Best of 5 Apps Like RFS Real Flight Simulator for Learning About Aviation
The best RFS alternative for most aviation learners is Infinite Flight, because it teaches you the “real pilot” habits without making your brain melt. RFS is huge on mobile, with over 10 million installs on Google Play [source: Google Play]. That proves one thing. People love learning about planes from their phone.
TLDR: Start with Infinite Flight if you want a clean flight sim with live traffic and ATC-style practice. Pick X-Plane Mobile if you care most about how planes feel in the air. For example, a 20-minute session can teach you one full pattern: 5 minutes for cockpit checks, 10 minutes for takeoff and landing, and 5 minutes to review what went wrong. If you just want easy fun, choose Aerofly FS Global.
1. Infinite Flight
Best for: learning air traffic rules, flight planning, and smooth flying.
Infinite Flight feels serious, but not scary. It has a clean interface. The planes look sharp. The world feels busy. You can fly with other players and practice radio-style chat.
This is where it beats many casual flight games. You do not just shove the throttle forward and hope. You plan a route. You follow headings. You watch altitude. You think like a pilot.
Honestly, it feels like the best middle ground. It is not as simple as an arcade game. It is not as heavy as a full desktop sim. That makes it great for students, plane fans, and curious beginners.
- Good: live flights, many aircraft, strong community.
- Annoying: the best features need a subscription.
- Try this: fly a short route from Los Angeles to San Diego.
2. X-Plane Mobile
Best for: understanding how aircraft actually move.
X-Plane Mobile is the nerdy one. In a good way. It focuses on flight physics. That means the plane reacts in a way that feels more real. Pull too hard, and the aircraft complains. Land badly, and you know it.
This app is great if you want to learn basic flight skills. Trim matters. Speed matters. Flaps matter. You start to notice how small changes affect the whole flight.
It may not feel as flashy as RFS in every menu. Some screens feel a bit dry. But once you are in the air, it clicks.
- Good: strong flight model, useful for learning control.
- Annoying: some aircraft and regions cost extra.
- Try this: practice three landings in the same plane.
3. Aerofly FS Global
Best for: beautiful flights with less stress.
Aerofly FS Global is smooth. Really smooth. It is the app you open when you want to relax, fly low over mountains, and still learn something useful.
The cockpit views are clear. The controls feel friendly. You can learn basic takeoff, landing, banking, and approach angles without fighting the app every second.
The catch is that it can feel lighter than Infinite Flight. If you want deep online ATC work, this may not be your main pick. But for visual learning, it is excellent.
- Good: great graphics, smooth controls, easy to enjoy.
- Annoying: less depth for online airline-style flying.
- Try this: fly a sunset approach into a city airport.
4. GeoFS
Best for: quick browser flights and geography learning.
GeoFS is different. You can run it in a browser. No huge install. No waiting forever. That alone is nice when you just want to fly for ten minutes.
It uses satellite imagery, so you can fly over real places. Want to see your town from the air? You can. Want to follow a river or coast? Easy.
It is not the most polished sim here. The cockpits and controls can feel basic. Still, it teaches useful ideas. You learn direction. You learn distance. You learn how airports sit inside real cities.
- Good: runs fast, real-world map feel, very easy to start.
- Annoying: not as detailed as premium flight sims.
- Try this: take off near your home city and spot landmarks.
5. SimplePlanes
Best for: learning why planes are built the way they are.
SimplePlanes is part flight sim, part building toy. You can make strange aircraft. Some fly. Some flop. Some spin into the ground in five seconds. That is the fun part.
This app teaches aviation in a hands-on way. Wings need balance. Engines need placement. Weight changes everything. You learn by breaking stuff, which is often the fastest way to learn.
It drives me crazy that tiny design changes can ruin a plane. Move a part a little too far back, and your “amazing jet” turns into a lawn dart. But that pain teaches you real lessons.
- Good: creative building, physics lessons, funny failures.
- Annoying: not ideal for airline procedures.
- Try this: build a small prop plane, then move the wings forward.
Quick Pick Guide
- Want the closest RFS-style app? Choose Infinite Flight.
- Want better flight physics? Choose X-Plane Mobile.
- Want pretty and simple? Choose Aerofly FS Global.
- Want free and fast? Choose GeoFS.
- Want to build planes? Choose SimplePlanes.
How to Learn Faster
Do not jump into a giant jet on day one. Start small. Use a single-engine plane first. Practice takeoff. Then turns. Then landing.
Keep each session short. Try 15 to 25 minutes. Pick one skill per session. For example, spend one day only on landing. Spend the next day only on holding altitude.
Also, use cockpit view when you can. External view looks cool. Cockpit view teaches more. You see instruments. You learn speed. You stop guessing.
My final pick: use Infinite Flight as your main RFS alternative. Add X-Plane Mobile when you want better aircraft feel. Use SimplePlanes when you want to understand why planes fly at all.