Today, we simulate a typical day of operations for the Falkland Islands Government Air Service (FIGAS). Since 1979, FIGAS has operated 5 Britten-Norman Islander. They replaced the DHC-2 Beaver, which had been used since 1953. The Islander fleet underwent a couple of significant modernization upgrades and is now equipped with Glass Cockpits, Autopilot, and Satellite Tracking.

The various airstrips form the backbone of the islands' infrastructure. Next to Port Stanley and Mount Pleasant Air Base, more than 30 airstrips across the islands are regularly serviced. Most strips are simple grass tracks. Before a plane lands, a local farmer often drives a vehicle along the strip (a "strip run") to ensure there are no geese, sheep, or deep ruts that could endanger the landing. Since there are no fixed terminals with departure boards, the daily flight schedules (who flies when and where) are traditionally broadcast every evening on FIRS (Falkland Islands Radio Service). For residents of the "Camp" (the local term for the countryside), this is the most important information of the day. This service is offered only through FIGAS. Unlike regular airlines, FIGAS does not have a fixed flight schedule. It operates more like an on-demand air taxi service. Passengers must submit their flight requests by 10:00 a.m. the day before. The pilots don’t plan the route for the next day until the afternoon of the previous day, based on the bookings. The route is then announced on local radio (FIRS) and on Facebook. Often, the planes fly in a loop from Stanley, visiting several airstrips in sequence to drop off or pick up passengers. The prices vary, depending on the status of the passengers: tourists pay between 150 £ and 190 £ for a single tour to some of the smaller islands. Scenic flights cost about 170 £. Residents pay about 60 £ per flight. There is a strict limit for the luggage (max 20 kg/person), and over baggage must be requested in advance and is very expensive. Tourists need to book their flight many weeks in advance.

We depart from Mount Pleasant AB (EGYP) and visit 8 strips on a clockwise tour, finishing at Port Stanley (SFAL). Shortly before reaching Port Stanley, we pass byPembroke Lighthouse, time and weather permitting.

The trip is 190 miles long with 8 landings. The shortest runway is 1382 feet long. The Britten-Norman Islander is the ideal aircraft, but any aircraft cruising at about 140 knots and capable of operating from a 1300-foot grass strip is suitable. I will probably be in the Blackbox Islander. As always, please fly what you like.

The flight plan is here.  See post below!

Additional scenery:

Port Stanley – SFAL

RAF Mount Pleasant – EGYP

Pembroke Lighthouse

To see all details at Mount Pleasant, you should activate nickb007’s Lossiemouth.

The complete package (without Lossiemouth) is here.

 

We try real weather. Please set your simulator for a 9 am local departure.

 

Multiplayer Particulars:

Date and time: Sunday, May 03, 2026. 16:00 UTC

Microsoft Flight Simulator Multiplayer: United States East server

These flights are events posted at DigitalThemePark. For these Sunday flights, we use DTP’s Discord Server for communication.

If you want to help others enjoy the multiplayer experience, don't forget to enter your aircraft details on the multiplayer spreadsheet (linked here). Your courtesy will save others a lot of time and effort. Thanks!

Thanks for directing me to more scenery for the Falklands!

These add-ons improve the airstrips, make them easier to find, and add two POIs: a radar station and Mare Harbour. 

Mare Harbour
Radar Head Mt Kent
Falkland Island Airstrips

If you downloaded the flight plan before Thursday noon (UTC), please download it again: 

Flight Plan

Looks great. This is a different sort of flying. BTW, if anyone is using the Blackbox FS2020 BN-2 in FS2024, you might want the avionics conversion to Working Title v2: (Garmin Navigation Suite Fixes by EnsiFerrum).