Gathered for Passion, Moving Forward with Original Aspiration: The Journey of Rowsfire and XPlorePilots (Including Full Interview)

When Rowsfire first entered the field of flight simulation peripherals, it once faced difficulties: its products were barely known, and even questioned due to "affordable pricing" — "Can they really produce qualified flight simulation peripherals? It’s so cheap; it must be a scam, right?" To break this distrust and allow users to see the real product quality before purchasing, we decided to proactively reach out to professional flight simulation bloggers on YouTube, sending them products for free to conduct objective reviews. This was not only to build trust but also to ensure every potential user could make a purchase with confidence. Thus, we contacted XPlorePilots, who was extremely enthusiastic and offered to help us with this for free. We have since collaborated on two products, the A107 and A103. As our collaboration became more frequent, we gradually learned that XPlorePilots does not only operate a YouTube channel but also quietly contributes a great deal to the aviation industry — all of which is free of charge. Below is the full in-depth interview with XPlorePilots, from which one can gain a deeper understanding of his passion and commitment to aviation.

You mentioned you’re an IT professional — how have skills like web development and system maintenance helped you turn the idea of a "flight community" into xplorepilots.com and your YouTube channel? Was there any IT skill that unexpectedly became a "secret weapon" for running the community?

Being an IT professional is a huge advantage when it comes to online projects. I’ve spent more than 30 years working as a programmer, system administrator, helpdesk technician, R&D lead, web designer, and image/video editor — so all of those skills have helped me a lot.

I don’t have any "secret weapon"; it’s simply my passion for aviation and my desire to share it so others can enjoy it as much as I do.

IT work is already fast-paced — how do you integrate your day job and the flight community into your life? For example, have there been moments where you coded during the day and edited flight tutorials at night? Is switching between these roles exhausting for you, or does it feel like a way to unwind?

The time I dedicate to my YouTube channel and the community is simply part of my passion for aviation, and I manage it within my free time.

I started the channel making videos about X-Plane and helping people transition from other Flight Simulators — configuring scenery (scenery refers to scenes in flight simulation), aircraft parameters, and so on. Later, I began teaching how to fly as realistically as possible. Back then, I uploaded one video per day, although with time I had to reduce it to one per week due to lack of time.

Since I barely edited the videos and thanks to my technical background, I could record enough content for an entire week in just one day.

Today, I invest more time in each video. For example, reviewing a Rowsfire product can take almost a week: testing it, recording, editing, publishing, and also answering questions both on YouTube and Discord.

When did you first get into flight simulation? During that first time you "took control of a plane" at your computer, was there a specific detail (like the sound of the engine or the tremor of takeoff/landing) that made you think, "This is a world I want to stay immersed in forever"?

I started when my older brother bought a computer for his computer-science studies, right when the first Microsoft Flight Simulator was released.

It was a monochrome green screen full of incomprehensible elements, along with an English manual (which I couldn’t understand because I was too young). Little by little, I learned what each button did and what each instrument meant. That’s when my interest in this fascinating world began.

Many people keep their love of flight to themselves, but you turned yours into "helping others enjoy it too." What was the turning point that made you go from "flying alone" to "leading a group of fellow pilots"?

Over time, from the early days of flight simulation, new platforms and communities emerged where we shared our knowledge. Flight groups began forming, eventually becoming virtual airlines and online flight networks — and everything evolved very quickly.

This led many of us, who didn’t even know each other, to start meeting up to fly together. We even organized events at airports where we combined real flights with flight simulation, always with good food and lots of stories.

As the culmination of all of this, I created the YouTube channel and built my own virtual airline and flight school to help people develop a passion for aviation and share my knowledge and experience.

From 2016 to now, all your tutorials and community support have been free — people must have asked "why not charge" before. What did you think in those moments? Was there a specific instant that made you feel, "Doing this for free is completely worth it"?

A lot of people have asked me why I’ve never charged for what I do.

My answer is simple: flight simulation and aviation are very small niches, and this is a hobby for me. I’ve never considered charging for it.

I only earn income from YouTube and from voluntary donations from people who support me through Patreon, PayPal, etc. But I’ve never intended to monetize my work.

I always say that if I wanted to make money, I would’ve created a gaming channel — Minecraft, Roblox, or something similar.

A flight-simulation community will never reach huge numbers; if someone does this for money, they’ll end up losing more than they earn.

When someone from the community tells me that I inspired their passion for aviation and they decided to pursue a PPL (Private Pilot License) — or even when some have completed their ATPL (Airline Transport Pilot License) and are now flying an A320 in real life — that’s the best reward I could receive, and it makes me feel that doing this for free is completely worth it.

Running the community, editing videos, replying to messages… these things take up so much of your personal time. Have there been moments when you were so tired you wanted to pause? Did a fan’s message pull you through, or was it a personal obsession that you "had to see this through"?

My family knows very well how passionate I am about aviation. Since I always prioritize my family above everything else, I’ve never had any issues related to this.

Some people spend their free time watching TV or relaxing; I invest mine in my passion for flying.

And it’s not my only hobby — I also enjoy boating, mountain biking, and other activities.

You’ve poured so much energy into the community — what was your family’s initial attitude? Were there times they didn’t understand why you spent so much time on something that’s free?

As I mentioned earlier, my family knows about my passion for aviation and they know that they are always my top priority.

In my free time, this is what I enjoy doing, and I would do it even if I didn’t have a community.

Is there a small family moment that made you realize, "They’re actually supporting me quietly"? Like them secretly watching your videos, or leaving you a cup of coffee while you edit late at night?

I insist on what I said earlier: since they understand my passion, for them it’s as normal as when I go cycling for 80 km or spend a day sailing.

You mentioned some students went from your virtual flight school all the way to earning a real ATPL license and becoming commercial pilots — what was your reaction when you heard that news? In your view, what’s the most precious connection between virtual flight and real-world aviation?

When someone from the community tells me that I inspired their passion for aviation and they decided to pursue a PPL — or even when some have completed their ATPL and are now flying an A320 in real life — that’s the best reward I could receive.

The connection between simulated flight and real aviation is very close; in fact, real pilots train in simulators where they practice maneuvers and emergencies.

My community also includes real pilots, who share their professional technical knowledge and interesting insights.

Your community has over 1,000 pilots — how do you think the "human touch" of this circle differs from other hobby communities? For example, has there been a story where someone had equipment issues in the middle of the night, and others jumped online right away to help remotely?

My community has over 17,000 YouTube subscribers, with more than 1,000 participating in Discord and the Virtual Airline.

I set a limit of 1,000 members in the airline because every week I have to validate flights, answer questions, and even conduct proficiency tests that can take more than two hours each.

The flight simulation community has a strong "human touch," and everyone supports each other. For example, if someone has equipment problems late at night, others will immediately go online to help remotely. We also organize group flights, online competitions, all to enjoy the joy of flying together.

Your website has a virtual airline and flight school; your YouTube channel has not just tutorials but "co-pilot livestreams" — these content choices feel like you’re trying to convey a certain "value system." What do you want people to feel when they engage with XPlorePilots?

People join XplorePilots to learn how to fly and because they share a passion for aviation.

We all help each other, answer questions, share experiences, and also fly together on online networks.

We also host many events: group flights, online-network activities, competitions… I hope people can feel the shared passion for aviation here, as well as the warmth of mutual support.

Over the years, is there an unfulfilled small ambition you have? Like launching a specific project, helping a particular group of people, or watching the community grow into a new kind of space?

Yes. I don’t have a private pilot license, although I’ve been fortunate enough to fly and even handle aircraft controls, always with an instructor. I’ve always wanted to get the license and document the whole process on the channel: exams, flight training, and everything involved.

Aviation is not a cheap hobby, and as I always say, my priority is my family. I haven’t had the time or the financial opportunity to pursue the license and record the process.

But aviation has no age limit, so I don’t rule out doing it in the future.

Many people want to "use their passion to help others" too, but they’re scared no one will notice or that they can’t keep going — what do you want to tell these people who are just starting out?

Don’t be afraid. Many people are scared of joining an online flight network, but the only way to learn is to dive in and make mistakes. The good thing about the flight-simulation community is that we usually help each other.

And although, like everywhere else, there can be the occasional toxic person, overall the community is very supportive. As long as you stick to your passion and share it wholeheartedly, you will always meet people who resonate with you.

Do you want to keep things as they are in the future, or do you hope XPlorePilots grows into a community that can run on its own, even without you?

In fact, many people who have been part of XplorePilots have eventually created their own communities, using XplorePilots as their starting point.

For example, one of our members created his own community and launched a VFR (Visual Flight Rules) World Tour: every week we flew from a different airport, going around the world for months until returning to the starting point. After finishing the VFR tour, he created an IFR (Instrument Flight Rules) version, and we join whenever we can to enjoy our passion together.

Wherever we are, the goal is to enjoy our passion — the one that brings us together — whether it’s in XplorePilots or anywhere else. So I don’t deliberately pursue making the community "operate without me"; as long as people can continue to gather because of their passion for aviation, that’s more than enough.

I want to mention finally that I have always focused on the Spanish-speaking community because I am Spanish and my native language is Spanish. Although I know "some" English and can get by in daily communication, it has never been my strong suit. Many people and subscribers have suggested that I create content in English, as it would allow me to reach more people and gain more subscribers. However, since I don’t feel fully comfortable due to not mastering the language, I’ve always preferred to focus on the Spanish-speaking community to ensure smoother communication and sharing with everyone.

For Rowsfire, meeting a partner like XPlorePilots is not only a source of inspiration but also a profound revelation. Sometimes, when people go too far, they tend to forget their original aspiration — we initially decided to enter the field of flight simulation peripherals because we love flight simulation, and we noticed that overhead panels on the market were expensive and there was no product suitable for desktop placement. We wanted to contribute our part to the aviation industry.

Rowsfire has encountered a lot of doubts and criticism along the way. As "newcomers" who are turning passion into a career for the first time, we only then realized that there are so many aspects to consider: we may overlook details in product development, or make mistakes in quality control — every small error may lead to major consequences. Fortunately, we have never walked alone: we have partners like XPlorePilots who provide unpaid support, and countless aviation enthusiasts who have given us encouragement and tolerance. They proactively offer suggestions and are willing to grow with us. Here, we want to sincerely say: Thank you to all the "family members" who support Rowsfire!

In the future, Rowsfire will stay true to our original aspiration of loving aviation, always focusing on creating flight simulation peripherals with the highest cost-performance. We will actively listen to the suggestions of every user, continuously optimize our products and processes, and make everyone’s flight simulation experience more comfortable and immersive. We will move forward firmly on this path together with all fellow travelers who love aviation.