I have heard that sometimes the purchase of an airport will include some enhanced surrounding scenery. I’ve never purchased additional scenery but was wondering about this. Understanding that vendors are all different, I was wondering if it was common for surrounding terrain features or buildings etc..., to be of an enhanced quality as well?  
Specifically, I am considering Norfolk as my first Payware scenery add on. Does anyone know if Norfolk is modeled as well or is it just the airport itself?

i know it’s a big Newbie question. I’ve flown MSFS since the first one came out. Wow, it’s come a long ways. Never have I added scenery but 2020 has changed a bunch. This sim is really exciting.

Norfolk, UK or Norfolk Virginia?

Virginia. But the question is really general in nature. 
I’ve seen some YouTube’s where the folks were commenting on what appeared to be a mile or two of enhanced scenery around the airfield (or even more). I suppose my question would be better phrased by just asking if that is pretty standard or no. 

Edited October 24, 20205 yr by Wayne2

OK, as the Norfolk, UK is flat and water!

It really varies depending on the developer. I’d say Orbx are quite good for doing additional work on the surrounding area, like LOWI for example.

Thanks for the response. I really love msfs2020 scenery but I find it a little hard to VFR fly. I can do better with fsx and mega scenery. I’m sure I will get blasted for that statement because 2020 is unbelievable but some of it doesn’t look right somehow. I would like to buy a couple cities and try them (if they are out there right now)

5 minutes ago, Wayne2 said:

Thanks for the response. I really love msfs2020 scenery but I find it a little hard to VFR fly. I can do better with fsx and mega scenery. I’m sure I will get blasted for that statement because 2020 is unbelievable but some of it doesn’t look right somehow. I would like to buy a couple cities and try them (if they are out there right now)

Not going to blast anyone, but couldn't disagree more.  I was able to take off from the airport where I was a flight instructor many years ago and could locate each of the practice areas we used simply by looking out the windscreen.  For me, VFR doesn't get any more immersive than that... and for a heck of a lot less money than trying to get complete megascenery coverage. 😜

17 minutes ago, Wayne2 said:

but I find it a little hard to VFR fly.

I wonder what your difficulties are. Flying VFR means comparing what you see on your aeronautical chart with what you see out of the windows of your airplane. So the more realistic the outside view, the more realistic your VFR flying. But maybe that's what's bothering you. Tbh, flying (the navigation part at least) became much easier since GPS has found the way into our cockpits and using Foreflight, SkyDemon and the like is a huge step towards situational awarenes in VFR flying. Finding VFR reporting points - and even airports- in unknown areas is a challenge without these little helpers. FSX made that part easier, because runways used to stick out of the scenery more than in reality. That has changed in MSFS - luckily.

To answer your question. It depends on the developer and the surrounding scenery. I think with MSFS we will see less airports where the surrounding scenery is altered, especially in photogrammetry regions. FSDT have pointed that out for their Key West airport scenery: if they were to mess with the surrounding area it includes the high risk that any update/upgrade of the underlying photogrammetry scenery would render their work useless. Neverless they created some POI's around the airport. So you will have to check for every product if it will meet your requirements.

I don't know about your experience, but from your posting I guess it's vanilla MSFS for quite some time. Maybe you wanna have a look at Squirrel's video here if you'd like to get a feeling what VFR-flying is about. What's special is that he's done this flight in MSFS an IRL and you can find the other one if you look at his channel....

Tom. I think you may have hit the nail on the head. I didn’t really consider it but upon reflection I bet I was/am relying too much on the few details in fsx that really stuck out because of the lack of complexity. Like that airport that’s visible from way too far away in fsx. 
This makes me feel better about the new scenery. I know I used to go flying with a friend and he would always ask me to pick out airports we were approaching. I was terrible at it. 
I think I may have jumped to a conclusion without giving it enough thought. Don’t get me wrong. I immediately recognized our new scenery was awesome, but I didn’t have the “cheats” that were available. Mystery solved.

thanks for the help/advice. This is much more of a simulator than game. Which is great.

21 hours ago, Wayne2 said:

Thanks for the response. I really love msfs2020 scenery but I find it a little hard to VFR fly. I can do better with fsx and mega scenery. I’m sure I will get blasted for that statement because 2020 is unbelievable but some of it doesn’t look right somehow. I would like to buy a couple cities and try them (if they are out there right now)

Dude we all have our opinions so do t worry 🙂 yours is just very very strange 😄

Haha. That’s funny. Tom was exactly right. I went into fsx to fly my helicopters and what he was saying is correct. The few details there, are so pronounced that it makes VFR flying too simple. I never thought about it but that’s exactly why I’m having more trouble visually flying. 
so basically I just have to become more familiar with VFR flying in a much more realistic sim