Aussies love Microsoft Flight Sim – enjoying in huge numbers, new update out today!

Jorg Neumann, Head of Microsoft Flight Simulator doesn’t just think Aussies love his “game”, he knows it. Australians have turned to Microsoft Flight Simulator in huge numbers with over 500,000 Australian’s playing Microsoft Flight Simulator (MSFS).

And now, as part of the 21st “World Update”, Australia is getting a whole lot more detail. Last updated two years ago the map and detail across huge parts of Australia are being updated for free inside MSFS as of today.

This also includes a Mission you can unlock to do some aerial firefighting, something I discussed yesterday on The Today Show:

But that’s just a great collaboration to launch and announce this update. the real strength of the update is in the vast number of small areas that have been given exceptional new detail through this update.

You can enjoy a bunch of them right here:

Speaking to Jorg Neumann yesterday he was talking about Australia having the third largest number of airports – behind the USA and Brazil, our 2,180 Airports puts us at the top of the list per capita, and Jorg put our passion for flying and his simulation down to how familiar Australians are with planes, given we are such a large country and are used to flying perhaps more than many other places.

Here are the highlights from the latest World Update as outlined by Microsoft:

New South Wales

• Albury: Located on the Bank of the Murray River, a popular tourist metropolitan area.
• Blue Mountains: Known for sandstone cliffs, deep gorges, and iconic geologic formations.
• Central Coast: Region of several national parks, beaches, and several picturesque towns.
• Chatswood: Bustling commercial suburb in Sydney’s Lower North Shore.
• Coffs Harbour: Locally called Coffs, this city is where lush mountains meet beautiful beaches of the Mid North Coast.
• Minto: A modern suburb of southwestern Sydney.
• Newcastle-Maitland: Located adjacent to one another north of Sydney, Newcastle is known for its beaches and Maitland is a gateway to renowned Hunter Valley vineyards.
• Springwood: Nestled in the Blue Mountains, a historic town that serves as a gateway to several regional natural areas.
• Sydney: The capital of New South Wales and Australia’s most populous city, it is widely heralded as one of the world’s most sophisticated metropolitan areas.
• Wagga Wagga: Australia’s most populous inland city, known for its beautiful botanic gardens and rich Aboriginal history.
• Wollongong: Internationally famous for its dramatic coastal setting and surfing beaches.

Queensland

• Brisbane: The capital of Queensland, a modern, outdoor-oriented city hosting the 2032 Olympics.
• Bundaberg: Located on the southern Queensland coast, it is one of the major gateways to the Great Barrier Reef and an important sugar cane hub.
• Cairns: Located in coastal North Queensland, it is also one of the key entry points to the Great Barrier Reef and Wet Tropics rainforest.
• Gold Coast: Coastal region known for surfside skyscrapers and expansive beaches.
• Hervey Bay: Located on the southern Queensland coast, one of Australia’s premier whale watching destinations.
• Kippa-Ring: A renowned commercial suburb in the city of Moreton Bay on the Redcliffe Peninsula along Queensland’s southern coast.
• Mackay: Called the “sugar capital” of Australia, it is a beautiful port city on Queensland’s central coast and serves the sugar cane processing and mining industries.
• Sunshine Coast: One of Australia’s premier travel destinations due to its white-sand beaches, surfing, and the Australia Zoo.
• Toowoomba: Australia’s second most populous inland city, known as the “Garden City” due to its more than 150 parks.
• Townsville: Located on the northeastern coast of Queensland adjacent to the central portion of the Great Barrier Reef; a major industrial hub.

South Australia

• Adelaide: The coastal capital of South Australia, a planned city surrounded by lush parks.
• Woodcroft: Picturesque suburb of southern Adelaide.

Tasmania

• Hobart: The capital of and largest city in Tasmania known for its dramatic natural setting and colonial buildings.
• Launceston: A historic city in northern Tasmania known for its 19^th-century architecture.

Victoria

• Melbourne: The capital of Victoria, and Australia’s center of culture and sports.
• Geelong: A major port city known for its rich history, the eastern anchor of the famous Great Ocean Road.
• Bendigo: A town known for its 1850s gold rush history and Victorian-era architecture.
• Frankston: Located on the eastern coast of Port Phillip, southeast of Melbourne, known for its beaches and boardwalk.
• Mildura: Located in northwestern Victoria along the border with New South Wales, a major producer of grapes, citrus, and dried fruits.
• Moorabbin: A key suburb in the greater Melbourne metropolitan area, a renowned aviation destination, notably due to the Moorabbin Air Museum.
• Mooroolbark: a key suburb of Outer Eastern Melbourne known for its Aboriginal history.
• Shepparton: This diverse city in northern Victoria is known for its agricultural vibrancy, notably its fruit processing industry.

Western Australia

• Perth: The capital of Western Australia known for its beautiful beaches, surrounding desert national parks, and its relative isolation.
• Jandakot: A southern suburb of Perth, a major aviation hub due to its busy general aviation airport, Jandakot Airport (YPJT), and several aviation-related industries like flight training and air tourism.
• Joondalup: Located just inland of the Indian Ocean, it is a major northern suburb of Perth that is often called the “city of the north.”
• Mandurah: A vibrant coastal city south of Perth known for its large estuary with abundant bird and maritime wildlife.
• Bunbury: A coastal city south of Perth, called the “city of dolphins” and known for its beaches and marine life.

Australian Capital Territory

• Canberra: The national capital of Australia, it is one of the world’s best known planned cities and features stunning architecture and several renowned urban parks.

Northern Territory

• Darwin: The capital and most populous city of Australia’s Northern Territory known as the center of the Northern Territory’s extensive natural attractions, including coastal and desert destinations.

Microsoft Flight Simulator: World Update 21 also includes dozens of points of interest (POIs), including parks, dams, lighthouses, observatories, and major buildings.

The update comprises six meticulously handcrafted airports from Microsoft Flight Simulator’s long-term partner, Gaya:

Broken Hill Airport (YBHI): Located deep in the outback desert of far-western New South Wales, it is a key regional hub for the area and an important base for the Royal Flying Doctor Service, which services healthcare to Australia’s rural and remote regions.

Broome International Airport (YBRM): Located on the Indian Ocean coast of the northwestern part of Western Australia, this airport is known as the Gateway to the Kimberley, a renowned desert and coastal wilderness area.

Coober Pedy Airport (YCBP): Located amid the world’s premier opal mining region in the outback of South Australia, this airport is a small facility with a paved runway and a gravel runway serving the town of Coober Pedy and surroundings.

Bathurst Airport (YBTH): A small airport located outside the New South Wales town of Bathurst in Australia’s Central Tablelands region, an area known for its beautiful low mountains.

RAAF Base Tindal / Katherine Tindal Airport (YPTN): Located to the east-southeast of the town of Katherine in Australia’s Northern Territory, this is a dual-use military (Royal Australian Air Force, RAAF) / civilian aerodrome.

Lord Howe Island Airport (YLHI): This small airport provides air transportation to Lord Howe Island. Prior to its opening in September 1974, Lord Howe Island was served by flying boats. YLHI is an important transit and refueling point for light aircraft flying between Australia and New Zealand.

Microsoft Flight Simulator World Update 21: Australia features several incredible missions for both Microsoft Flight Simulator (2020) and Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024.

Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 World Update 21 Missions:

• Three Discovery Flights: Canberra, Cocos Islands, and Whitsunday Islands
• Five Precision Landings: Broome International Airport (YBRM) in a Boeing 737, Coober Pedy Airport in a CubCrafters XCub, RAAF Base Tindal / Katherine Tindal Airport (YPTN) in a Boeing F/A-18 Super Hornet, Mount Wedge helipad (Y904T) in a Robinson R66 helicopter, and South Solitary Island (YUXF1) in a Robinson 66 helcopter
• Two Low Altitude Challenges: Lake Eildon in a Boeing F/A-18 Super Hornet and Kimbolton in a Aero Vodochody L-39 Albatros
• Two Rally Race Challenges: Three Sisters and the Twelve Apostles

Microsoft Flight Simulator (2020) World Update 21 Missions:

• Three Discovery Flights: Canberra, Cocos Islands, and Whitsunday Islands
• Three Landing Challenges: Broome International Airport (YBRM) in an Airbus A320, Coober Pedy Airport in a CubCrafters XCub, and RAAF Base Tindal / Katherine Tindal Airport (YPTN) in a Boeing F/A-18 Super Hornet
• One Bush Trip: Australia’s Great Ocean Road

You can get the update by simply launching MSFS now!