The FAA in October outlined how pilots will learn to fly powered-lift aircraft—the agency’s first new category in decades that covers vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) air taxis and other futuristic designs. Commercial powered-lift models will not fly until next year, at the earliest.
But you no longer need to wait—or train—to experience them yourself.
An improved physics engine has cleared the runway for Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 (MSFS2024), released Tuesday, to introduce a new wave of aircraft to the video game, including electric VTOL air taxis, personal flying vehicles, and hybrid-electric airliners. German manufacturer Volocopter’s Volocity air taxi has been in the game since 2021. But joining it now are Joby Aviation’s S4, Archer Aviation’s Midnight, Jetson’s Jetson One, and Heart Aerospace’s ES-30.
Players can fly each of the designs between the game’s thousands of airfields. More than 150 airports, 2,000 glider airports, 10,000 heliports, and 2,000 points of interest were designed by hand, with billions of buildings and trillions of trees generated by software.
Typically, VTOL designs such as the S4, Midnight, or Jetson One are piloted with simplified controls. Joby, for instance, likened the fly-by-wire systems on its air taxi and competitor Archer’s model to the controls on a Lockheed Martin F-35B. Heart’s ES-30, a hybrid-electric regional airliner, also has fly-by-wire controls. The ultralight Jetson One, which allows Jetson to skirt FAA pilot certification requirements, uses a pair of joysticks.
Joby said it worked with the MSFS team for years to capture the S4’s controls, dimensions, and flight physics. Digital counterparts for other models, such as the Jetson One, were developed by Microsoft partners. Some manufacturers shared walkthroughs of how to fly their model in the sim.
“We can’t wait to see where people will choose to take off and land with our aircraft, using its flexibility to explore cities and communities in a new way,” said JoeBen Bevirt, founder and CEO of Joby.
Also included in the game—which features 70 aircraft and optional add-ons—are hot air balloons and powered parachutes, as well as new and updated aircraft such as the Boeing 737 Max, Cessna 408 Skycourier, De Havilland DHC-6 Twin Otter, Pilatus PC-24, and Cirrus VisionJet.
Another key addition is the Career System, a game mode designed to mimic the journey from earning your wings to becoming a master of the air. Players can start at any airport in the world, unlocking missions such as search and rescue, aerial firefighting, and skydiving as they train. The new mode introduces a flight planning tool that allows players to review preflight checklists, plan and log routes, and pick from a range of missions. It even simulates aircraft ownership and maintenance.
With its latest release, MSFS got closer to mirroring a real world—one that could soon include powered-lift aircraft. The first VTOL models are likely still about one year away from takeoff. But in the gaming world, the future is now.
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