Curious... What was the first commercial add-on and freeware add-on available for flight simulator?From my brief research it looks like Microsoft was really the first around FS5.0 but I am thinking of a 3rd party add-on. I imagine back in the day of bulletin boards?Clutch

Good question. I'd venture somewhere in the late '90s as the Internet became more broadly available. Imagine downloading even a 10MB add-on via dial-up, though... :(

I seem to remember it being some kind of scenery... probably from either SubLogic or Microsoft?Much earlier than the 1990s, though - I'm thinking 1983-ish.

I seem to remember it being some kind of scenery... probably from either SubLogic or Microsoft?Much earlier than the 1990s, though - I'm thinking 1983-ish.

Yep-at that time fs only came with a few airports. The first commercial add on I remember was add in airports for state regions put out I think by sublogic. I don't remember the year or sim version but 1983 sounds pretty close.I was thrilled to get a bunch of black lines on solid green scenery which represented the airports in my state.How far we have come!

First one would probably be Aircraft and Scenery Designer. This thing: http://www.amazon.com/Microsoft-Simulator-...r/dp/B0016FQ5AWAl

"I was thrilled to get a bunch of black lines on solid green scenery which represented the airports in my state."Lol. Glad I was not just drinking anything.This may resurrect the wistful nostalgia of the days when our imagination created most of the scenery.. and did a half-decent job of it.

First one would probably be Aircraft and Scenery Designer. This thing: http://www.amazon.com/Microsoft-Simulator-...r/dp/B0016FQ5AWAl

That was the first add in done by Microsoft after they took fs over.I was thrilled with that program to make a single house to represent where mine was at the time.

My first addon was "Dallas/Ft Worth" (circa 1997) created by Robert Montgomery, publisher of MicroWings Magazine - which was really THE only source of info for simmers then, since almost nobody had internet.If I recall, it came on 4 diskettes in the mail and was the first time I had heard of ANY such thing as addon software for FS.In 1990, Microwings sponsored a wildly succesful sim conference in Seattle. Robert trucked his simualtor all the way from Dallas. This spectacular machine consisted of the entire nose section of a small jet transport (probably a Fokker?) with flight deck and first two rows of seats (two abreast each side).There were CRT monitors for both captain and FO- both ahead and L/R Fwd as well as side viewing monitors for the passenger seats. He used 5 networked PCs to drive the whole thing and it was the hit of the show!Also there, Matrox displayed their G400 video card driving a multi monitor display. I was hooked and ordered one soon after getting home. And that's where the magic of multiple views started for me!Sadly MicroWings mag survived only a couple of more years- a victim of the internet.Wonder what ever happened to Robert? - He was truly Mr Flight Sim of that era.Alex Reid

I think you got that one right, Alan. so we have:1st MS flightsim addon = Microsoft Flight Simulator Aircraft & Scenery Designer in 1990 for FS41st 3rd party commercial addon = ???Could it be a company named Mallard? Found an adventure addon from 1992 for FS4http://cgi.ebay.com/Flight-Adventure-685-M...=item43a03aa42f1st freeware addon = ???

I'm pretty sure Bruce Artwick's company made Aircraft and Scenery Designer and it was merely published by MS, which didn't actually own the FS brand until about 1995-ish, although I could be wrong on that.First freeware add-on would have been when someone used Aircraft and Scenery Designer and gave their friend a floppy disk with what they had made on the disk LOLAl

Curious... What was the first commercial add-on and freeware add-on available for flight simulator?From my brief research it looks like Microsoft was really the first around FS5.0 but I am thinking of a 3rd party add-on. I imagine back in the day of bulletin boards?Clutch

This is a fun question! Tom Allensworth would probably remember what was the first freeware addon because he operated one of the first flightsim BBS; CAPENET between 1983 and 1995. Sadly, Avsim probably has lost some of the older files in last year's hack. Flightsim.com has an FS3 addon by Bob Dennin. It's description is: fsmods.zip Size: 23,885 Date: 09-26-1989 Downloads: 40 A collection of Flt.Sim III modes. Many from all Scenery disks. ben

That is a fun question! I may not be old enough to give a hint as to the first, but I do remember picking up Data Becker's Air Force One add on at the "big mall" near my town. :( I was in love from then on. Anyone remember that one? (Don't answer that as I don't want to hijack the thread!!!)

Don't worry about it Zach, it's all in fun. Boy, that's a great find Ben! I didn't think there would be anything for FS3. I'm not sure what's more interesting - the fact that there was an addon for FS3 or the fact that Flightsim.com still had that in their library! 21 years ago Bob Dennin uploaded that. :( 40 downloads, ha! That was probably the entire simming community back then, :( Not sure just what "modes" mean in the file but I am downloading to take a look. I happen to have FS3 so I might have to try 'er out.So if we look at it now:1st MS flightsim addon = Microsoft Flight Simulator Aircraft & Scenery Designer in 1990 for FS41st 3rd party commercial addon = Flight Adventure #685 for MS Flight Simulator 4.0 19921st freeware addon = FS3 Modes by Bob Dennin on 09-26-1989 Who will be knocked off the thrown?(OMG, Tom's been around that long... he's definitely a "life'r")

How 'bout this?scott s..

Wow.. what's the copyright date on that, Scott?