Test machine specs: MSI X670E, AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D, AMD Radeon RX 7900XTX, 48gb RAM
Reviewed for: MSFS
Add-ons: FSLTL, GSX Pro, REX AccuSeason (which may misrepresent some colours in certain light conditions)
Following my very recent purchase of Lihue, I decided to add Kaluhui in order to form a small Hawaiian network since there are daily hops (with jets) between the two. Each also offers direct service to Honolulu, which is less than 100 nautical miles away.
DETAIL
Kahului is a lot older than Lihue (by almost three years) so I knew I needed to expect less detail — but while there is certainly a noticeable difference in some areas, it slightly exceeded my expectations. Out on the ramp I’d say Kahalui actually has slightly more custom ground clutter (though like Lihue it’s a mix of custom and default) but the terminal’s outdoor landside is without doubt more sparse (default cars, very few people, a lot of roads left to default satellite imagery). There are, however, a handful of custom buses that are nicely detailed. The main terminal interior at first glance is every bit as good as that of Lihue but look a little harder and you see that corners have been cut, with many shops and bars being 2D overlays rather than intricately modelled affairs. Given that Kahului is the largest airport NSS have done so far, the lack of finer landside/interior detail isn’t surprising but I suspect its age is more of a factor than its size.
The ground textures have been redone in a recent update (which brought FS2024 compatibility) and I think they just pip Lihue’s, particularly the markings.
The commuter terminal looks great and features a partial interior and static Mokulele Caravans; and one of the helicopter tour operator’s hangars boats a small but fully-modelled recreational garden.
Out in the peripheral areas of the airfield it’s business as usual, there being not much difference between this and any other NSS airport. There’s an abundance of fine detail and all buildings/structures are modelled to a high standard. Outside the perimeter fence there’s not a great deal included but there is some sort of industrial plant, on the approach to RWY02, that’s part of the scenery.
Night-lighting is very good, without being mind-blowing. I’ve not managed to locate any pesky Asobo ‘globes’, which is the main thing!
PERFORMANCE
About on a par with Lihue, which means it’s great. It may in fact be a whisker better, considering PHOG is bigger and busier — it’s Hawaii’s second-busiest airport and has wide-body flights from the contiguous US.
VERDICT
While Kahului doesn’t quite have the shine of Lihue and other more recent NSS airports, it has been kept up-to-date so that it passes the 2025 standards test. Apart from the lack of finer detail inside and around the landside areas of the terminal, it’s basically a typical NSS airport. We don’t get all the fancy animations of Lihue but at least that airport’s functioning traffic lights and animated flags have recently been incorporated into PHOG. The ramp looks every bit as good as Lihue’s (maybe better in some respects) and the terminal exterior modelling is faultless.
If you like flying in the Hawaiian islands, Kahului is a must. It’s only around 90 miles from PHNL (itself a similar distance from Lihue, which sits on the second most westerly isle) and both Hawaiian and Southwest operate the PHOG-PHNL route with jets (B717 and B38M respectively). Add some beautiful and strikingly varied island scenery — which looks great from the maximum altitudes 90 mile flights reach — and you have a very compact but extremely busy little corner of the world to fly around.
For those who prefer a more GA-oriented experience, Mokulele offer both scheduled services and pleasure flights to the neighbouring islands (with PHNL and PHOG as main bases)… which, helpfully, are also covered by Northern Sky Studios. To round it all off nicely, Seafront Simulations have a Vessels: Hawaii package that adds a lot of life to the waters around these islands (particularly Honolulu/Pearl Harbour).
Ground textures: 8/10
Building textures: 9/10
Apron clutter: 7/10
Terminal interior: 8/10
Outdoor landside detail: 6/10
Jetway connection: 8/10
Performance: 9/10
FSLTL compatibility: 10/10
GSX compatibility: no profile available currently but seems to work well as is
Night-lighting: 7/10
Overall immersion: 9/10
IMAGES
To follow…