FliteSim.com took to their blog post earlier this week to announce the release of their Remote Yoke Sync and Yoke Mirrorring in X-Plane flight replay playbacks. Remote Yoke Sync makes remote cockpit collaboration possible across the world, and Yoke Mirroring aims to turn flight reviews into training tools.
A Small History Lesson
FliteSim.com is the designer of the CLS-60 and CLS-120 force feedback yokes for flight simulator platforms such as MSFS and X-Plane. Both yokes are the first ever 60 Newton modular force feedback control loading system yokes designed for home simulators. They cost “less than USD1,000” thanks to their refinement in manufacturing processes and meticulous engineering. It was designed to closely replicate the yoke behavior of a Cessna 172 aircraft and features two “industry-leading innovations”, a maximum pitch force of 60N (13.5lbs) and a realistic pitch travel of 165mm.
Its elder brother, the CLS-120 FFB yoke, features a maximum pitch force of 120N and has been designed to cater to the needs of sim enthusiasts who seek to pilot larger aircraft, such as the TBM 800/900, with the highest authenticity. Upgrading from the CLS-60 to the CLS-120 is quite straightforward and can be done using FliteSim.com’s online guides.
So what is Remote Yoke Sync?
Using the Force Feedback Motors in the CLS yoke modules, FliteSim.com has been able to introduce a unique feature where the actions on one yoke by a simmer are mimicked onto another yoke belonging to another user anywhere across the world. It literally synchronizes the moments between the two yokes and enables true shared cockpit environments. Due to limitations with MSFS, this feature is only available on the X-Plane sim platforms. In a five-minute-long video shared on their YouTube channel, two users located in Singapore and New Jersey connected their CLS-60/120 yokes over Zoom, and one user’s actions were accurately reflected on the other yoke.
These create really cool opportunities such as Remote Flight Instruction for better training and feedback, Shared Cockpit Training so two pilots can share the same cockpit with synchronized tactile feedback, and Community Engagement so sim enthusiasts can collaborate, instruct, or co-pilot over the internet with unparalleled realism.
How is it different from Yoke Mirroring?
Another neat feature that the FFB module enables is the Yoke Mirroring in replay playbacks. Thanks to X-Plane’s in-depth replay features and the metadata it contains, any recording that is played back can now be felt in the yokes themselves. The yokes can mirror the exact inputs that were provided during the actual flight. This turns the yoke further into a powerful training tool, as you can re-experience every flare, stall, and turn exactly as it was flown, can be used as an error diagnosis tool to pinpoint what went wrong, and simmers can relive their flights with full tactile feedback for enhanced immersion.
The team shared another short YouTube video showcasing the feature. A Cessna 172 aircraft is shown flying around in the sim, and every turn and pitch maneuver was mimicked by the yoke quite accurately. The entire video can be viewed below.
Closing Notes
A really cool and unique feature showcased by the team over at FliteSim.com, and one that has many applications in the sim and in the real world. Shared cockpit flights with these would be incredibly immersive. The yokes themselves cost around USD999.99 for the CLS-60 and USD1399.99 for the CLS-120, although both yokes are on sale for 10% off. For more flight sim-related news, announcements, releases, and more, do read our other pieces on FSNews.
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