Show HN: I made a flight simulator, except you're just a passenger
2 days ago (inflightsimulator.com)
Buckle your seatbelt, secure your tray table, and open your window shade. Now you can simulate flying anywhere in the world as a commercial passenger, from takeoff to touchdown. Terrain, weather, and realtime sun position included. Don't worry, the latest release now features legs, so you can get up and go to the bathroom on longer flights. Enjoy!
Or you could check out the non-vibe coded Airplane Mode from 2020:
https://store.steampowered.com/app/931310/Airplane_Mode/
That's... why?
I can understand slow games like EuroTruck or Farming Sim. But what's the point of this?
These days it's pretty unusual to think of an idea that hasn't been done yet, so when you do, I guess you just don't think too much and go make it.
Might be helpful for people who have never flown.
You know what? I had fear of flying. I did a training with a pilot in a simulator, but it was in the cockpit. I don't have fear of flying in a simulator or in the cockpit. I have fear of flying as a passenger, I'm sit in a chair. That's what I would have liked during my training. I told that to Air France and they did not understand but this might seriously be useful.
Also useful for people who want to ride along with someone currently on a plane. "Honey, you are over Kansas right now!"
Useless things tend to be deeply useful to a select few.
I am loving this "re-weirding" of the internet. For the younglings, this is very much the sort of pet project that would bubble up in early internet days. No startup raising money, no pain point necessarily being solved, just one person's idea lovingly rendered to life.
Don't try to build something for everyone, build something that's everything to someone. - paraphrasing Ferry Porsche
UAL used to let you listen into the cockpit to ATC chatter: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=17656352 — I understand this was really helpful for calming some passengers' nerves during flying.
I really appreciate it when I get a pilot that actually tells us wtf is going on.
I'm not afraid of the flight, for me its customs and surrendering all my data. They even want my balls ffs.
I don't think you can completely eliminate this as people naturally don't like giving up their agency which is usually going to produce at least a low level of anxiety.
Agency and information in a way. I actually feel safer in a tiny 4 seater plane than a jet, even though objectively that's probably backwards. Being able to look at all the parts of the plane, how the movements derive from the pilot's actions, actually see out the front, it is more reassuring. More similar to being a passenger in someone's car. It probably doesn't hurt that it is easier for my mind to imagine a Cessna gliding gently to earth than a passenger jet.
Interesting, thanks for the idea. Would be pretty cool if this app did have some real-world applications, beyond being a bit of a meme app. Thanks for the comment!
This is going to sound insane, but something like this for the backseats of various common, and maybe even exotic, cars would be cool too.
I have similar problems being a passenger in an uber for more than 15 mins. I lose my mind on roadtrips when it's not my turn to drive.
Crashed within 10 seconds on iPhone 17 Pro. Love the vibes
It's slow in FF, too. Cool for a flight simulator to crash, but it should simulate a plane crash. Not crash the simulator itself :)
You have to turn on airplane mode
It uses too much RAM, it’s vibe coded so makes sense
Looks amazing for the 2 seconds before it implodes on iPhone though.
ahhh your phone crashed! I was a bit confused for a moment... Could you imagine if the airplane crashed like 1 in every million plays?! :O
Yeah same here.
Hahaha this is awesome. I can teach what it's like to be on an airplane to my friend who has never flown before.
Currently playing on my usual route, ICN -> HKG. The flight path is too ideal. Due to airspace restrictions in china, almost every flight has to divert over taiwan in real life, but this one cuts thru mainland china.
3 overhead reading lights for a 2-2 configuration? On a trans pacific flight? Literally unplayable.
Would love to see this open source and extended!
Please remove the login screen. Is love to try this.
Hrm. I can play it without logging in
I can't it covers half of my mobile screen and it doesn't seem dismissible.
3 replies →
Seems to hate not having location access on iOS. Keeps refreshing until eventually Safari just gives up.
I asked for beef, they only had chicken. 10/10, average flight experience.
Beef or cow?
That’s a nice idea. Taking off from Frankfurt am Main felt like that ultra long runway in Fast & Furious 6 though.
Had to use uBlockOrigin to remove the login prompt. Think there could be a way to dismiss it without tricks like that.
I just closed the window instead, it wasn't that interesting
This is really cool! Also, my girlfriend suggested it would be nice if she can login and be on the same flight so we can fly home together.
Selfie mode was too funny these characters are ridiculous. Also a whole plane to myself? What a steal!
I was hoping for a very detailed menu with more flight avionics in the in flight entertainment screen but I guess the speed and altitude in the HUD is all I get. I want to know the exact plane T am flying in
I like how much work you've put into just being a passenger :) I'm building a little world in the browser myself, so I like finding projects like this.
Can't press the Continue button, because the footer overlaps it. Firefox on mobile.
It's very nicely done. I snapped the seatbelt on and that dread of a long boring flight automatically hit me. :)
Is this visual style Fable or Astra. I see it everywhere now. It’s the new black and purple
Genius doesn’t always look like you expect it will. Well done!
(Kill the login panel though —- it wouldn’t go away for me)
I love that this is in real time and this jokes :D Even we have chess game :3
Missing FCA (Glacier international airport in Kalispell, Montana, USA).
It's small but a beautiful flight!
Flying to NYC, sitting next to nobody, never happened to me before :) - see you in 4h
really wish i could sit by the window
Next up: Airport Simulator! Enjoy security, customs, and the inevitable panic of missing your gate across more than 50 international airports around the world!
I'd pay $1 to upgrade to first class. $2 if I get a hot towel, a pre-departure beverage, and warm nuts.
I always have warm nuts on a plane...
Nice.
Waiting eagerly for the "crying baby" extension pack. The "get to your seat" MMO. And the "I want to pee, but the guy next to me is sleeping" campaign.
Also, inflightsimulator: 1980, with ashtrays and lethal weapon playing on dropdown TV sets
Or the passenger who is friendly and wants your window seat, but doesn't want to straight out say it. Then turns deranged when they find out they are in the middle seat for the whole flight.
Thanks for playing! I'll be sure to consider so of those for the next release!
The Boeing extension pack and watch how the plane deteriorates in the air in real time! Door plugs, MCAS, the works!
What a great idea! How about, a kid behind kicking your chair, the person in front of you abruptly putting his seat back all the way, and a person of size next to you spilling into your seat.
Now if we can watch fresh movies, that would be ideal …
A pirate website disguised as flight simulator? What a madman!
haha this is fun!
Pretty cool! I could see leaving it up on another screen to enjoy while I go about my workday.
Finally, a use for a second screen!
Thank you!
no
What if they add snakes?