Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 Lets You Take the Goodyear Blimp for a Scenic Ride
The helium-filled airship can stay airborne for more than 22 hours and reach a range of 600 miles in the simulator.
The Goodyear Blimp is now available to fly in Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024, giving players a slower and more relaxed way to take in the virtual world. Microsoft announced the aircraft through Xbox Wire.
The airship joins the simulator shortly after World Update 22: US National Parks, which features more than 30 national parks and monuments. That makes the blimp a natural match for sightseeing over locations such as Death Valley National Park, Olympic National Park, Acadia National Park, and Mount Hood National Forest.
A slower way to see the world
The virtual aircraft is based on the modern Zeppelin New Technology airship used by Goodyear. It is helium-filled and semi-rigid, with an internal framework supporting the envelope. Goodyear moved its fleet to this design in 2014.
In the simulator, the blimp features a carbon-fiber-and-aluminum frame, computer-controlled flight surfaces, three vectored-thrust engines, fly-by-wire controls, and a configurable gondola that can carry up to 14 people. It is roughly 246 feet long, has a range of 600 miles, can reach 73 mph, and can remain airborne for more than 22 hours.
The aircraft’s low speed also changes how players approach a flight. Wind matters more when the airship is moving slowly, so choosing an altitude with helpful tailwinds can make a noticeable difference. Its controls also have a delay between input and response, rewarding patience rather than quick corrections.
Goodyear pilot shares a recommended route
The announcement includes an interview with Goodyear Chief Pilot of Training & Safety Standards Adam Basaran. He said the in-game version reproduces details from the real airship, including the LED sign computer keyboard in the left-side pilot storage cubby and the texture of its materials.
Basaran recommended that new pilots begin at Wingfoot Lake, listed as 4OH6, in Mogadore, Ohio. From there, a short trip to the historic Akron Air Dock at Akron Fulton Airport provides a fitting introduction to the aircraft.
He also pointed to the blimp’s stadium flyovers as part of its appeal. The airship’s quiet flight can let real-world crews hear a marching band and the crowd during a college football game. In the simulator, players can recreate that kind of low, slow pass over their favorite venues or head toward natural landmarks instead.
Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 is available on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox on PC, Xbox Cloud Gaming, PlayStation 5, Steam, and Xbox Game Pass, with Xbox Play Anywhere support. Tell us where you plan to take the Goodyear Blimp 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
- Modes: Single player, Multiplayer
- Release: 2024-11-19
- Publisher: Xbox Game Studios
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Age Rating:
PEGI 3 / ACB G / GRAC ALL / USK 0 / ESRB E / CERO A / CLASS_IND L
- IGDB Rating: 70.8/100
