Hello everyone,

This is my first post here on the AVSIM forums, although I have been a flight simulation enthusiast for over 30 years—dating back to the days of the Commodore 64 and Amiga. After three decades in this hobby, I decided to join the discussion today because I feel it's important to share my recent experience as a paying customer of Flight1/iFly.

I am posting this here as a warning to the community and a call for transparency. As a simmer who supports developers by purchasing directly from their stores (bypassing marketplaces), I am appalled by the current state of iFly/Flight1 customer relations.

Since June 2025, the iFly 737 MAX 8 for MSFS 2024 (v1.0.4.3) has received zero functional updates. We are talking about 270 days of "Experimental" status with no progress on the EFB, LNAV/VNAV, or basic SDK integration for the new simulator.

When I attempted to ask about the promised SP1 on their official Discord today—even using a lighthearted, ironic tone for April 1st to highlight the absurdity of this 9-month wait—I was slapped with my third 7-day ban by moderator Kirk Heath.

Here is the reality for anyone considering this $70 purchase:

Stagnant Development: The "Experimental" tag is being used as a shield to justify a frozen build that hasn't changed since last summer.

Hostile Moderation: Instead of providing a roadmap or a simple status update, Flight1 moderators choose to silence paying customers who dare to count the days since the last update.

Direct Purchase Trap: While we avoid "predatory" marketplaces to support devs, we end up with no recourse when the developer goes radio silent and bans you from their communication channels for asking about the product you paid for.

Is this the new standard for high-fidelity add-ons? Pay $70, wait 9 months, and get banned for asking "where is the update?"

I urge Flight1 management to look into how their Discord is being moderated. Silencing the community won't make the SP1 appear any faster, and it certainly won't help your reputation.

7 days pass quickly, Kirk. But 270 days of silence is a lifetime in flight simulation.

Best regards to the community!

Firstly, I'm not going to comment on the fairness of the ban as I don't know what went on that led to that. If you said something like, "Do we have any update on the release of the next build because it's been x days since the last update?" and you were banned instantly for that, then yea it would be questionable. However if you were being overly hostile and start accusing them of taking your money and running or something like that, yea I can see that leading to a ban.

Secondly, on their discord announcement section, their last update on 03/14/2026 was: "@everyone The beta beta team is now testing the second beta for SP1... Please realize there is no official ETA yet, but we have let them know they can share aircraft information, pictures, videos, etc." Indeed, you did see people posting videos showcasing things like the improved efb, so I'm not quite sure why you seem to think that they are not being transparent with updates.

Ex: 

 

Edited April 1Apr 1 by Kevin_28

Well said.  I too have been waiting an eternity (270 days).  I don’t fly the plane anymore as I have far too many “Airliners for MSFS2024”in my current collection.  Don’t need continuous disappointment when simming.  It’s a hobby, not a forced march.  YMMV. TANSTAAFL. Blue skies,

-B

Edited April 1Apr 1 by btacon

22 minutes ago, MrLamb said:

Strictly speaking, it's...

270 days?

Drama won't get you anywhere, for whining see my sig. Thanks.

Let's not go that direction. It is a legitimate question, not "drama" as you suggest. It actually proves his point. While this is still a very good product, banning people for questions or differing views seems to be following PMDG's approach. AND STRICTLY SPEAKING, WE SHOULD AVOID THAT TYPE OF APPROACH. 

Edited April 1Apr 1 by LRBS

You bought it in an experimental state.  I don't know what else to say other than MSFS 2024 development is taking a lot longer than Asobo led everyone to believe.

Perhaps they should have labeled it as Early Access instead.  

 

2 minutes ago, LRBS said:

Let's not go that direction. It is a legitimate question, not "drama" as you suggest. It actually proves his point. While this is still a very good product, banning people for questions or differing views seems to be following PMDG's approach. AND STRICTLY SPEAKING, YOU GUYS SHOULD AVOID THAT TYPE OF APPROACH. 

Obviously I don’t know anything about this specific case but it’s surprising how often it is that you dig into cases of people being banned for “asking questions” and it turns out the problem wasn’t anything to do with asking questions and everything to do with being entitled, rude and obnoxious.

6 minutes ago, Matchstick said:

Obviously I don’t know anything about this specific case but it’s surprising how often it is that you dig into cases of people being banned for “asking questions” and it turns out the problem wasn’t anything to do with asking questions and everything to do with being entitled, rude and obnoxious.

It could be both.  I've noticed a trend of users who come into discord and scream bloody murder about a 50 (insert your currency here) entertainment product insisting this or that should be modeled.  (If it's a 2020 to 2024 upgrade it had better be free as well /sarcasm)

Since developer discords are run by the developers they can shut any conversation down as they see fit.  No developer owes any customer a roadmap, or update, once the product is purchased.

Perhaps this guy did ask very nicely about the 737max but I wasn't there to read the whole story.  I admit that 9 months is a little long in the tooth but technically he received the product he paid for.  An experimental release of the 737 max for MSFS 2024.  It even said that again in parentheses under their system requirements

 

Edited April 1Apr 1 by ryanbatc

13 minutes ago, ryanbatc said:

You bought it in an experimental state.  I don't know what else to say other than MSFS 2024 development is taking a lot longer than Asobo led everyone to believe.

Perhaps they should have labeled it as Early Access instead.  

 

The problem is almost everybody calls their product  "Early Access" now

Its like the sim community get out of jail card.

Make a product. Charge an arm and a leg. Call it  Early Access. Wipe your hands of any and all complaints.

Its bogus and everybody knows it.

Microsoft does not help by coming out with a new patch every 4 months that seems to completely break all add-ons. (Exagerated a little here but you get my point)

 

9 minutes ago, ryanbatc said:

It could be both.  I've noticed a trend of users who come into discord and scream bloody murder about a 50 (insert your currency here) entertainment product insisting this or that should be modeled.  (If it's a 2020 to 2024 upgrade it had better be free as well /sarcasm)

Since developer discords are run by the developers they can shut any conversation down as they see fit.  No developer owes any customer a roadmap, or update, once the product is purchased.

Perhaps this guy did ask very nicely about the 737max but I wasn't there to read the whole story.  I admit that 9 months is a little long in the tooth but technically he received the product he paid for.  An experimental release of the 737 max for MSFS 2024.  It even said that again in parentheses under their system requirements

 

Indeed, as I say I don't know anything about this specific case, though I do have to note that in the history of flight simming not hearing anything for years at a time, let along months is hardly unusual

2 minutes ago, Ron Lefebvre said:

The problem is almost everybody calls their product  "Early Access" now

Its like the sim community get out of jail card.

Make a product. Charge an arm and a leg. Call it  Early Access. Wipe your hands of any and all complaints.

Its bogus and everybody knows it.

Microsoft does not help by coming out with a new patch every 4 months that seems to completely break all add-ons. (Exagerated a little here but you get my point)

 

The solution is not to buy it then.

If you don't like what's being offered then wait till either it's updated to suit your needs/wants or something better come along to spend your money on.

Edited April 1Apr 1 by Matchstick

Just now, Matchstick said:

The solution is not to buy it then.

If you don't like what's being offered then wait till either it's updated to suit your needs/wants or something else come along to spend your money on.

What update are you talking about. the guys been waiting 270 days....

Plus that is not a solution the the problem that is infesting this market.

3 minutes ago, Matchstick said:

Indeed, as I say I don't know anything about this specific case, though I do have to note that in the history of flight simming not hearing anything for years at a time, let along months is hardly unusual

Agreed.  And Flight1 is pretty "old guard" before the times of "issue a product update every 2 weeks" or something.  I seem to remember people begging for a working 2024 version - they probably caved but knew it would be a long while before a solid update was ready.

It's really the same reason why we don't have the Blackbird 757, the Synaptics A220 (or ini or whoever's project it is now) et al.  2024 is just so much more in depth if you really go fully native and take advantage of all the cool new tech.  The WT/Asobo Praetor I think was originally thought to come out late last year but now it's April hehe.  I know Raul's FSReborn Phenom has been going on for quite a while (but smartly he never gives release dates).

5 minutes ago, Matchstick said:

The solution is not to buy it then.

If you don't like what's being offered then wait till either it's updated to suit your needs/wants or something better come along to spend your money on.

Yep - this right here ☝️

I personally am waiting for their 2024 RtM and a few more reviews after that. 

I do have faith in them, and I accept that it takes however long it takes. 

In the meantime, there are so many other addons with which to have fun!

2 minutes ago, ryanbatc said:

2024 is just so much more in depth if you really go fully native and take advantage of all the cool new tech. 

Totally agree with you here.

6 minutes ago, Ron Lefebvre said:

What update are you talking about. the guys been waiting 270 days....

Plus that is not a solution the the problem that is infesting this market.

Whatever update come along in the Early Access program.

As for it not being a solution, that's not true as boycots do work and that's good as it's literally your only weapon.