First of all, I'm on bit of a roll here...🙂...5 for 5 now on first flight with each aircraft (after the 1.2.7.0 Update) ...with the iniBuilds' airliners available to me by default in my Xbox/MSFS2024. I've now successively tested all the (default) iniBuilds airliners (A321, A330, A400M, A310, and, in this post, the A320neo V2) ...flown in the same order (if you wish, see also my previous posts). Note that (A321/A330/A400M) are new to MSFS2024 (courtesy of iniBuilds), whereas the A310 and A320neo were already part of MSFS2020. In addition, iniBuilds also has a couple of other (payware) Airbus types (A300 from MSFS2020, and upcoming A350, hopefully for both MSFS2020 and MSFS2024). 

While the debate is currently raging between the proponents of MSFS2020 and MSFS2024...🙂...including those that own both SIMs and those that are on the fence...🙂..., it appears, in the current state of MSFS2024, it really depends on individual and personal factors and preferences, such as, for example, to what proportions, one is interested in GA a/c, Airliners, Scenery and Airports (with and without PG), Career Mode etc., plus, of course, stability of the SIMs and considerations due to the "Streamed in" paradigm of the new SIM (even the aircraft are "Streamed in" in MSFS2024 once "Enabled", whether you like it or not...)...

Personally speaking, in our virtual world of aviation, all types of aircraft, especially the airliners (old and new), and their history... (older the better...🙂...), have been my primary passion in this hobby since the very beginning. So, I am now grateful that all 5 (default) iniBuilds Airliners (including the A320neo of this post) are performing fluently in my Xbox/MSFS2024 system (of course, subject to the limited domain of knowledge and expertise of this virtual aviator...🙂...).

I used to often fly the A320neo V2 in MSFS2020, and, today, I tested the same aircraft in MSFS2024/Xbox. It was a delightful experience that more than just fulfilled my expectations. To spice up my experience a bit here, for this test-flight, I've chosen a locale that has long fascinated me, from a geographical perspective, the Great Rift Valley of Eastern Africa. 

To start with, valleys are interesting, from both scenic and geological perspectives. Myself, having visited first-hand many valleys such as the (bowl-shaped) Nepal/Kathmandu Valley of the Himalayas, the Valleys of the Rockies (the staple visitor destination, the Rocky Mountain National Park itself has many curiously U-shaped deep valleys), and those in the Great Smoky Mountains of the Appalachians Range (it contains scenic valleys surrounded on all sides by mountains) ...so on...However, never been to the Great Rift Valley that spans an amazing 4000+ miles in Asia and Africa, I thought today of flying my A320neo over, at least, a small stretch of it. 

The East African Great Rift Valley that spreads southward from the Red Sea, bifurcates around the massive Lake Victoria, thereby creating the two branches (Eastern Rift Valley and Western Rift Valley). There are (other) large but thin so-called ribbon-shaped Lakes (Tanganyika and Malawi) in this valley, that are forced to such shapes by the rising terrain on both sides, but, the indomitable Lake Victoria seems to have a mind of its own, boldly maintaining its (broad) shape and defying the (surrounding) terrains and mountains to follow their course around it...🙂...(I suggest an external terrain map inspection for further details)...

I am quite familiar with large lakes, having visited all the 5 Great Lakes of North America, and being near one, Lake Michigan, close to home. These lakes appear like oceans, but unlike oceans, they contain freshwater not saltwater. The largest of the 5 Great lakes is Lake Superior, that I'd a chance to visit during my road-trip to the (twin) cities of Sault Ste. Marie on the U.S. Canada border. Lake Victoria of Great Rift Valley is the 2nd-largest freshwater lake after only Lake Superior. Today, when my A320 was flying over Lake Victoria ...🙂...in the brilliant glow of the evening sun (see my EFB Positioning Map and shots below), my mind was drifting to the world's two largest freshwater Lakes (Lake Superior and Lake Victoria) ...one I've seen in RW, and one I've now seen in my virtual world...🙂...

My flight departs from the ocean-side airport of Dar es Salaam (HTDA), in Tanzania, and routes northwest across the Eastern Branch of the Great Rift Valley, to the northern tip of Lake Victoria, to land in Entebbe Airport (HUEN) in Uganda. One notable landmark on my route today (see a couple of flyby shots below) is the incomparable and world's highest free-standing mountain, Mount Kilimanjaro, (who needs the shoulders of a mountain range...for support...🙂...), a mountain that is also immortalized by the (African) writings of Ernest Hemingway...

For landing of my flight, I've circled back, from north of Entebbe city (as darkness has already fallen, see shots), for a southward heading to eventually line up with and touchdown into ILS Runway 17 of HUEN Airport.

Hope you enjoy this collection of the (iniBuilds) A320neo pictures from my trip today...flying in and across the Great Rift Valley of Africa, as the sun is setting on the horizon, to my west across the vast and mysterious land, that is Africa...! It was a nice and enjoyable flight, and both the a/c (and, of course, the SIM) performed admirably on my command...🙂...from takeoff to touchdown...no blemishes found...at least from this virtual aviator's perspective...

Thanks for viewing...!

Edited December 21, 20241 yr by P_7878

Great shots !

cheers 😉

Very nice set!  Some sunset!

Wow! Quite an interesting flight. And a beautiful "finale" landing at Entebbe.

On 12/21/2024 at 1:09 AM, pmplayer said:

Great shots !

cheers 😉

Thanks, pmplayer. Glad you liked...! Cheers...!

 

On 12/21/2024 at 10:24 AM, CBass said:

Very nice set!  Some sunset!

Appreciated the comment, Calum. My favorite times are dawn and dusk in MSFS...I don't know for sure but, to me, the sunlight at these special times of the day is looking better than ever... 

 

On 12/21/2024 at 12:01 PM, John F said:

Wow! Quite an interesting flight. And a beautiful "finale" landing at Entebbe.

Thanks for the kind words, John. Yes, I have been meaning to wander to the Great Rift Valley for some time ...🙂...in our virtual world. It was a most educative and enjoyable flight from start to finish...over plains, lakes, and mountains...overshadowed by that Mount Kilimanjaro...wonder how that skyscraper came about in the middle of the plains...rising up so impressively...

Cheers and Happy Holidays...!

Very nice set P_7878! I wish you Merry Christmas! 🙂

Nice shots!  😉 

On 12/23/2024 at 3:43 PM, andiflyit said:

Very nice set P_7878! I wish you Merry Christmas! 🙂

Appreciated the comment, and the wishes, Andreas…🙂…Cheers…!

 

On 12/23/2024 at 6:57 PM, Alaska738 said:

Nice shots!  😉 

Thank you for the feedback, Will…! All the best for the holidays…!