Microsoft Flight Simulator launched on 18 August 2020 and streams Bing Maps imagery with Azure generated 3D buildings across roughly 37,000 airports. The 40th Anniversary Edition arrived with Sim Update 11 on 11 November 2022 as a free update, adding helicopters, sailplanes, seven historic aircraft and the Airbus A310, taking the roster to 37 flyable machines with individual flight models. Live weather and live traffic feed real conditions into the sim, so a departure into low cloud at 03:00 local is genuinely low cloud at 03:00 local.
Resource management and crafting determine how quickly your power scales. This guide covers what to prioritize, where to farm, and how to avoid wasting resources on the wrong upgrades.
Crafting Priority List
The order you should invest resources:
| Priority | Target | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Primary equipment | Biggest damage increase per resource spent |
| 2 | Core build gear | Enables your build's key combinations |
| 3 | Defensive upgrades | Survivability for boss fights |
| 4 | Secondary equipment | Situational options for specific content |
| 5 | Consumables | Temporary boosts for hard content |
Resource Farming by Area
Innsbruck Airport (LOWI)
Key resources: Valley approach technique, terrain awareness, confidence flying near high ground Farming efficiency: Low value per run, but safe and consistent
Focus on gathering materials for Daher TBM 930 upgrades here. See our maps guide for detailed area layouts.
Courchevel Altiport (LFLJ)
Key resources: Short field landing discipline and a genuine commitment point Farming efficiency: Good early-game farming spot
Focus on gathering materials for Daher TBM 930 upgrades here. See our maps guide for detailed area layouts.
Tenzing-Hillary Airport, Lukla (VNLK)
Key resources: High altitude performance planning, plus the sim's most famous single approach Farming efficiency: Best mid-game farming, worth revisiting
Focus on gathering materials for Daher TBM 930 upgrades here. See our maps guide for detailed area layouts.
Princess Juliana International Airport (TNCM)
Key resources: Low level approach practice, and the beach flyover everyone screenshots Farming efficiency: High-value materials for late-game upgrades
This is where you farm materials for Cessna 172 Skyhawk (G1000) max upgrades. See our maps guide for detailed area layouts.
Barra Airport (EGPR)
Key resources: Soft field technique, crosswind handling and a genuinely unusual runway surface Farming efficiency: Best resources in the game, requires strong build
This is where you farm materials for Cessna 172 Skyhawk (G1000) max upgrades. See our maps guide for detailed area layouts.
Upgrade Path
Early Game (Innsbruck Airport (LOWI) to Courchevel Altiport (LFLJ))
- Upgrade your starting equipment to functional level
- Craft basic defensive gear
- Save specialty materials, since you'll need them later
- Focus on Daher TBM 930 once accessible
Mid Game (Tenzing-Hillary Airport, Lukla (VNLK))
- Push Daher TBM 930 to mid-level upgrades
- Start collecting materials for Cessna 172 Skyhawk (G1000)
- Craft situational consumables for boss fights
- Upgrade build-specific gear pieces
Late Game (Princess Juliana International Airport (TNCM) to Barra Airport (EGPR))
- Max out Cessna 172 Skyhawk (G1000). This is your top priority
- Complete your build's core gear set
- Craft endgame consumables
- Optional: upgrade secondary equipment for variety
Crafting Mistakes to Avoid
- Spreading upgrades across multiple equipment: Focus one weapon to max before diversifying.
- Hoarding materials: Use them. The game provides enough if you farm efficiently.
- Upgrading the wrong gear: Check our builds guide before investing.
- Ignoring Tenzing-Hillary Airport, Lukla (VNLK) farming: This area has the best resource-to-time ratio in mid-game.
- Crafting consumables too early: Save specialty materials for late-game recipes.
Resource Efficiency Tips
- Set a manual rolling cache in the data options before you fly anywhere twice. The sim streams scenery every flight, so caching the areas you fly often removes the pop in and cuts bandwidth use dramatically on repeat routes.
- Farm Tenzing-Hillary Airport, Lukla (VNLK) during mid-game for the best return on time
- Check the walkthrough to know when each resource becomes available
- Match your farming route to your build. Some classes farm faster in certain areas
More Microsoft Flight Simulator (2020) 40th Anniversary Edition Guides
- Microsoft Flight Simulator (2020) 40th Anniversary Edition Microsoft Flight Simulator (2020) 40th Anniversary Edition Overview
- Microsoft Flight Simulator (2020) 40th Anniversary Edition Best Builds
- Microsoft Flight Simulator (2020) 40th Anniversary Edition Tier List
- Microsoft Flight Simulator (2020) 40th Anniversary Edition Walkthrough
- Microsoft Flight Simulator (2020) 40th Anniversary Edition Beginner's Guide
- Microsoft Flight Simulator (2020) 40th Anniversary Edition Tips & Tricks
- Microsoft Flight Simulator (2020) 40th Anniversary Edition Weapons Guide
- Microsoft Flight Simulator (2020) 40th Anniversary Edition Combat Guide
- Microsoft Flight Simulator (2020) 40th Anniversary Edition Boss Guide
- Microsoft Flight Simulator (2020) 40th Anniversary Edition Maps & Locations
- Microsoft Flight Simulator (2020) 40th Anniversary Edition Classes & Characters
Similar Games
If you enjoy Microsoft Flight Simulator (2020) 40th Anniversary Edition, check out these related guides:
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- The Sims 4 Crafting Guide: simulation game with similar mechanics
