Evan Reiter Share Posted November 23, 2020 As Microsoft Flight Simulator (MSFS) continues to mature and several of our members get more familiar with the new simulator, we'd like to use this thread to centralize the add-ons that improve a user's experience, both for the pilot flying the aircraft and the ATC managing the flight. From scenery to aircraft to utilities, please share your payware and freeware finds for MSFS so that we can help those in the community who are experiencing MSFS for the first time find the best resources. Here's how it works: If you've discovered a great add-on for MSFS, post on this thread with the following: What it is (title and brief description). Category (Aircraft, Scenery, Utility, Other). Price (Freeware or US$ Payware). Link to Product/Utility. We'll review each of the submitted add-ons and keep a post at the top of this thread up-to-date with additions recommended by members. Looking for suggestions for general add-ons, and software for other simulators? Use this thread. Evan Reiter Community Manager Administration Team Link to comment
Evan Reiter Author Share Posted November 23, 2020 BVA Member Recommendations: MSFS Add-Ons If you're setting up MSFS for the first time, check out the first-time setup instructions in our Getting Started Guide. This list is maintained by BVA pilot and controller @Jonathan Halverson. Aircraft Title/Description Description Price Link Working Title CJ4 Base aircraft improvement for the Cessna Citation CJ4 Free GitHub FBW A32NX Base aircraft improvement for the Airbus A320 NEO Free Developer Website MSFS C152 Base aircraft improvement for the Cessna 152 Free GitHub Working Title Avionics Mods Various improvements for the Garmin G1000, 3000, and 3X avionics suites Free GitHub Scenery Title/Description Description Price Link ZBW Class C Airport Updates Updates the taxiway signs and layouts for all of the Class C airports in ZBW airspace Free Google Drive KBDL LatinVFR scenery for KBDL (CT) $15.00 MSFS Marketplace or Developer Website KBOS Updates the visual model of the tower at KBOS Free FlightSim.to KALB Airport scenery for KALB (NY) Free FlightSim.to Bush League Legends Scenery for various small airports Free Developer Website KMVY Scenery for KMVY (MA). Adds Trade Wind Airport (MA34) and Katama Airpark (1B2) Free FlightSim.to KCON Scenery for KCON (NH) Free FlightSim.to Utilities Title/Description Description Price Link Navigraph Navigation Data from Jeppesen for your simulator. Paid subscription required. Varies Developer Website Unreal Weather Weather utility to force weather to match METARs Free Developer Website F2FF Connect MSFS to ForeFlight and other EFB solutions Free GitHub Other Title/Description Description Price Link Liveries Mega Pack Huge number of additional liveries for all base aircraft, some of which are community made and others which are AI aircraft liveries made flyable Free Developer Website . Evan Reiter Community Manager Administration Team Link to comment
Matthew Wurzbach Share Posted November 25, 2020 (edited) BSDesigns KCFD | Scenery for Coulter Field (KCFD) in Bryan, TX - Scenery - Freeware - https://www.msfsaddons.org/freeware/coulter-field-texas C152X Realism Mod | Base aircraft improvement for the Cessna 152, matches POH performance numbers and fixes cockpit switches - Aircraft - Freeware - https://github.com/DRF30q/C152X Caranado PA44 Seminole | Piper PA-44 Seminole, fidelity is medium, visuals are good, good framerate, aircraft performance decently matches POH numbers, low system depth, some bugs, only piston twin without a G1000/G3000 available - Aircraft - $29.99 - in-game Catalog FlyByWire A320NX | Base aircraft improvement for the Airbus A320neo (like the Zibo 737 for XP11), still in beta but vast improvements have already been made - Aircraft - Freeware - https://flybywiresim.com/a32nx Liveries Mega Pack | Huge number of additional liveries for all base aircraft, some of which are community made and others which are AI aircraft liveries made flyable - Other (Livery) - Freeare - https://www.liveriesmegapack.com Navigraph Navdata (beta) | Beta test for Navigraph in MSFS, included with normal Navigraph subscription, link is in the forums and only works if you are registered and subscribed - EUR25.90/yr (navdata only); EUR8.30/mo (navdata and charts); EUR74,90/yr (navdata and charts) - https://forum.navigraph.com/c/msfs-beta/24 Paderborn-Lippstadt Airport | Aerosoft's free add-on for their home aiport, EDLP - Scenery - Freeware - in-game Catalog Unreal Weather | WX Utility (forces METAR data, I use this if the Live WX is not showing accurately) - Freeware - https://unrealweather.blogspot.com Working Title Cessna Citation CJ4 | Base aircraft improvement for the Cessna Citation CJ4, still in beta but vast improvements have already been made - Aircraft - Freeware - https://github.com/Working-Title-MSFS-Mods/fspackages Working Title G1000 | Improvement to all base G1000 implementations in stock aircraft, still in beta, some bugs - Freeware - https://github.com/Working-Title-MSFS-Mods/fspackages Working Title G3000 | Improvement to all base G3000 implementations in stock aircraft, still in beta, some bugs - Freeware - https://github.com/Working-Title-MSFS-Mods/fspackages World Update I/II | Free updates to Japan (I) and the United States (II), adds new handcrafted airports, POIs, city photogrammetry, terrain mesh, etc. - Freeware - in-game Catalog Edited November 25, 2020 by Matthew Wurzbach Link to comment
Matthew Wurzbach Share Posted November 25, 2020 Bush League Legends Scenery | Multiple airports and locales updated with a focus on bush flying and small STOL aircraft, ZBW locales include 35ME (Manticus Island) and KPVC (Provincetown) - Scenery - Freeware - https://www.bushleaguelegends.com/addons/msfs/msfs-scenery/msfs-scenery-usa Link to comment
Evan Reiter Author Share Posted November 25, 2020 Thanks for the suggestions @Matthew Wurzbach! I'll leave the thread for a few days to let others respond and/or provide commentary on your suggestions, then come back and update the table at the top. Evan Reiter Community Manager Administration Team Link to comment
David Burns Share Posted November 26, 2020 Don't forget Hartford/Springfield (Bradley) KBDL Scenery Upgrade from LVFR | Hand-made realistic ground markings, lighting, buildings, terminals, taxiways and aprons with accurate gate/parking. | $15.00 in MSFS Marketplace or LVFR KBDL Link to comment
Evan Reiter Author Share Posted November 26, 2020 Thanks David! Cross-posting the GitHub F2FF tool mentioned in Discord for eventual inclusion into the table: https://github.com/astenlund/fs2ff Evan Reiter Community Manager Administration Team Link to comment
Joel Kraft Share Posted November 29, 2020 (edited) Updated version of KASH for WINGS VFR #4 and #5 https://flightsim.to/file/778/boire-field-kash-nashua-nh-airport-update Updated version of 5B2, Saratoga Co. for WINGS IFR #9 and #10, https://flightsim.to/file/1680/saratoga-county-airport-5b2 Also, in addition to the other products mentioned by Matt, Working Title also produces the Garmin Touch Screen Gx which is great for the XCub, VL3, and others. https://github.com/Working-Title-MSFS-Mods/fspackages/releases/tag/gx-v0.1.0-dev3 Edited February 11, 2021 by Joel Kraft Link to comment
Evan Reiter Author Share Posted December 16, 2020 Cross-posting from Discord: What it is (title and brief description): MSFS CJ4 Update Category (Aircraft, Scenery, Utility, Other): Aircraft Price (Freeware or US$ Payware): Freeware Link to Product/Utility: https://github.com/Working-Title-MSFS-Mods/fspackages/releases/tag/cj4-v0.8.0 Evan Reiter Community Manager Administration Team Link to comment
Matthew Wurzbach Share Posted December 24, 2020 (edited) Update for the C152 mod, this is apparently the new community project that supplants the old C152X. Same concepts, freeware: https://github.com/JPLogistics/MSFS_C152/releases/ Generally, Flightsim.to already has hundreds of updated airports of all sizes from all over the world, all freeware. Some of the airports that are notable in the U.S. include: KGFL, KLGA, KDCA, KIAD, KBWI, KDAN, KDYL, KSMO, KUGN, 3N6, 4M7, KAPG, 2NC0, KGCN, KMSY, L35, KAVX, KEMT, and the Camp Robinson Maneuver Training Area, Some other international airports of note include: EGKK, EGGP, and EGPH (search Edinburgh). These are just some of the airports I thought had decent scenery, were located in interesting areas, or might be interesting to utilize on the network. Many airports in back country/bush regions are available, but that's just not flying I'm particularly interested in. If you like that kind of thing, Flightsim.to has dozens of airports of that type. Flightsim.to's search functions leave a bit to be desired, so you'll have to just type these airports in as search terms to find the airports in question. Edited December 24, 2020 by Matthew Wurzbach Link to comment
Emma Pollak Share Posted December 30, 2020 This is a scenery(?) add-on I made that updates the taxiway signs at all of the ZBW class C airports, and updates the layouts for the ones that need it (who knew airports change so much?). I guess the official title is "ZBW Class C Taxiway Update" which really rolls off the tongue. It's free, here's the link: https://drive.google.com/drive/u/0/folders/11EllYr7H9H19I2QcCc8vpikDGmbyUT_6 Link to comment
Joel Kraft Share Posted January 1, 2021 (edited) This add-on fixes elevation glitches throughout the world which may have been introduced in version 1.12.13.0, including those high peak anomalies visible just south of KSYR. What it is (title and brief description): Scenery Glitch Fixes for Update 1.12.13.0 Category (Aircraft, Scenery, Utility, Other): Scenery Price (Freeware or US$ Payware): Freeware Link to Product/Utility: https://flightsim.to/file/5198/elevation-fixes-around-the-world Edited January 20, 2021 by Joel Kraft Link to comment
Evan Reiter Author Share Posted January 18, 2021 Cross-posting from Discord: https://flightsim.to/file/5198/elevation-fixes-around-the-world Evan Reiter Community Manager Administration Team Link to comment
Joel Kraft Share Posted January 20, 2021 Freeware KALB updates "Modifications to KALB, Albany International Airport, to include updated runways, taxiway designations and taxiway signs, main terminal aprons and cargo ramp apron. the Precision Approach Path Indicators (PAPIs) were corrected. " https://flightsim.to/file/6527/kalb-albany-international-airport-albany-ny Link to comment
David Walden Share Posted March 2, 2021 (edited) Martha's Vineyard Airports A well needed fix for anyone flying in/out of KMVY. "v1.0KMVY completely reworked (apron, light, parking stand, building...)MA44 added only one hangar and a car (there is nothing more in real world)1B2 added few building and objects to make it more realistic" https://flightsim.to/file/9155/martha-s-vineyard-airports Edited March 2, 2021 by David Walden Link to comment
Jared Burns Share Posted March 4, 2021 On 11/26/2020 at 9:49 AM, David Burns said: Don't forget Hartford/Springfield (Bradley) KBDL Scenery Upgrade from LVFR | Hand-made realistic ground markings, lighting, buildings, terminals, taxiways and aprons with accurate gate/parking. | $15.00 in MSFS Marketplace or LVFR KBDL I love how they got the 103rd Airlift Wing C-130Hs in there too! Link to comment
Evan Reiter Author Share Posted May 18, 2021 @Jonathan Halverson note this recommendation from our Discord: https://flightsim.to/file/14351/kack-nantucket-memorial-airport-nantucket-ma-usa Evan Reiter Community Manager Administration Team Link to comment
James Taylor Share Posted July 3, 2021 What it is (title and brief description). Updated KMVY Category (Aircraft, Scenery, Utility, Other). Airport Price (Freeware or US$ Payware). Freeware Link to Product/Utility. https://flightsim.to/file/15609/proflight-kmvy-martha-s-vineyard What it is (title and brief description). Boston Tower Category (Aircraft, Scenery, Utility, Other). Scenery Price (Freeware or US$ Payware). Freeware Link to Product/Utility. https://flightsim.to/file/17269/boston-logan-kbos-control-tower-model Link to comment
Jeff Hadleigh Share Posted November 10, 2021 (edited) Heads up! The H2Air custom Boston Tower addon broke the terrain at KBOS pretty severely for me, I actually couldn't use a few taxiways as a result. Edit: Still broken after removing H2Air so I guess that's not the cause. May be another addon. Edit 2: It may be the ZBW Class C Airport Updates... not sure why. Edited November 12, 2021 by Jeff Hadleigh Link to comment
