2 hours ago, WebMaximus said:

Sorry if the answer was already given and I missed it but does LGAV come with static aircraft models in the same way FlyTampa's EKCH does? Which again sadly can't be removed...

I don't think so, no 🙂

2 hours ago, Republic DC9 said:

I spent a great deal of time and money on XP11 and P3Dv5 and still have them, but even out of the box with zero payware it is gorgeous and just so SMOOTH compared to my earlier sims - both on my “good” computer and my ancient potato computer.

I do buy add ons (the 146 and 737-700 and Warrior II are amazing) but one could have an incredible ball of a time at very little cost per hour flying over incredible scenery and default planes, and if desired so many free liveries and plane enhancements are available.
 

Maybe try the flight from Bedford, MA to Worcester, MA for example as Thoreau’s Walden Pond becomes industrial park then golf course then big box shopping areas then Dingy looking railyards as you come in on the ILS.

And set the wind high enough to get some wave action as the freeware ships package ferries and freighters slide by diesel smoke puffing from their stacks.

It’s not perfect but it is a great sim worth trying in my humble opinion, so many incredible moments using just base/free content.

Don't misunderstand me. There is a lot that I really like in the various screenshots of the simulator that I have seen on AVSIM and elsewhere. I am just a bit paranoid about various things like the mandatory updates, online streaming, whether I would be able to modify airport AFD files as easily as I can in P3D, inconsistent photogrammetry (those "solid block" bridges and "melting" scenery are definitely not my cup of tea), and the somewhat strange sounding ATC voices to name but a few. I am so familiar with the way that everything looks and feels and, well.....just works in P3D that I am reluctant to spend money on something else, even if it is simply to check it out!

16 hours ago, WebMaximus said:

Where the majority of them unfortunately come with static aircraft models which can't be switched OFF...

AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH hell no!
Why do devs not offer an option to disable them or at least allow to rename some "Static_aircraft.bgl" to .bak by myself????
This sucks so much and this is one of two strict no-go-reasons, why I still have not spent a single cent on payware airports for MSFS yet.

1 hour ago, Christopher Low said:

Don't misunderstand me. There is a lot that I really like in the various screenshots of the simulator that I have seen on AVSIM and elsewhere. I am just a bit paranoid about various things like the mandatory updates, online streaming, whether I would be able to modify airport AFD files as easily as I can in P3D, inconsistent photogrammetry (those "solid block" bridges and "melting" scenery are definitely not my cup of tea), and the somewhat strange sounding ATC voices to name but a few. I am so familiar with the way that everything looks and feels and, well.....just works in P3D that I am reluctant to spend money on something else, even if it is simply to check it out!

Understood....I imagine I’ll ponder the same things and have to make a similar decision when I have to decide to spring for XP12 to try it out.

But as a heavy P3Dv5 user and XP11 user I’m loving this sim so far.

(Side note...if you dislike photogrammetry you can always switch that off, the autogen looks decent when matched with the photoscenery).

My favorite European airports: 

UK

• EGLL London Heathrow - iniBuilds
• EGPF Glascow - Pyreegue
• EGPH Edinburgh - Pyreegue
• EGCC Manchester - Macco Simulations
• EGKK - freeware

France

• LFPO Orly - Jetstream / Flightbeam
• LFBZ Biarritz Pays Basque - Dreamflight
• LFMT Montpellier Méditerranée - FranceVFR

Italy

• LIML Lineate - Jetstream
• LIRQ Florence - Gaya
• LIPZ Venice Marco Polo International Airport - Beautiful Model of the World
• LIPB Bolzano Airport - Beautiful Model of the World
• LIEO Olbia Costa Smeralda Airport - Orbx

Austria

 

• LOWI - Orbx
• LOWW - Gaya
• LOWS - Digital Design

Germany

 

• EDDH - SimWings
• EDDM - SimWings
• EDDK Cologne Bonn - Aerosoft

Spain

• LEBL - LatinVFR
• LEMD - LatinVFR
• LEBB - Beautiful Model of the World

Norway

• ENAL - Orbx
• ENBR - freeware
• ENGM - freeware

Portugal

• LPPR - MKStudios
• LPPT - MKStudios

 

Switzerland

• LSZS Samedan - Orbx
• LSGS Sion - Redwing

 

Belgium

• EBBR Brussels - Aerosoft

Ireland

• EIDW Dublin - MK Studios / Orbx

Czech republic

• LKPR Václav Havel Airport Prague - Orbx

Montenegro

• LYTV Tivat - Pyreegue

Denmark

• EKCH Copenhagen - FlyTampa / SimMarket

Croatia

• LDZA Zagreb - Aerosoft

Wow, lots of good suggestions there 👍

Again, would be really useful to know which if any of these come with static aircraft models which can't be disabled.

Also check LJLJ Ljubljana by Scenic routes, its a masterpiece.

2 hours ago, Cpt_Piett said:

EGKK - freeware

Don't forget about EGSS - London-Stansted. It's also freeware and looks pretty good!

Edited May 30, 20224 yr by 737_800

27 minutes ago, hollow1slo said:

Also check LJLJ Ljubljana by Scenic routes, its a masterpiece.

Thanks, what about static models? 

3 minutes ago, 737_800 said:

Don't forget about EGSS - London-Luton. It's also freeware and looks pretty good!

I tend to prefer payware airports. Thanks anyway 🙂

1 minute ago, WebMaximus said:

Thanks, what about static models? 

I tend to prefer payware airports. Thanks anyway 🙂

Then you could wait for the GAYA Luton scenery. I am sure that one is gonna be looking superb. Just in case you're interested in RYR ops.

The ICAO code for Luton is EGGW.

2 minutes ago, Christopher Low said:

The ICAO code for Luton is EGGW.

Sorry, the ICAO-code is correct, I just wrote Luton instead of Stansted. I do not know if Luton has a freeware scenery. Since he has no interest in that, it does not matter anyway.

18 hours ago, Farlis said:

Indeed it is. ORBX is totally dropping the ball on this. How difficult can it be to get your developers ship their airports with 2 AFD's, one for with Static and one without Static aircraft, and have that as a switchable option in ORBX Central. Some of these Airports have been out for MSFS since release and they still haven't bothered to fix this.

What's just as annoying is that many devs don't include correct gate/parking assignments. I know his is possible in MSFS since FlyTampa updated CYYZ from what I know to include proper parking.

But why do even top devs like Flightbeam suddenly not care about gate assignments anymore? That seriously bothers me and just seems lazy.

Two of the above-mentioned seem to have performance issues for some people even on high power systems: London Heathrow (IniBuilds) and Brussels (Aerosoft). None of the others slow down my modest system. 

I love London City (difficult airport where you have to pay attention). In real life A320 are forbidden to land there, smaller airliners only. A320 can too, easily, if you don't try to force it when you're not approaching perfectly. Good videos of real life landings on London City on Youtube.

5 minutes ago, Fielder said:

Two of the above-mentioned seem to have performance issues for some people even on high power systems: London Heathrow (IniBuilds) and Brussels (Aerosoft). None of the others slow down my modest system.

I have zero performance issues at EBBR.
The freeware LHBP in the Hungary VFR Airports pack from Orbx is the only scenery to cause a momentary drop in performance for me, everything else works beautifully, even with the Fenix A320.

EBBR is hands-down *the best* payware airport scenery in MSFS, even though it's not exactly spectacular in real life.