It's interesting: Just a few days ago I posted (on another forum) a collection of freeware airports, concentrating on Spain. I was dithering posting it here too, but just bumped into this and thought "Hey, this will do, too!"

 

Thanks, just  goes to show that you don't have to spend a lot of money to enjoy MSFS

Before clicking OP video, I thought Gatwick would be #1. And it was.

Any chance of a list without having to watch the video?

It's a poor video. No list, no chapters, no links. 

Nr. 1: Alicante LEAL

Nr.2: Porto LPPR

Nr. 3: Bergen ENBR

Nr.4: Genoa LIMJ

Nr. 5: Helsinki EFHK

Nr. 6: Brasov LRBV

Nr. 7: Madeira LPMA (is one of the handcrafted default airports on the list)

Nr. 8: Duxford EGSU

Nr. 9: Oslo ENGM

Nr. 10: Gatwick EGKK

Not enough time to watch a 8 min video but plenty to loiter on avsim and ask somebody else do the work.

The freeware Gatwick Airport is very detailed, yet surprisingly easy on frames. Why is this? Whereas certain payware airports are less detailed and much more taxing on frame rates. 

The freeware Gatwick airport does not include a lot of the smaller details that would probably be included in payware airports. That (and the fact that the runway centreline markings are misaligned to a certain extent) is the reason that I do not use it.

EDIT: That list is missing EGBE Coventry. That is definitely one of the best freeware airports that I have ever seen.

Edited April 23, 20251 yr by Christopher Low

Thanks for this.  It is easy to miss some really good freeware.  I knew some of the bigger airports, but there's still a lot I would miss.  

5 hours ago, Ricardo41 said:

The freeware Gatwick Airport is very detailed, yet surprisingly easy on frames. Why is this?

The laborious task of making LODs. Any model you make, you essentially need to recreate at a less detailed level, and repeat again once more, even twice more. Ensures that objects not within view or far away aren't being loaded with its most detailed variant.

Edited April 23, 20251 yr by Lucky38i

https://flightsim.to/file/921/lecu-madrid-cuatro-vientos-airport-spain 
Choose no static planes in MSFS2024 because there is one floating plane otherwise.

https://flightsim.to/file/84186/lepa-palma-de-mallorca-airport

 

Ok, so now I toss ya' into the pit.

https://flightsim.to/sceneries/general-aviation-airports/best-rated/2

https://flightsim.to/sceneries/regional-airports/best-rated/

I much prefer using freeware airports and hardly ever go payware.  Freeware just provides better frames.  They don't feel the need to model the chewing gum stuck to the bottom of one of the railcar chairs in the inter-terminal monorail.  Flightsim.to has a lot of airport "enhancements" which just about do the job, making default look better and giving each airport some individual character.  

14 minutes ago, HiFlyer said:

https://flightsim.to/file/84186/lepa-palma-de-mallorca-airport

 

Yeah, Euroscene LEPA would absolutely deserve to be on that list, especially since it’s one of Europe’s top holiday spots. In summer, it sees nearly as much traffic as Heathrow some days and still, no decent up-to-date payware scenery in sight.

4 minutes ago, outermarker said:

Yeah, Euroscene LEPA would absolutely deserve to be on that list, especially since it’s one of Europe’s top holiday spots. In summer, it sees nearly as much traffic as Heathrow some days and still, no decent up-to-date payware scenery in sight.

This airport actually prompted my post on the other forum, as I saw there is now a payware Lepa on sale in the marketplace, and that reminded me of the freeware, which I immediately went and downloaded.