Virtually every weekend starting in February, our Community has hosted “Fly-in” events in order to help test our Multiplayer mode. From IFR flights over the Caribbean, to scenic tours of Hong Kong, to STOL Drag Racing, there is a wide range of events for every type of pilot and skill level.
Screenshot by xBufferzz
Pieter, one of our Forum and Discord mods, regularly hosts these community fly-in events in his spare time via Discord. Other moderators, such as Joachim and Simtom, often help with these events. Pieter explains, “There have been some magical moments where we’re flying with 20+ people and the chat goes completely quiet. You have these moments, when the time of day and scenery just leave you breathless… 20+ GA planes flying together in complete silence because we’re all experiencing this breath-taking moment together, and it’s such an amazing thing to be to part of.”
“There are so many memorable moments, for example, when people would warn each other of turbulence on route, and then to actually experience that turbulence exactly where it was reported. Also, cloud formations and other weather features are perfectly synced between the sessions. The realization that we’re all experiencing the exact same circumstances was pretty flabbergasting.”
Screenshot by xBufferzz
Usually, when someone wants to create a community event, they just have to decide on a theme first. Bush flight? Tour? IFR adventure? Contest? From there, they scout locations and plan a flight route. Pieter tends to keep his events around two hours of flying with a 15-minute break in the middle. He also watches out for airport sizes and whether or not they can accommodate several planes. The more guidance you can provide to the group pre-flight, the better.
We asked about some of his favorite events over the months.
“It’s really hard to come up with a single favorite. I like the GA bush flying events. With slow planes flying low over the scenery. Joe and I had one where we used a weather preset for a nice snowy sunset. That was a magical experience.”
“We also had a night flight over Hong Kong with a local guide which took us sight-seeing. And of course, the Canyon Razor Runs, where we fly through the Grand Canyon as low as we dare with a TBM on full speed. Not too realistic, but a LOT of fun.”
“Another one coming to mind was the first STOL challenge where competitors took off on the same runway and had to land, turn around and come back as fast as possible. There were some tense moments with a lot yelling.”
Screenshot by Invictus#1745
There are events for all pilot skill levels, and everyone is happy to help answer questions for any participant who is interested in joining.
We are excited for the continuation of Community Fly-in Events post-launch and can’t wait to have more pilots join in the fun. Look for the launch of our Microsoft public forums, which will have a section for user-created Community Fly-In events and more. Also stay tuned for community fly in events hosted on our Twitch channel!
7 more days until launch. See you in the skies!