As per the title, is there a game out there that combines the progression and persistence of an online RPG, with the complicated flight mechanics of a flight sim? Elite with planes if you wish
If you are willing to play a game with a user installed client running alongside it, and if you are okay with a civilian non-combat flight sim RPG kind of experience, then the answer is
YES.
One example of what you are looking for is an application called
Flight Sim Economy (FSE):
http://www.fseconomy.net/
FSEconomy is an environment where flight simulation enthusiasts can add a new aspect to their flying. Since 2005, FSEconomy has allowed over 10,000 registered simulator pilots to earn in-game virtual money by flying general aviation aircraft to and from nearly every airport on Earth. With those virtual earnings, pilots can purchase their own airplanes, join or start virtual businesses with other members, operate FBOs, and more - all within the free world of FSEconomy. FSEconomy adds a new dimension to your flight simulation experience, and that doesn't even count all the people you will meet along the way.
It’s completely free to use and it works with FS2K4, FSX, FSX Steam, Xplane, and P3D. In short, FSE simulates a virtual pilot career. You start out with a zero bank balance and earn money by accepting jobs and renting planes to fly out of FBO’s in airports anywhere in the world. There are short range and long range jobs, flying passengers or cargo or supplies, even pre-packaged jobs to fly the big tube liners for pay, the idea is to make more money than the plane rental in order to earn a profit. Money in the bank will earn you monthly interest, and if you make enough money you can buy your own airplane (or even lots of them) from the used plane listings. Or, buy a plane and then try to sell it at a profit! But owning a plane comes with new costs too: paying for the fuel, regular maintenance, 100 hour engine inspections, and of course the occasional breakdowns. And if you really want a new level of challenge you can buy an FBO for sale and enter the realm of virtual flying business management, which incurs new costs and challenges. Or even buy the building supplies yourself and fly them into a vacant airport to build up your own fledgling FBO business from scratch.
I’ve been flying FSX with FSE for over ten years now and its completely changed the way I fly in flight simulator. FSE turns flight simulator into something very much like Euro Truck Simulator. It gives me a purpose to flying and provides the reasons to actually fly from airport to airport. It makes me care that I actually land safely in one piece, and it makes me care about the planes I’m flying in too.
For example, I own and operate three planes (a Maule, a Piper Supercub, and a Bellanca Scout) out of a little FBO called Hilltop Air Service (AK24) out of Chugiak, Alaska, just a bit northeast of Anchorage. It’s a small grass strip on a hilltop along a highway with water on one side and mountains on the other. I find the virtual business side of it fun and engaging, there is a lot of really great bush flying up in that area. Sometimes I’ll get the wanderlust and fly one of my planes down into the Pacific NW to go sightseeing flying in and out of small dirt strips, grabbing jobs along the way to make the flight profitable. Every now and then I’ll want to fly something other than what I own so I’ll just rent a different plane from anywhere else in the world for some variety and do a few jobs in a new location.
FSE can be either a very easy going relaxing way to add some RPGness to flight sim, or it can be a very intensive challenging. The whole system is set up to be very flexible and accommodating while still providing a lot of difficulty if you want it. I personally love it, and I still can’t fathom why someone hasn’t come out with a flight sim that has a system like this built into it.
I honestly wish Elite had a bit more of FSE like mechanics built into it, making ship ownership more engaging while also providing pilots the means to own little pieces of the world to operate out of.