Weâve seen a few questions recently about Talking Flight Monitorâs $10/month subscription â whether itâs too expensive, whether itâs justified, and what exactly users are paying for.
These are valid questions. So hereâs a clear look at what TFM actually offers, how it compares to the wider flight sim landscape, and why we believe the price reflects the value.
đ« What TFM Actually Does
Talking Flight Monitor (TFM) isnât just a screen reader overlay or a set of keyboard shortcuts. Itâs a full accessibility suite for blind and print-disabled simmers, giving real-time control of some of the most complex aircraft in Microsoft Flight Simulator â including the PMDG 737 and 777.
That means:
- Full CDU/FMC programming
- MCP and autopilot interaction (speed, altitude, heading, VNAV, LNAV)
- Real-time ILS tracking (glideslope and localiser)
- Monitoring fuel, flaps, gear, radios, transponder, and more
- Keyboard-driven access to dozens of systems â with speech and Braille output
This is the same level of control that real-world pilots train on. PMDG aircraft arenât games â theyâre systems-level simulations. TFM is what makes them flyable for blind simmers, and it does so without dumbing them down.
đ” What Sighted Simmers Typically Pay
Letâs put it in perspective:
- PMDG aircraft range from $35 (737-600) to $77 (full 777 variants).
- Scenery for a single airport can cost $5â25, just to improve visuals or gate layout accuracy.
- Other tools like Navigraph and first officer copilot are also paid subscriptions or purchases respectively.
Blind simmers usually avoid visual add-ons â but we still need deep aircraft systems access. Thatâs where TFM fits in.
Some have argued that blind simmers are now being asked to spend more than ever before because of TFM â but that doesn’t reflect the bigger picture. In reality, flight simulation is cheaper today than it’s ever been. Microsoft Flight Simulator itself is available through Game Pass, and high-quality aircraft like the PMDG 737-600 can be purchased for around $35 â prices that were unthinkable a few years ago. Yes, TFM is a paid addon, but so are nearly all tools used by serious sighted simmers. This is an expensive hobby by nature, and realism comes at a cost. What TFM offers is the same kind of system depth and immersion sighted pilots pay for â now made accessible.
You may also believe that the subscription seems high compared to other accessibility tools â and thatâs a fair observation. But the reality is, weâre serving a niche within a niche. Flight simulation itself is a specialised hobby, and blind flight simming even more so. We donât have the market scale, funding base, or commercial reach that larger platforms do. Some users are content with more gamified aircraft experiences, and thatâs completely valid â not everyone wants or needs full realism. But that also means we canât depend on high user volume. If we want to offer deep, system-level access to complex aircraft, there has to be a charge to keep that sustainable.
đĄ So Why Charge $10/month?
In short: to keep the project alive and evolving.
This isnât a fire-and-forget product. MSFS updates break things. PMDG updates change variables. FSUIPC evolves. We need to keep up â and that means active development.
Our backend infrastructure alone â servers, licensing, secure payments, legal compliance, plugin support â costs around $260/month just to break even. Thatâs about 25 users. No salaries, no profit. Even the project leads work voluntarily.
Charging also gives us the ability to do things we simply couldnât otherwise â like building more advanced features and representing the blind simming community at major events like FlightSimExpo. Travel is expensive, and thereâs no sponsorship behind us. Just the hotel for Expo this year is over $1,200, and the total cost is expected to reach around $2,000 â the equivalent of two and a half monthsâ income for one of our team. Even after TFM covers its basic operating costs, any remaining expenses are still being covered personally. Thereâs no financial cushion, no big budget â just a belief that this work matters enough to keep pushing forward.
Youâre not paying for branding â youâre paying to cold-and-dark start a 777, program a full international route, track ILS down to minimums, and fly like a pro.
âïž Quality Over Quantity
Weâre not aiming for 30 aircraft or every freeware mod. We focus on depth and realism. One high-quality aircraft flown properly beats dozens of shallow ones. These are aircraft real pilots train on â and now, blind pilots can too.
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A Word on Transparency
The transition to a payware model has, overall, gone well â but we wonât pretend itâs been flawless. There have been moments where our infrastructure or communication hasnât met the standard users rightly expect, and we acknowledge that openly. From early website access issues to inconsistent support response times, some of the frustrations shared have been valid. Weâre a small team, still fully voluntary, and while thatâs no excuse, it is context. If youâve been affected by those hiccups, we sincerely apologise. Weâre actively improving processes behind the scenes â from better licensing and support systems to clearer documentation â to make sure TFM delivers a consistent, reliable experience that lives up to what the community deserves.
TFM is still run by a voluntary team. No oneâs drawing a salary. The subscription model exists to make sure the project can keep going long-term, not to make money.
đ§ Final Thoughts
We understand that $10/month feels like a serious ask â and yes, itâs not cheap. But that doesnât make it overpriced. Flight simulation has always been an expensive hobby, and what TFM offers isnât a casual âfly-aroundâ experience. Weâve never claimed to offer that. This is about high-fidelity, real aircraft systems, flown as theyâre meant to be â and for that, we work with the platforms that make it possible. PMDGâs SDK, for example, gives us the access we need to build real immersion. Many other aircraft donât â either because the SDK is too limited, or the developers simply arenât willing. In fact, some, like FS Labs with their latest Airbus series, have stated outright that their aircraft arenât for visually impaired users. Thatâs disappointing, but itâs also the reality of working in a niche within a niche. We canât change that overnight â but we can keep building where weâre welcome, and push standards forward from there.
TFM wonât be right for everyone â and thatâs okay. But for blind pilots who want full cockpit realism and control, it offers something unique. Weâre here to open up cockpits that were never meant to be accessible and make them flyable.
Got feedback or questions? Weâre always happy to hear from you. And to everyone whoâs supported the project so far: thank you.
đ Download the latest official release here.