# flightsimulator.guide

Site grounding for agents without the flightsimulator.guide repository: its seven charter files, unchanged except that headings sit two levels lower and every term id the pinned version defines, in the frontmatter blocks too, is followed by its label from the pinned version. The YAML blocks are therefore for reading, not parsing; the repo files are the source.

- Domain: flightsimulator.guide
- Pins: editorial-charter@1.3.1, portfolio-icp@1.0.0
- Repo: e04285c492c1b434d721759f186c9ad1647f582c (committed 2026-10-03T14:12:43-07:00)
- Built 2026-10-05T03:25:29+00:00
- Pages: https://taxonomy.tfw.bz/sites/flightsimulator.guide/

## BRAND.md

Version 1.1.1 · status draft · sha256 c02b10c089e2261eb9cbf716099e90695ca62896f595bf9ab44b87dd2bb93ed2

```yaml
charter: 1
version: 1.1.1
profile: editorial-charter@1.3.1
domain: flightsimulator.guide
status: draft
reviewed_by: ""
archetype: charter:brand-archetype-sage (sage)
claims:
  - id: c1
    text: Thomas Prommer founded flightsimulator.guide and is its publisher.
    basis: charter:claim-basis-documented (documented)
    source: about.manifest.json (entity.founder, foundingDate)
  - id: c2
    text: flightsimulator.guide is not affiliated with Microsoft, Sony or Google.
    basis: charter:claim-basis-documented (documented)
    source: about.manifest.json (copy.summary150)
  - id: c3
    text: Every compatibility claim is checked against the publisher's own documentation and dated.
    basis: charter:claim-basis-documented (documented)
    source: about.manifest.json (copy.summary150); src/lib/about-copy.mjs; content/en (all 17 pages carry accessed or checked dates)
  - id: c4
    text: The founder is a technology executive with 20 years of CIO/CTO-level experience.
    basis: charter:claim-basis-documented (documented)
    source: about.manifest.json (copy.summary150, history module); https://flightsimulator.guide/en/about/
```

### BRAND

#### Name and entity
Flight Simulator Guide (flightsimulator.guide), an independent reference for home flight simulation, published by Thomas Prommer. Entity home: https://flightsimulator.guide/en/about/ (`about.manifest.json`). Contact comms@flywheel.bz.

#### Promise
We match the control to the aircraft you fly and prove it works with your sim and platform, with a dated source for every compatibility claim.

#### Personality
The sage, in a reference-manual register: terse, procedural and precise, like a good checklist. It answers in the first line, then gives conditions, then steps. It claims no flight hours, licence or build history. Source: VOICE.md sections 1, 4 and 6, PRODUCT.md.

#### Visual pointers
Locked "Flight Plan Console" direction: see `DESIGN.md` and `design/tokens.json`. A cockpit instrument panel used at a desk, with quiet panes and visible active states.

#### Do / Don't
Do: put a "checked on" date on every compatibility table.
Do: tie each control recommendation to an aircraft type and platform.
Do: expand each acronym once per page.
Don't: claim "we tested", flight hours or pilot credentials.
Don't: restate retail product copy as advice, or put paid placement in compatibility tables.

## VOICE.md

Version 1.0.1 · status draft · sha256 9ed81997c7cca71197f28749d449ffe30fe3cc8c5512fa850174ae0c7f6b6b5f

```yaml
charter: 1
version: 1.0.1
profile: editorial-charter@1.3.1
domain: flightsimulator.guide
status: draft
reviewed_by: ""
register: charter:voice-register-practitioner (practitioner)
person: charter:voice-person-second (second person)
languages: [en, de, es, fr, pt]
addresses: [home-cockpit-builder]
essence: "Match the control to the aircraft, then prove compatibility with a dated source."
```

<!-- ASSUMED DEFAULT, 2026-09-17: recommended voice option 'a. Flight plan' from ~/reports/site-strategy/flightsimulator.guide.json, pending Tom's review in ~/reports/site-decisions/index.html. If Tom picks another voice this file is replaced. -->

### VOICE: Flight Simulator Guide (flightsimulator.guide)

> Loaded by /humanizer (Step 0) and the content publishing gate (drafting Step 1
> + humanizer Step 3). If absent, both fall back to generic mode.

#### 1. Identity & Register
- Voice owner / who speaks: the site, third person for facts, second person (you) for the reader. No named author yet; the byline is added later by a human.
- Register: practitioner (reference-manual register)
- Language/locale: en (source language; de, es, fr, pt translated, see section 9)
- One-line essence: "Match the control to the aircraft, then prove compatibility with a dated source."

#### 2. Audience
- Primary audience: sim pilots upgrading from gamepad to real controls
- Reader's job-to-be-done: choose, connect and bind flight controls that work with their sim and platform
- Assume they fly at least one sim and know basic aircraft parts. Always explain axes, bindings, platform limits and aviation acronyms on first use.

#### 3. Tone Axes  (mark where this voice sits)
- Formal   ●──────  Casual
- Authority ●──────  Peer
- Serious  ●──────  Playful
- Concise  ●──────  Expansive
- Default editorial_track: factual

#### 4. Person, POV & Cadence
- Person: second person, imperative for steps. Never 'we' or 'I'.
- Sentence rhythm: Short declarative sentences. Steps as numbered lists. Conditions as 'If X, do Y'.
- Paragraph length: 1 to 3 sentences, then a list or table.
- Structural tics to keep / avoid: Keep: compatibility tables with a 'checked on' date, one-line answers at the top. Avoid: long intros, jokes, story openings.

#### 5. Lexicon
- Preferred terms: yoke, stick, sidestick, HOTAS, throttle quadrant, rudder pedals, axis, binding, profile, compatible with, checked on
- Banned phrases (beyond humanizer's generic list): 'immersive experience', 'take your sim to the next level', 'ultimate setup', 'game-changer', 'must-have', 'we tested', 'in our experience', 'best flight sim gear of the year'
- Capitalization & spelling rules: Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 (full name on first use, MSFS after), X-Plane 12, DCS World, HOTAS, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Cessna 172, Airbus A320neo, Google Earth Pro. Axis names lower case (pitch, roll, yaw).
- Domain-jargon level: High but defined. Readers like precise terms; each acronym expanded once per page.

#### 6. E-E-A-T / Experience Claims  (anchors gate Step 7)
- Authentic experience this voice can claim: None claimed until a named author exists. No flight hours, pilot licence or build history may be implied.
- Named author + bio source: none yet. Do not invent authors, reviewers or credentials. A human adds the byline before publish.
- Quantified credential for bios: to be filled by the human author when assigned. Leave blank rather than guess.
- Citation posture: Vendor compatibility pages, sim developer release notes and support articles, each dated. No forum posts as primary evidence.
- Original-data hooks this voice owns: Dated compatibility matrix (hardware x sim x platform), binding reference tables per sim.
- "What I got wrong" angle: Common, documented pitfalls: console compatibility that differs from PC, bindings reset after sim updates, USB power limits with many devices.

#### 7. Gold-Standard Examples  (few-shot anchor, highest leverage)
No pages are published yet. These are drafted anchors written for this proposal; replace them with verbatim paragraphs from the first two published pages.
- Example A (drafted for /en/flight-simulator-controls/): "A yoke suits airliners and light aircraft like the Cessna 172, because those aircraft have yokes. A stick suits fighters, aerobatic planes and many Airbus airliners, which use a sidestick. HOTAS (hands on throttle and stick) puts buttons on both the stick and a separate throttle, which matters in DCS and less in Microsoft Flight Simulator. Pick the control that matches what you fly most. Then add rudder pedals: without them, crosswind landings and taxiing depend on a twist axis or keyboard keys."
  - Why on-voice: answer tied to aircraft type, acronym expanded, ends with a concrete next step.
- Example B (drafted for /en/flight-simulator-controls/pc-flight-controls/): "Before you buy, check three things on the vendor's compatibility page: the sim, the platform and the date. A yoke listed for Microsoft Flight Simulator on PC may not work on Xbox, because Xbox only accepts licensed devices. X-Plane reads almost any USB joystick device, but profiles may need manual setup. Write down the model number and search the vendor page for it, not the product family name."
  - Why on-voice: procedural, dated-source discipline, exact platform distinction.

#### 8. Anti-References  (do NOT sound like)
- YouTube thumbnail hype ('INSANE home cockpit').
- Retail product copy restated as advice.
- Forum lore without a vendor source.

#### 9. Other Languages
Pages in de, es, fr and pt are translated from English with DeepL, then edited by a fluent reader. Keep the same facts, structure and tone axes. Register per language:
- **de:** du is common in German sim communities, but use Sie on this site for a reference-manual feel. Keep English software terms (Yoke, Throttle Quadrant, HOTAS) with a German gloss on first use: Steuerhorn, Schubhebel.
- **es:** tú, neutral Spanish. Keep 'yoke', 'HOTAS', 'rudder' in English with a gloss (pedales de timón) on first use.
- **fr:** vous. Use French aviation terms where pilots do: manche, palonnier, manette des gaz, with the English product term in parentheses.
- **pt:** você, Brazilian Portuguese. 'manche', 'pedais de leme', 'manete de potência', English product names untouched.
- All languages: keep product names, units and model numbers exactly as the vendor writes them. Do not translate UI labels that the reader will see in English inside the software or app; give the English label and a translation in parentheses on first use.

## STRATEGY.md

Version 1.0.1 · status draft · sha256 5119bceab2fa5c4c65f2b5135efaa89c93b6829666027b75eef3fbc0056b443a

```yaml
charter: 1
version: 1.0.1
profile: editorial-charter@1.3.1
domain: flightsimulator.guide
status: draft
reviewed_by: ""
mission_shape: charter:mission-shape-serve-x-to-achieve-y (serve X to achieve Y)
horizon: charter:horizon-12m (12 months)
positioning:
  primary: charter:positioning-axis-authority-depth (authority depth)
  secondary: [charter:positioning-axis-speed-of-answer (speed of answer)]
audiences:
  - kind: charter:audience-kind-consumer (consumer)
    name: Home cockpit builders
    segment: home-cockpit-builder
    job_to_be_done: Choose, connect and bind flight controls that work with their sim and platform.
profile_required: true
```

### STRATEGY

#### Mission
We help sim pilots upgrading from a gamepad choose, connect and bind flight controls that work with their sim and platform, so they buy hardware once.

#### Positioning
Authority depth first: compatibility lists differ by sim, platform and firmware, and the site wins by checking vendor documentation and dating it. Speed of answer second: every page answers in its first line and puts steps in lists and tables. We concede breadth of opinion and any hands-on authority until a named author exists. Source: briefs/strategy.md, VOICE.md.

#### Audiences
Home cockpit builders: sim pilots who fly Microsoft Flight Simulator, X-Plane or DCS with a gamepad or basic stick and want a yoke or HOTAS, rudder pedals, a throttle quadrant and maybe a cockpit frame. Frustration on approach or a new aircraft that needs more axes triggers the upgrade. They know at least one sim and basic aircraft parts; axes, bindings, platform limits and aviation acronyms need explaining. Source: `briefs/strategy.md` (ICP a, an assumed default pending review), PRODUCT.md. New Microsoft Flight Simulator players and casual browser flyers were the alternatives not chosen.

#### Competitors
Vendor shops and their product pages, YouTube setup videos and flight sim forums. Retail copy restated as advice. Source: briefs/strategy.md, VOICE.md section 8.

#### What we will not do
No invented benchmarks, pilot credentials or "we tested" claims. No unsourced compatibility or price tables. No paid placement in compatibility tables. No affiliate links or ad slots go live until the owner confirms. Sources: PRODUCT.md, briefs/strategy.md.

#### Bets for the horizon
1. Publish the dated compatibility matrix (hardware by sim by platform) and keep it current after sim updates (moves content_engaged).
2. Win flight simulator controls queries with answer-first pages (moves gsc_clicks).
3. Get the five-language page set indexed (moves pages_indexed).

## AUDIENCE.md

Version 1.1.1 · status draft · sha256 b6d58affa88e2297b0fca79eb86faa508374c848b222f81b0cbc9777f5fda241

```yaml
charter: 1
version: 1.1.1
profile: editorial-charter@1.3.1
domain: flightsimulator.guide
status: draft
reviewed_by: ""
segments:
  - slug: home-cockpit-builder
    name: Home cockpit builders
    kind: charter:audience-kind-consumer (consumer)
    archetype: icp:gear-buyer-enthusiast (Gear-buying enthusiast)
    priority: charter:segment-priority-primary (primary)
    job_to_be_done: Choose, connect and bind flight controls that work with their sim and platform.
    funnel_stages: [charter:funnel-stage-consideration (consideration), charter:funnel-stage-decision (decision), charter:funnel-stage-retention (retention)]
    languages: [en]
    regions: [US]
    pains:
      - Compatibility lists differ by sim, platform and firmware.
      - Hardware is often out of stock or region-limited.
      - Bindings reset after sim updates.
      - Forum advice assumes the reader knows the terms.
    channels: [charter:channel-organic-search (organic search), charter:channel-social-video (social video), charter:channel-community (community)]
    entry_paths: ["/en/flight-simulator-controls/*"]
    evidence:
      default: {basis: charter:evidence-basis-researched (researched), source: "briefs/strategy.md (ICP a, home cockpit builder); briefs/keywords.json; PRODUCT.md", as_of: 2026-10-03}
```

### AUDIENCE

#### Home cockpit builders
Sim pilots upgrading from a gamepad or basic stick to real controls. They compare controls against the aircraft they fly, check exact platform compatibility (PC, Xbox, PS5) and plan desk space before buying. They read reference pages beside a running sim session and come back after updates reset their bindings. No size figure is recorded: the brief's search volumes come from planning data that nobody has read from a named system in this run. Source: briefs/strategy.md, PRODUCT.md.

#### Excluded audiences
Not written for: readers who want hype or a "best gear of the year" ranking, and readers who want paid recommendations. Casual browser flyers are covered by a few pages but are not a segment. Source: STRATEGY.md section What we will not do, briefs/strategy.md.

## MONETIZATION.md

Version 1.0.1 · status draft · sha256 a264b89c0eb4cb3b9ecce40707af54257eebcaf35db4b8993fc78f4ad8dd9685

```yaml
charter: 1
version: 1.0.1
profile: editorial-charter@1.3.1
domain: flightsimulator.guide
status: draft
reviewed_by: ""
revenue_lines:
  - slug: affiliate-hardware
    name: Hardware affiliate links
    type: charter:revenue-type-affiliate (affiliate)
    partner: {name: Thrustmaster and Amazon Associates, entity: null, program_url: null}
    program_status: charter:program-status-assumed (assumed)
    commission_model: charter:commission-model-revshare-percent (revenue share)
    placements: [charter:placement-type-inline-link (inline link)]
    segments: [home-cockpit-builder]
    kpi_key: affiliate_clicked
    status: charter:revenue-status-idea (idea)
    share_band: charter:revenue-share-band-core (core)
    start_trigger: Owner confirms affiliate links on controls, cockpit and setup pages
    evidence:
      default: {basis: charter:evidence-basis-assumed (assumed), source: "agent draft 2026-10-03 from briefs/strategy.md (assumed default monetization a, pending review); program pages listed there were not read in this run", as_of: 2026-10-03}
  - slug: display-ads
    name: Display ads on software explainers
    type: charter:revenue-type-display-ads (display ads)
    commission_model: charter:commission-model-rpm (RPM)
    placements: [charter:placement-type-display-slot (display slot)]
    segments: [home-cockpit-builder]
    kpi_key: ad_revenue_recorded
    status: charter:revenue-status-idea (idea)
    share_band: charter:revenue-share-band-minor (minor)
    start_trigger: Owner confirms ads and the site reaches the session threshold of the chosen network
    evidence:
      default: {basis: charter:evidence-basis-assumed (assumed), source: "agent draft 2026-10-03 from briefs/strategy.md (assumed default monetization a)", as_of: 2026-10-03}
```

### MONETIZATION

#### Revenue model
The assumed default in `briefs/strategy.md` pairs disclosed hardware affiliate links on controls, cockpit and setup pages with display ads on software explainers. Both lines are ideas until the owner confirms. Nothing is live and no rate or threshold is recorded here.

#### Disclosure rules
Each affiliate link carries a disclosure next to it, not only in a footer (FTC). German pages label affiliate links "Anzeige" or "Werbung" near the link. Compatibility tables stay editorial and are never paid. Source: briefs/strategy.md.

#### Not monetised
No paid placement in compatibility tables, and the "how to choose" logic does not depend on which vendor pays. Source: briefs/strategy.md.

#### Hardware affiliate links
An idea only. Manufacturer programs (the brief names Thrustmaster) and Amazon for widely stocked sticks, yokes and pedals. The program pages were not read in this run, so program_status is assumed and no commission figure is recorded.

#### Display ads on software explainers
An idea only. Ads on software explainer and Google Earth pages, which carry readers outside the core segment. No network is chosen.

## KPI.md

Version 1.0.1 · status draft · sha256 7d807c8e81168f17dc5ae75ab2e5231fd9338f640ca0d3b711400405bd3e5e8e

```yaml
charter: 1
version: 1.0.1
profile: editorial-charter@1.3.1
domain: flightsimulator.guide
status: draft
reviewed_by: ""
template: charter:kpi-template-editorial-traffic (editorial traffic)
template_override: ""
kpis:
  - {key: pageview_recorded, role: charter:kpi-role-primary (primary)}
  - {key: gsc_clicks, role: charter:kpi-role-secondary (secondary)}
  - {key: gsc_impressions, role: charter:kpi-role-secondary (secondary)}
  - {key: avg_position, role: charter:kpi-role-secondary (secondary)}
  - {key: content_engaged, role: charter:kpi-role-secondary (secondary)}
  - {key: newsletter_subscribed, role: charter:kpi-role-secondary (secondary)}
  - {key: affiliate_clicked, role: charter:kpi-role-secondary (secondary)}
  - {key: crawl_errors, role: charter:kpi-role-guardrail (guardrail)}
  - {key: pages_indexed, role: charter:kpi-role-guardrail (guardrail)}
catalog_sha: 4304fc97e9ac457725bdc25dcbb724c36257a707cbb3c237b69cd3e7ba04ac39
```

### KPI

#### Why these metrics
pageview_recorded is the primary: the site is a noindex preview, and both planned revenue lines need traffic before they pay. gsc_clicks, gsc_impressions and avg_position show whether answer-first controls pages win their queries against vendor shops. content_engaged shows whether readers use the compatibility matrix and binding tables. newsletter_subscribed is kept from the template for a future list. affiliate_clicked reads zero until the owner allows affiliate links. crawl_errors and pages_indexed are the guardrails for a five-language page set.

#### Reading guide
Read the primary weekly against the `(site)` value target in kpi-mgmt once the owner sets one; none exists yet. Rising impressions with flat clicks point at titles and snippets. Fix a rise in crawl_errors or a drop in pages_indexed before reading anything else.

#### Review cadence
Quarterly, with the 12-month bets in STRATEGY.md.

## taxonomy/binding.yaml

Version 1.0.1 · status draft · sha256 aca13fb2d02a35cff0891b36dd0ef4c8c09257c8c49516ca090f971fd58acaf2

```yaml
charter: 1
version: 1.0.1
profile: editorial-charter@1.3.1
domain: flightsimulator.guide
status: draft
reviewed_by: ""
iab_content: ["iab:680", "iab:596"]
icp_profile: portfolio-icp@1.0.0
content_profile: null
languages: [en, de, es, fr, pt]
regions: [US, DE, ES, FR, BR]
```