying the Aerosoft Airbus, I’m sure you’re going to love the Fenix A320! The Fenix is a big step up in terms of accuracy and visual fidelity (that’s not to knock the Aerosoft bus mind you); having a working ECAM makes a world of difference also. The Fenix isn’t perfect, but it’s excellent for the price and there are a few big (free) upgrades just around the corner also. Happy flying and all the best! : )

[@weok-doing-things]

The materials in the cockpit is something else. This is a movie-quality assets

[@IntotheBlueSimulations]

Absolutely WES; a really stunning effort from Fenix and something other developers should be aiming to replicate! Cheers and all the best : )

[@_________1844]

So, my comment is really a question to the Microsoft Flight Simulator experts here: I was a young boy, when I played one of the first Microsoft Flight Simulators, I think at the time the only cool plane to use was a Learjet. Anyway, I am blown away when I see this video now and the possibilities this simulator offers. This is amazing. My question is whether you see the possibility to attend these sorts of „live“ flights under real weather and real air traffic conditions as a passenger in this parallel aviation world? I just don’t see myself learning to fly a 747-8. But maybe I can build a passenger Avatar of my own as a parallel simulation in this simulator, who sits in the cabin for a 15 hour flight and is allowed to sit in the cockpit at times (definitely for takeoff and landing) and get to know the pilots, other passengers and cabin crew on this flight? What if this Avatar passenger can collect airmiles in this parallel aviation world and with those airmiles I can stay at real cool and fancy hotels at the destination, may be even the same hotel the pilots and cabin crew stay at. I can also buy real fancy virtual travel accessories from TUMI or Travelpro and gain access to virtual top tear airline lounges (virtually built, based on real world current lounge specs, and tarmac view based on the live simulation of the virtual flight). I could watch real movies in my virtual seat during those 15 hours and ask for the Asian food option (while I order real Asian food from my local Asian delivery service) and then create the meal virtually for the next virtual business class passenger to chose from at this airline (creating the menu would be sort of a simulation experience for me). I could also sleep (in my real bed) for a good portion of those 15 hours, while also the three (Flight Simulator operator) pilots of this flight rotate into crew rests (their real beds). I could simulate (as a virtual passenger) something that would involve the pilots’ (medical incident or I would get terribly drunk - NOT). What if other “real people” want to be cabin crew for such a flight and attend to me (virtually) - of course they would have to train for live safety instructions and be prepared to evacuate me if the airplane lands on the Hudson River - NOT!). I am sure many here think this would be the most boring thing to “simulate”, being a passenger, but trust me it has not been for me in the real world, clocking in some 500.000 actual airmiles flown as a passenger and looking for ways to explore the planet again, without destroying it, with a near zero CO2 impact. What I regret most, looking back, I was always an “aisle seater”, because I did not want to bother other pax climbing over them - as a result I barely looked out of the window, when flying, what a shame, I wish I did - what if I can re-fly all those flights as a passenger virtually and look out of the (virtual) window this time and see this beautiful planet from above in real time and real weather conditions? Could all (or parts of it) happen on virtual reality glasses? My entire (virtual) trip, from my house (picked up virtually from a cap), seeing all the other Avatars of the flight all the way to my dream destination? And then I could also do “real” work on my virtual (real) laptop when I sit in the simulation flight. I know this would involve a lot of third-party programming (and Mark Zuckerberg?), but I would definitely pay for this and start earning near zero emissions airmiles towards my virtual green frequent flyer status. What do you think? PS: There is a bunch of KZbin channels with juge fan bases, that do exactly what I described above in the real world, reducing travel to just the cabin and airport lounge experience of a flight (i.e. @Josh Cahill, @Sam Chui, @YourTravel.TV or @Nonstop Dan).

[@4secsharkmr352]

Thank you very much for this exceptional review. Great airplane. Must buy I think 💸💸💸 Take care

[@IntotheBlueSimulations]

Thank you sir! An exceptional product deserves an exceptional review (or at least my best attempt at one haha)! It was also nice that I had some idea of what I was doing with this one XD I hope you're enjoying "the bus"! All the best : )

[@pcwizardman]

Yes it is an amazing addon Bought mine this morning along with Thrustmaster Captain’s Pack.

[@IntotheBlueSimulations]

Ah very nice Alan, that should be a great little setup then! Happy flying : )

[@andyholmes9485]

Many thanks for your superb vids 👍

[@IntotheBlueSimulations]

Always a pleasure Andy! Many thanks for watching them haha : ) Cheers!

[@ConnorEllisMusic]

You can use Navigraph's new program to update the game's AIRAC, as well as any aircraft.

[@joshmerriman115]

Yes

[@IntotheBlueSimulations]

Cheers Connor! Yes, I really should update the sim - in fact I'll get onto that now. I didn't realise the Fenix 320 is already supported, or perhaps it takes its database from the sim. . . All the best : )

[@ramiel-saadi3314]

Amazing video, thanks for the review, was attentive to each second. May I ask though, the atc used, was that just sound recordings as part of the video edit or were they some kind of atc network?

[@IntotheBlueSimulations]

Thanks very much Rami, my pleasure - really glad you enjoyed it! The ATC is indeed recordings from LiveATC.net, which I’ve then edited into the video. There is an MSFS ATC chatter app available though, if that’s the sort of thing you’re after : ) Cheers and all the best!

[@xXColCoolXx]

Actually testing the protection of the fly by wire at 15000 ft. Nice video!

[@IntotheBlueSimulations]

Thanks very much VS, really glad you enjoyed it : ) All the best!

[@Adventure494]

Well done mate! I’m still on the fence as I’m still struggling to learn the 73 😅

[@IntotheBlueSimulations]

Thank you sir! Haha, probably best to work through one at a time then - the Fenix 320 will always be an option later on at any rate ; ) Happy flying! : )

[@Squirel]

As Shaun would say on The Chaser, "Just another day at the office". You must be pleased to be able to fly something so familiar in the sim. Great video, thanks.

[@IntotheBlueSimulations]

Haha, haven't seen The Chaser myself Squirel, but exactly XD I actually wasn't expecting to enjoy recording the vid as much as I did - I thought it might feel a bit "routine". Fenix have done an amazing job with the aircraft though and it was nice to be able to demonstrate something a little different - really enjoyed it. It was great not to have to do any study ahead of time also! ; ) Certainly looking forward to some future outings in the aircraft; I always have plenty of video ideas and never enough time haha. Thanks for watching and all the best! : )

[@wcc5392]

Fantastic video, well done. The MCDU programming is excellent, and better than a lot of real world training devices (not sure about ACARS though). I noticed the CPDLC unit, but didn't see it operating in the video. Is this operational? Again, hats off to the Fenix developers, and the commentator for this fantastic video, wonderful job in all respects!

[@IntotheBlueSimulations]

Hello WCC, Thanks very much for the kind words, I’m really glad you enjoyed the video! The Fenix A320 is a superb offering; as has been pointed out by others, not perfect in its implementation, but I’ve never previously come across this sort of fidelity, for this sort of money and having spent some more time again with the addon recently, I was once again blown away by what it has to offer haha. As you say, this little home PC offering, puts a few commercial training tools to shame (though as I understand it, Fenix runs the ProSim software in the background, so is leapfrogging of a certified training tool in essence). To be honest, as far as ACARS / CPDLC goes, I don’t 100% remember how functional they are. I seem to recall that loadsheets and “company messages” will be sent to the aircraft via ACARS. I don’t recall CPDLC working but then, I’m not sure I’ve ever tried it. Sorry I can’t offer some more concrete info there. . . Many thanks once again! All the best : )

[@jstring]

Excellent review!

[@IntotheBlueSimulations]

Thanks very much GAOTU, glad you enjoyed it! Cheers for watching and all the best : )

[@dyeahna]

Absolutely beautiful !!

[@IntotheBlueSimulations]

Thanks very much Dyeahna! Glad you enjoyed it : ) All the best!

[@ysteineker7001]

As a Boeing guy - I jumped straight to conclusion. So good to see you find your Holy Grail. Well deserved after many high quality reviews. Fantastic to see another publisher delivers a detailed study level aircraft. Some months ago - m$f$ 2020 was heading to be an ordinary x-box game for not so hardcore simmers. With PMDG - Milviz (310) - Wing42 delivers quicker than you can enter Visa card digits - the future looks bright. Majestic Q400 and A2A sitting on the fence, waiting for even better simulator. With weather radar and AI traffic, I will say a final goodbye to the old friend P3D

[@IntotheBlueSimulations]

Haha, "to each their own" of course øystein, but yes, the Fenix A320 is a very comprehensive effort overall and great to see! As you say, it's been quite a drastic turnaround for the sim in the last month or so! Weather radar API is in the works, I'm sure we'll see a decent AI traffic offering at some point; a few more improvements to Live Weather and some real-world taxiways designations (please Asobo!) and there won't be too many reasons for me to use other sims anymore either. Cheers and all the best! : )

[@ysteineker7001]

@@IntotheBlueSimulations Flying Milviz 310 now. Started north in Norway a week ago, and doing short flights south. Really bad weather. The challenge can be too hard. Now I am stuck in mid Norway , waiting for better weather. ----- Relaxing flights with 737-700. Discovered the Simbrief is a wonderful tool...

[@IBo99608]

Boeing guys jumping straight to conclusion. Usually they jump straight in to the ground, nose first.

[@ysteineker7001]

@@IBo99608 Airbus is excellent - no doubt. The fly by wire philosophy that computer limits "human" error inputs in flight control and power is great . While in Boeing you have full control to stall, flip it up side down, and do other stupid things. But my brain can only absorb one study level airliner. Working on Boeing aircraft in real life the choice was easy.

[@sailwesterly5444]

I was holding off purchasing this until your review. Now I'm going to be £50 quid lighter as a result of watching it. Brlliantly informative and concise reviewing as usual. Thanks.

[@IntotheBlueSimulations]

Thanks very much Sail Westerly, really glad you enjoyed it! Haha, well I apologise for emptying out the piggy bank, but hopefully you’re going to find it’s money very well spent overall! Thanks for watching and happy flying : )

[@welshrifty2903]

A fantastic review that showed me everything I wanted to know like and a sub from my end. Very clear very detailed and obviously fantastic to hear a real a320 pilot give it a good run through would you say this is a close as it gets to real life?

[@IntotheBlueSimulations]

Thanks very much indeed WR, really glad you enjoyed it! To answer your question: I would say that the Fenix is closest *I* have come to flying an Airbus in a home simulator - in some respects. I haven't flown the FSLabs version personally and it seems that may still take the crown overall. The Fenix A320 is certainly the most realistic Airbus I have come across visually and for me it is also the most convincing in terms of how the aircraft "feels" to hand fly. Systems depth is generally great (though there are some inaccuracies) - more than enough to accurately simulate operating an A320 by and large. The addon does fall down slightly in terms of hitting its performance numbers and there are areas where the sounds could be improved, but Fenix is reportedly working on both of these areas. In short; the addon isn't perfect, but it can be used very effectively to simulate flying a real-world A320 (in my opinion). I hope that clarifies things a little. Thanks very much for the sub and welcome aboard! : )

[@welshrifty2903]

@@IntotheBlueSimulations thanks buddy look forward to more content or some more a320 flights be cool to see you give pilot edge a go. Have a great weekend mate

[@dreambound.]

Oh my this video is popping off! Happy to see it doing well. Would be a cool add on to have... if it could land in a river bed somewhere in Alaska :p As always thanks for the review!

[@IntotheBlueSimulations]

Haha yeah, it did rather well overall! You never know with KZbin though, it get off to a very slow start XD Haha, well we know the A320 is an amphibian as well as a conventional aircraft; if one can land it on the Hudson, I'm sure the same can be done in rural Alaska - you won't be getting it back out again though : P Cheers and all the best! : )

[@dreambound.]

@@IntotheBlueSimulations Time to slap floats on an A320!

[@lh32186]

Wow all this time I’ve been watching your channel just found out you a real pilot 🤦🏽‍♂️ lol. Great reviews!

[@IntotheBlueSimulations]

Hehe, well there you go Ouija! ; ) I do indeed fly in the real world, but I've also been a lifelong, avid flightsimmer; so I wanted to try and combine the two hobbies together a bit more. Really glad you're enjoying the content either way - that's always great to hear : ) Cheers and all the best!

[@lh32186]

@@IntotheBlueSimulations I always been a flight simmer but more now then ever! I always base my purchases off your reviews on airplanes. But mostly I fly GA.

[@chrisp230]

I would have paid £100 for this - I feel like I’ve robbed fenix for the level of detail and how much I adore this sim.

[@IntotheBlueSimulations]

Haha shhhh, don’t tell Fenix, Chris ; ) but yes, I very much agree; generally, pricing seems to have changed for the better in MSFS but at £50, the Fenix A320 is superb value for money! Happy flying and all the best : )

[@paulphibbs7162]

Excellent review. You should see it in VR.

[@IntotheBlueSimulations]

Thanks very much Paul, glad you enjoyed it! I'll bet the aircraft looks magnificent in VR! I fear it might spell disaster for my PC though XD Cheers and all the best : )

[@samuelwhaley6658]

When you first showed the cockpit view, I thought it was a real life photo. It's almost photorealistic

[@IntotheBlueSimulations]

Indeed Samuel, it’s quite amazing just how realistic the Fenix cockpit can look at times! There have been a few occasions where I’ve seen it and as you say, it would be hard to pick it apart from a real-world photo. All the best : )

[@owenmilburn1498]

Great Video May I ask what you were using for the ATC chatter in background sounded really good?

[@IntotheBlueSimulations]

Hi Owen, Thanks very much, glad you enjoyed it! The ATC is actually recordings from LiveATC.net, which I’ve then edited into the video. There is an ATC chatter app available for MSFS though, if that’s the sort of thing you’re after : ) I hope that helps. All the best!

[@aerofart]

Excellent review, IBS! Enjoyed the emergency procedure. Nice plane I may just have to grab me one, though I’ve flown the FBW A320, I still cringe with the huge learning curve. It takes long enough to get one of these up in the air when you KNOW what you’re doing. For a learner, it seems it would take hours learning all the systems and procedures. Do you recommend any particular approach to becoming proficient?

[@bwc1976]

Exactly why I feel conflicted on it as well. I want to support the company but I just don't know how often I'd be in the mood to set up the MCDU pages to the depth I feel I should.

[@toadintheh0le]

Once you know what you’re doing you can be moving in less than 20

[@HA-hp6ui]

The best way I found to learn any complex aircraft is through a basic tutorial. After 2 or 3 flights it gets quicker and yes you'll be able to eventually set it up in 20 minutes or so. Just set up the basics required for standard flight at first and if you get hooked on the plane learn the aircraft systems and capacities at your own leisure. I haven't got the plane yet ( waiting for PayPal) but it may be possible to import routes directly to the FMC saving a lot of time.

[@IntotheBlueSimulations]

Hi Aerostar, Thanks very much, glad you enjoyed it! The Fenix 320 is excellent and whilst it is far more comprehensive than the FBW 320, I wouldn't say it's necessarily a whole lot more complex / difficult; so if you're fine with the FBW version, you should be OK with this one. That being said, if you don't find yourself flying the FBW version all that much, then this one might be a bit of a redundant addition to the virtual hangar. In terms of learning, we are all different of course, but personally I tend to find tutorial videos are the best way to go (I do have some of my own, but there are better ones out there most likely). Watch some tutorials and learn the very basics and then just learn the plane as you go - don't be afraid to "mess around" and learn through trial and error etc. It can be daunting initially, but you'll learn very quickly that are very few things that are catastrophic to the operation haha. As the other chaps have said, once you're familiar with the jet, you can probably get it set up in around 20 minutes (I took my time a little more here for the sake of the video). I hope that helps a little? All the best! : )

[@IntotheBlueSimulations]

Hi bwc, The Fenix 320 probably isn't the best choice in that regard then. The MCDU can be a bit laborious to set up (although it doesn't take long with some practice), especially with it being an Airbus and V speeds etc having to be calculated manually. The process can be cut down of course, but only to a certain degree. All the best! : )

[@mauritsbol4806]

I love Flybywire what they did. They raised the bar of freeware aircraft as well as raise the bar for studylevel aircraft. Fenix delivered. Now this will be resonating through msfs and later through all flight sims. This is why we all benefit from competition and its sweet.

[@IntotheBlueSimulations]

Absolutely! Both Fenix and Flybywire have / are creating products that ought to give a lot of the more established devs some food for thought! The competition is very healthy and great for us simmers : ) All the best!

[@clutchtucker]

Wish I had this aircraft, quite broke for it but the FBW will do! This A320 definitely does excel in texturing, interior modeling, and cockpit design though

[@IntotheBlueSimulations]

The Fenix is indeed a lovely addon Coeptus but as you say, the FBW A320 is a great freeware alternative and one that only continues to get better : ) Happy flying and all the best!

[@clutchtucker]

@@IntotheBlueSimulations I have bought the Fenix A320 not that long ago and it is amazing

[@IntotheBlueSimulations]

Ah awesome! I’m glad you’re enjoying it. Happy flying : )

[@PlayCrazyGames]

The best vídeo ever. Thanks.

[@IntotheBlueSimulations]

Haha well thanks very much PCG, very high praise indeed! Really glad you enjoyed the video. My pleasure and all the best to you! : )

[@scodavis]

Hello, I am very curious about what hardware you are using for your home simulation. Thank you for a great video; I really love your delivery and good information.

[@IntotheBlueSimulations]

Hi David, Thanks very much for the kind words, really glad you enjoyed the video - my pleasure! My hardware setup is broadly as follows: Thrustmaster HOTAS Warthog Saitek Pro Flight rudder pedals TrackIR5 So nothing too flash, but it gets the job done. PC specs are in the video description, should you want those : ) I hope that helps. Cheers and all the best!

[@multiversos1]

Beautiful. Thanks so much for your knowledge and review of this amazing mod. A lot of insight on getting a quick start for us lazy mortals🤣💪

[@IntotheBlueSimulations]

Thanks very much Steve; haha really glad you enjoyed the video and felt like you got something out of it - I really enjoyed making this one! Thanks for watching and best of luck with “the bus” then! : )

[@piloto2412]

I just bought this today thanks to your review. I couldnt find any manuals. Does it bring any documentation like other add ons. If yes, where would someone find it? Thanks

[@IntotheBlueSimulations]

Hi Piloto, Apologies for the slow reply. The product does come with a manual, but it’s rather basic in nature. Mine is located in my “Program Files” folder and then “FenixSim A320”. You can also find the manual via the aircraft’s EFB. There isn’t much info in the manual for actually learning the aircraft though, so you’ll be better off watching some tutorials etc. I hope that helps a little and best of luck with the Airbus! Enjoy : )

[@madyoda]

Amazing..subscribed..thanks

[@IntotheBlueSimulations]

Thanks very much MY, really glad you enjoyed it! Welcome aboard : )

[@mrsako7223]

Great video man, MSFS needs a walk around mode ASAP!

[@simondowdles3479]

They have a free camera drone mode that allows you to go anywhere

[@mrsako7223]

@@simondowdles3479 tried it, it’s unrealistic and difficult to control. MSFS needs a mode where a real person gets to walk around with a realistic point of view.

[@IntotheBlueSimulations]

Thanks very much MrSako! Glad you enjoyed it : ) Yes, a walkaround mode would indeed be great. I'm surprised MSFS doesn't have one already actually; even the more "serious" sims like P3D have an avatar / walkaround mode - I suspect we might get one eventually. . . Cheers and all the best!

[@ComdrStew]

This looks really good. You wouldn't happen to have a pdf of the real checklist would you?

[@IntotheBlueSimulations]

Hi Stew, This is pretty much spot on vs a real world checklist: images.app.goo.gl/H8rNPSekkBTtsyUK8 Hope that helps. All the best! : )

[@Gamerguy-501]

I will say this, being it’s a year old, I had bought this aircraft in the spring time and I have literally been taking time to like really learn how the aircraft flies as well as the flight plan set up is all new to me being that I’ve got simbrief and I’m very used to the flight plan set up on the PMDG products, now I was wondering this, could you by any chance explain how to properly go through the flight plan set up on the mcdu system, because that’s where I was confused most times on how to put everything in the right way, and do you use VATSIM to get all the clearances of climbing to certain altitudes, gaining confirmation on what speeds to go at?

[@IntotheBlueSimulations]

Hello Maroon5, Well, I do have a video regarding the setup of the MCDU, though it’s pretty old, so you’ll have to forgive it being a little bit “rough around the edges” haha: kzbin.info/www/bejne/pYGyoGNordd6nbM If you want some further info on flying the Airbus, these two series might be of use also: kzbin.info/aero/PLaI08doFZ-LLwILOP5X4Ehloc4Ux5eVNg kzbin.info/www/bejne/bGqqZoSvncuIZ5o I use Simbrief for the flight planning and and then Navigraph charts / my own judgments for speed / altitude restrictions etc. I hope that helps! All the best : )

[@ysteinRnning]

I think the FBW A320 is a lot of fun and FREE, but this is really tempting.. The engine fire scenario was unexpected and fun. I also liked the tiny tutorial about entering a hold. I hadn’t bothered to learn that yet 😛

[@IntotheBlueSimulations]

The FBW team have done an exceptional job with the aircraft thus far and who knows, maybe one day the NEO will be up to this standard. The Fenix is of course a more complete product at the moment though and whilst it isn’t free like the FBW, it is some of the best money I have ever spent in flight simulation (does that tempt you any more hehe : P ). I’m glad you enjoyed the scenario. I thought it would be a good way of putting the aircraft through its paces and I thought it would be fun to keep it a bit of a surprise haha. Glad you’re now a hold expert as well! ; ) Cheers as always! : )

[@ysteinRnning]

@@IntotheBlueSimulations I’ve been looking at reviews of the Thrustmaster Airbus Sidestick since watching this video, so I am plenty tempted 😆 I’ll be entering a hold on every approach from now on, so me and my passengers can take in the scenery 😛

Congrats to all Airbus drivers out there, really happy for you 👍

[@IntotheBlueSimulations]

Haha cheers Richard, very kind of you to say! It's nice to see someone enjoying the good fortune of others, even if the aircraft isn't to their tastes (I assume from your post, that you aren't an "Airbus guy"); all too often I see negativity directed at others, simply because a product isn't of interest to the individual in question. . . All the best! : )

Couldn't agree with you more and your assumption is correct 😉

[@astralighthouse5742]

Thanks for your review. The chatter on the radio seems real, is it an add on software? If so which one is it? Please let me know. Thanks :)

[@IntotheBlueSimulations]

Hi AL, Thanks very much, my pleasure! The ATC chatter is real-world recordings that I have taken from LiveATC.net and then edited into the video. There is an ATC chatter app available for MSFS though, if that's the sort of thing you're after : ) I hope that helps. Cheers and all the best!

[@jayblowfield6199]

Well done man what a great vidoe! what are your graphics settings?

[@IntotheBlueSimulations]

Hi Jay, Thanks very much, I'm really glad you enjoyed it! My graphics settings are as follows: - “High End” preset - Pre-Cache = Ultra - Terrain and Object visibility sliders set at 125% (sorry, I forget the actual names of them) - Motion Blur = Off - Glass Cockpit Refresh = Medium - AI Traffic = Off - VSync = On / 60fps So nothing special, but I only run at 1080p, which allows me to get nice smooth performance in the sim (generally). I hope that helps. All the best! : )