I was vaguely reminded of something during a discussion about childhood flight games and sims. A classic "what sparked your interest in simulated aviation?" conversation. Many late nights ago, I searched for a helicopter game for Amiga personal computers produced by Commodore in the mid-1980s and early 1990s. To my surprise, I found what appeared to be the entire first level of the game uploaded to a website. Trying to figure out if this was piracy or video game preservation, I was confused to see that it was released on the PICO-8 game console, a platform I had never heard of in years of video game collecting. You can imagine my face when I finally realized this was a demake of the original game I remembered on a "fantasy game console." A brief search for more flight-related games pushed me deeper into the platform and left an impression on me. Front page of the official PICO-8 website. The development of PICO-8 as a platform is an unusual one. PICO-8 was created by Joseph "Zep" White and is a product of childhood nostalgia, combating boredom, and life of programming from New Zealand to Japan. It evolved from a design exercise referred to as LEX500 to practice for a general scripting component in its sister platform to an easy to access and program fantasy game console. Quoting the official website will describe what this concept is better than I can: "A fantasy console is like a regular console, but without the inconvenience of actual hardware. PICO-8 has everything else that makes a console a console: machine specifications and display format, development tools, design culture, distribution platform, community and playership. It is similar to a retro game emulator, but for a machine that never existed. PICO-8's specifications and ecosystem are instead designed from scratch to produce something that has its own identity and feels real. Instead of physical cartridges, programs made for PICO-8 are distributed on .png images that look like cartridges, complete with labels and a fixed 32k data capacity." Example of cartridge While remaining within the limitations of a 16-color display of 128x128 pixels and 4-channel audio output, PICO-8 programmers have created games in just about every genre possible. With either keyboard and mouse or USB gamepads, most of the flight titles in the PICO-8's cartridge library are flight-themed shoot'em ups or flight arcade games that are demakes of existing retro games or are inspired by those same games. In my case, the title I was reminded of was Zeewolf (1994) for the Amiga. What I found instead was Zed Wolf (2020), which was so similar it genuinely fooled me for a short time. Try it for yourself below: Other notable flight titles include a near-perfect demake of X-Wing vs. TIE Fighter: Attack on the Deathstar from the Sharp X68000, Comanche 1/2 inspired by the series of the same name from NovaLogic and Endless Sky , an original arcadey flight shooter. However, I can't discuss this subject without mentioning Tiny Sim by Frederic Souchu and Thomas Cueni . Tiny Sim is the first flight simulator for PICO-8 based on the Cessna 172R Skyhawk with a Garmin G1000 glass cockpit. The flight model was designed using observations of an actual pilot of the same aircraft throughout the game development process. The flight model is a bit more advanced than most would expect, as even the effects of wind on the flight path and indicated airspeed. As detailed in its 34-page manual , the aircraft has many of its vital systems in working order. Horizontal Situation Indicators, navigation radios, glideslope indicators, GPS waypoints, instrument landing equipment, and similar systems are available on the Primary Flight Display screen and Multi-Function Display screen. Certain airfields have very high frequency omni-directional range (VOR) equipment and precision approach path indicator (PAPI) lights to further assist with landing. The manual also includes a flight school section to help players get familiar with their aircraft systems and practice exercises to prevent stalls, different landing approaches, and coordinated turns. Basic airport information and an aeronautical chart are also provided. In its own way, it is charming how the flying games on this fantasy console invoke feelings of nostalgia. Though this article mentions a small selection flight themed games, there are a few other titles beneath specific search terms (flight, plane, jet, etc.) on the official website. But, developers who create games for this console can distribute or sell them as they see fit, anywhere they want to. Who knows how many other flight arcade or flight simulation releases are out there for the PICO-8? About the Writer Aaron "Ribbon-Blue" Mendoza Co-founder of Skyward Flight Media. After founding Electrosphere.info, the first English Ace Combat database, he has been involved in creating flight game-related websites, communities, and events since 2005. He explores past and present flight games and simulators with his extensive collection of game consoles and computers. [Read Staff Profile ]

It wasn't until just around a decade ago that VR started becoming accessible to enthusiasts, and with that came a growing and untapped market for flight simulators that advertised their VR implementations. They boasted the added immersion and unparallel feeling of flight as the main selling points of flying in VR; so, as someone that has been a VR user for over 5 years now, are these statements true? What are the drawbacks of flying in VR? FEELING OF FLIGHT This aspect is, most likely, the truest one of flying in VR. There just is not a better way to feel like you are in a cockpit than seeing it in full 3D right in front of you. All the dials, details and the visibility all intertwine with each other into a feast for your eyes. I have personally flown in VR in around 5 to 6 different titles, from dedicated VR-only games like VTOL VR, to others where VR feels a bit more of an afterthought such as DCS World; and regardless of in which game I have flown in, the immersion is always astonishing. Flying on flat screens or even curved monitors just does not feel as immersive anymore once you have tasted VR flying, but that also comes with a cost, both monetary and quality-wise. COMFORT, VISIBILITY AND READABILITY In terms of comfort, it will depend on your headset and the environmental conditions in your room. For someone like me who has a Quest 2 and lives in a quite humid place, sometimes playing during the day will become quite uncomfortable. The lenses will fog out, and it will be quite difficult to just clear them every couple of minutes. This will stop after a while when the inside of the headset gasket has reached equilibrium with the outside, but that awkward feeling of the fogged lenses will not fade. Visibility and readability will also greatly depend on your headset. The two main determining factors are your Field of View (FoV) and your internal headset resolution. For example, my Quest 2 has the equivalent of 2K per eye and 97 degrees of horizontal FoV. So, when you are flying it can feel a bit like looking through binoculars, something that could definitely be improved with higher-end headsets such as the Big Screen Beyond 2, or even the more accessible Quest 3. USABILITY Something we take for granted when we fly on desktop is how visible our controls, panels and keyboard are. When you are in VR, you will lose track of what is where, and you will be constantly peaking below your light brick to glance at your peripherals. There are a couple of ways to mitigate this issue, such as using pass-through features available in a couple of headsets such as the Quest 3, or the more unrealistic one which involves you making a 1:1 replica of a real cockpit. Both options have been tried and both work, with the most impressive one being Warthog Project's 1:1 A-10C cockpit replica that has allowed him to play DCS in a way we all dream we could. His set-up is fully physical, with every single panel functional. Have a gander yourself: Of course, this is something 99.9% of users would not be able to use, or create, but it is certainly an option that some of us have opted for to solve this problem. FINAL THOUGHTS VR flying is becoming more and more accessible, and the technology has definitely improved. I have my gripes with it, such as the weight and comfort of some headsets, as well as application specific difficulties such as the ones described in the above section. I quite enjoy games such as VTOL VR and even flying within VRChat, but my VR flight time on dedicated simulators has been quite limited because my current set up does not cooperate well with my peripherals in VR. Were I to have a dedicated room for VR or a simrig, I would probably fly a lot more in VR, but, here I am. About the Author Santiago "Cubeboy" Cuberos Longtime aviation fanatic with particular preference towards military aviation and its history. Said interests date back to the early 2000s, leading into his livelong dive into civil and combat flight simulators. He has been involved in a few communities, but only started being active around the mid 2010s. Joined as a Spanish to English translator in 2017, he has been active as a writer and the co-founder of Skyward ever since. Twitter  | Discord : Cubeboy

Hey, howa’ doin? FlyAwayNow here again with a pair of interviews to introduce some of the plane game indie devs to give you some insight into, perhaps, the future of the Genre, or at least into the minds of those making these games. Here today I’ve got developer Kirk Woodes, and developer Zhakami Zhako on the stand, testifying on behalf of their own projects or games: One at the bleeding edge of format, that is the virtual reality, and the other whose game is still so freshly baking it doesn’t even have a name yet! With one steeped in the fidelity and art style of yesterday, and the other very much front and center of the future by way of homage and function, I see no better way to balance this article! Kirk Woodes Website Links: Bluesky  | X.com   Who are you? I'm an amateur game developer working in C with OpenGL. I'm making a 3D dogfighting game with floating islands and a base that the player can explore between missions Why are you making your game and this type of game? It grew out of a top-down 2D dogfighting game that I was making to learn how to program about ten years ago. After dropping game dev for a few years, I got back into it with learning 3D graphics with OpenGL. The floating islands and base segments were ideas I originally had with the 2D game, but those ideas seemed like they would work much better in a 3D game, so I made the switch. How would you describe your particular visual style? PS2-era programmer art. What's your favorite game in this genre or related media? Not a deep cut, but Ace Combat Zero is my favorite. What you want this game to be? I want the game to have a strong emphasis on dogfights against enemies that can use the floating terrain to their advantage. My goal is to have enemy AI that can give the player a challenge and feel like a fair fight. I want the base segments to give the player a better sense of immersion than the menus in a lot of flight games, and give them a way to interact more with characters and the setting in a genre that hasn't usually had ways to do that. I mean we have two big things here I'd just like for you to comment a bit more on: The floating terrain that we see in your social media posts, and then also that idea of on base segments, where does stuff like that come from for you? The floating terrain was originally just an idea for a cool visual, especially in 2D. The more I tried them out in game the more I liked them, especially with how they work with some mechanics that I've experimented with like restricting the player to semi-active missiles that can easily lose their lock if an enemy flies behind an island. I also thought Project Wingman's airships proved my theory that having more stuff in the air that you needed to keep track of was a fun mechanic, and the islands take that idea a little further.  The base segments come from my personal background growing up on base, so I felt like I could capture that feeling while also improving on what I've always thought was a bit of a missed opportunity with Ace Combat's reliance on menus for everything between missions.  So alongside floating islands, any other environmental or level design tricks you have up your sleeve? Not too much, but the islands do support tunnels, so look forward to that. So there's a gradient of simulation that these types of games have. Nuclear Option and War Thunder for example lean on accessible sim realism with physics and damage models, while games like Ace Combat are extremely arcadey in their flight models for the sake of ease of use. Where does your game fall? The physics are a little more realistic than Ace Combat, with some pretty detailed force and torque math, but it still has an arcade feel. I've actually never played War Thunder even once, so I can't speak to that comparison. The damage model is all arcade though. It's just a simple health bar and missiles that deal fixed damage on hits. How about weapon loadout and the theory behind them? Is that more arcade aligned? Weapons are an area where I'm trying to break out of the Ace Combat mold a bit. The semi-active missiles are my attempt at making the player really have to stick to enemies through some harder terrain than with Ace Combat's fire and forget standard missiles, and I like the idea of testing the player's flying skills by requiring them to keep a lock. I haven't decided what other options the player will have for things like attacking ground targets, but I'd like it to fit that same philosophy. So we've seen you talk about a pilot fatigue system, what's that about? The main goal with the fatigue system is to reward being able to maintain pursuit of an enemy rather than getting the lock, launching a fire-and-forget missile, and calling it good. It ties a lot into the semi-active missiles in that way. I think that, ideally, if you can stay on an enemy's tail long enough, you should eventually be rewarded with a near-guaranteed shot. You mentioned base segments, and from what we've seen from your publicly posted WIPs, you're walking around, talking and interacting with characters. How in depth do you want that to go? Vazgriz, and then Sanikku for Project Aggressors, are planning a similar system, and although it will be a long time until we are able to compare them, I have to ask what do you want to accomplish with this mechanically or emotionally more specifically; like will on-base segments affect dogfighting gameplay? I'm keeping my intentions pretty modest. I think there's a lot of cool things you could do, but some simple, optional dialogue and a little bit of exploration is all I'm shooting for. I want something that gives the player a little more investment in their squadron and the conflict. What type of writing and tone can we expect from you? I haven't gotten far with the writing, but I think it'll be lower stakes with a focus on the dissonance between combat and the mundanity back at base. I don't have any writing experience, but it's the part I'm most excited to give a try, and I think that tone is something I can portray well. We've seen a few aircraft in your social media sharings so far, can you speak about what type of planes you intend to include in your game? This one depends a lot on how much air-to-ground combat ends up in the game and whether I continue to try to do all the plane models myself, but one thing I definitely intend on is custom plane modding in some form. I'm already building a lot of my own tools, such as my level editing scripts in Blender, so I plan to have a plane editor that I can hopefully make publicly available. Not having some decent modding tools would feel like squandering one of the big advantages of building my own engine. Want to talk a bit on why you pursued a custom engine? My coding background is in C, so it's just what I'm most comfortable with. I like being able to write my core gameplay logic in C, but learning OpenGL and handwriting shaders has made visual design and experimentation painful. I think it would have been a much smoother process if I had gone into game development with a clearer idea of what I actually wanted the game to look like. One dream feature or thing you'd like to add into your game even if you might not be able to do it? I'd like to limit the player's loadout size to be more realistic, but with the ability to quickly land on bases on the islands and rearm. If I implement takeoff and landing mechanics, I'd want them to be more forgiving than most flight sims, but much more closely integrated into missions. Do you have any idea what you might name this game in the end? It's got a working title, but I want to make sure I have something I'm really happy with before I make anything public. Zhakami Zhako Website Links: X.com  | Project Fairy  | VRChat Who are you? I'm Zhakami Zhako, a programmer with very odd habits. Most people just call me Zhak. I work as a Software Engineer and do Game Development in my spare time. What are you working on? It's a project called "Project Fairy", which primarily is inspired by Sentou Yousei Yukikaze (Battle Fairy Yukikaze). It is a fan project that aims to recreate scenes that is based from the original game, the OVA and the novels as well as fan depictions/interpretation(s) of certain scenes; Hence the name "Fairy", as it takes place on planet Faery which is where most of Yukikaze's story unfolds. It is primarily a story driven ace arcade combat style game; Played in different pilot's POV's, to which it wont be only limited to B-3 (Fukai Rei) but also from various characters as well. My initial plan for it is to create multiple episodes and have each episode be their own build/world. At least for the VRC releases as I am also considering possibly creating a standalone. Released October 26th, 2021, 'Sugar Rush' was the first prototype flight arcade world for Project Fairy. Development has continued far beyond this point. The gameplay concept is straightforward dogfighting against JAM (At least initially) while keeping the core part of SaccFlight's handling (Flight, Movement, AOA, Controls, etc.); Multiple weapons (AAM-5, AAM-3, Gun, etc.), while doing TARP scans on certain episodes/objectives; Whilst keeping the core VR/C intact (VR Controls, Avatar, etc.) Project Fairy, however, isn't exactly only limited to the scope of Yukikaze as I somehow produce it as some sort of a result of various experimentations in Unity and VRChat's SDK; "If it's possible in VRC, then it's possible to do it in Unity." Other than the Yukikaze inspired part, I am also creating experimental worlds in VRChat, emulating a bit of fidelity with the aircrafts and possibly porting them into a standalone build as well. Maybe my own story at some point. Project Fairy WIP Canyon Run ( 2025 ) Are you inspired by anything in particular? Top Gun Combat Zones, Ace Combat (5, Zero, Assault Horizon, 7), HAWX, IL-2 Sturmovik and of course... Sentou Yousei Yukikaze. TG:CZ was my first ace arcade game when I was young; running with a really outdated PC hardware that renders everything transparent. Despite the poor presentation due to the hardware, it opened me to look into the genre; Planes, Arcade-Flight-Sim.  IL-2 Sturmovik opened my eyes further, tackling WWII, Physics and aircraft handling; Despite the fact that it is a sim rather than an ace arcade. HAWX, specifically HAWX 1 may have further inspired me to look into visuals especially during the time when it was released. Ace Combat of course, as it is what everyone is talking about... Ace combat; that pretty much defined a genre. Albeit that, people would probably fry me alive as I say that Assault Horizon was my first Ace Combat game before I was able to play 5, Zero and so forth. Lastly... Sentou Yousei Yukikaze. The concept of being at war at an unknown alien, having various unique aircraft designs, the uncertainty of things... It has been haunting me since I was a kid; And may have been calling for me to make a little something for it. Why are you in this space (VRC) instead of something more independent? It more or less has to do with wanting the project to be accessible for everyone that has VRChat than a standalone build which you need to upload somewhere. The base flight mechanics of the whole system is based on Sacchan's SaccFlight for VRChat, and most users that are familiar with SaccFlight Worlds should be able to adapt almost immediately. The systems that I've used in VRC can be ported to standalone as I am also working on porting the whole system(s) involving SaccFlight and the custom stuff that I have made from scratch. Most flight worlds in VRChat are first person cockpit flights, socializing and hangout worlds that often times have players just end up having mock dogfights, a free for all, a bit of PVE as well as multiple worlds that's involving groups having event sessions (Educational stuff like learn-how-to-fly, how to BVR, How to DFM, General aviation protocols, and special events like airshows.) During the rise of these worlds around 2020-2021 when SaccFlight was initially released, I've decided to experiment and make something that's unique for VRChat. Hence the need of creating an ace-arcade-like gameplay in VRChat. ZhakamiZhako Original Project 2 (2025) How has your experience been in VRC been? It's great so far. I wouldn't have ended up making a flight game if I have not started playing VRChat. I've started playing VRC around early March 2020 during the height of the pandemic. I started learning to socialize with people virtually and basically a month later after meeting a certain HolyKnightAD, Zweikaku and Sacchan... it may have driven me to start creating flight related worlds. What's interesting in VRC is you get to see various worlds from hangouts to scenic views, to socializing, to minigames and then... dogfighting. I've been part of a community in VRChat for aviation enthusiasts, The Black Aces . We hosts events, tournaments and other things in VRChat. I've contributed various systems for various communities as well. Other than that, there's a lot of flight communities in VRChat that hosts events such as how-to-fly, how to BVR, how to BFM/Dogfight, Educational/General Aviation and even airshows. They're mostly my friends as well. ZhakamiZhako Original Project 1 (2025) What are the limitations of trying to make plane-based experiences in VR? The benefits? In general, it's more or less the adoption of the gameplay in VR, especially if you're developing an ace-like gameplay.  If you're making your game in Desktop-first, creating a VR compatible build may prove challenging especially with controls, scenes and among other things Questions like "Does this scene look nice in Desktop?", "Does the VR Build show a much more enhanced scene?", "Are the controls working in VR? How should we have the controls work in VR? Do we use the VR Native controllers? Do we use Virtual flight sticks in VR instead of the joysticks?" The benefits however, would be a complete immersion into the game you are trying to develop; Especially for a story driven ace-like gameplay and when it comes to the narrative being… "You" are the Pilot, you are seeing the point of view of the pilot as you fly in the skies.  "You" are holding the controls literally in VR. "You" are reaching out to press a button.  Mix that with a proper story and gameplay... You can end up asking yourself whether the "World" you've played into is real or was it just a fever dream as you take off your headset... Which is one of my many goals as I develop this game. In VRChat in terms of development, one of the many things that's also challenging is keeping builds the same experience or optimized on one type or another. One example is keeping the Desktop Experience the same as the VR Experience. Another is keeping the PCVR experience the same as the Quest/Android build, considering that there is also the Quest versions in VRChat. It may depend on which userbase you are primarily targeting as well (Quest Users first? VR Users only? Desktop to VR only? etc.) Building a Quest version needs to be debugged whether if certain shaders work in the android build and if it looks okay compared to the PC build; Another that's somewhat holding it back since this is still tied up to VRChat's SDK is primarily its blacklisted components and the adoption of a slow Udon/UdonSharp VM; Code runs slow, Certain assets cannot be used from the Unity Store, and even more.  Albeit these somewhat impact developing Project Fairy, it still gives me the thrill to push its limits while optimizing the whole thing so that it can be played by various VR Users. Project Fairy WIP Footage (2025) Any closing thoughts or things you want to say? Probably a thought that Ace Arcade Genre, nevertheless a flight-sim, sim-cade, arcade... this style of gameplay will always continue to evolve; one game to another. As a developer towards fellow developers, keep doing your thing; keep that vision and keep chasing after that vision. As developer towards the players, I hope you will continue to look forward towards each and every developer that chases their vision. As a developer towards the fanbase and towards any other fanbases, a passion project will always be a passion. A big shoutout to Project Wingman as well, as it is also a huge inspiration (and good god the music). A big thanks to the Jetboys / Black Aces; Wouldn't have gotten this far to the project without their support. Big thanks to SkywardFM, the Japanese Communities, Boris, the people who have helped so far, the people who are following the project and development, the fanbases, and even to you Matt.  I will always be grateful to you all. And please look forward to the project. About the Interviewer Matthew "FlyAwayNow" Nguyen Artwork by alice (@atrousyolks) Producer, writer, incidentally personified online as a rooster. One of the three main developers of Project Wingman and now working across the board on several other combat flight videogames, audioplays, podcasts, and books. Advocate for indie creators, fanfiction, and critical analysis of what you love. [ Bluesky  / Linkedin  / X.com ]

With the currently ongoing Flight Week event, we felt it was the perfect time to release an update on what we have been up to and our current plans moving forward with VRChat Aviation. There are a couple of projects we have been working on, so let's get to it. NEW VRCHAT AVIATION HUB WEBPAGE Aaron "Ribbon-Blue" Mendoza has worked on an amazing webpage that will be the hub for all of VRChat endeavors. You will be able to find everything from information about our original aircraft, direct links to our worlds and our VRChat articles in one place. Make sure to give it a look, especially those product pages that we made for each of our current aircraft. They are amazingly built and can give you insight as to how much thought and effort has been put into making these planes. WORLD DEVELOPMENT Currently, we have one world in active development and one in maintenance. This new world will include planes that Santiago "Cubeboy" Cuberos modeled for At Skies' Edge, the indie flight game being developed by Mackerel_Sky, with his permission. The idea is to have at least two planes available in the world, with a third one possibly coming at some point. Here are both aircraft coming to one of our worlds in the near future: F.GR-4: K.F-21A Markings and liveries are subject to change, since they were made for At Skies' Edge. Aside from these two aircraft, we have been working on another Skyward original aircraft designed by Caio "Hueman" Barreto. This one is going to go by the name of "Caravela", here is a WIP of its current form inside of CAD software: Do not expect this plane anytime soon, but we will make sure to keep everyone informed of our progress as we approach completion. It will be made flyable within VRChat, of course. COLLABORATIONS We are in the process of planning at least two events alongside Dogfight Central. One tournament and one airshow. There are no current dates or timeframes, but we will inform you as soon as we can confirm and coordinate with the DFC admins. DFC held an airshow last Sunday, September 14th, in a very similar style as what we want to host alongside them. You can expect our civilian and training aircraft to take part in it, with several solo and team displays to be flown during the event. We have more content in the oven, but it is a bit raw to share at the moment. Stay tuned!

September 12th - 19th, 2025, an official platform wide event Five years ago, aircraft took to the skies of VRChat . After years of new worlds created, flight model updates, air combat tournaments and airshows, the first official platform wide VRChat aviation event is here: VRC Flight Week. On September 12th, 2025, this event was announced with official posts on the VRChat social media accounts at Bluesky and X.com . A livestream on Twitch with the VRChat community management team and development team included representatives of the organization behind making this event possible: At its core, this event is driven by Negentropic working with Boeing and the Australian Government to create educational aviation worlds in the VRChat platform. Players will know 'Team Negentropic' from the Space Jam event in the platform. In the livestream, this organization as represented by the leader username 'Negantropic' and Cubeboy. Official event poster. For Flight Week, they have created two flight focused worlds with an educational focus: Flight Week - Hangar and Flight Week - Test Flight . Notably, there are private versions of the aforementioned worlds created for use in High Schools across the Commonwealth of Australia. Alongside the Negentropic contribution, many existing worlds (e.g. flight experiences) from throughout the international VRChat aviation community were selected to be showcased. These worlds feature a variety of experiences to show what is possible on the platform. Special attention was taken to not only show off the well-established, most popular flight worlds, but also introduce many other worlds known to the international community. Players visting the Flight Week featured worlds will be able to experience modern fighter jets, player vs player experiences, gliders, air-to-air refueling, aircraft carrier operations, World War 2 warbirds, airliners, small private aircraft, transforming robot aircraft, flight simulation level aircraft, player vs environment missions, sci-fi aerial battles and so much more. In-game example of the Flight Week menu. In the first day, it is hard to track the exact numbers of visits and how many of these worlds have now become favorites to users, as baseline numbers before this event were not recorded. However, monitoring the activity in the Flight Week menu from time to time does show consistent increased activity. One metric that can be confirmed is related to Skyward Night Flight , an official world from Skyward FM featured in VRC Flight Week. Within roughly 24 hours, this world saw an increase in activity in thousands more visits and hundreds of new favorite world listings. Community activity related to this event can be tracked on social media platforms, searching for terms like VRC Flight Week and #VRCAviation. For the duration of this event, Skyward will be posting or reposting media about community activity on our social media accounts at X.com and Bluesky . In VRChat itself, public instances can be joined to experience the featured flight worlds with others. The option to check out these worlds alone or with a close group of friends is always available by opening Friends only and Invite only instances. For the international aviation community in VRChat, VRC Flight Week is a massive milestone. With platform wide events like this now possible, it will be interesting to see what other events will appear in the next year. About the Writer Aaron "Ribbon-Blue" Mendoza Co-founder of Skyward Flight Media. After founding Electrosphere.info , the first English Ace Combat database, he has been involved in creating flight game-related websites, communities, and events since 2005. He explores past and present flight games and simulators with his extensive collection of game consoles and computers. [Read Staff Profile ]

From Rolling Mountains to Gleaming Beaches "Well, damn." It has been a while since I've had a flight where the only way I can sum it up is a single socially acceptable explicative. But when you absolutely grease a difficult landing, it is hard not to feel a bit impressed with yourself. Gliding, engine off, tires hydroplaning on the ocean surface, cycling flaps to tweak the lift ratio and float over sea debris on the beach. The aircraft coming to a short stop on a picturesque beach... now that is flying. GroundFall by Snow Creature has come a long-long way since 2021. Back then this bush flight focused game relied on survival game mechanics to survive in the mountain wilderness and scrounging fuel and repair kits to keep your aircraft flying. Eating beans around a campfire at dusk was just as vital as repairing the warped wing that bashed against a small tree during landing. The survival game mechanics are now optional for those that prefer a flight focused experience expected from a more traditional flight simulator. As of the last two or three major updates, GroundFall has undergone quite the transformation. The familiar mountains and forests from the base game are here and still being updated, though it is clear that the current focus is on the more tropical style bush flying. Honestly? I love the shift. I think the developer made the right call in making this change. There are bush flight scenarios in various Microsoft Flight Simulator iterations, and some standalone projects mainly focus on bush flying in North American Wilderness or Australian Outback type settings. As GroundFall is now, its new maps give an experience similar to that of landing in the hillside airstrips in places like Indonesia or the Philippines. Despite being smaller landmasses, some of the islands still have the steep hills, valleys and considerable foliage players would expect from the type of bush flying they imagine. You could argue that massive forests in the Alaskan style terrain of the original maps are just as inaccessible as an ocean, but I would counter that by saying: water assisted landings. Water assisted landing. That's right! Even the shortest patch of grass near a shoreline or a sandy beach can become an accessible runway with just enough airspeed and the right flap setting. This is a facet of flying I appreciate deeply. In the new maps players are flying the nimble Kitfox 7. Though this aircraft does not have internal storage capacity like Piper Cub in the original three maps, the Kitfox feels easier to maneuver at dangerously low speeds. Players that take the time to become proficient with extreme low speed flying will find their efforts rewarded with some of the most engaging landings they have had in some time. Speaking of the aircraft, a decent amount has updated on that as well. Trim settings can be adjusted automatically with airspeed and flight stick inputs, as mentioned water assisted landings are possible, the flight model is fine tuned to a point that flying into especially difficult airstrips with the engine off is viable. At times, it feels like that is the best way to approach airstrips that have no clear way to fly out of in the case of a botched approach. On the ground the aircraft can be moved by hand with the new Push Point system. No longer does the aircraft engine need to be on with differential braking used to turn the aircraft around. In scenarios where the aircraft came to a stop in particularly tight places, being able to move the aircraft by hand both prevents potential damage and saves gas. The dynamic airplane damage system certainly makes landing and maneuvering the aircraft as careful as possible a major priority. Click a Push Point on the aircraft to move it a few feet in the specific direction. NPC characters offer objectives that encourage players to explore and pay in cash. Items that would normally be scavenged for can be purchased. The side objectives include turning on radio towers, flying to islands to spend a day fishing and even a few beer runs for the broskis. Of course, there are more than that, but that's an eclectic mix for sure. The new side objectives can be accomplished while fulfilling the standard land at every runway on the map checklist that is the default goal of GroundFall as a whole. To say that my return to GroundFall was refreshing would be an understatement. It seems that every time I interact with this game, I find myself wanting to complete it from start to end over and over again. About the Writer Aaron "Ribbon-Blue" Mendoza Co-founder of Skyward Flight Media. After founding Electrosphere.info , the first English Ace Combat database, he has been involved in creating flight game-related websites, communities, and events since 2005. He explores past and present flight games and simulators with his extensive collection of game consoles and computers. [Read Staff Profile ]

A relatively unknown bastion of air defense If there is one thing that Project Aces does not get enough kudos for, it is the addition of the latest technology or real world concepts to its Ace Combat series. Even the most outrageous anti-asteroid weaponry and energy weapons are based on real world concepts, existing technology or in development projects. Heck, even backwards firing missiles were real! From a gameplay point of view, anything that complicates the player's ability to reliably deploy weapons can be a welcome challenge. Rather than every weapon with a target lock reliably guiding to a target, having occasional interference caused by electronic warfare interference or missile interception systems adds a temporary layer of difficulty. To players, it makes interacting with the unit responsible for the complication a notable experience. Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown (2019) has a relatively unknown air defense system with overwhelming capabilities that comes to mind. In the perceived final mission of Ace Combat 7, the time to storm the opposing nation's capital city puts players in the leading force. As they fly throughout the airspace, dogfighting and bombing forces ahead of the allied amphibious advance, an Aegis Ashore ballistic missile defense system (AABMDS) activates. So threatening is this system that even allied non-player controlled units call for bombardment from the invasion fleet to knock the system out of action. And for good reason. Aegis Ashore in Romania (US Navy) In the real world, Aegis Ashore was proposed by the United States Department of Defense Missile Defense Agency. The project utilizes the well known Aegis combat system deployed on warships and places its components in land based facilities. These include AN/SPY-1 passive electronically scanned radars and vertical launching system cells carrying various types of interceptors (made only to knock other missiles out of the sky) and missiles (can either intercept other missiles or be used to destroy aircraft). The idea is to protect especially important areas on land with this system. A single AAMBDS can free up a few Aegis equipped naval vessels for operations elsewhere. It can track more than 100 targets at a time, with the ability to intercept flying objects across a wide range; from sea skimming missiles to low earth orbit satellites. Even a hypersonic missile interceptor is under development as of 2022. Aegis Ashore in Hawaii during a test launch. (Missile Defense Agency) The first Aegis Ashore system began testing in Kauai, Hawaii in 2002. The first operational site was constructed in Deveslu, Romonia in 2016 with a secondary site planned in Redzikowo, Poland. The site in Poland was planned for completion by 2018 but was delayed multiple times; its new completion date is the end of 2023. Japan also had planned to construct two AAMBDS, but these plans were cancelled in 2020. The control building as seen in Ace Combat 7. In Ace Combat 7, the first Aegis Ashore system is seen in mission 15, "Battle for Farbanti". Two other systems are in downloadable content mission 2, "Anchorhead Raid". It should be noted that the two systems in Anchorhead Raid can be taken out of action before they activate due to the surprise raid conditions. Though there is a short window of a few minutes to do this in. In the game, the central control building of the installation controls multiple surface-to-air missiles units and Phalanx Close In Weapon Systems (CIWS). No VLS missile cells are present. This is unlike the real world version of it. When active, these sites are able to put up waves of 20mm cannon rounds into the air to shred incoming guided missiles, while launching medium range air-to-air missiles at all aircraft in range. Unlike lone air defense tanks that can be overwhelmed by a few missiles, Aegis Ashore can swat down multiple airborne weapons while deterring incoming aircraft from following up on attacks with its own missiles. Ace Combat 7 AAMBDS Intercepting a missile over the military HQ in Farbanti. The two methods recommended by the game itself are either to approach the AAMBDS at extremely low altitudes to make the player's aircraft harder to track on radar, or to launch a large quantity of weapons from higher altitude and long distance. Flying at short-range within the firing envelope of its CIWS does reduce the window of time interception is possible, but this also places the players within the firing arcs of four or more radar guided autocannons. Bold players that are willing to close distance and use large blast radius unguided weapons like dumb bombs and rocket pods will find that their weapons cannot be intercepted. Alternatively, things like lasers and rail guns are always effective since they cannot be physically intercepted by live munitions. Destroying the central control building of this site knocks out all of its capabilities immediately; it is the most efficient way to do it, but certainly the most risky way. Ace Combat 7 AAMBDS defending Anchorhead Bay. I have always appreciated the small ways Ace Combat has interfered with player launched guided weaponry. It does not consistently appear in each title, but Ace Combat 7 leaned into it the most with various anti-aircraft interception units. Seeing a somewhat unknown but now more relevant than ever Aegis Ashore installation in game is a welcome challenge and an interesting nod to the initiatives of real world militaries as the focus on missile interception over a large area is once again en vogue. About the Writer Aaron "Ribbon-Blue" Mendoza Co-founder of Skyward Flight Media. After founding Electrosphere.info, the first English Ace Combat database, he has been involved in creating flight game-related websites, communities, and events since 2005. He explores past and present flight games and simulators with his extensive collection of game consoles and computers. Read Staff Profile .

When Sim Update 11 launched for MSFS 2020, it brought one feature to the table which made it unique compared to previous Microsoft Flight Simulator installments: Soaring. True, there was nothing stopping you from flying a glider in FSX, but MSFS 2020 now had all of the building blocks to really support them: tow planes, winch launches, and the modelling of thermals all created an ecosystem in which sailplanes could truly shine. It will come as no surprise to long-time readers that we are big fans of unpowered airplanes with really long wings , and that we’re definitely biased when we say soaring in MSFS is an incredibly fun experience you should try out if you haven’t already, but there’s a problem with it: The selection of sailplanes in the base game is rather limited, with only two models to choose from. Both options are also very modern, high-performance sailplanes - which isn’t a bad thing, but if you want something more old school, it leaves that itch unscratched. One day, while looking for new aircraft to try out in MSFS, I came across a really good-looking model of an old Polish sailplane on flightsim.to - and it was free. To my surprise, I discovered an entire section of freeware gliders on that website! We’ve decided to try a number of these freeware gliders out and share our thoughts on them - and hopefully get you to try some of them out yourself! Check out our video showcasing the gliders discussed here! SZD-30 Pirat By Yanosik This Polish single-seat glider from the 1960’s features a unique mixed construction, being built mostly out of wood but with a fiberglass nose section. It’s not exactly high performance by today’s standards but still boasts a rather respectable glide ratio of 33, plenty enough to have some fun cross-country flights in MSFS. The first thing which caught my eye on this was the external model - I wasn’t expecting a freeware mod to look this good. Everything from the quality of the 3D model to the details and specular maps on the texture just looks right. The only thing that’s lacking in the external model is a pilot, which makes the aircraft look like a “ghost ship” from certain angles in external view; but this is, of course, a minor nitpick which by no means detracts from the incredible work which has been put in this model. Take a look at how the wing looks under reflection: The cockpit is likewise very nicely modelled, down to the reliefs in the internal walls - I’d risk saying it has the best modelling and textures out of all cockpits on this list. True, the textures are a bit flat in some places, but for something you’re getting for free it’s downright amazing. The attention to detail shown here is commendable. As you get acquainted with the SZD-30’s exquisitely modelled office, you’ll notice a very simple, easy-to-read instrument cluster: airspeed, altitude, slip indicator, magnetic compass, and two variometers, one “standard”, vertical velocity indicator vario, and one Total Energy Compensation vario. Commenting on the accuracy of the flight model is beyond the scope of this article, as I have (sadly) no experience flying an SZD-30; but what I can say is that this mod is definitely fun to fly in MSFS, and apart from a strange tendency to pitch up right after takeoff, the flight model generally behaves as you’d expect from a glider. This is the aircraft which first brought our attention to the existence of freeware gliders for MSFS, and it did not disappoint. The fact we ended up writing this article should tell you all you need to know! Schleicher K7 Rhönadler By GlideSimmer67 Devised by legendary sailplane designer Rudolf Kaiser, this old-school, two-seat training glider is a classic of the post-war gliding scene. Being from the 1950’s, an era before fiberglass fuselages were commonplace, the K7 is built in the old-fashioned way: steel tubes, wood, and fabric. Widely successful and exported worldwide, at the time of its introduction this was arguably one of the best performing two-seat sailplanes in the world. The 3D model very nicely represents the aircraft’s tubular steel frame structure, and while it’s a bit low-poly and the textures are flat in some places, in my opinion it still looks really good. The wooden instrument panel, typical of German gliders of the era, adds a touch of charm. The instrument cluster is simple, but it’s got everything you need - airspeed, altitude, a magnetic compass, turn and bank indicator, and two variometers, with one being a total energy compensation vario. Externally, just like with the SZD-30, the lack of a pilot model can make it look a bit uncanny from certain angles - but that is, again, a very minor nitpick.  This add-on has been consistently updated since its release, with the mod’s author tweaking flight model values to make it as accurate as possible. The combination of the unique, vintage look of the aircraft’s steel frame structure from the cockpit, beautifully replicated in this model; the docile, trainer-like handling; and the aircraft’s performance, more challenging than modern gliders but still plenty enough for basic aerobatics, make this freeware mod an absolute joy to fly, and probably the one I’ve had the most fun with on this list. Slingsby T.31 Tandem Tutor By Klem Designed just after WWII, the T.31 (or Cadet Mk. III) was designed as an affordable training glider to teach the young cadets of Britain’s Air Training Corps the basics of flight. However, the “affordability” part might have been taken a bit too far by Slingsby engineers: with an abysmal glide ratio of 18.5 (less than the side-by-side T.21B!), it's no wonder the Cadet Mk. III was referred to as the “Brick” by the cadets who flew it.But let’s be honest here - we’re plane nerds, and this is the stuff we’re here for. This MSFS representation beautifully reflects these less endearing attributes of the Tandem Tutor: it soars like a brick alright, and should you elect to use a tow plane for takeoff, make sure it’s in an airfield with low elevation and in a cold day; The game’s default tow plane (Cessna 172) struggles to pull the draggy Slingsby along, and under some conditions it might not be able to take off at all (a behavior which is likely a bit exaggerated). In terms of looks, while the external model looks decent, the internal cockpit model and textures leave something to be desired - but remember, you’re getting this for free! Besides, this made me fly the aircraft in external view more often, which is a great way to appreciate this unique aircraft. It is the only sailplane on this list with an open cockpit, and it’s a nice change of pace to fly such an old-school “ab-initio” glider in MSFS. The Slingsby Type 31 isn’t the sexiest glider out there, and it’s definitely not the best performing, but it’s a classic which was the very first contact with aviation for many - former cadets across the UK fondly remember the “Brick” as the aircraft they first soloed in. If you’re interested in this “seat-of-your-pants” era of aviation, definitely check this one out! Rolladen-Schneider LS4 By MADoloSimulations The favorite of many a soaring club and one of the most produced gliders of all time, with over a thousand built, the LS4 owes its longevity to a remarkable combination of high performance and docile, beginner-friendly handling.   This sleek single-seat, glass-reinforced plastic design was one of the aircraft which set the standard for sailplane design and performance in the 1980’s. How well does this freeware mod represent such a legendary aircraft? Well, as this happens to be the first of three entries by MADoloSimulations on this list, let’s take a moment to address a common trait between all of their gliders: The quality of their work is downright incredible for a freeware product. Nearly everything, from the attention to detail in the external 3D models to the cockpit functionality, leaves nothing to be desired in comparison to payware modules. The only area where they noticeably fall behind are the internal models and textures for the cockpit - but that's in comparison to paid alternatives, and even then, they’re more than good enough. There’s custom animations for dumping ballast, a custom navigation computer display which integrates rather nicely with the route manager in MSFS 2020; and since these traits are all shared among all three MADoloSimulations mods we’ll be covering in this article, from now on we’ll be focusing on the additional or unique features which set them apart. As for the LS4 specifically, this model comes with a very interesting instrument cluster: apart from the small navigation display in the center, all instruments are analog, but with digital readouts for airspeed, altitude and the vario. I’ve found it to be an intuitive combination which adds to the experience of flying this beautifully crafted mod. My only complaint about this add-on is the fact that the pilot model stays on in cockpit view, which sometimes causes weird visual effects as you can get “inside” the pilot model when using head tracking. Apart from this very minor drawback, this bird is an absolute pleasure to fly, and one we certainly recommend checking out. Jonkers JS-3 Rapture By MADolo Simulations Jonker Sailplanes is a curious case: they’re one of the very few manufacturers of high-performance sailplanes outside of Europe - and arguably the only one in the southern hemisphere as of the time of writing: as much as I’d like to talk about the KW-1b Quero-Quero or the EMB 400 Urupema, they’re not exactly high-performance by today’s standards, and being positively jurassic, have long been out of production. Built in Potchefstroom, South Africa, Jonker’s sailplanes have been flown to victory in several international competitions: the JS-3 in particular has the 2022 World Gliding Championship and three Women’s World Gliding Championships - 2020, 2022 and 2023 - under its belt, all in the 18-meter class. Speaking of which, this mod comes in two flavors - one with 15-meter wings (Standard class), and the other in the 18-meter configuration (18-meter class). Just like with the previous MADolo Simulations entry, the overall quality of this add-on is very impressive for something you get for free. The big novelty in comparison to the previous MADolo entry is the flight computer - with a massive display taking up most of the instrument panel's real estate, this feature will be familiar to those used to MSFS 2020's base game DG-1001E Neo. Far from being a mere replica of the base game's features though, this add-on's implementation is far more powerful and complete - it can even keep track of the glider's total energy variation over time and plot it on a display so you can visualize the thermals you've found along the way! It was very surprising to see such a system implemented from scratch in a freeware module. Apart from the center display, this aircraft features a complete set of flight instruments - including a digital ADI and HSI, the latter doubling as a trim indicator. If you enjoy gliding in MSFS but don't want to give up your digital displays, and you're looking for a high-performance sailplane with state-of-the-art flight instruments - then this add-on is the one for you! Schleicher AS 33 Me By MADolo Simulations As of the time of writing, the Schleicher AS 33 is one of the most modern and high-performance sailplanes in the world; with a glide ratio of 56 when in 18-meter wingspan configuration, its performance is rivalled only by the very best 18-meter class gliders, and clearly exceeded only by those in the Open class. The AS 33 Me is a self-launching variant, boasting a 35 kW electric motor mounted in a retractable frame. As is typical with high-performance powered sailplanes, the motor and propeller fully retract into the fuselage when not in use. Its MSFS representation by MADolo simulations is just as complete as their previous entries; it's got the same digital flight computer as their JS-3, with the same features as described previously. The other flight instruments are also the same, with one notable exception: the airspeed indicator. MADolo modelled a digital airspeed indicator for the AS 33 Me, and while it takes getting some used to (especially if you're a steam gauge appreciator), it must be said that it's a rather convenient piece of kit: the colored V-speed arcs automatically adjust based on conditions such as altitude and air temperature, and it even features an overspeed warning should you end up being over-enthusiastic on a dive. There's also a gear position indicator, as well as a flap position indicator - a very helpful addition since you have a grand total of 8 different flap settings. My only complaint about this module is that the engine control/display unit at the bottom of the instrument panel seems rather flat looking, and not up to the same standard of quality present in every other part of the cockpit. However, the only thing this will have any impact on is the eye candy factor of your screenshots; the display gives you all the information you need, and the controls are intuitive and clearly labelled. This is by far the most feature-rich out of all freeware gliders add-ons we've tried out. It's got it all: self-launch capability with a deployable motor, a digital flight computer, fully functioning ballast system. One might even say it detracts from the fun of soaring by making it too easy; but what's beyond doubt is that to have such an uncompromising collection of features in a freeware product is truly remarkable. So, just how good are they? One of the questions which will inevitably come up when looking at freeware models is how well do they compare to their paid counterparts. While one could argue such a comparison is fundamentally flawed - you are, after all, getting one of them for free - it’s still an interesting exercise, if only for curiosity's sake. It just so happens that Got Friends , an add-on developer specializing in aircraft for MSFS, has a payware AS 33 Me, the exact same model of the last entry in the freeware add-on list above. Faced with such an opportunity - and such a perfect excuse to try this add-on out - we decided to buy this add-on so we could compare both versions. Right off the bat, an area where Got Friends’ model immediately stands out is the visuals. The 3D model and the textures are absolutely immaculate - and while you could say the freeware’s external model comes close, once you look at the cockpit the difference is staggering. The textures, and particularly details such as the engine’s display in the lower part of the instrument panel, look much better. Another area which Got-Friends has modelled with painstaking attention to detail is the AS 33 Me's electric motor. You could argue they went too far with the internals, but in this case you’re paying for it, so the extra quality is definitely appreciated. But looks alone do not a good module make; so let’s take a look at the functionalities. One of the main perks of the Got-Friends AS 33 is that it includes new launch options, including a bespoke tow plane - the PZL-104 Wilga 35A, which you can then use for any other gliders you own as well. A neat feature is that you can adjust the placement of the instrument gauges to your heart's content. Surprisingly, they're more analog than the ones in the freeware version; for instance, the airspeed indicator, which is digital in the MADolo Simulations model, is instead an analog gauge in the Got-Friends model. This isn’t a good or a bad thing; just an interesting difference to keep in mind. As for the piece of hardware taking up most of your instrument panel, the massive LX9070 flight computer display in the center offers the same features as the one in the freeware version, with a few minor differences. And last but not least, the Got-Friends AS 33 comes with a fully functioning FLARM! While it doesn’t really add much to the gameplay experience outside of multiplayer, it’s a nice novelty to have and shows how much effort the developers put into paying attention to every detail. A necessary disclaimer is that I’ve never flown an AS 33, nor any of the other sailplanes showcased here (a shortcoming I’m happily willing to remedy, in case the reader has access to such machines), and therefore I cannot comment on the accuracy of the flight model; but qualitatively, the Got-Friends version does feel nicer in subtle ways, with a smoother response to control inputs. This does not detract from the freeware model, which still feels great to fly. As far as the external model goes, the quality of the freeware model (left) is remarkably similar to that of the payware one (right) The most striking difference is the modelling of the moment arm of the engine’s thrust in relation to CG in the Got-Friends version; if you carelessly push the throttle forward too fast upon deploying the engine, you will be greeted by an expeditious pitch down as Newton reminds you that your propeller is sitting at the end of a really long arm, way above the fuselage. Overall, while the payware add-on is clearly better as expected, the difference isn’t massive - the only truly noticeable difference is in the visual arena, especially the internal cockpit model. In terms of functionality, both are extremely close, with the freeware option offering the same features as the paid one.  What this paid option really gets you, apart from the improved visuals, is an extra layer of refinement: it has the same features, but with a higher level of quality in their implementation. The differences are mostly apparent in details, such as the water ballast effects: MADolo on the left, Got-Friends on the right This is great news for the player, as you can try out MADolo Simulations’ freeware AS 33 and see if you enjoy flying it around - and if you do, and decide you want to take it to the next level, then you can confidently go for Got-Friends’ expertly crafted payware model knowing you won’t regret your purchase. So, to answer the question posed earlier: Yes, the freeware options are really, really good! In this case we've looked at, both models - freeware and payware - are very impressive. Naturally, Got-Friend's version will give you a higher level of fidelity; but most remarkably, in terms of functionalities MADolo's free module is just as complete as any paid option. Conclusions My initial expectation when first stumbling into the world of freeware gliders for MSFS was that they'd be at most a fun change of pace. What I found instead was a series of surprisingly high-quality models which have nothing to be ashamed of in comparison to Asobo's base game assets - and in certain areas, even surpass them. As anyone who's ever worked with implementing an aircraft into a game will tell you, this takes a lot of time and effort. 3D modelling, texturing, coding, finding sources for flight parameters - none of these are things we should take for granted. The fact we're able to enjoy these aircraft for no cost is the result of a true labor of love by their developers, born out of a desire to share their passion for flight simulation - and their favorite gliders - with as many people as possible. This unsung, selfless effort is truly commendable, and well deserving of your attention. If you have Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 and enjoy gliding, we strongly encourage you to check these add-ons out - it’s the best soaring you can have for free! About the Writer Caio D. "Hueman" Barreto An incurable aviation fanatic since childhood, fascinated by the design and history of practically anything that flies. A long-time fan of flight games, he holds a bachelor's degree in aeronautical engineering and pursues his hobbies of drawing, writing and flight simulation on his spare time. See Staff Profile .

The start of an idea that was long time coming SERIES INTRODUCTION I am proud to say that coverage of indie flight games is a considerable part of our content on the website. We now plan on increasing that ratio a bit more with this new series: Indie Highlight . The origins of this type of article can be directly traced to our Steam Next Fest compilation articles. In those we briefly cover multiple new indie games that have active demos during those events to try and direct more attention to the devs showing off their progress milestones. This series follows a similar spirit by discussing multiple indie flight games at once while presenting direct links for readers to get in contact with teams and community around each game and purchasing every indie game we can while providing coverage. Going forward, we are making it a point to do this type of article more frequently to look at the efforts of indie developers outside of those festivals as well. There is also an entirely new part of the website being prepared to further represent indie games. But for now, let's get to it! QUICK UPDATES Supermaneuver This is going to sound crazy, but a lot of people may have first seen this game because of a few videos of a Tu-160 Blackjack the size of a city block. This game was officially named Supermaneuver on January 22nd, 2025 by developer and 3D artist Gabriel Solon. At this stage of development the game visually reminds us of Ace Combat 3: Electrosphere and uses a level inspired by that game in its early development phase. With aircraft able to perform post stall maneuvers, a hangar interface not seen in the original Ace Combat game and mentions of fictional countries like Karazinov, Levaria and Anglia this doesn't seem to be a fan remake. There are videos of combat, aircraft selection and now supersonic flight as of just last week. | Links: X.com - YouTube Nova Squadron According to indie developer Clara Gale, May 8th, 2025 was the fifth anniversary of the beginning of Nova Squadron development. The original plan was to release major update 0.4.0 on the anniversary, but it is now being moved to July 2025. This is for the sake of ensuring quality, improved graphics, new missions and locations and an all new fictional Attacker aircraft - the Valkyrie. An aircraft that is easily one of the more visually interesting fictional designs to be seen in an indie flight game in a bit. | Links: Bluesky - Steam - X.com Tiny Combat Arena The beloved retro aesthetic flight sim lite circa 2020 had its X.com account publicly announced as inactive on February 17th, 2025. Now, of course Tiny Combat Arena as a game is still alive under publisher MicroProse, but the decision of developer Why485 to leave social media was jarring for his following on social media. Not to fear though. Besides being active in the official MicroProse Discord, Why485 is continuing to provide development updates on their new Bluesky account, opened on April 16th, 2025. Feel free to continue showing support for them directly on Bluesky as well, if able. | Links: Discord - Bluesky - Steam At Skies' Edge This shadow dropped flight game hit a massive milestone on October 3rd. 2024. Developer Mackerel Sky made the decision to pursue developing this title into a full game, rather than an increasingly complex demo after the demo saw consistent success starting in May 2023. It should be noted that the Itch.io iteration of this game is still available for download, but it will not represent the future of the final product. Development progress since then can be tracked on their Bluesky and X.com accounts. New aircraft and weapons are being modeled, new terrain, new VFX and further core game development - all can be found on their social media accounts. There is no new demo to try out these improvements at this time. | Links: Bluesky - Itch.io - X.com Project Red Sun AOA Productions continues work on this upcoming title with a few known individuals from other flight arcade games rumored at being involved in the project. The demo for the game was confirmed as feature complete on February 3rd, 2025 with refinement underway for an eventual Kickstarter and Steam demo; something mentioned in the description of their March 10th, 2025 Dogfight Refinement video. Project Red Sun is a project I would love more information about, but for now public facing information is best found on their social media accounts and YouTube channel. | Links: Bluesky  - X.com - YouTube Helio Stratos A curious in development title that labels itself as a third person jetfighter game. Its developer, Amalgam Studios, is still deep in the trenches with core game development, but what has been shown in written and video devlogs has been interesting. We see flashes of aim down sights style camera angles during close range combat, "jet drifting" aircraft whipping energetically to intercept passing aircraft and lore that sounds like it would be right at home in something like Destiny or Halo. On May 8th, 2025 a test build was uploaded to Patreon for initial feedback while supporting the developer directly. | Links: Linktree IN FOCUS FEBA Gunship R  by rucsgames  is an attack helicopter focused combat flight game that had some rather interesting extra features unrelated to flight itself. Its developer describes the game as having simple controls that are easy enough to use without having any experience with flying helicopters while also being "unforgiving" with "even a moment of carelessness" leading to defeat. I started out planning to do a "quick playthrough" of the game to get a feel for it... and I found myself turning the game off about five hours later! I was sucked in rather quickly. I feel as though I want to write a full article about this game. The way the gameplay is balanced certainly allows for both in a way that seems daunting at first, but is highly reward within 10 to 20 sorties from my experience. The flight model of the game is decidedly arcade. Altitude is controlled with two face buttons on the game pad. There is an altitude limit that does not let players crash into terrain and does not let them fly at the theoretical maximum altitude of whichever helicopter they are flying. Not a big deal considering that most of the combat happens fast and primarily focuses on land and naval targets. Players are able to climb, strafe, yaw and other familiar rotary-wing flight controls, but do not expect to pull a scout helicopter through a full loop or a barrel roll. Thus far the signature feature of FEBA Gunship R adds immense replayability is its system of unlocking, crafting and purchasing weapons, vehicles and even bases and base defenses. This entire customization system is tiered with what feels like game mechanics similar to mobile games. Items in the item shop rotating every 15 minutes or so, purchasing items outright or gradually building them scrap parts and blue pints gathered via combat. As more airframes and weapons are purchased by the player, their helicopter can be assigned to up to three wingmen that can receive basic orders from the player mid-combat. Even the very military base that players must defend from attack each mission can be customized with specific types of support functions and hand picked defense weapons ranging from machine gun emplacements up to surface-to-air missile launchers. With each enemy destroyed giving points, random chances to find parts one the map during combat and a reasonable "grind" to gather currency and improve equipment is actually enjoyable once players learn the finer parts of how to be selective in which battles they jump into and how to manage their currency. The deciding moment in me feeling as though I want to write a full article on FEBA Gunship R was when I bought a noticeably better attack helicopter with newly crafted radar guided anti-tank missiles while commanding two lower power AI wingmen from a customized heliport. While I have reached a point in the game where I can access more advanced game functions, it still feels early to write a full piece on this game. I need more time with it and look forward to putting in the effort. Connect with 'FEBA Gunship R' Steam  - Website  - X.com  - YouTube   REVISIT Project Skyscape was an ambitious flight game that incorporated first person view ground movement and original aircraft with somewhat simplified but fully interactive cockpits. At the time it was being developed game testers drew parallels between it and VTOL VR by Boundless Dynamics in terms of cockpit interaction. Flyleap Studios, the developer of this game, announced its closure on June 11th, 2022 citing a career change of its lead developer, their opinion of the flight genre being a competitive field and the realities of being a solo dev attempting to make this line of work their only source of income. Skyward Flight Media wrote an article about its use of an in-game gyroscope flight simulator. This is still an interesting way to teach players how to fly and fight without without building out a series of tutorial missions. While a dedicate flight game where players never leave the cockpit of the aircraft could not benefit from this, a game with first person or third person movement outside of an aircraft could capitalize on this concept. Thanks for joining us for the first installment of our Indie Highlight series. The format of this series is bound to change a bit over time, but it is great to take the next step in supporting indie flight games and their developers. Until next time! About the Writer Aaron "Ribbon-Blue" Mendoza Co-founder of Skyward Flight Media. After founding Electrosphere.info , the first English Ace Combat database, he has been involved in creating flight game-related websites, communities, and events since 2005. He explores past and present flight games and simulators with his extensive collection of game consoles and computers. [ Read Staff Profile ]

Few things are as fascinating as aircraft design. From a very young age, I'd marvel at books showcasing the evolution of aircraft throughout the years, and then proceed to take all these ideas now brewing in my head and sketch dozens of different designs. And I know I'm not alone - this childhood dream of creating one's own flying contraptions is likely what gave rise to one of the most unique sub-genres in gaming: Flight (and space) simulation games focused on craft design and building, such as Kerbal Space Program and SimplePlanes. Released in an Early Access state in November 17th, 2023, Flyout sets out to put another name on this small but decorated list, and it brings many novel features to the table. Let's take a look at this new aircraft design flight sim and see what it has to offer! BUILDING YOUR CRAFT To design something, one must first have a goal in mind. In order to explore enough aspects of the game to cover it in this article, I set out to create two basic aircraft: A piston engine-powered aerobatic aircraft, and a 1950's-era jet fighter. When booting the game up and loading the editor, you will be greeted by a sight familiar to anyone who has played a similar game before: An empty space with a single cockpit in the middle. In Flyout, this sight is made all the more daunting by the fact that there is currently no in-game tutorial due to its Early Access state - something the developer himself points out on the game's Steam page. Ah, the endless void. In this empty space, it is our goal to summon an aircraft out of nothing - that's the magic of this type of game, after all. If you have experience with similar games and know the basics of what makes an aircraft fly, then you should be good to go - however even KSP veterans might be initially challenged by their first contact with the game's mechanics, which have a rather steep learning curve - and in exchange, allow for a level of flexibility not seen in any other game of this genre. Early stages of building. One of this game's best features is being able to turn fuselage "panels" into holes, allowing for the creation of cockpits with comparatively little effort. The game's flagship feature is its procedural fuselage parts , with their unique cross-section editor. This tool grants the player fine control over fuselage shapes - those familiar with XPlane's Plane Maker should feel right at home, as this works in a very similar way. The player creates fuselage cross-sections - or stations as they would be called in industry parlance - defined by a set of points, initially circular in shape, and then moves these points around to attain the desired shape. Example of a cross-section as seen in the fuselage editor. Careful shaping and placement of each fuselage section is key to make your aircraft look the way you want - and to fit all the stuff you need to put in it! Open fuselage sections are also available, ideal for canopies. Notice how fuselage panels can be made into glass, and how sections can be angled at will, allowing players great control over canopy shapes. The player can also select certain properties such as material and thickness - although the material properties seem to be purely cosmetic, thickness most certainly has an impact on the craft's performance, as it directly affects the fuselage's weight. For this reason, I strongly recommend players tone down the game's standard thickness of 12mm, which is way too thick for aluminum aircraft skin and will usually result in an overly heavy fuselage, even when accounting for the lack of other structural elements such as frames and stringers in-game. Parts such as landing gear are provided by the game and can have parameters such as length, thickness and angle of retraction set by the player - but if you're making fixed landing gear, the fuselage editor tools make it pretty easy to cook up some rather good-looking custom gear legs. Landing gear fairings are delightfully simple to make with the cross-section editor. For the wings, the player places the wing part on the aircraft and then edits its shape as needed - there is currently only one symmetrical airfoil available, but the player is free to shape the planform in any desired manner, including the chords of control surfaces. The player can also change the thickness of the root and wingtip independently - although it is unclear whether this affects the game's aerodynamic calculations, it most certainly makes getting the looks you want much easier than in other games in the genre. Yes, these wings are using only stock parts from the game. The wing editor gives the player great freedom to shape the wing planform as desired, making things such as the semi-rounded wingtips seen here easy. Something which most definitely does affect the game's aerodynamics, though, is the wing's angle of incidence , and this can also be set independently on the wing root and wingtip, allowing players to effortlessly incorporate washout into their wings. I was ecstatic when I realized the game allowed for this kind of possibility - it's one of those small things which really show the attention to detail in this game. The feeling of seeing a whole aircraft where there was once nothing is one of the things that keeps me coming back to games like this, and Flyout certainly delivers in that regard. It is far more complex than other games in its field, but in exchange that feeling of accomplishment when you finally complete an aircraft is made all the more special - compounded by how visually impressive creations can look with proper use of the cross-section editor. Almost everything in this game affects your aircraft's weight, so keep tabs on the specifications while building! ENGINE CUSTOMIZATION An aspect of this game which greatly surprised me is the complexity behind engine selection. Unlike similar titles, you do not have a selection of different engines with preset characteristics - rather, you must define values for each characteristic of the engine, such as the number of cylinders or fan blades - all of which have an impact on the engine's size, weight and performance. In other words - you must design your own engines , which increases the complexity and difficulty of the game exponentially, but also grants the player the freedom and flexibility to build powerplants to whatever specification they might desire. In this regard, it reminds me of Sprocket, a tank building simulator with a similar penchant for deeply customizable, procedurally-generated parts. If you like fiddling around with settings in that game, you will most likely appreciate this feature. Engine size being affected by its parameters means a key constraint in aircraft design is introduced to the players: Finding a home for the engine. Note the plethora of options on the right side tab! Piston engines in particular are simulated to excruciating detail. Apart from the number of cylinders and their disposition, one must set parameters such as bore, stroke, compression ratio, and even valve diameter. Even some adverse effects, such as knocking if you end up with too high a pressure in the cylinders, are simulated. A complete powerplant assembly. If you opt for a liquid-cooled engine, you must manually place a radiator and link it to the engine. Want a turbocharger? Better set up an intercooler. The engine doesn't magically provide power to the propeller - instead, you must link the two through a gearbox, whose ratio can also be adjusted as required. The result is that powerplant selection and setup becomes a far bigger deal than in most similar games. The game even provides the player with Torque x RPM and Power x RPM plots! While this is an impressive addition which adds a whole new layer of depth to the game, it could be overwhelming for inexperienced players. I'd like to see a selection of engine presets to make this process quicker for players who do not want to design their own engine, and to serve as templates for new players who do - the game does allow players to save their own engine presets, but does not currently offer any. As the game is still in Early Access, perhaps those will be included in a future update. INSTRUMENT PANELS Remember having to find novel and interesting ways of messing around with basic game elements to make functional instruments in the early days of SimplePlanes? Well, you're not going to need that kind of wizardry here. Flyout comes right out of the box with a whole set of working instruments and customizable dials, so it is possible to create functional instrument panels with minimal effort. There's even a programmable AoA indexer! Some of the instruments have certain quirks or work in unnatural ways (such as the altimeter lacking the usual two or three pointers), but for a game in Early Access, this is to be expected. These instruments are an incredibly useful and welcome addition I was pleasantly surprised with. FLIGHT AND ENVIRONMENT What would be the point of a game where you design airplanes if you couldn't take them for a test flight? Flyout lets you test your creations starting either at an airfield or at an initial altitude and airspeed of your choosing. Jet ready for its first test flight Testing the aerobatic airplane out - look at those sweet working instruments! While we do not know exactly which aerodynamic modelling is used, it is safe to assume it's a highly simplified model - I've seen some players with wild expectations of something like CFD being implemented, and well, if you've worked with fluid simulations you know how unlikely that is in an application which requires real-time rendering. Nevertheless, the flight model feels good and it's got everything you could ask for in a game like this. Showcasing the game's flight model with some aerobatics There's even an option for visualization of lift and drag forces acting on your aircraft. Notice how you can even see the lift distribution on the wings! While testing your creations, in-game menus provide a plethora of options, such as spawning practice targets, activating "cheats" for infinite fuel or looking at real-time data on your aircraft's performance. The Flight Data menu displays all sorts of parameters in real time. With regards to the environment, Flyout's world is an earth-sized planet with procedurally generated terrain, featuring an atmospheric model based on the earth's. It works excellently for the purposes of test-flying your airplanes, and looks pretty good from above. However, my greatest complaint about this game is that the environment feels a bit bland - Using your creations to explore the world and discover new places is one of the major driving factors in other games of this genre (such as reaching new planets in KSP), and Flyout currently lacks major incentives to do so, leaving players to fly their creations in a vast expanse without much interesting going on. There are a handful of other airfields scattered across the map, but no clear directions on how to reach them. The large size of the map means one is unlikely to come across them by chance, just flying around. In my opinion, the addition of even more airfields, as well as navigation aids and landmarks linked to achievements, would greatly benefit this game. Here it is important to point out that one of the planned features listed by the developer for the full release is the addition of missions and combat, so consideration is being taken for giving player creations a "home" in which to perform, at least for combat aircraft. In the current Early Access build, testing out weapons is already possible in a limited fashion: Players can spawn enemies for practice, such as tanks and target drones. COMMUNITY Veterans of this particular subgenre of flight simulators will know that for such games, the community can be just as important as the developers in shaping player's experience, adding and expanding content, and overall keeping the game interesting and alive. Though Flyout's community is still relatively small, it is already starting out promisingly strong. A quick search in Youtube reveals a plethora of tutorials made by fellow players, covering the gaps left by the game's present lack of tutorials. And, despite the lack of a Steam workshop or other built-in method of sharing one's creations, players have been eager to show and share their creations with the world through other means, such as the Flyout Discord server. In the interest of contributing to this nascent community, and especially to new players just getting into Flyout, we'll be making the two aircraft I've made for this article available for download. Fly them around, reverse-engineer them to get a grasp of how to make basic creations in-game - it's up to you! CONCLUSIONS With its procedural fuselage tool and in-depth engine mechanics, Flyout is a promising title which brings a plethora of new features to the world of "builder" flight simulation games. Nevertheless, when looking at this game in its current state, it is important to remember it is in Early Access, and is missing many of its planned features. Flyout isn't an easy game, and the lack of in-game tutorials and presets for critical parts such as engines means the learning curve is very steep. If you wish to play this game as it currently stands , please bear in mind you need at least some understanding of basic aircraft design principles or experience with similar games. Even so, I have been pleased to see multiple updates being released in the timeframe of slightly over a month ever since this game entered Early Access, some of them bringing much needed quality of life improvements. It is clear the developer is putting a lot of care into this game - and the fact this is a one-man project makes its achievements all the more impressive. Games such as this are passion projects, driven by the time and effort put in not only by the developers, but also by the players themselves. I look forward to seeing what the future holds for Flyout, and once more features are implemented and fleshed out, I fully expect this title will earn its place alongside the classics of this unique genre. About the Writer Caio D. "Hueman" Barreto An incurable aviation fanatic since childhood, fascinated by the design and history of practically anything that flies. A long-time fan of flight games, he currently studies aeronautical engineering and pursues his hobbies of drawing, writing and flight simulation on his spare time. See Staff Profile .