Flight Simulator 2024’s August 6 Briefing Covers SU6 Testing, the Rafale, and a 707 Showcase
The weekly update also covers the MSFS 2020 Boeing 737-8 launch and a Friday route from Türkiye to Ithaca.
Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 is continuing its Sim Update 6 beta work while AzurPoly’s Dassault Rafale has reached the in-sim Marketplace. The latest details appear in the official August 6 weekly briefing, which also covers a planned Boeing 707-320C showcase and the recent MSFS 2020 Boeing 737-8 launch.
The briefing follows the July 30 briefing, which covered earlier Sim Update 6 testing and the A220’s Marketplace arrival.
Sim Update 6 beta reaches build 1.8.11.0
Development of Sim Update 6 continued with test build 1.8.11.0, which was released earlier this week to players enrolled in the optional SU6 public beta. Beta participants are also being asked to vote in the related forum surveys as testing continues.
The build remains part of the public testing process, so players outside the optional beta should not treat it as the regular live update. Feedback from testers will help guide the remaining work on SU6.
AzurPoly’s Dassault Rafale is now on the Marketplace
The Dassault Rafale from AzurPoly became available earlier this week for PC, Xbox, and PS5. The French fighter jet is one of the main additions discussed in the briefing, which also includes a conversation with Théo from AzurPoly about the studio’s flight simulator add-on work and the process of bringing the Rafale to the sim.
The official Rafale trailer gives a closer look at the aircraft:
Boeing 707-320C showcase is planned for next week
The Microsoft Flight Simulator team will host a showcase livestream next week for the upcoming Boeing 707-320C from Working Title and iniBuilds. Chris Burnett from Working Title will take viewers through the rebuilt retro airliner during the presentation.
The stream is planned for the week of August 10, although the briefing does not provide a specific day or time.
What the Boeing 737-8 brings to MSFS 2020
The Microsoft / Working Title Boeing 737-8 launched earlier this week for Microsoft Flight Simulator (2020). The aircraft was already available in MSFS 2024, and the new version gives MSFS 2020 players access to an aircraft built specifically for that edition.
Chris Burnett explained that the team worked with a real-world 737-8 pilot while developing the aircraft. The goal was to create an authentic and approachable experience for routine operations, from startup through shutdown. Working Title built the avionics, flight model, and systems for MSFS 2020, while Asobo handled the model for that version.
The aircraft includes LNAV, VNAV, and autopilot modeling for traditional and RNAV/RNP approaches. Its HUD is also connected to the approach mode, giving pilots another option for precise low-visibility approaches instead of relying on autoland.
The 737-8 shares a type rating with earlier 737 generations, so its cockpit retains familiar layouts and interactions. At the same time, it uses a newer display system first introduced on the 787, including large primary flight and multifunction displays. The briefing notes that the underlying logic and systems remain different from those used on the 787.
Friday’s flight follows Odysseus from Troy to Ithaca
The next Community Fly-In Friday will take place on August 7 and will partially retrace Odysseus’ journey from Homer’s epic poem. Participants will depart from Çanakkale Airport in Türkiye, near the archaeological site of ancient Troy, before crossing the Aegean Sea toward Greece.
The route includes several touch-and-go landings and a flyover of Ithaca. Pilots looking for a tougher flight can set the weather to thunderstorms and test Poseidon’s patience.
Suggested Marketplace add-ons for the route include:
- LGAV Athens International Airport by FlyTampa
- LGKC Kythira National Airport by Ironsim
- LGKF Kefalonia International Airport by FSDG or Fly X Simulations
All three purchases are optional, and none is required to join the group flight.
More flights, events, and screenshot challenges
The weekly flight inspiration section points players toward activities such as Red Bull Air Racing, Stranger Things, and the Challenge League. Free Flight and Career Mode remain available for anyone who prefers to plan an individual route or build a virtual aviation business.
Regular community fly-ins are also continuing through the dedicated events forum, where players can find group flights or organize their own. This week’s screenshot challenge is High Pressure Landing, following last week’s Long Haul challenge. The latest winner is hyper5sonic from the official forums.
A separate community video from Jonathan Beckett offers a first preview of the AzurPoly Dassault Rafale:
The next weekly briefing is scheduled for August 13, 2026. Tell us which aircraft or route you want to try next, share your thoughts in the comments, and follow us on X, Bluesky, YouTube, and Instagram.
Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024
Developed by Asobo Studio
Pursue your dream of an aviation career with Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024. This brand-new simulator is designed to take advantage of the latest technologies in simulation, cloud, machine learning, graphics and gaming to create the most sophisticated, immersive and awe-inspiring flight simulator of all time. To achieve this unprecedented level of accuracy, Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 is powered by the significantly evolved Asobo Studio engine.
- Genre Simulator
- Platforms Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation VR2, PC (Microsoft Windows), PlayStation 5
- Perspective First person, Third person, Virtual Reality
- Modes Single player, Multiplayer
- Release November 19, 2024
- Publisher Xbox Game Studios
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