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Anyone else following this bush pilot sim? They are running some playtests at the moment. https://store.steampowered.com/app/771800/Deadstick__Bush_Pilot_Simulator/


It looks really interesting from what I've seen of it. Here's a video

I watched that video, thanks for posting it. That looks pretty good, with head tracking. I have never played a civ flight sim, unless you count helicopters in GTA ha

Are there missions? Like deliveries or passenger hops and stuff?

From what I can tell there are 'missions' that are mainly small cargo deliveries, as well as 'faction' type missions where you build up your reputation with certain people (employers, others who contract you etc). From the Steam page;

"Most days you're picking your way through mountain passes, watching weather roll in from the north, and delivering cargo to communities that depend on you. It's methodical, absorbing work and the smarter your preparation, the smoother your operation runs.

But the wilderness doesn't forgive poor judgment. When things go sideways, there's no reset button. Just you, your aircraft, and wherever you can find to put it down.

MISSIONS
Carve out your career as a bush pilot, taking on cargo deliveries, recon missions and dynamic jobs from a cast of colourful locals.

PILOT FOR HIRE
There's no head office and no boss - just you, a logbook, a fuel bill, and the next job. Choose what's worth your time, and reinvest your earnings in the gear and routes that pay off.

INVEST
Spend your earnings on upgrades, hangars, modifications and repairs. Invest in rural airports to improve their runways and add fuel pumps, cell towers and other facilities.Transform the island through the work you choose.

REPUTATION
Earn a local reputation one flight at a time. Each airport tracks your safety, reliability, care and skill, unlocking more jobs. Just don't crash and burn at a major airport. Word gets around fast.

PILOT’S CORNER
Personalize your Pilot's Corner with memorabilia, trophies, and photos you've captured on your adventures.

Deadstick: Bush Pilot Simulator models the full reality of bush flying - from the aircraft systems you depend on to the terrain and weather that'll test every decision you make.

FLIGHT MODEL
From battery drain and weight distribution to stall behaviour and crosswind correction, every system behaves the way it should. Get it wrong and the aircraft will tell you.

COCKPIT
Study-level avionics, electrical loads, circuit breakers and instruments modelled in full. The better you know your aircraft, the better it'll serve you.

NAVIGATION
No GPS dependency. You're working with a map, compass, stopwatch and heading - the same tools real bush pilots have always relied on to find their way home.

WEATHER & TERRAIN
Updrafts and downdrafts, icing, thick cloud cover, grass strips, gravel and snow.

MODIFICATIONS
Access hangars to upgrade your aircraft into the ultimate STOL workhorse. Swap props for a faster cruise, enlarge the tyres for rough terrain, and tune the plane that suits the routes you fly.

DAMAGE MODEL
Worn tyres, failing systems, structural damage from a landing that was too heavy or a route that asked too much. Deal with what you've got, manage it home, or deadstick it down and hope the ground is kind.


We think you'll love Deadstick: Bush Pilot Simulator if you enjoy…
Euro Truck Simulator 2, Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024, X-Plane, DCS World, Aerofly, American Truck Simulator, SnowRunner, Farming Simulator 25, PowerWash Simulator 2, RoadCraft, MudRunner, BeamNG.drive, Transport Fever 2, Pacific Drive, Death Stranding, Cartel Pilots Wanted.

System Requirements
MINIMUM:
Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system
OS: Windows 10/11 64 bit
PROCESSOR: Intel i5-7600K or AMD equivalent
MEMORY: 16 GB RAM
GRAPHICS: GeForce RTX 3060 / Radeon RX 6600 XT (8GB VRAM)
DIRECTX: Version 11
STORAGE: 20 GB available space
SOUND CARD: DirectX Compatible
ADDITIONAL NOTES: System requirements are subject to changes during optimization process.
RECOMMENDED:
Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system"

I like the idea of a civilian flight sim that has you actually doing something other than simply swanning around at 5000 feet. When I was heavy into FSX I had an add-on called 'Air Hauler' published by the Just Flight people. Air Hauler set you up with a starter aircraft, cargo deliveries, and sent you on your way to building a freight hauling company (current version of AH adds passengers). You could set up a HQ anywhere in the FSX world. As you built up your rep and money, you could add new aircraft and hire pilots/crew and run multiple sorties. The mod allowed for adding more aircraft (DLC etc) so you had a lot of choice. At one point I was using a big old B-17 to haul cargo, but mainly I used DC-3's since my HQ was set up in Hawaii (near Honalulu) and there are a few short strips to fly into and out of. Anyway, I like having a purpose, yet have it still somewhat sandboxy. Dead Stick is intriguing, but I'll wait and see what the devs do yet.

Thanks, that's tempting. My racing rig is in the way though. Gotta work out a way to have both my flight gear and racing rig set up at the same time.

This has been in my wish list forever, first time I've seen anything on it
edit; was just on the Discord it was said a 5060ti struggled to hold 40 fps on the playtest and it calls for a minimum of a 3060 so we will see if there is a Demo by October.

The last dev update on Steam was mid-August iirc. Apparently they are hoping to release final quarter 2026. They're also mentioning a demo in October as they'll be at the UK Flightsim gathering. I'm hoping to grab a copy of the demo and see if my PC will handle it (I have a 3070 lol) because it looks like a lot of fun.