Aircraft used: default 32N, LVFR 320, PMDG 738
Live weather: on
DETAIL
The airport at Brest is located in Brittany, a fertile, flat part of northwestern France. It’s a small airport that’s actually closer to the southern portion of the UK than it is to much of France, meaning it sees some quite unusual flights (for a French airport). Pilot Experience Sim have done a fantastic job with the place — the terminal and surrounding buildings are modelled using mostly high-res textures, with similar quality textures gracing the ground both airside and landside. The runway’s ‘hump’ has been faithfully recreated and can be used by pilots landing 25L to slow down without being overly reliant on reverse thrust.
The terminal features a gorgeous interior that’s one of the most detailed I’ve seen. At first glance it appears that some objects are simple 2D texture overlays but closer inspection reveals that the majority are in fact fully 3D modelled. Looks can clearly be deceptive! The level of detail is such that I can distinctly make out every individual item in a cafe’s fridge, and every magazine on a shop’s shelf… and even the price tags on some of them! For added immersion, we get static passengers too. Oh, and a fully working digital clock mounted on a beautifully crafted wooden wall!
If I had to nitpick I’d say the terminal windows can appear a little too green from the outside under certain conditions, and they’re perhaps not as reflective as they could be — but this really is nitpicking!
The jetways look fantastic and make a snug connection with the A320s. A real bonus is that the stairs of the jetways don’t penetrate the ground, as they so often do in the vast majority of other sceneries.
Away from the terminal, all peripheral buildings have been modelled, mostly to a very good standard. There are a couple of buildings further out that feature lower res textures but you’re not likely to notice unless you specifically go looking with the drone.
Night lighting is pretty good but some parts of the terminal do look a little dim.
PERFORMANCE
I’m happy to say, it’s flawless. many flights in and out now, and not a single black screen incident or CTD. It might only be a small airport but this level of optimisation I dare say isn’t easy to achieve, especially given the quality of much of the detail. It’s also completely stutter-free.
VERDICT
While this airport likely isn’t going to be particularly popular, it’s a must if you collect French airports or are looking for a less popular destination to include in your UK or Ireland regional network. It’s superbly detailed, airside and landside, and offers flawless performance with any aircraft you throw at it. I would like to have seen more modelling outside the perimeter fence, away from the terminal, but again that’s a minor gripe.
On a final note, there are several flights per day (operated mainly by C208s) to another, much smaller airport in Brittany, called Quessant. There is a decent rendition of Quessant (by Simultech) available for MSFS and I’m hoping to pick it up when its next on sale as it should make a great partner airport for Brest!
IMAGES
The jetways connect very well with the A320, and unusually (but thankfully!) the staff stairs don’t penetrate the ground!
I’m not sure if this square hole is a feature of the real airport or not! Looks kinda cool, though…
Hungry? Decisions, decisions…
