First Impressions: Two Months with Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024
It’s been about two months—maybe a bit longer—since I installed Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024. Most of that time, I’ve spent getting reacquainted with the sim. Or perhaps more accurately, re-familiarizing myself. While I expected some continuity with MSFS 2020, I quickly realized that MSFS 2024 brings more than just incremental changes. The differences—especially in the menu structure—are significant. Then again, we saw a similar leap when transitioning from FSX to MSFS 2020.
Performance & Visuals: A Noticeable Step Forward
Right out of the gate, I was impressed by how quickly the sim launches. That alone felt like a win. But what really stood out were the improved visuals and overall performance. Even in its vanilla state—no third-party aircraft or scenery installed yet—MSFS 2024 feels smoother and more refined.
As I’ve mentioned in previous posts, I’m holding off on add-ons for now. I’m waiting for more aircraft to become available—and more importantly, for ChasePlane to release support for the new sim. Yes, I used MSFS 2020 for years without ChasePlane, and I could do the same with 2024. But I’m choosing to wait. I want the sim to mature a bit more before I fully commit. In the meantime, MSFS 2020 still has plenty of life left in it.
Exploring Career Mode: A New Chapter
One area I have been exploring is the new Career Mode. In just a day, I managed to kick off my virtual aviation career and earn my commercial rating, unlocking sightseeing and ferry flight opportunities.
At first, I was a bit puzzled by how it all worked. I didn’t watch any tutorials or read up on it—I just dove in. The initial screen prompted me to select a starting airport, so I naturally chose KGTU (Georgetown Executive), which is close to home. But nothing happened. After some digging, I realized Career Mode only works with predetermined starting airports. Once I selected Salado Airport (2TX)—a small, privately owned field about 15 miles away—I was up and running.
Side note: Salado has both a grass and a paved runway, but unfortunately, MSFS 2024 doesn’t recognize the paved one yet. I’ll dive deeper into Career Mode in a future post.
️ Flight Dynamics: Subtle but Significant Changes
Flight dynamics have been a hot topic with MSFS 2024, and after logging 25–30 hours in aircraft like the Cessna 172, Carenado Mooney, and the new Piper PA-28 Dakota, I can say the handling feels noticeably different from MSFS 2020.
That said, I don’t have real-world experience in these aircraft, so I can’t speak to how accurately they’re modeled. But the changes are there, and they’re meaningful—especially for those of us who’ve spent years in the virtual skies.
Looking Back, Looking Ahead
It still amazes me how far we’ve come in over 40 years of flight simulation. From the early days of Sublogic in the ’80s to the leap from Prepar3D v5 to MSFS 2020, each generation has pushed the envelope. And now, with MSFS 2024, Microsoft and Asobo have raised the bar once again.
The experience is more immersive, more responsive, and more “As Real As It Gets” than ever before. I’ve genuinely enjoyed every hour I’ve spent in MSFS 2024—and I look forward to the day when it becomes my full-time sim.
Until next time…
Happy Flying!
—Jerry