Test machine specs: MSI X670E, AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D, AMD Radeon RX 7900XTX, 48gb RAM
Reviewed for: FS2024
Add-ons: FS Traffic, GSX Pro
Mount Isa is the latest Queensland airport by Orbx Indie developer Rob Byrne (a Queensland native, I understand), and joins an expanding catalogue that also features Mackay, Rockhampton, Gladstone and Emerald. I’ve been impressed by all his airports so far, so I had high expectations for his latest project…
DETAIL
I knew the level of detail was going to be high and I’m certainly not disappointed. My first arrival was from YBBN, just under two hours’ flying time away. The airport doesn’t have functional ATC service, which I’m confident reflects reality (possibly a clue: the modelled tower interior contains equipment that’s covered by tarpaulins). All navaids appear to be functional and I had no trouble getting my Qantas 737 down.
The runway, taxiway and apron textures are sublime. Really. I suspect the separate FS2024 version is native because a number of the (very high-res) ground markings are the new reflective embossed style, which I believe is unique to the later sim. The main apron contains a variety of quality custom GSE clutter, alongside that provided by GSX (no profile as yet, resulting in a few items being positioned where they shouldn’t be).
The terminal is a stunning piece of work, inside and out. A few doors leading into and out of the building are open, adding that extra level of immersion should you choose to go walkabout with your avatar. It’s populated with a good number of static passengers and no corner has been neglected. It’s all very pleasant and captures the somewhat unique feel of an isolated outback airport (I can attest to this, having experienced a couple in real life).
In the past I have found Rob’s outdoor landsides a little disappointing (particularly when compared with what’s on offer airside) — but Mount Isa hits it out of the park! Gone are the default Asobo vehicle models from previous sceneries; replaced by high-quality custom versions that sit neatly under the detailed canopies that protect them from the immense heat this place often experiences. There are a few static people to add life (not too many but a believable number, for an airport of this nature), and more bits of custom kerbside clutter than you would care to shake a stick at: fully 3D signs, billboards, barriers, railings, pavements, walkways, ornamental displays, native tree species… you name it, it’s probably here!
As we move into the airport’s more secluded areas, we see that the level of detail remains commendably high. There are a couple of open hangars, complete with interior modelling that includes static aircraft and a few neat little animations. At the Royal Flying Doctor’s hangar, we’re treated to accurate ambulance models, presumably on constant call to transport the injured to the town’s hospital.
After several airport reviews in which I complained about perimeter fencing (or rather, lack of), Mount Isa puts me happily back on track by including an all-encompassing example… sans gaps!
Predictably for FS2024, night-lighting is superb.
PERFORMANCE
Unsurprisingly for a location this remote, performance is top-notch, in spite of the intricate detail. Being honest, there are a few examples of low-res textures but they’re in places that really don’t matter. This approach likely bolsters performance and Rob certainly wouldn’t be the first dev to adopt this sort of selective process.
VERDICT
As I mentioned, my expectations were running pretty high for this scenery and it’s actually slightly surpassed them (I say only slightly because I knew beforehand that the airport would be a winner). The more detailed terminal outdoor landside is definitely the most welcome improvement, and probably the one aspect that resulted in my expectations being exceeded. Almost everything else is typical of a Rob Byrne Queensland airport — i.e. superb quality all round.
My choice of the word ‘almost’ in that last paragraph is significant, however…
As is always the case, just as I’m about to declare that I’ve found the perfect MSFS airport, something comes along and kicks me in the groin! With YBMA, it’s a slight issue with BATC-injected traffic that placed a Qantas 737 way off both the stand’s centreline and its aircraft-specific ground marking (meaning I couldn’t manoeuvre my aircraft around it to get to my originally allocated stand). I spotted a similar thing with a King Air that was parked partly inside a building. Furthermore, despite a number of stands being marked as 737 capable, the GSX menu only gave me one stand (which at the time was already occupied). Thankfully, I believe this problem is fairly easily remedied by playing around with stand radii and taxiway paths. Perhaps a GSX profile (shouldn’t take long for someone in the community to create one) will mitigate the parking situation, so it’s possibly only the AI traffic anomaly that the dev will need to look into.
EDIT, 18th February 2026
Having liaised with the developer, I’m now pretty sure the AI traffic spawning issue is down to BATC, not incorrectly set parking stand values. The problem with GSX seemingly only able to allocate the user one of the two 737-capable stands remains, however, but is being investigated (might a GSX profile help?).
In conclusion, I appreciate that not everyone is going to want Mount Isa, simply because of its isolated location. Real-world route variety into and out of here is obviously quite limited, however it offers slightly more flexibility than some of Rob’s other Queensland airports (most of which only support aircraft up to E90/F100 size). YBMA sees daily 738s from Qantas and Virgin Ausralia (from Brisbane), plus a variety of commuter props from across the state.
Queensland’s landscape is varied and seeing the terrain change while flying from the relatively lush Gold Coast is certainly interesting. The approach to Isa itself takes in swathes of dusty outback land, and an approach from the south — which sadly I wasn’t allocated — takes you right over the town, and a couple of giant chimney stacks (which Rob has modelled, by the way) associated with the area’s mines.
If you like flying in this part of the world, this scenery is an absolute MUST. And even if you’re not so keen on outback flying, it’s still well worth adding to your scenery library. The sheer number of quality Australian airports we have in the sim now means you’re never short of flights, whether they be quick hops or coast-to-coats affairs.
Now… where are Majestic with that bleedin’ Dash 8…?! 
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