Some different pieces of Microsoft Flight Simulator news to cover. The first beta for Sim Update 11 is out for testers and its feature list reveals some what the rest of us will be experiencing come early November. There’s a marketplace sale for some scenery from Flightbeam. Also the Asobo/Microsoft team have posted two human interest stories with some interesting history with the sim and with aviation in general. I’m always a sucker for those… so let’s have a look!

The first beta for Sim Update 11 is in

Sim Update 11 will be a special one as it will be the one that unleashes the 40th anniversary pack containing new content and new types of aircraft like sail planes and helicopters. This is going to be a very consequential update for the series so all eyes are going to be on it at every step of the way.

The first beta is now available for testers according to the latest developer update. It doesn’t contain the new content yet but it does bring in several features that are being tested. AMD FSR2 and nVidia DLSS 3 are among the key features but there are over a 100 other features and updates being tested too.

Check out the beta release notes here. Also check out the latest developer update here.

Flightbeam sale

The latest MSFS Marketplace sale is from scenery maker Flightbeam. For seven days starting on October 14 and ending October 21, you’ll be able to purchase Flightbeam scenery for 33% off the regular price.

The following items are included in the sale:

• KDEN Denver International Airport
• KIAD Washington Dulles International Airport
• KPDX Portland Airport
• LFBO Toulouse Blagnac Airport
• LFBZ Biarritz Airport
• NZAA Auckland International Airport
• NZWN Wellington Airport

See the announcement here.

Celebrating Hispanic aviation contributions

Another article of interest that the Microsoft team have presented is a piece celebrating Hispanic aviation contributions. For many of us, its names like Wright, Lindberg and Earhart that we can rattle off as being the early pioneers of flight. How about Jorge Chavez, Felix Rigaeu Carrera, Olga E. Custodio, and Marisol A. Chalas? I’d never heard of them until now but as a life long student of history I will be sure to read their stories – always more to learn. Check out the article here.

A fourty year history with MSFS

Frank Durrans is an ex-serviceman with the Royal Army Service Corp. After his time in the service he made an effort to get his pilots license but soon learned that the cost was going to be more than he was able to afford. Then he learned about the very first Microsoft Flight Simulator and, from the sounds of it, the rest really was history.

What’s this all about? It’s a story posted on the Microsoft website that details Frank’s life and history with Microsoft Flight Simulator over the years. It’s a great story about how life and this sim have helped connect with family and relive a flying career. It’s worth a read!