Hey Folks,

It's been a quick 2 months since I last posted a project update here - Lots has been added, tons of updates, and we just crossed 10k users!

Finally got around to creating a video showing off what we've been up to. If you've been interested, but don't quite understand what we're doing over here, this will give you a solid understanding.

.... Though what I really want to show off to the Avsim crowd is below the video.

We just added our own ATC towers - with working Radar/Arrival/Departure/Movement boards! These currently work with PA traffic only, but I plan to integrate with other ATC services as well as current sim traffic. This was mostly a proof that it COULD be done. Now comes the work to make it worth using. It might be possible to bring this to existing ATC towers as long as they have an interior but will need some research.

I know this has been something a lot of dedicated simmers have wanted for a very long time.
Genuinely shocked this hasn't been done by Asobo, it adds a TON of life to the interior of the control tower.

Can read a little more about the latest update here: https://projectairports.com/blog/10-000-users-a-living-world-built-by-you-working-atc-radar

Not too much interest in this it seems, and I kinda understand why. After visiting your website I STILL can't figure out if it's a freeware, payware or subscription program and if it's payware, what does it cost? And from the looks of the already "made" airports, they're nowhere the quality of what we see people is uploading to the xxxxxxxx.to site. Why start from scratch, why not just make something where we can easyli place objects and stuff in the existing airports in MS2024?

Yes, I would love to be able to add objects to existing airports, and (more importantly) be able to add/modify AI parking spots. In other words, Airport Design Editor for MSFS 2024.

Edited September 20Sep 20 by Christopher Low

1 hour ago, Christopher Low said:

Yes, I would love to be able to add objects to existing airports, and (more importantly) be able to add/modify AI parking spots. In other words, Airport Design Editor for MSFS 2024.

The way the 24 SDK works and package layering in general in the sim's scenery generation, it's kind of hard to imagine that an external app can do those things...unfortunately. Maybe with the 20 SDK, but the 24 SDK added many layers of complexity.

3 hours ago, jlund said:

Not too much interest in this it seems, and I kinda understand why. After visiting your website I STILL can't figure out if it's a freeware, payware or subscription program and if it's payware, what does it cost? And from the looks of the already "made" airports, they're nowhere the quality of what we see people is uploading to the xxxxxxxx.to site. Why start from scratch, why not just make something where we can easyli place objects and stuff in the existing airports in MS2024?

It's pay-to-win or something the like. You earn (or purchase with real money, I assume) "aeros", which is the virtual currency, and need that to get new stuff etc. You can also buy "supporter packs" for 25 dollars, which give you new stuff
Definitely not "excellent freeware" as the tag suggests. It's a commercial product

Edited September 20Sep 20 by Fiorentoni

@McCrackenAir , please clarify the financial status of this product. Users seem unsure what it is especially when you use "excellent freeware" tag in your original post.

Agreed! That "Excellent Freeware" tag is very misleading!

7 hours ago, Ray Proudfoot said:

@McCrackenAir , please clarify the financial status of this product. Users seem unsure what it is especially when you use "excellent freeware" tag in your original post.

This definitely qualifies for freeware. We do have a supporter option, but it's an option, and 100% not needed for any aspect of the program. Ober 95% of our users have never paid, will never need to, and will never be asked to pay.

I intentionally leave out promoting supporter purchases, as I feel thats a decision a user should make after they decide the program is worth supporting.

8 hours ago, Fiorentoni said:

It's pay-to-win or something the like. You earn (or purchase with real money, I assume) "aeros", which is the virtual currency, and need that to get new stuff etc. You can also buy "supporter packs" for 25 dollars, which give you new stuff
Definitely not "excellent freeware" as the tag suggests. It's a commercial product

Outside the one time supporter option, there is no way to purchase the currency. This is intentional. I don't want people coming in, spending hundreds, and pushing the rest of the community out.

Users earn currency by flying, visiting airports, or having people visit their airports. That's it.

They can increase their earnings by using other third party apps like Navigraph or BATC, increasing the multiplier they earn as they fly.

11 hours ago, jlund said:

Not too much interest in this it seems, and I kinda understand why. After visiting your website I STILL can't figure out if it's a freeware, payware or subscription program and if it's payware, what does it cost? And from the looks of the already "made" airports, they're nowhere the quality of what we see people is uploading to the xxxxxxxx.to site. Why start from scratch, why not just make something where we can easyli place objects and stuff in the existing airports in MS2024?

Avsim is historically the slowest place to adopt new concepts in the flight sim world. I will try to clarify these questions on the front page, that's really good feedback. There's thousands of other simmers out there who DO want to make fictional airports at locations that mean a lot to them :)

Aside from that, we are actively developing a utility that does exactly as you ask, to existing airports. It's just a bit more complicated and we've only been around 2.5 months :)

2 minutes ago, McCrackenAir said:

This definitely qualifies for freeware. We do have a supporter option, but it's an option, and 100% not needed for any aspect of the program.

Understood. I’ll leave management to confirm it’s okay to stay as it is.

1 hour ago, McCrackenAir said:

Aside from that, we are actively developing a utility that does exactly as you ask, to existing airports. It's just a bit more complicated and we've only been around 2.5 months :)

Interesting. Will this utility also enable modification and addition of AI parking spots? That would be very significant.

32 minutes ago, Christopher Low said:

Interesting. Will this utility also enable modification and addition of AI parking spots? That would be very significant.

That's significant? That's already done and entirely possible for the current editor. I can't imagine it'll be difficult to do for existing airports at all. I'll triple check and make sure before committing 😂

I mean payware or hand crafted airports. I do not use default airports.

Looking forward to the "airport design editor" or what you're gonna call it, that's what I've been wanting since FSX and P3D, where it was easy to spice up existing airports. I don't need to build an airport from skratch, just improve what's already there. :-)

"Aside from that, we are actively developing a utility that does exactly as you ask, to existing airports. It's just a bit more complicated and we've only been around 2.5 months :)"

Do you have any update on how it is progressing? I have just tried the inbuilt SDK editor, and even after watching almost all the videos I could find on YT, I still don't get it, so a program that is an easier way to place objects in excisting scenery, will be most welcome.

20 hours ago, jlund said:

"Aside from that, we are actively developing a utility that does exactly as you ask, to existing airports. It's just a bit more complicated and we've only been around 2.5 months :)"

Do you have any update on how it is progressing? I have just tried the inbuilt SDK editor, and even after watching almost all the videos I could find on YT, I still don't get it, so a program that is an easier way to place objects in excisting scenery, will be most welcome.

Hey, yeah! This is being actively worked on right now. I don't have a date, but really the last thing that needs finished is the native EFB app and msfs toolbar app.

Those apps will drive the new tech we're gonna use for the standalone app, allowing people to place their objects at their airports while loaded into their airports in msfs