My Experience with RFS – Real Flight Simulator
I downloaded RFS three days ago because I needed a realistic flight sim for a project mapping approach procedures into smaller regional airports. I’m on an iPhone 14, and I usually push these apps until they either crash or prove themselves. What caught me off guard right away was the cockpit detail. I mean, I’ve messed with X-Plane mobile and Infinite Flight, but RFS actually lets you flip switches and watch the needle twitch on the VSI in real-time. Last Tuesday night around 11 PM, I did a crosswind landing into KLAX with live weather enabled and nearly overshot runway 24R—my fault, not the app’s. The physics felt heavy, like the Cessna 172 actually wanted to stay airborne. But then the frame rate dropped hard when I switched to the 737. It stuttered for a good five seconds, which is unacceptable for a “simulation.” I also ran into a bug where the landing gear indicator stayed green after I retracted on climb-out. Had to restart the flight. Still, the multiplayer lobby was active, even at 2 AM. People were flying in formation over Dubai. That was cool. Support took four days to reply to my ticket about the gear bug, but the guy actually knew what he was talking about and gave me a workaround (force-close the app before each flight). So they’re not clueless, just slow.
Features Worth Noting
The live weather is the real deal. I’ve seen apps claim “dynamic weather” but then it’s just a static cloud texture. RFS actually matches METAR data—I checked against my weather station at home. On Saturday, I flew into a thunderstorm cell near Dallas and the rain on the windshield was convincing, even with the iPhone’s small screen. The cockpit is what sold me. You can zoom into each instrument. The altimeter adjusts to pressure changes mid-flight. The autopilot has VOR and ILS capture modes that work if you set them up right (which most mobile sims mess up). Free flight mode lets you pick any runway in the world, including tiny strips like TNCM. The mission system is meh, but multiplayer is where this app shines. You can join a world server with 50 other pilots, see their planes, and even chat. It’s not perfect—rubber-banding happens—but it’s better than I expected from a free app. Also, the sound design is solid. Engine spool-up on the jet has that whine, and the stall warning horn is annoyingly accurate.
What Needs Work
Let me be blunt: the app is unstable on iPhone 14. I’ve had three hard crashes in three days, usually when I’m loading into a busy airport or switching aircraft mid-session. One crash wiped my flight plan. That’s frustrating. The control sensitivity is another issue. Even with custom settings, the yoke feels overly twitchy around the neutral point. I had to add a dead zone of 15% just to stop the plane from wobbling on final approach. The UI is cluttered. Finding the “load flight plan” option took me ten minutes. Why is it buried in a sub-menu under “more options”? Beginners are going to give up. And the live weather sometimes desyncs—I’ll be in clear skies while the app says “thunderstorm.” It’s a known bug on the forums. The devs push updates every few months, but they don’t seem to prioritize stability. The large file size (3.4GB after all airports) is a storage hog. I had to delete two other games. For a “simulator,” it needs less bloat and more polish.
Pricing
It’s free to download. You get the Cessna 172, a few airports, and basic features. That’s fine. But you’ll quickly see the paywall. Want more planes? That’s $4.99 to $14.99 each. Want more airports? Those are $1.99 to $9.99. The “pro” subscription is $6.99/month or $49.99/year. It unlocks all current and future aircraft, advanced weather, and no ads. I paid for the monthly sub to test it. Honestly, for a serious sim user, the sub is almost required. Without it, you’re stuck with five planes and a handful of airports. The individual purchases add up fast. I’d rather they just charged a flat $9.99 and be done with it. The subscription model feels greedy for a mobile app that still has bugs. But I get it—they need revenue. Just wish the pricing was more transparent. There’s also a “fuel” system that requires in-game credits, but you can earn those slowly by completing missions. No pay-to-win feeling, but the grind is real.
Developer Notes
RORTOS has been updating this app since 2018. That’s impressive for a mobile sim. I’ve seen old forum posts from 2020 where people begged for ILS and they eventually added it. They do listen, but slowly. The update cycle is about every 2-3 months. Last update (version 18.2) added the A330 and fixed some crash bugs—but introduced the gear indicator bug I mentioned. So it’s a mixed bag. The dev team seems small. Their Twitter account posts screenshots of new liveries but rarely acknowledges bugs publicly. I appreciate that support actually helped me when I got through, but the 4-day wait is not okay for paying subscribers. They need a Discord or a bug tracker that’s more responsive. I also noticed the app requests permission to access my photos for custom liveries. I get why, but it’s a minor privacy concern. Overall, they’re trying. The sim has soul. But they need to hire a QA tester who actually flies.
Security & Privacy
RFS asks for location access (always, not just while using) and photo library access. I denied location and it still worked fine for weather—it just used IP-based location. So that’s a plus. It also asks for notifications, which I blocked. No issues there. The app connects to its own servers for multiplayer and weather. I did a network trace on my home router—no weird calls to sketchy domains. It’s GDPR compliant, and the privacy policy is readable, not a wall of legalese. It says they collect device ID, crash logs, and usage data. That’s standard. But there’s no two-factor for account login, which is concerning if you’ve paid for subscriptions. I use a unique password just for this. Also, the app stores your flight data locally, so if your phone dies, you lose progress. I’d like to see cloud saves. Bottom line: it’s not spyware, but it’s not Fort Knox either. For a flight sim, the trade-offs are acceptable.
