Earlier today, we released an updated version of Local Legend 19: Focke-Wulf Fw 200 Condor. You can read the release notes on our forums here[forums.flightsimulator.com], and the update is available for download now via the Content Manager.

Last week in Cologne, Germany, we were thrilled to provide hundreds of gamescom attendees with the opportunity to try Microsoft Flight Simulator at our booth! Check out some of the photos of the event here:

Finally, on a more somber note, our team was saddened to learn of the recent passing of Derek Davis. For nearly 20 years, Derek has been serving the hobbyist flight simulation community as editor-in-chief of PC Pilot magazine[www.key.aero]. He will be sorely missed by all who knew him and enjoyed his work, and the MSFS team would like to pass on our most sincere condolences to his family and friends. Blue skies and tailwinds!

- MSFS Team

Click here to continue reading the Development Update![www.flightsimulator.com]

Happy anniversary! Earlier this week, we marked four years since the launch of Microsoft Flight Simulator on August 18, 2020. To celebrate the occasion, we released four short videos showing all the updates from the past four years. For a trip down memory lane, you can watch the videos at the following links:

• Year One
• Year Two
• Year Three
• Year Four

Earlier today, we released World Update XVIII: Germany, Austria, and Switzerland[www.flightsimulator.com] and the accompanying Local Legend 19: Focke-Wulf Fw 200 Condor[www.flightsimulator.com]. The World Update is a FREE download from the in-sim Marketplace, and you can add the Condor to your hangar for the usual price of USD $14.99 (or less if you have the discount for owning the Deluxe or Premium Deluxe editions of Microsoft Flight Simulator).

If you missed the earlier announcement, we are currently running a Marketplace sale on the Top-Rated scenery add-ons as selected by you, the community. Check out the Marketplace section below for more information.

Click here to continue reading the Development Update![www.flightsimulator.com]

The Fw 200 was a record-setting airliner in a class of its own!

The 1920s and 1930s witnessed incredible advances in aircraft innovation and accomplishments. One of the highlights of this era was transatlantic travel, as exemplified by Charles Lindbergh’s solo transatlantic journey in May of 1927. The nascent airline industry, inspired by rapidly evolving technology, sought to offer transatlantic service, and started with airships. In October of 1928, the Graf Zeppelin completed the first commercial transatlantic passenger flight in history. The massive airship lifted off from Friedrichshafen, Germany and flew to Lakehurst, New Jersey, USA completing the journey in 111 hours and 44 minutes.

Continue reading about Local Legend 19: The Focke-Wulf Fw 200 Condor![www.flightsimulator.com]

World Update XVIII provides pilots the highest resolution yet for the stunning scenery of Germany, Austria, and Switzerland!

Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, collectively known as DACH (Deutschland, Austria, Confoederatio Helvetica), offer an incredibly diverse array of landscapes and architecture to explore. Highlights include the Swiss Alps, mountain lakes, expansive forests, historic castles and cathedrals, and modern architectural feats.

The Microsoft Flight Simulator team partnered with Bing Maps, Vexcel Imaging, Maxar Technologies, Gaya Simulations, and Orbx Simulation Systems to bring these countries to the Microsoft Flight Simulator world in all-new ways. The update serves as a fusion of recent aerial photographs, digital elevation models, TIN (triangulated irregular network) surface modeling, hand-crafted points of interest, and airports.

Continue reading about World Update XVIII![www.flightsimulator.com]

Enjoy discounted pricing during our Top-Rated Scenery Sale!

For seven days starting on August 20th, save up to 63% on the following items:
 

To purchase these discounted items, visit the Microsoft Flight Simulator Marketplace, select ‘Featured’, scroll down to ‘Special Offers’, then select ‘See All’ and look for the savings.

The sale runs from 10am PDT (1700 UTC) on Tuesday, August 20th, 2024 through 10am PDT (1700 UTC) on Tuesday, August 27th, 2024.

A few days from now we will celebrate the fourth anniversary of the release of Microsoft Flight Simulator on August 18, 2020. From all of us on the team, we want to share a message of sincere gratitude to everyone in the flight sim community for making the last four years truly special. Whether you're a long-time veteran sim pilot, someone brand new to the hobby, a third-party developer, or a content creator, it's because of YOU that we've been able to deliver four years of ongoing support at a sustained rate of nearly two major releases per month since 2020. Stay tuned to our Instagram[www.instagram.com], TikTok[www.tiktok.com], and YouTube channels for some special anniversary videos over the next few days!

Earlier today, we released a small update to Local Legend 18: Westland Scout & Wasp. You can read the release notes on our forums here[forums.flightsimulator.com].

We hosted our latest Developer Livestream on Twitch yesterday. If you weren't able to watch it live, you can catch up on everything you missed by watching the VOD on YouTube below:

In addition to answering many questions from the community, the panel of Jorg, Seb, and Martial also shared new information about the following topics:

• World Update 18: Germany, Austria, Switzerland
• Local Legend 19: Focke-Wulf Fw 200 Condor
• Aircraft & Avionics Update 3
• Famous Flyer 10: Boeing 707-320C
• World Update 19: Brazil
• And much more!

This was the last monthly Developer Livestream that will focus primarily on Microsoft Flight Simulator (2020). Starting next month, we're very excited to begin sharing much more information about Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 with you during the lead-up to its launch on November 19!

Finally, some of our team members will be on the show floor at Gamescom in Cologne, Germany next week. If you're attending this event, be sure to stop by the Microsoft Flight Simulator area and say hello! It's always a genuine thrill for us to meet members of the flight simulation community!

- MSFS Team

Click here to continue reading the Development Update![www.flightsimulator.com]

Earlier today, we released a small update which contains the latest navdata and another round of improved airports from community members participating in the World Hub closed alpha test. You can see the full notes, including a list of every updated airport, on our forums here[forums.flightsimulator.com].

As we announced last week, our panel of Jorg, Seb, and Martial will be discussing Microsoft Flight Simulator and answering many of the community's most frequently-asked questions during our next Developer Livestream on Wednesday, August 14 at 10:30am PDT (1730 UTC).  As always, this event will be broadcast live on our Twitch channel[twitch.tv]. If you would like to pre-submit a question to the panel in advance, you can do so using this web form[forms.microsoft.com]. For those of you who plan on attending the livestream, we'll see you in Twitch chat next week! If you won't be able to watch live, we will upload the recording to our YouTube channel so you can watch at another time of your convenience.

- MSFS Team

Click here to continue reading the Development Update![www.flightsimulator.com]

For simmers in the Northern Hemisphere, July and August are frequent vacation months. To anyone currently enjoying time off work or school, we wish you a happy and restful break! We hope you're able to enjoy some quality time in the virtual skies of Microsoft Flight Simulator!

Our team is currently working hard on the upcoming Sim Update 16 (tentatively scheduled for September 5) and, of course, the November 19 launch of Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024! Even though everyone is super focused on these two upcoming releases, our panel of Jorg, Seb, and Martial will be taking the time to talk to the community and answer many of your most frequently-asked questions during our next Developer Livestream on Wednesday, August 14 at 10:30am PDT (1730 UTC).  As always, this event will be broadcast live on our Twitch channel[twitch.tv]. If you would like to pre-submit a question to the panel in advance, you can do so using this web form[forms.microsoft.com].

- MSFS Team

Click here to continue reading the Development Update![www.flightsimulator.com]

Earlier this week, we released World Update XVII: United Kingdom & Ireland. This update includes 16 TIN cities, 79 Points of interest (POIs), and 5 handcrafted airports. As with all World Updates, it is available to download for FREE from the in-sim Marketplace.

Also this week, we launched Local Legend 18: Westland Scout & Wasp. These two Cold War-era British military helicopters come together in a bundle from the in-sim Marketplace for USD $14.99. You can read more about the Scout and Wasp on our website.

We also recently released a small update for Local Legend 16: Short SC.7 Skyvan. This update is available from Content Manager.

Whether you’re exploring Ireland and the UK with the new World Update, flying the Fisk arrival into KOSH, or visiting any other part of the world, we wish everyone happy flying this July weekend! The sky is calling!

- MSFS Team

Click here to continue reading the Development Update![www.flightsimulator.com]