I think lighting "bigness" is entirely subjective and depends on individual eyesight and camera lens trickery, external environment, time of day, weather conditions etc.  I haven't seen any reason to use further addons to mess with it.

The less things I mess with the better, is my motto

I believe what is missing in MSFS 2024 is that the PAPI lights are static intensity which is NOT how they work in the real world where ATC would adjust them based on day, night, weather conditions.  My understanding is ATC can set the intensity level and/or if there is PCL system in place (typically smaller airports), the pilot on approach can control their intensity.  

In addition PAPI lights can flash when an aircraft is on the runway.

I don’t believe any of these are implemented in MSFS 2024 so I’d love to see a good add-on that does this (if possible via SDK) or to have Asobo implement such a system as “default” … PAPI’s are important part of the approach/landing process and something that deserves attention.

 

Yes all airfield lighting, at a towered airport, has varying levels of intensity.  At larger airports there is more control over the levels.  At smaller towered airports there may only be one or two "steps" of brightness for certain lights or even as simple as ON or OFF.

At uncontrolled airports indeed the CTAF frequency usually controls the lights...but the "steps" may be a lot less than a towered ones.  Sometimes the papi/vasi is always on , same with taxiway lights - some newer airports only have the modern reflectors on the taxiway pegs so it's up to the aircraft to provide illumination.

There is a payware app for Pilot Controlled Lighting.  I bought it and tried it a few times but afaik it only works with the edge lights and approach lights.  It's kinda pointless to see taxiway lighting and PAPIs (since Asobo made it way too bright by default) first before seeing edge or approach lighting.

Also it didn't work well in the daytime.  They may have fixed that issue now.

Airfield lighting in the day is sometimes more important especially during periods of low visibility IE instrument approach weather.

What was the name of the add-on?  I didn’t think Asobo provided any sort of interface (SDK) into real-time changing of PAPI light intensity?

And, is PAPI intensity available via SDK for 3rd party airports … if so, I wonder how many actually have this implemented?  I must admit, I haven’t see PAPI intensity feature in any airport I’ve purchased (about 640 of them).

Do we know if SU5 will finally get rid of those radioactive mushroom lights at airports?

 

I honestly can’t understand what happened to the lighting from 2020 to 2024… they just had to copy and paste it. Yesterday I was looking at a strobe light and it looked as bad as in FSX/P3D — just a tiny white dot flashing with that horrible 4-point halo

 

Edited April 28Apr 28 by juaness

Same here. For me it is not only that the lights are too bright, it is the way they bloom into oversized blobs and become harder to read at a glance on approach. In 2020 I found runway, taxiway and nav lights much easier to judge during an evening IFR flight. In 2024 I still get moments where the whole night picture feels less natural than it used to.

On 4/27/2026 at 11:49 AM, Langeveldt said:

That mod is an utter game changer.  I can't believe it's free, or that it isn't in the base game to start with.  Completely transforms night flying.

LOL. I like to think that everyone in the US and EU have already paid for it- probably quite a lot (taxes $$$$$$). I'm just making the data you paid for available in sim format. 😇

Seriously though, if you like this kind of stuff, make sure you support NASA/ESA funding! 🤑

just purchased enhanced runway lights currently on sale for 4.99 USD.

Mike

5 minutes ago, Mike62 said:

just purchased enhanced runway lights currently on sale for 4.99 USD.

Mike

That's what I use...  it doesn't really help with the lighting that much - it's mostly a change to the physical look of the light posts.

49 minutes ago, ryanbatc said:

That's what I use...  it doesn't really help with the lighting that much - it's mostly a change to the physical look of the light posts.

I'm glad that this thread is still going. I see no difference in the night lighting with SU5. I'd love to have the v2020 terrain lights in v2024.

Does that $4.99 add change the size of the terrain light poles to a smaller size? I tried the freeware dark light mod located on flightsim.to while on SU4, but did not see a difference. Maybe that lighting package worked better in SU5 beta?

Now that I have the AI traffic resolved in v2020, I'd like to fix the night lighting.

Thanks.

2 minutes ago, CFIJose said:

I'm glad that this thread is still going. I see no difference in the night lighting with SU5. I'd love to have the v2020 terrain lights in v2024.

Does that $4.99 add change the size of the terrain light poles to a smaller size? I tried the freeware dark light mod located on flightsim.to while on SU4, but did not see a difference. Maybe that lighting package worked better in SU5 beta?

Now that I have the AI traffic resolved in v2020, I'd like to fix the night lighting.

Thanks.

They're definitely smaller in SU5... and you didn't notice the obstruction lighting?  That's a big and welcomed change.

The freeware DarkStreets is definitely also different lol.  In SU4 the radius at which the lights in rural areas disappeared was very close.  In SU5, it's more than double if not triple the distance.  If you only run low TLODs you might not notice as much as it is tied to that.  I run TLOD 400 almost all the time unless it's super heavy weather at busy payware, then it goes down to a min of 200 set by AutoFPS.  Maybe you fly in busy FL too much Jose haha...  although there are plenty of rural areas in central FL where the mod will really help.

That airfield lighting mod, no it doesn't change the size of lights outside the airport.  It slightly reduces taxiway lighting and edge lights.  IMO, approach lighting and PAPIs are still way too nuclear.

1 minute ago, ryanbatc said:

They're definitely smaller in SU5... and you didn't notice the obstruction lighting?  That's a big and welcomed change.

The freeware DarkStreets is definitely also different lol.  In SU4 the radius at which the lights in rural areas disappeared was very close.  In SU5, it's more than double if not triple the distance.  If you only run low TLODs you might not notice as much as it is tied to that.  I run TLOD 400 almost all the time unless it's super heavy weather at busy payware, then it goes down to a min of 200 set by AutoFPS.  Maybe you fly in busy FL too much Jose haha...  although there are plenty of rural areas in central FL where the mod will really help.

That airfield lighting mod, no it doesn't change the size of lights outside the airport.  It slightly reduces taxiway lighting and edge lights.  IMO, approach lighting and PAPIs are still way too nuclear.

I do fly too much in FL. 😀

But, my last three IFR flights using BATC/AIG are all on my way to my final destination, NYC.

KBKV-KATL 

KATL-KCLT

KCLT-KRDU

Today, KCLT-KDCA

The last few have been very enjoyable and the lighting has been good, but I'm going to make it even better.