MSFS 2024 Sim Update 7 brings free Reno and Roswell air races plus a long fix list
Microsoft and Asobo have released Sim Update 7 for Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024. It went live on 13 October as a free update on PC (Steam and the Microsoft Store) and consoles. The headline feature is the National Championship Air Races, America’s best-known air racing event, now built right into the sim.
Air racing at Reno and Roswell
Races start from the Activities menu and cost nothing. There are two courses: the historic one at Reno, Nevada, home of the championship for decades, and a brand-new course at Roswell, New Mexico. According to the developers, venues and aircraft were recreated from photos, measurements and 3D scans.
The race classes:
- Unlimited: P-51D Mustangs, including the famous “Strega”, “Voodoo” and “Bunny”;
- Jet: L-39C trainers “American Spirit”, “Drop Bear” and “Pipsqueak”;
- T-6: SNJ-4 “Big Red”, AT-6B “Baron’s Revenge” and T-6G “Six-Cat”;
- Biplane: Pitts S-1S aerobatic biplanes “Miss Diane”, “Yellow Bomber” and “Blackhawk”;
- STOL drag race (short take-off and landing), a format new to the championship.
The STOL race is a head-to-head sprint. Two pilots take off together, fly to the far end of a 2,000 ft course, land, turn around and race back, and the first to stop at the start line wins. You can fly time trials, join multiplayer races or set up private events with friends. Optional engine wear and damage add some risk.
Why it’s worth a look
Reno racing is famous for aircraft rounding pylons at low level, with P-51s going well past 400 mph. A sloppy turn costs seconds, and pushing too hard can cook the engine if wear is switched on. So it is not an arcade mode: you have to manage height, energy and line all at once. For pilots who mostly fly scheduled routes on the autopilot, it is a great excuse to practise hand flying.
A paid racer pack
A separate DLC, “National Championship Air Races – Racer Pack 1”, costs $39.99 and adds 40 race aircraft, ten per class. Aircraft are also sold one at a time or in packs of ten. You don’t need any of it to race, because the base aircraft are included for free.
Fixes and improvements
The less flashy half of the update matters just as much for everyday flying:
- faster cockpit instrument rendering, which helps frame rates;
- a fix for a memory leak on long flights, plus loading problems with some aircraft and flight plans;
- a new default ground services app on the EFB (the pilot’s electronic tablet);
- ATC, navigation and career mode fixes;
- a custom electronic flight control system for the C-17 with better autopilot and handling, and fixes for the H225, Saab 340B and nearly 50 other aircraft.
World Update airports and landmarks also get fixes, and add-on developers get an updated SDK.
What it means for you: check your third-party add-ons after updating, as some may need new versions. And if you’ve never tried air racing, now is the time: it’s free, and a basic joystick is enough to get started.
Source: flightsimulator.com