I have tried PreFlight, but due to the cost of the interface, I decided to stay with FMS. At least with FMS, the details for building your own interface is given by the software creators.

I have contacted the author of PreFlight for his interface data protocol, as I wanted to include PreFlight in my interfaces (see my web ). I was told that this will not be released, as he is still making money from selling the PreFlight interfaces.

My idea was to give everybody with current FMS PIC interfaces, a replacement chip that would allow their current interfaces to be configured for FMS or PreFlight. This would have been a big step in promoting PreFlight.

If one wants to go freeware with the software, I feel that so should the interface details as well. Most guys will rather use FMS, as there are a lot of different type of interfaces available on the net (from cheap printer port to the more costly PICs) at reasonable prices. FMS even supply plans for constructing your own interface with their package.

I hope PreFlight will become as popular as FMS, I feel competition is great, even between software creators. And we love to test new simulators all the time, always looking for the best (well, in my case, the best that's for free).