An AirVenture add-on, even if it’s third party, would be a huge boon to the simulator and partners. There’s massive incentive for Microsoft/Asobo to do it, however.
One of the largest aviation events in the world, it draws hundreds of thousands of people, and thousands of unique aircraft from around the world. What better place for Microsoft to show off their new simulator and debut an AirVenture DLC than at their own booth at AirVenture 2021? Microsoft used to always display their latest and greatest at the airshow in years past. It’s time for a triumphant return and with new features, scenery, and aircraft to demonstrate its continued development.
We’re fortunate enough that Oshkosh and Wittman Regional are already in a photogrammetry area. Unfortunately, the iconic control tower has been overwritten with a generic high-res autogen building:
In sim (building isn’t actually leaning but is wide angle distortion from a cropped image):
The colored dots on the runway, a requirement for any virtual recreation of the fly-in, are missing from the simulator scenery as well:
The photogrammetry is good enough to use for landings at Pioneer by the museum, the ultralight strip, and the seaplane base on Lake Winnebago. But there are lots of landmarks that could be spiffed up with new models.
The add-on could be packaged with new aircraft and challenges making it a lot more than just a scenery DLC.
How about including a North American T-6 in AeroShell and WWII liveries, or maybe an iconic homebuilt too like a Van’s RV-6 or Rutan Long-EZ? You’ll need to fill out those rows and rows static aircraft with models of these, anyway.
New liveries for the Extra and Pitts from real aerobatics pilots would make nice additions too.
It’s a chance to promote partners too. Many of the official Flight Simulator partners already have booths and displays at AirVenture, but there’s a huge flea market “fly market” area. Imagine if any and all third party developers could have a tent with their name on it in the simulator DLC.
It would be an awesome opportunity for the virtual ATC groups like Vatsim and PilotsEdge: Being able to do the Fisk approach with real ATC would be great practice for pilots who may be intimidated flying into such a huge event, or just fun for a huge community virtual fly-in event if you can’t make it to the actual airshow.
